The Great Tang Dynasty's Trans-Dimensional Conference: Little Rhinoceros Arrives

Inside the side hall of the Lizheng Hall, as Li Shimin slowly recounted Lin Fan's origins, the mouths of several high-ranking officials were agape, wide enough to fit two eggs.

"Your Majesty, is what you said true?" After a long while, Fang Xuanling finally spoke slowly and asked.

He still had a tuft of beard between his fingertips, and this shocking news made him completely ignore the pain coming from his chin.

Li Shimin nodded calmly. "Of course, would I lie to you all?"

"No, no, no," Fang Xuanling quickly waved his hand to explain, "This old minister always thought that our Great Tang Dynasty had divine assistance behind it, but I never expected it to be like this..."

If he really had to choose between divine assistance and a person from future generations, he would naturally prefer to believe the former.

Although Fang Xuanling was a great Confucian scholar, well-versed in ancient and modern knowledge, and skilled in politics and human nature, he never believed in magicians or the spirit of Zhu Rong.

Furthermore, he also values ​​empirical evidence, observes human nature, and is better at deducing things from basic logic. He would never kneel down and worship gods and immortals upon seeing a strange object.

But this is, after all, the early Tang Dynasty. Even the official ideology follows the principle of divine right of kings, that the emperor is the true Son of Heaven, and that the prosperous age is blessed by Heaven.

Moreover, this is the orthodox rhetoric of the imperial court, the foundation of its rule, and almost all taxi drivers adhere to this theory.

As a result, Li Shimin has now almost personally torn apart this facade.

If the emperor himself hadn't spoken, they would have considered such a statement to be utterly treasonous!

The concepts of "time and space," "future generations," and "time travel" don't exist in this day and age.

If rumors were to spread that "people from the future have appeared in the world," countless rumors and gossip would inevitably arise.

For example, "What will the Tang Dynasty be like in the future? Will it prosper or perish?"

For example, "Will this person bring about a harbinger of national ruin?"

Some might even wonder, "Has the Mandate of Heaven changed? Is the imperial power under threat?"

Although everything Lin Fan is doing is for the sake of making the Tang Dynasty more prosperous, not everyone thinks that way.

Not everyone possesses Li Shimin's magnanimity or the wisdom of his ministers.

After the remaining people had gradually processed their shock, Changsun Wuji tentatively said:

"Your Majesty, I believe this matter is of great importance and should not be publicized in a grand manner."

"That's right." Wei Zheng nodded in agreement. "That's what I think too."

What Fang Xuanling could think of, Changsun Wuji and Wei Zheng could also think of; they both saw the hidden dangers involved.

Of those present, only Li Jing and Qin Qiong had not yet spoken.

Qin Qiong didn't say much because he was determined to support Li Shimin no matter what, and he would do whatever Li Shimin said.

As for Li Jing, he was somewhat numb at this moment.

He originally thought today was just a simple banquet at the palace, but he never expected to hear such explosive news.

He is a rational and cautious person by nature, and now he has not only achieved great military exploits, but has also been promoted to the position of prime minister.

If any other emperor had been on the throne, it would have been a case of his achievements overshadowing his authority. Only Li Shimin could keep him in check.

"It seems I need to make plans soon." The thought of retiring arose in Li Jing's mind.

Li Shimin had no idea that his words today would lead Li Jing to decide to retire early.

Having observed the reactions of the ministers, Li Shimin had anticipated their thoughts.

"Gentlemen, there's no need to worry so much," Li Shimin said with a smile, raising his hand to reassure the four. "Since I'm telling you about this today, I naturally have my reasons."

The people present today are all Li Shimin's most trusted confidants.

Even though Wei Zheng was a former minister of the Crown Prince, his loyalty to the Tang Dynasty was beyond doubt.

Li Shimin wore a calm and unhurried smile.

"I am aware of all your concerns. Apart from you, the Empress, and my children, no one else knows about this."

"I originally didn't intend to publicize this news so widely."

His decision to tell the four of them this matter today was the result of long and careful consideration.

Fang Xuanling, as the Left Vice Minister, was not only the chief minister but also the head of the strategists. Although Changsun Wuji was a relative of the empress, he was also a core member of the imperial clan and wielded great power. Wei Zheng was an advisor and a straightforward minister who controlled public opinion. Although he was also a principled person, he was likely able to consider the overall situation.

The last one is Li Jing, who has been hailed as the God of War of the Tang Dynasty and is currently the number one figure in the Tang military.

These four men were basically the most trusted and reliable pillars of Li Shimin's court.

Hearing Li Shimin say this, the four of them breathed a sigh of relief.

Fang Xuanling rose and cupped his hands, saying, "Your Majesty, this young man's talent is beneficial to the country and the people, but his background is indeed somewhat strange and frightening. Of course, it is a cause for celebration that Your Majesty has now adopted him as your godson."

Thinking about the tremendous changes that have recently taken place in the Tang Dynasty, Fang Xuanling's mindset has shifted from initial slight resistance to complete acceptance.

"Xuanling is absolutely right." Changsun Wuji nodded slightly. "However, this matter is of great importance. I believe that Young Master Lin has made such a contribution and should be rewarded accordingly. This may help him integrate into our Great Tang as soon as possible."

Changsun Wuji was thinking much more. Although he had given Lin Fan the status of an adopted son, which was incredibly prestigious, he was actually thinking about how to completely bind Lin Fan to the Tang Dynasty.

Upon hearing this, Wei Zheng stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I do not think so. The key to employing people is sincerity; one should exchange sincerity for sincerity."

Wei Zheng's implication was clear: today you might be able to use rewards to bind someone, but tomorrow someone else could use the same method to poach them, although the chances of that happening are very small.

Although Wei Zheng refuted him twice, Changsun Wuji was not angry.

"What Wei Shizhong said makes sense, but to win people's hearts, so-called sincerity is not enough."

Seeing the two men locked in a stalemate, Li Shimin shook his head helplessly and quickly raised his hands to wave, saying, "Don't be impatient, gentlemen."

"I have known Lin Fan for some time now, and I am fairly familiar with his character and temperament, so you don't need to worry about that."

"But after all, so many strange things have recently appeared in the Tang Dynasty, and all those aristocratic families are now eager to make a move. Outsiders only know that the Tang Dynasty is protected by gods, but this information cannot be kept secret for long."

"Now that you know the truth and can see through all the schemes outside, what I want is to protect him in every way!"

The "he" that Li Shimin refers to here is of course Lin Fan.

Although Lin Fan spends most of his time in the future and can easily retreat if something happens, Li Shimin has another plan in mind, which he cannot tell the others for the time being.