In my dream of returning to the Tang Dynasty, I snatched Wu Zetian from my lap.

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin frowned slightly, seemingly deep in thought.

"But I have already issued an order to confer the title of Princess Wencheng. As a princess of the Great Tang, she is naturally related to my father-in-law and son-in-law."

Li Yuanchang immediately said, "Your Majesty, that's not true!"

"If the name is not correct, then the words will not be proper."

"The issue of one's background will always be discussed, and if this is not handled rigorously, it will not be convincing to the public."

"If the Tibetan king acknowledges it, who can guarantee that the various forces within Tibet will acknowledge it?"

"If we make do like this, wouldn't that give people something to talk about, allowing them to say behind our backs that the Tibetan king and His Majesty are of the same generation!"

"This means my Great Tang Dynasty has been demoted a level for no reason!"

"In the future, when envoys from both sides come and go, they will probably lose the dignity of the Celestial Empire!" Li Yuanchang kept raising the issue to a higher level and making it more serious.

Under such an offensive, Li Shimin's gaze changed slightly, and he felt a sense of wavering and worry.

Just three breaths.

"Chu Suiliang".

"Your subject is here." The close advisor who was waiting outside, and who was also responsible for writing the imperial edict, walked in.

"Go immediately and see if the imperial edict has reached the Tibetan envoy and whether he has left the palace. If it hasn't, retrieve it first."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuanchang was overjoyed!

He made the right bet!

Emperor Taizong of Tang, a great emperor of all time, was proud, and so was the Tang Dynasty. Their marriage alliances were for peace purposes only, not out of fear of Tibet.

Li Shimin would definitely not be willing to make them equals.

"Your Majesty, I will go; I am faster!" Li Yuanchang saw that Chu Suiliang was quite old and quickly volunteered. As long as the imperial edict had not been issued, there was still room for maneuver.

"Go quickly."

Li Shimin waved his hand, clearly indicating that he was considering replacing him.

After all, it doesn't matter who the person sent for the marriage is, as long as it's Princess Wencheng. And who Princess Wencheng is is up to Li Shimin.

"yes!"

bass!

Li Yuanchang charged forward like a cheetah taking off, his entire body almost a blur.

Li Shimin's eyes blurred and the person disappeared. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "Youth is wonderful. Back in the day, I was even more vigorous than the Prince of Han."

Chu Suiliang laughed and said, "Your Majesty is not old at all; you are in your prime."

"Haha, you're so good with words, but your body is getting old. It's all the younger generation's stage from now on."

"It's such a pity, such a pity."

Li Shimin's voice trailed off, the words on the tip of his tongue but he didn't finish them, just staring blankly in the direction Li Yuanchang had left.

There was relief, but also sadness. His once heroic brows now held a hint of a hero's decline, but the inadequacy of his successor became a source of deep worry for him.

Chu Suiliang seemed to have discerned the emperor's intentions.

He comforted him, saying, "The royal family is full of talented people, and the Tang Dynasty is thriving. What Your Majesty desires will surely come true."

"Is that so?"

"I hope so."

"King Han, I still value him highly. When we all get old, he will be able to shoulder great responsibilities."

"..."

Li Yuanchang could no longer hear the conversation between the emperor and his minister.

At this moment, he was leading the Imperial Guards, racing against time within the palace, almost to the point of recklessness.

At every checkpoint and in every carriage, upon seeing that it was Li Yuanchang leading the Imperial Guards, no one dared to stop them, and they all made way.

The imperial edict has already been issued and must be intercepted en route.

Once the decree is officially issued, the problem becomes extremely complicated, since an imperial edict cannot be changed overnight.

"quick!"

"Faster!"

"How much longer until the Court of State Ceremonial is established?"

"Your Highness, over here, over here!"

"Soon!"

The battle-hardened imperial guards were all panting heavily, their lips pale, as if they were about to be overwhelmed by Li Yuanchang's 100-meter sprint, but none of them dared to stop.

The Court of State Ceremonial was one of the nine major courts of the Tang Dynasty, and its main function was diplomacy.

The Tibetan envoy was staying there at that time.

Upon receiving Li Shimin's edict, he immediately went there.

"Faster!"

"Don't stop!"

Li Yuanchang shouted as he sprinted, the sound of the wind filling his ears.

A squad of imperial guards was scattered, with only a few scattered individuals able to keep up.

In the end, Li Yuanchang basically couldn't wait for anyone and rushed to the front himself.

Do not issue the order!

Do not issue the order!

He kept screaming anxiously in his heart, as if he were racing against death, wishing he could sprout wings.

It's unclear how much time passed, but when Li Yuanchang rushed into the Honglu Temple, he was soaked to the bone, his skin felt like it was on fire, and his mad dash of several miles was comparable to that of an athlete in later generations.

Everyone, including him, had a heart rate that was off the charts, they were panting heavily, and their hearts felt like they were about to jump out of their chests.

"Where is the person who delivered the imperial edict?"

"Where?" He grabbed an official at random.

"Your Highness, they have been gone for quite some time," the official from the Court of State Ceremonial replied.

boom!

This news was like a bolt from the blue!

Li Yuanchang's heart sank to the bottom in an instant. The imperial edict had already been issued to the Tibetan envoys. He was too late after all!

Undeterred, he still rushed into the Court of State Ceremonial.

The Tibetan envoys were still there, gathered together discussing the imperial edict, and they even explicitly mentioned Li Su's name.

At that moment, Li Yuanchang even had the urge to snatch the imperial edict back and tear it to shreds, but reason told him that he couldn't do that.

"Your Highness, what should we do?"

"The imperial edict has already been issued; His Majesty's decree was merely intercepted midway."

Li Yuanchang's face was grim. When the imperial edict was issued, all hope seemed slim, but he still did not give up.

"I'll go back first!"

"You few stay here and keep watch, while I, the king, go to see the emperor immediately."

The imperial guards clasped their hands in a fist salute: "Yes!"

And so, Li Yuanchang turned back the way he came and rushed back.

By the time he arrived at the palace, he was completely exhausted and covered in sweat.

But instead of rushing in to meet the emperor immediately, he sat down, took deep breaths, and adjusted his state while his brain worked furiously.

He was pondering how to persuade Li Shimin to retract his decision.

After waiting for a while, he looked up at the sky, took a deep breath, stood up abruptly, and stepped into the palace.

Li Shimin was still waiting at Zhaolu Palace.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects."

"Has the imperial edict reached the Court of State Ceremonial?"

Li Yuanchang nodded: "We've arrived."

Li Shimin frowned slightly, and before he could speak, Li Yuanchang hurriedly said.

"Your Majesty, although the imperial edict has been issued to the Court of State Ceremonies, the official documents have not yet been exchanged, and not many people in the court or the public know about it. The edict has not yet left the palace."

"There is still room for maneuver."

Li Shimin frowned and said directly, "No, the imperial edict has been issued; it cannot be treated lightly."

"Changing orders frequently and replacing people at the last minute will cause dissatisfaction among the Tibetans."

"But Your Majesty, Li Su is indeed inappropriate." Li Yuanchang appealed to his emotions and reason.

Li Shimin said, "But it is already like this. Although there are some flaws, it is not unacceptable. Li Su is a member of the imperial family after all, and as long as she is Princess Wencheng, then there is not much of a problem."

"I will have someone speak with the Tibetans to confirm the relationship between uncle and nephew. The Tibetan king will be allowed to refer to himself as his nephew, thus eliminating the superior-subordinate relationship."