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

Li Yuanchang looked helpless.

"Your Excellencies, this is indeed a good thing. However, my ambitions lie elsewhere. I prefer a more peaceful and free life in Liangzhou."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Gong exchanged a glance and fell silent instantly, unable to say anything more.

The three of them walked together. As soon as Li Yuanchang finished court, he distanced himself from the flattery of various factions in the court. At this moment, the three of them walked out of the palace.

"Ugh."

"Everyone has their own ambitions. It might be a good thing for the King of Han to retire while he is still at the peak of his career."

"However, the King of Han shouldn't have said that to his face just now."

"Perhaps it's better to be sick," Cheng Yaojin said in a low voice, his words carrying a profound meaning.

"Yes," Yuchi Gong replied.

Li Yuanchang also noticed the anger Li Shimin felt when he politely declined, which was unlike Li Shimin's usual composure.

"May I ask, gentlemen, what has happened?"

Yuchi Gong, hands clasped behind his back, asked with a pointed look on his dark face, "Your Highness, do you still remember why His Majesty just bestowed this title upon you?"

"The Minister of War."

"Who was the former Minister of War?" Yuchi Gong asked again.

Li Yuanchang's steps faltered abruptly, his eyes widened, and he blurted out, "Hou Junji!"

"Right, isn't Hou Junji doing just fine?" he asked in surprise.

Cheng Yaojin looked around, then smiled bitterly: "He's not anymore."

"It's already vacant."

Li Yuanchang asked seriously, "What happened?"

Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Gong didn't hide anything; they already had a good relationship, and this time, Li Yuanchang and their sons had made great contributions in battle.

I expect to be rewarded and promoted within the next couple of days.

"Your Highness may not know while you are away on campaign, but just two months ago, Hou Junji was suddenly dismissed from his post, retaining only his title, and his military power was also reduced by half."

Why?

Cheng Yaojin frowned and said in a deep voice, "After getting drunk outside, he instigated Zhang Liang to rebel against the imperial court, but in the end, Zhang Liang reported him to His Majesty."

"But considering the lack of corroborating evidence and his intoxication, His Majesty ultimately suppressed the matter after much deliberation."

"But all of its key positions have been removed."

"Huh?" Li Yuanchang's voice rose, revealing an incredulous expression.

Cheng Yaojin smiled helplessly, looking towards the end of the palace avenue, his rugged face full of the experience accumulated over the years.

"What a fine general!"

"What a pity, what a pity."

Yuchi Gong sighed softly, "If he had even half the temperament of Your Highness, he wouldn't have ended up like this."

"What happened in Gaochang last time was wrong of him. His Majesty has already given him a chance, but he still holds a grudge."

"If this were during the Han or Sui dynasties, he would already be a corpse by now."

Li Yuanchang sighed deeply, followed by an overwhelming sense of urgency.

Is Hou Junji's fate truly beyond redemption?

If he continues like this, rebellion is inevitable. If he rebels, Li Chengqian will definitely follow him, and if Li Chengqian follows him, many people will be implicated.

Although he had already drawn a clear line, some things cannot be completely severed.

Where is he now?

"He should be at his residence. His Majesty is very disappointed in him. If he instigated someone to oppose His Majesty, it would be drunken nonsense or just parroting what others say."

"But Hou Junji's performance over the past two years has been evident to all. His arrogance is destined to be a double-edged sword."

"He was younger than all of us. His Majesty had assigned him to study military strategy under Duke Wei. Although Duke Wei taught him, he refused to accept the formal teacher-student relationship."

"Now it seems that Duke Wei's eyes were too sharp. He really taught everyone. I don't know how arrogant this person is."

"He was originally someone His Majesty placed high hopes on, a true military genius, destined to succeed Duke Wei and Li Ji."

"What a pity, it's ruined."

"So, Your Highness understands why His Majesty was so angry just now?"

As he spoke, Cheng Yaojin looked over.

Li Yuanchang frowned: "Your Majesty wants me to succeed Hou Junji?"

Cheng Yaojin nodded: "You could say that."

"Your Highness has distinguished yourself in the past two years. This time, you swept through the northern desert and launched a surprise attack on the Xueyantuo's headquarters. Your military talent is second to none."

"His Majesty knows about all the battles you fought in Xueyantuo, including the Battle of Dingyuan Mountain."

"For this reason, His Majesty sent someone to bring Duke Wei to the palace. No one knows what they talked about, but later His Majesty began to intentionally or unintentionally mention the issue of the candidate for the position of Minister of War."

"We old comrades all know in our hearts that the next leader should be a young, promising talent."

"Of course, this is only a military consideration."

"And governing the country."

"Liangzhou is now known as the Little Jiangnan, but just a few years ago, it was a land of extreme poverty and natural disasters that gave the imperial court a headache. From the government to the people, everything was rotten."

"Besides these reasons, the most important one is that Your Highness is a member of the Li Tang royal family and does not come from any other group."

"Therefore, it was almost inevitable that His Highness would stay in Chang'an."

Yuchi Gong, who was standing nearby, chimed in with a laugh, "But Your Highness, you actually refused! Aren't you making His Majesty lose face in public?"

"The last one was incompetent, and the next one refuses to accept the imperial decree. Tell me, isn't His Majesty furious?"

Li Yuanchang was both amused and exasperated; so that's what happened.

He said, "Why did Li Shimin suddenly get angry?"

The story begins with Hou Junji, and it's likely that Li Shimin had been thinking about this for a long time beforehand.

But the problem is, Li Yuanchang really doesn't want to do it!

"You two dukes, you have served His Majesty for many years. Could you please give me some advice on how to keep His Majesty from getting angry while I can return to Liangzhou and enjoy my leisure time?" he asked humbly.

This is an old man who has followed Li Shimin since the Wagang period.

The two were stunned, looking troubled.

"this……"

"Well, I don't know what to do either, but Your Highness has just returned, so there's no rush."

"That's right. His Majesty didn't give a full answer just now. Your Highness should go back and rest first."

"Aren't all the relatives of the Prince of Han's family brought back to Chang'an anyway?"

It's clear that this matter is so complicated that even seasoned veterans like Cheng Yaojin don't know how to resolve it.

Li Yuanchang had a headache.

He figured that faking illness wouldn't work; in fact, it would only give Li Shimin an excuse.

"Alright, then thank you both, Dukes."

"Hahaha!"

Cheng Yaojin suddenly burst into laughter, his face flushed red, his mouth agape like a gaping maw: "Your Highness, if anyone should say thank you, it should be us."

"You really made a name for yourself this time with my good-for-nothing son of mine. These days, I'm practically walking around the court with my head held high."

"Among the veteran officials of the Zhenguan era, I, Cheng Yaojin, am the most reliable when it comes to having a son!"

Yuchi Gong, who was standing to the side, said irritably, "Cheng Heizi, you can't say that. I, Yuchi Gong, don't need you."

"Your place is too dark; it's not as bright and nice as mine."

"Bullshit, why don't you take a piss and look at yourself?"

The two old geezers bickered, making Li Yuanchang, who was in the middle, laugh all the way.

You could clearly feel that the two of them were happy; they were genuinely starting to feel happy and proud for Cheng Chuliang and his companion, instead of resorting to beatings and scoldings as before.

Perhaps the father-son relationship among Han Chinese has always been like this.

After leaving the palace, the two parted ways.

Li Yuanchang, relieved of all his duties and burdens, rode back to the Prince of Han's residence at full speed.