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

Thus, Li Yuanchang spent a short period of peaceful time in Chang'an.

He spends his days either with his family or drinking and having fun with Cheng Chuliang and a few others; his life is quite pleasant.

Everything is fine in Liangzhou. Although the imperial edict to reinstate Li Yuanchang has not been issued, he has always been the nominal king of Liangzhou.

Most importantly, Liangzhou's core base cannot function without Li Yuanchang; its essence lies in its massive business, including distilled spirits.

It has become one of the few major commercial markets in Chang'an, far surpassing ordinary trade markets and rivaling the established Jiangnan region.

Therefore, even though he was not in Liangzhou, he received letters from Liangzhou every day.

May 19th.

Finally, after half a month, Li Shimin brought up the matter of the Minister of War again.

In the imperial court, someone made a recommendation, but Li Shimin did not express his opinion.

As soon as the court session ended, Li Yuanchang was immediately summoned to the palace.

Before he even reached the Imperial Garden, he could already see a young man waiting outside with a group of people.

Upon seeing Li Yuanchang, the young man immediately stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Ke, greetings to Seventh Uncle!"

"My father ordered me to wait here and guide my seventh uncle."

恪？

Li Yuanchang's eyes narrowed.

The young man was seven feet tall, with striking and noble features, and bore a striking resemblance to Li Shimin.

His young face had a heroic air about it, which none of Li Chengqian, Li Tai, or Li Zhi possessed!

The single character "恪" (ke) combined with the prince's robes made Li Yuanchang think of one person.

King Wu, Li Ke!!

He was slightly shocked; another celebrity, another tragic figure!

He remembered very clearly that among the second generation of the Zhenguan imperial family, there were actually not many who left a mark on history; the main focus was on Li Chengqian and the other two.

Because only the three of them were born to Empress Zhangsun, and they had a period of great glory.

The other illegitimate sons were just there to make up the numbers.

But only Li Ke! He wasn't.

This guy's father was Li Shimin, and his mother was a princess of the Sui Dynasty. He had the blood of two dynasties and was born into immense nobility.

In some ways, his lineage is even more exaggerated than that of Li Chengqian.

Many veteran officials from the Sui Dynasty treated Li Ke well, and he did have some prestige and influence.

Most importantly, Li Ke himself was also extraordinary. Historical records state that Li Shimin praised him as "wise and decisive like me".

This is such a terrifying assessment. In fact, after Li Chengqian's death in history, he was once included in the discussion of succession, but was eliminated by Changsun Wuji.

In summary, he was a prince of extremely high birth and ability, with great ambition, but destined for tragedy.

"Seventh Uncle?" Li Ke looked up in confusion.

Li Yuanchang then suddenly came to his senses and smiled.

"Is it Li Ke, the King of Wu?"

"Seventh Uncle still remembers me, Ke, I'm so excited!" Li Ke showed great respect, and his demeanor and bearing were extraordinary.

He had the qualities of a young man, lacking Li Chengqian's hedonistic lifestyle, Li Tai's scheming and gloomy nature, and Li Zhi's naivety and dullness.

Judging solely by his demeanor, he is indeed most like Li Shimin, and most like the successor to the greatest emperor of all time.

Li Yuanchang said, "I remember you went to take up a post in Anzhou, didn't you?"

"Reporting to Seventh Uncle, my term of office has ended, and I have returned. Father has granted me permission to stay in Chang'an for a short time to fulfill my filial duties," Li Ke said with a smile, seemingly very pleased with the matter.

Upon hearing this, Li Yuanchang instantly guessed what was going on.

As for the Crown Prince, he's probably gotten into trouble again. Li Tai has been dismissed, so Li Shimin is using Li Ke as a whetstone.

I really don't know what Li Shimin was thinking. The more pressure he exerted, the more his eldest son went astray!

Looking at the energetic Li Ke, he couldn't help but shake his head.

The most painful thing is to be given hope, and then to be plunged into despair.

Knowing the script in advance, Li Yuanchang knew that Li Ke was the least likely person in the world to become emperor. Everyone had a theoretical probability, but he did not.

"I see."

"I've long heard of the King of Wu's dashing appearance, and now that I see it for myself, it is indeed so," Li Yuanchang said politely.

Li Ke cupped his hands in greeting: "I dare not."

"Compared to Uncle Qi, who led a lone army in a surprise attack, swept across the northern desert, and made unparalleled contributions, Ke still has a lot to learn."

"Seventh Uncle is Ke's target!"

His eyes were firm; he wasn't flattering her, he was genuinely ambitious.

Li Yuanchang smiled helplessly again. Some princes died because they were too useless, while others died because they had too much potential.

The Way of Heaven! The Way of Heaven!

"Seventh Uncle, let's go in first. Father is still waiting." Li Ke immediately stepped aside, showing good judgment in expressing his goodwill without resorting to sycophancy like others.

"it is good."

Li Yuanchang strode into the Imperial Garden.

Guided by the lead, he passed through the royal gardens and soon arrived at an extremely tranquil sea of ​​flowers.

It was May, between spring and summer, and all the flowers were in full bloom, a riot of colors. The entire Imperial Garden was so beautiful, it looked like an oil painting, almost unreal.

Li Shimin, dressed in black, stood there with his hands behind his back, keeping a very low profile. He gazed at a huge painting that was placed in a sea of ​​flowers.

The painting depicts a woman of unparalleled beauty, whose gentle grace has endured the passage of time.

Those nearby remained silent, not daring to disturb them.

"Seventh Uncle, please wait a moment."

"Father is staring intently; that's Empress Zhangsun," Li Ke whispered a reminder.

Li Yuanchang nodded; he had guessed it.

Because Li Shimin at this moment did not have a trace of imperial bearing; all he had was melancholy and endless longing, and there were already some wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.

He made no attempt to hide anything from this woman.

Perhaps in the heart of this emperor who was considered one of the greatest in history, only this woman truly entered his heart.

They fell in love in their youth, became a couple in distress, started from scratch, had a son as their firstborn son, faced adversity together, and experienced separation by death... almost all the buffs were stacked up.

The only one who could be compared to her is Empress Ma of the Ming Dynasty.

Li Shimin entered a deep meditation, and Li Yuanchang could only wait.

Before long, whether it was sand getting into his eyes or something else, tears welled up in Li Shimin's eyes!

Li Yuanchang was slightly surprised, for this was the first time he had ever seen Li Shimin shed tears!

He thought that emperors did not shed tears.

"Ugh."

"My father was deeply in love with Empress Zhangsun. After Empress Zhangsun passed away, my father broke down and cried bitterly, and abolished the government."

"Later, he fell ill from longing and, despite advice against it, built a platform to gaze upon the mausoleum, often lost in thought and meditating."

"Whenever His Majesty loses his temper and is about to kill someone, if someone mentions that a subject should be punished according to the law, His Majesty immediately calms down, because it was Empress Zhangsun who said this."

"Even after so many years, Father still finds it hard to let go," Li Ke sighed softly.