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

After leaving the Fang residence, Li Yuanchang went to the Ministry of Justice and discreetly picked up Kou Zhu.

Although he survived and avoided imprisonment, he lost all his official positions and became a commoner.

"Don't think too much about it now. Go back and finish what you haven't done at home, then come to the Prince of Han's residence to see me."

"Although there is no place for you in Chang'an, I will find a way for you elsewhere."

Kou Zhu immediately knelt down and kowtowed three times to Li Yuanchang.

"Your Highness, I cannot express my gratitude enough. From this day forward, my life belongs to you!"

Such a grand gesture is the highest form of respect a man can offer.

The subtext of this statement is that he will be completely loyal to Li Yuanchang, above all else, including imperial power.

Li Yuanchang helped the man up and smiled, "Go ahead."

"yes!"

"Your Highness is benevolent. If it weren't for Your Highness, Kou Zhu would probably never have made it out in this life, and even if she did, she would be ruined," Guo Chao said with emotion.

Having risked his life on the battlefield so many times, he was stripped of his entire position for making just one mistake; it's truly lamentable.

"Speaking of which, it's partly my fault. If it weren't for me, those people might not have been targeting Kou Zhuzheng." Li Yuanchang's eyes were icy.

Upon hearing this, Guo Chao asked worriedly, "Your Highness, with so many enemies in the court, isn't it unsafe?"

"The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease."

Li Yuanchang looked up at the sky and sighed; he didn't want things to turn out this way either.

"Send word to everyone, whether in Lantian County or Liangzhou, that they must be extremely cautious and strict with themselves. Something like what happened to Kou Zhu must never happen again."

"We must not give anyone anything to criticize us for!" he said with utmost seriousness.

"Yes!" Guo Chao clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"By the way, is there still no news about Meiniang?"

"Your Highness, she appears in Luoyang but has not returned to Chang'an. Lady Wu received a letter from Wu Mei, but Wu Mei has not returned."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuanchang felt helpless.

It seems Wu Mei isn't worried at all. She knows she won't do anything to Madam Wu and the others, and will take good care of them.

But it's better for her to be in another place than in Chang'an.

If Wu Mei really returned, he would know immediately; that was the only thought in Li Yuanchang's mind.

……

Time flies, and three months have passed in a row.

Chang'an entered the sweltering heat, with scorching sun and muggy weather every day.

The undercurrents in the imperial court mainly stemmed from the political differences between Li Yuanchang and Changsun Wuji, and the irreconcilable conflict that arose from numerous clashes and contradictions.

But there's something even bigger about this!

That is, the position of crown prince remains undecided.

The position of crown prince involves countless forces and the interests and survival of countless people. Everyone is watching this closely, including civil and military officials.

However, after Li Shimin deposed Li Chengqian, he kept delaying and never revealed anything in public.

Until early July, a message came from Qianzhou that completely overturned the Liangyi Hall.

"Cheng, Chengqian, passed away due to illness..."

puff! !

Overwhelmed with anger and grief, Li Shimin coughed up blood, his face contorted in sorrow, and collapsed with a thud.

"His Majesty!!"

"Help!!"

"..."

The news of Li Chengqian's tragic death became a major catalyst for Li Shimin's decline from his prime to old age.

Li Shimin was in a coma for three days, and after waking up, he fell seriously ill.

Even when he rebelled, he couldn't bear to kill Li Chengqian.

But he suddenly passed away from illness.

Chengqian, Chengqian, Li Shimin had high hopes for this eldest son, but now the white-haired man is burying the black-haired man.

Li Shimin suffered greatly from regret and illness.

His health deteriorated day by day, and he even had to suspend his duties.

This was like a stone thrown into a still pond, instantly creating a great deal of ripples.

It is a great taboo for the emperor to fall ill without an heir.

There was no one to oversee the country; it was all done by Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, and others.

Everyone knew that the position of crown prince had to be determined, including Li Shimin himself.

So, on July 18th...

While many key ministers were present, Li Shimin, despite his still-recovering health, formally began discussions regarding the position of crown prince.

Inside a small palace, a dozen or so people stood scattered about.

The group included a number of important officials such as Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, Wei Zheng, and Chu Suiliang, among whom was Li Yuanchang, who served as Minister of War.

Even in the sweltering heat of summer, it's not hot at all here. Large fans blow through the ice blocks, creating gusts of cool breeze, which is quite pleasant.

However, Li Shimin, sitting on the dragon throne, was sweating profusely, his face was pale, he was tormented by a stroke, and he was also grieving the loss of his son.

Several strands of white hair had appeared at his temples, and he no longer resembled the vigorous and powerful Khan he once was.

Even the strongest person will grow old, and even the strongest person cannot stay at their peak forever.

"My esteemed ministers, why are you all silent?"

"Why are you all looking at me like that? I'm not going to die, cough cough cough!" Li Shimin coughed violently, but the proud man forced himself to sit up straight.

"Your Majesty, please take care of your health." More than a dozen people spoke in succession, but none of them talked about serious matters.

Everyone has their own agenda regarding the position of crown prince, but whoever speaks first will be at a disadvantage.

Moreover, no one dared to speak up because they couldn't figure out Li Shimin's current attitude.

"Since you are not speaking, then I will speak first."

"I think the King of Wu is quite good!"

Upon hearing this, a commotion erupted below, everyone's expression changed, and they began to discuss it animatedly.

Li Yuanchang, however, kept his eyes downcast and remained silent.

"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

With Changsun Wuji taking the lead, half of the people present immediately expressed their opinions.

Based on the number of votes, it's basically decided that it's impossible.

Li Shimin's hair fell loosely, looking slightly disheveled. He said in a deep voice, "The Prince of Wu is brave and decisive, and he is ruthless in his actions. I have high hopes for him."

"Your Majesty is brave and decisive, and capable of ruthless actions. You can serve as a minister or a general, but you don't necessarily have to be the crown prince."

"Most importantly, the eldest son should be the heir. Although the King of Wu is the eldest, he is born out of wedlock."

"Following the rules of propriety is the foundation of the nation." Changsun Wuji cupped his hands in greeting.

"Indeed, Lord Changsun is right..."

"..."

Li Shimin glanced at Changsun Wuji. He actually knew what the other was thinking, but there were indeed too many people opposing him, and the resistance was too great.

These are just some of his confidants. If this were made public, who knows what kind of earthquake it would cause? The blood on Li Ke's body is something that the vast majority of Tang Dynasty officials could not accept.

Ugh……

He sighed inwardly, but had to consider many things, and the budding hope in his heart gradually faded away.

"And what about the King of Wei?" Li Shimin blurted out.

"These days, he has been meditating and repenting alone, and he has been quite diligent and hardworking, and has also made progress in his studies."

The ministers pondered and hesitated, feeling both that it was inappropriate and that it was appropriate.

As for Changsun Wuji, he simply stopped talking. He had just advocated for the eldest son to be the heir, but now he was directly opposing it. Wasn't that a slap in his own face? It was obvious that he had ulterior motives.

He even glanced at Li Yuanchang, waiting for Li Yuanchang to jump out and take over the second leg.