The Bad Guys: Playing the Fake Li Xingyun at the Beginning

Su Ming smiled secretly in his heart, and explained to him, "Li Siyuan came here today and invited me to the palace, not only because of Meng Po's arrival, but also because of Yuan Tiangang's threat."

"If not, he wouldn't be so anxious. Ever since Li Keyong's death, he has been eliminating dissidents in an attempt to control the power of the Later Tang Dynasty. The longer the time is delayed, the better it will be for him."

"He would rather I didn't ascend the throne and enter the palace, so that he could control the court. But Yuan Tiangang's arrival disrupted his plan, so his top priority now is to deal with me."

"With Yuan Tiangang here, he doesn't dare to attack me, so he can only deal with the people around me. Do you understand?"

After listening to his explanation, Zhang Zifan suddenly realized, "So he angered me in order to deal with you?"

That's not nonsense. As a companion of the protagonist, how could you not block the knife for the protagonist?

I went through this with Zhu Youzhen before, and it’s the same now. Su Ming secretly complained and continued, “He doesn’t dare to attack you openly, so he can only force you to attack him. When I want to save you, I will definitely give in to him and agree to his conditions. Once, twice, three times, if this goes on, even if I ascend the throne, I will soon become his puppet.”

"So, what we have to do now is to be patient for the time being. A gentleman hides his abilities and waits for the right time to act. When the time comes, it will be the death of Li Siyuan. No matter what, I will not allow such a guy to usurp the high position and bully the people."

Then, he looked at Zhang Zifan with a serious face, "I believe that as long as we brothers work together, there are no difficulties that cannot be overcome. Before, you have always supported me, and now it is my turn to support you. That day will not be too far away." His words were filled with confidence and tenacity.

As if infected by this emotion, the gloom in Zhang Zifan's heart suddenly dissipated for the most part. Things have come to this point, so what's the harm in just being patient?

He nodded and said with conviction, "Okay, I believe you. If you want to kill Li Siyuan, please let me do it myself. I want to use his head to sacrifice to my father's spirit in heaven!"

How could Su Ming refuse such a request? He agreed without saying anything. "Okay, I promise you! Come out with me now, and don't let my junior sisters worry anymore."

Hearing this, Zhang Zifan's face flushed and he felt a little embarrassed.

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When Li Siyuan returned to Tongwenguan, Li Cunli hurriedly came to greet him, "Brother, how is it? Did Li Xingyun agree?"

However, the answer he got was a gloomy face. Li Siyuan did not answer, but went straight into the hall and sat on the main seat in silence for a moment, his expression gradually calmed down, "Li Xingyun agreed to enter the palace tomorrow."

Li Cunli was overjoyed and said happily, "Great, I have made all the arrangements in the palace, and his every move will not escape our eyes and ears."

His words made Li Siyuan even more irritated. He shook his head, somewhat disinterested, "Sixth brother, these little tricks should be abandoned. I have already promised Li Xingyun that I will hand over the position of the commander of the imperial guards to him, and I will no longer pursue the matter of the Xuanming Sect. There is no need to arrange for anyone in the palace anymore."

Li Cunli's eyes flashed with surprise, and he asked in confusion, "Brother, that guy is not the emperor yet, how dare he put forward such an excessive condition?"

Li Siyuan glanced at him and said lightly, "Because Yuan Tiangang is standing behind him!"

Silence, soundless silence!

Even though Li Cunli had never seen Yuan Tiangang, his elder brother's reaction had already told him how terrifying Yuan Tiangang was. Well, with a background, he really could do whatever he wanted.

Li Siyuan snorted coldly, "That guy is smarter than I thought. He knows that Yuan Tiangang is behind him, so he dares to put forward conditions. These two conditions neither touch our bottom line nor infringe on our interests, so he is sure that we will not refuse."

"Sixth brother, Li Xingyun is clearly going to fight us in the court."

Li Cunli was silent at this time. He had to admit that he underestimated that guy, but he would not be discouraged. "Brother, Jin State is our home base. We have been operating in Luoyang for so long. It is too early for Li Xingyun to fight us."

A cold light flashed in Li Siyuan's eyes. "I know he will enter the palace tomorrow. How are the preparations for the coronation ceremony going? When will it be held?"

"I have sent people to prepare. According to the ancient system, it would take about two months to prepare, so I streamlined the process and shortened the time to half a month. The Imperial Astronomical Observatory calculated that the sixth day of next month is an auspicious day."

Although he sometimes behaved in a naive way in politics, Li Siyuan was still very relieved to leave these things to him. He patted Li Cunli on the shoulder and said, "You did a good job. Last month Meng Zhixiang sent ten beauties. When you go back later, pick a few and take them away."

"Thank you, brother."

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The next morning, Su Ming packed up his luggage, and the five hundred Khitan soldiers from the camp south of the city also withdrew from there and stood guard outside the posthouse.

Outside the imperial city, Li Siyuan led civil and military officials to the post station to welcome him into the palace.

When Su Ming came to Luoyang before, he did not conceal his identity. The court ministers knew he was coming, but Li Siyuan did not say anything, so they could only pretend not to know and turn a blind eye to him. In other words, he was an "illegal household" at that time.

Now that Li Siyuan welcomed him into the palace, it meant that he formally acknowledged his identity as the legitimate heir of the Tang Dynasty. With this identity, he entered Luoyang and announced it to the world.

The streets around the post station had already been cleared by the army, and the people were forbidden to go out or stay on the streets.

Li Siyuan, wearing a dragon robe and a purple gold crown, led the civil and military officials to the gate of the posthouse. He looked at the closed door, bowed and said loudly, "Your Highness, I, Li Siyuan, beg you to enter the palace!"

As he finished speaking, the ministers present shouted, "Your Highness, please come into the palace!"

The door opened and Su Ming walked out slowly with the Longquan sword on his back. Behind him followed Zhang Zifan, Lu Linxuan, Li Cunyi, Qingguo Qingcheng and Meng Po.

He glanced at the ministers present and raised his hands, "Everyone, please stand up."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

When they stood up, Su Ming was too lazy to say any more nonsense and said directly to Li Siyuan: "Let's go."

Afterwards, Su Ming boarded the imperial carriage. Five hundred Khitan soldiers guarded around him and the court officials followed behind. They passed through several streets and arrived at the imperial city under the curious gaze of the people of Luoyang.

On the imperial carriage, Su Ming looked at the vermilion gate in front of him, feeling deeply moved: I have finally reached this point!

Chapter 27 Long live the emperor!

"Squeak!"

There was a heavy and long sound of pushing the door, and the long-forgotten imperial city finally welcomed its true master. A majestic and magnificent aura came into view, the solemn and majestic palace was covered with glazed tiles, and the sunlight shone on it, reflecting a magnificent light.

Zhang Zifan and the others who were following the imperial carriage were already stunned. They had seen Zhu Wen's palace when they were in Kaifeng. Although the palace in Kaifeng was extremely luxurious and did not have such majestic momentum, the difference between the two was like a country rich man meeting a real aristocrat.

Zhu Wen destroyed the Tang Dynasty and burned down the city of Chang'an, so that the pictures of Chang'an described by the poets of the early Tang Dynasty could only exist in dreams and would never be seen by the world again.

Luoyang, as one of the two political centers of the Tang Dynasty, avoided the war and was preserved because of the undefended terrain surrounding it.

The imperial city of Luoyang began to expand during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Li Zhi. It was so large in scale that few people could compare with it. The neighboring country even sent envoys to the Tang Dynasty to study across the sea. They built a mini Luoyang city based on the drawings of Luoyang, which has been preserved to later generations.

As the imperial carriage entered the palace, the surrounding scene came into view: carved beams and painted rafters, deep palaces, and a magnificent atmosphere. However, there were not many eunuchs in the palace, so the palace seemed empty and lacked a lot of popularity.

Soon, they arrived in front of the Tai Chi Hall.

Su Ming stepped down from the imperial chariot and walked up along the white jade railings. The stairs, one step after another, were so strict and awe-inspiring. After passing through the steps, he reached the main hall.

In the main hall, all the civil and military officials stood in two rows. Li Siyuan stood at the head of the military officers, his eyes on his nose, his nose on his mouth, his mouth on his heart. He looked calm and composed, as if everything happening around him had nothing to do with him.

Zhang Zifan and his companions had no official positions and could not enter this place. They could only follow the palace maids into the harem, while the five hundred Khitan soldiers following in the team guarded outside the door.

Su Ming walked up the steps step by step and came to the dragon throne. The wide dragon throne was covered with red brocade, and the golden dragon head armrests shone with the glory of power. This was the position that everyone in the world was vying for.

Seeing the dragon throne, Su Ming smiled. He did not sit down, but stood on the steps, looking down at His Highness and his ministers.

"The traitor Zhu Wen died in Kaifeng several years ago. His sons Zhu Yougui, Zhu Youwen, and Zhu Youzhen were all executed. The Liang Kingdom has been destroyed and the traitors have been overthrown."

"My name is Li Xingyun. Many of you should have heard of my name. I am the legitimate heir of the Tang Dynasty, the tenth son of Emperor Zhaozong Li Ye, and the younger brother of Li Zuo."

"Under the assistance of the bad commander Yuan Tiangang, the bad people designed a plan to make Zhu Wen and Zhu Yougui kill each other and eventually lose. Zhu Youwen died in Qianling Mausoleum under my guidance, causing the momentum of Liang State to decline and its power to be drastically weakened."

"A gentleman's revenge can be taken even after ten generations. In the past, I was young and could only flee. Now I have returned again, only to revive the Tang Dynasty and rebuild the world. Gentlemen, are you willing to help me create a prosperous world?"

The clear voice echoed in the hall and was clearly heard by every official.

When the officials heard this, their expressions varied: surprise, excitement, agitation, indifference, fear... all kinds of emotions kept emerging. They looked at each other, and no one dared to speak. They all looked at Li Siyuan out of the corner of their eyes, waiting for him to speak.

Li Siyuan, who was standing at the head of the military generals, was very surprised to see that Su Ming did not sit directly on the dragon throne. After Li Keyong's death, he sat on the throne of King of Jin at the first time.

Later, when he took control of the Later Tang Dynasty and entered the Imperial City of Luoyang, he had personally experienced the dragon throne. Although it was not comfortable to sit on it, he was still fascinated by it because it was a symbol of power and the emperor's throne.

He was really surprised that the boy could remain calm in such a situation.

Although it would be harmless for Su Ming to sit on it now, he did not ascend the throne and proclaim himself emperor, nor did he formally announce his identity in front of all officials. He is not the emperor. If he sits on that position, it would be against etiquette and easily criticized.

What frightened Li Siyuan even more was that Su Ming took the credit for the death of Zhu Wen and his son as soon as he came up, in order to show his identity and win people's hearts.

Li Siyuan knew that he could not let him continue speaking, so he quickly spoke, "Your Highness has returned, and I am overjoyed. Ever since the traitor Zhu Wen broke through Chang'an and killed Emperor Zhaozong, the people of Jin were determined to avenge the late emperor. For this reason, my adoptive father and my second brother worked day and night, and finally conquered Liang State, fulfilled their wish, and returned to the old capital."

"Today, the world is in ruins and devastated. If Your Highness returns, our court will be able to unite and restore the Tang Dynasty. I think Your Highness should ascend the throne as soon as possible to calm the people's hearts."

Su Ming glanced at him calmly, unmoved, and declined, "The destruction of Liang State was entirely due to the efforts of the ministers. I have only done some insignificant things. Why should I take on such an important task? King Jin, please don't embarrass me."

Little thing, you actually know how to refuse three times?

Li Siyuan cursed in his heart, refusing three times and declining three times was the necessary procedure for the emperor to ascend the throne. Although everyone knew it was fake, the etiquette could not be ignored, especially in this chaotic court.

Afterwards, he followed the procedure and pleaded twice before Su Ming agreed.

Under the gazes of the ministers, he walked to the dragon throne and slowly sat down. Only then did he feel truly justified and no one could find fault with him.

Before this, Zhang Zifan and his companions thought that entering the palace was just entering the palace, but they didn't know that the court had its own etiquette and laws, and if the name was not right, the words would not be smooth.

It is impossible for an orphan of the Tang Dynasty to become the master of the imperial city of Luoyang. Only the emperor can enter the imperial city. Meeting with all the officials in the Taiji Hall is only the first step for him to ascend the throne.

By achieving this step, Su Ming has become the true emperor of the Later Tang Dynasty. The only thing left is to hold a coronation ceremony and announce it to the world.

When he sat on the dragon throne, all the officials knelt down and shouted in unison: "Long live the emperor!"

Su Ming looked at the ministers again, feeling inexplicably moved. It was just a position, but after sitting here, his senses were different, and the reactions of the ministers below also changed slightly.

No matter what they think, no matter how they see themselves, whether they like it or not, they have become their own subjects.

The expressions of the ministers in the hall changed a lot. The shock brought to them by the direct descendant of the Tang Dynasty becoming emperor was huge, even greater than the shock brought to them by Li Cunxu's becoming emperor.

Li Cunxu, with his unparalleled achievement of destroying Liang, brazenly proclaimed himself emperor and named his country Later Tang, indicating that he would succeed the Great Tang and continue it, using this as legal support.

Su Ming ascended the throne by relying on his bloodline and Li Xingyun's skin. Legally speaking, he is better than Li Cunxu. What's more, he did not do nothing and just sit back and reap the benefits.

Such an emperor is more acceptable to people.

Chapter 28 The Empress’ Shock

Since ancient times, disaster has beenfallen if one's virtue does not match his position.

The current Su Ming is naturally unworthy of the position of emperor, but who can blame him for having people behind him? The Bad People and Yuan Tiangang are his greatest confidence.

Su Ming raised his hand and said, "My dear ministers, please stand up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

For some reason, when Li Siyuan looked at Su Ming sitting on the dragon throne, he felt a sense of fear in his heart, which made him shudder.

Afterwards, the court officials began to discuss state affairs. Su Ming sat obediently on the dragon throne and did not express any opinions or intervene rashly.

Although he was the emperor, he had no foundation in the court and no confidants of his own. If he rashly interfered in state affairs, it would only lead to changes and damage his prestige.

Now is not the time.

Dealing with Li Siyuan came next.

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Fengxiang Prefecture of Qi State.

On the throne, a woman in a bright red palace dress was lying on her side, with a hairless white cat nestled in her arms. The woman's slender fingers gently scratched its chin, and the white cat squinted its eyes, enjoying it very much.

The woman was tall, with an oval face, a red rope tied around her head, and her hair was tied up in a bun. She wore a pair of long straight golden phoenix crowns and hairpins, and a wisp of hair hung down her back. She was very beautiful.

She is the current empress of Qi State.