Man Tang Huacai

Chapter 632 I am the only one who dominates
Du Wulang waited outside the palace gate for a day and a night but failed to see Xue Bai, and knew that he had lost the emperor's favor.

This kind of thing might lead to fatal disaster in the future, but he was not too anxious. Instead, he chose to give up and resumed his previous pace of life.

The sixth year of Zhengxing had come to an end. As the twelfth month approached, the weather grew colder. He slept in again that day, but was woken up again while curled up in the warm quilt.

"Wulang, the Right Prime Minister is here to visit."

"He came to see me again?"

Du Wulang was already somewhat annoyed with Li Mi.

In the past, he admired his immortal spirit, but now he found that he was obsessed with worldly affairs and was not as open-minded as him.

Without even washing his face, Du Wulang came to the hall, yawned, and said, "Why do you come to disturb my sweet sleep so early in the morning?"

"I agreed with Goro earlier to discuss this further."

Li Mi came to visit in person as the prime minister, and his tone was very polite. He said, "Last time I asked about Wu Lang, and today I want an answer."

Du Wulang was the best at playing dumb, and said, "There is no answer. It's been so long, I've already forgotten it."

Li Mi's face was solemn, and he said, "This matter is very important. It concerns whether the people of the world will experience another catastrophe."

"You always talk about the people of the world, but what am I? I've made up my mind recently. I won't play with you anymore. I'm going to return to my farm."

"Now that some royal family members and nobles have died in Chang'an, Wulang doesn't care, but if Your Majesty changes the name of the country, how many people will die? It was only a few years since the bloody storm of the Wu Zhou Dynasty. Have you forgotten it all?"

"What does this have to do with me? You care about Li Tang, but I don't. I just hope that Your Majesty can achieve his wish."

Li Mi said: "I know that Wulang has a kind heart and will not bear to see innocent people suffer."

"You know, you really think you know everything."

Although Du Wulang said this, his attitude softened a lot, and he muttered: "What can I do?"

He thought of what he had heard from Liu Jie that day. After Xue Bai returned to Luoyang, he met Da Xi Yingying first, not him or Du Jin. This made him realize that Xue Bai had no longer relied on the Du family.

Since he doesn't have the ability to help the world, he now just wants to take care of himself.

Li Mi has recently tried various means to check and balance Xue Bai, but all have ended in failure. He is making a final attempt and said, "The emperor's mind is hard to predict. Only one person may be able to persuade His Majesty to change his mind."

"Me?" Du Wulang said, "I have already asked to see His Majesty, but His Majesty refused to see me."

"It's not you." Li Mi said, "Wu Lang, can you tell the Queen a few words for me?"

Du Wulang thought about it and thought that he might have some ideas, such as asking Xue Yunniang to ask for an audience with Yan Yan.

But he didn't want to do that. Such frequent contact with Li Mi must have attracted Xue Bai's attention. If he became more deeply involved, it would simply bring disaster to himself.

"I can't do it." Du Wulang refused immediately, saying: "No matter how you persuade me, it's useless. I just can't do it..."

~~
The palace was warm and cozy.

Yan Yan is pregnant again and is about to give birth. Unlike the haggard look she had when she gave birth to Li Zuo, she has taken good care of herself this time and is much plumper, with a smooth, fair and translucent complexion. She is half-leaning on the couch, with a blanket covering her bulging belly, and reading a new storybook from Chang'an City in her hand, like a lazy cat.

Today is a turbulent time. Stimulated by various court disputes, literati have created a lot of works in order to criticize current social ills. Coupled with the prosperity of papermaking and printing industries, various books have emerged in an endless stream, and there is no shortage of stories to read.

She felt tired and was about to take a nap when a maid came over and said, "Madam, Xue Yunniang wants to see you."

"Let her in."

Yan Yan is an easy-going person. She does not care about the pomp and ceremony of a queen when living in the palace, and she treats Xue Yunniang with the same attitude as before.

At that time, Xue Bai lived in Xue Ling's home in Changshoufang and was a neighbor of the Yan family. Xue Yunniang and her sisters also went to study at the Yan family for a period of time, and they had always had a good relationship.

As for the fact that Xue Bai is unwilling to see Du Wulang because of Yang Yuhuan's death, Yan Yan has little friendship with Yang Yuhuan and doesn't care about this matter.

After a while, Xue Yunniang came in. She didn't talk about state affairs. As usual, she was concerned about Yan Yan's life and talked about some trivial matters to relieve her boredom.

Even when the time was ripe to speak, Xue Yunniang hesitated, as she was really not good at being a lobbyist.

"I know you came here for something." In the end, Yan Yan noticed her abnormality and said, "Just say what you want to say."

"It was the Prime Minister who came to my Wu Lang and wanted to ask the Queen to persuade His Majesty to show mercy to the clan officials, and not to change the dynasty because of the three commoners blaming Xuanzong."

Yan Yan said: "My husband has that kind of temper, how can I persuade him?"

Xue Yunniang did not try to persuade him, but just delivered the message.

"The Prime Minister said that the Yan family has been loyal for generations and would not bear to see people suffer, so he asked the Queen to come forward."

"Li Mi has caused a big disaster and angered my husband, but he wants others to clean up the mess for him." Yan Yan said: "Now that things have come to this, let Li Mi admit it."

"Yes."

Xue Yunniang was not used to interfering in such important matters and was a little nervous. After agreeing, she quickly took her leave.

"Wait a minute."

Yan Yan thought about it and her attitude changed.

"Go and tell Li Mi, I will try to persuade His Majesty, but it may not work. Besides, after my grandfather was dismissed from office, the prince had no good teacher to discipline him, so I want to ask him to be the prince's teacher. What do you think?"

Xue Yunniang agreed and left the palace.

After returning to the Du residence, she told Du Wulang about her conversation with the Queen today, and Du Wulang immediately looked bitter.

"This is getting deeper and deeper. The Crown Prince is involved. If His Majesty finds out, he'll blame me for meddling in other people's business."

"what should we do?"

"Let's go, let's get away from these things as soon as possible."

"Then are you still sending a message to the Prime Minister?"

Du Wulang thought about it and decided that since Yan Yan had promised to persuade Xue Bai, it would be better to avoid fussing over matters like changing dynasties.

"Take it with you. This is the last time. I will never help Li Mi again."

~~
"Become the prince's teacher?"

When Li Mi learned of Yan Yan's request, he first smiled bitterly and shook his head.

This action does not represent a rejection, but rather a denial of one's own ability to be a teacher.

He was once Li Heng's teacher, but failed to help Li Heng become the emperor. Instead, he caused Li Heng to lose his life in the fight for the throne.

"The Queen actually thinks I can be a good teacher?"

"Then I don't know." Du Wulang said, "Anyway, I have delivered your message. I am leaving now."

"Ah."

Li Mi nodded nonchalantly, not knowing what he was thinking.

Du Wulang took a few steps and said, "Also, I will pack my luggage and leave Beijing when I get back. Don't look for me again in the future."

He was afraid that Li Mi would never stop, but when he turned around, he saw that Li Mi was still in a trance and didn't care about his stay or departure.

Du Wulang felt a little unhappy about being ignored after his value had been used up, but when he left Li Mi's mansion, he became happy and felt relieved.

"Laughing in the sky and going out, I am a Penghao people."

Over there, Li Mi sat there pondering for a long time. His eyes had been a little distracted by mundane affairs recently, and he was always hesitant when encountering things. He didn't dare to be the prince's teacher.

But after thinking it over, his eyes became determined, because he knew that if he didn't seize this opportunity and let others teach the prince, who would know whether the Li ancestral temple would still exist in the future.

So he finally picked up his pen and wrote a memorial to Xue Bai, revealing his intentions in advance, so as to avoid Xue Bai's suspicion that he wanted to establish the prince in advance.

If we are not careful in this matter, it might implicate the Queen and the Yan family.

Only after he finished writing a heartfelt memorial did Li Mi breathe a sigh of relief, and then he heard Xianyun's voice outside the door.

"Master, Princess Yuzhen has arrived in Chang'an."

As soon as he finished speaking, Princess Yuzhen walked in gracefully.

She had rushed back specially after hearing that the royal family had encountered a disaster at that time.

Both of them were Taoists and were loyal to Li Tang, so they had a good relationship. Princess Yuzhen soon made her intentions known.

"I have a disciple who is very close to your Majesty. I plan to ask her to intercede and settle the case of Asu. What do you think?"

"If so, that would be great."

Princess Yuzhen nodded, but hesitated to speak.

Li Mi saw that she had something to say, so he asked, "If you have something to say, please speak frankly."

"The royal family wants to release some public opinion to put pressure on Your Majesty. Is that feasible?"

"That's absolutely not feasible!" Li Mi said, "Who is initiating this matter? We must persuade them to stop."

"I'll try my best, but I may not be able to persuade him."

Li Mi hurriedly added: "Remember, remember, it is better to be still than to move."

Having said that, in recent years he has long been accustomed to working for these princes and nobles, and often being held back by them...

~~
At the last court meeting in the sixth year of Zhengxing, Xue Bai issued an edict to rehabilitate Gao Xianzhi.

This move made the situation, which was already tense because of the Princess Hezheng case, even more tense.

All the ministers said that the emperor didn't want them to have a good new year.

But at this moment, a rumor suddenly overshadowed all the disturbances and even suppressed the atmosphere of panic.

Some people were originally discussing Gao Xianzhi's affairs, but the topic was quickly diverted to the scandal.

"I heard that Princess Hezheng sent someone to assassinate Yang. It had nothing to do with maintaining the dignity of the clan, but was out of jealousy."

"what for?"

"Simply put, this assassination was caused by jealousy."

"Who is jealous of whom? You mean... But Princess Hezheng and His Majesty are siblings."

"That's hard to say. I heard that there was a private relationship between the two of them. Because Guo Gong knew this, he was sure that the one sitting on the throne was not a descendant of the Li family, so he resolutely raised an army."

"Then the saint cleansed the royal family not because Yang was assassinated?"

"It's not out of justice. The so-called reform is also fake. He has killed so many people to cover up his scandals."

"It's so dirty..."

It just so happened that this kind of dirty stuff was the most popular to talk about, and it spread quickly and could not be suppressed, and soon it fell into Xue Bai's ears.

This disrupted Xue Bai's plan.

He quickly summoned Da Xi Yingying.

"Did you find out? Who leaked the information?"

"Your Majesty, we haven't found out yet." Da Xi Yingying replied.

She was a little nervous every time she saw Xue Bai.

Although she had coveted this handsome young man as early as the Tianbao period, she had become more and more in awe of Xue Bai in recent years, fearing to show the slightest admiration for him so as not to appear offensive.

Especially after taking over Du Jin's intelligence organization, she realized that her value to Xue Bai lies in her ability, which requires absolute focus.

Du Jin is just not focused. She has too many personal feelings and possessiveness towards Xue Bai, which affects her ability to do things.

Therefore, every time she went to an audience with the emperor, Da Xi Yingying would change into official uniform and wrap her upper body tightly with cloth, which made it a little hard for her to breathe.

"I suspect that Li Mi deliberately spread the news, but I have no evidence yet and I don't know what his purpose is."

Xue Bai didn't take it seriously and just said, "I'll let someone else investigate this matter."

"Yes."

Da Xi Yingying felt more and more pressured. After hesitating for a moment, she continued, "I found out that Princess Yuzhen went to see Princess Hezheng today."

She paused and continued, "I'm asking Teng Kongzi for help."

"I know about this."

Da Xi Yingying was stunned. She didn't expect that when it came to Li Tengkong, His Majesty would personally come forward to protect him.

Xue Bai didn't care what she felt and waved his hand to let her go.

He sat alone in the hall, looking at an imperial edict on the desk and pondered for a while.

This was the imperial edict he had just drafted to let Li Mi teach the prince. Since Yan Yan said so, he agreed.

After thinking it over, he asked the eunuch to issue the imperial edict.

After that, he changed his clothes and went to the Ye Ting in person.

He didn't have to leave the palace to go from Daming Palace to Ye Ting, so he didn't alarm anyone.

In a palace garden, Du Jin was sitting under the eaves, staring at the trees in the courtyard covered with fallen snow. She heard the sound of the door being pushed open, turned around and saw Xue Bai coming. She was stunned.

"His Majesty."

Du Jin stood up, with a thousand words to say, but her lips trembled, and finally she closed her eyes and said, "I plead guilty, it was indeed me who sent someone to kill Yang Yuhuan."

Speaking of this, Du Jin herself was also very painful because she could feel Xue Bai's disappointment.

"I have thought a lot during these days in the palace. Your Majesty actually knows that I am protecting Yuan Zai and dealing with Li Mi, right? You trust me, so you indulge me in my wrongdoings, but you never thought that I would hurt someone close to you. I know I was wrong."

Xue Bai asked: "If one day, I put Yan Yan's safety in your hands, will you kill her too?"

"No." Du Jin shook her head repeatedly, "It's different. Yan Yan treats me differently, but what did Yang Yuhuan do..."

"It seems you have forgotten that we survived because of her protection."

Du Jin was stunned and speechless.

She had indeed forgotten and thought that everything she and Xue Bai had obtained so far was the result of their own planning.

After a long time, she raised her head and looked at him with pleading eyes, only to see that Xue Bai's face was calm.

She didn't know what this calmness meant, and she felt increasingly uneasy.

What she didn't see was that a moment ago, Xue Baiben had already reached out his hand and wanted to stroke her head.

"Let's wait until all this is over." Xue Bai thought to himself as he left the palace.

He stood in the snow for a while, then turned around and went to meet Li Yuetu.

~~
In the palace where Li Yuetu was imprisoned, there were several rows of footprints on the snow.

Xue Bai pushed the door open and saw Li Yuetu sitting there in a daze in the same posture as Du Jin.

"It's quite lively here."

"Brother is here."

Li Yuetu seemed to have expected him to come, and spoke without turning her head. Her voice was cold and distant, as if it came from the moon.

"Brother, you want to know if Li Mi really conspired with me to assassinate you, right?"

"Yes." Xue Bai responded.

He issued an order today to let Li Mi be the prince's teacher, which means he had to confirm Li Mi's loyalty.

Li Yuetu seemed to know everything and responded, "Okay, then I'll tell you, brother. Li Mi did plan with me to kill you, but he was also afraid that your forces would counterattack, so he wanted to join forces with the Yan family to help Li Zuo ascend the throne."

"Are you alienating us?"

"You can think whatever you want, but if you keep taking advantage of and hurting the people around you, sooner or later you will be deserted by everyone."

After hearing her words, Xue Bai smiled slightly, as if he was smiling bitterly, but also seemed not to care.

Li Yuetu said, "In fact, you knew that Du Jin would kill Yang Yuhuan, but you still indulged her. After you became the emperor, you became more and more selfish, arrogant, and self-righteous. You are not grateful for the Li family's acceptance of you, the Yan family's help, Du Jin's love for you, and Li Mi's loyalty to you. You regard them as threats and are ready to get rid of them one by one. Sooner or later, you will end up alone."

After she said this, she stared at Xue Bai with eyes full of hatred.

But when the hatred reached its strongest point, it was also tinged with a hint of regret.

Xue Bai probably knew what she was thinking, so he didn't refute her and just walked out. He was just asking for trouble today.

In Li Yuetu's eyes, his figure seemed very lonely.

Since he became emperor, Yan Zhenqing left, Li Xian rebelled, Du Jin killed Yang Yuhuan, Du Wulang became distant, Li Mi was ready to support Li Zuo, and even Yan Yan seemed to be paving the way for her son. He finally became an emperor who was the only one in power, but there was no one around him.

After walking out of the cold palace, Xue Bai stopped and stood alone in the wind and snow for a while.

……

In the Ye Ting Palace, several white-haired palace maids were gathered together chatting. Suddenly they heard a loud shout, and hurried to the cold palace. When they arrived, they saw that half of the emperor's clothes were covered in blood, and he was staggering out, holding his lower abdomen.

"saint?!"

The old palace maids were terrified and asked, "Is someone trying to assassinate the emperor?"

"Don't alarm others." Xue Bai said, "Please ask the imperial physician to come."

Half an hour later, Li Mi hurried into the palace.

He saw that Xue Bai had a thick cloth wrapped around his waist and his face was a little pale, but overall he was fine, so he breathed a sigh of relief.

"I am guilty, is the saint okay?"

"Did you instruct Li Yuetu to assassinate me?" Xue Bai asked.

Li Mi said: "I failed to dissuade Princess Hezheng, and I deserve death."

"You knew she wanted to kill me, so you took advantage of the situation and let Du Jin frame her. You allowed her to be captured, and then used Du Wulang to contact the Queen, asking her to assist the Crown Prince in exchange for the Queen's support. After everything was ready, you spread the word and asked Princess Yuzhen to lead me to see her. You set a good plan."

Upon hearing this, Li Mi stood there for a long time, but he did not make any excuses. Instead, he said with a look of resignation, "Your Majesty, please deal with it."

"What's the point of punishing you? You didn't want to be this official in the first place, so can I kill you?" Xue Bai said.

He didn't let Li Mi wait too long and directly expressed his attitude.

"Only by dealing with Li Yuetu can we put an end to these disputes."

Li Mi was stunned.

He thought Xue Bai was going to take advantage of the situation to start another killing spree, but he didn't expect to hear the word "calm down".

"Don't you understand?" Xue Bai said, "Since Li Yuetu has assassinated me, she deserves death. I will give her a cup of poisoned wine. As for the rest of the people involved in this case, the Zhongshumen will judge their crimes one by one... You will close the case until I am satisfied. This is my punishment for you."

Li Mi thought that he would face the emperor's thundering wrath today, which would lead to a shocking change of dynasty. However, he did not expect that after the lightning and thunder, the expected heavy rain did not come.

At the moment, Xue Bai had everything ready. He held military power and prestige, and had purged most of the royal family and nobles. If he wanted to find an excuse to change the dynasty, it would be easy for him to do so, but he didn't.

This might be the deal between Xue Bai and Li Mi, in which Xue Bai would not change the dynasty in exchange for Li Mi's absolute loyalty.

Regardless of whether it makes sense or not, Li Mi has no choice.

He was increasingly unable to fathom Xue Bai's thoughts, so he cautiously withdrew, ready to work diligently to close the case.

Xue Bai watched Li Mi leave, took off the blood-stained cloth on his body and threw it aside, shook his head, and sneered at himself.

He was too lazy to handle government affairs anymore. He sat in the hall in a daze, letting time waste bit by bit, without any sense of urgency as before.

Gradually, the setting sun slanted in from the temple door, and the sunlight lengthened little by little, forming a halo on the carpet.

"What are you doing, sir?"

Yan Yan came over with the help of Yong'er.

"To kill time." Xue Bai responded, and he personally stood up to help Yan Yan over. He waved away the others, and the couple talked alone.

"You rarely come to the Front Palace. Why are you here today?"

"I've been a little worried about you lately." Yan Yan said, "I'm worried that you might be feeling bad."

"Fortunately."

"Is everything done?"

"We have killed almost all the people, so we will just wrap it up today."

Xue Bai took a look and saw that there were no other chairs in the hall, so he helped Yan Yan, who was still pregnant, to sit on the dragon throne.

Yan Yan didn't care about formalities in the past, but she couldn't help but say, "How dare I sit in this position."

"What position? It's just a chair."

Xue Bai said casually as he took off his outer robe and put it behind Yan Yan's back to prevent it from hurting her.

As for whether it is the dragon throne or not, he really doesn't care that much.

"Today I met Li Yuetu, and she scolded me for being a loner. I felt deeply about it."

Xue Bai was talking casually, and seeing that the sunset was about to fade away, he lit a lamp himself.

With the lampshade covered, the candlelight seems much warmer.

Yan Yan smiled and said, "She is quite smart. She realized that it was all arranged by His Majesty."

~~
Li Mi drafted one document after another under the dim light, his brows slightly furrowed, with a look of regret.

He had to investigate those clan officials and officials who spread public opinion and pressured Xue Bai behind the scenes, and then deal with them personally.

But at least the case is closed and the situation has been put to rest.

"Master, Du Wulang is here, would you like to see him?"

"See."

Soon, Du Wulang entered the study and said, "I heard that His Majesty was assassinated, but he still didn't want to see me. What happened?"

"If you want to leave Beijing, just go." Li Mi said.

"Why?"

Li Mi cut the candle flame and listened to the rustling sound of snow falling in the yard. He knew it was very quiet here and there was no one around, so he opened his mouth to answer.

"Because His Majesty is no longer the person you knew before. He has become the emperor who reigns supreme."

"What do you mean? It was His Majesty who was assassinated."

"Your Majesty arranged all this," Li Mi said. "You already knew it, didn't you? You asked Liu Jie. When His Majesty returned to the Eastern Capital, he met Da Xi Ying Ying. It's clear that he had long wanted to get rid of Lord Yan, Du Er Niang, Concubine Yang, Yuan Zai, and the clan nobles."

Du Wulang didn't believe it, but as the person closest to Xue Bai, he was not unaware of all this.

"No, why do you do this?"

"To ensure the stability of the throne."

Li Mi's voice sounded lost, without a trace of emotion.

It is precisely because he is sufficiently indifferent that he can evaluate Xue Bai from the most objective and rational perspective.

"To stabilize the throne, he must eliminate the opposition. Reform is just an excuse. He has only been on the throne for six years, so he doesn't need to rush to reform. But doing so can force out those who are most anxious, which led to the massacre in Luoyang."

"In fact, your majesty had been planning to kill them before he came to Luoyang, and deliberately took them away from Chang'an where they had deep roots. How could he not kill them? They supported your majesty's succession to the throne precisely because your majesty's identity was in doubt and they had something to hold against him, just like eunuchs like to support young emperors and incompetent emperors. But which emperor in power would not turn around and kill these people?"

"The problem is that His Majesty wants to kill too many people. Lord Yan will definitely oppose that killing. Therefore, even though he knew that Du Erniang wanted to exclude Lord Yan, he still indulged her. He returned to Chang'an and secretly instructed Da Xi Yingying to take control of the situation, and then pretended to be angry and exposed his weakness."

"He did it on purpose, because it was better to take the initiative than to let others hold the handle. You see, later on, the nobles all turned around and argued for him, so his first goal was achieved."

"But that's not enough. The existence of Yang and Du Erniang also threatens his throne. In the past, the two of them were his closest helpers. One of them constantly supported him as a concubine, and the other assisted him secretly. But now, as long as they are still around, they remind the world that he rose to power through nepotism and that the means he used to seize power were dirty. He must erase them, but he doesn't want to leave a reputation of being heartless."

"The best way is to kill two birds with one stone by borrowing someone's knife. So, with the case of Princess Hezheng, Your Majesty not only wiped out his biggest stain, but also took the opportunity to kill the remaining nobles."

"In the end, even Princess Hezheng was sentenced to death by him, and the past events of the palace were buried in the dust. His Majesty no longer has any weaknesses. Whether he is Xue Bai or Li Qian, he only depends on his will. The throne is stable and I am the only one who reigns supreme."

At this point, Li Mi actually smiled faintly, feeling a little sad, but also a little relieved.

"It may sound cruel, but this is the fate of every person who seizes power through a coup. It is lonely at the top. When standing at the pinnacle of power, everyone will be watching him. Any weakness will be fatal..."

~~
Inside the palace, Xue Bai also felt a little sad.

"Sometimes I wonder if there are other ways, such as influencing people with kindness."

"But I know in my heart that as long as I still have weaknesses, there will always be people who think I am easy to bully and oppose me. Even if I achieve great achievements, it will not change their nature of being soft-hearted and afraid of hardship. Maybe one day, a 10,000-ton ship will sail in the sea of ​​the Tang Dynasty, and a smooth road will directly connect to the Arab Empire. I will be successful in both literature and martial arts, but there will still be people who will stab me in the heart and curse me, 'You are not the heir to the Li Tang Dynasty, you are a lowly slave who usurped the throne.'"

"From the moment I sat in this position, I understood that class antagonism, conflict of interests, and gap in concepts can never be resolved. There are people who I don't kill, and they will kill me sooner or later. The massacre in Luoyang City was inevitable. Even if it can be avoided for a while, as long as the class still exists, when the dynasty falls apart, they will also suffer this blow."

"My father-in-law won't understand this. If we don't send him away, he will be in danger..."

Having said that, Xue Bai smiled helplessly.

Yan Yan held his hand and said, "I know. I also advocate not letting Grandpa get involved in this matter. And seeing that Du Erniang wanted to exclude Grandpa, I asked Da Xi Yingying to ask for your opinion."

The reason she knew this was because Li Zuo told her.

Li Zuo often went to the Deer Park to race horses and shoot arrows. Yan Yan knew all of this and she also noticed how Yan Zhenqing and Du Jin treated Li Zuo.

It was she and Xue Bai who discussed together that Du Jin should allow her grandfather to be driven out of the position of prime minister, because she knew Yan Zhenqing too well. If he had not been sent away, he might have died in the coup in Luoyang.

She added in a comforting tone, "I know you are not alone."

"Maybe. Without you, I would be alone."

Yan Yan said: "Then you can tell Du Jin that you sent Yang Yuhuan away?"

"If she knew that all her subordinates were under my control, she would be even more sad."

"No, if she knew you didn't blame her, she would be so happy."

"Let her learn a lesson again."

For Xue Bai, Yang Yuhuan was the easiest. If faking his death once didn't work, then he would fake his death twice.

The key to this matter is not whether the performance was real or not, or whether the court officials believed it or not, but that the clan officials paid such a heavy price for Yang Yuhuan's death that they could no longer deny it.

If we still say that Yang Yuhuan is fine, then wouldn't we have all died in vain?

As for Du Jin's temper, if Xue Bai does not curb it, she may become the next Wu Zetian in the future.

"If you ask me what I really mean, I definitely don't want to treat my aunt like this. But it doesn't matter while I'm alive. If one day..."

"Bah, don't say that." Yan Yan glared at Xue Bai.

Xue Bai didn't say anything more.

The only chair in the hall was occupied by Yan Yan, so he simply sat down cross-legged on the ground, looking quite relaxed.

"Anyway, are you safe from now on?"

"Hmm... Let me think, if I were a noble who disliked you, how would I win over others to attack you?"

Yan Yan propped up her chin and thought for a while, then she kicked Xue Bai and said, "The emperor today is heartless and unrighteous, and is not worthy of your loyalty."

~~
"Since Wulang knows your Majesty's character, why don't you leave?"

Li Mi expressed his feelings, turned to look at Du Wulang, and said: "You are the one who cares least about official career, and you are the one who can leave and know everything."

Du Wulang asked: "What about you? Why don't you leave?"

"Why don't I return home when my fields are overgrown with weeds?" Li Mi murmured, "When I left the mountains, I said I would be back in three months, but now I'm like a bird in a cage."

"Why?"

"I asked the Queen to persuade His Majesty to be lenient, but the Queen entrusted me with the Crown Prince. If we look into this, it seems that she is supporting the Crown Prince. Today, His Majesty was assassinated again. Whether it is true or not, I cannot clear the name of the crime. His Majesty could kill me and replace the Tang Dynasty, but he kept me as an exchange and a favor. If I fail His Majesty, and if there are any changes in the future, no one can persuade him to maintain the Li clan temple."

"Then if I let Yunniang enter the palace to see the queen, wouldn't that be..."

"Yes, Wulang, you may have been involved in the power struggle. Go as soon as possible."

Du Wulang was shocked and wanted to leave.

But he still had the loyalty and trust towards Xue Bai in his heart, so he asked, "No way?"

"Whether he can or not, what's the point of Wulang staying here?"

This sentence was unpleasant to hear, but it was very objective. Du Wulang could not refute it, so he could only say: "Then what's the point of you staying?"

"Protect the Li Tang state."

Du Wulang was afraid that Li Mi would die, so he said, "If your majesty has made up his mind, you can't change it."

"Whether the dynasty changes or not is not important to His Majesty. He has become a true king."

As Li Mi spoke, a trace of worry flashed across his eyes, and he added: "I am worried about the crown prince now."

For him, as long as Xue Bai was in power, the Li Tang clan would be in danger. Only if he carefully cultivated Li Zuo and waited until Xue Bai died or abdicated in the future, could he truly feel at ease.

This is definitely not something that can be accomplished in three months.

If you want to retire to the mountains, it may take thirty years, and it must be a very cautious thirty years...

~~
"Come to think of it, does Li Yuetu really think that I want to pave the way for Zuo'er?" Yan Yan suddenly asked Xue Bai.

"Yes." Xue Bai said, "I went there today, and she wanted to use this to alienate you and me."

Yan Yan couldn't help but laugh.

"So it seems that Li Mi still doesn't know that we have tricked him?"

"It shows that although he is smart, he is not as smart as the two of us put together."

"The so-called immortal figures can only be ministers of the emperor or teachers of the princes in the future."

This matter was actually simple. Xue Bai hoped that the genius Li Mi would serve him wholeheartedly as prime minister, while Yan Yan wanted to find a good teacher for Li Zuo, so she asked Li Mi to stay.

However, it is easy to keep Li Mi's people, but it is difficult to make them loyal to him wholeheartedly.

Xue Bai always knew that Li Yuetu wanted to kill him, but she was taken to the Ye Ting Palace, so she naturally couldn't do it.

He deliberately agreed to let Princess Yuzhen go to the Palace, just to find a reason to suppress Li Mi.

It doesn't matter how crudely this matter is done, as long as Li Mi can be controlled.

After all, Li Mi knew that Li Yuetu was going to assassinate him but did not stop him, and he felt guilty about it.

When the atmosphere of overthrowing Li Tang was created, Xue Bai suddenly showed favor, raised him high, and then put him down gently, so Li Mi had no choice but to comply.

As for leaving someone behind to teach Li Zuo to feel a sense of belonging to the Li family, Xue Bai didn't care.

If he cared, he would not have asked Yan Zhenqing to teach him back then.

It's not worth creating chaos over such a small matter.

In fact, Xue Bai really thought about changing the dynasty, and felt that there was no need to let his descendants worship other people's ancestors.

But every time he went to the ancestral temple and saw the tablets of Emperor Gaozu of Tang, Emperor Taizong of Tang... he always felt a sense of rejection in his heart.

Sometimes when he looked up at the word "Tang" on the fluttering flag, he would be stunned for a long time, asking himself: "Do you really want to change it?"
Later, he said something to himself.

——I am more qualified to inherit the Tang Dynasty than the descendants of the Li family.

It was after hearing this that he became more open-minded.

"By the way, Princess Hezheng has always had feelings for you." Yan Yan suddenly said, and kicked Xue Bai again, "She has turned her love for you into hatred, right?"

"so what?"

"Have you ever thought about hiding a beautiful woman in your house? It's the same whether you hide one or two. How exciting."

"Since I faked Yuhuan's death and Jinniang lost her power, it means I care about the stability of the country and the well-being of the people. I was ignorant before, so why would I touch her?"

Yan Yan was just joking, but after thinking about it, she said, "That's right, what if she and you are really brother and sister?"

This time, Xue Bai did not rush to deny it, but said nonchalantly: "It doesn't matter."

He really doesn't care what his name is anymore.

A name is just a title after all, and since he is already an emperor, no one will call him by his name anymore...

(End of this chapter)