My father, Li Shimin, requests Your Majesty to become the Retired Emperor.

Li Shimin looked at Xu Hui and asked, "My beloved consort, what do you mean by that?"

Xu Hui raised her face and gently parted her lips: "Your Majesty, do you still remember?"

On that occasion, the imperial prison held many death row inmates.

When you visited them, they made a request: they wanted to go home to see their parents, wife, and children, and to see them one last time.

Then, they'll come back and await execution in the autumn.

Seeing their sincere attitude, you agreed and released the death row inmates.

At the time, many ministers believed that once those death row inmates were sent back, they would never return.

Even ants try to survive, so who doesn't cherish their life? How much more so should humans?

But you confidently said, "I expect they will definitely come back."

As you predicted, after visiting their families, the death row inmates returned as promised, facing their deaths with resolute courage.

Your Majesty, please consider why they would do such a thing?

Is there anything more important than life?

Why didn't they run away?

Even if they flee to the ends of the earth, they can hide for as long as they can.

This shows that integrity is more important than life itself.

When Li Shimin heard Xu Hui talk about that incident, he was deeply moved.

Because at the time, he wasn't sure either.

If those death row inmates go back and don't return, that would be a very troublesome matter.

Unexpectedly, those people actually returned as scheduled.

Seeing that they kept their promises, Li Shimin decided to spare only a few heinous criminals.

The imperial court granted certain reductions in punishment to other criminals.

Li Shimin thought for a moment and asked, "My beloved consort, do you think I made a mistake by incorporating Ashina Simo's army?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Hui placed her hands in front of her abdomen and paced back and forth in the hall: "Your Majesty, I truly do not understand matters of state and military affairs."

I don't want to ask.

Therefore, I dare not make any unwarranted comments.

However, as far as I know, Ashina Simo is no ordinary person; he wields considerable influence among the Turks.

Moreover, he genuinely surrendered to the Tang Dynasty.

It seems rather inappropriate to imprison him in the Dali Temple jail without any reason.

Li Shimin sneered: "My beloved concubine, you are only half right about what you said."

Ashina Simo did not surrender to me; he surrendered to Li Chenggan.

I attempted to mobilize his army to conquer Goguryeo and Baekje, but he ignored me.

I ask you, who in the world would have the audacity to do such a thing?

He dares to do that!

He doesn't take my decree seriously at all.

Back then, the Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu fought for many years, and the Xiongnu brought great disturbances to the Han Dynasty.

During the Sui Dynasty, the Eastern Turks continued to invade the borders of the Central Plains.

do you know?

How much risk did I take when I concluded the Treaty of Wei River?

If Khagan Jieli had been a little bolder back then, he would have directly ordered an attack on Chang'an.

Our Great Tang Dynasty probably no longer exists, and I have long since become a prisoner of the Turks.

Fortunately, thanks to the protection of Heaven, Khan Jieli did not dare to do so.

When Chuluo Khan died, he passed the throne to his younger brother, Jieli Khan.

Jieli Khan then took Princess Yicheng under his control.

Princess Yicheng hated our Tang Dynasty, believing that our Tang Dynasty had seized the throne from her Yang family.

So she whispered in his ear every day, hoping that Khan Jieli would lead his army south to attack the Tang Dynasty and that he would support Yang Zhengdao, the grandson of Emperor Yang of Sui, to become emperor.

Since ascending to the throne, Khagan Jieli has repeatedly led his troops to invade the heartland of our Great Tang, posing a direct threat to our Great Tang.

therefore,

That's why I issued an edict ordering Li Jing to lead troops to annihilate the Eastern Turks. Fortunately, everything went relatively smoothly.

Now, Khagan Jieli has submitted to the Tang Dynasty.

However, Ashina Simo led the remaining forces of the Turks in a continuous struggle against our Tang Dynasty.

I hereby appoint Li Daozong to garrison Luoyang to guard against the Turks.

Because Luoyang is the eastern gateway to Chang'an.

"Your Majesty, you have another question. Who lifted the siege of Luoyang?"

Is it Li Daozong?

If Li Chengan hadn't led the Japanese reinforcements to support Luoyang, Luoyang would probably have already been captured by Ashina Simo.

Some people even asked, "Is your affection for Princess Yicheng genuine, or just a facade?"