A thousand-year-old family begins with one fighting against ten thousand.

"It can't be that bad. Master Xue is known for his loyalty and bravery. Could you be overthinking it?"

Li Xian said hesitantly.

"Your Majesty, it is precisely because the Grand Tutor is loyal and diligent that I have this concern."

"If there were indeed inside stories about the deposed crown prince's rebellion back then, then it means that the deposed crown prince's position as the crown prince should not have been abolished. According to the Tang Dynasty's etiquette and laws, the deposed crown prince was the rightful heir to the throne."

"So, at this point, to whom is the Grand Tutor truly loyal?"

"The Grand Tutor's words imply that many soldiers in the army are grateful for the deposed crown prince's kindness. How does the Grand Tutor know about this? He must be one of those soldiers."

"This servant deserves to die ten thousand deaths for daring to sow discord between His Majesty and the Grand Tutor."

"However, Your Majesty only wanted to remind Your Majesty to take precautions."

"The palace guards and the elite border troops are all in the Grand Tutor's hands. If the Grand Tutor is loyal to His Majesty, that would be ideal. But if something unexpected happens, it would be good to have something to defend against and deal with it."

Li Xian's expression changed rapidly. The eunuch's words pierced the deepest fear in Li Xian's heart: he had seized the throne by trickery and luck, but his foundation was too shallow and his power too weak.

Unlike his elder brother, who had shown favor to court officials and soldiers and held a high position in the hearts of the court officials and the people, and who had built a powerful crown prince force that even the empress dowager had to be wary of.

If his elder brother were to return, it would likely not be long before he had to relinquish his imperial throne.

This is something he absolutely cannot accept.

However, he was unwilling to directly turn against Xue Rengui.

Looking at the eunuch at his feet, Li Xian kicked him twice. "Get up."

The eunuch then stood up and secretly glanced at Li Xian's face, which was quite gloomy.

Li Xian thought and thought but couldn't come up with any good ideas, so he looked at the eunuch again.

"Do you have any good ideas?"

"Your Majesty, if you have any doubts, why not test the waters a bit?"

"I asked the eunuch cautiously."

"Test the waters? How would you test the waters?"

Li Xian asked in confusion.

"To test whether the Grand Tutor is loyal to His Majesty."

Li Xian narrowed his eyes, his breathing becoming somewhat rapid. "Continue."

"Your Majesty may order the Grand Tutor to hand over the Imperial Guards to Your Majesty's trusted confidants."

"If the Grand Tutor agrees, it will naturally show that the Grand Tutor is loyal to His Majesty, and His Majesty can take this opportunity to take back the power of the palace guards to prevent future troubles."

"What if the Grand Tutor disagrees..."

The young eunuch didn't say much, but Li Xian knew what he meant by not saying anything.

If Xue Rengui disagrees, then he must have ulterior motives.

He needs to make plans early.

Moreover, Li Xian felt that this was also a good way to increase his authority.

He still has some doubts about Xue Rengui's loyalty, but basically holds a positive attitude towards him.

Even someone as accomplished in military affairs as Xue Rengui, who held the highest official position and was appointed Grand Tutor, still had to obey his every word.

With just a single imperial edict, they would obediently relinquish their power as imperial guards.

This is the true majesty of an emperor!

He holds absolute power, wielding the power of life and death, and is the sole ruler of all!

A few days later, at the grand court assembly, Li Xian felt that his time to manifest his divine power in the mortal realm had come!

He refused to have a stand-in for his mouth and performed the act himself.

"Grand Tutor's achievements are unparalleled, sweeping across all directions, his merits are immense."

"To protect the Tang Dynasty, he fought in the frontier for five years without rest. Now that he has returned to the capital, he has to handle court affairs and be responsible for guarding the palace. He works hard day and night, which is really tough."

"As the Grand Tutor's disciple, I cannot bear to see my teacher working so hard. I intend to hand over the palace guards to Chen Xuan. After the court session, the Grand Tutor should hand them over to Chen Xuan."

Li Xian didn't even ask Xue Rengui's opinion. In his view, Xue Rengui was a general left to him by his father, and at least on the surface, he was still loyal to him. It was just that he had taken away the power of the palace guards, which was not a big deal.

Xue Rengui stepped out from the ranks of officials and bowed to Li Xian.

Li Xian's hands hung down, a smile already appearing on his face, ready to enjoy the fearful gazes of the court officials.

Under Li Xian's expectant gaze, Xue Rengui slowly opened his mouth.

"Your Majesty's concern is appreciated, but please forgive me for being unable to comply!"

"Before the late Emperor passed away, he personally handed over the power of the palace guards to me before his deathbed."

"At the same time, it was stated that the imperial guards are the foundation of the nation, and His Majesty's safety is in their hands, and must not be entrusted to any other person."

"The late emperor knew that the capital was not at peace, and entrusted this heavy responsibility to me. If I were to rashly resign from my post as a guard, I would be betraying the late emperor's dying wish."

"It is not that I covet military power, but the position of palace guard is of great importance. As a military man, I do not find it tiring and there is no need to share this power with others."

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I have the energy to do so. I will not neglect the duties of the palace guards and will certainly safeguard the stability of the palace."

Li Xian's smile froze; he hadn't expected to be rejected by Xue Rengui.

They even brought up the late emperor to pressure him!

He couldn't very well openly undermine his father's authority, could he?

Of all virtues, filial piety is the most important. Even in front of outsiders, he must pretend to be filial.

However, he also had doubts about Xue Rengui's loyalty.

He is the current emperor, and his orders are imperial edicts. No matter the reason, Xue Rengui should obey.

Especially now that these officials have stepped forward to plead for Xue Rengui, Li Xian could tell at a glance that they accounted for more than 70% of the court officials.

Xue Rengui's "prestige" was even more irritating to Li Xian.

Has the imperial court now reached the point where people only know about Grand Tutor Xue and are unaware of the emperor?

More than 70% of the officials in the court sided with Xue Rengui, and not a single one was willing to stand up and speak for the emperor.

Li Xian's hands were clenched so tightly they cracked. What was Xue Rengui trying to do? Was he trying to force Li Xian to abdicate?!

He is a subject, even if he is the Grand Tutor!

How could someone do such a disrespectful and unfilial act?!

"Grand Tutor is right, and the ministers are reasonable. Let's drop this matter. Someone, take three thousand-year-old ginseng roots from the national treasury and deliver them to the Grand Tutor. Grand Tutor, please take good care of your health."

"Your Majesty, I thank you."

Xue Rengui was moved by Li Xian's words. He immediately objected to Li Xian's order. Li Xian still cared about him so much. He realized that he had made the right choice in choosing the late emperor. This father and son were worthy of his loyalty.

He will definitely protect His Majesty!

After the court session, the eunuchs followed Li Xian, whose face was gloomy, back to the imperial study.

"Your Majesty, did the late Emperor really leave behind an edict?"

The eunuch cautiously sowed discord.

Li Xian stared at him with murderous eyes. "Are you implying that the Grand Tutor is lying to me?"

"You scoundrel, how dare you doubt the Grand Tutor?"

The eunuch immediately knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly until his forehead was bleeding profusely.

"Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me! This servant shouldn't have doubted the Grand Tutor."

Where Li Xian couldn't see, the eunuch's lips curled into a smug smile.

He knew that although Li Xian was speaking up for Xue Rengui, he had actually taken the matter to heart and had begun to doubt Xue Rengui.