I, the most powerful minister of the Tang Dynasty, have been exposed by the heavens.

"When he was young, His Majesty staged a coup, wrested the Tang Dynasty back from the maternal relatives, rectified the bureaucracy, reformed the military system, and single-handedly built the Kaiyuan Prosperity."

"I've endured all kinds of hardship and fought all kinds of battles."

"But after forty years of peace, with no rivals and no crises, His Majesty feels that the country is stable, the achievements are enough, and it's time to rest."

Li Longji's fingers twitched.

"Secondly, His Majesty is getting old and just wants to live comfortably."

"As people get older, they don't like to hear the truth, they prefer those who are compliant, and they are afraid of trouble. This is not a sin, but simply human nature."

"Therefore, Your Majesty distances itself from upright ministers whose words are harsh, while Your Majesty appoints officials like Li Linfu and Yang Guozhong who know how to please Your Majesty."

"It's not that His Majesty is foolish, it's that His Majesty is tired and wants to relax for a few years."

No one dared to breathe inside the hall.

"The third thing is that His Majesty has been blinded by love."

As Lu Wuming spoke, his voice finally showed a slight change in pitch.

It wasn't anger, it was regret.

"His Majesty's feelings for the Imperial Concubine are genuine."

"To make her happy, to satisfy the Yang family, and to preserve this warmth in her later years, His Majesty promoted Yang Guozhong to the position of prime minister, indulged his relatives, and disrupted the laws of the court."

"Your Majesty is not unaware of Yang Guozhong's incompetence, nor is he unaware of his greed. But Your Majesty cannot bear to cause the Imperial Concubine such sorrow."

He sighed:

"His Majesty in his later years was no longer an emperor, but simply an old man deeply in love."

Li Longji's Adam's apple bobbed.

"The fourth thing is that His Majesty has been blinded by the illusion of a prosperous era."

"Peace has lasted too long; His Majesty is blind to the crisis."

"The military governors wield immense power, the central military is weak, and corruption runs rampant in the court... Does Your Majesty truly not know these things?"

"It's not that I don't know, it's that I don't want to believe it."

"Your Majesty believes that my Great Tang Dynasty is the strongest under heaven. Who can rebel? Who dares to rebel?"

"So when An Lushan rebelled, His Majesty's first reaction was, 'Impossible, someone must have framed him.'"

Lu Wuming shook his head:

"But in this world, what kingdom is invincible? What nation is eternally indestructible?"

"The fifth thing is that His Majesty has been emperor for forty-four years, which is far too long."

"What happens when someone sits in that position for over forty years?"

"He always thought he was right, wouldn't listen to any advice, doubted all the meritorious officials, and killed people without batting an eye."

"One wrong step leads to another, and we have personally pushed the Tang Dynasty into the abyss."

After Lu Wuming finished recounting these five points, he stopped.

He looked quietly at Li Longji on the dragon throne, without mockery or coercion.

He simply and calmly uttered his last words:

"Your Majesty, you have grown old, and you have changed. You have been deceived by the world for too long, and you have deceived yourself for too long."

Li Longji remained silent.

He buried his face in his hands.

……

The Zhenguan era.

Li Shimin remained silent.

He stared at the sky, Lu Wuming's words, "You haven't become bad, you've just gotten old," stuck in his heart like a thorn that he couldn't pull out.

In his youth, at the age of twenty-seven, Li Longji staged a coup, single-handedly ushering in a golden age.

Li Longji, now in his sixties, is senile, suspicious, and unwilling to listen to the truth.

He, Li Shimin, is over forty years old this year.

What about in twenty years?

Will he become like that too?

Could he also be unable to listen to Wei Zheng's nagging, find Fang Xuanling too long-winded, and think that Changsun Wuji was too annoying?

Would he also hand over the country to the prime minister and hide in the harem to enjoy a life of leisure?

Will it be...

He turned his gaze away from the light screen and swept it over the familiar faces below.

"You tell me."

His voice was flat, devoid of emotion.

"When I get old, will I end up like Li Longji?"

The whole hall fell silent.

Changsun Wuji practically jumped out:

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty would never do that!"

His voice was urgent, and his attitude was firm:

"Your Majesty is a wise and benevolent ruler throughout the ages, diligent in governing and loving towards his people, and open to advice! We have never seen an emperor as wise and virtuous as Your Majesty! The word 'incompetent' can never be associated with Your Majesty!"

He spoke quickly and urgently, as if he was afraid that if he hesitated even a moment longer, he would appear disloyal.

Li Shimin remained silent.

He glanced at Changsun Wuji, his gaze calm, neither nodding nor shaking his head.

Then he turned to the other side.

"Xuancheng".

He called out.

"you say."

Wei Zheng stepped forward.

Unlike Changsun Wuji, he did not speak immediately, but remained silent for a few moments.

Then he raised his head and met Li Shimin's gaze:

"Your Majesty, do you truly wish me to speak?"

Li Shimin nodded:

"Speak. Speak the truth."

Wei Zheng took a deep breath.

"Then I will speak frankly."

"Your Majesty, it is indeed possible that you could become Li Longji, the one depicted in the heavens."

"Whoa!!!"

A collective gasp filled the hall.

Fang Xuanling's face turned pale. He reached out and tugged at Wei Zheng's sleeve, his voice low and urgent:

"Wei Zheng! Stop talking! Be careful what you say!"

Wei Zheng ignored him and instead looked eager to try.

Li Shimin raised his hand, interrupting Fang Xuanling.

"Let him speak."

He looked at Wei Zheng and said seriously.

"Go on. How did I become like him?"

Wei Zheng didn't mince words and spoke frankly.

"Because when people get old, they're all the same."

"Having suffered hardships in my youth, I know how hard-won this country is, so I dare not slack off and dare not ignore advice."

"But what about when you get old? The world will be at peace, all the wars that needed to be fought will be fought, and all the suffering that needed to be endured will be endured."

"When a person sits in that position for decades, they gradually start to think: 'I've worked hard my whole life, what's wrong with taking a break? What's wrong with listening to some agreeable words?'"

"Once you stop, you can't stop."

"Your Majesty is diligent in your duties now because there is still a thorn in your side."

Li Shimin narrowed his eyes and asked thoughtfully.

"What thorn?"

Wei Zheng met his gaze and spoke slowly and deliberately:

"The Xuanwu Gate Incident!"

The hall was deathly silent.

No one dared to breathe.

Wei Zheng's voice was not loud, but it was like a dull knife cutting flesh:

"Why does Your Majesty work so hard? Why do you get up before dawn to review memorials? Why do you personally lead troops into battle and personally oversee the governance of the country?"

"Because His Majesty knows in his heart that the chair was not obtained in a very honorable way."

"Therefore, Your Majesty must govern the Tang Dynasty well, but governing it well is not enough; you must bring it to a golden age and leave a lasting legacy. Only in this way will history not simply record Your Majesty killing your brother and imprisoning your father."

"This is His Majesty's deepest concern, and also His Majesty's driving force."

He looked directly at Li Shimin, without any attempt to hide his gaze:

"But Your Majesty, inner conflicts can fade with age."

"When Your Majesty grows old, your achievements will be complete, and history will be written. The world will say that Your Majesty is the greatest emperor of all time."

"At that time, will His Majesty still remember the fear he feels today? Will he still listen to such annoying words from his minister?"

"Your subject dares not make a rash judgment."

"But like Li Longji above the sky, anything is possible."

After Wei Zheng finished speaking, he bowed deeply and said no more.

The hall was so quiet that one could hear the wind blowing the banners outside the window.

Everyone kept their heads down, not daring to breathe.

Li Shimin did not get angry.

He sat on the throne in silence for a long time.

After a long while, he spoke softly, his voice very low, as if talking to himself:

"Xuanwu Gate..."

He didn't say anything more.

He simply raised his head and glanced again at the white-haired Lu Wuming on the sky and the dejected Li Longji on the dragon throne.

There was something in his eyes that others couldn't understand.