Little Sizi came to my house and became the family's darling, and Li Shimin got anxious.

Liangyi Hall.

Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Wei Zheng, Changsun Wuji, and Wen Yanbo stood on either side, each with a document on a long table in front of them—the same data that Empress Changsun had previously presented to Li Shimin.

The hall was eerily quiet.

Fang Xuanling was utterly shocked as he looked at the records of maternal and infant deaths, the number of children who died young due to disability or disease, and the data comparing normal marriages with consanguineous marriages.

He had read extensively throughout his life and considered himself knowledgeable, yet he had never seen such detailed and shocking figures in any classic text.

Behind every number is a life that never grew up.

His hands trembled slightly as he turned to the last page, slowly closed the document, and let out a long sigh.

Du Ruhui's expression was solemn, his gaze fixed on the comparative data, his lips pressed tightly together, and he remained silent.

Wei Zheng was at a loss for words. He was always outspoken and dared to speak his mind, but now, looking at these cold numbers, his throat felt like it was blocked by something, and he couldn't utter a single word for a long time.

Changsun Wuji frowned and pondered, remaining silent.

He was the slowest to read, reviewing each data point two or three times.

As the head of the Changsun family, he understood better than anyone else what these numbers meant: that the centuries-old tradition of intermarriage among powerful families was silently eroding the future of the Tang Dynasty.

His own family is one of them.

Li Shimin sat at the head of the table, taking in everyone's reactions, and spoke in a deep voice.

"These data were collected by people I sent to investigate. The harm caused by consanguineous marriage is far greater than you and I can imagine. The number of people lost every year because of this is countless, which is truly heartbreaking."

At the end of the Sui Dynasty, continuous wars and natural disasters led to a sharp decline in population. By the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, the population of the country was less than a quarter of that during the Sui Dynasty.

The lack of population led to insufficient social productivity and made economic development very difficult. Therefore, for the Tang Dynasty at that time, recuperation and population growth were of paramount importance.

Li Shimin squinted, his tone heavy.

"If inbreeding continues, nearly half of the children born will die young or be born with disabilities. How can the population possibly increase? I ask you, do you have any solutions?"

After a moment of silence in the hall, Wei Zheng spoke first.

"In my opinion, this matter is of utmost urgency. The edict should be drafted directly by the Secretariat, without the need for review by the Chancellery, and executed directly by the Department of State Affairs. This matter concerns the rise and fall of the Tang Dynasty's population and could potentially shake the foundations of the nation. It should be done as soon as possible. If we follow the usual procedure of going through the three departments, there will be endless back-and-forth wrangling, and who knows how much more time will be wasted, and how many more children will not live to see that edict."

Fang Xuanling nodded in agreement, "Lord Wei is absolutely right; this matter should not be delayed."

Du Ruhui and Wen Yanbo also expressed their agreement.

Li Shimin nodded slightly, but his gaze fell subtly on Changsun Wuji.

Changsun Wuji remained calm, as if he hadn't seen anything.

Li Shimin looked at Wei Zheng with a meaningful expression.

Wei Zheng blinked, momentarily unsure of Li Shimin's meaning.

Li Shimin coughed lightly twice, glancing at Changsun Wuji intentionally or unintentionally.

That look in his eyes couldn't be clearer, Lao Wei, you know what I mean.

Wei Zheng followed his gaze and looked at Changsun Wuji's expressionless face, and finally understood.

Wei Zheng did not want to offend Changsun Wuji, but since the matter concerned the foundation of the state, he could not care about anything else. He immediately stood up, flicked his sleeves, and spoke loudly.

"Your Majesty, I wish to impeach you!"

Li Shimin asked, feigning nonchalance, "Oh? What does Minister Wei want to impeach me this time?"

Wei Zheng said solemnly, "If Your Majesty wishes to prohibit marriages between parents within three generations, you should set an example by canceling the marriage between Princess Chang Le and Changsun Chong, the eldest son of the Duke of Qi, thus setting a precedent for the people!"

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the hall subtly changed.

Li Shimin frowned and sighed, looking troubled, as if he was extremely worried about this matter.

"This... the marriage between Lizhi and Chong'er has already been arranged and they will be married soon. If it is canceled now, I'm afraid..."

Wei Zheng persisted relentlessly.

"If Your Majesty does not set an example, how can you expect the people to trust you? Even the marriages of the royal family cannot be altered, so how can you expect ordinary families to abolish marriages between close relatives?"

Li Shimin sighed again, his gaze not falling on Changsun Wuji.

Changsun Wuji stepped forward, bowed, and clasped his hands in a fist salute. "Your Majesty, I humbly request that Your Majesty withdraw the marriage agreement between Princess Changle and Chong'er. This is not only for the sake of Princess Changle, but also for the sake of the people of the world. I humbly request Your Majesty's permission."

Li Shimin looked at Changsun Wuji with a regretful expression.

"Alas, this is the only way. Wuji, go back and counsel Chong'er. If he takes a fancy to any girl, tell me, and I will grant them a marriage."

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace."

Changsun Wuji understood the reasoning behind it, but understanding was one thing, accepting it was another.

When his younger sister became empress, he resigned as prime minister without hesitation and took a position with no real power, just to avoid gossip.

Now that his son can't even become a prince consort, the old regrets have not been resolved and new regrets have been added. He remains calm on the surface, but how can he be happy in his heart?

However, no matter how unhappy he was, he wouldn't go against Li Shimin; Changsun Wuji was clear about this.

Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Wei Zheng, and Wen Yanbo hurriedly stepped forward and praised him in unison.

"The Duke of Qi is truly righteous!"

"The Duke's move will benefit future generations!"

After leaving the Liangyi Hall, the five people bowed to each other in farewell.

Changsun Wuji hurried away the fastest, as he needed to get home quickly to inform them of the matter.

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui exchanged a glance, then looked at Wei Zheng.

Wei Zheng smiled at them and said, "Let's not delay our business. I'll be going now."

Each with their own thoughts, they dispersed.

Lizheng Hall.

Li Shimin strode into the hall, his face beaming with undisguised joy. As soon as he entered, he called out to Empress Zhangsun.

"Guanyinbi, the wedding is canceled!"

Empress Zhangsun looked up upon hearing this and saw Li Shimin's rare expression of delight, which made her smile slightly.

"What did they say? What happened?"

Li Shimin sat down beside her and recounted the events that had just transpired in the Liangyi Hall from beginning to end, finally bursting into laughter at the end.

"That old man Wei Zheng was stunned at first and didn't react. I had to give him several winks before he understood. But his memorial to me was just right and saved me a lot of trouble."

Empress Zhangsun listened and laughed along.

"How is my brother? Is he alright?"

"Wuji took the initiative to request the Emperor to withdraw the engagement and left faster than anyone else. I know that he must have some resentment in his heart, but he is a smart man and can distinguish between what is important and what is not."

Empress Zhangsun nodded. "I'll find some time to have a proper talk with my brother."

Li Shimin held her hand, his brows and eyes relaxed, and he was in a very good mood.

"I'm in high spirits tonight, Guanyinbi, please have another drink with me."