The revitalization of the Tang Dynasty began with the Ganlu Incident.

Li Xun was a clever man; otherwise, he wouldn't have risen from an unknown figure to a powerful prime minister of the Tang Dynasty in just one year.

In fact, in the original owner's eyes, he had always been a loyal and devoted figure who shared the burdens of his master.

If the body on the throne hadn't been inhabited by a different soul, one might actually believe his words.

But Li Ang obviously wouldn't!

He didn't have the same loyalty bias he had towards Li Xun as the original owner, so he was able to view this so-called confidant more objectively.

Logically speaking, with Qiu Shiliang and others already dead, the operation to eliminate the eunuchs should have been successfully completed. All that's left is to stabilize the situation, and it will be a complete victory.

At this crucial moment, Li Xun insisted on preventing Liu Hongyi and others from taking over the Shence Army, which must have been for his own benefit.

So, what kind of interests would make people so eager to act, unable to wait until the situation stabilizes, even at the risk of defying the imperial decree?

Considering everything that has happened, the answer is already obvious.

He wants the Shence Army!

There is no other explanation for his strange behavior at this time.

For Li Xun, this might be the only chance in his life to get his hands on the Shence Army.

Therefore, even at the risk of defying the imperial decree, he was determined to seize this opportunity.

The noise in the hall continued, but it did not reach Li Xun's ears.

For some reason, a sense of tension inexplicably welled up in his heart at this moment.

Subconsciously, he felt that something seemed amiss.

But when he looked up slightly and saw the emperor's gentle face and unwavering trust, he felt relieved and bowed.

"Your Majesty, this matter cannot be taken lightly. I am willing to personally deliver the order, and I hope Your Majesty will grant my request."

"His Majesty……"

Liu Hongyi and the other person standing nearby immediately became anxious, and without even greeting everyone, they hurriedly tried to speak.

But seeing that his plan was about to succeed, Li Xun was not about to let them ruin it, and immediately rebuked them.

"His Majesty has not asked you any questions, how dare you presume to speak before the Prime Minister?"

"you!"

Liu Hongyi was speechless for a moment.

Half of him was anxious, and the other half was angry.

It should be understood that the Privy Councilor is in charge of communication between the government and the people, and stands by the emperor's side. Although he cannot directly participate in politics, almost all government affairs pass through his hands.

Even Wang Ya, the most senior prime minister, had to treat him with utmost respect.

As a result, Li Xun, that sycophant who rose to power, actually rebuked him in court. How could he not be angry?

However, at this moment, to Liu Hongyi's surprise, Li Ang seemed somewhat displeased and frowned.

"The prime minister is the head of all officials; you must not be disrespectful. Step down!"

Although the eunuchs of the late Tang Dynasty held the power of life and death, that was after the Ganlu Incident. At that time, although the eunuchs were still quite powerful, they still had some respect for the imperial power.

Since the emperor had already spoken, Liu Hongyi, no matter how unwilling he was, dared not say anything more. He could only take two steps back and glare fiercely at Li Xun opposite him.

But his appearance only made Li Xun feel more and more comfortable.

Just then, Li Ang spoke again.

"Since you have this intention, Li Qing, I will trouble you to make the trip. However, the chaos is not yet over. For your safety, I will summon the two military governors, Wang Fan and Guo Xingyu, to the palace. I order them to lead the officers and soldiers of the two garrisons to escort you to the Shence Army's garrison to deliver the imperial edict."

Upon hearing this, Li Xun was overjoyed and quickly cupped his hands in greeting.

"Your subject obeys."

After saying that, he took a few steps back, turned around and left the hall, the joy in his eyes and brows almost overflowing.

That's why he didn't see Li Ang's suddenly cold gaze after he turned around.

Before long, Li Xun returned to the hall, now accompanied by two military governors in military attire.

A moment later, he returned to the hall, now accompanied by two military governors in military attire.

All three had excited expressions on their faces. When they arrived at the steps of the imperial palace, they all bowed and said...

"Your Majesty, we respectfully obey your command!"

However, before they received the imperial edict they were expecting, a noise came from behind them.

He subconsciously turned around and saw dozens of Imperial Guards rushing in, completely sealing the palace gates again.

At the same time, Li Ang's cold voice came from the throne.

"I have already made a decision regarding the Shence Army. You three ministers, please wait aside until the two Privy Councilors take over the Shence Army, and then return to the palace with me to discuss matters."

"His Majesty……"

Caught off guard by these words, the three of them looked up at once and saw several eunuchs walking over and surrounding them.

The person in the lead was none other than Liu Hongyi, the Privy Councilor, who wore a cold smile.

"As everyone has ordered, please allow each of you to rest aside. Minister Li, and the two commanders, please..."

They said they were inviting them, but in reality they didn't give them a chance to speak at all. Several eunuchs rushed forward and half-carried, half-pushed the three of them to a corner of the main hall to keep them under guard.

Li Xun was captured without any real danger, which was simpler than Li Ang had imagined.

Without his obstruction, Liu Hongyi and the others left smoothly and quickly this time.

Looking at Li Xun, who was being dragged to a corner but was still struggling, Li Ang felt a mix of emotions.

Although he didn't have a good impression of Li Xun to begin with, the series of events that had just happened undoubtedly revealed a cruel reality to him.

In such an era, there is no such thing as a loyal minister.

Take Li Xun for example. A little over a year ago, he was just a minor assistant instructor at the Imperial Academy.

In just one year, he was promoted to the position of prime minister, the head of all officials. Anyone who did not submit to him was exiled. He was at the height of his power.

All of this was given to him by the original owner of this body.

Even so, Li Xun did not reciprocate with pure loyalty; instead, it fueled his even greater ambition.

From plotting the Ganlu Incident to now disregarding the overall situation and using the officers and soldiers of the two towns to coerce the emperor and plot against the Shence Army, it is clear that he only cares about interests and not loyalty.

If Li Xun was like this, the others weren't much better off.

In such an era, a eunuch might poison you at night and install a new emperor, and a prime minister might use you as a tool in the struggle for power.

Therefore, no one can be trusted, and everyone must be guarded against... This is a true reflection of a late Tang Dynasty emperor.

Li Ang ordered his men to detain Li Xun and the others in the hall, but he made no further move.

He still allowed the two town officials to be displayed in the Hanyuan Hall Square, and did not order them to leave the palace.

This approach is also a safety net.

Although Li Xun's actions were arrogant and selfish, on the bigger picture, he still stood on the side of imperial power.

By keeping them confined in the palace, the officials of Binning and Taiyuan in the square would not dare to make any rash moves.

The two town officials stood in formation outside the hall, while Shu Yuanyu led his men to block Xuanzheng Gate, surrounding Hanyuan Hall from both the front and the back. This way, if the Jinwu Guards blocking Hanyuan Hall had any ulterior motives, they could respond accordingly.

With the Imperial Guards inside and the officers of the two towns outside, they worked together to clear a passage to Danfeng Gate, ensuring the existence of a last resort.

If the Shence Army cannot be handed over smoothly, or if Li Ang misjudged the person, and Liu Hongyi and others outwardly comply but inwardly defy him, taking the opportunity to mobilize the Shence Army to cause trouble, they can also leave the city through Danfeng Gate to avoid disaster and meet up with Zheng Zhu, the military governor of Fengxiang, who is on his way.

The best solution Li Ang could think of at the moment was to have several forces check and balance each other, but at the same time, it was also a tragedy.

Because this means that at this moment, he doesn't have a single force he can truly and completely trust.

There isn't even one person I can completely trust.

In truth, such a life might not be any better than that of an ordinary wealthy man...