radicalducati Chapter 534 - 51: Sudden Awakening, Father and Son (Part 1)
Chapter 534 - 51: Sudden Awakening, Father and Son (Part 1)
Drop after drop of tears fell continuously.
Li Tai kept his head lowered, his entire body trembling uncontrollably.
The atmosphere suddenly shifted.
——Li Shimin’s gaze turned sharp almost instantly, staring intently at Li Tai, and he shouted, "What’s going on?"
"Speak!"
Li Tai kept his head down, trembling even more.
It was unclear whether this was deliberate or due to extreme nervousness.
He took a deep breath and, after feigning hesitation for a moment, spoke tremblingly, "Father, I am afraid!"
"I fear my elder brother will not tolerate me!"
"A few days ago—"
"Two ministers who advised have died mysteriously, both of whom were very close friends of mine."
——No more words were needed.
At this point, it was already enough; Li Shimin could think of many things himself.
Li Tai was also a smart man.
He deeply understood the terrifying nature of his father.
If he spoke too clearly, it would surely raise suspicions, whereas if he just hinted, his father would think it out himself.
People instinctively trust their own judgment.
Li Shimin was no different.
As the words fell, the entire hall was instantly engulfed in silence.
Li Tai kept his head down, not daring to even glance at Li Shimin, yet he could still feel that terrifying oppressive force.
Li Shimin was glaring at Li Tai, his expression frozen in place.
"Mysteriously died?"
He repeated softly.
The next moment, a barely restrained anger flashed in his eyes.
The death of ministers who advise is extremely sensitive for Li Shimin.
Currently, his expectations for future rulers far exceed historical ones.
Not only must they be capable, but they must also be open to advice.
In simple terms——Li Shimin wants a ruler like himself.
He absolutely cannot let the Great Tang follow the old road of the Sui Dynasty.
Yang Guang’s unchecked rulership has had too great an impact on the current world!
"Someone come!——"
Without any nonsense, Li Shimin immediately shouted furiously.
The guards outside the hall immediately came in.
Li Shimin slowly rose, his face full of anger, unconcealed as he surveyed the guards: "Summon the ministers to a meeting!"
...
——Court upheaval!
Now, many in the temple clearly knew of this incident.
Regarding Li Shimin’s summons, everyone was full of fear.
This matter was too significant.
Whether they were officials from Li Tai’s faction or those from Li Chengqian’s faction, or even neutral officials, all faced an exceptionally difficult situation.
Those with Li Tai naturally feared being exposed.
Officials of Li Chengqian were afraid Li Shimin might depose the Crown Prince.
As for the neutral officials, they were uncertain about which side to choose.
Different from the Wude Dynasty situation.
At that time, the world had just settled, the entire court system was not yet clear, various factions stood tall, and gaps easily appeared.
But now, it’s completely different.
Not to mention anything else.
Just from Li Shimin as Emperor, his majesty was not something Li Yuan could compare with.
Li Shimin was truly furious.
He immediately ordered Li Tai to return home and close the doors, and commanded Li Chengqian to be confined in the Eastern Palace and strictly guarded——neither Prince was to be seen in public.
When the ministers tremblingly arrived at the Taiji Hall, the inside was as quiet as a needle dropping.
Li Shimin did not utter a single empty or redundant word.
Standing high on the imperial steps, his gaze like a deep abyss, he slowly swept over the ministers below, frozen in fear like cicadas in winter.
That invisible pressure was almost suffocating.
Then, in the deadly silence, he began to walk down the imperial steps one by one and headed straight to one side of the hall.
There hung his treasured bow, untouched for many years.
His bony hand grabbed the cold bow arm and took it down——this simple action seemed to carry immense power.
He turned around, resting the bow on the ground, his gaze like a tempered blade piercing deep into the heart.
"Speak——!"
His voice boomed, shattering the silence like thunder in the sky.
"I demand to know every detail!"
Clatter——
Outside the hall, there was the faint sound of armor clinking, and even through the palace walls, the ministers felt the chilling dread.
For a moment, all the ministers felt paralyzed.
Gu Yi was watching all of this.
He could see why Li Shimin reacted so strongly this time.
History had ultimately changed.
The current Li Shimin was not in that increasingly muddled state of later years as in the original history.
He sensed a threat of losing control over the court.
Even though that’s impossible.
But that’s also Li Shimin’s own thought.
For an emperor who controlled everything, something unexpected happened in the court; how could he not react?
Li Shimin was not easily deceived.
His actions today clearly indicated his intent to rectify the court and uncover all the internal secrets!
The hall was incredibly silent.
Seeing that the ministers dared not utter a word, Li Shimin directly set his gaze on Chai Lingwu.
"You, son-in-law, speak first!"
Chai Lingwu almost immediately knelt down, unable to stop trembling.
But he steadied his emotions, took a deep breath, and trembled as he shouted, "Your Majesty, I truly do not know——"
Li Shimin said nothing more.
He simply looked at the next person, the Wei King Faction... the Crown Prince’s faction... the Neutral Faction.
Under such immense pressure.
Ultimately, someone crumbled under the pressure and spoke some words, and Li Shimin, without hesitation, would immediately shoot an arrow at the hands and feet of anyone implicated.
——Though his hair was now white, his aim with the arrows was no less accurate than in years past.
This was the first time he had been so ruthless!