novelraw Chapter 427 - 16: The Curtain Rises, Storms Approach
Chapter 427 - 16: The Curtain Rises, Storms Approach
With this battle, the curtain finally fell completely.
Li Shimin scarcely deployed many troops from start to finish, further elevating the reputation of the entire Great Tang to its peak.
——The world trembles in submission!
Whether it was the troops of Yuwen Huaji or the Liang Army, it mattered not.
For this King Qin of the Great Tang.
They all genuinely appreciated and respected him from the bottom of their hearts.
Li Shimin’s actions displayed his benevolence to the fullest, making his reputation even surpass that of Li Yuan, the supposed Emperor.
And this news continues to spread!
Now, although the Great Tang has not yet fully unified the entire realm,
it already seems indistinguishable from a unified realm.
Chang’an City.
Li Yuan was the first to receive the news, and a strong sense of excitement surged within him.
——Lord of all under heaven!
He, Li Yuan, became the lord of all under heaven!
Now, there is no more suspense about all of this!
The entire Tang court instantly erupted, with ministers shouting "Long live" to Li Yuan almost echoing throughout Chang’an City.
Excitement and agitation filled the hearts of the assembled ministers.
They bet correctly!
The Great Tang finally reached the end and once again stood atop the entire Kyushu.
But often, beneath the surface heat, there inevitably lurk waves of conflict.
"Your Majesty, how dare King Qin represent our Great Tang in negotiations with the Turkic, this is an act of rebellion!"
And as soon as this statement was mentioned, an invisible storm instantly swept through the internal affairs of the Great Tang’s court.
With external threats eradicated entirely,
internal conflicts were about to come to the forefront!
Now, who could fail to see that Li Shimin’s renown had become excessively high?
This reputation, which even Li Jiancheng, the Crown Prince, cannot match, in fact makes even Li Yuan, the supposed Emperor, appear somewhat obscure in comparison to Li Shimin!
Whether it be generosity or prestige, it matters not.
Li Shimin had already reached the summit of Kyushu, with no one able to rival him.
No matter how open-hearted Li Yuan might be,
but when he heard the myriad voices singing praises of Li Shimin’s virtues, he couldn’t help but have thoughts arise within his heart.
This is simply human nature.
Despite not everything being fully expressed, nevertheless, within the entirety of Great Tang, an invisible conflict centered around the "Ten Directions Expedition Envoy" began to unfold.
The core issue being: "Father as ruler, son as Ten Directions Expedition Envoy," would it affect imperial authority?
In the beginning, Li Yuan was unconcerned about these matters.
But as Pei Ji raised another question, this time Li Yuan was indeed affected.
"Given King Qin’s renown, if he becomes the Ten Directions Expedition Envoy, even if he cannot affect Your Majesty, should Your Majesty pass away, would any future ruler truly hold authority?"
A simple statement, yet it struck the core of the problem.
Li Yuan could indeed impose various restrictions on Li Shimin in his capacity as a father.
But what of future rulers?
Whether in terms of reputation, or in terms of winning hearts within the army, what does Crown Prince Li Jiancheng possess that rivals Li Shimin?
Li Shimin’s identity is too sensitive.
He is not of the Gu Clan, nor is he the legitimate second son.
This identity alone provides Li Shimin with a multitude of possibilities, but most importantly, should Li Shimin one day choose not to follow Gu Chen by abolishing the Ten Directions Expedition Envoy but instead opt to continue its legacy.
Then, when no one can limit him, it is destined that the Great Tang’s Emperor will become a mere figurehead.
When this issue was raised,
Li Yuan was undeniably affected.
An invisible crisis gradually brewed within the halls of the Tang court under these circumstances.
...
Li Shimin did not immediately return to court.
The goal of this battle was to completely pacify the realm.
Indeed, for Li Shimin, at this stage, he no longer even needs to deploy his troops.
The vassals capable of somewhat opposing the Great Tang have long been obliterated.
As for the remaining ones,
they pose no genuine threat to the current Great Tang.
But for Li Shimin, he still intends to lay all to rest, swiftly resolving all troubles to afford the people of the realm ample time to rest.
Perhaps because he now truly possesses an invincible heart.
Facing the vassals still engaged in futile resistance, he did not deploy his troops but merely sent envoys to meet the vassals of the four corners.
Friend or foe;
In the current circumstances, it is not a difficult choice.
The rights in hand are indeed tempting, but how could they compare to one’s life?
——The vassals of the four corners surrendered one after another.
This scene was nothing short of astonishing.
In such circumstances, the realm began to foster a different kind of rumor.
"When King Qin dispatched an envoy, the vassals feared him and surrendered, and all the world was annexed."
Gu Yi could clearly see——
Compared to the original history, Li Shimin now shines more brightly.
Although in terms of his battle record, Li Shimin seems to have undergone little change, it is ultimately because his original achievements were already extraordinary.
Even if he improved further, how much more could he have enhanced?
This change emanates from his unique reputation.
Just through a few actions, he added more and more righteousness to his already exceptional renown.
The people of Kyushu have suffered for too long.
Li Shimin’s name of "righteousness" is one of his primary weapons in pacifying the realm.
Yet Gu Yi also understands well that as Li Shimin continues to shine brighter and brighter, the pressure on others only grows.