Chapter 23: The Late Emperor Has Manifested!

Chapter 23: The Late Emperor Has Manifested!

In the sixth year of the Yonghui era, at Daming Palace.

Li Zhi was in high spirits; the joy of life suited him well. To him, the prospect of elevating Wu Meiniang to the position of Empress held a significance far beyond the surface. The move to depose Wang and install Wu was ostensibly a struggle over the title of Empress, but in reality, it was a power struggle between him and his uncle, Zhangsun Wuji.

In the eyes of Zhangsun Wuji, Li Zhi had always been that little nephew who wept in his arms. During the rebellion of Princess Gaoyang, Zhangsun had exerted his influence like a master puppeteer, implicating a vast number of people. Even Prince of Wu, Li Ke, was framed and put to death by his machinations, and not even Li Zhi’s pleas could save him.

Li Zhi’s pleas for Li Ke may not have been entirely sincere, but the growing suspicion he felt toward his uncle at that moment was genuine. It stood to reason—if you dared to destroy my brother, the Prince of Wu, today, there was no telling who you, Zhangsun Wuji, might destroy tomorrow.

However, the notion that Zhangsun Wuji represented the interests of the Guanlong Group, or that Wu Meiniang stood for the interests of the minor nobility, and that Li Zhi was installing her to counter that group—it all felt like a reach. Did the little nun Wu Meiniang even know she was supposedly that formidable?

It was less a confrontation between Li Zhi and the "Guanlong Group" and more an attempt to shed the influence of the aristocratic clans over imperial power. This did not mean Wu Meiniang represented the minor nobility; at the time she entered the palace, she was nothing more than a plain, unhatched egg.

To some, the "Guanlong Group" had been overly mythologized, as if this political faction were omnipotent within the Tang Dynasty. Yet, if one interpreted them through the standard academic framework, they might find that the description better fit the Prussian Junkers. So, the case was solved: Li Zhi was the bearded Kaiser Wilhelm II, skilled at diplomacy, and Zhangsun Wuji was the dismissed Bismarck? It seemed the demise of the Guanlong Group was due to being "too advanced."

In recent years, the internet’s obsession with mythologizing the Guanlong Group served no purpose other than to belittle the Tang by praising the Sui. People blamed the fall of the Sui entirely on the infighting of the Guanlong Group, intentionally downplaying Emperor Yang of Sui’s vanity and the resulting public resentment, while ignoring the power of the masses in historical materialism. They were so desperate to canonize Emperor Yang that they had completely abandoned all sense of shame.

Labels can be applied, but sharing a label does not mean people belong to a unified political bloc, let alone the monolithic, flawless giant those theorists described. The Guanlong Group may have existed, but it was certainly not the highly cohesive political interest group that gossip suggested. It was, at a glance, rigid, one-sided, isolated, derivative, and metaphysical.

Li Zhi sat comfortably on his stool, his face glowing with smug satisfaction. Installing an Empress—what a wonderful thing! He had already forgotten the visit from his "living father" to Daming Palace a couple of days prior. They say humans are forgetful creatures, especially when it comes to remembering pain rather than food. It seemed Li Shimin hadn't hit him hard enough back then to truly teach him the meaning of fatherly love.

"Zhinu," Wu Meiniang said as she walked into the hall. Unlike the carefree Li Zhi, she remained deeply anxious about the sudden appearance of Li Shimin last time. Who knew if he might appear again, right here in the Lizheng Hall?

"What is it, Meiniang?" Li Zhi asked with concern, noticing her worried expression.

"Nothing," Wu Meiniang forced a smile. "I was only thinking that since you are making me Empress, if your father were to come here again, how should we respond?"

"Rest assured, Meiniang. I promise you, even if my father were to kill me, I would never fail you." Li Zhi reached out to take her hands, his tone exceptionally firm.

"Zhinu..." Wu Meiniang said, deeply moved.

Before the words had even faded, a roar erupted from the entrance.

"Li Zhi! You little brat!"

Li Zhi looked toward the door in a panic. Who else could it be but his father? Li Shimin’s eyes were bloodshot, and he was brandishing a thick rattan cane. The predatory look in his eyes made Li Zhi shiver, as if he were a wrestler facing an enraged bull.

...

Three minutes earlier.

Having returned to the sixth year of the Yonghui era, Li Shimin asked, "Brother, do you have any immortal artifacts here that cause extreme pain but leave no physical injuries?"

"Wait a moment." Li Qing immediately searched the store, and as soon as he opened it, he saw the prompt for the "Newcomer’s Gift Pack."

"Why am I only getting the gift pack now?" Li Qing complained to the system.

The system’s mechanical voice replied, "The Newcomer’s Gift Pack unlocks after the first time-travel."

"That’s not right. Didn't I travel once before?" Li Qing asked, puzzled.

"The last time was a trial; this is a paid journey." The system displayed a scale on his screen: "Billing is 100 emotional points per person per hour."

"That’s expensive," Li Qing muttered.

"What?" Li Shimin hadn't heard him clearly.

"Oh, nothing." Li Qing brushed it off and opened the gift pack.

"Congratulations to the host for obtaining: 'Fatherly Love Like a Mountain' Rattan Cane x5."

"Is that it?" Li Qing picked up the cane to inspect it.

*Fatherly Love Like a Mountain Rattan Cane:* Legend has it that this was a weapon bestowed by Taiyi Zhenren to Li Jing for the purpose of disciplining Ne Zha. It causes extreme pain but leaves no lasting injuries.

Perfect—an artifact from the Li family, fitting for the elder Li to use.

He pulled the cane from the system space; it looked like a bundle of rattan twisted into a rod. Li Qing tapped it against his own hand to test it, and a wave of intense pain surged through him, making him want to scream.

"Here you go, Brother Li. This thing packs quite a punch, so be careful not to hurt yourself." Li Qing handed the cane to Li Shimin, trembling.

Li Shimin was sharp. Seeing Li Qing shaking, he didn't test it on himself. He swished it through the air—the feel was excellent, perfect for disciplining a son.

"Heh heh heh..." he chuckled coldly. *Zhinu, your father is here!*

Because Li Qing had activated the "invisible to bystanders" feature, they encountered no obstacles along the way. They reached Lizheng Hall smoothly, just in time to witness the scene.

"Li Zhi! You little brat!" Li Shimin roared and lunged at Li Zhi.

At the same time, the invisibility effect vanished. Wang De, the eunuch attending the hall, saw Li Shimin charging in and his expression turned as if he had seen a ghost.

*What the hell? How? Did the late Emperor come back to life?*

As an old fox in the palace, he knew the principle of "don't look at what you shouldn't see." He slithered out of the hall like an eel, ushering the other attendants and palace maids out along with him. *I must leave some face for His Majesty,* Wang De thought. *The late Emperor manifesting to discipline the current Emperor is a family matter for the Li clan; it’s not for us outsiders to intervene.*

"Godfather, what was that?" a terrified young attendant whispered to Wang De. "Should we call the guards?"

"You little monkey! Don't worry about what doesn't concern you!" Wang De slapped him on the forehead. "That was the late Emperor manifesting!"