Although the two of them had been “chatting” for a long time, they did not break the topic. Li Shimin did not say which prince he preferred, and Fang Xuanling did not ask.

Actually, the most important reason why Li Shimin talked to Fang Xuanling was because of Fang Xuanling’s position. Now, the civil and martial arts of the Manchu Dynasty had their own positions and camps, either openly or secretly, or they were subordinate to the Changsun Wuji and Wei King Group. Or stand with the military and look after Li Ke. In the early days of King Jin, there were also some people who stood in Li Zhi’s camp, but when Eldest Sun Wuji left the guild, he took many of his “guild friends” with him. The remaining few people were neither large nor loud, nor had any real power or influence.

Only Fang Xuanling did not incline towards any of the princes. Although he was the commander-in-chief of logistics in the Battle of Pingfan and had a close relationship with the military, he never expressed any opinions on the issue of the legislature and remained silent and neutral.

The reason was simply because of his identity. Once, Fang Xuanling was entrusted by Empress Chang Sun to assist the former Crown Prince Li Chengqian. If Li Shimin hadn’t personally protected him when Li Chengqian fell, Fang Xuanling would have been eliminated from the political turmoil, just like Hou Junji. Fortunately, Fang Xuanling was still standing in the Imperial Court, and he had never participated in any disputes related to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.

Li Shimin deeply understood Fang Xuanling’s moral integrity and character. The idea of “loyal officials not serving the two masters” was deeply rooted in Fang Xuanling’s mind. From the day he accepted Empress Changsun’s entrustment to assist Li Chengqian, it was like Zhuge Liang assisting Ah Dou. He knew that he was a mediocre lord, but he had “sacrificed himself to die before he died”. He would rather die than regret it.

However, the will of the heavens could not be disobeyed. Li Chengqian, who had destroyed the Great Wall unjustly, seemed to have fallen. After that, it was impossible for Fang Xuanling to join any faction in waving flags and shouting.

It was precisely because of this that Fang Xuanling became Li Shimin’s most trustworthy person, which was why Li Shimin dared to discuss the matter of establishing a reserve with him. Anyone else would have misgivings or selfishness.

It was already dawn, and Fang Xuanling had reached the hour of shift change. Li Shimin invited him to have breakfast before leaving. When the monarch and subject arrived at the Martial Hall, the palace people placed breakfast for the two of them to enjoy.

Li Shimin decided to tell Fang Xuanling some things that he had endured all night.

“Xuan Ling, I have something that I can’t vomit without hurrying.” Li Shimin said.

Fang Xuanling knew what was going on, so he put down his chopsticks and cupped his hands, “Your Majesty, please speak.”

“I’m thinking that no matter who I make the Crown Prince now, there will definitely be a fight between my sons in a hundred years.” Li Shimin frowned and said with a serious and painful expression, “The last thing I want to see is brother and disciple fighting against each other … Therefore, I intend to put an end to this future trouble in my lifetime!”-I just want to ask you, who among my three sons, Li Tai, Li Ke, and Li Zhi is most likely to do such a thing? ”

“This!” Fang Xuanling’s entire body trembled, and his expression changed.

Who would dare to answer such a question!

Li Shimin smiled bitterly and waved his hand, “Then let’s change the method. Who is the most filial and lenient of the three?”

This time, Fang Xuanling smiled bitterly. He cupped his hands and said, “Your Majesty, you know that your son is like a father. Do you still need to ask this lowly official?”

Li Shimin nodded his head. “I know that King Jin, Li Zhi, has the gentlest temperament and a generous and benevolent nature. However, his talent is dull, timid, and he has no background in the court. I am worried that he will not be able to suppress the court in the future, which will give birth to ambitious officials who will overwhelm the government and the public and corrupt the state.”

Fang Xuanling smiled faintly, “Your Majesty, isn’t it his deepest foundation and biggest backer?” This lowly subject makes an inappropriate analogy. Putting aside the others, let alone the backers and foundations, let alone King Jin, even if a commoner is randomly arrested in the city to make a crown prince, as long as His Majesty makes the decision, he is still worried that he does not have a foundation and foundations? All of this can be done in months and years. ”

Fang Xuanling answered without any leakage. On the surface, he had no objections to the King Jin legislature; Deep down, he was expressing his position-everyone was the same, they were all the emperor’s sons!

Li Shimin also put down his chopsticks and reached out to press his forehead. He said, “Originally, before the Battle of Ping Fan started a few years ago, I did consider establishing King Jin as my reserve and allowing him to continue his chastity as a Guardian Monarch.” With you and your aides here to assist him, I can rest assured. However, the situation was different now. The Great Tang had calmed down Tibet and opened up the Western Regions. They had set up the grasslands in the north. In the future, it was possible for them to enter Korea eastward. The territory of the Great Tang had almost doubled, which meant that the Great Tang would have to endure a lot of military pressure from its neighbors in the next few decades or even a hundred years. In other words, the Great Tang had already been involved in the disputes between many countries and could not extricate itself. Originally, the task of ethnic integration within our country was quite arduous, and it would be impossible for us to complete it in thirty to fifty years. In this kind of environment, the Great Tang was like a boat sailing against the current, either advancing or retreating. If our successors do not want to make progress and stick to the rules, then the Great Tang will inevitably decline. During this period, if there were any internal conflicts between the government and the opposition, not only would they be unable to defend themselves, but even the world would be in chaos and the country would fall!

“His Majesty’s eyes are as sharp as torches. He is far-sighted. What he is thinking is correct!” Fang Xuanling cupped his hands in admiration and said, “Due to the recent years of war, the Great Tang has suffered tremendous losses and its national strength has become empty.” In the next 20 years at least, we need to recuperate, deal with the aftermath of Tibet, the Northern and Western Regions, and deal with any military invasion that may occur in the vicinity at any time. As the saying goes, the Great Tang won a lot of victories, but at the same time, they also erected many enemies, which attracted a lot of jealousy and covetousness. Just now, His Majesty’s words hit the nail on the head. In the next few decades, the Great Tang would be like a boat sailing against the current. Moreover, in the past, this ship of the Great Tang had been traveling in a small stream and lake, so it didn’t matter if it moved in and out for a while. But now, the ship of the Great Tang was already in the midst of a stormy sea, and if it took a step back, it might be a whirlpool that devoured the heavens and annihilated the earth! “Therefore, His Majesty’s previous attempt to establish a Guardian Monarch is indeed somewhat unworkable now.”

“That’s right! I’ve been thinking about these two issues the most recently!” Li Shimin nodded and said, “What I want is a Crown Prince Kuan Ren who can treat my brothers kindly, and the current Great Tang Country needs a Crown Prince Xiong Wu who can continue to lead the Great Tang forward for decades!” “What I want is a Crown Prince Kuan Ren who can treat my brothers kindly!”

“Your Majesty, I have nothing else to say.” Fang Xuanling bowed.

Li Shimin frowned and nodded, “One is what I want, the other is what the state wants … can’t the two be united?”

Fang Xuanling looked at his nose and heart and did not reply.

Li Shimin smiled and picked up his chopsticks, “Xuan Ling, eat!”

“Yes …”

“I have already issued a secret edict to go to Luo and summon King Wu back to the capital.” Li Shimin suddenly said.

Just as Fang Xuanling was about to pick up the dishes, his chopsticks trembled slightly and he didn’t catch them.

Li Shimin chuckled and put a piece of deer breast into Fang Xuanling’s bowl, saying, “Since it is time to face this problem, it is impossible for me and my sons to avoid it any longer.”

“Your Majesty … this matter is top secret. How can I say that I know about it?” Fang Xuanling whispered vigilantly.

“Can’t I trust you?” Li Shimin smiled faintly. “Actually, there is another important factor that needs to be considered, and this factor is the most intuitive and immediate.”

“Your Majesty, please make it clear?” Fang Xuanling asked.

Li Shimin smiled even more profoundly and said indifferently, “That is, what will happen to the sons that I abandoned?”

Fang Xuanling was stunned for a moment and didn’t seem to understand the meaning of Li Shimin’s words. Then he understood that the Emperor was saying–if one of them was set up, what would be the reaction of the other?

For example, if Li Tai was established, would Li Ke and the military give up? Will this lead to military conflicts or armed coups, or even to the division of the country under the pretext of territorial divisions?

If Li Ke was established, would the group of civil servants led by Changsun Wuji buy Li Ke’s account? Would the three provinces, six tribes, and even the entire Imperial Court of the Great Tang fall into an unprecedented crisis or even collapse?

If Li Zhi was set up … then he would not be able to suppress one of his two brothers, nor would he be able to provoke the other!

…

“Your Majesty, I understand.” Fang Xuanling heaved a sigh of relief and said, “The current situation is simply like a tiger riding a tiger. This lowly subject is truly deeply worried!”

“Now you know why I have been unable to make up my mind, right?” Li Shimin smiled bitterly. “Everyone says that the establishment of the throne is just a matter of the emperor’s family. It’s just a matter of the emperor’s words.” If only it was that simple. Now, I have no choice but to weigh the pros and cons and compromise. Xuan Ling, I want to tell you the truth. Even now, I don’t know who I should stand for. This is no longer a matter of whether I like it or not. The current situation has long since escaped my control. I have no choice but to take a back seat now. I do not wish to name anyone who is most beneficial to the Li Clan or the Great Tang, but … ”

Li Shimin paused and Fang Xuanling listened attentively.

“Rather, it’s the least harmful!”

…

Fang Xuanling’s heart suddenly lit up, and he was suddenly enlightened!

“Is it because of him?!”

“That’s right, it’s him.” Li Shimin’s brows furrowed. He nodded his head and said, “A swordsman with two blades can kill and injure his enemies. He is a Divine Sword bestowed upon us by the Great Tang. He is omnipotent in destroying enemies and opening up new territories! But at the same time, he is also a threatening sword hanging above the Great Tang’s head. If you are careless …”

“Your Majesty, are you overthinking it?” Fang Xuanling carefully whispered, “Qin Lang is loyal and has the style of a father. Moreover, he is the son-in-law of His Majesty’s half son …”

Li Shimin smiled slightly and said, “Age, even you can feel how powerless you are to comfort me with these words, right?” Of course, I have never suspected that Qin Mubai has any ulterior motives. Otherwise, why would I hand over more than half of the country’s military forces and half of the Tang Empire to him? –But just like back then, I never thought that I would be in the Black Warrior Sect … ”

Li Shimin’s words stopped abruptly.

Fang Xuanling sighed softly.

“If the current situation is like this, what can a person do?” Li Shimin shook his head and sighed, his expression slightly painful. It was as if the scene of the Black Warrior Sect’s change back then had appeared in front of him-brother versus disciple clashes, flesh and blood slaughtering!

“No wonder His Majesty tossed and turned all night. Now, I can appreciate the contradictions and pain in His Majesty’s heart.” Fang Xuanling sighed, “But Your Majesty, you must take care of your dragon body! The more critical this critical moment is, the more important it is for Your Majesty to preside over the overall situation in the Great Tang!”

Li Shimin gently nodded, “Xuan Ling, I have already told you all of my thoughts. What is your most direct thought now?”

Fang Xuanling cupped his hands and replied without hesitation, “At this moment, this lowly official only has one feeling, and that is, His Majesty’s secret summons for King Wu to return to the capital will affect the overall situation, and the entire Great Tang Empire will surely rise again! And at this moment, the safety of King Wu’s journey is of utmost importance, and it is related to danger!”

Li Shimin’s expression changed slightly before he nodded in approval, “Fang Mou Du Duan, although Du Ruhui is no longer here, Xuan Ling is still worthy of being our number one strategist. The treasured saber is not old yet!”-But rest assured, King Wu, he will definitely arrive in Chang’an safely! ”