Chapter 505 Reaching a Consensus

"I have always placed great trust in you..."

Li Shimin said with a solemn expression, "Because your behavior and conduct are not like those of an ordinary person."

"I have a feeling..."

"Any idea you put forward can definitely be realized!"

Li Shimin, with a stern face, recounted everything one by one…

He investigated Wei Shuyu's deeds before the age of 11.

Nothing special.

When he was studying at the Imperial College, he was a bookworm who was often bullied.

"What does Your Majesty wish to do?"

Wei Shuyu raised his eyelids slightly, his expression calm.

"I'm asking you a question!"

Li Shimin looked down at Wei Shuyu.

"Let's leave aside things like ice, sugar, and cement for now."

"Commerce, poetry, money shops... your boundless imagination is something that an ordinary person could not possibly possess."

"And your martial prowess is unmatched; no one in the entire Tang Dynasty can withstand a single blow from you!"

Some things don't seem like a big deal when they happen.

When you summarize it all, it's truly chilling!

"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty."

Wei Shuyu cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.

"I want to know how you acquired this ability," Li Shimin said, staring intently at Wei Shuyu.

Oh……

You're eyeing my strength, aren't you?

A slight smile curved Wei Shuyu's lips.

"If I were to say..."

Wei Shuyu smiled and said, "Your Majesty, do you believe that I gained this ability as soon as I woke up?"

"So what if I believe you?"

"So what if I don't believe you?"

Li Shimin then threw the question back at him.

"If you believe me, I will remain Your Majesty's subject."

"Whether His Majesty believes it or not is His Majesty's business."

Wei Shuyu said indifferently.

"How dare you!"

Li Shimin suddenly shouted.

For a mere subject to speak to me in such a manner is utterly rebellious.

"Your Majesty, whether I possess the ability or not is not important."

Wei Shuyu smiled and said, "As long as my father is alive, I will never betray the Tang Dynasty."

"What if Xuancheng is no longer here..."

The moment Li Shimin uttered these words, the atmosphere in the room instantly plummeted to freezing point.

Wei Zheng acted as a mediator between the two.

Without Wei Zheng, Wei Shuyu would be living a carefree life somewhere right now.

"This problem..."

Wei Shuyu pondered for a moment and then said, "Shouldn't I be asking Your Majesty?"

"If my father passes away, will His Majesty kill me?"

When he said this, Wei Shuyu stopped pretending.

He stood up straight and stared intently at Li Shimin.

Li Shimin remained silent.

Will they kill Wei Shuyu?

The answer is yes!

He will not leave any uncertainties in the court.

"Then let's continue with this topic..."

"Does Your Majesty believe you can kill me?"

Wei Shuyu smiled and said, "I am not boasting, but even if you cut me with your knife, you will not be able to leave a mark on me."

hiss……

Li Shimin gasped.

He only knew that Wei Shuyu was strong in battle, but he didn't expect his defense to be so terrifying.

If that's really the case...

Isn't Wei Shuyu immortal?

"Your Majesty, we are not the same kind of people at all."

Wei Shuyu continued, "You are wary of Li Xiaogong, fearful of Li Jing, and suspicious of Qin Qiong..."

"You're wary of the retired emperor..."

"Even the concubines in the harem cannot be trusted!"

"And I..."

"You think you can threaten me with my father!"

"We're not on the same page at all..."

Li Shimin's face darkened.

Wei Shuyu's words were already outrageous.

But he was not enraged.

Because Wei Shuyu was telling the truth...

"Are you saying all this to get me to release you?" Li Shimin narrowed his eyes.

"No!"

Wei Shuyu shook his head: "Your Majesty, I only wish to tell you..."

"Since you've brought this up today..."

"Let's settle this properly between us, the ruler and his subject."

"So as not to make things difficult for my dad later!"

Li Shimin's eyes gleamed.

Wei Zheng was important.

But he coveted Wei Shuyu's abilities even more!

"What if I want the abilities you possess?" Li Shimin narrowed his eyes.

"Sorry, I can't do that."

Wei Shuyu shrugged: "If such abilities could be given away so easily, then His Majesty would have nothing to do with the world."

"Then where did you get all that knowledge?" Li Shimin asked again.

"I said..."

Wei Shuyu frowned and said, "It was already in my mind as soon as I woke up!"

"I am very dissatisfied with your answer!" Li Shimin's face darkened.

"Then Your Majesty may give it a try..."

Wei Shuyu narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them: "Let's see if you die first or I die first!"

"How dare you!"

Li Shimin suddenly turned around...

*Smack*

A resounding slap echoed throughout the Taiji Hall, landing squarely on Wei Shuyu's face.

"His Majesty……"

Wei Shuyu touched his cheek: "I said, even if you use a butcher's knife to cut me, you won't be able to leave a single mark on me."

snort.

Li Shimin snorted coldly and put his hands behind his back.

"If it weren't for my father, I wouldn't bother with all this messy stuff in officialdom."

Wei Shuyu stepped forward and shouted, "I'm even less inclined to...bow before you!"

Li Shimin's murderous intent surged.

At that moment, he really wanted to kill Wei Shuyu!

But facing reality...

well.

We can't beat them!

"Then what do you think should be done?" Li Shimin asked, frowning.

"I may withdraw from the court and live as a commoner from now on..."

Before Wei Shuyu could finish speaking, Li Shimin interrupted him.

"I don't believe you..."

Li Shimin shook his head: "In this life, the least valuable thing is trust."

"Just like the alliance at the Wei River back then..."

"The Turks also broke the contract."

For those in positions of power.

When it comes to self-interest, all rules can be trampled on.

Whether Your Majesty believes it or not is none of my business.

Wei Shuyu spread his hands.

Anyway, I've set my terms.

You can agree or not, it's up to you.

You can't kill me anyway.

"You bastard."

Li Shimin stomped his foot in anger: "Believe it or not, I will slaughter your Wei family!"

"I still give the same answer..."

Wei Shuyu replied nonchalantly, "Your Majesty can give it a try."

Li Shimin did not answer.

He was worried...

Wei Shuyu was incredibly capable.

He wouldn't feel at ease if Wei Shuyu continued like this.

The two were locked in a stalemate once again.

The entire Taiji Hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

"My attitude remains the same..."

In the end, it was Li Shimin who broke the silence first.

Compared to Wei Shuyu, he was the one who was passive.

"I will let you, the people of the Wei family, go ahead, but give me a reason that can convince me," Li Shimin said in a deep voice.

Wei Shuyu frowned.

This spot is too hard to find.

The contract won't work.

Li Shimin did not believe it.

“The Wei family will not plot to usurp the throne,” Wei Shuyu replied calmly.

"I don't believe it."

Li Shimin said, "Even if your Wei family doesn't become emperor yourselves, what if you support someone else?"

Upon hearing this, the room fell silent once again.

Trust is useless.

Therefore, there is no solution!

"And what does His Majesty think?" Wei Shuyu asked with a smile.

"Unless you hand over that ability, or..."

Li Shimin paused, then said coldly, "You die!"

"No!"

Wei Shuyu immediately shook his head and interrupted, "I think I can choose a third path..."

"His Majesty has passed away first!"

Li Shimin laughed heartily.

His smile vanished instantly, replaced by a sinister reply: "When I die, your entire Wei family will be buried with me!"

"Don't be fooled by your martial prowess, Wei Shuyu."

"But for me, killing ordinary people like your parents would be as easy as turning my hand!"

Wei Shuyu remained silent.

That's just how it is.

He could protect the Wei family for a time, but not forever.

The only way to break this deadlock is to overthrow the Tang dynasty.

However, Wei Zheng was definitely the first person to oppose the overthrow of the Li Tang dynasty.

Damn it...

It circled around several times and then came back.

"How about this..."

After thinking for a moment, Wei Shuyu replied, "I can promise Your Majesty that the Wei family will never usurp the throne."

"I don't believe it!" Li Shimin immediately retorted.

"Wait... let me finish."

Wei Shuyu smiled and said, "His Majesty simply doesn't trust me, so let's just maintain the status quo."

"What do you mean?" Li Shimin asked, puzzled.

"The literal meaning..."

Wei Shuyu's eyes narrowed, and he replied with utmost seriousness, "The Wei family remains firmly rooted in Chang'an..."

"The Great Tang Dynasty will protect the Wei family."

"I too will protect the peace and stability of the Li Tang dynasty for a hundred years!"

Swish.

Li Shimin's expression changed drastically.

How could Wei Shuyu, a mere subject, dare to make such a bold claim?

"What about a hundred years from now?" Li Shimin frowned.

"Does Your Majesty think I can live for over a hundred years?"

Wei Shuyu replied speechlessly, "You don't actually think I can live forever, do you?"

this……

Li Shimin was stunned.

Wei Shuyu possessed extraordinary abilities, but he still didn't believe that Wei Shuyu could live forever.

After all, there is no such thing as immortality in the world.

"What if you really are immortal?" Li Shimin asked, frowning.

"Then I don't need to waste my breath on you!" Wei Shuyu said disdainfully.

Li Shimin frowned.

indeed.

If Wei Shuyu could live forever.

Then he wouldn't be qualified to compete with Wei Shuyu.

Because the only outcome will be defeat...

"Alright, I agree."

After some thought, Li Shimin finally agreed: "From now on, we will maintain the status quo."

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Wei Shuyu smiled and bowed.

"Don't rush to agree..."

Li Shimin sneered, "Whether you can obtain this contract or not, you still need to prove your ability!"

"Over the next year, I will attempt to assassinate, kill, and poison you..."

"This contract will only take effect if you survive!"

As he spoke, Li Shimin's face turned cold: "If you die, the entire Wei family will be wiped out!"

Wei Shuyu remained silent.

Li Shimin was quite shrewd.

"Why don't you try cutting me with your sword first, Your Majesty?" Wei Shuyu asked.

"unnecessary!"

Li Shimin gave a haughty snort: "Anyway, the final result won't change."

"Alright."

"But I also have something to remind Your Majesty..."

Wei Shuyu's murderous voice rang out: "When the Wei family is destroyed, the Tang Dynasty will perish!"

When Wei Shuyu uttered those words, the temperature in the entire Taiji Hall suddenly dropped several degrees.

This sent a chill down Li Shimin's spine.

"You bastard!"

Li Shimin was furious.

How dare you threaten me?

"Your Majesty, please don't be angry. Your health is the most important thing!"

Wei Shuyu smiled and reassured him, "Whether I can do it or not, Your Majesty will know after killing me a few times."

snort.

Li Shimin snorted coldly.

With Wei Zheng around, Wei Shuyu would not have rebelled.

Now that he has managed to keep Wei Shuyu in check, he has plenty of time to look for opportunities.

He was determined to kill Wei Shuyu.

"Then it's settled."

"From now on, the Wei family will remain His Majesty's most loyal subjects."

Wei Shuyu chuckled wickedly, "Your Majesty should remember to listen to the advice that needs to be heeded..."

Li Shimin's lips twitched.

Old Wei would often threaten to kill himself by banging his head against a pillar in protest...

We really need to protect Lao Wei now; we can't let him get hit and killed.

"roll."

Li Shimin impatiently chased the person away.

"Your subject shall take his leave now."

Wei Shuyu bowed and retreated, only turning around and opening the gate when he was close to it.

As respectful as ever.

"Wang De, get in here now."

After Wei Shuyu left, Li Shimin shouted impatiently.

"Coming, your servant is here."

Wang De jogged in.

Li Shimin bent over, tucking his hands into his crotch, wincing in pain.

The slap he had just given Wei Shuyu ended up swelling up his own hand.

Who the hell could have imagined...

Wei Shuyu's face even has a rebound function.

Otherwise, Li Shimin would have agreed long ago when Wei Shuyu suggested trying to cut him with a knife.

My hands are so swollen I can't even hold a knife!

"Quick, get some ice to reduce the swelling."

Li Shimin blew air onto his palm.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong?"

Wang De was completely dumbfounded when he saw Li Shi's swollen palm.

Was it a wasp sting or what?

How can it be so swollen and smooth?

"Hurry up and go!"

Li Shimin kicked it out.

If you keep dragging your feet, sooner or later you'll be relegated to standing guard next to the locker room!