The next morning, Li Shimin went to court in a huff, his mouth agape. Just as he was looking around blankly, wanting to find someone to vent his anger on, he suddenly noticed an empty seat in the crowd.

"Where is Changsun Wuji?"

"Your Majesty, Lord Changsun is unwell and will be absent from today's morning court session!"

"What?"

Li Shimin was extremely annoyed when he heard this. He had been looking for an opportunity to teach Changsun Wuji a lesson, but the old man didn't dare to come!

However, Li Shimin thought about it again and felt relieved. It was better that this guy didn't come. If he had really come, he could have really killed him!

Without Changsun Wuji as their pillar of support, the officials who had criticized Li Jue became listless and demoralized. After Li Shimin dealt with a few officials, the others immediately shut up obediently.

"My dear ministers, I do not mean to favor Li Jue, but Li Jue is doing this for the Tang Dynasty and for the court. How can I let that child's heart be broken?"

"You all may not know this, but yesterday, the houses in Qunxianfang sold for 600,000 strings of cash in just one day!"

"Six hundred thousand guan! And that's only for selling three hundred houses. If all the houses are sold, that'll be four million guan!"

"Our Great Tang Dynasty's annual tax revenue is only a few million strings of cash!"

"However, my eldest grandson, using only half a ward's worth of houses, was able to bring in a year's worth of tax revenue for the Tang Dynasty!"

"Such a great achievement, doesn't it deserve my favoritism?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Xuanling was the first to stand up and voice his support.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

"His eldest grandson is exceptionally talented and devoted to the country. He is truly a model for princes and grandsons and deserves His Majesty's commendation!"

The ministers, who had been bowing their heads and pretending to be obedient children, were suddenly startled when they heard Fang Xuanling's words.

What's going on? Is the Tang Dynasty about to change again?

In fact, not everyone was on Changsun Wuji's side; most people were neutral, or rather, fence-sitters.

They don't actively support anyone; they only rush to fawn over whoever is gaining the upper hand.

Now that Fang Xuanling has openly stood up to support Li Jue, he has given everyone a signal that His Majesty intends to depose the Crown Prince and support the eldest grandson of the legitimate wife to ascend the throne!

eldest grandson...

If it weren't for the traitor Li Chengqian standing in the way, Li Jue would truly be the most suitable successor to the Tang Dynasty.

It's a pity that Li Chengqian's rebellion was confirmed, and countless people were implicated in the affair.

Therefore, if Li Jue wants to rise to power now, he not only needs to eliminate Li Chengqian's influence, but also needs to gain the understanding of those who have been implicated!

Just as everyone was lost in thought, Gao Shilian stepped forward, displeased.

"Your Majesty, I believe this is inappropriate!"

Li Shimin felt a headache coming on as soon as he heard Gao Shilian's voice, but he couldn't be as casual as he was with other officials, so he could only bite the bullet and say it.

"Please speak, Minister Gao!"

“Your Majesty, it is indeed inappropriate for the Ministry of Revenue to sell the properties in Qunxianfang at a low price, but it seems even more inappropriate for the eldest grandson to send hooligans and scoundrels to drive away officials who are staying in Qunxianfang by throwing excrement at their homes, and even by intimidating them and smashing doors and windows.”

"Although the officials who use the houses in Qunxianfang are not of high rank and many are newly promoted officials, they are still His Majesty's subjects and are also working for the Tang Dynasty."

"Therefore, I believe that we should still give them the respect they deserve and not drive them away so rudely."

"At the very least, the eldest grandson should have their housing problem solved, right?"

Gao Shilian's words were a bit shameless. Even if the problem of housing for these officials needed to be solved, that was the court's business. What did it have to do with Li Jue, the grandson of the emperor?

That's what Li Shimin was thinking, but he couldn't say it out loud. He could only give Fang Xuanling a look, letting Fang Xuanling speak for him.

Upon receiving Li Shimin's signal, Fang Xuanling immediately stepped forward and retorted.

"Lord Gao, before the houses in Qunxianfang were completed, I have never heard of any official of the Tang Dynasty sleeping on the streets."

"Why did the officials of the Tang Dynasty have no residences after the houses in Qunxianfang were built?"

"Isn't this all too suspicious?"

Gao Shilian was prepared and immediately snorted coldly.

“Lord Fang, what you say is true, but there’s something you seem to have forgotten.”

"If the imperial court hadn't previously lent the houses in Qunxianfang to officials, why would the officials have given up their original rentals?"

"Now that they've returned their rented houses, the imperial court is going to take away their houses in Qunxianfang. Where are you going to find so many houses for these hundreds of officials in such a short time!"

"this……"

Upon hearing this, Fang Xuanling was speechless, realizing that he had completely forgotten about it.

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin felt another headache coming on. Even if Gao Shilian was in the right, or even if this guy was in the wrong, he still couldn't do anything about the old man.

After all, this man was Empress Zhangsun's maternal uncle. Empress Zhangsun was ostracized by her family when she was young, and if it weren't for Gao Shilian's rescue, she might have starved to death long ago.

Therefore, Li Shimin always respected Gao Shilian very much, and did not blame him even if Gao Shilian offended him.

"Your Majesty, I suggest that the confiscation of the houses in Qunxianfang be postponed, giving the officials who are temporarily residing there three months to rent new houses at their leisure!"

Seeing that Gao Shilian's request was not excessive, Li Shimin immediately nodded in agreement.

"Granted!"

"On behalf of hundreds of newly promoted officials, your humble servant thanks Your Majesty for your great favor!"

"I will give each of them a subsidy of twenty strings of cash so they can use it for moving!"

"Your Majesty is wise!"

After leaving the court, Gao Shilian went straight to Changsun Wuji's house.

Upon hearing that his uncle had arrived, Changsun Wuji abandoned his feigned illness and rushed to the door to greet him.

Gao Shilian spoke with a serious expression when he met Changsun Wuji.

"Wuji, you were right to pretend to be sick today!"

"ah?"

"Did His Majesty really bring up the matter of deposing and establishing the Crown Prince in court?"

Gao Shilian shook his head upon hearing this.

"No, it's just that His Majesty wants to use this opportunity to reward Li Jue."

"Li Jue is now the Prince of Qin and concurrently the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, in charge of the military affairs of many prefectures. It seems that the only way to advance him further is to appoint him as the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty!"

"What...what should we do?!"

When Gao Shilian saw Changsun Wuji's anxious expression, he was speechless. How old was he? Yet he acted like a child when something happened.

"You don't need to worry!"

"I deflected His Majesty's suggestion. The Crown Prince is safe for at least three months. After the New Year, His Majesty's personal campaign against Goguryeo will take another year. His Majesty will not find an opportunity to depose or install the Crown Prince in a short period of time!"

Upon hearing this, Changsun Wuji quickly bowed.

"Uncle is wise!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Shilian sighed.

"well!"

"I can only stall for time, not forever!"

"A prudent approach is to take a two-pronged approach."

"On the one hand, we will enhance the Crown Prince's abilities, making His Majesty realize that the Crown Prince is the most suitable successor to the Tang Dynasty. On the other hand, we will limit Li Jue, preventing more people from supporting him and making His Majesty give up on that idea!"