Upon hearing Li Zhu's words, everyone's expression changed. If he really did that, then his death would be too unjust!
"Li Zhu, who do you think you are? And you dare to commit such disrespect? A man on the verge of death dares to utter such arrogant words..."
The Second Prince, Li Ke, could no longer tolerate Li Zhu's arrogance and mocked him wildly!
"That's right! Don't they even look at their own background? The son of a mere concubine dares to dream of actually inheriting the throne. It's laughable!"
The Third Prince, Li Si, didn't forget to add his own sarcastic remark from the sidelines!
"He really has no self-awareness at all. Does he really think he's the Crown Prince Regent?"
"Exactly! Shouldn't he take a piss and look at himself in the mirror? A prince like him is a disgrace to the royal family. How dare he presume to be of status? It's laughable..."
"If you obediently make your last contribution to the New Tang Dynasty, you can comfortably reach Xiliang alive. Why do you have to jump out and oppose the esteemed Second Prince? Isn't that just courting death?"
"Offending the Third Prince, death would be the happiest thing for him. He's utterly absurd!"
"This fool brought this upon himself; he can't blame the two princes for turning against each other!"
Listening to these people's babbling tales, Li Zhu really wanted to kill them. Just as he was considering whether to order the execution of some of them to vent his anger, he saw guards escorting someone into the main hall from outside...
Li Zhu looked at the rather dignified old man in front of him and was a little confused for a moment, wondering why he had brought an old man up at this time.
"Your Highness, the Emperor has ordered me to bring the Yuwen Kingdom to you. I leave the decision of how to deal with it to you!"
Hearing the guard's words was like a thunderclap, exploding throughout the entire court!
Li Ke and Li Si smiled smugly, thinking that their father must know they had been humiliated by Li Zhu and was using the Yuwen Kingdom to back them up!
"Your Majesty is truly wise! This Yuwen Kingdom is the former prime minister of the previous dynasty; it's not a good situation to deal with!"
Immediately, someone exclaimed with emotion!
"Killing him would offend countless scholars and intellectuals, and you must know that Yuwen Hu holds immense weight in the hearts of scholars throughout the land..."
"Are we supposed to keep him alive for the New Year? Yuwen Guo was loyal to the previous dynasty, but now it's the new Tang. He doesn't serve the new Tang, so he deserves to die..."
“We must not kill them. If we can gain the support of the Yuwen Kingdom, the new Tang Dynasty will have a complete civil service system in an instant, the court will be stabilized in a flash, and the scholars and literati of the world will no longer resist the new Tang Dynasty. This is the true pillar of the nation!”
"Our New Tang Dynasty was founded on military might; if you're not convinced, then let's fight..."
"Establishing a nation through military force is correct, but can it truly govern through military force? The world has been in chaos for so long; what the people crave now is stability. The new Tang Dynasty cannot afford another period of widespread chaos..."
Hearing the murmurs of the crowd, Li Zhu finally realized what kind of difficult problem his cheap father had given him!
Yuwen Guo was the former prime minister of the previous dynasty, with extraordinary influence. Although he became a prisoner, he did not suffer the same fate as other prisoners. Instead, he was clean and pristine, clearly being treated well. It was hoped that he would change his mind and serve the new Tang Dynasty!
But the other party is so old, he must have his own principles. Such a person values his reputation more than his life. Surrendering to the New Tang Dynasty would mean betrayal to him, which would be a major event that would ruin his reputation in his later years. How could he possibly do such a thing!
Yuwen Guo was not afraid of death. If dying could fulfill his reputation as a loyal minister, wouldn't that be a happy thing?
However, death depends on who kills you. It's like the emperor wanting to kill Yue Fei but not doing it himself. Such a stain would definitely be left to his subordinates. If he killed Yuwen Guo now, he would be Qin Hui, whom everyone in the new Tang Dynasty would despise!
This cheapskate father really knows how to stir up trouble. Whether he kills or not, the moment Yuwen Guo appeared in front of him, the blame fell on him. He really wanted to squeeze every last bit of value out of him!
If this body's previous owner had been in it, they might have been scared to death again. This situation is just too thrilling!
But who is he now? He's a modern man imbued with five thousand years of Chinese wisdom; how could he possibly be tricked and killed here…
Although he was just an ordinary office worker before he transmigrated, he had never heard of the saying "working people are the best" or "working souls are the best people"!
His current position is equivalent to that of a spoiled rich kid who started a business in his previous life, and he's even been designated as the second-in-command. If he does a good job, his subordinates will live a life of luxury and privilege; if he doesn't, they'll get rid of him first, and his subordinates can continue to live a life of luxury and privilege...
"Prime Minister Yuwen, it's a pleasure to meet you! A pleasure to meet you!"
Li Zhu quickly walked to Yuwen Guo's side and greeted him respectfully. He knew that an old man of Yuwen Guo's reputation cherished his reputation and would not easily bow down to anyone. It was easy to imagine how difficult it would be to change the mind of such a person!
"Hmph! There's no such thing as a fortunate or unfortunate encounter. Besides, I am the prime minister of the former dynasty, not the prime minister of the new Tang. Crown Prince, you shouldn't address me so casually. If you want to kill me, then kill me. Why bother with all this nonsense..."
Yuwen Guo put his hands behind his back, tilted his head back, and replied coldly, his eyes revealing disdain!
"Dying is easy, but living is the hardest thing. You didn't yield even with a knife to your throat, but have you ever thought about the people who are still living in dire straits?"
They don't want to die; they want to live. But you had the ability to save them and gave up that opportunity. Your death won't be a chance for you to go down in history; instead, it will become an outlet for the people's curses. Do you still want to die now?
Li Zhu's words surprised Yuwen Guo somewhat, and his eyes no longer held the same firmness as before, but he still raised his head and spoke.
"Hmph! No matter how sweet your words, they cannot change my unwavering loyalty. Future generations will give me a fair evaluation!"
"History is written by the victors. How do you think the rulers of my new Tang Dynasty would record someone who refuses to serve the new dynasty? Don't think you're just a prime minister. Even if you were the Empress Dowager of the Tang Dynasty, what would you do? Her blank stele is still the subject of much debate. How many people actually praised her?"
Li Zhu used the only female emperor of the previous dynasty as an example, and then misled the former prime minister by taking things out of context!
"But who can erase the Empress's achievements?"
Yuwen Guo also spoke without backing down, displaying an unwavering attitude!
His integrity and character drew attention from everyone present, and the surrendered officials lowered their heads in shame, not daring to meet Yuwen Guo's gaze!
"Prime Minister Yuwen..."
"Your Highness, please do not address me that way. I will never recognize a regime established by traitorous officials..."
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