Chapter 503: Chapter 40: The Death of Gu Quan

"The master’s position in the Champion Marquis Mansion is transcendent." Li Chengqian bowed his head and replied, "When I first saw the military books written by the master, I asked Mingyan who authored them."

"Mingyan did not answer."

"At the time, I didn’t mind, but later I learned it was authored by the master."

"And the master could frequently enter the Imperial Palace. Back during the Xuanwu Gate incident, everyone knew of a ghost-faced general who helped my father, then vanished, and additionally, the Grand General perished in that event..."

Li Chengqian poured out all his thoughts at once.

After listening, Gu Quan nodded and praised, "Your Highness has a meticulous mind, I am impressed."

—This was already an acknowledgment of his identity.

Upon hearing this.

Li Chengqian’s eyes instantly brightened, without any hesitation, he immediately saluted Gu Quan again: "Master, please don’t, Chengqian does not dare."

"The master helped my father establish achievements, he is a meritorious servant of the Great Tang."

"And also instructed Chengqian."

"How can Chengqian hold onto his status in front of the master?"

Perhaps it was precisely because of the Gu Clan’s education from an early age, Li Chengqian, like Li Shimin, felt a special affection for the Gu Clan.

In his childhood, hearing of past feats, he even admired Gu Quan.

Now adding the recognition of identity.

The wars in the Northern Border and Western Regions, he naturally understood them all, and the admiration in his heart exploded entirely.

From this day on, Li Chengqian came more frequently.

And Gu Quan did not hold back, not only teaching him military tactics but also how to deal with foreign races and various issues concerning the Great Tang’s path.

Gu Quan was not a jack-of-all-trades.

But the Gu Clan had so much information.

Of course, the main focus was on how to deal with foreign races.

Gu Quan did not want to shape Li Chengqian into an emperor who only knew war; Li Chengqian’s foot ailment made that impossible.

He just needed to make Li Chengqian understand how to fight and the importance of military might to a dynasty.

The core was the principle that "barbarians fear might and do not cherish virtue, have small propriety but lack great righteousness."

This was the most important.

And it seemed that those words from recent days had taken effect, or maybe it was because Gu Quan personally taught Li Chengqian, Li Shimin’s attitude towards Li Chengqian gradually improved.

This was a very clear signal.

He began to praise Li Chengqian in front of the ministers, not too frequently, but much better than before.

He even increased the treatment of the Eastern Palace.

For the ministers, this signal was very clear.

Although most people did not know why Li Shimin had such a change, his confidants understood the implications very well, and they were terrified of it.

—Who dared to discuss it?

Not to mention it was a taboo for Li Shimin and the Gu Clan, related to the struggle for the country’s foundation.

For people who had reached where they were today.

Even a single step could be a bottomless abyss.

Only Gu Quan could change Li Shimin’s mind at such a time.

The entire court atmosphere of the Great Tang gradually stabilized under such circumstances.

Li Tai did want to struggle further.

But unfortunately, he could no longer win over the ministers!

Not to mention Li Shimin’s confidants, even other ministers dared not take any action seeing Li Shimin’s clear attitude change.

Li Shimin indeed was benevolent.

But who could know what the future ruler would do after taking power?

Although Li Shimin still loved Li Tai very much, the disparity in status was such that Li Shimin did not need to conceal his affection for Li Tai, as long as he didn’t favor one too much over the other at the expense of Li Chengqian, it was enough.

The bureaucracy of the Great Tang had not yet reached the point of constant factional strife.

Gu Yi also noticed this point, but he did not particularly worry about it.

No matter who inherited the throne.

It was all the same for the Gu Clan.

The current Gu Clan was untouchable; as long as the Gu Clan did not commit major mistakes, even the Emperor would have a headache trying to move against them.

The Gu Clan had thoroughly taken root throughout Kyushu.

Not from the top down as before.

But slowly spreading from the lowest level upward.

In his view, even if this time, under Gu Quan’s influence, there would be changes in the succession to the throne.

The succession method of the Xuanwu Gate for the Tang still could not be avoided.

When Li Shimin took that step at Xuanwu Gate years ago, everything became irreversible.

What he truly focused on remained the Western Regions.

And shipbuilding.

Li Shimin already paid much attention to these, but the progress of these two matters remained very slow, even slower than Gu Yi imagined.

Not to mention the Western Regions issue, just the large ship to be built this time.

It involved many new technologies.

It could be said to have absorbed all usable technologies from across the world, including techniques like tung oil sealing and bamboo-spine sails, with an extremely large workload.

Every step needed to be taken slowly and carefully, with any mistake potentially causing a complete start over from scratch.

This was destined to take a long time.

Li Shimin would occasionally discuss this matter with Gu Quan, hoping that one day everyone could see the large ship set sail.

But as time passed, Gu Quan’s health issues gradually began to show.

...

In the Sixteenth Year of Zhenguan, on the Bingchen day of the second month.

At Taiji Hall.

With a "pa" sound.

A memorial suddenly fell onto the dragon table from Li Shimin’s hand, and he stared tightly at Xue San in front of him, trembling as he said, "You... what did you say..."

"Your Majesty, the young master... he is failing." Xue San knelt on the ground, his eyes full of redness.