Li Shimin's thoughts couldn't help but go back to not long ago, he stepped into the dark and damp cage, the cold and dense iron fence, the rats and cockroaches rampant all over the ground, the pungent musty smell and rancid smell, and the endless wails of the prisoners, all of which made Li Shimin frown slightly, he didn't expect that the death row was filled with such a dead and desperate smell, Li Shimin stood in front of the cage where Lin Houxuan was imprisoned, but found that Lin Houxuan was very leisurely with his eyes closed, closed his eyes and recuperated.

Soon a jailer came to unlock Li Shimin, Li Shimin walked in, Lin Houxuan heard the footsteps of someone coming, slowly opened his eyes, and showed a look of disdain, but he didn't expect that the person standing in front of him was the emperor.

Lin Houxuan hurriedly knelt down in fear, bowed to Li Shimin three times, and said: "The criminal minister doesn't know that the emperor is coming, and he has missed the distance, and I hope you can forgive your sins." ”

Li Shimin sighed, personally leaned down to help Lin Houxuan, and sighed lightly, the greatest sorrow of a king is to be so helpless about everything in front of him: "Aiqing, this time, I can't save you, you should also know that all this is evidence-based, but I am powerless to resist, I ......"

Lin Houxuan interrupted what Li Shimin said, he has lived for so many years, experienced two generations of changes, the ups and downs of officialdom for decades, the warmth and coldness of people, and the intertwining of interests, he has already seen it thoroughly, Lin Houxuan had long expected that he would lay a landmine in his future later life, and there was a danger of blowing up his peaceful old age life at any time, so he had already seen these ups and downs, life and death, he had long seen it very lightly, but he was very fortunate that he could let his son stay out of it completely.

Lin Houxuan said to Li Shimin: "Your Majesty, I don't blame you, I know that you are a good emperor, but there are too many helpless people, the people who manipulate this matter behind their backs can dig up the clues to so many years ago, and they are trying hard to get rid of me, I am not sorry to die alone, I am afraid that his final goal is the emperor of the entire Tang River." ”

Li Shimin's face was sad, all of this was like Lin Houxuan saying goodbye to him again, but he really didn't want to lose such a humerus minister, a brave veteran.

Lin Houxuan continued: "Your Majesty, the top priority is to find the person who is planning everything behind his back, understand his motives, and sacrifice one of the ministers for the sake of the Tang Dynasty, and the ministers will not hesitate, but the ministers still have one last wish." ”

Li Shimin couldn't help but think of the only son of the Lin family, Lin Yilan, the young but unambitious, actually very heroic little general. On that occasion he went on an expedition with his father, and was personally dismissed from his official position by his father, and since then he has been in a slump since then, and now Li Shimin has heard more or less about his affairs, indulging in the sound of dogs and horses, and not thinking of making progress, this is really not what a general should do, in Li Shimin's eyes, he has always lived up to his father's hard work.

Li Shimin thought about the year, why the military salary was missing for no reason, and it was still impossible to find out the truth, until a few days ago for this case, Li Shimin re-read the files of the year, but still did not find any valuable clues, the figures on those accounts were clear, there was no sign of private deduction by officials at all levels, plus the war of the year was defeated in successive battles, everything Lin Houxuan did was just an expedient measure, although the means were wrong, but they were all for the interests of the Tang Dynasty, and there was nothing to blame. But when it comes to people with ulterior motives, they can always misinterpret a lot of accusations.

And Lin Houxuan, with his rich years of experience in warfare, has already seen the clues, he implemented protective measures early, and pulled Lin Yilan from the position of marshal, so that he does not have to bear all the responsibilities of the three armies, afterwards, when they all returned to Chang'an, Lin Houxuan went to ask Li Shimin again, until the last resort, do not let Lin Yilan go to the front again.

It's a pity that Lin Houxuan underestimated his son's self-esteem and competitiveness, he never thought that his son would have so many misunderstandings about himself, and since then it has become a knot that can never be broken between their father and son, he didn't expect that after this incident, his son began to fall so degenerate, Lin Houxuan asked himself countless times, is it because he dotes on his only son like this, so that Datang has lost a malleable general.

Thinking of this, Lin Houxuan's eyes couldn't help but redden, and the wrinkled corners of his eyes were moist, maybe he had come to the end of his life, no matter how he experienced the wind and waves, and saw through the red dust and everything, he would be reluctant to give up, after all, feelings, the most beautiful thing, could not be given up.

Lin Houxuan groped in his arms, took out a folded envelope, solemnly handed it to Li Shimin's hand, and said pleadingly: "Your Majesty, the old minister has come to this point, there is nothing else to ask for, please for the sake of my service to the Tang Dynasty for so many years without merit and hard work, promise me a request, please give this letter to my son, I thought he would not have a chance to see it, but I didn't expect you to come, and please take care of him, tell him that he can do whatever he likes, and his father will bless him." ”

Li Shimin's hand after receiving the letter trembled slightly, he had to kill many people for his own country, the throne, he had to kill many people, he had seen countless fresh lives fall straight in front of him, he was used to blood and killing, and now, this old man, who could have retired successfully, calmly explained the aftermath in front of him, his heart was suddenly very disturbed, mixed tastes, I don't know what I was thinking.

Li Shimin walked out of death row in a daze, the last picture in his memory was Lin Houxuan solemnly kowtowed to himself three times again, expressing his loyalty and expressing his gratitude, it didn't take long for him to hear the news from the jailer, the old general Lin Houxuan committed suicide by taking poison in prison, Li Shimin clenched the letter in his hand tightly, he knew that Lin Houxuan had already prepared everything, just waiting for another opportunity to pass on what he wanted to say, and then he was heroic and righteous.

Li Shimin sat in a sedan chair and returned to the palace, and after decades of fighting in the palace, Li Shimin thought that he had already practiced the incorruptible body of King Kong and the heart of invincibility, but at this moment, he really wanted to cry, the height was unbearable, and the pressure and loneliness of many years seemed to be about to break through his psychological defense, but he still held back.

Unexpectedly, as soon as Li Shimin returned to the palace, he met Lin Yilan and Tang Changyu's group of people, sometimes Li Shimin was a little afraid of them, this group of young people, always with wild courage and vitality, dared to challenge all this, they were in love with words, ignoring the rules, that young stubbornness, so that Li Shimin was really a little afraid.

The news of Lin Houxuan's death has not yet reached their ears, which makes it more difficult for Li Shimin to face them, he hates his powerlessness a little, and the pain of having to do this, but as the king of a country, he can't let others see him like this, and after thinking for a while, he still saw them.

Recalling this, Li Shimin finished talking about all the circumstances of the prison visit, his sad eyes swept over the people standing in a row below, Liu Ning was already in tears, and the others were all red-eyed, as if they were trying their best to endure something, but Lin Yilan's face was calm, his eyes had already lost focus, he had lost all his expressions sadly, and quietly waited for the final result.

Li Shimin walked down in person and handed the letter to Lin Yilan's hands, Lin Yilan couldn't wait to unfold the letterhead, when he saw his father's familiar handwriting, Lin Yilan's heart twitched fiercely, the strength of the pen was obviously three points less than the strength on weekdays, Lin Yilan couldn't imagine what kind of mood his father had at that time to write this letter that was almost equivalent to a suicide note, the moment he read the first sentence, Lin Yilan's tears fell, and he blurred himself on the rice paper.

Wu'er:

When you read this letter, your father may have gone to another world, you are very happy, we have finally understood the grievances and grievances for so many years, and you are finally no longer restrained, and you can do what you want to do with confidence and freedom alone.

I don't want to mention the events of the past, that was the source of the breakdown of our father-son relationship, but now you have to understand, I have already explained many things to you, in short, I really did those things for my father, no matter why I did it, everything now is the retribution I deserve.

And you are different, you are still so young, so talented, there are many, many things not to do, no matter what, you have to believe that everything you did for your father, every decision, was for your good, but I didn't expect that I, for your good, have since imprisoned and bound you, so that you have no skills but no use, and you have to endure the depression of being alone and unhappy, these are all sorry for your father.

So if you hate me, don't want to go home, don't want to take over the Lin family's family business, Dad has never blamed you, because Dad sees this as God's punishment for me burying talents, but fortunately, God is fair, this time I can keep you out of the matter, and I can be regarded as a well-deserved death, and I have nothing to worry about.

Son, I know your character, so I have to be verbose with you one last time here, don't avenge me, remember, I am willing to choose to sacrifice for the sake of Datang and you.

You still have a good youth, don't delay your good time for this unimportant hatred, do whatever you want, go wherever you want, love whoever you want, just remember to stay away from strife, stay away from unhappiness, stay away from hatred.

Daddy will keep an eye on you from heaven and bless you.