The Crown Prince had fled, leaving the Eastern Palace empty and shaking the foundations of the state.
Once Li Xian died, his remaining sons would all be too young to command allegiance.
Prince Xiang Li Dan, meanwhile, was His Majesty's younger brother and had twice yielded the imperial throne. Renowned throughout court and country for his virtue, he enjoyed immense popular esteem. When the time came, many veteran officials of Li Tang and factions still watching from the sidelines would likely favor this adult prince of excellent reputation over a young imperial son.
If Li Dan died, the Li Tang imperial clan would have no adult figure left capable of steadying the realm.
All that remained would be either a child ruler who followed the lead of Empress Wei and her daughter Anle in everything, or...
Lu Changfeng's gaze briefly met Li Lingyue's. Neither needed to speak.
Although Princess Taiping, Li Lingyue, wielded power that reached the heavens, the resistance she would face in ascending the throne directly after her brother's death would be no less formidable than what Empress Wei faced now-perhaps even greater.
Her likeliest course remained to act as a counterweight to Empress Wei, or to choose an imperial son to support.
Empress Wei, however, was different.
Once Li Dan, her greatest potential threat, was removed, she could calmly install a child emperor entirely obedient to her, govern in his name, hold power firmly in her grasp, and clear away every obstacle step by step.
When the moment ripened, she might well follow Wu Zetian's precedent and have the throne ceded to her!
If Empress Wei truly became emperor, her only surviving legitimate daughter-Princess Anle, Li Guo'er-would naturally and indisputably become the "Imperial Princess," the future heir!
This was the greatest motive, the most tempting fruit!
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