Chapter 879: Xuanwu Gate! (12,000 words, my fingers are sparking, please give me a monthly ticket!)
At this time, great changes were brewing in the capital, which was already known to many people. The irreconcilable conflict between the Crown Prince and the King of Qin was already known to everyone!
Li Shimin was trying to win over many people, so it was naturally impossible for him to do everything perfectly.
The Qin Palace experienced a lot of things during this period, and Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui were both transferred away.
What was in the eyes of these two extremely wise men when they looked at Li Shimin before they were transferred away?
Expectations.
Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui said, "King Qin, the relationship between you and the crown prince is like fire and water. It is impossible for you to coexist. If you don't act in time, we will be transferred now, but you will suffer in the future."
It is unknown how many people were transferred away from the Prince of Qin's Palace. Even people like Cheng Zhijie and Qin Shubao were transferred to other states. This was to cut off Li Shimin's wings.
The biggest transfer was to Luo Xuanye. When Luo Xuanye started his army from Jinyang, he served as the general in the Imperial Guard. After ten years, he had a very deep foundation, like the roots of an old tree, with intertwined branches. His prestige in the Imperial Guard was also very high. Half of Li Shimin's foundation in the Imperial Guard was in Luo Xuanye's hands.
Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui and Zhangsun Wuji tried to persuade Li Shimin together, but Li Shimin remained silent. In the end, the three of them left disappointed. This was not the Li Shimin they thought he was.
But as soon as Luo Xuanye came back, Changsun Wuji knew what Li Shimin was waiting for.
I see!
It is impossible for the King of Qin to trick Luo Xuanye. Since Luo Xuanye has risked his life to come back, the arrow is on the string and must be shot.
After Luo Xuanye came back, he stayed in Prince Qin's Mansion. This important event could only be carried out by the closest people. The three of them sat together to discuss the details and the cards that could be played.
Li Shimin said first: "The power in Chang'an is stronger in the Crown Prince's East Palace. The Prince of Gusu is in Chang'an. The most powerful foreign aid now is the Governor of Lingzhou Li Jing and the Chief of the March Li Shiji who are on guard against the Turks. Moreover, these two people have ability and prestige. If we can get their help, it will be easier to succeed."
Before Changsun Wuji could speak, Luo Xuanye said directly: "King Qin, this is inappropriate. Even if you write the letter, Li Jing and Li Shiji will not help you. At most, they will remain neutral. I don't think it is necessary to win them over at the risk of them informing on you.
Before the incident, let Xuan Jing live in the Qin Palace and stay with the princess. If something unexpected happens and things fail, we will rush to Luoyang and let Xuan Jing go to Jiangnan. This external support will be enough.
A coup d'état requires a single strike to kill the enemy, and we have the upper hand in this regard. The guards of the Prince of Qin's Palace are all very brave. After I come back, we will control the imperial guards and the opening and closing of the Xuanwu Gate, which will be enough to defeat an army of 100,000."
After listening to Luo Xuanye's words, Changsun Wuji agreed and said, "King Qin, Duke Zhou is right. Li Jing and Li Shiji have always been neutral and not close to the palace. There is no need to win them over at this time."
Since both of his trusted confidants disagreed, Li Shimin immediately ruled out this idea and removed the names of Li Jing and Li Shiji from the list.
After confirming the first thing, the most critical thing is, "Recall the generals and staff of the Qinwang Mansion and Tiance Mansion, especially Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui and others. Qin Shubao, Cheng Zhijie, Yuchi Gong and others are all enemies of ten thousand people. In this small-scale conflict, they are extremely important."
The candlelight flickered, illuminating the faces of the three people. Luo Xuanye was very calm, Li Shimin seemed to be in slight pain, and Changsun Wuji was full of excitement.
…
The first general in the Prince of Qin's mansion to know that Luo Xuanye had returned was Yuchi Gong.
Seeing Luo Xuanye coming back, Yuchi Gong was extremely excited. When he sat opposite Luo Xuanye, he was still a little excited and fidgety. Although he was clearly indoors, he winked and said, "I thought the King of Qin was really hesitant. It turns out he was waiting for Lord Qingyang. Lord Qingyang, should we charge into the Crown Prince's Palace now!"
He is worthy of being Yuchi Gong, worthy of being Yuchi Gong who has a grudge against the prince and Li Yuanji.
Apart from Luo Xuanye and Luo Xuanling, Yuchi Gong was Li Shimin's favorite general. This surrendered general was loyal to Li Shimin and remained unshakable even when the crown prince and Li Yuanji tried to recruit him or even kill him.
Luo Xuanye said calmly: "Today I will give you a reassurance. This is a matter of time. I called you here today because I have something to tell you. After all, the person the King of Qin has to face is his own brother.
If, I mean if, the King of Qin really can't do it, or is hesitant, I will leave it to you, do you understand?
I don’t trust anyone else except you.”
Upon hearing this, Yuchi Gong immediately patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, Duke Zhou. The King of Qin has been forced to this point. I have received great favor from the King of Qin. I will definitely help the King of Qin get rid of these two evils."
Hearing this, Luo Xuanye patted Yuchi Gong's shoulder, but Yuchi Gong was shocked as if he had seen a ghost, because he saw Luo Xuanye actually smiling at him.
He recalled that it seemed that Luo Xuanye had never smiled at the generals and staff of the Prince of Qin's Palace.
Luo Xuanye smiled and said, "I may not be able to use you. The King of Qin likes to take things on his shoulders, but he will see your loyalty. It is a blessing for you, Yuchi Gong, to become his subject."
Yuchi Gong nodded in agreement. Li Shimin was a very emotional person and he just managed to control his emotions.
Yuchi Gong walked out of the room with brisk steps, not at all the heaviness of having just accepted an important mission. With his temper, if he could afford to offend them, he would have wanted to kill the crown prince and Li Yuanji long ago.
Luo Xuanye looked at Yuchi Gong's leaving figure, narrowed his eyes slightly, and thought about who to talk to next.
…
The Turks invaded the border again. Li Jing defeated the Turks under the city, but could not stop the large Turkish army. Although the Turks seemed to be aggressive on the surface, they sent envoys to demand money and property. This was all that Jie Li Khan could do.
Amid everyone's surprised looks, Li Jiancheng volunteered for Li Yuanji and took the initiative to fight against the Turks.
In Li Jiancheng's view, this was a perfect opportunity to wipe out all the generals in Li Shimin's Qin Palace in one battle. For the sake of his own throne, he was willing to kill all the brave generals who had made great contributions to the establishment of the Tang Empire.
When Li Yuanji went on the expedition, Li Shimin would certainly come to follow him, so he wanted to take this opportunity to kill Li Shimin.
As early as the incident of Yang Wengan, Li Shimin was able to push the Eastern Palace to rebellion. His infiltration of the Prince's Eastern Palace can be imagined. The undercover agent learned of the plans of Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji and rushed to inform Li Shimin.
Li Shimin immediately summoned Luo Xuanye and Changsun Wuji in the mansion and told them about this. Changsun Wuji was shocked and both of them looked at Li Shimin at the same time.
However, there was not a trace of anger on Li Shimin's face, only a kind of relief as if he had suddenly realized the truth.
What was Li Shimin thinking?
He has been waiting in the past few years, and sometimes he doesn't even know what he is waiting for. All the generals and staff have urged him to take action until now.
Finally freed, he is now a complete victim. Li Shimin is not a pedantic person. He has been thinking about what Duke Wen meant by peace of mind.
Now he understood that this was the peace of mind he wanted.
A psychological superior, it's not his fault.
When this mentality occupied his mind, he felt a warm power surging throughout his body, which came from his heart.
Li Shimin looked around at the people around him and ordered in a deep voice: "Jingde, go and call all the people who have served in Tiance Palace and Qinwang Palace!"
Luo Xuanye and others sat on both sides, waiting quietly. Li Shimin closed his eyes and waited. Soon many people came to the Qin Palace, but Fang Xuanling and others were unwilling to come.
"We obey the Emperor's order and are not allowed to have any contact with the King of Qin. The Emperor said that if we see the King of Qin again, he will kill us, so we dare not come."
Li Shimin immediately knew that Fang Xuanling and others were not unwilling to come, but wanted his guarantee that they would not hesitate at all this time.
Li Shimin looked at Luo Xuanye, who nodded. Li Shimin said coldly to Yuchi Gong and Luo Xuanling, "Jingde, Qingyu, go again and tell them to come to the Qin Palace. If they don't come, kill them!"
The emperor's order is no longer important to me. This was the answer Li Shimin gave them, an extremely strong reaction.
Fang and Du finally returned to the Prince of Qin's Palace and surrounded Li Shimin.
After meeting everyone, Luo Xuanye spoke his prepared remarks directly in front of everyone: "King Qin.
When King Su had just become regent, his brothers rebelled, which was the famous Rebellion of the Three Guards in history. King Su went to suppress the rebellion without hesitation, and eventually exiled and killed them.
Guan and Cai were both King Su's biological brothers in the mortal world, but King Su killed them without hesitation because they were harmful to Bang Zhou.
People nowadays tend to be pedantic!
If the Tang Dynasty did not have the King of Qin, it would have been nothing more than a vassal state that perished in troubled times, nothing more than a dynasty that depended on the Turks for survival.
King Qin, it's time to put aside that nonexistent hesitation."
Zhang Sun Wuji cheered for Luo Xuanye. This was what he was thinking in his heart, "King Qin, you have made great contributions to the world and are the de facto founding emperor. Isn't this the Tang Dynasty what you deserve?
Is it wrong to take back what belongs to you?
The prince, as your elder brother, has tried to murder you several times. Is this right?
Li Yuanji, as your younger brother, has tried to harm you many times. Shouldn't he be punished?
What Duke Zhou said was the conduct of a saint, and it is the testimony of heaven!
King Su also did this before. Does anyone still think this is wrong?
King Qin! "
Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Yuchi Gong, Luo Xuanling, Cheng Zhijie and many others suppressed their excitement and said in a deep voice: "King Qin, please kill the crown prince and the King of Chu to stabilize the country!"
Li Shimin held the sword in his hand, and said with a look of relief on his face: "I have been avoiding you all this time, not because of hesitation. I know that the brotherhood between me and the prince has been worn out in conflicts. He is no longer my elder brother, and I am no longer his younger brother.
But I still hope that he can strike first, and then I can fight back, which may be a bit too much...
But this is what I thought in my heart. I wanted to prove that this was not my fault and I wanted to have a clear conscience, so it has been like this until today.
They are really going to do something to me.
Just like that, let’s go to the final decisive battle.”
Fang and Du were very resourceful and had been planning for a long time. They quickly came up with a plan for Li Shimin to lure the snakes out of their holes. They would use an event that required everyone to be present in the palace in order to catch the emperor, the crown prince, and the King of Chu in one fell swoop.
…
When Li Shimin walked out of the Xuanwu Gate, he looked at the tall city gate behind him, which looked like a giant beast in the dark abyss. He could not help but clenched his fists. He recalled the conversation with the emperor just now and felt a little sad. He had never seen a shining star passing across the sky.
In the palace, Li Yuan tossed and turned in his bedroom, unable to sleep. He recalled what happened today when Li Shimin denounced Li Jiancheng, and the more he thought about it, the more hard it became for him to accept.
The fight between brothers has reached a life-and-death stage. At this moment, Li Yuan suddenly felt a little regretful. Does he really want to see his brothers killing each other?
It would be nice if Tang Dynasty had Western Regions.
Li Yuan thought that if he could send one of them to the Western Regions, they would be able to live in peace with each other five thousand miles apart.
The starlight gradually faded away, and the crescent moon in the sky was hidden behind the bright sky. Chang'an, which was prosperous during the day, began to wake up. The aroma of pancakes began to waking up in the streets, and the hardworking people began to move. It is now midsummer, and the warm wind blows across people's cheeks.
The city of Chang'an is infinitely beautiful. The Tang Dynasty is slowly recovering, and with a population of six million households, the Tang Dynasty is full of vitality and vitality, which is heart-stirring.
Almost no one knew that after dawn, when the palace guards began to change shifts, several people walked into the palace, one of whom was Luo Xuanye.
He entered the palace very calmly, without feeling that there was anything wrong with his presence here as he was now the King of Lingnan. He returned to the imperial guards as if he were returning home.
Many of the people here are the King of Qin's men.
When Li Shimin led these people to make achievements on the battlefield, they all saw their heroic spirit of charging bravely into battle.
Everyone has a scale in their heart.
This scale is the human heart.
People might not allow these people to sacrifice their lives and families for Li Shimin, but neutrality is enough.
Even Li Jing and Li Shiji would choose to remain neutral because of Li Shimin.
In this coup against the Crown Prince and the King of Chu, there were two battlefields. One was the double dragon meeting between the King of Qin and the Crown Prince, and the other was the palace. Whether or not the Emperor could be controlled at the first opportunity was the most crucial.
Li Yuan was the emperor after all. If he ordered the imperial guards to attack, they would still obey his orders. Not all of the sixteen generals of the guards were under the control of the King of Qin.
People's hearts are like running water; they can change at any time.
The reason why Luo Xuanye chose to do this himself was very simple. "The Crown Prince and the King of Chu must be killed, but the Emperor, he is the father and the ruler, he must not be touched. You cannot even have the thought of patricide and regicide, and I will not allow this to happen.
In the palace, it is easiest for me to advise the emperor, and it can also prevent the emperor from getting into trouble in the chaos of the army."
Everyone understood Luo Xuanye's words. The task he shouldered was even more difficult, but there was indeed no one more suitable than Luo Xuanye.
After Luo Xuanye, the quiet Tang Dynasty Palace welcomed a team of killing messengers. An army appeared outside the palace gate. This army was riding horses, equipped with complete bows and swords. They appeared outside the Xuanwu Gate in a swaggering manner, and were then let in directly by the guards of the Xuanwu Gate.
The leader was Li Shimin, with a very high spirits on his face. He thought he would not sleep all night last night, but the fact was that he slept very peacefully.
He really let it go.
This morning when he put on his armor and picked up his sword, he felt as if he was back on the once exciting battlefield. The heart in his chest was beating vigorously. That heart had experienced countless torments and countless tests since it met Luo Su in Luoyang. Now the vitality of this heart was so strong that Li Shimin felt he had never seen it before.
This heart is as hard as steel and nothing can destroy it.
The sound of horse hooves broke the silence, but the soldiers of the Prince of Qin's Palace were very quiet. Under the command of Luo Xuanling, Yuchi Gong and others, they quickly found a suitable place to ambush and hid.
The birds in the woods were startled, the weeds were trampled, and finally everything returned to silence.
Prince, King of Chu, please come quickly. We are waiting for you here and will kill you.
…
In the emperor's bedroom, Li Yuan woke up slowly and saw a man sitting in his bedroom. He was sitting very upright with his back straight, wearing armor, holding a sword in his hand, and looking at him motionlessly.
Luo Xuanye!
Luo Xuanye?
When he saw Luo Xuanye appear in front of him, he thought he had seen it wrong.
The hall was a little dim because it was cloudy and the sky was dark. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief and was dumbfounded when he found that it was really Luo Xuanye.
Luo Xuanye saw Li Yuan wake up and bowed, "May your father be safe and sound."
"you……"
How did you get here?
This was what Li Yuan wanted to ask, but then his hair stood on end and his eyes almost immediately turned to the outside of the palace, "King of Qin..."
He was speechless, and there was only endless fear on his old, wrinkled face.
Concubine Yin De woke up slowly, and when she saw Luo Xuanye, she thought she had seen a ghost, and immediately screamed, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"
Li Yuan came to his senses and immediately asked in a stern voice: "Luo Xuanye, you returned to the capital without permission. Are you planning a rebellion? Who ordered you to do this? Was it the King of Qin?"
Luo Xuanye bowed and said respectfully: "Father, I received a message in Lingnan that the Crown Prince and the King of Chu were planning a rebellion, so I traveled thousands of miles back to Chang'an to protect you.
You know.
I used to be the chief steward of the Left Thousand Bull Guards, and I have a lot of experience in protecting your majesty. With me here, your majesty will have nothing to worry about."
Li Yuan was struck by lightning. He immediately shouted, "Someone come! Someone come!"
But the door was tightly closed. Only Li Yuan and Concubine Yin De were lying on the bed, surrounded by a brocade quilt. Li Yuan, who had just come back to his senses from the extreme shock, could vaguely hear some shouts and screams coming from outside, and then the shouts and screams stopped.
The outer door was opened, and a light appeared in Li Yuan's eyes, then dimmed the next moment. The person who walked in from the outer room was Princess Pingyang Li Xiuning.
Li Yuan said with some pain: "Pingyang, you also..."
Li Xiuning looked at Li Yuan with some guilt, but also some dissatisfaction. It has come to this point today because you, father, were unable to handle the relationship between eldest brother and Erlang well. Do you have any regrets now?
But she couldn't blame Li Yuan like that. Li Yuan was now on the verge of an emotional breakdown, and she couldn't provoke him anymore, lest the situation get out of control.
She just said in a gentle voice like a daughter as usual: "Don't worry, father, we will protect your safety, and the conspiracy of the crown prince and the king of Chu will not succeed.
You will always be the noble Son of Heaven."
She said this, but Li Yuan was unwilling to do so. He said sternly: "Pingyang, do you know what you are doing? You are condoning your brothers' killing. Is the King of Qin going to fight with the Crown Prince? You don't stop this, but get involved. You..."
Li Xiuning was already feeling as if her heart was being cut by a knife, having to watch the brothers killing each other without being able to stop it. But she had to get involved, as she was now more than just Li Jiancheng's sister and Li Shimin's sister.
She is also Luo Xuanye's wife.
She was a princess of the Tang Empire, and she had the obligation to make Li Shimin, the more outstanding prince, the emperor instead of Li Jiancheng.
She was the first person to enter politics, and she had countless reasons to get involved.
Apart from her own power, she could never accept Li Yuan's moral accusation.
Even a person with a strong will like her could not help shedding tears, crying but sternly saying: "Father, isn't this your fault?
Is it really that important to establish the eldest son as the heir?
It is so important that even Erlang's great contribution cannot shake you, and it is so important that Erlang will die if he fails to become the crown prince, but you still refuse to let him be the crown prince.
Are you really suppressing Erlang just to make your eldest brother the crown prince?
Things have come to this stage now, and it is all your fault. It was you who let the Crown Prince and the King of Qin fight with each other, and it was your indulgence of the Crown Prince and the King of Qin that led to the situation becoming irreversible.
What the Tang Dynasty cannot do without is Erlang. It cannot do without him now and it cannot do without him in the future. However, what an empire cannot do without is only its king. You do not give the throne to Erlang, but to the crown prince.
Aren't you being irresponsible towards the country, the ancestral temple, and the nation?
Now the Crown Prince and the King of Chu are plotting a rebellion. Doesn't this prove that you were really wrong?
Why don't you want to admit it, and instead blame it on us?"
The stabbing blow from the little cotton jacket made Li Yuan silent. He opened his mouth and looked at Luo Xuanye again, saying angrily: "Luo Xuanye, I am so kind to you. In this Tang Dynasty, except for my four legitimate sons and daughters, even other princes are not as good as you.
In terms of power, the trust I give you even exceeds that given to the King of Qi and the King of Chu.
I never thought you would be here. You disappoint me, very disappointed. "
Luo Xuanye also felt a little uncomfortable, but he did not regret it. He knelt on the ground respectfully and kowtowed, which made Li Yuan feel a little better.
Luo Xuanye knelt down and said, "Father, there is a saying in my clan that the greatest filial piety a son can show is to correct his parents' mistakes.
If you see your parents' mistakes but don't point them out, there will eventually be unpredictable consequences.
Father, what do you really want in this life?
Is it just harmony between brothers?
But as Pingyang said just now, it has been ruined by you, so it is no longer possible.
Have you ever thought about what would happen if the prince came to power?
The Crown Prince and the King of Chu planned to kill all the generals in the Qin Palace when they conquered the Turks. After he came to power, the Qin King would die, and I would die too.
The prince's mind is not broad-minded. Father, the founding civil and military officials of the Tang Dynasty are all in the Qin Palace. If these people are killed, what will be the end of the Tang Dynasty?
Who will stop the Turkic invasion?
Should we leave it to outsiders like Li Jing and Li Shiji?
The prince knows nothing about military affairs and has no prestige in the army. In order to control the army, he can only use someone else's hands. Isn't this handing a sharp weapon into the hands of an outsider?
When we say we are doing this for the sake of the country, is there any falsehood in this?
Father, have you never thought about these things?
The reason why the prince could sit in Chang'an City and fight against the King of Qin was because the King of Qin defeated Xue Ju, Song Jingang, Liu Wuzhou, Wang Shichong, Dou Jiande, and the Turks.
It was the King of Qin who supported the Tang Dynasty, which brought peace to the world and enabled the Crown Prince to deal with the King of Qin safely. How ironic!
Killing the King of Qin would be like breaking open the sky, and the prince would have to face the storms alone. Don't you understand this?
I believe you understand.
The King of Qin cannot move unless the Turks are eliminated. He is the mainstay of the Tang Dynasty.
This is the reason why you have been praising the King of Qin all these years. Then why don’t you just let the King of Qin become the future emperor and guard the Tang Dynasty with full legitimacy?
These are the words from the bottom of my heart, and I hope you will listen to me, father. Today, I am here, and no one can hurt you, father.
The old ministers have already entered the palace and are resting in the side hall. Pingyang and I will leave first and let the maids change their clothes. The lake in the palace is very beautiful. I think boating on the lake would be a very good choice. "
After saying this, he looked at Pingyang and slowly left the hall.
Hearing the sound of the door closing, Concubine Yin De belatedly realized what was happening and screamed, then burst into tears. Li Yuan was stunned and terrified. He didn't know what had happened outside the palace, but he seemed to have seen blood splattered all over the palace.
…
Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji walked into the Xuanwu Gate without knowing anything. The rising sun shone on their faces, which were full of smugness. What could happen to the King of Qin who was once invincible on the battlefield?
Now you have to bow down obediently. Even if you once conquered most of the world, it doesn’t matter. Now you have to fall into my hands just for the sake of fame and status.
With smiles on their faces, they walked into the Xuanwu Gate, into the trap set for them by Li Shimin, and into the destined death!
Li Yuanji was always making trouble, and soon he felt that something was wrong with the quietness around him. Why were there no birds flying in those woods?
An extremely ominous premonition arose in his heart.
"Prince, something is wrong!"
Li Yuanji said this with some uneasiness, and Li Jiancheng also felt something was wrong when he heard it. Then the two of them heard the sound of a door slamming shut, and the Xuanwu Gate was closed.
The two men felt a sinking feeling in their hearts as they immediately saw the mighty Li Shimin riding on a horse.
They were looking at Li Shimin, and Li Shimin was also looking at the two of them.
Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji stood under a ray of light, which was a beam of light that came out from the torn clouds.
Li Shimin stood in the shadows and no one could see the expression on his face.
Li Shimin only felt that he was extremely calm at the moment. He was waiting here quietly, waiting for his fate. Although there was no clock, there was the beating of his heart, reminding him all the time.
Time goes by so slowly.
Time flies.
Li Shimin was thinking like this until Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji suddenly appeared in front of him. Everything was settled. God had arranged things up to now. Next, he had to rely on the bow and arrow in his hand.
"King Qin, you are bringing troops into the palace. Are you planning a rebellion?"
Li Jiancheng shouted loudly but in a cowardly manner. What else could he do now? He could only shout like this, hoping that Li Shimin would stop.
Li Shimin said coldly: "Prince, you are plotting rebellion. I am following the order of His Majesty and am here to kill you. Today the Tang Dynasty will lose a crown prince and welcome a new one!"
This naked murderous intent frightened Li Jiancheng. He turned around and spurred his horse to escape. However, no matter how fast the horse was, how could it be faster than the bow and arrow in Li Shimin's hand?
Li Shimin drew his bow and when it was fully drawn it looked like a full moon. Everyone in the Qin Palace was looking at him.
Time seemed to have stopped.
There is no sound at all!
The arrow was shot out accurately and as fast as lightning, just like every arrow Li Shimin had shot in the past, it never missed and was destined to hit Li Jiancheng.
The arrow pierced Li Jiancheng's chest, splattering red blood with a hint of sadness, like the sun about to set.
Li Shimin was a sharpshooter and never missed, and the same was true now.
Li Yuanji, who wanted to counterattack, was unable to pull away and shoot accurately. This was the difference between him and Li Shimin.
When death came, Li Shimin had great courage, but he was weak, just like when he gave up Taiyuan, he is still so useless now.
Li Jiancheng cried out in pain, feeling as if his soul had left his body. What was going on in his painful expression before he died? It might have been regret, or it might have been just fear. No one knew or cared.
The boundless darkness swallowed him, just like the light that tore through the sky, moving away from his face, and his whole body fell into darkness. Dark clouds moved in the sky, and the light fell on Li Shimin.
Li Shimin covered his eyes slightly. He was used to the darkness, and the sudden light made him unable to open his eyes.
Looking at Li Jiancheng falling off his horse, Li Shimin was a little dazed, and he finally took this step.
This was something he had never wanted to do.
At this moment, he felt a layer of blood covering his body.
But he must do it himself!
He couldn't hand this matter over to anyone else, even though Luo Xuanye had already told him that he was unwilling to let Yuchi Jingde do it for him.
Just as he said to his generals when they swore their last oath at the Qin Palace, "If there is a bad reputation in the world in the future, the blame will be on me alone. You all should hold your heads high and move forward!
I have shared adversity with you, and I also want to share wealth with you!
That is my promise to you.”
This arrow is his best response to this sentence!
You all remember, I, Li Shimin, will never let anyone take the blame for this matter.
I openly tell everyone in the world that it was me who did it, and I will bear all the responsibility whether it is condemnation or abuse.
I'm standing here, no matter what's ahead, I will never retreat!
Li Shimin was not very happy in his heart. He was a very emotional person. He could not help but think of his mother. If his mother were still alive, he should be a legitimate prince now, and would not have come to this point. He would make his elder brother a king and let him live out his life in peace instead of like this.
When Luo Xuanling saw Li Shimin's condition, he knew that he was distracted. He quickly flew over, picked up Li Shimin who was almost tripped, pulled the horse up again, and let Li Shimin ride on the horse again.
Li Shimin came back to his senses.
Yuchi Gong, who was grinning not far away, was finally able to chop off Li Yuanji's head openly.
He was covered in blood and laughed happily. What could be more satisfying in the world than killing your enemies?
Luo Xuanling laughed loudly and said, "King Qin, Li Yuanji surrendered. General Yuchi is truly loyal and unparalleled."
Li Shimin came back to his senses and looked at the dead Li Yuanji. The feeling was completely different from the one he had just felt when he killed Li Jiancheng. He just felt happy and couldn't help laughing: "The generals of the Qin Palace, Yuchi and Qingyu, are all my trusted confidants."
Yuchi Jingde was really a killer, and unlike Qin Shubao and others who had some taboos, he not only chopped off Li Yuanji's head, but also directly chopped off Li Jiancheng's head. Then he took the two heads to the palace gate and drove away all the soldiers of the East Palace who were still resisting.
Seeing that the Crown Prince and the King of Chu were dead, the soldiers of the Eastern Palace and the King of Chu's Mansion scattered like birds and beasts in an instant. The Eastern Palace generals who still wanted to resist, such as Xue Wanche and others, had no choice but to flee.
Things went so smoothly that no one had expected it. Crown Prince Li Jiancheng was killed with just one arrow, and then Yuchi Jingde stabbed King of Chu Li Yuanji to death with a spear. It was as if two people were killed while standing there.
Things were going so smoothly that it even made people doubt whether this was really the end.
Is there something left to do?
But the two headless corpses on the ground with blood gushing out told everyone that it was really over.
The fighting at Xuanwu Gate shook the entire palace, and even many surrounding markets in Chang'an City heard the noise, but the guards in the palace remained silent.
No one came here, and thousands of imperial guards quietly watched the King of Qin, who had only 800 men, hack to death the Crown Prince and the King of Chu.
This fight didn't just end at Xuanwu Gate.
This struggle ended during the countless days and nights that Li Shimin had struggled. During those years, he put on armor and went into battle. He had great prestige, and countless people believed that Li Shimin could bring a more glorious future.
So just like now, this is Li Yuan's palace, but Li Shimin can move freely here.
Li Shimin gave Luo Xuanling a look, and Luo Xuanling shook his head, then looked at Yuchi Gong and said, "I am here to protect the King of Qin and prevent the Crown Prince and the remnants of the King of Chu from causing chaos. Please ask General Yuchi to go and see His Majesty to see if it is safe."
The closer it was to the final moment, the more cautious one had to be. Luo Xuanling could not allow himself to leave Li Shimin even a step away. Yuchi Gong wiped the blood from his hands, smiled and rode his horse towards the palace with a lance in hand.
He ran all the way to the shore. Luo Xuanye saw him from afar and ordered the boat to return to the shore. When he saw Yuchi Gong covered in blood, he immediately asked in a stern voice: "General Yuchi, why are you here?"
Yuchi Gong immediately said, "Your Majesty, Duke Zhou, the Crown Prince, and the King of Chu have indeed rebelled. The King of Qin has led his troops to kill them. Here are their heads.
The remnants of the Crown Prince and King Chu are running around in the palace, and I am worried that they will disturb Your Majesty, so I was asked to protect Your Majesty.
It is my fault for disturbing the Holy Emperor."
Upon hearing this, Luo Xuanye immediately said, "What a good villain! He is indeed plotting a rebellion. Your Majesty, the Crown Prince and the King of Chu are indeed plotting a rebellion!"
Li Yuan fell into a trance, he shed tears silently, endless pain intertwined in his heart.
Even after Luo Xuanye and Pingyang laid the groundwork, when the facts really appeared before him, he still couldn't calm down.
He had tried so hard to bridge the rift between the Crown Prince and the King of Qin, but in the end he failed and even ended up with the most unacceptable outcome.
A tragedy of fratricide happened before his eyes.
Who caused this?
Is that me?
Recalling what Li Shimin once said in front of him, "The merits that my sons once made have now turned into sharp swords stabbing my sons", and recalling Pingyang's heart-wrenching accusation this morning, "It is all your fault, father, that the Crown Prince and the King of Qin have come to this point", how could Li Yuan not be shaken?
"I was wrong. I was really wrong."
Li Yuan murmured these two sentences, his eyes were confused to the extreme. He looked at the blood on Yuchi Gong's body. Was that the blood of the Crown Prince and the King of Chu?
It would have been great if I had appointed the King of Qin as the Crown Prince earlier.
if……
No ifs.
Li Yuan began to have hallucinations. He seemed to see the young appearances of Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, then Li Shimin, and finally them lying in a pool of blood.
The old ministers accompanying Li Yuan looked at each other. Everything was over. Pei Ji was a little confused. When Luo Xuanye appeared, he still had a glimmer of hope, but now everything had failed.
The prince is dead.
But the matter was not really over yet. Luo Xuanye immediately said, "Your Majesty, there must be some remnants of the Eastern Palace who are still unrepentant and resisting. Please order the imperial guards to obey the orders of the King of Qin to prevent the remnants of the Eastern Palace from causing chaos."
This is a reason, but it is not perfect. But given the current situation, what else can we say?
If it were a king with an extremely strong character, he would definitely reject this proposal, but Li Yuan was not like that. He was essentially a nobleman and had not changed much even after he grew old.
He let Yuchi Gong take the imperial edict away with a dull look, and then under the protection of Luo Xuanye, he went to the main hall to wait for Li Shimin.
…
Li Shimin finally met Li Yuan.
In that extremely dark hall, in that hall where no light could be seen, there was not even a candle.
Gloomy and damp.
After a bloody killing, father and son finally met.
Li Yuan thought he would meet a heroic and cold-blooded rebel, but Li Shimin had taken off his armor and was only wearing a crown. As soon as he saw Li Yuan, he knelt down on the ground.
"My son is late in coming to your rescue. Please punish me, father!"
Li Shimin was kneeling, and countless complex emotions were surging in Li Yuan's eyes. At this moment, he had to admit that his son was so outstanding in every aspect that he could not believe it.
He once again began to regret why he did not make the King of Qin the crown prince.
He waved his hand, and Li Shimin knelt down in front of Li Yuan. Li Yuan touched Li Shimin's head and said in a trembling voice: "King Qin, you have done a good job. If it weren't for you, the traitors would have caused chaos."
Li Shimin burst into tears immediately, and Pingyang followed suit. Suddenly, the hall was filled with cries of grief and the atmosphere was extremely depressing.
Everyone around him retreated, leaving only Li Yuan and Li Shimin, father and son, facing each other.
The father and son separated, and Li Yuan took two trembling steps back. He looked at Li Shimin, and finally burst into tears, "Erlang, Erlang."
Li Shimin fell to the ground. He heard Li Yuan's painful voice and words filled with endless sadness.
Li Yuan cried and said, "My uncle went through the same thing back then, and now I am going through the same thing too. I killed Da Lang and Si Lang.
Is this the result of accepting the mandate from heaven?
Is it true that there is no family affection in the heavenly family since ancient times?
If I had known this earlier, I would rather be a rich man. "
Li Shimin said with tears in his eyes: "Your Majesty!
Father!
Father! "
One voice was louder than the other, just like the excitement in Li Shimin's heart.
Li Yuan murmured, "It's my fault, it's my fault. I can't make the same mistake again. I can't make the same mistake again. I'll give you whatever you want, whatever you want."
In the dark and almost lightless hall, only the voices of father and son remained.
…
It was unknown how long it had been, but Li Shimin, wiping away his tears, walked out. His steps were still steady, his face had an aura of majesty without even being angry, and in his hand was the imperial edict that Li Yuan had just issued to him.
Now the entire palace is under his control.
In the Tang Dynasty, the King of Qin controlled the imperial palace and thus controlled Chang'an.
Whoever controls Chang'an controls Guanzhong.
Whoever controls Guanzhong controls the world.
As soon as Li Shimin came out, a group of people surrounded him and walked forward, all the way to the outside of the hall.
"King Qin, it's dawn!"
The darkness in the overcast sky gradually dissipated. Everyone thought it would rain, but unexpectedly the sky cleared up, as if the heavens knew and were celebrating for Li Shimin.
It's dawn!
When Li Shimin heard these words, his heart was suddenly touched. Yes, it was dawn. Everything in the past was like a dream. No matter how dark it was, it was dawn now.
Li Shimin held the imperial edict in his hand. This edict gave Li Shimin the power to control the imperial palace and all military power in Chang'an, as well as the real power of the Twelve Guards General.
He can now control all the troops in the world, both in reality and in name.
Right and proper.
What he had always been pursuing.
…
What happened at Xuanwu Gate spread quickly throughout Chang'an City. Not many people talked about it, after all, this matter was very taboo, but not many people criticized Li Shimin.
Because even though they did not believe that the Crown Prince and the King of Chu were plotting a rebellion, they all believed one thing, that is, the Crown Prince and the King of Chu wanted to murder the King of Qin, and the King of Qin was only forced to fight back.
People really have a scale in their hearts. The difficult situation of the King of Qin had long been spread among the people.
Therefore, not many people regretted the deaths of Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji. Li Shimin himself was under heavy pressure, but in fact, this was not the evaluation of him by outsiders.
Taking all the military power was not the end. Just two or three days later, Li Yuan officially issued an edict.
"The edict: The position of heir is an important one for the country and the people. The establishment of a heir and the succession to the throne will help all nations.
General Tiance, Grand Commandant, Minister of the Interior, Minister of the Chancellery, Minister of the Grand Secretariat of the Eastern Shaanxi Circuit, Governor of Yongzhou, Grand Commander of Yangzhou, General of the Sixteen Guards, Minister of the Central Secretariat, Supreme Pillar of the State, and King of Qin Shimin, has a brilliant mind, has a long-standing ambition, is increasingly virtuous, and has a growing prestige. He holds both internal and external duties. I have my eyes on him, and both the government and the people have seen that he is suitable to inherit the country. He can be made the Crown Prince. The relevant departments shall prepare the ceremony and make the appointment in due time. "
The imperial edict appointing Li Shimin as the crown prince soon arrived at the Prince of Qin's Palace, and at the same time, the decree ordering Crown Prince Li Shimin to govern the country was also issued.
"Edict: Crown Prince Shimin is ordered to supervise the state. All military and important affairs, as well as the three ministries' affairs, shall be decided by him and then reported to him."
Anyone with a discerning eye knew that once this decree was issued, Li Yuan would become a true emperor without any real power, completely in name only, and the subsequent report would be nothing more than empty words.
At this point, Li Shimin had in fact become the helmsman of the empire. A coup d'état was the result.
When Li Shimin was promoted to the Eastern Palace, all the previous official positions were no longer needed, and all the people who had once been in the Qin Palace moved into the Eastern Palace. Fang Du, Zhangsun Wuji, Yuchi Gong, Cheng Zhijie, Qin Shubao and others all got new official positions in the Eastern Palace.
"What is the prince going to do with Li Jiancheng's old people?"
In the East Palace, Li Shimin stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the azure sky. Luo Xuanye asked from a position behind him.
“Forgive them.”
Li Shimin really said the answer that Luo Xuanye knew he would say. Li Shimin said gently: "Don't let the Tang Dynasty fall into civil war. This is my wish. Forgive them, just like I once forgave my enemies.
What is there to worry about?
I know there are many talented people among them. Is Qingyang willing to go there and make them submit to me?"
Luo Xuanye smiled gently and said, "Prince, you have a heart higher than Mount Tai and wider than the sea, enough to accommodate all the mountains and rivers in the world.
No one will surrender to you, just like everything that has happened in the past.”
Li Shimin slowly stretched out his arms, "Qingyang, it's so warm, what will the future be like?"
Luo Xuanye smiled slightly, "I don't know what the future will be like, because I can't imagine how glorious it will be, but there is one person who knows."
Li Shimin turned to look at Luo Xuanye and asked with a smile: "Who is it? I will definitely invite him here."
Luo Xuanye chuckled, "Of course it's Grandmaster Wen. He may have been waiting for this day for a long time."
Duke Wen.
Hearing the answer, Li Shimin was stunned.
It turned out to be Duke Wen.
It turned out to be Duke Wen.
As expected...it was Duke Wen.
———
The information left behind by the Xuanwu Gate Incident is abundant. Those detailed conversations show us the mental journey of the eyewitnesses and provide an explanation for the motives of each action. This is no longer something worth exploring. Whether it is the generals of the Qin Palace or those wise staff, the roles they played in it are all supporting roles. What was Li Shimin's real thought and what impact did it have on him?
"He shot the arrow decisively, and the dark clouds covering the Tang Dynasty were torn apart. The dazzling light fell on him, covering him with golden armor. The Tang Dynasty also entered that high-spirited era. As for those shadows and regrets, they all remained in the Wude period, along with the dust of the times." - "History of the Rise and Fall of the Tang Empire"
Twelve thousand words, my fingers are sparking, please give me your monthly vote!
(End of this chapter)
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