Chang'an, Taiji Palace.

It was getting late and the light was dim. The eunuch held a short candle in his hand and lit up the candles on the gilded lamp tree one by one. He moved to the altar, where the Suan Ni beast incense burner was emitting bursts of light green tulips.

Li De lowered his head to review memorials when he saw the letter of surrender presented by the Meng family of Western Shu. The pearl curtain swayed slightly and the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside the screen.

"His Majesty!"

The eunuch's face turned pale and he was sweating. He ran to the inner room, but his knees went weak and he slid to his knees in front of the case.

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is back!"

Li De was startled, frowning slightly, and put down the watch: "Why did he come back early?"

The eunuch trembled all over and spoke incoherently: "Your Majesty... The right guard of the Jinwu Guard said that you should temporarily retreat to the back hall, Your Highness the Crown Prince... Your Highness..."

Li De's face darkened: "What's wrong with the prince?"

The eunuch's face turned pale, he knelt on the ground, carefully choosing his words, his voice trembling: "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince did not enter the palace without a decree, the Jinwu Guards did not dare to let him in, the Crown Prince forced his way in!"

Li De froze and stood up with a sullen face. The eunuch rushed forward to help him to the back hall, but he pushed him away.

The eunuch fell to the ground, not daring to make a sound. He got up again and staggered to catch up with Li De.

The candlelight flickered, and there were shadows of people in front of the palace gate, and a lot of noise. The Jinwu guards were standing in front of the steps with long swords in their hands, shouting at someone, and the sound of footsteps was chaotic.

Li De walked out of the inner room. The Jinwu guards guarding the door were terrified and knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, please leave for the time being..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Li De had already walked past him.

The Jinwu guards' hearts were pounding with fear, their foreheads covered with cold sweat. They looked at each other and followed helplessly.

Li De stood in front of the corridor with his hands behind his back.

Down the stairs, a tall figure walked up the platform step by step against the flow of people. He was dressed in black, as cold as a knife, and held a sword in his hand.

With just one glance, Li De could recognize his son's outline.

Li Xuanzhen came alone, and although his act was offensive, it was not a crime punishable by death. The Jinwu Guards knew how much Li De valued him and did not dare to hurt him. They could only surround him tightly to prevent him from suddenly attacking and hurting others.

Jinwuwei tried to persuade Li De: "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince seems to be insane, please leave for now!"

Li De's eyes were gloomy.

"Take him down without hurting anyone."

After receiving the order, the Jinwu Guards felt a little more confident. They clasped their fists and responded. They threw away their swords and switched to long spears. They flew forward and tried to deflect the long sword in Li Xuanzhen's hand.

Li Xuanzhen had a calm expression on his face. He looked at Li De behind the crowd with his phoenix eyes. He swung his sword to cut off his spear and continued to move forward.

The sword flashed, but he did not hurt anyone. However, his defense was as strong as a copper wall and an iron wall, which could not withstand wind and rain. He approached the corridor step by step.

The Jinwu Guards were helpless and made a gesture. The guards in front and behind the palace received the order, gritted their teeth and rushed forward, rushing towards Li Xuanzhen like a tide. In the silver sword light, more than a dozen big hands like palm-leaf fans grabbed his arms and legs at the same time.

Li Xuanzhen was unable to move, and with a clang, the sword fell to the ground.

Kinggo Guard was overjoyed, and quickly kicked away the long sword and twisted his arm.

Li Xuanzhen still had a calm expression on his face. He stood at the steps and stared at Li De in the corridor.

"Your Majesty..." the General asked cautiously, "How should we deal with the Crown Prince's misconduct?"

Li De's face was clouded with gloom. He turned and walked into the hall: "Bring him in!"

Everyone looked at each other, not daring to say a word.

Li Xuanzhen's expression was very different from usual, his eyes were filled with ferocity and cruelty. The Jinwu Guards were very nervous, fearing that something might happen, so they tied his hands behind his back and carefully checked that he had no other weapons on him before sending him to the inner hall.

Li De stood in front of the desk, his face full of anger, and waved his hand to signal others to leave.

The General of the Household groaned inwardly and retreated with his fists clasped.

When the footsteps faded away, Li De walked up to Li Xuanzhen and slapped his son hard with a slap.

He was a warrior, and he did not hold back his strength in this slap. Li Xuanzhen was knocked to the ground with blood oozing from his lips.

"Who else can you learn from? Li Zhongqian?"

Li De's voice was icy, "I am the emperor. The palace is heavily guarded. You want to break in and kill me by yourself? If I don't go out to stop the Jinwu Guards, they can kill you! You are the heir apparent of a country. If you draw your sword and break into the palace in public, how can you command the people in the future? How can you shock the ministers? I can enthrone you, or I can depose you!"

"Where has your usual strategic forbearance gone?"

Li De knew that Li Xuanzhen wanted to kill him, but he didn't expect his son to be so reckless and impulsive! He was not yet fully grown, but he actually tried to break into the palace alone!

He said coldly: "Zhang Nu, if you really want to kill me, you should hide and ambush, gather troops and horses, and win people's hearts. Even if you can't do it perfectly, at least you should make it so that I can't fight back, make the ministers in the court dare not say anything, and make it so that other princes can't catch you!"

"What you did today was so stupid!"

Li Xuanzhen raised his head, his lips bloodied and red, looking like a madman: "I am indeed stupid. If I had learned from Li Zhongqian earlier, how could I have become like this today?"

Li De looked at his red and swollen face, suppressed his anger, and spoke softly: "Zhangnu, you are the son that Aye loves the most. Li Zhongqian provoked you and me, and you fell into his trap?"

Li Xuanzhen remained unmoved and looked at Li De with only disgust.

"Why do you and I, father and son, need others to instigate us?"

"Li De, I should have killed you long ago... I should have done it when my mother died."

Li De was the general of Wei County, a commander of a large army who was always surrounded by powerful generals. The Central Plains was torn apart and the situation was unstable. He was not sure he could kill Li De, but he also understood that killing Li De would lead to chaos in the country. He was unable to clean up the aftermath and would only cause more people to be displaced. So he continued to be a loving father and a filial son to Li De. He led the Wei army to charge into the battlefield, quell the chaos, and assisted Li De in establishing the Great Wei.

When the world is unified, that will be the day for him to kill Li De with his own hands.

He always remembered Tang's last words, that he would live his whole life for revenge, and he could wait.

But now he couldn't wait any longer.

He was tired and wanted some relief.

"My mother told me to kill you and the Xie family. I obeyed whatever she said... I am sorry..."

Tears welled up in Li Xuanzhen's eyes.

Li De looked at his son, sighed, and waved his hand wearily.

"I will take care of today's matter. You go back and reflect on your mistakes."

Li Xuanzhen sneered: "How does Your Majesty intend to deal with this?"

Li De rubbed his brows and said, "I will cover it for you."

Li Zhongqian was unruly and his reputation had long been ruined. He lost his sister tragically and was assassinated in public. The ministers in the court were not surprised and many of them pleaded for him.

Li Xuanzhen is different. He is the heir apparent of a country. What happened today must not be spread out!

Several eunuchs in the corner were shivering, the chill rising from the soles of their feet and spreading all over their bodies.

The Crown Prince broke into the palace in public and had a falling out with the Emperor. No one present today can escape!

The Chief Eunuch closed his eyes in despair, "To serve the emperor is like to serve a tiger."

A few sarcastic laughs were heard in the suppressed silence, and Li Xuanzhen raised his lips: "Your Majesty, don't worry about me. There is no need to involve other people in the matter between you and me."

He could gather troops to attack Taiji Palace, but the timing was not right and he did not have the strength to compete with Li De. If he forced the palace, it would only implicate more innocent people.

He doesn't want to wait any longer.

Li De's eyebrows jumped: "What did you do?"

Li Xuanzhen sneered: "I did what I should have done a long time ago."

As soon as he finished speaking, the eunuch's terrified scream came from outside the curtain: "Your Majesty! The Crown Prince of Korea is here!"

Li De was stunned. He saw the pearl curtain shaking violently and a figure staggering into the hall. He fell to the ground, trembling all over and crying loudly.

A strong smell of blood hit my face.

Li De lowered his head. The Crown Prince of Korea was his cousin. The Crown Prince's father followed him in battles and was named King of Korea because of his merits.

The Crown Prince of Han knelt at his feet, his hair disheveled, trembling like a sieve, crying with snot and tears, his clothes in tatters, emitting a foul odor, and blood dripped down the sleeves of his robes and all over the ground, leaving a long bloodstain on the golden brick floor.

Li De looked at Li Xuanzhen and asked, "What did you do?"

Before Li Xuanzhen could open his mouth, the Crown Prince of Han let out a cry and then cried even louder, hitting the ground with his head and his forehead banging loudly.

"Your Majesty! The prince has gone mad! The prince killed my grandfather! He killed my third uncle, he killed my fourth uncle... six people, six living people! They all died under the prince's sword! All the guests in the palace saw it with their own eyes! The prince must be crazy! He killed his relatives with his own hands, and he even killed his own uncle!"

"Your Majesty! My father followed Your Majesty in the battles, always at your side, loyal and dedicated, and made contributions to the country. He should have been able to enjoy his retirement, but he was killed tragically by the prince's sword. How unjust!"

"The Crown Prince is insane, tyrannical, cruel, and vicious. He killed my uncle. How can such a murderer be worthy of being the crown prince?! As a son, I cannot sit idly by and watch my father die in innocence. If Your Majesty does not give me and other members of the Li family an explanation, I will seek justice for my father even at the cost of my life!"

The hall was silent, no one spoke, only the cries of the Crown Prince of Han echoed in every corner of the inner hall.

As he continued to narrate, everyone understood the whole story.

Today, there was a grand banquet at the palace of King Han. All present were members of the Li clan. When everyone was drinking and having fun, Li Xuanzhen suddenly showed up. Everyone was surprised and happy. Just as they were about to ask him about the war on the front line, he suddenly drew his sword and killed the King Han with one blow.

Suddenly there was chaos and everyone was thrown to the ground.

The palace guards immediately drew their swords and rushed forward, but they were no match for Li Xuanzhen. With one sword, he killed everyone from the hall to the inner courtyard, killing six members of the Li family with his own hands. His body was covered in blood and his eyes were red, like a demon that had crawled out of the ground.

There was crying all over the palace, and the prince's mother fainted three times.

Li De's old face twitched slightly a few times. He looked at Li Xuanzhen, trembling all over. He was silent for a long while, and suddenly he groaned and fell backwards.

"His Majesty!"

"Saint!"

The eunuchs rushed forward and supported Li De.

Li De pushed the eunuch away, spit out a mouthful of blood with a scream, and pointed his finger at Li Xuanzhen: "Evil creature! Evil creature!"

He killed his relatives in public, and the news must have spread throughout Chang'an. How will it end?

Li Xuanzhen's narrow eyes slightly raised, glanced at the crying Prince of Han, and a fierce anger flashed across his eyes.

The Crown Prince of Han had witnessed the murder of six of his relatives and had long been frightened by Li Xuanzhen. Seeing that Li Xuanzhen was also so ferocious in front of Li De, he suddenly felt terrified and turned around to crawl out: "The Crown Prince is going to kill people to silence them!"

Li Xuanzhen ignored him. While everyone's attention was on the Crown Prince of Han, he suddenly jumped up and leaped towards the case. With a clang, he drew out the sword on the side of the case and pointed the tip of the sword at Li De.

Everyone was horrified and rushed forward to stop it.

Li Xuanzhen waved away the eunuch who was rushing towards him, and the tip of the sword pierced into Li De's right shoulder inch by inch.

Li De did not dodge.

Everyone's legs trembled: they could shoot Li Zhongqian without hesitation, but now the assassin was the crown prince. Without Li De's order, who would dare to kill Li Xuanzhen?

Li Xuanzhen grabbed Li De's shoulders and continued to use force in his hands: "Father, do you know why I want to kill the Li family members?"

Li De was furious and struck out with a palm with a strong wind.

Li Xuanzhen's precious sword slipped out of his hand, but he continued to rush forward desperately.

Li De was shocked. Fearing that his son might be hurt, he gritted his teeth and retracted his palms. Then he turned his wrists and slapped Li Xuanzhen with the backs of his hands. Li Xuanzhen fell in front of the case.

The eunuch trembled as he stepped forward to treat Li De's wound. Li De pushed the eunuch away and drew the sword from his shoulder.

The pearl curtain swayed, and the Jinwu Guards rushed over.

Li De said in a stern voice: "Everyone retreat!"

The Jinwu guards looked at each other, smiled bitterly, and retreated behind the screen.

Li De threw away the sword, "Why did you kill your uncle?"

Li Xuanzhen looked at him and sneered: "That year, the rebels invaded Wei County... Everyone else escaped, only my mother and I were trapped in the city. Do you think this is a coincidence?"

Li De's pupils suddenly dilated.

Li Xuanzhen climbed up and continued, "They deliberately let the rebels into the city because they wanted to kill me and my mother. At that time, had you already started discussing marriage with other noble families?"

Li De's face was solemn.

Li Xuanzhen looked at his father coldly: "You are a great general, and everyone says that you will become a hegemon in the future. My mother is not worthy of you. They want a mistress who can bring benefits to the Li family. King Han led the troops to guard Wei County at that time. He knew that my mother and I were trapped, but he deliberately watched us die and delayed sending reinforcements..."

He closed his eyes.

"That night they locked the gate from the outside and set a fire, trying to burn my mother and me to death. My mother and I escaped, and there were soldiers everywhere. I was so scared that I cried. My mother comforted me and said that Aye was a great hero. As long as we found Aye, no one would dare to bully us."

He opened his eyes, and there was a desolate look in his phoenix pupils.

"Li De, there was chaos and war everywhere. My mother was just a powerless woman with a child. Do you know what she went through?"

Li De's eyes suddenly widened and his hands trembled.

Li Xuanzhen had a blank expression on his face.

Li De took a step forward and grasped Li Xuanzhen's collar tightly. His old face was twisted and distorted, no longer as calm as usual.

"You are crazy to slander your mother like this!"

Li Xuanzhen looked back at him and said, "You will never know how much suffering my mother and I have endured."

Li De's face turned pale, like a fierce ghost, his teeth were chattering, he loosened his hand and staggered back.

Li Xuanzhen looked at him straight in the eyes. "My mother had been through so much. She thought that as long as she found you, everything would be fine. Later, we found you... You were marrying the daughter of the Xie family. You told her in front of my mother that you would never let her down."

Never let each other down - that was the oath he made personally on the night Li De and Tang Ying got married.

Li De didn't manage to steady himself, and fell down in front of the table with a bang, knocking over the incense burner, his face twisted: "Why didn't she tell me? Why?!"

"Tell you?" Li Xuanzhen's eyes were cold. "Tell you when you got married, and then you abandoned me?"

Tang Ying no longer trusts Li De. She stays with him only because she has faced the reality.

So, when she quarreled with the Li clan members and the Xie family maid, and heard the Li clan members insinuating that she was not worthy of being a lady, she was shocked and angry, and suspected that the Xie family knew what had happened to her during her escape.

Li Xuanzhen said word for word: "Aniang was just an ordinary woman with little knowledge. She was so scared that she had a miscarriage. The baby died right after it was born."

Li De's face turned pale, his lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a word.

Did Yingniang have a miscarriage?

"My mother had already made plans and had the child buried. Later, my wet nurse told me that if everyone knew that my mother had a miscarriage, they would think that she committed suicide because she was sad and depressed. In that case, how could you forget her for the rest of your life? So she asked my wet nurse to keep it a secret for her and burn down the yard on the day you returned home. Only in this way could you remember it deeply and feel guilty for the rest of your life."

Her death preserved her reputation and helped Li Xuanzhen secure the position of crown prince.

Li De would never forget her all his life.

Li Xuanzhen picked up the precious sword on the ground: "My mother got what she wanted...but my mother never asked me, do I want to be the crown prince?"

In the troubled times, he had no other desire but to live well with his mother. He advised Tang Ying not to fight with Xie. His only wish was to end the troubled times as soon as possible so that everyone could live a peaceful and stable life.

When he learned that his mother was pregnant again, he was ecstatic.

He is the eldest brother, he will take good care of his younger brothers and sisters, provide them with a good life, and let them grow up without any worries.

My younger sister died when she was just born and didn't have time to grow up.

A'niang also died. She was mad when she died and asked him to avenge her.

Li Xuanzhen knelt in front of his mother and swore an oath with tears in his eyes.

He hated Li De, hated this chaotic world, and hated everyone. He wanted everyone to be buried with his mother.

The guilt he felt towards his mother made him lose his mind and become erratic.

He knew that Li Yaoying was innocent, and his heart softened again and again, but he also hardened his heart again and again because he thought of his mother.

"I have already checked it out. The person who ordered the servants to lock the gate that night has died under my sword. When you married the daughter of the Xie family, the person who prevented me and my mother from attending the ceremony was not a member of the Xie family, but a member of the Li family."

“I killed them all.”

"I cannot fulfill all of my mother's last wishes. I feel so sorry for her. When I reach the grave, I will make amends to her."

Li Xuanzhen turned around, walked towards the case, and chopped it down with his sword.

"Prince, stop it!"

There was a whooshing sound as a feather arrow pierced the air and pierced Li Xuanzhen's shoulder.

Li Xuanzhen didn't even waver, and swung the long sword in his hand towards Li De.

The Jinwu Guards' eyes were bloodshot as they flew forward to block the powerful blow, then they hugged Li De and rolled over several times.

The others continued to shoot.

Li Xuanzhen's face was numb and he raised his sword again.

He had nightmares every night, neither looking like a human nor a ghost. Only during the Battle of Chibi did he have a brief moment of peace, and was no longer haunted by nightmares.

Ah Yue, who brought him a moment of peace, was sent to her death by his own hands.

He brought it upon himself.

A faint smile appeared on Li Xuanzhen's face.

The sharp arrows came down on him like a spider web.

He fell down with a smile on his lips.

"No!"

Li De pushed the Jinwu Guards away and stood up: "Stop it!"

The Jinwu Guards quickly put away their bows and arrows.

Li De stepped over the arrows flying all over the ground, rushed to Li Xuanzhen and helped him up.

Li Xuanzhen was covered in blood. He struggled to pick up an arrow and stabbed it at Li De.

Li De pushed his hand away: "Zhangnu, you are crazy!"

Did he force me to order the Jinwu Guards to kill him? He was the crown prince, the future emperor, and the whole world was reserved for him. Why did he disdain it?

Li Xuanzhen grinned, his teeth stained red with blood: "Li De, either you die or I die..."

Only in this way can he be liberated.

He wants to be A Niang's eternal slave and doesn't want the position of Crown Prince which was bought with A Niang's life!

Li De's eyes were bloodshot.

…

Half an hour later, news came from Taiji Palace that Crown Prince Li Xuanzhen went mad after drinking and accidentally killed King Han and others. Li De was furious and ordered him to be imprisoned in a dungeon.

The world was shocked.

The Li clan was very dissatisfied. Several princesses knelt in front of the palace gate in mourning and cried. The ministers in the court impeached him, but they were all suppressed by Li De with thunderous means. A few days later, the Dali Temple found dozens of charges against the King of Han, including killing people, robbing innocent people, accepting bribes, and occupying good farmland. The Crown Prince of Han was also implicated and was imprisoned for his crimes.

Li De killed a number of noble relatives, but did not stop there. Instead, he continued to investigate the royal family. Everyone was in danger for a while, so he took the opportunity to exile several princes. He was ruthless and merciless, and the ministers in the court were silent.

During this period, Li De kept sending people to persuade Li Xuanzhen, but Li Xuanzhen remained silent.

Two days later, Crown Princess Zheng Biyu entered the palace and met her husband in the dungeon.

"Da Lang..." She handed over a wax-sealed parchment scroll, "This was sent back from Yizhou."

Li Xuanzhen did not move.

Zheng Biyu said softly: "Princess Wen Zhao is still alive."

Li Xuanzhen's body stiffened and he suddenly opened his eyes.

"What did you say?"

he asked in a hissing voice.

Zheng Biyu said, "You sent someone to escort Zhu Luyun to Yizhou, and those people accidentally heard the news that Princess Wen Zhao was still alive and she was abducted by Haidu A Ling."

Zhu Luyun disappeared for no apparent reason, and Li Xuanzhen did not care about it. Zheng Biyu was puzzled and could not find the answer until Du Sinan brought her this parchment scroll.

It turned out that Li Xuanzhen had sent the person away. Zhu Luyun wanted to reunite with her aunt, so he fulfilled her wish and sent his personal soldiers to lurk around her to find out who the Northern Rong had planted in Wei. He had pretended not to know where Zhu Luyun was going before, just to confuse the Northern Rong people.

This man has arranged everything.

He was ready to die.

Zheng Biyu looked into Li Xuanzhen's eyes and whispered, "Dalang, you can't kill the emperor now... You still have concerns in your heart. Princess Wen Zhao is your knot. She is still alive. Go find her. You sent her away in the beginning, and now it's time for you to bring her back."

"You owe her this."

Li Xuanzhen lowered his head, tightly grasping the parchment scroll, veins bulging on the back of his hands.