Chapter 118 The Black Tortoise's Shocking Change, The Young Tiger Conceals Its Edge
It was the autumn of the twenty-first year of the Zhenguan era, on the day of Jiazi. Before dawn, thick, leaden-gray clouds hung low, pressing down on the city and making it hard to breathe. Chang'an was still in its final slumber, but within and outside the imperial city, undercurrents were surging, and danger lurked everywhere.
Xuanwu Gate, the palace gate that has witnessed too many power shifts and bloodshed in the Tang Dynasty, once again became the center of the storm in the darkest hour before dawn.
According to the "plan," Changsun Wuji, along with generals such as Cheng Zhijie and Hou Junji, would lead their elite household troops and some of the controlled Northern Army guards into Xuanwu Gate at dawn under the pretext of "purging the emperor's inner circle" and "advising His Majesty to reconsider the succession." They would then take control of the palace and send someone to "invite" Prince Li Zhi of Jin out. They would then coerce (or "plead") the ailing Emperor Li Shimin to issue an edict to depose Crown Prince Li Chengqian and install Prince Li Zhi of Jin in his place.
To ensure absolute success, Changsun Wuji mobilized almost every available force. A portion of Cheng Zhijie's Left Valiant Guard and a part of Hou Junji's Right Martial Guard had quietly taken up positions outside the gates of the imperial city. Three thousand elite private soldiers gathered at manors outside the city had also infiltrated the city in batches and lay in wait at designated locations. Inside the palace, spies were responsible for opening the side gate of Xuanwu Gate and guiding them directly to the Liangyi Hall.
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Palace, Crown Prince Li Chengqian also stayed up all night. He had received a secret report from the Hundred Cavalry Division, learning the approximate time and route of the enemy's operation. He mobilized all the Eastern Palace guards and secret agents he could absolutely trust, as well as troops under the command of some loyal generals of the Northern Imperial Guards whom he had secretly contacted, preparing to ambush the invading enemy at Xuanwu Gate and wipe them out in one fell swoop. He wanted to personally crush this rebellion launched by his uncle and brother, consolidating his authority in the most ruthless way.
Both sides believed themselves to be the hunter and the other the prey. Both thought victory was assured and were just waiting for dawn.
At the third quarter of the hour of Yin (3:45 AM), the darkest hour, the heavy bolts of Xuanwu Gate were silently pulled open from the inside with an extremely faint "click." Changsun Wuji's elite troops, who had been lying in ambush outside, surged in silently and swiftly like phantoms emerging from the night!
The leaders, Cheng Zhijie and Hou Junji, were fully armored, wielding sharp blades, their eyes gleaming with excitement and determination. If they could break through this gate and seize control of the inner palace, their mission would be accomplished!
However, just as most of their forces poured into the spacious square inside Xuanwu Gate, preparing to divide their troops and control the key roads according to plan, an unexpected change occurred!
The square, which should have been pitch black, was suddenly illuminated by torches! Countless blazing torches lit up the square as bright as day, dazzling the intruders for a moment!
What terrified them even more was that, illuminated by the firelight, the palace walls and corridors surrounding the square were densely packed with armored soldiers, bows drawn and arrows nocked! The sharp arrowheads gleamed with a deathly cold light in the firelight, firmly locked onto these uninvited guests. Directly in front, Crown Prince Li Chengqian, clad in gleaming armor, wielding a horizontal sword, his face as cold as iron, slowly rode out, surrounded by numerous elite guards. Behind him were the Eastern Palace Guards and a portion of the Imperial Guards, standing ready in battle.
"Changsun Wuji! Cheng Zhijie! Hou Junji!" Li Chengqian's voice echoed across the silent square, like ice splattering on the ground. "What are you doing, trespassing into the palace in armor?! Are you plotting a rebellion?!"
Cheng Zhijie and the others' expressions changed drastically, a sense of foreboding instantly gripping their hearts. They'd fallen for a trap! The Crown Prince had been prepared!
"Your Highness!" Changsun Wuji's voice came from behind. He entered the square under the protection of his personal guards. Although he was shocked, he forced himself to remain calm. "We are not plotting a rebellion! It is only because Your Highness's actions in recent years have been lacking in benevolence and morality, causing unease in the court and the country, that we have come to implore Your Majesty to investigate for the sake of the nation! Please make way for us so that we may see Your Majesty!"
"To meet His Majesty?" Li Chengqian sneered. "Bringing armored soldiers and breaking in at night? Do you even have any regard for His Majesty or the law?! Guards, seize these traitors! If they resist, kill them without mercy!"
"Wait!"
Just as tensions were running high and a conflict was about to erupt, another voice rang out. The voice was not loud, but it was exceptionally clear, with a strange penetrating power that made everyone involuntarily turn to look in the direction of the sound.
From the shadows inside Xuanwu Gate, two figures slowly emerged. The one in front, dressed in the everyday robes of a prince, with a handsome face, was none other than Prince Jin, Li Zhi. And supporting him by the arm, walking side by side with him, was none other than—Emperor Li Shimin!
Although Li Shimin's hair and beard were all white, his face was pale, and he was being supported by Li Zhi, his steps were somewhat unsteady, but his eyes, illuminated by the torchlight, were still as sharp as ever, carrying the majesty of an emperor and endless weariness.
"Father?!"
"His Majesty?!"
Li Chengqian and Changsun Wuji gasped almost simultaneously, their expressions instantly becoming incredibly complex. Li Chengqian was shocked and bewildered—why was his father here? And with Li Zhi no less? Changsun Wuji, on the other hand, was horrified and filled with despair. The emperor's appearance had completely disrupted all his plans, and it meant… they might have fallen into a trap from the very beginning!
Supported by Li Zhi, Li Shimin walked to the center of the square. His gaze slowly swept over the two opposing sides, finally settling on Changsun Wuji. His voice was hoarse and heavy: "Wuji... I have treated you well. On her deathbed, the Empress entrusted Chengqian and Zhinu to you. Is this how you repay me and the Empress?"
Changsun Wuji was struck dumb, and knelt down with a thud, tears streaming down his face: "Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Your Majesty... Your Majesty has absolutely no intention of treason! Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I only... Your Majesty, seeing that the Crown Prince's policies are too extreme and that I fear they may harm the foundation of the nation, therefore... Therefore, I wish to ask Your Majesty to reconsider the succession to ensure peace for the people! Your Majesty's loyalty is as clear as day!"
"What a fine 'loyal devotion'!" Li Shimin coughed a few times, and Li Zhi quickly patted his back. He waved his hand and continued, "Colluding with generals, secretly amassing weapons, trespassing into the palace, coercing the emperor and father... is this your loyalty?! If it weren't for Zhi Nu discovering your conspiracy in time and secretly reporting it to me, wouldn't I be a prisoner under your blade today, or coerced by you to do things like deposing the eldest son and establishing a younger one, shaking the foundation of the country?!"
These words struck like a bolt from the blue, not only hitting Changsun Wuji but also causing Li Chengqian to tremble violently. He turned sharply to look at Li Zhi, his eyes filled with disbelief and shock!
Young servant...reporting? A conspiracy? In secret?
Facing his elder brother's surprised and uncertain gaze, Li Zhi remained calm, even with a hint of apology. He addressed Li Chengqian and everyone else clearly, saying, "Brother, Uncle, now that things have come to this, there's no need to hide it anymore."
He took a deep breath, as if gathering strength: "From the moment my uncle began to secretly contact me, intending to use me as a pawn against my brother, I knew his intentions. Although I am dull-witted, I know that the struggle for imperial power is extremely dangerous, and I also know that powerful clans are a great threat to the country. Although my brother has used ruthless methods in recent years, his heart is with the country and his ambition is to eliminate the long-standing abuses. How could I not understand that? If we really follow my uncle's plan, even if we succeed temporarily, it will only be like driving away a tiger at the front door and letting a wolf in through the back door, allowing powerful clans to grow even stronger and causing endless harm in the future."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over generals like Cheng Zhijie and Hou Junji, as well as the ashen-faced representatives of the powerful families: "Therefore, I will play along, feigning to please my uncle to gain his trust and learn of his entire plan. I will then secretly inform my father, and together we will devise this plan—to lure the snake out of its hole and finish it off in one fell swoop!"
"Today's Xuanwu Gate Incident was not a rebellion by the Prince of Jin and the Grand Commandant, but a plan devised by His Majesty and the Prince of Jin to cleanse the court, eliminate treacherous officials, and stabilize the foundation of the nation!" Li Zhi's voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable determination. "Tonight, you gathered a crowd with weapons, trespassed into the palace, and intended to commit treason. The evidence is conclusive. What else do you have to say?!"
The square was deathly silent, save for the crackling of the torches and the heavy breathing of a few people.
Changsun Wuji collapsed to the ground, his face ashen. He knew it was all over, utterly ruined. The Emperor and the Prince of Jin's words had cemented their place on the pillar of shame for "treason." Any defense would be futile.
Generals such as Cheng Zhijie and Hou Junji were also pale-faced, and their weapons clattered to the ground.
Li Chengqian stared blankly at everything before him, at his father, Li Zhi, and at Changsun Wuji and the others kneeling in apology. The overwhelming information left his mind in chaos. Anger, shock, lingering fear, relief, guilt… a multitude of emotions clashed and intertwined, almost making him lose his footing.
So... Zhi Nu hadn't betrayed him. It turned out that all of this was a scheme orchestrated by his father and Zhi Nu! To lure out the most restless forces, to clear the final obstacle for him, the crown prince, they actually... staged such a shocking drama! And he, too, was kept in the dark, even almost... turned against Zhi Nu!
“Father… Zhinu…” Li Chengqian’s voice was extremely hoarse.
Li Shimin looked at him, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes—weariness, relief, and a sense of relief: "Chengqian, you've done very well these past years, but... it's been too tiring. Some things, some villains, shouldn't be borne entirely by you alone. Your brother and I can still do something for you."
He turned to Li Zhi and patted the back of his hand: "Zhi Nu, you did very well too. Better than your father and brother expected."
Li Zhi lowered his head and said softly, "Your subject has only done his duty."
At this moment, Li Chengqian finally cleared his mind. He took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and his gaze returned to its sharp and cold intensity. He looked at Changsun Wuji and the others, and said sternly, "Changsun Wuji, Cheng Zhijie, Hou Junji, and others, colluded with powerful families, privately amassed weapons, and plotted rebellion. The evidence is irrefutable! Guards! Seize all the criminals and imprison them in the imperial prison for rigorous interrogation! Arrest their accomplices as well! All the private soldiers and retainers involved in tonight's events, disarm them on the spot and await further orders!"
At his command, the palace guards and imperial soldiers, who were already prepared, rushed forward and bound the distraught Changsun Wuji and his entourage. The private soldiers who had stormed into the square, seeing their commander captured and the emperor and crown prince present, all gave up resistance and knelt to surrender.
A shocking conspiracy that seemed capable of overthrowing the government and the country began abruptly and ended abruptly in the darkest hour before dawn, in an unexpected way.
When the first rays of sunlight struggled to pierce through the thick clouds and fall upon the blood-stained square of Xuanwu Gate, everything had already settled down.
Looking at the hunched, desperate back of Changsun Wuji being led away, Li Chengqian felt little joy, only endless weariness and desolation. His uncle… had finally come to this.
He then looked at Li Zhi, who stood silently beside his father. This younger brother remained quiet, his eyes clear, as if those earth-shattering words had not come from him at all.
Like a young tiger concealing its sharpness, it roars into the valley one day, displaying such thunderous power and the ability to stabilize the world.
Li Chengqian knew that after this night, many things would be completely changed. The destruction of Changsun Wuji and his cronies meant that the most stubborn and threatening force among the aristocratic families had been uprooted. The court would undergo a thorough purge. And between him and Zhinu... the barrier created by suspicion and scheming seemed to have been breached by this thrilling night, letting in a faint but real light.
But what awaits Zhinu after this light? Will it be a reward of promotion and titles, or... the suspicion that his achievements threaten the master? Will it be genuine brotherhood, or a new round of power struggles?
Li Chengqian gazed at the gradually brightening dawn, his heart filled with no answer. But he knew that his era, after the most perilous night, had finally arrived, truly and without hindrance. And his younger brother, who had helped him clear the final obstacle, would become an extremely special figure in his imperial career, one he had to treat with utmost care.
The bloodstains at Xuanwu Gate had not yet dried when a new day dawned. The power structure of the Tang Dynasty, after the baptism of blood and fire, quietly turned a new page.
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