Chapter 12 Li Yuan's Side Story: A Fading Candle's Shadow
The nights at Da'an Palace always seem exceptionally long.
Li Yuan leaned against a soft couch by the window, covered with a heavy fox fur coat, toying with a warm, smooth jade pendant in his hand. It was a birthday gift from Li Jiancheng. The jade pendant was carved with auspicious clouds and mythical beasts, exquisitely crafted, and symbolizing good fortune.
At that time, Jiancheng was still the Crown Prince, Yuanji was still the Prince of Qi, and Shimin was still the Prince of Qin. Although the three brothers had developed some rifts, they could at least maintain a facade of brotherly harmony. Every year on his birthday, his three sons would carefully prepare gifts, gather together, and drink and admire the moon with him.
Those days are gone forever.
Li Yuan's fingers traced the edge of the jade pendant, the warm touch resonating at his fingertips, yet failing to warm his heart. Jiancheng and Yuanji were dead, killed by their own brother. And the son who had murdered his brothers now sat in the very seat he had once occupied, ushering in an era known as the "Reign of Zhenguan."
How ironic.
The palace lantern cast his shadow on the wall, flickering and swaying, much like his current state of mind. Did he hate Li Shimin? Of course he did. He hated him for murdering his brothers, for forcing him to abdicate, and for making him, the founding emperor, a deposed and retired emperor.
But beneath the hatred, is there something else?
Li Yuan closed his eyes, and the image of Li Shimin as a child appeared in his mind—his exceptionally intelligent second son, who could recite poems at five, write essays at seven, and discuss military strategy with him at ten. He remembered Shimin's excitement when he first went on a military campaign, his pride when he first achieved a military merit, and his radiant spirit when he surrounded him, recounting his battlefield experiences incessantly.
He loved this son. Even after the father and son became estranged, even after the bloodshed at Xuanwu Gate stained Chang'an, even after he was forced to abdicate and live in seclusion in Da'an Palace—deep in his heart, he still loved this son who was most like himself and also surpassed him the most.
But it is precisely because of love that the pain is even greater.
If Shimin were merely an ordinary rebellious son, he could have openly hated him, cursed him, and even plotted revenge. But Shimin was not. He was a good emperor, diligent in his duties, caring for his people, and striving to govern the Tang Dynasty with great efficiency, attracting tribute from all nations. Even those ministers who had once opposed him now genuinely supported him.
How could he possibly hate a son like that?
So, with nowhere to vent his hatred, he could only turn elsewhere—towards the woman who had seduced Shimin, Wang Yi.
Li Yuan still remembers the first time he saw Wang Yi, a Daoist woman who suddenly appeared in his harem, with unparalleled beauty and extraordinary wisdom. He was attracted to her and captivated by her.
Then, just as he was seriously ill, she and Shimin... That past event, even after so many years, still feels like a lump in her throat when she thinks about it.
Betrayal. A double betrayal. The most favored concubine, and the most valued son.
From that moment on, his hatred for Wang Yi became intertwined with his hatred for Shimin, inseparable and inextricable. He hated her for seducing Shimin, and he also hated Shimin for being seduced by her; he hated her for betraying him, and he also hated Shimin for betraying morality for her.
This complex hatred reached its peak after he awoke from a coma after many years.
When he awoke, he found that Shimin had become a wise and revered ruler, Wang Yi had become a respected "Guardian of the Nation," while he himself was just a dying old man with nothing but the empty title of Emperor Emeritus.
He was unwilling to accept it. How could he possibly accept it?
He wanted to get revenge. But he couldn't directly retaliate against Shimin, because that was his son, because... deep down, he still loved him.
This entanglement of love and hate nearly tore him apart. He needed an outlet, a way to hurt Shimin without truly destroying him.
Then he thought of something—destroy the people Shimin cared about, destroy the things he cared about.
Wang Yi was naturally the primary target. That wretched woman, what gave her the right to live such a glamorous life? What gave her the favor and trust of Emperor Taizong? What gave her the ability to influence the court and even tutor the Crown Prince?
He wanted to ruin her, to disgrace her, and to make sure she died without a burial place.
Crown Prince Li Chengqian was the second target. That young man was Shimin's carefully groomed successor, Shimin's hope for the future. Destroying him would be tantamount to destroying half a lifetime of Shimin's hard work.
What's even more intriguing is that Li Chengqian seems to have special feelings for Wang Yi. Li Yuan noticed this from various subtle clues and confirmed it from reports from the scions of aristocratic families.
What a perfect revenge—to make Shimin's son repeat Shimin's mistakes; to make the woman who seduced his father seduce his son; and then to expose all of this to the light of day, so that Shimin could personally judge and taste the pain he had tasted back then.
This was a triple kill. It served to avenge Wang Yi, strike a blow at Shimin, and incidentally ruin the Crown Prince.
The plan was progressing smoothly. The scions of powerful families were persuaded by him and began to spread the news; Prince Wei, Li Tai, was lured by the prospect of profit and began to investigate secretly; rumors were already circulating in the court and among the people, waiting only for the right moment to ignite this scandal.
But why didn't he feel the expected pleasure?
Li Yuan gazed at the night sky outside the window, the countless stars twinkling like countless eyes watching him. He thought of Jiancheng and Yuanji, imagining the looks in their eyes before they died—was it shock, disbelief, or... disappointment in him?
As a father, he failed to protect his sons. As an emperor, he failed to balance the relationships between his sons. Ultimately, this led to the Xuanwu Gate Incident, resulting in fratricide.
He was guilty. He never truly faced this fact, but it always surfaced in his mind in the quiet of the night.
"Jiancheng, Yuanji..." He softly called out the names of his two deceased sons, his voice echoing in the empty hall, but no one answered.
If he had been more decisive back then, if he had clearly established the position of heir apparent and supported him earlier, if he had been able to better restrain Shimin... wouldn't the tragedy have been avoided?
There are no answers. History has no "what ifs".
The candlelight flickered, stretching his shadow longer and more distorted. Li Yuan looked at the shadow on the wall and suddenly felt that it didn't resemble him, but rather a strange, malevolent monster.
This monster is now plotting to destroy another son, and another grandson.
“Shimin…” he murmured, his voice trembling without him even realizing it.
He recalled the scene when Shimin recently visited him at Da'an Palace. His son, now middle-aged, had graying temples and fine lines around his eyes, but his gaze remained sharp and his demeanor composed. He respectfully greeted him, inquired about his health, and reported on state affairs... like a filial son and a dutiful subject.
If only there were no Xuanwu Gate.
If only there were no bloodshed, no betrayal.
Li Yuan closed his eyes in anguish. Love and hate clashed within him, tearing him to pieces. He wanted revenge, he wanted to inflict pain on Shimin, he wanted all those who had betrayed him to pay the price. But deep inside, a voice asked: Is this really the right thing to do? Will destroying everything Shimin cares about bring you happiness?
No. He knew he wouldn't. Even if Wang Yi died, even if the Crown Prince was deposed, even if Shimin was in unbearable pain—he wouldn't be happy. Because Jiancheng and Yuanji wouldn't come back to life, because the wounds of the past wouldn't heal, because he himself was already an old man nearing the end of his life, with little time left.
Revenge is nothing more than the last struggle of a dying person, the final filling of an empty soul.
But if he didn't seek revenge, what could he do? Forgive? He couldn't do that. Forget? He couldn't do that either.
So he could only continue down this paved road, heading towards the predetermined end—to destroy Wang Yi, destroy the Crown Prince, cause Shimin pain, and also to... die in agony.
This was his destiny. A failed father, a failed emperor, a dying old man filled with resentment.
The wind outside the window grew stronger, making the windowpanes creak. Li Yuan wrapped his fox fur coat tighter around himself, but he still felt cold. The cold seeped into his bones, and no amount of charcoal or fur could warm him.
He picked up the wine glass on the table and drank it all in one gulp. The wine was strong, burning his throat, but at least it could temporarily numb the pain in his heart.
"Someone come here," he called out.
The eunuch entered in response.
"Bring more wine," Li Yuan said, "the strongest kind."
The eunuch hesitated: "Your Majesty, the imperial physician has advised that you cannot drink too much..."
"Take it as I say!" Li Yuan said sternly, then waved his hand wearily, "Go. These are my last moments, let me have my fill."
The eunuch dared not persuade him any further and silently withdrew to fetch the wine.
Li Yuan sat alone in the hall, watching the flickering candlelight, the distorted shadows on the wall, and the jade pendant he had just finished making.
“Jiancheng, Yuanji, your father… I will be able to see you soon,” he said softly. “But before that, I have one last thing to do. After I do this, I will go down and apologize to you.”
The wine arrived. Li Yuan drank it cup after cup until his vision blurred and his consciousness became hazy.
In his drunken haze, he seemed to see his younger self, and the young Jiancheng, Yuanji, and Shimin, surrounded by them, their laughter ringing out.
The sun was shining brightly, the wind was warm, and the future seemed far away.
Unfortunately, we can't go back.
There's no going back.
Li Yuan lay on the couch, the jade pendant slipping from his hand and falling to the floor with a crisp sound. The candlelight flickered, casting his lonely and desolate shadow on the wall.
The night at Da'an Palace was still long. But his life was already nearing its end.
At the end, there is darkness, nothingness, and... eternal silence.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com