Chapter 23: I Shall Watch You from the Netherworld

"Why is the security so tight today?"

Just as he entered the Xuanwu Gate, Li Yuanji immediately sensed something amiss. Frowning, he questioned Chang He. He gripped his sword hilt warily, one hand pulling on the reins, ready to flee the moment he sensed danger.

Chang He stepped forward, unperturbed, and explained, "Reporting to Your Highness, the Prince of Qi, this is by imperial decree issued yesterday. His Majesty stated that Chang'an is restless and, fearing unforeseen events, ordered reinforcements from the Imperial Guards."

"The Imperial Guards..." Li Jiancheng looked up at the soldiers standing firm on the city walls and shook his head with a faint smile. "Er-lang is, after all, Father’s son and my younger brother; what unrest could there be? Father is merely... sigh, never mind. I shall plead for him later."

It was self-evident for whom Li Yuan had deployed the Imperial Guards to the Xuanwu Gate. Throughout Chang'an, this was the only force the Prince of Qin truly feared.

"No wonder Jing Junhong is here today as well," Li Yuanji said, his concerns dispelled. He had been on edge ever since seeing Jing Junhong earlier. Ordinarily, the Xuanwu Gate was guarded by only one commander, yet today both Jing Junhong and Chang He were present. He had feared some complication, but hearing his brother's explanation, he immediately understood: Father was finally moving against the Prince of Qin’s faction.

"Big Brother, you are always playing the saint, yet he does not view you as a brother; he has his eyes set on your position as Crown Prince," Li Yuanji remarked, a flicker of malice in his gaze.

Li Jiancheng caught the look, but ultimately said nothing, letting out only a long sigh. "Enough, let us go. I will ensure Father leaves a bloodline for him."

At this point, Li Jiancheng understood well: it was either him or his brother.

Hearing this, Li Yuanji beamed and nodded, turning to glance at Chang He and Jing Junhong. "If the Prince of Qin arrives, you two must not make a sound. Once the Crown Prince ascends the throne, he will certainly not forget your service." His tone was arrogant and dismissive.

Chang He and Jing Junhong bowed in gratitude, though inwardly they were cursing Li Yuanji to the heavens.

As they watched the brothers pass through the inner gate, Chang He turned away, his smile vanishing. He commanded sternly, "Close the gates! Without my order, anyone approaching the Xuanwu Gate is to be executed for treason!"

"Clang!"

Archers ascended the watchtowers. Axemen took their positions along the walls.

"Why have they closed the gates?" A burly man over eight feet tall, left guarding outside the gate, frowned as he watched the palace doors seal shut. Behind him, a young officer shook his head in confusion.

"I do not know. Could there be some complication? Should I go and investigate, Duke of Wu'an?"

"Wait a moment. This is the palace gate; if we barge in, we will surely bring slander upon the Crown Prince." The young officer shivered at the thought of the imperial censors and the blunt-spoken Wei Zheng of the East Palace.

"Then let us wait."

...

A quarter of an hour later, on a small path in the woods outside the Linhu Hall by the lake, Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji walked one after the other. The former wore a solemn expression, while the latter appeared relaxed.

If Father has reinforced the Xuanwu Gate, he must be planning to capture Li Shimin today. Once that "good brother" is dead, the Prince of Qin's faction will surely hate the Crown Prince to their core, and they will have no choice but to defect to me. Watching the back of Li Jiancheng, Li Yuanji could not suppress the smirk growing on his lips.

Li Jiancheng turned suddenly and, seeing his fourth brother’s twisted smile, asked in confusion, "Fourth Brother, what are you smiling about? You seem so happy."

"Brother is removing a scourge today; naturally, I am happy," Li Yuanji replied, bowing to mask his true thoughts.

The latter, however, showed no joy. He sighed, "Nothing pains me more than seeing brothers turn on each other. If possible, I wish not to bear the name of a fratricide."

"Brother, this is all Li Shimin’s fault, not yours. Do not overthink it," Li Yuanji said, feigning sorrow as he stepped forward to comfort him—though he did not believe a single word of it. It was only months ago that Li Jiancheng himself was clamoring for Li Shimin’s death. Now that victory was at hand, he put on this performance, even though there was no one else around to watch.

Li Jiancheng did not notice the flash of resentment in Li Yuanji’s eyes.

But from a haystack just dozens of paces away, Wen He watched their every move. Beside him, Yuchi Gong lay prone, gripping his sword. His bow had been taken by Li Shimin, and though he felt aggrieved, he dared not speak, pouring all his rage into a fierce glare at the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qi, as if he could kill them with his eyes alone.

"Brother, if we see the second brother in a moment, you..."

"Whoosh!"

Before Li Yuanji could finish asking how Li Jiancheng would deal with Li Shimin and his family, a sound of air being pierced erupted from the nearby haystack.

Li Jiancheng was startled and jerked the reins so hard that his horse reared up, throwing him to the ground. Li Yuanji, seeing this, turned pale and spurred his horse to flee, but another arrow whistled toward him. He leaped from his horse in terror, narrowly avoiding it.

"The Crown Prince and the Prince of Qi are plotting treason to harm His Highness! Soldiers, follow me and kill them!"

Hou Junji, who had been waiting for this moment, could no longer restrain himself. Even now, he could hardly believe the Prince of Qin had handed him such a great achievement, with the promise that he would be ennobled as a Duke afterward. Though Li Shimin hadn't explicitly said it, Hou Junji knew he was meant to kill the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qi.

He had missed both his previous shots, and in a rage, he threw his bow to the ground and charged out.

In an instant, the air was filled with shouts of slaughter. Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, now unarmed, were surrounded by the Black Armored Guards.

"Damn it, Hou Junji! You couldn't hit anything with that; you should have let me do it!" Yuchi Gong cursed, reaching for his bow, but Wen He immediately stopped him.

"Take my advice: this credit belongs to Hou Junji by His Highness’s order. You cannot steal it!"

Yuchi Gong might not listen to him, but invoking Li Shimin’s name was enough to make him swallow his temper.

Looking back at Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji: apart from Hou Junji and the Black Armored Guards, no one else from the Prince of Qin’s mansion had appeared. Those who did not know the truth would assume the Prince of Qin was simply favoring Hou Junji. But Wen He, who knew the future, only found it chilling.

The mind of an emperor, truly.

"Kill!"

"No! No!"

Li Yuanji ran, trying to escape, but the perimeter was sealed tight. "Li Shimin, you cannot kill me! I am your brother, your own flesh and blood!"

Li Jiancheng stood still, looking at the soldiers and at Hou Junji, who was approaching with a raised blade. He showed no fear, his face calm as he let out a loud laugh.

"Er-lang, from childhood to adulthood, I have never defeated you. I thought I might win just this once, but it seems I have lost again."

He did not know where Li Shimin was, but he turned his gaze in a certain direction by intuition. "I shall watch you from the underworld. If the Great Tang falls by your hand, even if I must descend to the eighteenth level of hell, I will go before the Lord of Mount Tai to accuse you!"

"Er-lang, I am leaving!"

Suddenly, he lunged toward Hou Junji. The latter was shocked, thinking he was trying to seize the blade, and reflexively slashed his sword across Li Jiancheng's neck.