Chapter 24: The Crown Prince and the King of Qi Conspire to Rebel

“No, no!”

Li Yuanji roared in fury as he stared at the severed head that had rolled to a stop before him.

His eyes bloodshot, he turned toward the surrounding soldiers and screamed wildly, “Li Shimin, you murdered your elder brother and your younger brother! You will never die a peaceful death!”

“Elder Brother! Elder Brother!”

The instant Hou Junji killed Li Jiancheng, Li Yuanji knew that his own death was inevitable.

Li Shimin—his dear second brother—would never spare him.

“Li Shimin, you will bear this infamous reputation for all eternity! You will never be able to wash it away. Just wait until later generations curse you, as they cursed Yang Guang. The Great Tang will surely perish at your hands!”

As he bellowed those words, Hou Junji’s expression changed abruptly. Gripping his saber, he charged forward.

Li Yuanji still tried to resist, reaching out to seize the weapon, but Hou Junji was stronger. He brought the saber down in a single stroke. Blood burst forth, and a head fell to the ground, its eyes fixed resentfully upon Hou Junji.

Was it over?

Hidden within the haystack, Wen He was utterly astonished.

Recalling what had just happened, he had never expected Li Jiancheng to meet his death with such composure.

Perhaps he had anticipated this day long ago.

Wen He did not know. But as the Crown Prince, Li Jiancheng had at least preserved his dignity to the end.

For that alone, Wen He could not help admiring him.

“Stop!”

A thunderous shout rang out. Rapid footsteps approached from behind Hou Junji, and someone shoved him aside. A figure swept past him.

“Elder Brother! Fourth Brother!”

Li Shimin suddenly dropped to his knees. Seeing the two blood-soaked heads, he threw back his head and wailed.

“Who? Who killed my brothers? Who?”

His eyes were red, and tears spilled from them.

At that moment, his grief seemed utterly genuine.

Even Wen He, watching from a short distance away, could not help feeling impressed.

With acting like that, he would have outshone every pretty-faced young star of later generations.

“Your Highness, the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qi were conspiring to rebel and intended to harm His Majesty and Your Highness. I had no choice but to take action!”

Hou Junji cast his saber aside and stepped forward to plead guilty.

“Outrageous!” Li Shimin turned and shouted furiously.

“How dare you! Guards, take Hou Junji away!”

He was so heartless that one might have thought the matter had nothing to do with him.

Yet Hou Junji was secretly delighted.

He had killed the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qi. Surely the Emperor would be enraged and order his execution.

Now that Prince Qin was sending him to prison, he must be trying to protect him. Once the storm had passed, His Highness would certainly remember this great service.

He indulged in these happy thoughts, completely unaware of the chill that had flashed through Li Shimin’s eyes when he looked at him.

“Wen He said you would one day resent me. In that case, I shall give you a great service to your name.”

Li Shimin gazed at Hou Junji’s retreating back and thought to himself.

He would raise Hou Junji high—perhaps even grant him the title of Duke of the State.

But that would be all.

Afterward, Hou Junji could enjoy wealth and glory within the city of Chang’an.

Li Shimin could admit that he had murdered his elder and younger brothers.

Those aristocratic clans and powerful families that had once stood behind Li Jiancheng would not dare take revenge on him, nor would they even dare openly condemn him.

But Hou Junji, who had personally killed Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, would become the target of their fury.

Even if Li Shimin wished to promote him in the future, he would inevitably face opposition from Li Jiancheng’s former supporters.

“Your Highness, such a tragedy was truly an accident. Please restrain your grief.”

It was now Changsun Wuji’s turn to perform.

“Please restrain your grief, Your Highness.”

The other attendants bowed in succession.

Looking at the two heads lying in pools of blood, Li Shimin slowly exhaled a long breath of foul air.

The dust had settled.

“Your Highness, you must inform His Majesty at once!” Changsun Wuji hurriedly reminded him when he saw him relax.

The matter was not yet over.

They had to obtain the Emperor’s edict immediately, or the situation could still change today.

Li Shimin was the legitimate heir, but if he were gone, would not all the sons born of concubines have a chance?

Who among the other princes would not covet that supreme position?

“You are right. We should report to Father at once. Lord Yuwen, please proceed with Lord Jingde. I shall follow shortly.”

He needed someone to control Li Yuan, lest word be sent out.

The decree hidden in Emperor Xian of Han’s belt had become a famous historical precedent.

“This old servant understands.”

“This general obeys!”

Yuchi Jingde mounted his horse, took up a long spear, and summoned more than a hundred men to accompany him to Chihai Lake.

Yuwen Shiji stroked his beard, bowed to Li Shimin, and turned to mount his horse.

He did not spare even a glance for the corpses of Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji.

He had been an old minister of the Sui dynasty and had also lived through the palace coup of those years.

Such things no longer surprised him.

“Zhang Shigui.”

“Your servant is here!”

An old general strode over.

So this was Zhang Shigui?

Wen He deliberately studied him for a moment.

It was not that the man appeared particularly remarkable. It was simply that when Wen He had been young, he had watched a television series called The Legend of Xue Rengui.

In it, Zhang Shigui had been vilified beyond recognition.

Yet the historical Zhang Shigui had successively served as Grand Master of the Right Glorious Guard, Great General of the Right Garrison Guard, and Great General of the Left Command Guard. He had also been enfeoffed as Duke of Guo and Duke of Xun.

Even at the age of sixty, he had still campaigned against Goguryeo. Four lines on his epitaph after death read:

“With strength enough to cross the sea, his spirit towered above three armies;
With merit that swept across the wilds, his courage stood unmatched through a hundred battles.”

Unfortunately, the extent to which later generations blackened his name was something perhaps only Su Dingfang could truly understand.

Zhang Shigui passed by Wen He. Feeling the other man’s stare, he found it somewhat inexplicable.

Still, he did not dwell on it. He came before Li Shimin and requested his orders.

Wen He’s strange gaze had not escaped Li Shimin either, but he had no time to consider it. Suppressing his thoughts, he said to Zhang Shigui, “Proceed at once to Xuanwu Gate and deliver the edict. Have Cheng Zhijie lead the troops of the Left Garrison Guard to the Eastern Palace. Then order Qin Qiong and Xue Wanjun to take their forces to Xuanwu Gate and join Chang He in capturing Xue Wanche.”

Both men were formidable generals under Li Jiancheng, and the guards of the Eastern Palace were elite troops. Taking them down would not be easy.

Fortunately, Wen He had warned him beforehand.

It was true that Li Shimin had only eight hundred Black Armored Guards under his command, but now he was issuing orders in Li Yuan’s name.

Yuchi Jingde controlled the Left Garrison Guard, while Qin Qiong and Cheng Zhijie commanded troops of the Right Prestige Guard. Thus, as long as he controlled the imperial palace and prevented Li Yuan’s edicts from leaving the Hall of Supreme Harmony, he could control the entire city of Chang’an.

“I receive your command!”

Zhang Shigui did not dare delay. He mounted his horse at once and sped toward Xuanwu Gate.

Only after arranging all this did Li Shimin turn his gaze toward Wen He.

“Young Master Wen, I shall have to trouble you to accompany me to see Father.”

“You really want me to go? I feel a little unwell.”

Wen He swallowed nervously.

From the moment it had happened, he had been doing everything he could to avoid looking at the bodies of Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji.

In his previous life, he had never even killed a chicken. The bloodiest scene he had ever witnessed was the slaughter of a pig.

Now two fully grown men lay dead before him, and he felt sick to his stomach.

“I shall have the imperial physicians examine you afterward. For now, you will accompany me.”

Li Shimin was not asking. He was giving an order.

Before Wen He could answer, Li Shimin lifted him onto the horse as easily as if he were a chick, then mounted behind him and rode toward Chihai Lake.

At the same time, in the middle of Chihai Lake, on the deck of a small flat-bottomed boat—

Li Yuan stood against the cool breeze, with the pleasant sound of the pipa drifting beside him.

Holding a wine cup, he sang loudly with a group of veteran ministers, reminiscing about the years gone by.

Just then, a horse came galloping hurriedly along the shore.

When he saw the rider, Li Yuan pointed toward him and burst into laughter.

“Look, Yuwen has arrived! He is terribly late. Gentlemen, you must make him drink several jars with us later.”

The man on the shore was Yuwen Shiji.

And not far behind him, at a bend in the road, Yuchi Jingde waited with a murderous expression.