Chapter 26: Your Majesty, the Prince of Qin is slandering me!

Li Shimin truly could not wait any longer.

He had defeated many enemies in his life, reaping countless victories and honors, but he had never felt such intense agitation as he did today.

He was only one step away. With one more step, he would become the most powerful man in the Great Tang. From this day forward, he would no longer need to live in fear or act with such exhausting caution.

Upon arriving at the Xianchi Palace, Li Shimin dismounted and lifted Wen He, whose face was pale, from the horse.

"Are you alright?"

Seeing Wen He stumble the moment his feet touched the ground, Li Shimin reached out to steady him with a hint of concern.

"Heh, thank you," Wen He swallowed hard and offered a dry laugh, though in his heart, he had already cursed Li Shimin’s ancestors back eighteen generations.

*Was this really necessary?*

*The outcome is already decided, yet you’re still acting like a madman. You are Li Shimin, the most formidable man in the Great Tang! Do you have to be this hysterical? Don't you know this ruins your cool, powerful persona?*

Complaints aside, he dared not voice a single word.

Li Shimin, unaware of his thoughts, steadied him and adjusted his attire. He had already shed his armor in favor of a sapphire-blue brocade robe. His demeanor returned to a state of calm; he suppressed the faint smile at the corners of his mouth and began walking toward the palace steps.

At the top stood Pei Ji, Xiao Yu, Chen Shuda, Feng Deyi, Pei Ju, and Yuwen Shiji, all waiting in respectful silence. As he approached, the expressions of these veteran officials varied. Yuwen Shiji, Chen Shuda, and Xiao Yu let out long, relieved sighs, while Pei Ji, Feng Deyi, and Pei Ju sighed in helpless resignation. Almost simultaneously, they stepped forward to greet him.

"We pay our respects to Your Highness."

They did not specify which "Highness"—neither Prince of Qin nor Crown Prince.

Li Shimin sighed with a look of profound grief and returned the gesture: "Greetings to you all, esteemed sirs."

Wen He, trailing behind Li Shimin, glanced at the elderly men. Though he knew who was supposed to be present, he couldn't distinguish one from the other. Thankfully, none of the elders looked at him, so he simply remained behind Li Shimin, acting as if he were invisible.

"We dare not accept such courtesy," the officials said, hurriedly stepping aside.

Although they were founding pillars of the Great Tang and had been dukes since the Sui Dynasty, they knew that a new sovereign meant a new set of ministers, and this new ruler would not be easy to handle. Today’s events were, in essence, no different from the overthrow of a dynasty.

"The Sage is already waiting inside. Please, Your Highness, proceed," Pei Ji said, his head hanging low as he stepped aside to clear the way. The others followed suit. They remained outside the palace, for they had all been driven out by Li Yuan.

As the founding emperor, now abandoned by his kin and followers alike, he must be suffering greatly. Wen He sighed inwardly and shook his head.

"Let’s go," Li Shimin suddenly turned back to urge him.

"I’m going with you?" Wen He pointed at himself in surprise. He had assumed Li Shimin would go in alone. *In a situation like this, shouldn't a father and son have a private heart-to-heart? If you two say something sensitive and I happen to hear it, wouldn't I be as good as dead?* He remembered reading in the *Zizhi Tongjian* that Li Shimin had knelt and suckled at his father’s breast—a scene so bizarre he dared not imagine it. However, since neither the *Old Book of Tang* nor the *New Book of Tang* recorded it, he wondered if Sima Guang had simply invented it.

"Why else would I have brought you here? Don't worry, I will protect you."

Li Shimin grabbed Wen He by the wrist and, half-pushing, half-leading him, marched toward the Xianchi Palace.

Only then did the other officials notice Wen He. They exchanged curious glances, silently questioning one another. Chen Shuda and Xiao Yu shook their heads, their gazes shifting toward Yuwen Shiji. Now that the dust had settled, everyone knew Yuwen Shiji was part of the Prince of Qin’s faction. *That old fox, he kept this hidden from us for so long!*

Sensing their stares, Yuwen Shiji could only offer a bitter smile, signaling them to remain calm. Watching Li Shimin and Wen He enter the hall, he whispered, "That young man is a rare talent. I do not know his name, but the Prince of Qin holds him in high regard. It seems he is connected to today’s events."

Pei Ji and the others were left speechless; his explanation was as good as saying nothing at all.

...

Inside the dim Xianchi Palace, only a few candles flickered. In the center sat an old man with disheveled hair, his face etched with exhaustion. It was undoubtedly Li Yuan.

Seeing him for the first time, Wen He couldn't help but study this pitiable figure. Later generations had mixed opinions of Li Yuan, but one thing was almost universally agreed upon: he was a failed father. Of course, he wasn't the only one in the Li family; looking through the history of the Great Tang, there was hardly a single "good father" among them. Li Shimin’s Xuanwu Gate succession model had left a profound and bloody legacy.

"Your son pays his respects to Father Emperor."

"Uh—this commoner pays his respects to Your Majesty! Long live, long live, long live the Emperor!"

Wen He wasn't sure what the proper etiquette was, only remembering that one didn't need to kneel in the Tang. He wasn't even sure about the "long live" chant. The heavy atmosphere was instantly shattered by his loud proclamation.

Neither father nor son had ever encountered such a display. Li Yuan, who had been grieving, was about to erupt in a rage when Wen He’s interruption left him momentarily stunned, unsure of how to react. Li Shimin glared at Wen He in embarrassment. *Why are you causing trouble at a time like this?*

Wen He looked innocent; it wasn't intentional—he was just worried that if he didn't show enough respect, he’d be implicated in Li Yuan’s wrath.

"Get out!" Li Yuan finally regained his composure and pointed at Wen He.

"Gladly!" Wen He was delighted; he didn't want to be here anyway. The air was suffocating.

But before he could move, Li Shimin grabbed him. "Father, he cannot leave. What I have done today is, in part, linked to him."

Wen He was stunned. He hadn't expected Li Shimin to pin such a massive responsibility on him. Seeing Li Yuan on the verge of exploding, he hurriedly explained, "Your Majesty, please be discerning! Today’s affairs have nothing to do with me! The Prince of Qin is slandering me! He’s slandering me! Even without me, he would have done this today anyway—it was only a matter of a day or two!"

Li Yuan stood up, and Wen He noticed with alarm that he was gripping a *hengdao* sword.

"Traitor! You traitor!" Li Yuan roared, charging toward them.

Seeing this, Wen He ducked behind Li Shimin. "Your Majesty, please calm down! Just calm down! The Prince of Qin has something he wants to tell you!"

"Father!" Li Shimin suddenly dropped to his knees, wailing loudly. "I had no choice! I did not want to die, but my eldest brother and my fourth brother—they wanted me dead! Father, how could you be so cruel? Why did you force us brothers to turn on one another?"

He slammed his head against the floor, and Wen He heard a distinct *thud*.

*He’s right,* Wen He thought. If Li Yuan hadn't tried to balance the power between Li Jiancheng, Li Yuanji, and Li Shimin, this tragedy would never have occurred. Yet, blaming it all on Li Yuan felt somewhat biased; after all, it was the three brothers who were unwilling to relinquish the throne.

But Li Shimin’s words were like a dagger to Li Yuan’s heart. The old emperor froze in his tracks, his strength failing him as the sword fell from his grip and clattered to the ground. He stumbled and collapsed, breaking into bitter sobs.

"Dailang... Silang... I have failed you both!"