Chapter 62

In the right of Long, in Liangzhou, the garrison of the Left Wuwei, a large tent stood at the center of the encampment. Li Er sat in the main seat, surrounded by the generals of the Tiancefu and a group of strategists.

"Everyone, what do you think?" Li Er's brows were furrowed, looking at the leather envelope and the gold token placed on the table in front of him. These were delivered by a mysterious person who had appeared in his tent. Li Er had not even looked at the contents before summoning his generals and strategists. He was not worried about the content of the secret decree but was shocked that the mysterious person could enter and leave the tent undetected, even by the few top martial artists of the world, such as Qin Qiong and Qin Shubao, who had not noticed his entry. If this person had ill intentions, he could have beheaded Li Er in his sleep.

As Li Er thought about this, he felt a cold sweat on his back. It seemed that all the things he had done over the years had not escaped the eyes of the person on the throne. Li Er was relieved that he had not done anything too extreme, and the arrangements were only made after being pushed to the limit by the Crown Prince.

"This person is unfathomable. Among the people I know, only Brother Luo and Ding Yanping can match him," Qin Qiong said, stroking his short beard, his face grave.

"Is he really that powerful? I admire Brother Luo's skills a lot. Is this mysterious person really that skilled?" Cheng Yaojin was a bit skeptical. The Brother Luo they were talking about was Luo Shixin, the true first hero of the Sui and Tang dynasties, the most powerful martial artist.

"There is no doubt about it. The fact that he could avoid my vigilance shows that he has completely concealed his aura. Only Brother Luo and Ding Yanping can do this. Even Shan Xiongxin cannot," Qin Qiong answered with certainty.

"Does this mean we have no way to deal with him?" Changsun Wujì's face was filled with distress. He had thought that his brother-in-law had gathered most of the heroes of the world, and no one could stand in his way. But where did such a powerful person come from? Fortunately, he had no ill intentions toward Li Er, or he might have been dealing with Li Er's corpse by now.

"He should be someone close to the Emperor. I have long noticed a mysterious force protecting the Emperor, and I did not expect such a powerful person to be among them," Li Er said. It seemed he still did not fully understand his father. He had thought the Emperor was unwilling to see brothers fight, but at the time, he had believed the Emperor's strength was not as great as his own, which was why he had made concessions. Now, thinking back, it was laughable.

"Let's see what the decree says! Since the person delivering the decree has no ill intentions toward the Prince of Qin, this decree should not be bad news," Fang Xuanling stood up and said, with Du Ruhui nodding in agreement.

"Then I will read it. Let's see what decree my father has given me!" Li Er stood up and picked up the leather envelope, the seal still intact, indicating it had not been tampered with.

Tearing open the envelope, he took out the silk scroll and began to read. As he read, his expression grew increasingly grave, and the atmosphere in the tent became heavy.

"What is it? What does the Emperor decree?" Changsun Wujì, being the closest to Li Er, asked first. The others leaned forward, waiting for Li Er's response, with Cheng Yaojin's eyes wide open, eager for an answer.

"My father has ordered me to lead three thousand Black Armored soldiers into the pass and march to the capital to support the throne!" Li Er's words were like a thunderclap.

"What? Support the throne? Is this a joke? Who in Chang'an could make the Emperor issue such a decree?" Fang Xuanling was a bit incredulous. This was a decree to support the throne, the last thing an emperor would issue, indicating that he felt he was being overthrown or that someone was plotting against him with great power. How many people in the Tang Dynasty had such power? Even Li Er, with his powerful army, did not dare to say he could overthrow Li Yuan. So why would Li Yuan issue such a decree? Could the Crown Prince's power have grown to this extent?

"Could this be a trap?" Du Ruhui said, "This decree might be a ruse. If you lead your troops to the capital, you will be accused of disobeying orders,擅自出兵, and plotting against the throne. Thus..." He did not finish, but most people knew what would happen next: Li Er and Li Yuan would fight, and the Crown Prince, Li Jiancheng, would wait to pick up the pieces.

"No, this token is carried by my father. With it, you can enter any part of the palace. With it, you are the most powerful person in the Tang Dynasty, even the Crown Prince must bow to you! My elder brother could not have obtained this token without my father's knowledge!" Li Er was not boasting; he knew he could defeat the Crown Prince easily, but his younger brother might resort to desperate measures, involving the Crown Prince.

Li Er, though he saw his brothers infrequently, knew them well. He had studied their personalities and methods. His conclusion was that the Crown Prince was still human, while Li Yuanji was a mad dog, willing to do anything to achieve his goals. And Li Er was the one he hated the most, so this madman, driven by hatred, could do anything to prevent Li Er from being at ease.

"So, does the Prince of Qin mean to march?" Fang Xuanling asked cautiously.

"Yes! I will lead three thousand Black Armored soldiers, march quickly into the pass, and reach Chang'an within half a month!" Li Er made his decision, and the troops were mobilized.

Thus, in the ninth year of Wude, a fratricidal conflict was about to unfold.

In Chang'an, in the Zhaohao Palace, Li Yuan lay in bed, his face pale, his body emaciated, a far cry from the majestic figure he once was, looking like an old man on the verge of death.

"Has the second son set out?" Li Yuan extended his bony hand, waving to the attendant by his side to leave. Once the attendant was far away, he asked.

"The Prince of Qin has set out, leading three thousand Black Armored soldiers, and is rushing to Chang'an. He is expected to arrive in half a month!" A figure appeared in the corner, kneeling to answer.

"Very good. How is the investigation going? What is the cause?" Li Yuan's voice was weak, almost on the verge of death.

"The investigation is complete. It is the spring water, the water used to boil tea every day. However, the physicians do not know what the problem is. I found this near the spring!" The black-clad figure presented an irregular object with both hands.

Li Yuan struggled to raise his head, looking at the object: "What is this?" He could not immediately recognize it, but it seemed familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere.

"I have investigated. This is the residue left from copper smelting!" The black-clad figure spoke again.

"That's it." Li Yuan remembered; he had seen it at the mint, though it was much larger.

"Could it be the third son? Only he is privately minting coins and acquiring copper mines. The second son is focused on military power, and the eldest is obsessed with court affairs. Only this son, whom I do not favor, would resort to such underhanded methods!" Li Yuan thought, but tears streamed down his face: This is patricide! How could I have such a son! Is the throne so tempting that it makes them kill their own father and brothers?

At that moment, Li Yuan seemed to lose all his vitality, his eyes dull and lifeless. He had known that winning the world would mean losing much, but he did not expect it to come so quickly and so fiercely.

"Your Majesty, shall I take care of this for you?" The black-clad figure asked.

This voice woke Li Yuan, giving him a bit of human color: "No, this time I will handle it myself. This is my family matter. You may go!" Li Yuan waved his hand, indicating that he could leave.

"Your Majesty, I have served you for forty years. Over the years, I have observed your three sons. I believe the Prince of Qin is the most suitable. The Crown Prince is merely without fault, and the Prince of Qi, to put it bluntly, is not human. The things he has done over the years, if made public, would be no less than the crimes of the Emperor Yang. The Crown Prince and the Prince of Qi are close, so they are likely involved in this matter." The black-clad figure seemed to have a special relationship with Li Yuan, daring to speak so frankly.

"How could I not know? But no matter how despicable, they are still my sons. A tiger does not eat its cubs!" Li Yuan could not make up his mind, or perhaps deep down, he still harbored a bit of hope that it was all Li Yuanji's doing and Li Jiancheng was not involved.

"Your Majesty, two years ago in winter, the Prince of Qi went hunting and visited Yushan. That day, the Crown Prince did not appear, and after that, Your Majesty fell ill." The black-clad figure disappeared silently after saying this, just as he had appeared.

"What have I done to deserve this! Can the throne really make people lose their humanity? Will the Li family continue like this! Cough, cough..." Li Yuan coughed, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, dripping onto the bed, as if mocking him.

In the Qin王府, in Li Kuan's courtyard, since the incident outside the city, Li Kuan had once again chosen the courtyard as his training ground.

At this moment, Li Kuan was lying on the ground, surrounded by a puddle of sweat, the result of his efforts. Black impurities oozed from his pores, sticking to his body, emitting a foul odor. Li Kuan, however, seemed oblivious, breathing heavily.

"Three times, this is the third time. I must do it a fourth time today! Come on, time is running out. For Lizhi, for Nianwei, for Mother, and most importantly, for my life! I, Li Kuan, am a man who will become a noble in a feudal society. This small incident at Xuanwu Gate will not defeat me." Li Kuan muttered to himself, hypnotizing himself. Although historical records show that the Qin王府 survived the coup unscathed, Li Kuan did not dare to bet on it. Since he was not part of the original history, the course of events had already changed. According to the theory that history will automatically correct its path, the most dangerous person in the Qin王府 this time would be him. He might die here, so Li Kuan was pushing himself to the limit, hoping to survive.