Chapter 45: The Tide Turns! Let's See Who Has the Last Laugh!

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

"His Majesty would never kill my father! My father is a great pillar of the imperial court!"

"Aunt! I beg you! Please ask His Majesty not to kill my father!"

"......"

Outside the gates of the Lizheng Palace, one could hear desperate weeping from time to time.

Occasionally, words of comfort from Empress Zhangsun and a strange woman would drift over.

"You don't need to worry too much. His Majesty will handle this matter. I believe His Majesty will not kill your father! Those are merely the words of rebels, you must not take them to heart!"

"Indeed, indeed, Chong'er, Pingting, stop crying. This is the inner palace; wailing and weeping like this, what kind of decorum is this? Anyone knowing would understand you are worried about your father, but anyone not knowing might think the Empress has done something to you!"

"Sob, sob, sob......"

The joys and sorrows of human beings are not connected; Li Chengqian only found them noisy.

He calmly walked in from outside the hall, crossed the inner courtyard, and arrived at Empress Zhangsun's residence.

At this moment, Empress Zhangsun's quarters were packed with people.

They were all members of Zhangsun Wuji's family.

Standing beside Empress Zhangsun was Lady Meng, the wife of Zhangsun Wuji.

Next to Lady Meng, a young man and woman were weeping bitterly. The male was Zhangsun Wuji's eldest son, Zhangsun Chong, and the female was Zhangsun Wuji's eldest daughter, Zhangsun Pingting.

Among Zhangsun Wuji's children, Li Chengqian was only familiar with Zhangsun Chong.

This fellow was the one who had married his younger sister, Princess Changle, Li Lizhi.

However, in the memories of the eight-year-old Li Chengqian, the impression of Zhangsun Chong was not deep. He only knew that the princess's epitaph unearthed in later generations had evaluated Zhangsun Chong as a person akin to Wang Xianzhi.

It said he came from a fine lineage, harbored no ambitions, did not bully others by exploiting his status as an imperial son-in-law, and was a talented aristocratic young man.

As for Wang Xianzhi, he was hailed in the hearts of emperors as the most ideal son-in-law.

Yet, whether looking at the princess's epitaph or at Zhangsun Chong before his very eyes, Li Chengqian felt that this fellow somewhat failed to live up to his reputation.

As for Zhangsun Pingting.....

She was truly breathtakingly beautiful, resembling a little fairy.

Especially when she cried, tears glistening like rain on pear blossoms, a sight to melt the heart with pity.

It was a pity, however, that she was his first cousin.

"Ahem, ahem...."

Li Chengqian coughed lightly twice, shattering the mournful atmosphere within the room and causing Empress Zhangsun and the entire Zhangsun family to turn their gazes toward him in unison.

"Chengqian?"

Empress Zhangsun was slightly startled, and then her expression turned cold: "Where did you go last night?"

"Nowhere! I was just reading books at the Hongwen Hall!"

Li Chengqian said without a blush and with a steady heartbeat.

"Reading books until nightfall and not coming back?"

Empress Zhangsun took two steps in one stride, reached Li Chengqian's ear, pinched it, and said, "Don't think I don't know; Qingque told me everything. You took his palace access token. Speak! Did you sneak out of the palace?"

"Ah? No, I didn't. I really was reading books at the Hongwen Hall!"

"Ouch, it hurts, it hurts, Mother, please go lighter, it's going to fall off!"

"Let it fall off! That'll teach you to disobey!"

"Aunt, save me!"

"Empress, please calm your anger. Chengqian is still young, you mustn't hurt him!"

Lady Meng had long heard Zhangsun Wuji speak of this eldest nephew of his, and thus held a special fondness for Li Chengqian.

Now, seeing Empress Zhangsun disciplining Li Chengqian and hearing him cry out to her for rescue, she did not hesitate for a moment, stepping forward hurriedly to dissuade Empress Zhangsun.

Instead, Empress Zhangsun spoke regardless, saying: "Do you have any idea how dangerous it is outside right now, and you still dare to leave the palace in private? Are you truly trying to anger me to death?"

As she spoke, tears fell from her eyes.

"Mother, I...."

Li Chengqian, whose ear had been aching terribly from Empress Zhangsun's pinch, saw how deeply concerned Empress Zhangsun was for him and choked up for a moment, unable to speak.

He had returned to the Lizheng Palace simply to have Empress Zhangsun provide cover for him, and then quietly wait for Li Yuan to summon him and invest him as the Crown Prince.

He had not expected that passing the trial of Empress Zhangsun would be so difficult.

"It seems I'll have to rack my brains once more."

Sighing, Li Chengqian could not help but raise a hand to press against his forehead, preparing to argue his case with Empress Zhangsun.

......

Meanwhile.

Outside the city of Chang'an, on the banks of the Wei River.

Prince Yi'an, Li Xiaochang, arrayed his troops before the capital, brimming with high spirits.

Duke of Wu, Yuchi Gong, gripped a steel spear, his intent to kill fierce and stern.

"Prince Yi'an, when you go hunting, it should be in your prefecture of Yu; why have you run all the way here?" Yuchi Gong asked with a cold laugh.

Li Xiaochang glanced at him with disdain, puffed out his chest, and said: "I once heard that His Majesty intends to reduce the territories of the enfeoffed princes, and I also heard that this reduction was plotted by the Right Pushe, Zhangsun Wuji! Therefore, I have come to Chang'an to demand an explanation from His Majesty!"

"To demand an explanation—does that require arraying troops before the capital?"

"It is rumored that the Prince of Yan, Li Yi, was driven to rebellion by Zhangsun Wuji, and afterward, he even sought to murder the Prince of Changle, Li Youliang. My arraying troops before the capital is merely for self-preservation!"

"Hmph, and distributing propaganda fliers within Chang'an city—is that also for self-preservation?" Yuchi Gong scoffed coldly.

"What propaganda fliers?"

Li Xiaochang was slightly stunned and could not help asking: "When did I ever have anyone distribute fliers?"

"Stop trying to hoodwink me here. Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Dai Zhou, has already investigated the matter thoroughly. It was the guards of your Prince Yi'an's mansion who distributed the fliers reading 'Purge the imperial court's inner circle, kill Zhangsun Wuji' within Chang'an city!"

"This...."

Li Xiaochang was momentarily at a loss for words. He had indeed dispatched guards from his mansion to assist Zhangsun Anye, but as for the distribution of fliers, he knew nothing about it.

However, saying such things now was of no use.

Regardless of whether he had done it or not, he and Zhangsun Anye were in the same camp.

Besides, purging the inner circle and killing Zhangsun Wuji was nothing wrong.

Seeing him remain silent for a brief moment, he spoke in a cold voice: "Since you have made your words plain, I have nothing more to hide! Please relay to His Majesty that today, Xiaochang is purging the inner circle, not committing treason!"

"Once Zhangsun Wuji is slain, Xiaochang will immediately disband his army and present himself before His Majesty to bear a thorned rod and plead for punishment!"

"Should His Majesty bear reluctance, Xiaochang will have no choice but to purge the inner circle himself!"

"Hahaha!"

Hearing Li Xiaochang's words, Yuchi Gong threw his head back and laughed loudly, then checked his laughter, raised his steel spear, pointed it at Li Xiaochang, and said: "Your terms, I will relay to His Majesty. My term is that your troops must fall back ten miles!"

Li Xiaochang narrowed his eyes slightly: "What if I am unwilling?"

"Then we shall fight a battle, and see if these troops of yours from Yu Prefecture are sufficient for me to slaughter!" Yuchi Gong said with a smile that was not a smile.

Li Xiaochang's expression sank.

At that very moment, a cavalryman spurred his horse forward to his presence and reported in a loud voice: "My Prince, General Liu and General Yuan have already taken the North Gate!"

"What!?"

Yuchi Gong's expression altered drastically.

"Hahaha!"

As the saying goes, the wheel of fortune turns, and Li Xiaochang burst into laughter as well, then looked at Yuchi Gong with a face full of mockery: "Splendid! Then let us fight a battle! Let us see whether Li Shimin dies first, or I die first!"

"You!"

Hearing Li Xiaochang address 'Li Shimin' by his given name directly, Yuchi Gong grew red in the face with rage.

He never could have imagined that the northern gate of the imperial city would be captured by the rebels.

What on earth were those two fellows, Qin Shubao and Chang He, doing!?

Although Yuchi Gong was filled with doubt and incomprehension, he was not a man devoid of sense; he immediately suppressed the gloom in his heart, replaced it with a smiling countenance, and said: "Doesn't the Prince of Yi'an wish to purge the inner circle? I shall send men to relay this to His Majesty right now—"

"Report—"

Before he could finish his words, a cry of report came from the distance: "An imperial edict by His Majesty's own hand orders the Duke of Wu to escort Prince Yi'an to the Taiji Hall for deliberation. Should there be any resistance, execute without pardon!"

As these words were spoken, the entire scene plunged into awkwardness.