Damn it, I'm in the garbage book I wrote

Chapter 637 It really is the Xuanwu Gate Incident
The battlements of Xuanwu Gate were faintly visible in the morning mist. Li Jiancheng's fingers traced the dew that had condensed on the blue bricks. He looked at the towering palace walls on both sides of the barbican and suddenly remembered that twenty-two years ago in Taiyuan, Shimin had stood under the city wall in the same way, looking up at him with his still-childish face and shouting, "Big brother, look! I can shoot that military flag on the city wall!"

"Your Highness." Zhang Gongjin's voice pulled him back to the present moment. The Crown Prince's guard leaned forward and whispered, "It's three quarters of an hour. The Prince of Shu is entering the palace."

The jade thumb ring tapped softly against the city wall. Li Jiancheng turned to look at the long street outside the barbican. From the depths of the morning mist came the sound of horses' hooves, first a few scattered sounds, then a steady rhythm. Soon Li Shimin emerged from the mist, atop the lead white horse sat Li Shimin, clad in black armor, and his third wife beside him.

“Today I’m traveling light,” Li Jiancheng said, his voice sounding like it was being squeezed out from between his teeth. His fingers, gripping the bow, were white from the force, and the bronze thumb ring scraped against the city bricks with a faint sound.

At this moment, Li Jiancheng pressed his hand to the sword at his waist. The silk ribbon wrapped around the gilded hilt had long since faded. It was a piece of Shu brocade from Wang Shichong's tent that Shimin had hand-woven when he entered Luoyang after Wang Shichong's defeat. It had later been given to him as a gift, and he had always carried it with him. But now, the scabbard concealed a poisoned short blade. Last night, the Imperial Medical Bureau was missing two medicines: aconite and gelsemium.

The bronze gate of the barbican is right in front of us.

Li Shimin abruptly reined in his horse. The instant the white steed's forelegs left the ground, thirty crossbows gleamed coldly from behind their quivers. Li Jiancheng saw his brother's pupils suddenly contract—the instinctive reaction of a cheetah spotting a trap. Thirty years of brotherhood; he knew that expression all too well.

"What does this mean, elder brother?" Li Shimin's voice was as clear as ever, but his left hand quietly rested on the hilt of his sword. Behind him, Yuchi Gong had already raised his lance, and nine mounted guards spread out in a fan shape, protecting him and the Third Princess. Their movements were so synchronized that it seemed as if they had practiced it a thousand times.

Li Jiancheng took a half step forward, the morning breeze lifting the hem of his apricot-yellow python robe. He suddenly recalled a snowy night more than twenty years ago, when eight-year-old Shimin was curled up in his arms, the howling of Turks' wolves piercing through the heavy doors of Jinyang, and his father's horn sounding from afar.

“Don’t be afraid,” he said then, “your brother is here.”

"Erfeng." His voice echoed in the barbican. "Do you know how many soldiers' blood and flesh were used to forge the blue bricks of Xuanwu Gate?"

Before he finished speaking, the whistling arrows behind him tore through the morning mist.

As the rain of arrows poured down, Yuchi Gong swung his spear, unleashing a crescent-shaped flash of cold light, and forcefully swept away seven crossbow bolts. Li Jiancheng watched his younger brother dodge and weave through the arrow storm, the sparks flying from his black armor reminiscent of the battles fought on the frontier in the past.

"Big brother!" Third Sister shouted sharply, "The three of us are siblings born of the same mother..."

But Li Jiancheng didn't waste any words at this moment. If arrows couldn't break through Li Shimin's defenses, then he would have to bring out the crossbows.

Soon, the crossbowmen from Chengtoushan replaced the archers. The power of the crossbows was beyond human capabilities, and even Li Shimin and San Niang, who were wearing armor, had to avoid their sharp edge. One after another, some of the nine guards fell down, and the axemen that Li Jiancheng had ambushed in the courtyard outside the palace also started to move.

Li Shimin parried the horizontal slash with a backhand motion, the blade slicing across the attacker's neck. Amidst the billowing blood, he suddenly looked up at the city wall: "Brother, is this truly the way?"

Li Jiancheng remained silent, while Li Shimin looked at his sister, his expression revealing his true feelings.

After killing a swordsman and axemen, Third Sister glanced at her eldest brother with a deep look, gave a bitter smile, and took out the musket she carried with her. She fired a shot into the sky, then casually aimed at an ambush soldier running towards her. With just one shot, the man's head was smashed to pieces like a watermelon falling from a building.

The foul-smelling blood splattered onto the armor, steaming hot, but at that moment, San Niang's heart turned completely cold.

As the gunshot rang out, the last of the morning mist dissipated, and then a group of people quickly emerged from some of the houses in the corners of the village.

They formed an encirclement around the axemen, who all wielded strange weapons. Each breath they exhaled produced a tiger's roar, and with this roar, anywhere from two or three to four or five people would be instantly sent flying.

Li Jiancheng's axemen didn't know what it was and only thought it was a demonic weapon. Their morale quickly plummeted, and these suddenly appearing people took advantage of the situation.

These soldiers, clad in strangely styled armor, swiftly tore a gap in the ambush circle. Some of them quickly slipped into the inner circle, taking out a type of shield they had never seen before from their backs. When the two shields were joined together, they were more than a meter tall. Although they didn't look very heavy, crossbow bolts couldn't penetrate them.

They surrounded Li Shimin and San Niang and continuously fought back against the ambushers with their weapons.

At this moment, another group of people behind the shields began to open the boxes they had been carrying, took out something that looked like a thin bamboo tube, and then squatted down and began to quickly install it.

In just a few breaths, they had a strange-looking thing in their hands. They then stuffed something about the thickness of a little finger into it, pressed it down with a long rod, inserted steel balls, and aimed at the people on the city wall through the firing port on the shield.

With a crisp sound and a puff of smoke, the crossbowmen on the wall screamed and fell from the imperial city. Many didn't even have time to react before they lost their lives.

The bronze gate of the barbican slammed shut, and the sound of horses' hooves echoed outside the city. Li Shimin glanced at San Niang again, who simply waved her hand forward. Immediately afterwards, several people, their backs bent, rushed out through the chaotic crowd.

They quickly attached the object in their hands to the bronze gate of the barbican, and then the group retreated swiftly.

However, in the blink of an eye, Li Jiancheng on the city wall felt a tremor beneath his feet, followed by a tidal wave of air that made him tremble and lose his footing.

He quickly looked down at the city walls and saw Li Shimin's eyes amidst the heavy guards. The two brothers looked at each other, but the warmth of their childhood was gone. With the help of others, Li Shimin put on heavy armor, and the moment he put on his helmet, his entire aura changed.

"Follow me and storm the palace!"

With his spear held horizontally, Li Shimin spurred his horse forward, followed by eight hundred heavily armed infantrymen. To them, the swordsmen and axemen outside the city were merely appetizers; the real battle was to be fought inside the imperial palace.

"Your Highness, retreat quickly! The city gate has been breached!" Chang He's exclamation rang out simultaneously with the sound of arrows piercing the air. In the instant Li Jiancheng dodged to the side, an arrow shot by Li Shimin grazed his ear, and his golden crown fell to the ground. In the moment the hairpin broke, he vaguely saw his mother, Lady Dou, folding their hands together before her death.

Li Shimin's martial prowess in battle was unparalleled. Once he breached a city, even the Heavenly King himself would have to retreat. Li Jiancheng, though hastily retreating, was still overtaken and could only watch helplessly as the sword's edge pierced his heart. The shock in Li Jiancheng's eyes gradually turned into relief. However, in the next moment, a hand suddenly grasped Li Shimin's sword blade, and blood trickled down the gilded cloud pattern on the wrist guard, staining the bright pearl on the sword tassel crimson.

"Big brother..." Third Sister smiled through her tears, "Do you still remember that year when Erfeng and I were still young, you led us to the northern desert, and when we got lost in the sandstorm, you shared the last bowl of rice porridge with us?"

Seeing that he had injured his sister, Li Shimin quickly released his weapon, turned around, and swiftly climbed onto the palace wall.

The prince's banner was cut down, and the soldiers who had come to besiege him stood there at a loss when they saw the banner fall.

Who was Li Shimin? His ability to control people's hearts on the battlefield was unparalleled in the world, and no one could match him.

Soon, with the help of the eight hundred warriors, Li Jiancheng's ambush was completely suppressed. The reinforcements arriving from outside the city weren't fools either; they knew who was in charge, so they immediately changed their approach from killing the bandits to drunk driving…

Only Li Jiancheng bent down to pick up his younger brother's sword, the hilt still warm from his body. As his fingers traced the inscription on the blade, he suddenly noticed that the eight seal characters were not "By the mandate of Heaven, may your life be long and prosperous," but rather "Brothers are friendly and respectful, may we always be good."

The sounds of fighting beneath the palace walls gradually subsided, but he seemed to hear his mother's sigh behind the curtain: "Eldest son, Second son, you must look after each other."

Blood dripped from San Niang's hands. Li Jiancheng lowered his head and tore off a corner of his yellow dragon-patterned prince's robe, which represented imperial power, in an attempt to bandage his sister's hands. However, San Niang shook off his hand and turned away, leaving him alone on the city wall.

Li Jiancheng did not die, but he was arrested. Li Shimin simply led his men into Li Yuan's palace.

Without Li Yuan's tacit approval, who could believe that Li Jiancheng was setting up an ambush inside and outside the palace?
However, the loss of control of the situation also means that Li Yuan has completely lost control of the imperial power. No matter which side wins today, he is destined to take off his dragon robe.

Li Shimin stood before the Chengtian Gate of the Taiji Palace, his palm tightly clutching the Crown Prince's seal he had just seized from his elder brother. The bronze beast-shaped knob gleamed eerily in the sunlight, and he could clearly feel the cold sweat seeping from beneath his armor sliding down his back. Fish-shaped flags fluttered on the palace walls, casting shimmering light and shadow on the glazed tiles of the Ganlu Hall in the distance.

"Your Highness, the Imperial Guards have all been rotated, and the officials under the Crown Prince's command have all been beheaded on charges of inciting rebellion." The voice of the guard came from behind, the clanging of armor clashing carrying the stench of blood. Li Shimin nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the Crown Prince's personal guards kneeling below the steps, their vermilion leather armor still stained with moss from the cracks in the Xuanwu Gate bricks.

The morning bell shattered the palace's silence, and eight hundred newly trained soldiers of the Fuliang Army, clad in black armor, surged through the nine palace gates like an inky tide, their cloud-patterned boots shattering the jade steps. The eunuch on duty, Gao Quan, slumped against a pillar in the Hanyuan Hall, trembling as he held the half-unopened imperial edict, ready to be redeemed for the emperor.

"My son, I would like to send my regards to my father."

The moment Li Shimin pushed open the door of the Liangyi Hall, he deliberately slowed his pace. The figure behind the dragon desk silently looked up, the silver hair scattered under the white jade crown fluttering in the breeze. His father, Li Yuan, held the purple brush in mid-air, and the vermilion ink dripped onto the bright yellow silk, spreading blood-like red marks.

"Is Erfeng trying to kill her father?" Li Yuan's voice seemed to come from the broken bell in the palace, turbid and cracked. Li Shimin noticed that his left hand was quietly reaching for the fish-shaped tally box on the table, and the gold-inlaid knife hidden in his sleeve was probably already three inches out of its sheath.

"Your subject has come to present this auspicious omen." Li Shimin knelt down, his forehead touching the cold blue bricks. At that moment, the soldiers behind him carried a wooden box into the hall, and the moment it was opened, a stench of blood wafted out—inside were twelve bloodstained seals of officials from the Eastern Palace.

Li Yuan's pupils suddenly contracted, and his Adam's apple bobbed: "You've built up Jiancheng..."

"His Highness the Crown Prince is currently fasting and praying for blessings in the Eastern Palace." Li Shimin looked up and stared directly at Li Yuan, watching the color drain from his wrinkled face. "However, last night someone secretly reported to me that the Eastern Palace's armory was illegally storing weapons and armor beyond the permitted limits, intending to force the emperor into rebellion. I will naturally quell the rebellion and restore order." He lightly tapped the wooden box with his fingertips, and a bronze seal engraved with "Shugengling" rolled off and spun around on the dragon desk.

Suddenly, the sound of armor clanging in unison rang out outside the hall. Through the carved lattice doors, one could see Third Sister leading the Right Guard in formation in the square. Li Yuan abruptly stood up, the tassels of his crown striking the dragon pillar with a clatter: "Are you plotting a rebellion?"

"Your subject dares not." Li Shimin, still kneeling, untied the jade belt from his waist: "This is a belt personally bestowed upon me by Father Emperor last year."

As he held the token above his head with both hands, he could feel his father's gaze imprinted on his back. "But today, I dare to ask Father for something else."

Before he finished speaking, the generals behind him immediately presented Li Shimin with what he needed. When Li Yuan saw the four large gilded characters "Abdication Edict" on the silk scroll, a low growl like that of a trapped beast burst from his throat. He grabbed the inkstone on the table and was about to smash it when the grand eunuch who had suddenly rushed in grabbed him tightly around the waist.

"The sage thinks thrice..."

The old eunuch spoke with a choked voice. No one in the world knew better than him what it meant for the situation to be hopeless. At this moment, Li Yuan's impulsiveness might lead to his demise.

Some things need to be let go; Li Jiancheng has lost.

Li Shimin slowly rose, the hem of his blood-stained armor sweeping across the scattered memorials on the floor. Li Yuan staggered back half a step, the gilded dragon chair hitting his knee with a thud. When Li Shimin's shadow completely enveloped the imperial desk, his withered hand finally released the edict, the jade seal leaving a long, curved vermilion mark on the silk, like a congealed tear of blood.

"Guards!" Li Shimin turned to face the open palace doors: "Send the Retired Emperor to Hongyi Palace for quiet recuperation, and welcome the new Emperor to the throne!"

Suddenly, nine clanging sounds came from outside the palace, startling all the birds roosting in the courtyard. Li Shimin stroked the nine-ringed jade belt in his hand, his fingertips touching the general's fish tally in the hidden compartment—this token of military command that his father had given to his sister three years ago was now gently colliding with the Imperial Seal of the State in the same brocade box, producing a melodious sound.

Upon hearing this, the officials hurriedly arrived at court, but when they entered the palace, everything seemed as if nothing had happened, except for the brown marks remaining on the ground. The only difference was that the person sitting on the dragon throne had changed to a woman, and the regent standing beside her had also changed to the long-unseen King of Shu, Shimin.

The officials were taken aback, but no one questioned it. After a brief moment of confusion, one person lifted his robe and knelt down, shouting, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Then the entire Golden Hall resounded with chants of "Long live the Emperor!"

(End of this chapter)