Simultaneous travel: My sons all have the qualities of an emperor

Chapter 426 I've Become Li Yuan Now, Love You Dad, See You at Xuanwu Gate Tomorrow (Entertainment Section)
On a certain day of a certain month of a certain year, within the territory of the Tang Dynasty.

Gu Ming groggily opened his eyes in bed, only to find himself in a palace, ancient and magnificent.

Gu Ming was stunned. Where did this come from?

When Gu Ming got up, a beautiful woman nearby rushed to serve him, dressing him with her delicate hands, bringing him water to rinse his mouth, providing a whole set of silky royal services.

Gu Ming didn't understand why, but his body language betrayed him, and he readily enjoyed it all.

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince requests an audience."

A eunuch approached respectfully and spoke in a high-pitched voice.

Gu Ming was immediately stunned. What? Your Majesty? He's the emperor?
Then he looked at his hands, which were covered in calluses and had slightly loose skin, a clear indication that he was no longer young.

Then, Gu Ming's expression tightened, and he subtly touched his lower body. Hmm, no problem.

The whip just needs to be hard.

A strong whip and the chance to become emperor—this is a stroke of luck that you could never have in eight lifetimes.

As for those who are a bit older and won't be able to enjoy it for long, Gu Ming laughed.

Then let me ask you, if you start working like a beast of burden in your early twenties and work diligently for decades, will you be happy?
Gu Minglong was overjoyed and said, "Summon the Crown Prince to the palace."

The eunuch beside him hurriedly went to report as ordered, while Gu Ming sat on the dragon throne deep in thought. He didn't have many memories in his mind, so he shouldn't be recognized as an imposter, right?

And it is unknown whether we are traveling to a known historical dynasty or an alternate history.

If it were a historical dynasty, that would be great. With my exceptional knowledge, as long as I don't act recklessly, I'd be pretty much set. But as for fictional history, that would really test my abilities.

Then I prepared myself to be a drama queen, trying not to give myself away, and then slowly figured out the situation.

Soon, a handsome young man strode in, knelt on the ground, and performed the rites of a sovereign.

Gu Ming smiled and said, "What is it, my son?"

Li Jiancheng's gaze was uncertain. If possible, he would not want to do this, but his second brother was too outstanding and excellent, so much so that he had no way to compete with him.

Therefore, it can only be done in the name of the father.

Then he said loudly, "Father, the Turkic Yusheshe has led tens of thousands of cavalry to garrison south of the Yellow River. They have broken into the Great Wall border and surrounded Wucheng. If we are not careful, the country and the nation will be in danger of collapsing at any time."

Therefore, I request that the King of Qi be appointed in place of the King of Qin to lead the various armies on a northern expedition to resist the Turkic invasion.

Gu Ming pondered to himself, "Turkic Yushe, King of Qi, King of Qin, why do these names feel so familiar?"

However, he was completely clueless about the so-called general situation and circumstances, so he knew nothing and dared not make any promises lightly.

He hesitated for a moment, then looked around at the people around him. But how could the servants and eunuchs dare to interfere in royal affairs? They were all terrified.

Gu Ming rubbed his temples helplessly and said, "Let's put this matter aside for now and think it over carefully."

Li Jiancheng was anxious. He wanted to postpone it, but how could he postpone it? The Turks were a minor matter, but his younger brother, who held military power, was a much bigger problem.

"Father, we can't wait! The enemy is already pressing in. If we're not careful, our country will be in imminent danger."

Gu Ming was even more troubled. Being an emperor was not easy. He had just transmigrated, how could he know who the loyal ministers were and who the rebels were?

At this moment, someone else reported: "The Prime Minister requests an audience."

Gu Ming was overjoyed and summoned one of them in to inquire about the situation.

Then Prime Minister Pei Ji entered, and Gu Ming got straight to the point, asking Pei Ji directly about the matter of replacing the Prince of Qin with the Prince of Qi in military power.

Upon hearing this, Pei Ji immediately thought to himself:
"The King of Qin is exceptionally talented, yet Your Majesty has asked me this question. You must be hesitant and favoring the Crown Prince. Now that the realm is at peace and the King of Qin is enjoying great influence, it's understandable that Your Majesty has concerns."

'Now that the Crown Prince is here, I might as well go with the flow and do him a favor.'

Sui said, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is absolutely right. Prince Qi is exceptionally skilled in martial arts. If he leads a large army, he will surely be able to repel the Turks."

Gu Ming was also troubled. It was just that the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister both said the same thing. One was a blood relative, and the other was a subject. There was no reason for them to lie to him.

Therefore, he could only wave his hand and say, "Alright, then we'll do as you say."

Then she claimed that she had a headache and needed to rest, and blocked out the surroundings.

Upon receiving Gu Ming's order, Li Jiancheng was overjoyed and hurriedly returned to make arrangements, planning to first kill Li Shimin and then force his father to pass the throne to him.

However, Li Jiancheng did not expect that Wang Zhi, who served as the Chief of the Imperial Guard in his Crown Prince's Eastern Palace, had been bribed by Li Shimin and secretly revealed the matter to Li Shimin.

Furthermore, the generals and advisors who followed Li Shimin also gathered in one room.

Everyone present was a hero, a figure whose name would be etched in history. Naturally, they were unwilling to surrender without a fight and clamored for the best to strike first.

Li Shimin sighed and said, "Fratricide is a great sin throughout history. It would be better to wait until the disaster occurs before we raise an army to punish them."

Changsun Wuji was speechless for a moment after hearing this. He knew that with Li Shimin's wisdom, he was only saying these words now to protect his reputation.

After all, this man has the ambition to conquer the world, so naturally he would not allow himself to be tainted.

But now they were in imminent danger.

Therefore, all the generals advised him, and some even said that if Li Shimin did not take action, they would all flee to the wilderness and no longer obey Li Shimin's orders.

However, Li Shimin had accumulated considerable prestige in his daily life, and his abilities were so outstanding that he surpassed all his contemporaries, which allowed him to suppress this group of arrogant and fierce generals.

He simply gathered all his men, preparing to test Gu Ming's attitude again the next day. If Gu Ming still favored Li Jiancheng, then he would have no choice but to...
That night, Gu Ming held the history book in his hands, and was utterly disgusted.

He used the excuse of studying history to have someone bring him historical records, and thus he saw the history of the Qin, Han, and Three Kingdoms periods, and even the history that continues to this day, up to the book that recorded his great achievements.

'I became Emperor Gaozu of Tang, the Crown Prince was Li Jiancheng, the Prince of Qi was Li Yuanji, and the Prince of Qin was Erfeng—all my sons?!'

Gu Ming's vision went black; he wondered what kind of challenge he was about to face.

That is the Xuanwu Gate Incident, a true man's beloved story in the five thousand years of Chinese civilization!

As the saying goes, a real man never plays the inheritance game; a real man fights for his rights.

Gu Ming wanted to stop him, but his expression kept changing. As a transmigrator without a system or cheat codes, would it really be a good thing for the world if he stopped him?
People are more valuable in having self-knowledge.

How many time travelers, without any cheat codes, dare to say they are stronger than Li Shimin, the one with the appearance of the sun and the bearing of a dragon and phoenix, the general of heavenly strategy, the King of Qin, the Heavenly Khan, and the strongest carbon-based life form in the 7th century?
Putting everything else aside, if the world were handed over to Li Jiancheng, could he govern it as well as the two emperors?

Not necessarily. Besides, with that scoundrel Li Yuanji around, wouldn't he just make a complete mess of things?

Having figured everything out, Gu Ming slumped weakly onto the dragon bed. Damn it, let's get started!
Let history return to normalcy. At most, when he becomes the retired emperor, he can contribute a little to the era.

······
Thus, once Gu Ming decided to go to war, everything became the stage for Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin.

The next day, Li Shimin came to see Gu Ming and took out the secret memorial to the Prince of Qin that Li Jiancheng had given him, which contained evidence that Li Shimin was plotting a rebellion.

Li Shimin felt a chill run down his spine. Without saying a word, he accused Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji of having illicit affairs with the concubines in the harem, and then defended himself.

He had expected Gu Ming to be furious, but to his surprise, Gu Ming simply waved his hand, telling him to step back and that he would be interrogated at Xuanwu Gate the next day.

Immediately, Li Shimin felt a sense of relief: 'Although Father shows favoritism, it's not that obvious.'

At the same time, he knew that tomorrow might be his last chance. If he missed it, Li Jiancheng would overwhelm him with sheer power once he realized what was happening. Just then, Gu Ming suddenly called out Li Shimin's name, speaking softly, as if revealing genuine emotion:
"You deserve the most credit for conquering this land. You've suffered so much these past years. If you have any wishes, just tell me directly, and I will fulfill them no matter what they are."

Li Shimin knelt down on the ground and said, "Your subject dares not, I only wish to assist Father Emperor and restore the Li Tang dynasty."

He was a man of great stature; regardless of whether Gu Ming's feelings were genuine, he would never believe him and thus reveal his trump card.

Gu Ming looked at Li Shimin for a long time before finally letting him leave, looking slightly tired.

Although he already knew the course of history, it was still a gamble for him, because if the chariot of history were to bump into even a small pebble, it could cause a huge change.

'Sigh, in the end, I still don't have absolute power and ability, otherwise I would have just subdued everyone.' Gu Ming sighed inwardly.

At this moment, Li Shimin seemed to notice Gu Ming's emotions. Such a man was able to see through people's hearts.

He couldn't help but sigh in his heart: "Father is troubled by the matter between me and the Crown Prince. Alas, this is the imperial family. How can we judge it with the emotions of ordinary people?"

Seeing Li Shimin stamp his foot, Gu Ming asked again, "Is there anything else?"

Li Shimin hesitated for a long time before saying, "Father, I'm fine." He silently added in his heart, "See you tomorrow, Father."

That evening, all of Li Shimin's staff gathered at the Prince of Qin's residence.

Li Shimin said, "Today someone secretly reported to Your Majesty that my Prince Qin's Mansion has been plotting a full-scale rebellion and is falsely accusing us of treason."

Changsun Wuji angrily said, "This is a frame-up! People can say whatever they want! Let's take action!"

Yuchi Jingde also shouted, "Forget about false accusations, our lives are hanging by a thread, let's do it!"

The group of heroes were all shouting for action, but in reality, it's hard to say that it was a frame-up.

Li Shimin silently complained to himself.

He then asked, "How many people do we have?"

Changsun Wuji: "A full eight hundred!"

"How many men does the Crown Prince have?"

"A mere two thousand!"

Li Shimin: "..."

No, how come we have a full eight hundred while the other side only has two thousand? Isn't that a misrepresentation? Just because of Changsun Wuji's statement, Li Shimin thought he had the advantage.

Li Shimin's silence caused a great deal of commotion among the generals.

"Eight hundred it is. Eight hundred people have their own way of fighting!"

"That's right, eight hundred men should strike first, Your Highness, move out!"

"Your Highness must not hesitate. Eight hundred is enough. Your Highness, take the bow, and Yuchi Jingde, take the spear. Who in this world can stop us then!"

"That's right, Your Highness, you are the true Emperor, the real Emperor of Peace!"

All the civil and military officials knelt down, highlighting Li Shimin's ambition to the fullest extent.

Li Shimin drew his sword, its blade gleaming, reflecting his eyes—a pair of dragon eyes that seemed to hold the power to swallow the heavens and earth.

Zheng!
The sound of swords clashing rang out, and Li Shimin raised his sword, shouting, "Let's fight!"

There are couplets.

First line: Under the Xuanwu Gate, they fight to the death; whoever wins becomes the crown prince.

The second line reads: "They fight each other on the walls of Yingtian City; whoever loses is a traitor!"
Horizontal scroll: Eight hundred it is!

······
That night, Gu Ming pushed away the beauty beside him with a bored expression, his mind unusually calm in his "wise man" mode.

He couldn't just be a spectator; he wanted to try to warm Erfeng's cold heart. So he took out paper and ink and personally wrote a secret decree.

The main point is that, of all my sons, you are the one I favor the most, so I have decided to pass the throne to you in the future. As for your eldest brother, just spare his life and let him live a prosperous life.

But before he could finish writing, a clear, ethereal voice came from behind him.

[You are invited to join the "Father's Status Rises with His Son" chat group. Do you agree?]

Gu Ming: ? ? ?
Then, his heart trembled. Transmigrators always come with cheat codes, so what was there to hesitate about? He silently said, "Agreed."

Then he saw rows of luxurious titles. Gu Ming was initially quite pleased with his status as emperor, but after seeing the titles of his fellow group members, he suddenly felt that he was nothing special.

But he was meticulous after all, and quickly browsed through all the group announcements.

!! (*^▽^*)
[Erfeng's Dad: I'm in grave danger, group members are helping me!]

So Gu Ming closed his eyes, then opened them again, his eyes shining brightly. Without saying a word, he tore the paper to shreds. He had everything he needed!
At this moment, a eunuch rushed in to report: "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! The Prince of Qin has led his troops to the palace. Your Majesty should take refuge for the time being."

The prince's coup was a momentous event, and the eunuch couldn't help but be nervous.

But Gu Ming laughed at this moment and asked, "Should I avoid his sharp edge?"

"There is no need to stop him. Summon the King of Qin in. He may bring his troops and weapons with him."

With a wave of his hand, Gu Ming issued a command, his mindset shifting as he wielded immense power.

The eunuch was even more terrified, but since the emperor had given the order, he had no choice but to obey.

At that moment, Li Shimin, who was leading troops in front of Xuanwu Gate, panicked when he heard that his father had come to summon them.

"Is it a scam?"

However, things had come to this point, and the arrow was on the bowstring, so Li Shimin led his troops in without any hindrance. Moreover, the guards were not wearing armor and did not even carry weapons.

This deepened his doubts, and he began to speculate about what would happen next, planning how he should respond.

Then, supported by a group of generals, Li Shimin entered a grand hall, his heart filled with trepidation and unease, yet also with resolute determination, as he was about to see his father.

Immediately afterwards, he heard a melodious sigh.

"Practice until your body resembles a crane, and you can read two volumes of scriptures under a thousand pine trees."

I came to ask, but there was nothing more to say; the clouds are in the blue sky, and the water is in the bottle.

Then they saw Gu Ming dressed in black robes, painting a dragon hidden among the mountains and rivers. The painting was lifelike, but there was one flaw: the dragon had no eyes.

"King Qin, Shimin, what brings you here?"

Seeing this, Li Shimin gritted his teeth and said, "Yesterday, Father asked me if there was anything I wanted. I didn't yesterday, but I do today!"

"Speak, what is it?"

"I want to control all the armies in the land!"

(End of this chapter)