Datang: Just been appointed as the crown prince, the counterattack system is here

The news of the fall of Tongguan was like a thunderclap from the heavens, plunging the entire court and the people of Chang'an into a deathly silence.

Before the messenger on horseback at Chengtian Gate could finish speaking, he collapsed from his horse, exhausted, and was carried away by the panicked imperial guards.

But the news that "Tongguan has fallen! The Crown Prince's army is at the pass!" spread like wildfire throughout the palace and then spread even faster to the entire city of Chang'an.

Tai Chi Palace, Liang Yi Palace.

The teacup in Li Shimin's hand shattered on the ground with a 'crack,' and the hot tea splashed onto the hem of his dragon robe, but he was completely unaware.

The hall was deathly silent. All the eunuchs and palace maids who were standing there knelt on the ground, their faces pale, and they even breathed cautiously.

Tongguan... has fallen?

Li Shimin's voice was terribly hoarse. He slowly stood up, his gaze fixed on the messenger kneeling in the hall:

"Where is Chang He? Where are the three thousand garrison troops? Tongguan is a formidable pass, how could it fall overnight?!"

"Back to your Majesty..."

The messenger trembled like a leaf:
"It was a night raid... The Crown Prince led a small elite force to scale the cliff on the west side and enter the pass, opening the west gate..."

"Xi Jun's two thousand cavalrymen seized the opportunity to charge in... General Chang... General Chang has surrendered..."

"Cliff climbing? West Gate open?"

Li Shimin staggered back a step, only managing to steady himself by grabbing the imperial desk.

In that instant, countless images flashed through his mind—

Li Chengqian personally trained special operations forces at the military academy, and the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) were equipped with all sorts of strange and unusual gear. He also once said with a smile, "Warfare is based on deception."

It turns out, none of that was child's play.

It turns out he had prepared for this day long ago.

"Well... well done, a clever counterattack..."

Li Shimin suddenly threw his head back and laughed, but his laughter was filled with desolation and self-mockery:

"I thought he was in Dengzhou, at sea, or in Shandong... but he's in Tongguan! Right under my nose!"

"Li Jing! Li Ji! Cheng Zhijie! Didn't you all swear that everything would be foolproof?!"

He suddenly grabbed a stack of reports from the table and slammed them to the ground:

"Trash! It's all trash!"

Outside the hall, Fang Xuanling, Changsun Wuji, Li Jing, Li Ji and other important officials who had rushed over upon hearing the news had all gathered. Upon hearing the angry roar inside the hall, their faces turned pale.

"Your Majesty, calm down!"

Fang Xuanling was the first to enter the hall and knelt down with a thud: "The most urgent task is to stabilize Chang'an and mobilize troops to quell the rebellion!"

"Suppressing the rebellion?"

Li Shimin turned around, his eyes bloodshot, his gaze so cold that it sent a chill down Fang Xuanling's spine.
"Tongguan has fallen, and the gates to Chang'an are wide open! Xi Jun's two thousand cavalrymen are inside the pass, Xue Rengui's Liaodong army could advance westward at any time, and Su Dingfang's navy could sail upstream on the Yellow River..."

With each word he spoke, the faces of everyone in the hall grew paler.

This was not a simple rebellion; it was a meticulously planned, multi-party coordinated, and deadly attack.

"His Majesty!"

Li Jing spoke in a deep voice, this military genius still maintaining an astonishing composure:
"Although Tongguan has been lost, Chang'an is a well-fortified city with strong defenses and deep moats. The Sixteen Guards still have 50,000 elite troops, and the troops from Guanzhong Prefecture can also be urgently mobilized."

"Even if the Crown Prince succeeds in his surprise attack, his forces are ultimately limited. I am willing to personally lead troops out of the city to meet him in battle, and I will surely defeat him between Tongguan and Chang'an!"

"Defeat?"

Li Shimin stared at Li Jing, his voice icy:
"Pharmacist, tell me, if you lead your troops out of the city, leaving Chang'an undefended, what if Xue Rengui attacks from Liaodong? What if Su Dingfang comes up the Yellow River?"

"besides……"

He paused, a flicker of pain crossing his eyes:
Is Chang'an truly a monolithic entity?

This sentence silenced everyone.

Yes, the Crown Prince enjoys extremely high prestige in the army and even greater popularity among the common people.

Within Chang'an, how many people secretly sympathize with the Crown Prince? How many officials and generals have a past relationship with him?
Once the army leaves the city, if anything changes within the city...

"His Majesty!"

Changsun Wuji said urgently:

"But if we don't send troops and allow the Crown Prince to gain a foothold in Tongguan and form an alliance with Xue Rengui and Su Dingfang, then Guanzhong will no longer belong to the country!"

"I know!"

Li Shimin roared and slammed his fist heavily on the imperial desk.

He forced himself to calm down, and his imperial instincts began to overwhelm his anger and pain.

"deliver an imperial order."

The voice regained its usual authority and decisiveness:
"First, Chang'an shall immediately enter a state of war, with all city gates closed, a curfew imposed, and all sixteen guards on duty in the city."

"Secondly, send an urgent message throughout the land: Crown Prince Li Chengqian has breached Tongguan Pass and openly plotted rebellion. All citizens of our Great Tang should unite to punish him! Troops from all regions should rush to Guanzhong to defend the Emperor!"

"Third, summon Li Xiaogong, Cheng Zhijie, Zhang Liang and other generals to the palace for a meeting. Order Li Ji to take charge of the troops in Luoyang and strictly guard against Xue Rengui's westward advance."

"fourth……"

A cold glint flashed in his eyes:
"Take Prince Wei, Li Tai, and all those previously imprisoned, including Pei Xuan, Yu Gushe, Wang Haibin, Liu Xuan, and Di Zhixun, to the Xuanwu Gate tower!" "Your Majesty, this is..." Fang Xuanling exclaimed in surprise.

"I want them to see."

Li Shimin spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice as cold as ice:

"Look at the crown prince they serve, how he besieged the city and threatened the emperor and father!"

"Let Li Chengqian see that if he dares to launch a strong attack on Chang'an, these people... will be the first to be sacrificed!"

Ruthless! Decisive!
At this moment, Li Shimin, who once killed his brothers at Xuanwu Gate and forced his father to abdicate, has returned.

Everyone felt a chill, knowing that the emperor was truly enraged and intended to end this father-son conflict in the most cruel way.

"I... obey your order."

Changsun Wuji bowed his head to accept the order, but a complex look flashed in his eyes.

At the same time, Tongguan.

Order has been restored within the city walls.

Li Chengqian did not carry out a large-scale massacre. The surrendered garrison was put under centralized guard, while dozens of those who resisted stubbornly were killed on the spot, and the rest surrendered.

Chang He was brought before Li Chengqian, where he knelt on one knee, not daring to raise his head.

"General Chang, please rise."

Li Chengqian personally helped him up, speaking calmly:
"General, you were able to assess the situation and avoid a pointless battle, saving the lives of thousands of soldiers. I will remember this merit of yours."

Chang He, his face full of shame, said, "As a defeated general, I dare not speak of merit. I only beg Your Highness... to treat these surrendered soldiers kindly."

"nature."

Li Chengqian nodded, then changed the subject:
"I have a matter that I need the general's assistance with."

"Your Highness, please speak. This humble general will not hesitate to die for you."

"Please write a personal letter to your old subordinates and friends in Chang'an."

Li Chengqian's gaze was profound: "Tell them that my purpose in coming here is only to purge the court of corrupt officials and rectify the government, not to usurp the throne. If they are willing to open the city gates and welcome me into the city, all past transgressions will be forgiven, and I will be richly rewarded."

Focus on the heart.

Chang He had cultivated his influence in the military for many years, and his students and former subordinates were spread throughout the garrison of Chang'an. His personal letters were worth as much as ten thousand elite soldiers.

Chang He was silent for a moment, then nodded emphatically: "This humble general is willing to write it."

"it is good."

Li Chengqian patted him on the shoulder and turned to walk towards the highest point of the fortress.

Pei Xingjian and Xi Junmai were waiting there.

"Your Highness, there's been movement in the direction of Chang'an."

Pei Xingjian handed over a secret report:
"Chang'an is under martial law, and the city gates are tightly closed. Your Majesty... Your Majesty has taken the Prince of Wei and all the former members of the Eastern Palace who were previously imprisoned to the Xuanwu Gate Tower, seemingly to use them as hostages."

Li Chengqian's eyes turned cold, but he did not fly into a rage.

He had anticipated this move.

"Father is still using the same old tricks."

He sneered, "You think you can force me to retreat? You think you can shake the morale of the army?"

"Your Highness, should we hasten our advance? If we are too late, General Pei and the others may be in danger," Xi Junmai said anxiously.

"Not urgent."

Li Chengqian shook his head and looked westward:

"This is what I have been waiting for, Father."

"Why?" the two asked, puzzled.

"Because only in this way will people all over the world see things clearly."

Li Chengqian's voice was calm, yet it contained a terrifying power:

"It's clear who is resorting to any means to gain power, even slaughtering their own son and meritorious officials."

"It's clear who is relentlessly pressing forward, driving loyal ministers and generals to their doom."

"What I want is not a quick victory, but the hearts of the people."

He paused and then said:
"Besides, not everyone in Chang'an listens to Father Emperor."

"Pass down the order: the entire army shall rest and reorganize at Tongguan for three days."

"In these three days, 10,000 copies of the 'Letter to the Elders of Guanzhong' and the 'Proclamation to Clear the Emperor's Side' were printed and shot into Chang'an with arrows and spread throughout the world by hot air balloons."

"I want everyone to know why I raised an army and what I intend to do."

Pei Xingjian suddenly realized: "Your Highness intends to subdue the enemy without fighting?"

"If we can win without fighting, that would be the best outcome."

A slight smile curved the corners of Li Chengqian's lips:
"If that's not possible... then let them open the city gates themselves from the inside." (End of Chapter)