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

Chang'an, Liangyi Palace.

Li Shimin unfolded the negotiation letter sent by Li Chengqian, his gaze lingering for a long time on the line "I wish to meet with my father on the banks of the Wei River," a cold smile curving his lips.

Why must there be war between father and son?

He repeated the sentence in a low voice, then sneered:
"What a fine saying, 'Why bother with weapons'... Why didn't you say that when you breached Tongguan?"

Liu Ji stepped forward and said in a deep voice:
"Your Majesty, this is undoubtedly a delaying tactic. The Crown Prince's three armies are about to converge, and seeking peace now is surely just buying time for the final offensive!"

"Do not."

Li Shimin put down the letter, a complex and sharp glint in his eyes:
“He genuinely wants to talk, but it’s definitely not about becoming the crown prince again.”

"Then he did it for..." Fang Xuanling asked, puzzled.

"For my position."

Li Shimin slowly rose and walked to the huge map of the Tang Dynasty's territory, his finger tracing the Tongguan Pass, Wuguan Pass, and Youzhou:
"Why do you think Xue Rengui went south? Why did Hilde go north? Why is Su Dingfang waiting at sea?"

"This is not an ordinary rebellion, this is... a transfer of power."

He turned around, his gaze sweeping over the assembled officials in the hall:

"What Li Chengqian wants is not as simple as restoring the title of Crown Prince."

"What he wants is real power, military power, absolute power that allows him and his followers to secure their livelihood and even control the political situation."

Cheng Yaojin frowned: "Does His Majesty mean that he intends to force the emperor to abdicate?"

"Even more ruthless than forcing someone to abdicate."

Li Shimin's voice was cold:

"He wants me to acknowledge his 'legitimacy,' to acknowledge that his uprising was 'purging the court of corrupt officials,' and to acknowledge that he has the right to take over the empire... or at least, to take over the army."

"Then, he will complete the transfer of power with my 'voluntary' consent."

"In this way, the history books will not record 'the crown prince plotted a rebellion and usurped the throne,' but rather 'Emperor Taizong grew weary of governing in his later years and abdicated in favor of the crown prince, with Chengqian acting as regent.'"

There was deathly silence in the hall.

This deduction is even more alarming than Li Chengqian's outright rebellion.

This means that Li Shimin will completely lose the initiative.

"Your Majesty, we absolutely cannot agree to this!"

Yuchi Gong said urgently, "If the Crown Prince is allowed to control all the military forces in the country, who in the court will be able to check and balance him?"

"Don't agree?"

Li Shimin countered, "Then what do you suggest? Defend Chang'an? Can we even hold it?"

He pointed to the map:

"Xue Rengui's 50,000 Liaodong cavalry have already passed Juyong Pass, and they will be able to reach the Yellow River in ten days at most."

"Hilde's 8,000 naval troops have arrived in Xiangyang, while the garrison at Wuguan only has 3,000."

"Tongguan is in Chengqian's hands, and Xi Jun has bought two thousand cavalrymen outside the city."

"Not to mention Su Dingfang's navy, which could land in Shandong at any time and cut off the grain transport."

"If a war really breaks out, how long can Chang'an hold out? A month? Two months?"

"And then? Guanzhong was reduced to scorched earth, the Tang Dynasty's elite forces were exhausted in the civil war, and the surrounding barbarians took advantage of the situation—"

He paused, his voice revealing an unusual weariness:
"I intervened at Xuanwu Gate to end internal strife, not to start an even more brutal one."

Fang Xuanling remained silent for a long time before whispering, "Your Majesty... has already made a decision?"

"talk."

Li Shimin uttered a single word:

"But it wasn't him who set the conditions; it was me who negotiated the conditions with him."

"Issue the decree: at Chenshi (7-9 AM) three days from now, at the Wei River Bridge."

"I want to see for myself how much this son really wants."

Three days later, at Chenshi (7-9 AM), at the Wei River Bridge.

The morning mist was thick, and the sound of the Wei River's waves remained unchanged.

North of the bridge, five hundred Xuanjia soldiers stood in formation, while Li Shimin, dressed in military attire with a bright yellow cloak and an imperial sword hanging at his waist, stood in formation.

Cheng Yaojin, Yuchi Gong, and Li Daozong stood behind him with their hands on their swords.

South of the bridge, five hundred Imperial Guards stood silently, all dressed in black, with short guns at their waists and long swords strapped to their backs.

At the front of the column, twenty musketeers knelt on the ground, their flintlock muskets already loaded.

Li Chengqian was dressed in a black prince's casual robe, without armor, except for a ceremonial sword hanging at his waist.

Pei Xingjian and Xi Junmai stood on either side.

The father and son met in the middle of the bridge, ten steps apart.

"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty." Li Chengqian bowed.

"No need." Li Shimin raised his hand, his gaze sharp as a knife.

"Chengqian, just say it. What do you want?"

There were no pleasantries, no probing, just straight to the point.

Li Chengqian straightened up and met his father's gaze:

"Your subject wants three things."

"First, the seal of the Supreme General of Heavenly Strategy, which grants him control over all the troops in the land."

"Secondly, the position of Minister of State Affairs is to oversee all government affairs."

"third……"

He paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately:
"Your father has retired to become the Emperor Emeritus, and I will oversee the country. Five years later, I will formally ascend the throne."

On the north side of the bridge, Cheng Yaojin and the others' expressions changed drastically.

[General of the Heavenly Strategy! Minister of the Imperial Secretariat!]

These two positions were the core symbols of power that Li Shimin held when he seized power.

Now Li Chengqian not only wants it, but also wants it to be so naked.

"Ah……"

Li Shimin laughed, his laughter filled with sarcasm:
"General Tian Ce, in charge of all the armies under heaven... Chengqian, you're putting me on the hot seat!"

"Back then, I seized the world with the title of General of the Heavenly Strategy. Now you want to seize my world with the title of General of the Heavenly Strategy?"

"I don't dare."

Li Chengqian spoke calmly, yet his words were as firm as iron:
"Your subject only needs a guarantee, a guarantee that will allow the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who follow you to lay down their weapons with peace of mind."

"Pei Xuan, Yu Gushe, Wang Haibin, Liu Xuan... they are still in prison."

"Xue Rengui, Su Dingfang, Hilde... they are still on the battlefield."

"And General Xi, and the entire Embroidered Uniform Guard, and those soldiers of the Six Guards of the Eastern Palace who were purged..."

He stepped forward, his voice suddenly rising:

"Father, these people are risking their lives to rebel against me, not so that I can go back to being the crown prince who could be deposed at any time!"

"They want a bright future, wealth, military power, and the reward they deserve for their service in supporting the emperor!"

"If I cannot give them these, even if I return today, they will find someone else tomorrow, or... they may simply come and take them themselves!"

A naked showdown of interests.

This is not a father-son conflict; it is a power transition between two political groups.

Li Shimin remained silent.

He understood this logic all too well—

Back then, weren't those generals who followed him at Xuanwu Gate also doing so for the sake of gaining merit in supporting the emperor?

"If you want the position of Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, I can grant it to you."

After a long silence, Li Shimin slowly spoke:
"If you wish to oversee the country, I can grant that right."

“But General Tian Ce… no.”

He stared at his son:

"The military power of the Tang Dynasty cannot be concentrated in the hands of one person. This is an ancestral precept and also my bottom line."

"Then let's not talk about it."

Li Chengqian turned to leave:
"Your Majesty, I will return to Tongguan immediately and order Xue Rengui to cross the Yellow River by force, order Hilde to launch a strong attack on Wuguan, and order Su Dingfang to land in Shandong."

"One month from now, your son will lead three armies to conquer Chang'an."

"At that time, it will be the same whether Father gives it to us or not."

"How dare you—!"

Cheng Yaojin glared angrily, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Just then, Li Chengqian suddenly picked up a strong bow, drew it to its full extent, and fired an arrow at Cheng Yaojin.

"Be careful, Zhijie!"

Li Shimin was greatly alarmed.

Unfortunately, it's still too late.

"what!"

Cheng Yaojin was hit by an arrow, screamed and fell off his horse.

But Li Chengqian coldly replied, "How dare you, a piece of trash, interrupt when I'm talking to my father? You're courting death!"

After speaking, he glanced at Li Shimin calmly and indifferently, and said:
"What kind of bastard is General Tian Ce! If you don't want to talk things out, then kill me!" (End of Chapter)