A thousand-year-old family begins with one fighting against ten thousand.

Is this true?

Li Jiancheng couldn't help but ask.

Li Shimin's expression was grim. He knew Cheng Yaojin very well; Cheng Yaojin would never joke about such a thing.

Moreover, his younger brother Li Yuanji was all talk and no action, ambitious beyond his capabilities, and incredibly stupid; he certainly seemed capable of doing such a thing.

"I have confirmed this with multiple sources; it is indeed true and there is absolutely no falsehood in it."

Cheng Yaojin said in a deep voice, "However, Your Highness, this matter should not be spread."

Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin knew that Cheng Yaojin was right; this matter involved the royal family's reputation and should not be blown out of proportion.

Moreover, Li Yuanji only has 3000 thugs under his command, who are not very combat-effective. If he is caught off guard, there is still some risk involved.

Knowing this in advance, it wasn't that Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin looked down on Li Yuanji; it was simply that the number of men under his command was insufficient.

"I'll do it."

Li Jiancheng said to Li Shimin, "After all, we are dealing with a biological brother. No matter how severe the punishment, the impact will be significant."

Li Shimin needed a good reputation to ascend the throne.

"I'll do it."

Li Shimin said firmly, "If you want to wear the crown, you must first bear its weight."

"Leave it to me."

"Alright."

Li Jiancheng nodded. This matter had both advantages and disadvantages. Since Li Shimin had made the decision, he, as the elder brother, would naturally support it.

"Zhijie, go and select three thousand old brothers to come with me to the palace."

"Give us the details beforehand; the important thing is to minimize the impact of this matter."

Li Shimin gave his instructions.

"As you command, Your Highness."

Cheng Yaojin accepted the order and selected 3000 elite soldiers who had followed Li Shimin the longest. He arranged for them in advance to have one group responsible for suppressing the rebels and the other group responsible for blocking the news.

"Come on, brother, let's see what our good little brother is up to!"

Li Shimin suppressed his anger and sneered.

Li Jiancheng sighed and slowly walked out of the Qin Prince's Mansion with Li Shimin.

In front of Xuanwu Gate.

Li Shimin and Li Jiancheng led their troops to this place and indeed found many shifty-looking people loitering outside Xuanwu Gate.

These people think they've hidden themselves perfectly; what a bunch of fools.

Where is this place?

This is the entrance to the palace!

Besides them, who else would be so foolish as to wander around here?

"Take them all!"

At Li Shimin's command, Cheng Yaojin led his men to charge forward and captured them all.

Of the 3000 men, only a few unlucky ones were injured by Li Yuanji because they were too restrained; the rest of the soldiers were unharmed.

Upon seeing this, Li Yuanji knew that the news had been leaked, and he turned his gaze to the guards at Xuanwu Gate.

"What are you waiting for? Li Shimin and Li Jiancheng are about to rebel! Why aren't you quelling the rebellion?!"

Li Yuanji lied through his teeth, gesturing with his eyes to one of his subordinates.

"Yes, sir!"

The guard at Xuanwu Gate gritted his teeth. He had long been entangled with Li Yuanji in terms of interests, and at this moment, this was the only path he could take.

"General, wait! His Majesty has already decided to make the Prince of Qin the Crown Prince. Why would the Prince of Qin rebel? There are many suspicious points here."

Another lieutenant tried to dissuade him, saying he didn't want to get involved in this royal power struggle.

The guard, with a cold face, drew his sword and killed the man. "The truth is that the King of Qin led 3,000 elite troops to kidnap the King of Qi, and now he is preparing to storm Xuanwu Gate and force His Majesty to ascend the throne."

"The facts are right in front of us, what else is there to say?"

"Could it be that His Highness the Fourth Prince is planning a rebellion with 3000 thugs?"

"This is utterly ridiculous!"

Yu Wuyan's words solidified the guards' resolve; they were Li Yuan's confidants and would only be loyal to him.

Regardless of the circumstances, the King of Qin leading 3000 elite troops to Xuanwu Gate was already a serious crime, and we cannot allow him to make another mistake.

Under Yu Wuyan's silent gaze, several of his trusted confidants who had been assigned to guard the area spoke up in agreement, rallying the entire army to attack Li Shimin.

Under Yu Wuyan's leadership, the three thousand elite guards who were guarding Xuanwu Gate charged out of the city and engaged in close combat with the elite Qin Prince's Mansion led by Cheng Yaojin.

When Li Shimin and Li Jiancheng saw the guards at Xuanwu Gate interfering, their expressions changed. If the guards at Xuanwu Gate also intervened, then some things would no longer be reasonable.

No matter the reason, they cannot escape their guilt.

At this critical juncture, Li Shimin certainly didn't want such a thing to happen.

He spurred his horse forward to the front lines, shouting, "Stop! All of you!"

The elite troops of the Qin Prince's Mansion led by Cheng Yaojin would naturally listen to their boss, and the guards of Xuanwu Gate were not very willing to get involved, so they also stopped fighting.

Yu Wuyan exclaimed that something was wrong, and without regard for the consequences, he killed several more of the elite soldiers from the Qin Prince's mansion.

The men he had arranged also took this opportunity to kill their enemies.

Li Shimin's expression changed again. Blood had been drawn, and this matter could not be resolved peacefully. He also had to stand up for his brothers.

Moreover, this garrison commander seems to be the fourth brother's trump card!

Li Shimin spurred his horse and charged towards the man.

"Your Highness, please do not make another mistake. Surrender and await His Majesty's judgment!"

"Brothers, charge! Our duty is to guard Xuanwu Gate. No matter the reason, it is a serious crime for the King of Qin to lead his troops to attack Xuanwu Gate. Capture the King of Qin first and wait for His Majesty's judgment."

Yu Wuyan shouted.

The battle between the two sides resumed. Since blood had already been drawn, neither side stopped fighting, and the area in front of Xuanwu Gate was instantly transformed into a river of blood.

Li Shimin's face was ashen as he charged towards Yu Wuyan. Yu Wuyan was indeed quite capable, managing to hold off the enraged Li Shimin for a moment.

On the other side, Cheng Yaojin also charged in on his horse and, together with Li Shimin, killed Yu Wuyan.

"You are all elite troops of our Great Tang Dynasty. How can we allow you to suffer losses for such a ridiculous reason?"

Li Shimin stood before the two armies, his voice booming like a bell, echoing throughout the entire battlefield.

But by this time, so many people had died that it couldn't be stopped.

Although Li Shimin had high prestige in the army, this army was the imperial guards and had always followed closely behind Li Yuan, never fighting against Li Shimin.

The only thing they needed to ensure was the stability of the palace.

Even from a purely economic standpoint, the garrison at Xuanwu Gate could not retreat. Retreating would mean they were wrong, so many people had died in vain, and those who survived would be implicated and punished.

Their only option now is to fight, capture the King of Qin, and solidify the cause and effect of this matter. In this way, they will only have merit and no fault.

Left with no other choice, Li Shimin had to lead his army to defeat all the defending troops.

Having learned of the major events that had occurred outside Xuanwu Gate, Li Yuan hurriedly dispatched troops. Upon their arrival, they witnessed Li Shimin leading his elite princely troops, defeating all the guards at Xuanwu Gate and capturing the gate.

The leader, Chai Shao, was taken aback. What had happened? Wasn't Li Shimin supposed to be made crown prince? Why would he lead troops in rebellion?

"King Qin, what are you doing?"

Chai Shao asked.

He was Li Shimin's brother-in-law, and the two had a good relationship, so neither wanted to take direct action.

At this moment, Li Jiancheng also stepped forward and stood with Li Shimin.

Chai Shao was even more surprised to see Li Jiancheng here.

What exactly happened?