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

"Erlang, what do you mean by this?"

Li Yuan frowned.

"Please, Father, abdicate."

Li Shimin said coldly.

"Erlang, what did you say?"

Li Yuan was utterly shocked, unable to believe his ears.

"Your Majesty, I request that you abdicate."

Li Shimin repeated each word carefully.

"presumptuous!!"

Li Yuan flew into a rage and slammed his hand hard on the dragon table.

"Li Shimin, do you know what you're saying?"

"Know."

"Father, do you know what you're doing?"

Li Shimin countered with a question.

"I'm asking you!"

"Does Father still remember Fourth Brother?"

Ignoring Li Yuan's roar, Li Shimin continued to ask.

"What do you mean?"

Li Yuan recalled the deceased Li Yuanji, and his tone began to change as he asked in a deep voice.

"Does Father Emperor want me to come to you carrying the Fifth Prince's head?"

"If Father Emperor wishes, it's not impossible."

Li Shimin spoke calmly, but Li Yuan sensed an endless chill in his voice.

"Erlang, you mustn't do anything wrong."

"You are brothers, bound by blood! The Li family cannot be stained with the blood of the Li family."

Li Yuan was filled with regret, regretting that he had pushed Li Shimin so hard. He should have slowed down and taken things slowly.

"Father, if you don't want to receive the Fifth Prince's head as a gift tomorrow morning, then abdicate."

"You're getting old, it's time for you to rest. You can't control the Tang Dynasty, so you should leave it to your son."

Li Yuan was so angry that his face turned red. He pointed at Li Shimin and said in a trembling voice, "You unfilial son! Are you trying to force me to abdicate?"

"If Father thinks so, then so be it."

Li Shimin said calmly.

"What if I say no? Are you still going to kill your father and your ruler?"

Li Yuan glared and roared.

"Of course not, but Father Emperor died of grief over my fifth brother's death. What does that have to do with me?"

Yuchi Jingde, standing to the side, snorted coldly. Time was of the essence; why waste so much time on idle chatter?

However, even a reckless man like him knew that it was not a good situation to take action himself, so he forcibly restrained himself.

"You, you, you! You unfilial son!"

Li Yuan said sadly.

"It was all forced upon me by my father."

"We conquered this empire; Father, you are the one who reaps the benefits without sowing."

"My elder brother has given up, and my elder sister is a woman; who else in this world would take my place?"

"But Father, you're actually supporting my fifth brother to oppose me and trying to get rid of me. If I lose, what will happen to Guanyinbi, Chengqian, and Qingque?"

"How could anyone possibly tolerate the legitimate son of the former crown prince?"

"Father, I don't want my child to die, I really don't."

Li Shimin's voice was also full of pain, after all, he was now targeting his own biological father.

"No, no, Shimin, you've misunderstood your father."

"Chengqian and Qingque are both Father Emperor's grandsons, and Father Emperor will definitely protect them."

Li Yuan hurriedly said, spouting nonsense that even he himself didn't believe.

"Father, do you even believe that yourself? If Yang Guang's eldest son were still alive, would you spare him?"

Li Yuan was speechless after hearing Li Shimin's words. If Yang Guang's eldest son were still alive, he would have killed him immediately.

"But, but you are brothers."

"Since they are half-brothers, isn't Yang Guang your cousin, Father Emperor?"

Li Shimin's gaze sharpened as he looked at the stubborn Li Yuan, no longer wanting to waste any more time.

"I beg Father to hand over the military tally to me so that I may kill all the rebels in the capital."

"Please, Father Emperor, move to Tai'an Palace to enjoy your remaining years."

"I beseech Your Majesty to grant me the authority to oversee the country and govern the state, and to preside over the overall situation."

"you!"

Li Yuan was so angry with Li Shimin that he couldn't speak.

"If you have the guts, then kill me! Become a patricide and regicide!"

Li Shimin stared coldly at Li Yuan, and Li Yuan saw a chilling intent in Li Shimin's eyes.

"Jingde, send someone to bring my fifth brother's head so that Father can regain his senses."

"If the head of the fifth brother cannot rouse Father, then the heads of the sixth brother, the seventh brother, and the thirteenth brother who was just born are all to be taken."

"If that still doesn't work, then we'll have no choice but to ask Father Emperor to pass away."

Li Shimin said coldly.

"stop!"

Li Yuan stopped him, then lay dejectedly on the ground, as if he had aged decades in an instant.

He could see the determination in Li Shimin's eyes; if he still disagreed, Li Shimin would really do it.

"I hereby issue an imperial decree."

Li Yuan opened a hidden compartment on his dragon bed, took out half of the tiger tally, and handed it to Li Shimin.

Then he personally wrote an imperial edict, affixed the Imperial Seal of the State, and handed the Imperial Seal and the edict to Li Shimin at the same time.

The imperial edict stated that he was unwell and had moved to Tai'an Palace, leaving Crown Prince Li Shimin to oversee the country.

The fifth son of the Emperor, Prince Li Zhiyun of Chu, is unruly and incompetent, and is unfit for great responsibility. His fiefdom is hereby reduced, and he is demoted to Prince of Gaochang. He is to depart immediately to take up his post without delay.

"Erlang, do you think this will keep Fifth Brother alive?"

"These days, the fifth prince has been very filial to his father, often asking questions. He is a filial child. It is all the father's fault. He is innocent."

After hearing Li Yuan's words, Li Shimin remained silent.

Cheng Yaojin could clearly sense the desolation emanating from Li Shimin.

Even at this point, Li Yuan was still thinking about his fifth son.

Filial piety?

Before tonight, when had Li Shimin ever been unfilial?

In his youth, Li Zhiyun did the same things that Li Shimin did.

But Li Yuan had already forgotten, completely forgotten!

"Fine, I've never even considered this piece of trash."

Yuchi Jingde and the others did not stop him. Not to mention Li Shimin, even they had never taken Li Zhiyun seriously.

The only people they ever feared were Li Yuan and Li Jiancheng, and even Li Jiancheng was above Li Yuan.

Not to mention the completely harmless Li Zhiyun, who could be easily wiped out without Li Yuan's support.

"Jingde, recently there have been remnants of the previous dynasty causing trouble. To prevent the Emperor from being disturbed, you should personally lead the troops here to protect him."

Li Shimin accepted the military tally, the imperial edict, and the imperial seal, turned and left, giving instructions to Yuchi Jingde.

"As you command."

Yuchi Jingde stood behind Li Yuan, carrying his double maces, never leaving his side.

Li Yuan felt a chill run down his spine. He chuckled awkwardly.

"Erlang, isn't that unnecessary?"

"As the Emperor of our Great Tang, Father's status is extremely noble and important. Any loss to him would be a great loss to our Great Tang."

"Yuchi Jingde, if anything happens to my father, you will bring me your head."

Li Shimin forced a fake smile.

Yuchi Jingde returned a sinister smile. "Your Highness, rest assured, with me, Yuchi Jingde, here, I will absolutely not allow anyone to get close to His Majesty."

Now that he was at the mercy of others, Li Yuan had no choice but to agree. If he didn't agree, no one would care about his opinion.