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

Li Chengan took the head from Chengxin's hands, and with his other hand, he stroked Li Tai's eyes, covering Li Tai's wide-open, unseeing eyes.

"Bluebird, isn't it good to be alive? Why must you fight?"

"Besides, didn't your elder brother teach you from a young age that it's not scarcity that's worrisome, but inequality? Tell me, you can't outsmart me with either scheming or open tactics, so what makes you think you can compete with me?"

"A mere honorary title from the Academy of Literature and a position as Vice Minister of Works have caused your subordinates to become disloyal. If they didn't want to kill you, things would be a bit more complicated."

If Li Tai were still alive, he would see a familiar figure behind Li Shimin.

He was one of the people in the literary academy who greatly admired his literary achievements, and he was also the second highest-ranking person in the academy after him. He was also the person who missed out on the position of Vice Minister of Works.

"That's enough. What's done is done. You should spend some quality time with Mother on behalf of your brother."

"My mother tried her best to prevent us brothers from killing each other before she passed away. I will wait until after I, the elder brother, pass away before my mother to apologize."

"Let's go, our destination is Taiji Palace."

Li Chengqian strode out, splashing rainwater on the ground. Each droplet reflected his resolute face.

Before Xuanwu Gate, this palace gate has witnessed too much: the death of Li Yuanji, Li Shimin's coup, and now Li Chengqian's entry into the palace with his troops.

In the future, it will witness even more, with generations of the Li imperial family vying for the throne through this gate.

The palace gates slowly opened, and Li Anyan's figure emerged from behind them. He and his men knelt before Li Chengqian, saying, "Your Highness."

"Walk."

Li Chengqian stepped forward and helped Li Anyan up. Without saying much, they continued towards Taiji Palace.

"Your Highness, something's not right. It's too quiet."

Hou Junji sensed the silence throughout the palace, and a twitch appeared on his brow. He had a feeling that there was a dangerous atmosphere in the air.

This was his intuition, honed through years of life-and-death battles, and it had never been wrong.

"I know."

Li Chengqian nodded slightly.

"Your Highness, something is definitely not right."

Li Anyan also looked solemn, "Although I have removed the guards on this road, it will not be this quiet."

Li Chengqian kept walking. "What's the use of thinking about this now? We have no way out."

"So what if Father found out?"

"I have manpower in all the armies, and I can confirm that Father has never mobilized troops. That is enough."

Li Chengqian's words reassured Hou Junji and Li Anyan, as long as His Highness was certain that His Majesty had not mobilized troops from other places.

Even if His Majesty becomes aware of this now and sends people to mobilize troops, it will be too late in a short period of time.

By the time the troops arrived to rescue the emperor, everything had already been settled.

Moreover, just as Li Chengqian said, the moment they stepped into Xuanwu Gate, there was no turning back.

It's either success or death; there are no other options.

After passing through Xuanwu Gate and palace walls, Li Chengqian and his group finally arrived at the entrance of Taiji Palace.

It was already past midnight, but the Taiji Palace was still brightly lit with candles.

"You wait at the door."

As soon as Li Chengqian finished speaking, Hou Junji tried to step forward to stop him, but Li Chengqian stopped him with a gesture.

"It's alright, I think Father Emperor would also like to talk to me."

Li Chengqian walked into Taiji Palace with a limp, and Li Shimin sat in front of him waiting for him.

"Father."

Li Chengqian bowed to Li Shimin as usual.

"Rise."

Li Shimin looked at his son with a complicated expression. This moment had finally arrived.

Is this retribution?

Is it retribution for his unjust ascension to the throne? Or retribution for forcing his brother to his death? Or perhaps retribution for forcing his father to the throne?

If this continues for one generation, and for two generations, even if Li Chengqian's rebellion is suppressed by him, how much more blood will the Li family shed in the blood of future generations?

Li Shimin was too preoccupied to consider these things now; his mind was in complete turmoil.

His son rebelled against him.

He smelled the scent of blood in the Taiji Palace, a scent he hadn't experienced in a long time.

However, he didn't think much of it. Li Chengqian had staged a coup and entered the palace; it was normal for there to be some bloodshed in the world. Therefore, he ignored the box in Li Chengqian's hand.

Why?

"Why? Why?"

Li Chengqian countered with a question.

"Why rebel?"

Li Shimin gritted his teeth and said.

"Father, why did you rebel at the end of the Wude era?"

Li Chengqian asked in return

"That's different. You are my eldest son, the crown prince."

Li Shimin roared.

"What's the difference? Back then, my eldest uncle went into seclusion, my fourth uncle committed suicide, my third uncle died young, and Father, you were also the Crown Prince."

Li Chengqian looked at the aging Li Shimin and chuckled, thinking, "He's really getting senile."

"Back then, it was because your imperial grandfather wanted to support the fifth prince, and it was also for the sake of your mother, your brothers and sisters, that I had no choice but to raise an army to force your imperial grandfather to abdicate."

"But now that your position as Crown Prince is secure, I have never considered shaking it!"

Li Shimin roared, like a furious lion, his eyes filled with exhaustion.

"Hehe, Father, how similar you are to your grandfather back then."

"Does Grandfather really want Fifth Uncle to replace you? I doubt it."

"You really never considered threatening my position as crown prince? I doubt it."

"Otherwise, why do you value Qingque so much? Why did you transfer everyone around me away one by one? Why did you make Qingque stand in the same row as me to carry the coffin?"

"Why do you keep scolding me? Don't you have any regard for my dignity as the Crown Prince?"

"Father, do you really consider me the Crown Prince?"

Li Chengqian countered with a question.

"What nonsense are you spouting? When have I ever thought of removing you from your position as crown prince? I merely, merely..."

"I'm just being stricter with you. As for Qingque, he is, after all, my and your mother's own flesh and blood. I feel that he has not seen your mother for many years and feels somewhat indebted to her."

Li Shimin said regretfully, he never expected that his actions would become the straw that forced Li Chengqian to rebel.

"Did my grandfather ever consider deposing my father as crown prince? Li Zhiyun was merely a pawn used to check my father and protect his own power."

"Even after our grandfather passed away, the throne would still belong to our father, but you didn't do that, did you?"

Li Shimin was rendered speechless by Li Chengqian's words.

"In the end, you and I, father and son, are the same kind of people. We must both take our own destiny into our own hands."

"None of us can accept that our future destiny should be determined by the will of others."

"We are both born emperors, destined to be unable to coexist."

Li Chengqian said, then took out a golden python robe from the package behind him.

This is the garment that Empress Zhangsun sewed for him stitch by stitch back then.

After Li Chengqian took it out, he changed out of his clothes and put on the clothes that Empress Zhangsun had sewn for him.

Li Shimin naturally recognized the clothes, and his eyes widened in fury: "Are you really going to rebel against your father while wearing clothes that your mother personally sewed for you?"

"You're making it impossible for your mother's spirit in heaven to rest in peace!"