Tang Dynasty: Taking the Empress Dowager to a brothel, Father Emperor, what a coincidence!

The city of Chang'an was shrouded in a white mist at dawn.

At the Vermilion Bird Gate, Hou Junji urged the Golden Guards who were changing shifts.

"Hurry up. Today is the Emperor Emeritus's funeral, and the city's defenses absolutely cannot be compromised."

Today, my personal guards will personally take over the Vermilion Bird Gate.

The replaced Jinwu Guard captain hesitated for a moment and said:

"Minister Hou, His Majesty previously decreed that during the period of national mourning, guards at all gates must not move without authorization..."

"Snapped!"

Hou Junji slapped him across the face.

"Insolence! I am the Minister of War, ordered to oversee the city's defenses. Do you think you can intimidate me with His Majesty's authority? Get out!"

The captain covered his face, furious but unable to speak out, and could only lead his men away in a sorry state.

Through the mist, hundreds of carriages covered with black cloth approached the Vermilion Bird Gate.

On the lead carriage, Cui Mingan jumped down and laughed:

"General Hou is indeed a trustworthy man."

Hou Junji glanced at the men Cui Mingan had brought and frowned, saying:

"Why are there so few people?"

"This is just the vanguard."

Cui Mingan stroked his beard.

"The servants and assassins from various families outside the city are infiltrating in through other city gates in batches. Including the general's personal guards, there are tens of thousands of them."

Hou Junji nodded:

"Very well. I have already redeployed all the patrols on the main streets leading to Da'an Palace. You have only half an hour."

"Half an hour is enough for the Tang Dynasty to be completely transformed."

Cui Mingan waved his hand.

"Go into town."

Meanwhile, at the Eastern Palace.

Li Chengqian walked ahead.

"Big brother...are we really going?"

Li Tai looked at Li Chengqian with a mournful face and asked...

"How about my third brother and I kowtow to Grandfather at the Eastern Palace?"

Li Ke also said pitifully:

"Big Brother, Fourth Brother is right. That old dog Cui Min is definitely going to make a move today. If we go out now, aren't we just making ourselves easy targets?"

Li Chengqian turned around and looked at his two good-for-nothing younger brothers, then rolled his eyes.

"Look at you two, so pathetic. I'm not afraid, so what are you afraid of?"

"Can you be like us?"

Li Tai curled his lip.

"Brother, you're the crown prince. If they rebel, they'll definitely come for you first. If we're with you, won't we die even faster?"

"Stop talking nonsense."

Li Chengqian grabbed Li Tai by the back of his collar with one hand and Li Ke by the other, dragging the two of them out.

"How can this grand show go on without you two supporting actors? You better behave yourselves and don't disgrace the Li family."

Li Tai and Li Ke looked like they were about to cry, as Li Chengqian dragged them all the way to Da'an Palace.

On the square outside Da'an Palace.

The officials stood in order of rank.

The coffin of the retired emperor was placed in the main hall, but Li Shimin had not yet come out.

In the ranks of military officers on the right side of the square.

Cheng Yaojin was squatting beside the white marble steps, whispering to Yuchi Jingde.

"Old Black, place your bets. Put them in."

Cheng Yaojin glanced around furtively.

"I, Old Cheng, am the bookmaker. I'm betting on who will make the first move today—those old dogs from the powerful families, or the Crown Prince?"

Yuchi Jingde took out a ten-tael silver ingot from his pocket and threw it into Cheng Yaojin's arms:

"I bet on the Crown Prince! That kid's always been full of bad ideas, he'll definitely be the one to jump out first this time."

Niu Jinda, who was standing nearby, came over and threw down a few strings of copper coins:

"I bet on the Shijia family! That old fox Cui Mingan has been driven to a dead end by the Crown Prince, he'll definitely do something desperate."

"Hey, hey, count me in."

Duan Zhixuan also squatted down and took out a gold ingot from his pocket.

"I bet they'll attack together."

Cheng Yaojin muttered to himself as he collected the money:

"Place your bets now! Place your bets now! Anyone else want to place a bet?"

"Duke Lu, may I...may I place a bet?"

A weak voice suddenly sounded behind Cheng Yaojin.

Cheng Yaojin was startled. He turned around and saw Li Tai standing next to him, looking at the silver in his arms.

Standing beside them were Li Ke, who looked utterly dejected, and Li Chengqian, whose face was full of mockery.

"Oh, Your Highness, the Prince of Yue?"

Cheng Yaojin quickly stood up.

"What are you doing here? This is a life-or-death situation, you dare to take the risk?"

Li Tai pulled a crumpled fare ticket from his sleeve:

"I bet on the Crown Prince to win. One thousand strings of cash."

Cheng Yaojin was stunned.

Yuchi Jingde was also stunned.

The few old killers around looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Your Highness, we're betting on who makes the first move. What kind of bet is it that you're betting on the Crown Prince to win?"

Cheng Yaojin scratched his head.

Li Tai puffed out his chest confidently:

"No matter who strikes first, my older brother will definitely win in the end. I've bet all my allowance from the past few months, hoping my older brother will slaughter them all today."

Li Chengqian listened from the side, his lips twitching.

This chubby kid's flattery skills are getting more and more refined.

Cheng Yaojin snatched the flying ticket, stuffed it into his pocket, and laughed loudly:

"Alright! Your Highness the King of Yue has guts. I, Old Cheng, will take this bet."

......

"when!!!"

The bell tolled over the Da'an Palace.

The main gate of the Da'an Palace was slowly pushed open.

Li Shimin, dressed in coarse hemp mourning clothes, walked out with red eyes.

All the officials in the square knelt down in unison.

"Rise of the spirits!"

The Minister of Rites shouted.

The coffin made of Phoebe zhennan wood was steadily lifted by sixty-four strong men, and the procession began to move outwards in a grand procession.

Li Chengqian pulled Li Tai and Li Ke to stand in the procession of princes and grandsons.

Li Tai muttered to himself as he walked:

"Brother, where are we going? Wasn't the funeral procession supposed to go through Chengtian Gate?"

Li Chengqian glanced at him:

"Father ordered yesterday that the route be changed to go through Xuanwu Gate."

Upon hearing the words "Xuanwu Gate," both Li Tai and Li Ke shuddered.

This place is an absolute taboo for the Li family.

The line slowly inclined forward.

The gate tower of Xuanwu Gate came into view.

But today, Xuanwu Gate has an eerie feel to it.

None of the Imperial Guards who were supposed to be standing guard on the city wall were to be seen.

On the huge square below the city gate, a massive army stood in formation, ready to fight.

Hou Junji stood on horseback at the very front of the army formation.

Cui Mingan, standing next to him, was on a chariot.

The civil and military officials were completely dumbfounded when they saw this display.

"They've...they've rebelled!"

Someone screamed.

The crowd immediately erupted into chaos.

"What's the panic?"

Li Shimin shouted and walked to the front of the line.

The Xuanjia soldiers behind him quickly dispersed, protecting the officials and the coffin in the middle.

Li Shimin looked at Hou Junji with a gloomy expression.

He guessed that the powerful families would resort to desperate measures, and he also guessed that there might be an inside agent in the city's defenses.

But he never expected that this mole would be Hou Junji, whom he had personally promoted.

"Hou Junji. I have treated you well, and this is how you repay me?"

Hou Junji cupped his hands in a gesture of respect from his horse:

"Your Majesty, I am also doing this for the sake of the Tang Dynasty."

The Crown Prince's perverse actions have incurred the wrath of Heaven and the resentment of the people, leaving me no choice but to purge the court of corrupt officials!

"Bullshit!"

Cheng Yaojin pointed at Hou Junji and began to curse.

"You ungrateful bastard. If you want to be emperor, just say so. What's with this 'cleansing the court of corrupt officials' nonsense? I, Old Cheng, will chop you in half today."

After finishing his tirade, Cheng Yaojin turned and extended his hand towards Yuchi Jingde:

"Old Hei, give me the money. This bastard jumped out first. I'll take them all."

With a dark expression, Yuchi Jingde pulled a silver ingot from his pocket and threw it into Cheng Yaojin's hand:

"You old fool, you're lucky."

The officials were all dumbfounded.

What time is it?

These two old scoundrels are still settling their gambling debts?

Li Shimin looked at Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Jingde with such rage that his hands had turned into eagle claws.

Just then, Li Chengqian walked to Li Shimin's side.

"Father. This spectacle, this grand display, and this place..."

Li Shimin glared at him: "What are you trying to say?"

Li Chengqian said with a grin:

"They probably think you're their uncle from back then, right?"

Li Shimin was completely stunned.

During the Xuanwu Gate Incident, Li Shimin led his men to ambush Li Jiancheng here, and killed his elder brother with an arrow.

Now he's been cornered in the same place.

That unfilial son deliberately poked at his lungs.

Li Shimin glared at Li Chengqian and roared:

"You unfilial son! Say that again!"

Li Chengqian quickly took two steps back and pointed at Hou Junji opposite him:

"Father, what I mean is that Hou Junji is too arrogant. Who does he think he is? Daring to block your way at Xuanwu Gate? Isn't that like showing off his skills in front of Guan Yu?"

Li Shimin barely suppressed the urge to draw his sword and kill his rebellious son.

He drew the Emperor's Sword from his waist, its tip pointing directly at Hou Junji.

"Traitors and treacherous officials deserve to be punished by everyone. Today, I'll see how you plan to purge this corrupt official from the emperor's inner circle."

When Cui Mingan saw Li Shimin draw his sword, he laughed triumphantly.

"Your Majesty, why do you do this?"

This old minister is acting in accordance with Heaven's will today, acting on behalf of Heaven!

Immediately afterwards, he took out a proclamation from his pocket and began to read it aloud:

"A monstrous demon has descended to earth and been reborn in the Eastern Palace. Crown Prince Li Chengqian is violent and tyrannical, and acts perversely."

His first crime was to abolish the teachings of sages and promote strange and frivolous skills, thus corrupting the cultural heritage of the Tang Dynasty.

His second crime was to condone his subordinates' indiscriminate killing of innocent people and persecution of loyal officials in Hedong Road, causing widespread suffering and death.

His third crime was disrespect for propriety and law; he insulted a great Confucian scholar in court and forced a virtuous minister to his death; he was truly a ruler like Jie and Zhou.

Cui Mingan became more and more enthusiastic as he read, even adding gestures.

"If such a person, who is without virtue or talent and is tyrannical by nature, were to inherit the throne, our Great Tang Dynasty would surely be doomed."

This old minister humbly requests Your Majesty to depose the Crown Prince and appoint a virtuous and capable successor, so as to appease the people and the nation!

Just as Cui Mingan was preparing to deliver his final, impassioned summary.

"Alright, alright."

An impatient shout abruptly interrupted his spellcasting.

Everyone turned to look.

Li Chengqian looked at Cui Mingan with an impatient expression:

"Old dog Cui, your little essay is really bad! It's just the same few sentences over and over again. I'm so tired of hearing it."

Could you read faster? Can we just skip to the end? I need to get back for lunch.

Li Shimin was stunned by Li Chengqian's actions.

What is this unfilial son doing?

They're reading out a proclamation condemning you, and you're here urging me to update?