Chapter 20: Resigned to Fate

According to the original plan devised by Li Longji, Li Chengqi, and Guo Yuanzhen, the first step was for Li Chengqi to enter the palace and meet with Li Dan to inform him of the coup d'état attempted by Princess Taiping. They calculated that Li Dan would be skeptical and might not believe it entirely, but he would not dismiss it outright; he would certainly summon his ministers to investigate the matter.

Guo Yuanzhen, the Minister of War, could provide evidence to help Li Dan see the truth. Once Li Longji finished handling affairs at the Wude Hall, he would also arrive to report the situation. By then, the combined testimony of the three would make it impossible for Li Dan to doubt them. The plan was step-by-step, meticulously crafted.

Li Chengqi followed this script, rushing into the Taiji Palace with a look of feigned terror and panic. As the eldest of the five Li brothers, he lacked Li Longji’s martial brilliance but possessed greater composure and experience. He played his part perfectly, charging into the inner hall of the Taiji Palace while shouting before he even arrived, "Father, Father! Something terrible has happened! The situation is dire! Aunt, Aunt... she..." As he reached the inner chamber and saw the scene before him, his words caught in his throat. He froze, his expression one of pure horror, as if he had seen a ghost.

Li Dan, possessing the noble bloodline of the Li family, was a handsome, sharp-eyed middle-aged man with a broad brow and a dignified presence. He wore a winged cap—round in the front and square in the back—and a yellow robe embroidered with gold dragons, which bestowed upon him the majesty of an emperor. Yet, having weathered so many storms, he appeared older than his fifty years, his hair and beard turned grey. He did not look like a pampered retired emperor, but rather like an elderly man from a humble family.

Seeing Li Chengqi rushing in with such unseemly clamor, Li Dan’s expression turned peculiar. Of his five sons, he most favored the steady and sensible Li Chengqi. Even when Li Longji had achieved the merit of securing the throne, Li Dan still viewed Li Chengqi as the best candidate for Crown Prince, and despite the suggestions of many ministers, he had intended to appoint him. It was only because Li Chengqi had declined, insisting that Li Longji was more suitable, that the position had fallen to the latter.

Seeing the usually composed Li Chengqi acting so devoid of decorum, Li Dan could not help but scold him: "You are no longer a child; what is the meaning of this shouting? You are making a spectacle of yourself before your aunt!" He turned to Princess Taiping and added, "I do not know what has gotten into him. Eldest Son is usually so steady; why is he so erratic today?"

The reason for Li Chengqi’s shock was the presence of Princess Taiping herself. He had never imagined that the very person he intended to accuse of treason would be standing right before him. How could he denounce her for rebellion with her own eyes fixed upon him?

Princess Taiping had not intended to enter the palace today; she had planned to visit the Daci'en Temple to mourn her late father. However, Li Dan had a dream last night in which he found himself utterly alone, and feeling a sudden wave of sorrow, he had summoned her to the palace to keep him company. This unforeseen accident had occurred just like that.

Princess Taiping smiled thinly. "Imperial Brother, perhaps the eldest has urgent business. But why do you keep calling me 'Aunt' with such a strange tone? It does not seem like you are seeking me for anything good." She was not particularly close to Li Chengqi; he was too cautious and, in her eyes, difficult to control—he could not be made a puppet. Sensitive as she was, his hostile tone toward her aroused her immediate suspicion.

Stunned, Li Chengqi made a split-second decision. He drew the sword at his waist and shouted, "Bold rebel! How dare you stand by my father's side with such ill intentions!" With that, he lunged to strike at Princess Taiping.

Li Dan’s expression changed instantly. Before he could even think, he instinctively blocked Princess Taiping and reached out to seize the sword from Li Chengqi’s hand.

Li Chengqi, a man of both loyalty and filial piety, dared not strike his own father and allowed Li Dan to disarm him.

Li Dan kicked Li Chengqi to the ground, glaring at him with fury. He threw the sword to the floor and roared, "Rebellious son, have you lost your mind?" His eyes turned bloodshot, like a wounded, roaring lion—no, like a lion already covered in scars, though he usually hid them well. Only when he saw the attempt to harm Princess Taiping did all his old wounds seem to tear open at once.

Princess Taiping glanced at Li Dan. As strong and formidable as she was, her eyes grew red, and tears nearly fell. In all the world, only she could understand the depths of Li Dan’s pain—because she shared it, though she was perhaps more resilient.

Supporting the swaying Li Dan, Princess Taiping looked at Li Chengqi with sharp eyes. "Eldest Son, I am curious what you mean by 'rebel.' Are you suggesting that I, Li Lingyue, am colluding with the Chancellors Dou Huaizhen, Cen Xi, Xiao Zhizhong, and Cui Shi, along with the Imperial Guards Chang Yuankai and Li Ci, to murder the monarch and usurp the throne?" With her intellect, she understood the situation perfectly. Li Chengqi’s daring to force a showdown at this moment meant that the arrow was already on the string; news of a mutiny would reach them soon, and there was no longer any time for pretense.

Li Chengqi rose from the ground and snapped, "Is it not so?"

Princess Taiping was burning with anxiety but maintained her composure. She bowed to Li Dan and said, "Imperial Brother, you shall be the judge of right and wrong. Allow me to take my leave!" She could not have imagined that Li Longji would have the courage to go all-in at such a time, having lost the initial advantage and being desperate to recoup his losses. She knew that only a few of her subordinates were capable of acting independently. If they were restricted and lacked her leadership, the situation would collapse, and it would be difficult to salvage.

"Until this matter is clarified, no one—absolutely no one—is permitted to leave this courtyard!" Li Dan’s eyes were bloodshot and streaming with tears. He enunciated each word with chilling clarity, his voice sounding like the growl of a beast. "Guards!" At his command, nearly fifty brave warriors emerged from around the Taiji Palace. These soldiers, tasked with guarding the Emperor’s sleeping quarters, were meticulously selected, fiercely loyal men who answered only to Li Dan. Not even Li Longji could command them.

"Keep watch over the Grand Princess and the Prince of Song. If they attempt to leave this courtyard, do not hold back—I grant you the authority to kill them on the spot!" Li Dan glared at Li Chengqi and Princess Taiping, his warning heavy and absolute.

Both Li Chengqi and Princess Taiping were shaken. They knew Li Dan was not joking; no matter how indecisive the frail man before them might seem, in the Taiji Palace, he remained the King.

After delivering the warning, Li Dan turned to leave.

"Father!" Li Chengqi’s expression shifted, and he hurriedly blocked Li Dan’s path. "Father, where—where are you going?"

Li Dan said, word by word, "I am going to see if I am still the master of this Great Tang!" With that, he shoved Li Chengqi aside and walked out.

Li Chengqi let out a mournful cry and knelt on the ground, bowing his head until it struck the floor. "Father, do not go! Once this begins, there is no turning back... Your son is unfilial, forcing you this day. If you must go, I dare not stop you, but I will die here before you, and I pray for your eternal longevity!"

Li Dan’s small frame trembled. He turned slowly, his face filled with disbelief. He pointed a shaking finger at the kneeling Li Chengqi and said, "Rebellious son, you—you would force your father to this extent for the sake of the Third Son?"

"No!" Li Chengqi lifted his head, blood trickling from his forehead. He sobbed, shaking his head. "No, no, it is not just for the Third Son, it is for you as well, Father. There is no turning back. From the moment I stepped into the Taiji Palace, the deed was done. The arrow has been loosed; it cannot be retrieved. If you walk out there, you will face a mob of bloodthirsty soldiers. If any harm comes to you, I could crush my bones to dust and still not atone for my sins."

Li Dan looked at the earnest Li Chengqi, shaking his head in despair. He let out a long sigh. "Yanshou, go to the Wude Hall and bring that rebellious Third Son to me. I want to see what face he has to confront me... Yanxi, you go and see what is happening outside. See if it can be quelled. If it can, deliver my oral decree: tell them to cease this foolishness immediately. The Tang Empire is still under my command!"

"Yes!" Li Dan’s most trusted eunuchs, Xu Yanshou and Xu Yanxi, bowed and hurried out of the courtyard.

Princess Taiping stepped forward to support Li Dan. She said softly, "Imperial Brother, sit down. At this stage, we can only leave it to fate." She understood her brother; because of his life experiences, he held family ties in the highest regard. It was precisely because of this that even though he was attached to the throne, he had passed it to Li Longji, for in his eyes, Li Longji was more important than the throne itself. Had it not been for Li Longji’s subordinate Liu Youqiu attempting to force the palace, committing a grave taboo, Li Dan would never have deposed Li Longji.

Now that things had evolved to this point, she knew her brother’s heart must be shattered. She also knew that things had reached a point of no return; Li Dan would never let them leave, just as she had said... they could only leave it to fate.

Whose strategy was stronger—Li Longji’s layout, or the remaining strength she held in reserve?

Dou Huaizhen and Xiao Zhizhong waited anxiously at the Southern Offices. The war drums had been sounded, and they were waiting for the arrival of the Sixteen Guards’ Generals and Commanders.

Meanwhile, Li Longfan and Li Longye, having consolidated the Left and Right Imperial Guards into a single force, were surging toward the Wanqi Camp.

The Wanqi troops originated from the "Hundred Riders" of Li Shimin. Li Shimin enjoyed hunting and archery, and finding it troublesome to have the Sixteen Guards protect him on outings, he selected a hundred elite soldiers from the Imperial Guard to serve as his personal bodyguards, naming them the "Flying Cavalry." After Li Shimin, subsequent emperors felt the number was too small and expanded it. By the present day, it had grown to the "Wanqi" (Ten Thousand Cavalry). Of course, this was a nominal figure; they were not truly ten thousand, numbering about a thousand fewer than the Imperial Guards, divided into Left and Right wings with a total of over five thousand men.

As the Imperial Guard army pressed in aggressively, the Left and Right Wanqi were thrown into a panic. The commanders—the "Envoys"—Xue Jungu of the Left and Ma Xu of the Right, did not even have time to don their armor upon receiving the news. In a rush, they closed the camp gates and prepared for battle.

Seeing this, Pei Min laughed, "It seems the Left and Right Wanqi do not welcome us!"

Li Longye, now quite familiar with Pei Min, joked, "If we showed up aggressively and they opened the gates to welcome us, we would be afraid to enter anyway. This is fine; it saves us from waiting for them to prepare." He paused and asked, "Fourth Brother, which one of us shall step forward?"

"Be serious!" Li Longfan straightened his attire. Approaching the gates, he once again used Li Dan’s name as a pretext. Raising the imperial edict high, he proclaimed, "The Imperial Edict has arrived! The Retired Emperor commands: Left Wanqi Envoy Xue Jungu and Right Wanqi Envoy Ma Xu, come forth at once to receive the decree!"