Chapter 22: Brother's Tragedy, Sister's Withering

The outcome was decided, but from the perspective of the side that initiated the coup, this was merely the beginning!

The slaughter and reckoning had only just begun!

The temptation of merit in supporting the dragon's ascension was overwhelmingly immense. To prove their loyalty and earn the favor of the victors, soldiers and commanders, their eyes bloodshot with frenzy, spontaneously began purging the remnants of Princess Taiping’s faction. Naturally, members of the Taiping faction fled in all directions, but even those who did not belong to it felt their lives were in peril as long as they were closely associated with Princess Taiping, creating a high probability of collateral damage.

Faced with massive stakes, an army was no different from a marauding mob.

Xu Yanxi, whom Li Dan had dispatched to halt the coup, served no purpose and died at the hands of the "rebel soldiers." The inner palace was now entirely under Li Longji's control. Much calmer than the outer city, Xu Yanshou safely arrived at the Wude Hall to convey Li Dan's decree.

Instead of the joy of victory, Li Longji's face bore an expression of deep distress. Originally, he had intended to shift all the blame onto Princess Taiping; even if Li Dan were to place the blame, it would be because Princess Taiping had plotted treason first. Now that Princess Taiping was right inside the Taiji Palace, the blame became rather difficult to deflect.

"Things have come to this! There is no use in overthinking. If His Majesty the Emperor holds us at fault, we brothers shall bear it together!" After executing Jia Yingfu and Li You, Li Chengyi had maintained control of the Secretariat until he learned that the Left Yuandin Guards had secured the Xialei, Chengtian, and Yongan Gates to seal off the inner palace. Realizing that Li Longji controlled the inner palace, he had returned to the Wude Hall and had just learned of Li Chengqi's awkward predicament.

"That's right! We brothers did this together. If there is punishment to be borne, let us brothers bear it together!" Li Longfan and Li Longye also stepped forward in unison.

Guo Yuanzhen added, "Filial piety is the foundation by which a monarch wins the trust of the realm. Since matters have reached this point, we can only adapt to circumstances; hesitation will bring no benefit."

"It takes two hands to clap; I believe the Retired Emperor has his own measure in his heart and will not lay all the responsibility upon Your Majesty... Moreover, Princess Taiping truly did arrange for the woman of the Yuan clan to be by Your Majesty's side." Pei Min also expressed his stance. Regardless, things had reached a point where Li Dan's hurdle had to be crossed sooner rather than later.

Remembering the Yuan woman, a gleam of realization lit up Li Longji's eyes. He nodded heavily and said, "Let's go! To see my Imperial Father!"

Guo Yuanzhen said, "Take this old minister, along with Pei Min and Wang Maozhong. Let Wang Maozhong's soldiers stand guard outside the hall."

Li Longji nodded silently.

The group walked in silence, the oppressive atmosphere heavy as they entered the Taiji Hall.

The deafening roars of battle outside the Chengtian Gate had long since reached the Taiji Hall. Li Dan had continuously dispatched men to gather intelligence; both he and Princess Taiping were now well aware of Li Longji's plan and the direction the situation was taking. Fire raged in Li Dan's heart, while Princess Taiping's exquisite face wore a look of desolate resignation. Faced with such a grand and solemn layout deployed by one emperor and four princes, compounded by premeditation against the unprepared, the influence she had painstakingly built over a lifetime had virtually collapsed overnight. Even as formidable and politically astute as she was, at this moment she felt utterly devoid of strategies and powerless to reverse the tide.

Seeing Li Longji enter, Li Dan shouted sternly, "Rebellious son, how dare you show your face to me!"

Li Longji knelt prostrate on the ground, kowtowing as he said, "What your subject plotted today was solely for self-preservation. To have startled Your Imperial Father is my crime."

With a face turned ashen with anger, Li Dan said in a deep voice, "You—you infuriate me! Do you take me for a senile old fool whom you can still deceive at a time like this? You, every single one of you, have plotted everything down to the minutest detail. If not for my sudden whim today to summon your aunt into the palace, she would have had a thousand mouths and still could not clear herself, and this crime of treason would have been firmly pinned upon her."

With a bitter and desolate smile, Li Longji said, "Everything today was indeed my plot, and I dare not deceive Your Imperial Father. But my aunt's desire to harm me is not a matter of a day or two. If I had not fought back, before long I would have died without even knowing who killed me." He looked past Li Dan, staring directly at Princess Taiping behind him, and asked, "Aunt, this nephew asks you: was the woman of the Yuan clan in my palace your person?"

Princess Taiping had not expected Li Longji to know of this matter. Things having reached this state, given her supreme pride, she disdained to deny it. She nodded slightly and said, "Indeed, she is my person!"

Li Longji knocked his head hard against the floor and said, "Imperial Father, for a year that Yuan woman resided in my quarters, responsible for administering the Red Arrow powder to your son. Your son suspected her not at all, and even intended to elevate her as my concubine. Only recently did I discover she was actually a spy arranged by my aunt to poison me to death at the most critical moment. Not only is your son a puppet emperor restricted at every turn, but even the closest person by my side proved to be a fatal strike orchestrated by my aunt. How could your son not be terrified?"

Li Dan looked at Princess Taiping, then at Li Longji, speechless for a moment, utterly desolate as if mourning. He valued familial affection above all else; while he certainly held deep affection for his full sister Taiping, how could he not love his own sons just as dearly? Now his sister wanted to kill his son, and his son was now dealing with his sister—caught in the middle, what could he say? What could he do?

After a long while, Li Dan finally spoke: "Sanlang, what do you intend to do with your aunt?"

Looking at Li Dan, Li Longji wanted to speak but did not dare. Ever since succeeding as Crown Prince, Li Longji had always been suppressed by Princess Taiping; even after becoming emperor, it remained the same. Toward this aunt of his, he held a bone-deep terror. It was precisely because of this fear that he could not tolerate her existence.

Tears welled up and rolled down Li Dan's cheeks. He sat miserably on the floor and said, "Sanlang, do you know whom your Imperial Father has hated and feared the most? It is my own birth mother... I still remember when I was young, I was the youngest among the brothers. My father's care and my elder brothers' pampering were all bestowed upon me. Until that year..."

"The first year of the Sisi reign, your father helped your grandmother ascend the throne as emperor. You were young then and perhaps knew nothing of the circumstances. Though your father was emperor, he was not permitted to see a single minister, nor could he hear the slightest word of state affairs. Even his movements were monitored, and his permissible range of freedom was no larger than a courtyard. And even that was not enough; from time to time, your grandmother would issue edicts proclaiming her intention to return power to your father... Haha..." He laughed a bitter, grieving laugh. "Back then, had your father shown even the slightest glimmer of desire for power, he would have long since been a pile of white bones by today."

"Later, your grandmother became empress, and your father was demoted to Crown Heir. Most ridiculously, I was bestowed the surname Wu and called Wu Dan... Have you ever heard of an emperor reduced to your father's state throughout the annals of history? Prince of Langya Li Chong, Prince of Yue Li Zhen, Prince of Han Li Yuanjia, Prince of Lu Li Lingkui, Prince of Huo Li Yuangui, Prince of Ji Li Shen, Prince of Jiangdu Li Xu, Duke of Dongguan Li Rong—these were all our closest kin of the Li family, blood-related descendants of Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Taizong, yet they died one by one... The imperial clan of the House of Li was nearly slaughtered to the last." Li Dan wept and laughed alternately, like one derused and mad.

Surrounding him, no one dared to breathe heavily. The silence was absolute.

Tears spilled from Li Longji's eyes as well. Li Chengqi, Li Chengyi, Li Longfan, and Li Longye each wiped away their own tears. How could they brothers ever forget those days of hardship? It was precisely because they had endured those bitter times, supporting one another, that they possessed the brotherly bond they had today.

"I once thought that stepping down from the imperial throne would make life a bit easier, but instead, I became the target of attacks by the Wu family princes and the imperial inquisitors. Today someone accused your father of treason; tomorrow they claimed your father used witchcraft. Eldest Brother's mother, Empress Liu, and Third Brother's mother, Consort Dowager Dou—they were executed directly without even the pretense of a reason, and your father dared not utter a single word. Pei Feigong of the Directorate of Imperial Weapons and Fan Yunxian of the Inner Palace Attendants were killed simply for having seen your father's face. If not for the loyal An Jinzang ripping open his abdomen to prove his allegiance and demonstrate that your father had no treasonous intent, your father would scarcely have escaped with his life. During those darkest of times, your aunt was the one who spoke countless words and performed countless deeds on your father's behalf."

"In just over a decade—the dozen years your grandmother ruled—my father's lineage, down to his descendants and up to his brothers, was almost entirely wiped out, leaving only three survivors. Later, the Weike and Zong Chuke rebellions broke out, and my elder brothers died miserably. To this day, our family is withered and exhausted. Aside from you younger generations, your father's sole surviving close kin in this world is Taiping alone... Sanlang, if you desire power, your father will grant it to you. I only ask that you spare Taiping's life, and not... not deprive your father of the only family he has left in this world!" With these words, he broke down, weeping in profound grief and indignation.

Looking at the weeping Li Dan, Pei Min could not help but sigh softly in his heart. The desolation of Li Dan felt painful even to an outsider, let alone to one who had experienced it firsthand. No wonder Li Dan valued familial affection above all else; only one who had endured such agonizing trials could truly comprehend the weight of family.

Hearing the bitter history of their father, Li Chengqi, Li Chengyi, Li Longfan, and Li Longye, as sons, were already sobbing uncontrollably.

Even the iron-hearted Li Longji felt the defense within his soul begin to loosen.

"Sanlang!" Li Chengqi could no longer bear to watch.

"Sanlang!" Li Chengyi also stepped to Li Dan's side.

"Third Brother!" Li Longfan and Li Longye expressed their stance one after another. The bond between them brothers was worth more than gold; imagining it from their perspective, wasn't the bond between their own father and his full sister the exact same thing?

Li Longji sighed long and hard. "Your son shall grant Your Imperial Father's wish."

"There is no need!" Princess Taiping wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes. Looking at her elder brother, for the first time, a sense of guilt welled up in her heart toward him—time and time again, she had exploited his love and cherishing of her to advance her own interests! How could she not have known of that almost dependent affection... She bowed deeply toward him, uttering not a single word. A thousand words were contained within that single bow... Without looking back, she walked toward the exit of the hall. After taking about ten paces, her steps grew unsteady, as if she might stumble and fall at any moment.

Pei Min watched Princess Taiping. Her exquisite face was contorted, as though enduring immense agony.

Their gazes met. Princess Taiping suddenly smiled, walked unsteadily to his side, and leaned directly against him. She whispered softly, "Support me out. Do not let me die before my elder brother."

Though warm fragrance filled his embrace, Pei Min felt only a faint sorrow in his heart. Exchanging a glance with Li Longji, he boldly put his arm around her waist and walked out toward the courtyard.

"Why must the Grand Princess torment herself so?" Pei Min could not help letting out a soft sigh.

Enduring the pain, Princess Taiping murmured, "I have my pride!" With that, she looked at the profile of his face before her and chuckled softly. "Seen in profile, you really do look a bit like him!" She spoke in a voice meant only for the two of them: "Do you know what my ultimate plan was? I originally thought that, like my mother, I would become empress and summon you into the palace. I simply never expected... that I underestimated Sanlang, and underestimated the five brothers. Nor did I expect you to be far more formidable than I imagined. I do not lose unjustly... Cough... Let me give you a piece of advice: beware..."

Blood spilled from the corners of her mouth before she could finish her words...

Taiping had fallen!