Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 228 Brothers Killing Each Other

"Brother Ming! Why did you go to Liaodong tonight? Did something happen there?"

Chang Sunyan rode his horse side by side with Li Ming, braving the howling northwest wind, and asked loudly.

Li Ming shook his head vigorously:

"Liaodong is fine, but Chang'an is in trouble! Li Tai wants to rebel!"

Chang Sunyan was shocked: "Is this true? Isn't the King of Wei in Luoyang?"

Li Ming: "Really! Look, this is the assassin that Li Tai sent to kill me.

Li Ming pointed at Su who was holding him while riding a horse.

"General Su Dingfang, let me introduce you. This is Grand Marshal Changsun Wuji's grandson, Changsun Yan."

Chang Sun Yan blinked his big eyes and looked at the assassin Su Dingfang behind Li Ming.

Su Dingfang also looked at his mortal enemy from the same city, the eldest grandson, Changsun Yan.

"Hello……"

"Hello."

I'm used to it. This is how His Highness Li Ming is... he recruits talents regardless of their background.

Li Ming: "You were at home, didn't you hear any rumors?"

Things have developed to the critical moment of life and death. Li Ming no longer cares about the principle of "relative avoidance" and asks Chang Sun Yan for information about Chang Sun's mansion.

Zhangsun Wuji was the chief secretary of the Prince of Jin's Palace and Li Zhi's uncle.

If there were any moves from Li Zhi and Zhangsun Wuji, Ayan would definitely be able to detect something fishy while staying at home.

After all, after this period of experience, the naive young man Changsun Yan is dead, and now he is Niuhulu Yan.

Chang Sunyan shook his head: "No, Grandfather goes to court every day and probably doesn't know as much as I do."

Li Ming was stunned:
"Did Li Zhi not participate?"

Chang Sunyan still shook his head:
"I don't know. Aong has also been looking for the whereabouts of His Royal Highness Prince Jin these days."

"What?" Li Ming was even more surprised:

"Isn't Li Zhi hiding in your house? Are you sure?"

"If such a big living person was hiding in our house, would I not know about it?" Chang Sunyan felt that the leader's question was nonsensical.

"Hiss...this is strange." Li Ming scratched his scalp.

Based on the information he currently knew, Li Zhi must be hiding in a dark corner, drawing circles and plotting some conspiracy.

First of all, Di Renjie's father revealed that Li Zhi was learning Li Tai's methods in a very serious manner and was trying to establish relationships with his uncles who had military power.

Secondly, Li Shiji secretly told Li Zhi in advance the news that the emperor had died on the front line, and Li Zhi passed the news to Li Tai's henchman, Su Dingfang.

This proves that there is indeed a connection between the two legitimate sons.

Not only that, even Li Junxian, who was stationed at Xuanwu Gate and led the emperor's secret agents, was instigated by him to rebel.

This shows that Li Zhi not only reached out, but also reached out very far.

There is not a trace of the gentle, kind, respectful, frugal and modest demeanor he usually pretends to be.

“However, he did not discuss these conspiracies with his uncle, Changsun Wuji?
"Not only did they not discuss it with him, but they even did it behind his back?"

Li Ming once again refreshed his understanding of Brother Zhinu.

Could it be that because Changsun Wuji jumped ship from Li Chengqian, Li Zhi didn't trust him and deliberately didn't take him out to play?

Of course, Brother Zhinu!

I only knew that Li Zhi was a sinister person, but I didn't expect that he could be so sinister.

As expected, Brother Shan Ji is the last one in history to win the chicken game. He is really good at playing tricks.

"The question is, where are Li Zhi and his people?"

Today is the night of the incident, but Li Ming instinctively feels uneasy as he is unable to locate Li Zhi, one of the masterminds behind the incident.

It was as if he was a blind puppet, being manipulated at will by his two half brothers...

"Chang Sunyan, do you have any clues?"

"No, Aung has no idea either." Chang Sunyan shook his head decisively:

"Aung went to several possible locations, including the residences of Li Shiji, Cheng Zhijie and others, but found nothing."

"So where on earth did he go?"

Li Ming was confused.

Although Chang'an is big, it is impossible for such a great prince to disappear quietly.

You can't let people sleep under a bridge, right?

With so many followers and guards parading through the city, there would definitely be some clues left behind.

How is it possible that a wild goose passes by without leaving any traces?

"General Su, do you have any idea?"

Li Ming asked Su Dingfang again.

He is completely trying to save the situation.

Apart from receiving the secret reports from the front line passed on by Li Zhi, Su Dingfang and Li Zhi had almost no contact.

Even if it was handed over, it couldn't have been handed over to Lao Su by His Royal Highness himself. He must have asked someone else to do it...

"Have!"

Su Dingfang replied affirmatively.

Li Ming was shocked: "You really know?"

Brother Li Zhi, did you really deliver the letter to the cannon fodder personally?
"Where is he?"

Su Dingfang: "It's just in front."

Li Ming: “? Which one is in front?”

Su Dingfang pointed forward and said, "This front!"

In a flash, he reined in his horse and stopped at a fork in the road.

"Uu! Uu!"

The dozen or so riders who were following him also stopped immediately.

"What happened?" Chang Sun Yan was completely at a loss.

"Shh!" Li Ming lowered his body and put his index finger in front of his mouth:

"Listen carefully!"

The group pricked up their ears.

Ta da, da da...

In the quiet and empty streets in the middle of the night, bursts of horse hooves sounds could be heard.

It was not the sound made by Li Ming and his group, so they all stopped.

So in the end...

The sound of horse hooves gradually approached this side, and the sound was loud.

It was as if thousands of troops were approaching where they were.

Li Ming stared at the corner of the intersection ahead, his mouth twitching:
"Oh no, this can't be such a coincidence..."

The sound of horse hooves became louder and louder.

The next second, a team of well-equipped heavy cavalry flashed out from the corner and blocked the way of Li Ming and his party.

Leading the way were two riders.

One of them was an old veteran wearing armor and helmet. Between his majestic brows, his banditry and rudeness could not be concealed.

He was the commander-in-chief of the military affairs of six states, Duke of Lu, and former general of Wagangzhai, Cheng Zhijie.

The other person, Li Ming, was very familiar with——

It was the elusive King of Jin, Li Zhi.

Li Zhi also saw the dozen or so light cavalry in front of him and was also very surprised:

"I was wondering why there was a hurried sound of horse hooves in Chang'an in the middle of the night, so I took a detour to check, and it turned out to be you, Brother Ming!"

Li Ming didn't respond at all and asked Lao Su in a low voice:

"Can you turn around and run away?"

"let me try."

Just as Su Dingfang was about to turn his horse around, a heavy cavalry unit came up from behind.

It was just right to treat Li Ming and his group as two pieces of cheese sandwiched between the two.

"Probably not." Su Dingfang shook his head.

Why the hell do you have to tell me... Li Ming's face darkened and he faced Li Zhi with gritted teeth.

There is no other way, I can only try to fight off the enemy with my mouth...

"Brother, you led troops into the capital without the order of our father. Do you want to rebel?"

Faced with Li Ming's ridicule, Li Zhi showed no mercy.

The advantage is his, he has caught the turtle in the jar, and he has plenty of time to waste with Li Ming.

"Your Highness, the Regent, my father entrusted the country to you, but you colluded with foreigners and assassinated my father.

"Not only that, you also tried to harm me. Fortunately, I left the capital beforehand and hid in Bingzhou Governor's Mansion, so I escaped your clutches.

"It's obviously you who's rebelling!"

The fact that the two brothers met outside the Taiji Palace showed that Li Ming had escaped from Li Junxian's encirclement and was aware of Li Zhi's hostile stance.

Therefore, the two brothers have completely torn their relationship apart.

In addition, Li Shimin, who was originally in charge of suppressing those bastards, is now missing and his life or death is uncertain.

Having lost their audience, there was no need for Li Ming and Li Zhi to perform the "brotherly love" drama anymore.

"Bingzhou Governor's Mansion? So you hid in the Governor's Mansion that you ruled remotely?"

Li Ming's eyelids twitched.

Oh my god, it turns out that Li Zhi really left the city. No wonder even Changsun Wuji couldn’t find him!
But why is there no record of him leaving the city among the city gate guards... This guy must have used his power to force the city gate guards to hide this record!

What? You said that His Highness Li Ming did the same thing tonight and forced the city gate guards to open the city gates in the middle of the night?

How can that be the same? The city gate guard volunteered!

Can something that is done voluntarily be called coercion?

"Let's not talk about you leaving the palace without permission and entering the governor's office without permission." Li Ming responded with a verbal attack:

“But you actually colluded with the generals in the court and secretly instructed the generals to enter the military camp without the tiger seal order, violating the basic principle of separation of soldiers and generals.

"You are the one who wants to rebel!"

You called me a traitor and I called me a treasoner. Li Ming and Li Zhi put big accusations on each other.

The two elder brothers, Cheng Zhijie and Su Dingfang, both looked away uncomfortably, one looking at the sky and the other at the ground.

The two young masters are truly like a crow laughing at a pig, and both of them have clean bottoms.

Based on the principle of "make up for what is lacking", they still have to fight for "righteousness".

"It was not me who harmed our father. It was Li Tai. It was also Li Tai who almost killed you in Jiucheng Palace..."

Li Ming couldn't help but shook his head as he spoke:
"But now, I'm afraid you are unwilling to believe what I say?
“After all, I am the common enemy of you three brothers.

"Making me the villain is a perfect scenario for you guys."

Listening to his little brother's undisguised sarcasm, Li Zhi's eyes dimmed a little.

But it was only for a moment, and he quickly pretended to be nonchalant and said:
"Since you know you are making excuses, why are you still talking nonsense?"

"What I want to say is, Brother Zhinu." Li Ming looked directly into Li Zhi's eyes:

"Can we reconcile? I'll make you regent."

Li Zhi's mouth twitched, and he said expressionlessly:

"You're not joking at this moment, are you?"

Su Dingfang was a little anxious:
"Oh no, Your Highness. It seems that King Jin does not accept our proposal."

Li Ming rubbed his temple:
"Do I need to tell you that?!"

Based on Li Junxian's actions, he could roughly figure out Li Zhi's plan -

Because Li Ming is the biggest enemy of the third legitimate son, if he can be killed with the help of Li Tai, that would of course be a good idea.

But if Li Tai failed to perform his duties, Li Zhi would not mind carrying out the task himself.

After all, as mentioned earlier, he, Li Ming, is the third legitimate son's biggest enemy at the moment.

It can be said that the contradiction between them is fundamental.

In the fight for the throne, which is one step to heaven and one step to hell, there is almost no room for relaxation between the brothers.

Whoever is closest to the throne automatically becomes the target of public criticism.

"Brother Ming, what should we do?"

Chang Sunyan asked in a low voice.

I originally wanted to go to Liaodong like a hidden dragon entering the abyss, swallowing up the whole country from the northeast to the southwest, and tell the story of Liaodong.

Unexpectedly, he died halfway before achieving his goal.

As soon as I climbed over the wall and escaped from home, I was caught red-handed. My stubbornness ended up being blocked at both ends (physics).

There is truly no way to heaven and no door to earth.

"Just say you ran into me by chance when you went out to pee." Li Ming gave him advice.

"You are the grandson of the Changsun family and Li Zhi's cousin. For your grandfather's sake, he will let you go."

"No, I don't want to be a traitor." Chang Sun Yan refused decisively.

Compared with Changsun Yan, Su Dingfang was much more confident.

This guy who just joined the team today has even more faith than Li Ming himself.

He was just waiting to see when Cheng Zhijie or someone else around Li Zhi would turn against him and chop off the young master's head from behind.

"Brother Ming, you are not a stupid person. Although I don't know how you managed to avoid Li Junxian." Li Zhi said faintly:

"But you should also realize that you have nowhere to escape now."

Li Ming pursed his lips.

Having fought his way out from the mountains of corpses and seas of blood in Liaodong, he had seen all kinds of scenes (crossed out). He had never encountered such a desperate situation as being surrounded by absolutely superior forces.

Difficult.

"Even if you don't value your own life."

Li Zhi continued.

“You should also cherish your men.

"They are all remarkable people who are willing to accompany you to this point. You shouldn't waste them."

Li Ming raised the corners of his mouth without a smile:
"What? You want me to be lenient if I surrender and severe if I resist?"

Li Zhi did not deny it and looked directly into Li Ming's eyes:
"I will keep you safe, even if you really framed our father."

"I said, I didn't do this." Li Ming said gritting his teeth.

"That's even better. We will go to court tomorrow and we can talk things out." Li Zhi said with a wry smile:

"Anyway, the Ministry of Personnel is my people, and the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice are your people. Isn't this enough to give you justice?
"What are you afraid of in the end?"

"Afraid of Li Tai!" Li Ming's tone was a little anxious:
"Li Tai's army may rush into Chang'an at any time and take our lives!"

Clumsy attempt to sow discord... Li Zhi ignored Mingdi's tricks and his eyes turned cold:
"So you want to flee to Liaodong? And then, start a civil war?
"After hundreds of years of war and chaos since the end of the Han Dynasty, the country has finally been stabilized, and now it is in chaos again?

"Destroy the Tang Dynasty that our ancestors founded once again?"

Li Ming shrugged:

"Even without me, Li Tai would have launched a new round of 'Eight Kings Rebellion'.

"He has plenty of conspiracy but not enough prestige. After those princes have tasted blood, they will most likely not obey his orders..."

Li Zhi interrupted him:

“What will happen in the future is beyond our ability to predict now.

"Now that our father is still missing, you should come back to the palace with me first, and we will sort out these events from beginning to end in person."

Li Ming sighed heavily:

"You don't understand. At this point, it's no longer something that can be solved by 'Wen'.

"I've been struggling all my life, and I don't want to go back to being a piece of meat on the chopping block."

A cold light flashed in Li Zhi's eyes:
"It's not up to you."

Li Ming raised his eyebrows: "As a prince, do you really want to rebel and hold the regent hostage?"

Li Zhi took the lead and said, "It's the family law, brother Li Ming."

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

This concerns themselves, the throne, and even the future of the entire Tang Dynasty. The two sides' positions are fundamentally opposed, and there is nothing to discuss.

The sword is on the verge of breaking out.

Li Ming licked his lips nervously.

No matter how frantically his brain worked, he couldn't think of any way to escape.

The strength of the battle was a dozen light cavalry against several hundred heavy cavalry, and our formation was surrounded from both sides, so I was at a disadvantage.

"Your Highness, do you have any other good ideas? Don't hide them, just use them now!" Su Dingfang also felt that the situation was not very good, and urged in a low voice.

Li Ming answered in a low voice:

"No."

Li Zhi's Bingzhou soldiers came from other places.

Although these soldiers may not be very loyal to Li Zhi, the nominal commander-in-chief.

But there is no doubt that they will definitely not be loyal to the so-called "regency" whom no one has even seen and who is suspected of collaborating with the enemy and killing the king.

He had no chance to infiltrate or even instigate rebellion.

In other words, it was impossible to replicate the famous scene of dealing with Li Junxian, where a mole was planted to stab Li Zhi from behind unexpectedly.

Completely, there is no way to turn the situation around!

He could only blame himself for his bad luck. He happened to run into Li Zhi leading his army back to the capital, and the sound of horse hooves attracted him.

"Ah?" Su Dingfang was dumbfounded:
"Then why are you unwilling to return to the palace and confront His Royal Highness Prince Jin face to face?"

I thought you had a backup plan, but I didn't expect you to be courting death!

"Returning to the palace is a dead end, it's better to die with dignity, maybe you can live towards death."

Li Ming stared at the dark mass of heavy cavalry in front of him:
"Sorry to involve you guys."

Su Dingfang's expression changed for a while, and he couldn't help but smile bitterly:
"It's okay. From the moment I received the order from King Wei, I was probably doomed to die."

Li Zhi stared at the dozen riders in the encirclement with burning eyes, and waved his right hand forward with ease:
"Take them down!"

"Are you all crazy?! Brothers killing each other?!"

A shrill scream pierced the inky black night sky.

A thin figure suddenly appeared, standing between the two fully armed cavalry teams.

This voice is... Li Zhi was startled, and with the help of the torch, he saw the figure clearly. He was immediately horrified and shouted in panic:

"Stop! Stop! Stop now!"

"Stop!" The orders from Cheng Zhijie and officers at all levels below him came one after another.

The cavalry attack, which had just started, was forcibly stopped.

"Stopped?"

Li Ming was ready to fight to the death, but he was stunned when he saw the other party suddenly brake.

When he saw the thin figure blocking the heavy cavalry's lead, he took a deep breath.

"Li Mingda?!"

(End of this chapter)