My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 407 Who Will Win

The next day is dawn.

On the bluestone pavement of Zhuque Street, the usual hustle and bustle of traffic has been replaced by an almost frozen silence.

Along the long street stretching from Chunming Gate in the east to Jinguang Gate in the west, most of the shop doors had been partially removed, revealing empty counters. The shopkeepers huddled behind the counters, peering through the cracks in the doors at the imperial guards carrying halberds as they passed by on the street.

The vendors who used to hawk sesame cakes and sugar cakes have vanished. Only under an old locust tree on the street corner, a few porters dressed in coarse cloth and short jackets squat on the ground, covering their pipes with broken bowls, muttering to themselves while their eyes kept glancing toward the imperial city.

Before the morning mist had completely dissipated, the Wuhou Posts in each ward had already increased their patrols.

The Martial Marquis, who usually wore only a black robe, had changed into half a leather armor. The tassel of the sword at his waist swept across the ground as he walked, making a soft "swish" sound. The foreign merchants in the West Market had packed up their dazzling array of goods early. Persian carpets were rolled into tubes and leaned against the corners of the walls, and the shops selling Arabian spices were closed tightly. Only from behind the windows on the second floor could one occasionally peek out with a pair of eyes.

The music in the taverns and bars of Pingkangfang had died down, and the red lanterns swayed forlornly in the wind. Several expressionless soldiers stood guard at the entrance of the ward, prohibiting any unauthorized personnel from entering or leaving.

A strange stench, a mixture of sweat, horse manure, and quicklime, filled the air. Craftsmen at the foot of the imperial city were transporting huge stones in wheelbarrows, the sweet, cloying smell of glutinous rice mortar wafting on the wind.

That was the Ministry of Works urgently reinforcing the main gates of the imperial city.

In the distance, banners could be faintly seen fluttering on the high slope of Longshouyuan. It was the Liaodong troops under Li Chengqian's command being mobilized. The light reflected from their armor flickered under the pale sky, like scattered silver on a gray cloth.

Occasionally, messengers on horseback would gallop through the streets, their hooves striking the stone pavement like drumbeats, startling the sparrows under the eaves into fluttering flight, but no one dared to peek out.

The dull thuds of ramming came from the direction of the West Inner Garden, one after another, as if someone were pounding the earth with a giant hammer.

The people hid behind their own courtyard walls, passing on messages of dubious veracity through the cracks in their doors.

"I heard the Crown Prince is going to attack Xuanwu Gate."

"The Imperial Guards are patrolling everywhere outside."

"The imperial city has been sealed off."

"Someone was killed at the Duke of Chen's residence last night."

The news spread like a plague through the neighborhoods, and the housewives' hands trembled as they kneaded the dough.

The children who usually chased and played in the streets were dragged back into the house by their mothers. They only dared to show half of their faces through the crack in the door. When they saw the soldiers in iron armor walking by, they were so frightened that they covered their mouths.

The guards at Jinguang Gate were checking the roster one by one as they entered and left. Every merchant passing through the gate had to lift their carrying pole, and even the radishes under the vegetable farmers' poles were stabbed a few times.

An old man selling firewood had his bundles tied too tightly. A soldier used the tip of his gun to loosen the ropes, and dry branches rolled all over the ground. The old man dared not speak out in anger and could only squat on the ground and silently pick them up.

Above the city gate, newly hung cowhide water bags glistened in the sunlight; they were for fire defense. Next to them were piles of boulders half a person's height, their sharp edges bearing fresh chisel marks.

Inside the Daming Palace, an atmosphere of solemnity prevailed.

"Your Highness, why did you take action?"

"Not today."

Three days were allotted, but Li Chengqian was unprepared and launched an attack on the very first day.

This is different from the traditional way of besieging a city; for Li Chengqian, there is only one chance.

Because of the artillery, it wouldn't last very long.

Li Chengqian had calculated that the actual siege would take no more than a day and a night.

This is not a besieged city, and there are no cannon fodder.

Both sides fielded their strongest elite troops.

It was a real battle.

Li Chengqian was stationed in the Hanyuan Hall of the Daming Palace, where intelligence from all sides was constantly being sent in.

"The main gates of the imperial city are tightly closed, and the Duke of Chen has already dispatched troops to surround them."

"Where is Li Ji's Left Jinwu Guard?"

"There was no conflict. Li Ji led troops to guard all the city gates, and it seems that he was preparing to trap us in Chang'an."

Just as Li Chengqian worried that Li Shimin would run away, Li Shimin was also worried that Li Chengqian would run away if the war went badly.

From Li Chengqian's perspective, if Li Shimin fled after capturing Xuanwu Gate, how could he ascend the throne?

Li Shimin thought so too.

If the Crown Prince fails to capture Xuanwu Gate after a prolonged siege, and Li Jing's army approaches Chang'an, wouldn't it be a huge problem if the Crown Prince were to flee Chang'an?
Tongguan and Luoyang are still under the control of the Crown Prince.

The crown prince fled Tongguan, then settled in Luoyang, confronting Chang'an, which brought them back to square one.

At that time, the entire Tang Dynasty will be dragged into a quagmire.

Li Shimin also wanted to solve the problem once and for all.

Defending against or attacking a city is the most troublesome and also results in the greatest losses.

Moreover, the Crown Prince's cannons are too effective in both attacking and defending cities, which puts the imperial court in a very passive position.

Therefore, Li Shimin mobilized Li Ji's Left Jinwu Guard, including some of the Imperial Guards, to strengthen the defense of the city gates of Chang'an.

As soon as war breaks out, all the city gates must be closed immediately to prevent the crown prince from escaping.

This was also due to the limited number of troops.

This led Hou Junji to surround all the gates of the imperial city.

This creates a very peculiar pattern, with two circles, one large and one small.

The Crown Prince besieged the Imperial City, and His Majesty besieged Chang'an.
-
Prince Wei's Mansion.

The camphor incense in the gilded animal-head incense burner had burned out, leaving only a few dark red ashes flickering on the bottom of the celadon burner.

Li Tai paced back and forth, his mind anxious.

"You still won't take action?"

He suddenly stood up, the hem of his brocade robe sweeping across the table, and the teacup on the corner crashed to the ground with a "bang".

Li Tai didn't sleep well last night, and now it's already noon, but there's still no sign of anything happening.

Chai Lingwu replied, "Li Ji is guarding the city gates, all the wards in Chang'an are tightly closed, and Hou Junji has surrounded all the gates of the imperial city."

Li Tai frowned and said, "What I want to hear is when the Crown Prince will attack the city!"

After saying that, he seemed a little worried.

"The Crown Prince isn't going to give up the fight, is he?" "What is the Crown Prince dawdling about? Is he really going to wait for Li Jing's reinforcements to arrive before he makes a move?"

Chai Lingwu said confidently, "The arrow is on the bowstring and must be released. The Crown Prince will definitely attack Xuanwu Gate."

"Just now, the guards learned that the Crown Prince's Liaodong troops are practicing siege formations at Longshouyuan. He is not inactive; he is waiting for the right moment."

Li Tai frowned: "How much longer do we have to wait?"

Chai Lingwu said, "The Crown Prince can't wait too long. Li Jing's army will enter the city in about three days, at most tomorrow, or even tonight. The Crown Prince will definitely attack the city."

Li Tai said, "What should we do?"

Chai Lingwu said in a deep voice: "Attack Hou Junji."

Li Tai was stunned: "Two thousand against eight thousand? That's wishful thinking!"

"If we, with our small numbers, rush in, it would be like moths to a flame!"

Previously, the five surnames and seven noble families had provided support, but all in all, including the personal guards in his residence, Li Tai only had two thousand men.

Chai Lingwu said calmly, "It's not about fighting head-on!"

"Hou Junji has dispersed his main force outside the four gates of the imperial city, creating what appears to be an impenetrable fortress, but in reality, it's full of weaknesses. We'll focus our attack on Tonghua Gate!"

Li Tai gripped the jade belt at his waist, the jade buckle digging painfully into his palm: "Tonghua Gate? That's the east gate of the imperial city. Although the garrison is weak, once we make a move, Hou Junji will definitely lead his cavalry back to reinforce it!"

Chai Lingwu said, "That's exactly why we need him to come back and provide support!"

"If the Crown Prince breaches Xuanwu Gate, what will be his first priority? To control His Majesty! But if His Majesty can escape through Tonghua Gate, even if the Crown Prince occupies the capital, it will all be for naught. We should feign an attack on the city while actually leaving His Majesty a way out. This is the greatest act of filial piety!"
-
Go on a long trip.

Li Ji and Li Zhi stood facing each other.

Li Zhi gripped a piece of plain silk from his sleeve.

The teacups on the table had long since gone cold, and the rising steam had dissipated into wisps of smoke, just like his wavering mind at that moment.

After all, their life or death hangs in the balance in the next two days.

Everyone thought His Majesty would win, but Li Ji told him that the Crown Prince might not necessarily lose.

Li Zhi wanted to take this opportunity to gain Li Ji's approval.

The last time I had Li Ji blow up the gunpowder workshop, it damaged our relationship too much.

He looked up at Li Ji, his usually gentle eyes now filled with panic and stubbornness: "Duke of Ying, tell me—if the Crown Prince breaks through Xuanwu Gate, can I still live?"

The sound of armor plates rubbing together could be heard from outside as the Wuhou patrolled.

Li Ji stepped forward and lowered his voice, saying, "The Liaodong troops under the Crown Prince's command have already formed ranks at Longshouyuan, and the cannons have been transported to the direction of Xuanwu Gate. Although I have led the Left Jinwu Guard to block all the city gates, Hou Junji's troops have surrounded the imperial city so tightly that Your Majesty is now trapped in an isolated city."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Li Zhi's furrowed brows. "The Prince of Jin is His Majesty's legitimate son. If the Crown Prince gains power, how can he tolerate a thorn in his side?"

"A thorn in my side?" Li Zhi smiled bitterly, raised his hand and stroked an unopened copy of the Classic of Filial Piety on the table, his fingertips tracing the vermilion characters on the silk that read "Serve your father as you would your mother, and love each other as one."

“I am just a young prince and have never thought about vying for the throne. But in his eyes, as long as I am the emperor’s son, I am guilty.”

He suddenly grabbed Li Ji's sleeve and asked urgently, "If you escort me out of the city, where can we escape to? Tongguan and Luoyang are both in the hands of the Crown Prince, and he has long since cut off the grain transport in Jiangnan. Do we really have to escape to the tents of the Turks?"

Li Ji remained silent.

He recalled yesterday in the Ganlu Hall, when Li Shimin held his hand and said, "Maogong, I have spoiled Chengqian. If things become unmanageable, you must protect Zhinu and leave."

But the Prince of Jin before him did not seem like a fledgling bird in need of protection; there was an almost desperate determination in his eyes.

Li Zhi released his grip, walked to the window, and pushed it open a crack. The night wind, carrying the sweet, cloying smell of glutinous rice mortar and the faint sound of ramming, poured in: "Just now I went to the Yeting Palace and saw the palace servants carrying dry rations into the cellar. Even the kitchen staff of the Imperial Kitchen were sharpening their knives. If Father Emperor is defeated, who in this palace will survive? If I run away now, how will history record me in the future? 'Prince Li Zhi of Jin, abandoned his father and fled, barely surviving in the chaos of the world'?"

"Prince Jin!" Li Ji suddenly raised his voice, then immediately lowered it again, "The victor is king, the loser is a bandit! This is not the time to worry about empty titles! If His Majesty... if the city falls, the Crown Prince will surely ascend the throne, and the world will change hands. If Prince Jin stays here, he will be nothing more than a fish on a chopping board! I have five hundred cavalrymen under my command, all of whom are loyal soldiers who swore an oath to die with me in Bingzhou. They will surely be able to protect Prince Jin to Qizhou, and then we can turn into Shu. Shu is a dangerous place, and there will always be a place for us to stay!"

"Shu?" Li Zhi shook his head.

"Back when Father Emperor conquered Guanzhong, Xiao Yu of Shu surrendered. Now that the Crown Prince is powerful, how could the officials of Shu possibly take in a stray dog ​​like me? Duke of Ying, you have followed Father Emperor in his campaigns, you should know the principle of 'when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter'."

"Besides, what will happen to Father if I leave? If he's imprisoned by the Crown Prince, he won't even have anyone to bring him food."

Looking at the slender prince before him, Li Ji suddenly recalled the battlefield in Luoyang many years ago.

It must be said that Li Ji was somewhat moved.

Li Zhi's filial piety deeply moved him.

"This humble general does not mean that the Prince of Jin should abandon his father," Li Ji softened his tone, trying to persuade him with reason and emotion: "As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood. When Liu Ju, the crown prince of Emperor Wu of Han, was defeated, if there were any descendants still alive, who knows what would have happened?"

"That was the Han Dynasty!" Li Zhi abruptly interrupted him, a rare glint of fierceness flashing in his eyes. "Times have changed! The Crown Prince has cannons and the Liaodong cavalry. Once he enters the city, he will surely eliminate all traces of the culprits! Do you think he will act like Father did with the Crown Prince back then, only killing the ringleaders and leaving the rest unpunished?"

Li Zhi knew very well that if the Crown Prince won, he and the Prince of Wei would inevitably die.

These words were like a bucket of cold water, making Li Ji's heart tremble.

Chang'an was already a dangerous city rife with undercurrents.

“Even if the Prince of Jin refuses to leave,” Li Ji took a deep breath and changed his tone, “he should still make some preparations. I have already ordered men to bury hidden compartments under the floor tiles in your residence, and have prepared dry rations, water bags, and gold-inlaid knives. If things get urgent, you can take refuge temporarily.”

"Take refuge for a while?" Li Zhi gripped the jade pendant tightly in his palm, the jade edge digging painfully into his hand. "Duke of Yingguo, you and I both know that the hidden compartment can only hide for a while, not forever. If the Crown Prince gains the throne, he will definitely send people to search every house. Even if I hide until the end of time, he will still find me by digging three feet into the ground."

His voice gradually faded, and ink dripped onto the paper, spreading into a thick black stain, just like the gloom that permeated the sky above Chang'an at this moment.

In the distance came the more rapid sound of hooves, the messengers galloping between the wards, their drum-like hooves on the stone-paved road startling the birds under the eaves into letting out a long, mournful cry.

"There's no need to persuade me any further." Li Zhi put down his pen and turned around. His face had returned to calm, but beneath that calm lay a bottomless sorrow.

"If Father wins, there's nothing more to say; if Father loses..."

He paused, then unfastened a purple-gold seal from his waist—the seal of the Prince of Jin. "I will use this seal to plead guilty to the Crown Prince. If he considers our brotherly bond, perhaps he will spare my life; if not..."

"Your Highness, you mustn't!" Li Ji exclaimed in alarm. "Even tigers don't eat their cubs, let alone brothers!"

"Brothers?" Li Zhi stared at the dragon pattern coiled on the seal, his eyes unfocused. "Weren't my uncle and father brothers back then?"

The hall fell into a deathly silence, broken only by the crackling of candle wicks and the faint shouts of soldiers in the distance.

Looking at the prince before him, who was determined to live and die with Chang'an, Li Ji suddenly felt a tightness in his throat.

He recalled the look in Li Shimin's eyes when he entrusted him with this task, and the heavy responsibility he bore as the Left General of the Golden Guard.

(End of this chapter)