My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 424 Grand Marshal of All Armies

Looking at the respectful Li Chengqian before him, Li Shimin felt a mix of emotions.

I thought for a moment, but I didn't know how to say it.

There was a hint of dazedness in his eyes.

He was twenty-eight years old when he ascended the throne.

This year, Chengqian is twenty-seven, right?

Is this what they mean by the student surpassing the teacher?

This feeling is truly unpleasant.

Li Shimin thought this to himself, but the people next to him broke out in a cold sweat.

What does Your Majesty mean by this? Not replying to the Crown Prince, just leaving him hanging like this?

Does Your Majesty have any new ideas now that things have come to this?

Or perhaps His Majesty intends to embarrass the Crown Prince?

For a moment, the atmosphere froze.

Li Chengqian, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice anything amiss. He saw that Li Shimin was somewhat lost in thought, and that he must have many ideas at that moment.

cough cough.

Fang Xuanling, standing nearby, could only cough twice to remind His Majesty.

The main problem is that everyone around here is now the Crown Prince's man, and it wouldn't be good if it caused a misunderstanding.

Li Shimin snapped out of his reverie and realized he had been daydreaming.

"Flat body."

"Thank you, Father."

When their eyes met, Li Shimin could see that Li Chengqian's gaze was very calm.

There was no overwhelming joy.

After a moment's hesitation, Li Shimin asked, "What do you want?"

Li Chengqian paused for a moment.

He knew that Li Shimin wasn't asking about the throne, but rather about other aspects, or rather, how to cooperate.

"I want to control all the armies in the world."

Li Chengqian thought about it for a while and felt that the reply was very good.

Li Shimin's face immediately darkened.

That's what he told his father back then, and now the Crown Prince is saying the same thing to him.

It really is a case of what goes around comes around.

"Tomorrow I will issue an edict appointing you as the Grand Marshal of the Armed Forces of the Realm."

"Alright, I'm tired. I'll leave this to the Crown Prince."

After saying this, Li Shimin ignored the Crown Prince and turned to order, "Return to the palace!"

Zhang Anan followed closely behind.

"Farewell, Father."

Li Chengqian's eyes flickered, and he said to Li Anyan beside him, "From this day forward, you are reinstated to your original position as the Commander of the Imperial Guards, responsible for His Majesty's safety."

Li Anyan held this position initially, but was later transferred by Li Shimin after Li Chengqian secretly plotted a rebellion.

Now, after going around in circles, we've come back to where we started.

Of course, the current commander of the Imperial Guards is completely different from the previous one.

"Your subject will respectfully obey the Crown Prince's instructions."

Li Anyan, with several hundred men, followed closely behind His Majesty.

From another perspective, this is essentially house arrest.

No one may meet His Majesty without Li Chengqian's permission.

Li Shimin left, leaving behind Fang Xuanling and Changsun Wuji.

Oh, and Li Tai and Li Zhi too.

"Uncle, Prime Minister Fang, let's go back to the manor to rest first."

Li Chengqian did not intend to punish the two men; for the time being, the court needed stability.

The civil officials are of little concern; now that military power is in hand, everything else is secondary.

Changsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling exchanged a glance, their expressions complex.

"I will obey the Crown Prince's instructions."

The two left.

Li Tai knelt on the ground and kowtowed, saying, "Brother, spare my life."

Li Zhi was somewhat speechless. Li Tai knelt down too quickly. In fact, he didn't really want to kneel. Now that the Crown Prince had promised his father, there was no need for him to be so humble.

But Li Tai knelt down, so naturally he couldn't refuse.

Without hesitation, he immediately knelt down and said, "Please punish me, elder brother."

Li Chengqian ignored the two people kneeling on the ground.

He asked Zhao Jie beside him, "What's the situation in the capital?"

Zhao Jie replied, "Li Jing led five thousand cavalry, and Li Ji's Chang'an troops were also there."

Li Chengqian said, "What about Hou Junji? He is now..."

Zhao Jie said, "Hou Junji was merely captured."

Li Chengqian felt it was a pity; it would have been a good thing if Hou Junji had been beheaded by Li Jing or Li Ji.

It wasn't out of fear; Hou Junji's character was what it was, and besides, his achievements were already quite high. As a veteran minister who followed Li Shimin back then, he had already experienced the Xuanwu Gate Incident, which was a meritorious service in supporting the emperor.

Now, he's doing another favor by following the emperor, which somewhat suggests that his achievements have overshadowed his master.

Li Chengqian had previously made many promises to him.

Now it's time to cash in.

If he had died, he would have been posthumously honored, and no amount of posthumous honor would have been excessive. But now, he needs a reward of real money.

After thinking for a moment, Li Chengqian said, "Issue an order to appoint Hou Junji as the Grand General of the Left Jinwu Guard, and instruct Li Ji to immediately transfer his military power."

"Let Li Jing return to his residence to rest, and his cavalry will be temporarily under the command of the Crown Prince."

There was no other way; Li Chengqian hadn't ascended to the throne yet, so it was impossible for him to portray Hou Junji as harsh and ungrateful from the start. At least for now, Hou Junji had done nothing wrong.

We'll deal with any mistakes later; now is the time to invest heavily in others.

In the end, Hou Junji was also risking his life to join him in the rebellion.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Zhao Jie went to deliver the order.

But Li Chengqian still ignored Li Tai and Li Zhi.

Just leave them kneeling like that.

He then began to give instructions to Du He.

"Have the Imperial Medical Academy come over to provide treatment. If there aren't enough people, recruit from within Chang'an." "Also, transfer the craftsmen from the Daming Palace to repair the Xuanwu Gate. Let Li Dejian be in charge."

"Tear down all the walls of the East Palace and Taiji Palace. From this day forward, I will temporarily reside in the East Palace."

"Send a message to Liaodong, summoning the eldest grandson of the emperor, Li Xiang, to return to Chang'an immediately and bring 100,000 elite troops."

"All the cannons were brought into the Taiji Palace and mounted on the city gates."

"The imperial city will be handed over to Hou Junji for management."

Li Chengqian explained everything one by one. There were many casualties in this battle, and the first priority was to calm the morale of the troops.

Cannons were mounted on the city walls to deter villains.

Li Chengqian still has too few troops at his disposal. After the battle, he has less than 20,000 left, having lost more than 40,000.

Although Li Shimin's side has already conceded defeat, others would certainly not hesitate if they had any hope of restoring their rule.

There are too many generals and soldiers loyal to Li Shimin in Chang'an. Transferring elite troops from Liaodong will stabilize the situation considerably.

The demolition of the walls between Taiji Palace and East Palace was a key measure to consolidate power and control the core area after the coup.

First, it breaks down the divisions in the power space and strengthens the symbolism of "unified power".

Taiji Palace was the residence of Li Shimin, symbolizing the old imperial power, while the East Palace was the residence of the Crown Prince, representing the new core of power.

The two were originally clearly separated by a courtyard wall, forming an implicit opposition between "two power centers".

Removing the courtyard wall was tantamount to sending a signal to the court and the public that "power has completely belonged to the crown prince" by eliminating this division.

The Taiji Palace, a symbol of the old imperial power, and the East Palace, the core of the new power, are no longer separated, suggesting that Li Shimin's remaining influence has been completely integrated and that Li Chengqian's rule is unique.

Although Li Shimin had already "admitted defeat" at this time, he was placed under house arrest in Taiji Palace by Li Chengqian under the pretext of "guarding the emperor," and his former subordinates might still harbor thoughts of restoring the throne.

After the walls were removed, the barrier between the East Palace and the Taiji Palace disappeared, allowing Li Chengqian's forces to more directly monitor the movements of the Taiji Palace and prevent Li Shimin or his cronies from making secret contacts and plotting unrest.

At the same time, this "boundless" state can compress the independent space of Taiji Palace, weaken its possibility as a "counter-attack stronghold", and psychologically strengthen control over Li Shimin.

It was necessary to stay at the East Palace for the time being. Li Chengqian actually had no intention of taking over the Taiji Palace. The new court had already been decided at the Daming Palace.

The geographical advantages and conditions of Daming Palace were unmatched by Taiji Palace.

Although the Daming Palace also has a Xuanwu Gate, it is completely different from the Xuanwu Gate of the Taiji Palace.

The Xuanwu Gate of Taiji Palace is a weakness, while Daming Palace is just a name.

The temporary residence in the Eastern Palace was for better control over the defense and operation of the entire imperial city. Removing the courtyard wall would break the access restrictions in both places, facilitating the rapid deployment of personnel and supplies.

The Crown Prince's trusted confidants could directly enter the Taiji Palace to handle affairs without having to go around or be obstructed by the walls, thus improving the efficiency of administrative and military control over the core area.

Especially given the recent end of the coup and the unstable situation in Chang'an, it was able to quickly stabilize order in the core area.

Another point is to downplay the identity conflict between the "crown prince" and the "emperor".

In traditional etiquette, the boundary between the Eastern Palace and the Taiji Palace also reflected the hierarchical status of the "Crown Prince" and the "Emperor".

The removal of the courtyard wall indirectly downplayed the identity conflict between "Li Chengqian was still the crown prince" and "Li Shimin was still the nominal emperor," blurring the difference in their ranks and paving the way for Li Chengqian's formal ascension to the throne and complete control of imperial power.

This implies that 'the Eastern Palace is the center of power, and the Taiji Palace is merely an auxiliary area,' further consolidating its position as the de facto ruler.

The core purpose was to quickly consolidate rule and ensure the stability of the power transition.

After explaining the matter, Li Chengqian finally turned his gaze to Li Tai and Li Zhi.

"get out."

Just as Li Shimin said, Li Tai and Li Zhi were never taken seriously.

Killing him would only hinder his reputation.

As for how to handle it, we'll discuss that later.

"Thank you so much, elder brother."

Li Tai, kneeling on the ground, kowtowed repeatedly.

His father has been defeated; all he wants now is to survive.

Li Zhi kowtowed: "Thank you for your kindness, elder brother."

Ignoring the two men, Li Chengqian mounted his horse and headed for the Eastern Palace.

the other side.

In the makeshift prison next to Zhuque Avenue, Hou Junji huddled in a cold iron cage, the dull pain in his ribs still lingering beneath his tattered battle robe.

Heavy footsteps approached from afar, and a voice rang out.

"Li Jing and Li Ji, receive the Crown Prince's decree!"

Du He's voice carried an undeniable sharpness.

He was clad in brand-new, gleaming armor, the cloud patterns on the plates shimmering coldly in the torchlight. On the gilded tray he held in his hands lay a scroll of bright yellow silk.

Li Jing stood to the left of the iron cage, his hand on the sword at his waist. The morning light fell into the white hair at his temples, making it look like a layer of frost.

Li Ji stood with his back to the cage, the bloodstains on his black armor already turning black, the long spear in his hand deeply embedded in the soil, the copper ring at the end of the spear jingling softly in the wind, as if it were sobbing.

Hou Junji, inside the iron cage, was stunned for a moment, then burst into maniacal laughter: "The Crown Prince has won! The Crown Prince has won! Hahahaha!"

"Shut up!" Li Ji pointed the tip of his spear at the iron cage, its cold light grazing Hou Junji's nose. "You're nothing but a prisoner! If it weren't for Lord Wei's mercy, you would have been stabbed to death by spears last night!"

"Enough." Li Jing raised his hand and pressed down on Li Ji's spear shaft, his voice as calm as a frozen lake. He looked at Du He, his white eyebrows furrowing slightly: "Master Du, please give the order."

Du He unfolded the silk scroll: "The Crown Prince decrees that Hou Junji has rendered meritorious service in guarding the imperial city by leading his troops as the vanguard. He is hereby appointed as the General of the Left Jinwu Guard and shall immediately command the Jinwu Guard troops originally under Li Ji's command."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Li Jing's tense profile: "Furthermore, Li Jing's cavalry will be placed under the command of the Crown Prince's personal guards, effective immediately."

"what?!"

Li Ji slammed his spear heavily on the ground, causing the surrounding soldiers to stagger: "Let this guy command my troops? Du He, are you crazy! He embezzled treasures in Gaochang and formed cliques in the court. His Majesty has long wanted to deal with him! How could His Highness the Crown Prince..."

"Has the Duke of Yingguo become senile?" Du He put away the silk scroll, his tone suddenly stern. "His Highness said that the world is won through conquest, not debate! General Hou has rendered meritorious service in capturing the city, so he should hold this high position! But you..."

"Destroyed the Crown Prince's gunpowder workshop, triggering a major war. Heh."

Hou Junji, inside the iron cage, suddenly coughed violently, bending over from the effort. But when he looked up, a ferocious smile appeared on his face: "Li Ji, did you hear that? I'm a meritorious official! You think His Majesty can still protect you? He's practically the retired emperor of Da'an Palace now, he can't even protect himself!"

Li Jing's fingers slowly tightened on the sword hilt, his knuckles turning white as frost. He stared at the bloodstains on Hou Junji's prison clothes, where there were knife marks from his personal guards and traces of last night's fierce battle. "Does Your Highness know that Hou Junji is fickle and treacherous? He can betray His Majesty today, and he can betray Your Highness tomorrow?"

“Lord Wei is overthinking it.” Du He took out a tiger tally from his bosom and threw it to Hou Junji. The iron cage bars blocked the tally, making a dull thud. “Your Highness only considers the present when employing people, not the past. As for Lord Wei, your cavalry is useless to you. You might as well hand them over and you can at least be safe.”

Hou Junji was released from the iron cage by his guards. He staggered to his feet, picked up the tiger tally from the ground, and rubbed it repeatedly under the torchlight. The cold metallic touch was like a powerful medicine, instantly making him forget the pain all over his body.

"Li Ji, hand over your military tally."

He walked up to Li Ji and waved the tiger tally in front of him. "Back when you followed His Majesty to kill Jiancheng and Yuanji, didn't you also climb to the position of Duke of Yingguo by virtue of your 'meritorious service in following the emperor'? Now it's my turn."

Li Ji slammed his fist into the tree trunk beside him, the bark falling off in a flurry, blood seeping from his finger bones, but he had no choice but to hand over the military tally.

"Winner takes all, loser for Kou."

Hou Junji put on the brocade robe handed to him by his personal guard, his movements slow but with an indescribable sense of pride.

Li Jing suddenly let out a long sigh, a sigh that carried the marks of a lifetime spent on the battlefield. He untied the military tally from his waist; the gilded tiger tally gleamed coldly in the moonlight, its patterns still bearing the marks of Li Shimin's personal touch when he bestowed it upon him.

"This old minister... obeys the order."

Li Jing placed the military tally in Du He's hand, the warmth of his fingertips making even the cold metal feel warm. "Tell Your Highness that this old minister is too old to ride a horse anymore, and only asks to spend the rest of his days in the mansion."

Li Ji watched Hou Junji's departing figure, the hem of his brocade robe sweeping across the bloodstains on the ground, like a poisonous flower blooming in the mud. He suddenly whispered to Li Jing, "Lord Wei, are we just going to accept this?"

Li Jing did not answer, but simply looked up in the direction of Da'an Palace.

The surrounding soldiers began to disperse, and Hou Junji's laughter drifted from afar, piercing like fingernails scraping against an iron plate.

Some things were already shattered the moment the smoke rose from Xuanwu Gate.

(End of this chapter)