Datang: Just been appointed as the crown prince, the counterattack system is here

Chapter 411 The Truth [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

The tranquility of Chang'an City at night was shattered by a sudden riot.

"Look! What is that?!"

"Good heavens! It's His Highness the Prince of Shu! And His Highness the Prince of Liang! How did they end up hanging on the city wall?!"

At the entrance to West Market Street, two mangled corpses dressed in princely attire hung high on the crossbeam of the gate, swaying in the pale moonlight.

The deep, bone-revealing knife wound on the corpse's neck silently testifies to the horrific nature of its death.

"It was the Crown Prince! It must have been the Crown Prince! He killed his own brother!"

From within the crowd, the spies who had been secretly stationed there let out a piercing scream, igniting a fuse of fear and anger.

“You’re talking nonsense! The Crown Prince couldn’t have killed his own brother. That was the guard in disguise. It was they who killed His Highness the Prince of Shu and His Highness the Prince of Liang!” The rational people immediately defended Li Chengqian.

“That’s right. I saw two princes with my own eyes that day. The real prince didn’t move at all. It was the fake prince who kidnapped the Prince of Shu and the Prince of Liang!”

"Hahaha! You guys really know how to defend the Crown Prince. He's just fooling you. What real Crown Prince, what fake Crown Prince! He just wants to abuse his power and kill the Prince of Shu and the Prince of Liang! Because they brought disaster to Chang'an and the palace!"

"According to you, shouldn't the King of Shu and the King of Liang have died?"

"Hmph! We didn't say they didn't deserve to die, but rather that the Crown Prince abused his power, disregarded the law, and showed no respect for His Majesty! Killing his own brothers is inhumane and unjust!"

"That's right! The Crown Prince is indiscriminately killing princes! He's cruel and tyrannical!"

"You tyrant! You're a fool! Get out of the crown prince's seat!"

The angry roar was like boiling oil poured onto a swarm of ants, instantly exploding!

The incited crowd surged like a burst dam, overwhelming the city's defense forces trying to maintain order.

Stones and torches flew toward the city gate tower, and chaos spread rapidly.

"General! Chaos has broken out!"

Lieutenant Zhao Jia stumbled into Wang Kuo's tent, his face ashen: "It's all in chaos! The bodies of the King of Shu and the King of Liang have been displayed! The people are storming the city gates!"

"Hou Junji's men are pressing us outside the camp again! They say if we don't open the gate, they'll expose the evidence of our collusion with him! General Chang He's light cavalry is already within an arrow's reach of Anhua Gate, and their swords are already drawn!"

Wang Kuo had his back to him, and the ten small gold medals with the inscription "Jingjiwei" on the table gleamed coldly in the candlelight.

He slowly turned around, the hideous scar on his face throbbing: "Evidence? Ha."

He suddenly grabbed a gold medal, clutching it tightly in his palm; the cold metal hurt his hand.

"Tell Hou Junji's men!" Wang Kuo's voice was low, yet carried a resolute determination, "I, Wang Kuo, will wait for him right here at Anhua Gate! Want to enter the city? Sure! He'll have to step over my dead body to get there!"

"As for the evidence."

He paused, then sneered, "Let Hou Junji spread the word! I'm not afraid of being infamous for eternity, I'm just afraid of failing this armor of the Great Tang!"

"General!" Zhao Jia's voice trembled.

"Send the order!"

Wang Kuo roared like thunder: "Personnel Guard Battalion! Follow me to Anhua Gate! All other units, anyone who moves a single step without my order will be executed!"

Heavy footsteps sounded, and three hundred personal guards, their clothes wrapped in hemp cloth and horseshoes, carrying swords and axes, quickly gathered behind Wang Kuo like silent reefs, surging towards the Anhua Gate, which was ablaze with flames.

Their silence was more oppressive than any shout.

On the other side, the Prince's Mansion.

Pei Xingjian rushed in, covered in dust, and spoke rapidly: "Your Highness! A corpse is hanging at the West Market gate, and the people are in chaos! Hou Junji's vanguard has arrived five miles west of the city, under the banner of 'cleansing the court of corrupt officials and punishing the tyrants.' Wang Kuo, the commander of the Capital Guard, has led his personal troops to Anhua Gate and is confronting General Chang He. Fires have broken out in many places in the city, and it seems that the guards' assassins are causing trouble!"

Li Chengqian stood in front of the huge Chang'an city defense map, his fingertip pointing precisely at the location of the Crown Prince's residence.

Upon hearing this, he didn't even look up, only giving a faint "hmm," as if everything was expected.

"Where is the body?" he asked calmly.

"As Your Highness instructed, Physician Sun and his men have verified his identity."

A hint of pleasure flashed in Pei Xingjian's eyes: "Dr. Sun performed an autopsy in public and confirmed that although the two corpses were dressed in princely robes, their internal organs and skeletal characteristics did not match those of the Prince of Shu and the Prince of Liang, and they had been dead for more than half a month. They were simply scapegoats found by the garrison commander."

"But the news has already spread!"

"Ah."

Li Chengqian tapped lightly on the spot of the Crown Prince's residence with his fingertip, and said in a deep voice, "Hou Junji wants the noble title of 'purging the emperor's inner circle,' but I will show him what it means to lift a rock only to drop it on one's own foot!"

"Furthermore, is Shouzhulang trying to fish in troubled waters? The waters are indeed muddy, but it's time to reel in the net for fishing."

As he spoke, he turned his gaze to Yang Nannan: "How are things on your end?"

"Your Highness, don't worry!"

Yang Nannan bowed respectfully, her eyes gleaming with excitement: "Among the caravans you had Xi Junmai release, there really were big fish infiltrated! Following them, we found three temporary strongholds of the guards, two of which have already been raided by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and several prisoners have been arrested! The last one is at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion in Pingkang Ward! Moreover..."

She lowered her voice, a hint of disbelief in it: "One of the witnesses confessed that the Guardian might attack you from an unexpected place!"

"An unexpected place?"

Li Chengqian's lips curled into a cold smile as his gaze returned to the location of the Crown Prince's residence on the city defense map. There, he saw an extremely hidden old tunnel connecting to an abandoned temple outside the city: "It seems that my 'pillar' general has even set his sights on the rat hole in my own home."

After saying that, he suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with murderous intent: "Pei Xingjian!"

"Chen is here!"

"With this token, immediately take over the defense of Anhua Gate!"

Li Chengqian said, “If Wang Kuo dares to open the gate, he will be executed on the spot! If Chang He dares to storm the city gate, he will be considered a traitor and killed without exception!”

"Yang Nannan!"

"My subordinate is here!"

"You personally go to Zuixianlou and keep a close watch on it! Don't let a single rat escape!"

After he finished speaking, he narrowed his eyes and added, "Also, make sure to properly entertain the guests I have invited at the entrance of the Crown Prince's residence through the underground passage!"

"Yes!"

The two responded in unison, then turned and rushed out of the warm pavilion, their murderous intent palpable.

Li Chengqian walked to the window alone and opened it.

"Hou Junji, Garrison Commander," Li Chengqian's voice was so low that only he could hear it, carrying a chilling sense of control over the entire situation: "This game of chess is about to end. My blade has long been sharpened for you."

He closed the window behind him, shutting out the noise. Only the flickering candlelight and his solitary, dark figure remained in the warm room.

The storm in Chang'an has reached its most violent moment, and the true hunter is waiting for his prey to step into the final trap.

"His Royal Highness!"

After a short while, Laifu walked in.

Li Chengqian asked calmly and indifferently, "What is it?"

"Li Chunfeng from the Imperial Observatory has arrived!" Lai Fu reported, bowing.

Li Chengqian was slightly taken aback, then turned around and said, "Let him in!"

"Yes!"

Lai Fu responded, and soon Li Chunfeng entered, cupping his hands and saying, "Your subject, Li Chunfeng, greets Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

"Oh, Mr. Li, please have a seat!"

Li Chengqian gestured to Li Chunfeng, then sat down on his own.

Li Chunfeng stood there awkwardly, looking slightly hesitant.

"What's wrong? There are nails on my stool, are you afraid to sit on it?" Li Chengqian raised an eyebrow, amused.

Li Chunfeng quickly bowed and said, "I wonder why Your Highness has summoned me? I am afraid I will not answer well, which is why I am so uneasy!"

"Heh, don't be nervous, it's nothing serious, I just wanted to ask you about someone!"

"Whom does Your Highness wish to inquire about?"

"Yuan Tiangang!"

Li Chengqian asked bluntly, "I heard that you collaborated with him to deduce a set of diagrams called the 'Tui Bei Tu'. I wonder if this 'Tui Bei Tu' can predict the fate of our Great Tang Dynasty?"

"Ah? This"

Li Chunfeng looked on with surprise, then looked at Li Chengqian with some fear and said, "Your Highness, this matter concerns His Majesty."

"I know this is a secret between my father and you, but secrets don't stay hidden forever!"

Li Chengqian waved his hand to interrupt Li Chunfeng and said, "Now I just want to know, am I the third emperor of my Great Tang? How many years has the fate of my Great Tang been calculated to be? And Yuan Tiangang, do you think there is anything wrong with him?"

Faced with Li Chengqian's three thought-provoking questions, Li Chunfeng first looked at Li Chengqian in surprise, then frowned and took out a few copper coins, throwing them on the ground.

In an instant, his face turned pale, and he said in a trembling voice, "Your Highness wants to kill me?"

"Heh, looks like you calculated it quite accurately!" Li Chengqian laughed: "Then tell me, why should I kill you?"

"Because I colluded with the guards to deceive the Emperor!"

Li Chunfeng blurted out his debut.

Li Chengqian's smile widened: "Why aren't you surprised at all? How do I know that the Garrison Commander is Yuan Tiangang, or rather, that Yuan Tiangang is one of the Garrison Commanders?"

"How did Your Highness know there were multiple guards?" Li Chunfeng asked, frowning.

Li Chengqian smiled without saying a word, but simply clapped his hands.

A sallow-faced, thin, sickly-looking, hunchbacked old man slowly walked out: "Lord Li, I'm sorry to have made you laugh!"

"It's you! The Plague Doctor?"

Li Chunfeng asked, somewhat taken aback, "You're not..."

"That's right, I escaped, but I didn't escape back to the garrison commander!"

The plague doctor smiled, then bowed to Li Chengqian and said, "Thank you for your trust, Your Highness. My letter was not delivered in vain!"

"A wise man knows when to yield, and I greatly admire a talent like the Plague Doctor!"

Li Chengqian smiled and said something, then slowly stood up from his seat and said:

"I'm not really surprised that Yuan Tiangang is one of the guards, because there are too many suspicious points about him. First, he took the initiative to find my imperial grandfather and followed him all the way to Chang'an. Second, he appeared at the most crucial moment when Su Dingfang was chasing Yang Nannan and repelling the soldiers. Finally, let me think about it."

"Heh, it's probably about kidnapping Hua Gu. You should have figured it out by now, the fourth emperor of my Great Tang Dynasty was an empress!"

"Boom!"

Upon hearing this, Li Chunfeng was struck dumb, staring at Li Chengqian in astonishment.

"how?"

Li Chengqian raised an eyebrow: "Are you surprised? How would I know?"

"Who exactly is His Highness the Crown Prince?!"

Li Chunfeng looked at Li Chengqian with a solemn expression.

But Li Chengqian chuckled and said, "I am who I am! The Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty, Li Chengqian!"

Li Chunfeng: "."

"Let me guess, Yuan Tiangang initially didn't believe his own calculations, but then he came to you. And you two put on a show for my father, didn't you? You made my father believe it was true. Actually, you had already discussed the next steps while verifying the results!"

Li Chunfeng: "."

"Of course, you can deny everything. Anyway, the truth will come out eventually. Especially after I catch the garrison commander!"

After saying this, Li Chengqian had no intention of saying anything more and immediately said to Laifu, "Take Li Qing away!"

"Yes!"

Lai Fu responded and immediately gestured for Li Chunfeng to proceed.

Li Chunfeng stared intently at Li Chengqian and said in a firm voice, "Since the Crown Prince knows the future, why does he still want to change it? Aren't you afraid of divine retribution?"

"Puch-"

Li Chengqian was amused, then waved his hand and said, "Stop talking nonsense. I won't tell you too much. Your so-called calculations are nothing but illusions in my eyes."

"Let's go, Grand Historian Li!"

Lai Fu's voice suddenly turned cold, carrying an unquestionable tone.

Seeing this, Li Chunfeng had no choice but to leave silently.

After watching them leave, the plague doctor chuckled and said to Li Chengqian, "Your Highness, the garrison commander is in Chang'an. Shouldn't we..."

"Don't worry about him for now!"

Li Chengqian waved his hand to interrupt, saying, "The main focus now is Hou Junji. As long as we deal with Hou Junji, he will definitely show up!"

"That Yuan Tiangang?"

"If he wanted to harm me, he would have done so long ago. He's still waiting for my Resurrection Pill!"

At this point, Li Chengqian's lips curled up slightly, and he looked at the Plague Doctor with a teasing expression: "Aren't you one too?"

"Hehe." The plague doctor gave an awkward laugh and bowed, saying, "Your Highness is wise!"

Do you know why I'm keeping you around?

"Please enlighten me, Your Highness!"

"Because there's a place that's perfect for a poisonous doctor like you to wreak havoc!"

"I wonder which place Your Highness is referring to?"

"Japan!"

the other side.

In the abandoned bell tower at the end of Zhuque Avenue in Chang'an, four oil lamps cast distorted shadows on the wall.

Yuan Tiangang stroked his beard, his gaze sweeping over the three people opposite him, the candlelight flickering with complex light in his eyes.

"Everyone!"

His voice was very low, with a hint of barely perceptible fatigue: "Li Chengqian has taken control of the situation. Hou Junji will not amount to anything. We have lost four of our seven strongholds in the city. Continuing to fight will only increase our casualties."

The black-robed man on the left let out a cold laugh, revealing half of his pale chin beneath his hood.

It was the same officer who summoned the general in Zhongnan Mountain to deal with Li Chengqian: "Is Master Yuan afraid?"

Brother Cui, please be careful with your words.

Yuan Tiangang frowned slightly: "Our scheme was merely to put history back on track, but now that the tide has turned, why must we perish together?"

"Is the situation hopeless?"

The man in black slammed his hand on the table, nearly knocking over the oil lamp: "Master Yuan, have you forgotten who it was that said Li Chengqian was a 'son of heaven' who would cause internal strife in the Tang Dynasty if he were to succeed to the throne? Who was the first to approach Li Yuan? And who repeatedly used the identity of Master Yuan to ruin my plans as the Shouzhuo Lang?"

He leaned forward, his tone icy: "Now that he's gained power, you want to back out? Don't forget, you set up the trap for Prince Li Ke of Shu, you lured Hou Junji into it, and you even orchestrated Li Chunfeng's move! Now you're advising us to give up, but what about yourself? Have you already planned your escape route to Li Chengqian for a reward?"

The burly man with a thick beard on the right also spoke in a deep voice: "Brother Cui, what you say may be rough, but it makes sense. Yuan Tiangang, Tianji is your junior brother. What you can foresee, he can also foresee. Li Chengqian's fate has long been altered; he is no longer the original Li Chengqian! If you tell us to give up on dealing with him, you are aiding and abetting evil!"

The last man in gray, who had remained silent until now, coughed softly, revealing a pair of cloudy yet sharp eyes, and said:

"Master Yuan, you and I both know that Li Chengqian is no benevolent man. He even killed his own brother and framed me, the garrison commander, which shows that he is becoming even more unscrupulous in changing history! Are you really going to just stand by and watch him wreak havoc on the world?"

Yuan Tiangang closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, he was calm again: "I am not a coward who fears death. It's just that last night, I observed the celestial phenomena and the Ziwei star was unusually bright. Li Chengqian's fortune has already been established. Forcibly going against the trend will only destroy the century-old foundation of the Shouzhulang."

"Hahaha! What a great omen of destiny! I think it's you, Yuan Tiangang, who wants to abandon darkness for light but is afraid of being branded as an accomplice to evil, so you've made up this nonsense! Humph! Stop trying to fool us! Tonight, we will kill Li Chengqian!"

"Brother Cui is right! Tonight, we must fight Li Chengqian to the death!"

"That's right!"

Looking at the obsession and madness in the eyes of the three men, Yuan Tiangang suddenly felt a tightness in his throat.

He recalled the calmness and sharpness in the young crown prince's eyes when he first met Li Chengqian, and realized that he had probably already guessed Li Chunfeng's identity when he invited him there at this time.

"You..." He opened his mouth, but finally let out a long sigh: "So be it. We have different paths, so we cannot work together."

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the hidden door of the clock tower. His black robe swept across the withered leaves on the ground, making a soft rustling sound.

"Halt!" the man in black shouted sternly. "You think you can leave? Yuan Tiangang, if you dare to step out of this door, don't blame us for not showing any mercy!"

Yuan Tiangang did not stop walking, leaving behind only a light and airy sentence: "After tonight, if you are still alive, you will understand that what I said today is not for myself, but for guarding the last bit of fire of the Zhuo Lang."

The hidden door closed behind him, shutting out Cui Lie's angry curses along with the dim light of the oil lamp.

Yuan Tiangang looked up at the waning moon on the horizon and finally gave a bitter laugh: "Stubborn to the end."

After speaking, he glanced at a room on the west side of the clock tower, hesitated slightly, and then walked over there on his own.

"Lord Garrison Commander!"

The two guards immediately bowed to Yuan Tiangang upon seeing him.

Yuan Tiangang nodded calmly, then said indifferently, "I'll go check on the hostages! Open the door!"

"This"

The two guards hesitated for a moment, then looked at each other, bowed, and said, "Yes!"

Soon, the door was opened, revealing three women who were tied up, gagged, and looked terrified.

“Woooooo~~~”

"Don't be afraid, I'm here to help you!"

(End of this chapter)