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

Liangyi Hall, side hall.

Ambergris burned quietly in the gilded lion-shaped incense burner, its wisps of smoke rising straight up, yet unable to dispel the invisible heaviness within the hall.

Li Shimin sat high on his throne, his fingers unconsciously stroking the dragon carving on the armrest, his gaze fixed on the tall, dark figure in the hall, his expression complex and unfathomable.

Li Chengqian stood solemnly in the hall, his expression calm, as if he had only come to attend a routine audience.

After a long silence, Li Shimin finally spoke, his voice carrying a deliberately cultivated calmness, yet unable to conceal the scrutiny beneath:
"You're back. It must have been a long journey."

"Serving the country, I dare not complain of hardship." Li Chengqian bowed slightly, displaying impeccable manners.

"Ah."

Li Shimin nodded.

"I have read the battle report. You fought very well in Japan and brought glory to our country."

He steered the conversation toward a familiar area, seemingly to ease the tension, or perhaps to re-establish his military authority as a father and emperor.

"The Battle of Naniwa-kyo, in particular, was a classic example of a combined land and sea attack."

"Your Majesty is too kind. It is all thanks to the bravery of the soldiers; I dare not take credit for it."

Li Chengqian's answer was watertight.

Li Shimin abruptly changed the subject, seemingly casually, but actually sharply:
"More than Japan, I'd like to know how you took Anshi City?"

After speaking, he leaned forward slightly, his gaze intense:

“That city…it was the city that caused me and the million-strong army of the former Sui Dynasty to suffer a crushing defeat.”

When Anshi City was mentioned, a subtle shadow of gloom and obsession flashed deep in Li Shimin's eyes.

That was a rare setback in his illustrious military career, and a thorn that lingered in his heart.

Li Chengqian raised his eyes, calmly meeting Li Shimin's gaze. He did not immediately boast about his achievements, but slowly said:

“Anshi is a formidable city, and Yang Wanchun is adept at defending it; it is indeed a tough nut to crack.”

"Your Majesty, I was able to break through the city by sheer luck, and also by standing on your shoulders."

"Oh?"

Li Shimin raised an eyebrow slightly.

"If it weren't for Father Emperor's personal campaign, sweeping away the cities of Liaodong with lightning speed, besieging Anshi City, and launching a relentless attack day and night, exhausting its elite troops, shaking its foundations, and causing its defenses to show signs of fatigue, leaving the soldiers and civilians exhausted..."

Li Chengqian's tone carried an objective statement, even a hint of affirmation of Li Shimin's past achievements:

"Even with the advantage of artillery, it would still be no easy task for your son to conquer such a fortified city in a short period of time."

He paused and continued:
"Your Majesty, I merely took advantage of the foundation laid by you, Father, and used artillery to bombard the weak points of the city's defenses that you had targeted and that were already damaged, thus accelerating its collapse."

"At the same time, following the old strategy of the father emperor, we cut off his water supply and besieged him for a long time, putting him in a difficult situation both inside and outside, and finally forcing Yang Wanchun to surrender due to exhaustion."

At this point, Li Chengqian added a detail, his tone still calm:

"Later, Yang Wanchun said that the city's food supplies were actually exhausted at that time, and at most... they could only last for three more days."

He raised his eyes and looked at Li Shimin, his gaze clear: "If Father Emperor had been able to besiege the city for three more days, perhaps... history would have been rewritten."

boom!
These words struck Li Shimin like a thunderclap!

The muscles on his face twitched slightly, and countless complex emotions flashed across his eyes in an instant.

Shock, realization, resentment, regret... In the end, all of these turned into a long sigh filled with endless bitterness and self-mockery.

"Three days... just three days..."

Li Shimin muttered to himself, seemingly aging several years in an instant. He leaned back on the dragon throne, shaking his head with a wry smile:

"Perhaps... but even if I had captured Ansi Castle back then, I... still wouldn't have been able to take over the whole of Goguryeo."

His voice carried a weariness and helplessness born of a profound understanding of the world:
"At that time, the army was running out of food and supplies, the weather was turning cold, the soldiers were longing to return home after a long battle, and their morale had plummeted..."

"The morale of the army has collapsed. Anshi City alone cannot change the overall situation."

He cleverly used the phrase "military morale" to steer the conversation toward a more sensitive topic.

The atmosphere inside the hall, which had just eased slightly due to the military discussion, suddenly became tense again.

Li Shimin's gaze sharpened again, locking onto Li Chengqian like a hawk's. His voice deepened, carrying an undeniable sense of pressure:
"Speaking of morale in the military and among the people..."

"Chengqian, I ask you, what about the smallpox epidemic in Chang'an two years ago that almost shook the foundations of the country... Afterwards, many clues pointed to the Prince of Shu's mansion and those 'miracle doctors' of unknown origin."

He leaned forward and asked, enunciating each word clearly:

"Tell me, was that plague... secretly orchestrated by Li Ke?"

Li Chengqian paused for a moment, his face expressionless, neither confirming nor denying, and simply said:

“Father, the matter is over. The real culprit has been brought to justice, and the epidemic has subsided. Discussing whether he orchestrated it is meaningless for the country and the people.”

"Meaningless?!"

Li Shimin's voice suddenly rose, like a long-suppressed volcano finally erupting.

He slammed his hand on the imperial desk and abruptly stood up. His previous composure vanished, replaced by the emperor's fury and a hidden resentment.

He stared intently at Li Chengqian, his voice trembling with emotion: "What about the deaths of Ke'er and Yin'er?! Were their deaths also meaningless?!"

A tremendous roar echoed through the hall, and the palace servants, who were prostrate on the ground, buried their bodies even lower.

Li Chengqian remained standing silently, like a black iron sculpture, letting his father's anger burn around him.

This silence is more like a silent acknowledgment.

Li Shimin's chest heaved violently. He stared into his son's unfathomable eyes, and with all his might, he forced out the question through clenched teeth—the question he had long suspected, yet had always refused to accept and dared not believe:
"Chengqian, I am asking you a question, and you must answer truthfully."

"Did you... kill Li Ke and Li Yin?"

He did not use the titles 'King of Shu' or 'King of Liang', but addressed him by his given name, his tone revealing no concealment of coldness and questioning.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian showed no surprise whatsoever. Instead, a faint, cold smile curved his lips, as if he had heard something interesting.

He raised his eyes, meeting Li Shimin's gaze—a gaze that seemed to pierce through one's soul—without fear, his voice eerily calm:
"Yes."

One word: clear, decisive, without any explanation or hesitation.

"It was your son who killed him."

"personally."

"boom--!"

Despite having suspected it beforehand, hearing Li Chengqian admit it so bluntly and coldly made Li Shimin feel a surge of blood rushing to his head!
He slammed his hand on the imperial desk, abruptly stood up, and pointed at Li Chengqian, his finger trembling with extreme anger:

"You...you unfilial son—!"

The roar was like thunder, exploding in the hall and making the beams and pillars seem to hum.

"They are your own brothers! They are your brethren! They are my sons!!"

"How dare you?! How dare you be so cruel?! How dare you disregard human ethics so completely?!"

"Without a joint trial by the three judicial authorities, without my decree, how dare you privately kill a prince?! Who gave you the audacity?! Li Chengqian! Do you still have any respect for me as your father?! Do you still have any respect for the laws of the Tang Dynasty?!"

The furious rebuke poured down on Li Chengqian like a sudden storm.

The palace maids and eunuchs standing inside the hall were already so frightened that they prostrated themselves on the ground, trembling like leaves.

Li Chengqian stood there quietly, letting Li Shimin's anger burn, without even a ripple on his face.

Only when Li Shimin's breathing became uneven, his chest heaved violently, and his voice paused did he slowly speak.

The voice remained calm, yet it was like an ice-cold dagger, precisely piercing the most hidden and unbearable corner of Li Shimin's heart:
"Father, please calm down." "Your son... just wants to experience what it felt like when Father personally shot and killed the Crown Prince Jiancheng at Xuanwu Gate and ordered the execution of Prince Yuanji."

"I suppose Father Emperor felt the same way at the time... forced into it, yet... thoroughly satisfied?"

Om-!
Li Shimin was struck as if by an invisible thunderbolt, and froze on the spot.

The rage on his face froze instantly, turning into extreme shock, disbelief, and a hint of embarrassment and panic at having his deepest disguise exposed.

"you you……"

He pointed at Li Chengqian, his lips trembling, but he couldn't utter a single word.

That past he tried so hard to cover up and whitewash in history books, that bloody memory that laid the foundation for his throne but also became his lifelong nightmare, was laid bare by his son in such a calm yet cruel way.

He staggered back a step and slumped heavily back into the dragon throne, as if all his strength had been drained away.

The color drained from his face, leaving only a listless, ashen white.

The hall was deathly silent, save for his heavy, disordered breathing.

After a long, long time.

Li Shimin slowly raised his head. His once domineering eyes were now bloodshot, filled with only icy coldness and the wariness of a wild beast driven to the brink of despair.

He stared intently at Li Chengqian, his voice hoarse as if sandpaper were being rubbed:
"What...what do you want to do?"

Li Chengqian met his icy gaze, stepped forward, and uttered those earth-shattering words clearly and slowly:

"Your subject desires to control the armies of the realm."

Boom! !
These words, even more so than his earlier admission of fratricide, struck Li Shimin like a thunderbolt, crashing down on his head.

[Control the army of the entire realm?!]

Although he had a premonition, hearing this request, which was exactly the same as his own back then, still made Li Shimin feel dizzy and chilled to the bone.

Is history really going to repeat itself?!

Between him and his son?!

"You...you're being insolent!!"

Li Shimin suddenly sprang up from the dragon throne, his features contorted with extreme shock and rage. He pointed at Li Chengqian, his whole body trembling.

"You unfilial son! You rebellious and treacherous son! Do you want to rebel?!"

Overwhelmed by rage and a sense of panic at having his authority challenged, he instantly lost his temper.

"I will depose you! Depose you, you beast who has no ruler, no father, and harbors the ambitions of a wolf!"

With a roar, Li Shimin suddenly looked around.

His gaze instantly locked onto a decorative ceremonial sword hanging beside a pillar in the palace.

He practically lunged forward, drawing his sword with a clang, the tip pointing directly at Li Chengqian.

A cold light flashed, illuminating Li Shimin's ferocious face and Li Chengqian's still calm expression.

Facing the sword pointed directly at him, Li Chengqian didn't even blink.

He simply watched his father, who appeared to be going mad, his voice still steady, yet carrying an undeniable resolve:

"Father."

"Once the sword is drawn and blood is drawn... the already precarious bond between us, father and son, will truly be severed."

"Please think it over carefully."

These words were calm, yet more threatening than any roar.

It was like a bucket of ice water poured over Li Shimin's head.

Li Shimin's hand holding the sword trembled violently.

Looking into Li Chengqian's unfathomable eyes, which seemed to know everything, he felt a sense of powerlessness mixed with immense anger that almost tore him apart.

He knew, of course, that he was no match for his son, who was a ruthless killer on the battlefield and whose martial arts skills were unfathomable.

If that sword were to actually be thrust out, the consequences... he dared not imagine.

"Bang!"

The sword slipped from his trembling hand and crashed onto the gold-brick floor with a piercing sound.

Li Shimin staggered backward, leaning against the cold dragon throne, panting heavily, his eyes filled with frustration, anger, and a hint of... fear that even he himself was unwilling to admit.

"you you……"

His voice was hoarse, carrying a fierce yet cowardly roar:

"I am the emperor! I am the Son of Heaven! Everything you have is given to you by me! What I can give you, I can take back!!"

Extreme anger and the powerlessness to put it into action led him to use language to assert his crumbling authority.

He suddenly straightened his body, and with all his might, let out a roar like that of a wounded beast, attempting to overwhelm his opponent with imperial majesty:
"Preach my will!"

"Effective immediately, Crown Prince Li Chengqian is stripped of all temporary command authority over troops! All units of the Eastern Expeditionary Army shall immediately return to the Ministry of War!"

"The Navy...the Navy is to be...temporarily placed under the jurisdiction of the Dengzhou Governor's Office!"

"The Six Garrisons of the Eastern Palace... the number of troops in the Six Garrisons of the Eastern Palace will be reduced by 30%! Firearms... all firearms must be handed over to the Arsenal! No one may move them without my decree!"

"Those who disobey orders...will be punished for treason!!"

He finished speaking in one breath, his chest heaving violently, staring intently at Li Chengqian, as if trying to see panic, fear, pleading, or anger on his face.

However, there was nothing.

Li Chengqian's face remained calm and expressionless.

He didn't even show the slightest surprise; he simply bowed slightly and calmly replied in a tone devoid of any emotion:

"Your subject...accepts the decree."

There was no argument, no dissatisfaction, not even a ripple.

This unusually compliant attitude was like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguishing Li Shimin's anger, but it also stirred up a deeper, more chilling unease and coldness in his heart.

[That's too cooperative...that unfilial son is too cooperative!]

This was nothing like the unruly and ruthless Li Chengqian he knew.

[Relinquishing military power, surrendering the navy, even agreeing to reduce the number of the Crown Prince's six guards and hand over firearms... what exactly does that rebellious son want?]

What makes him so calm?!

What else is he hiding behind the scenes?!

Li Shimin opened his mouth, wanting to say something more, but saw that Li Chengqian had already stood up, glanced at him one last time, then turned around and walked out of the Liangyi Hall with steady and firm steps, without looking back.

Sunlight streamed in through the open palace doors, outlining his silhouette with a dazzling golden edge before disappearing into the light.

Inside the hall, only Li Shimin remained, slumped on the cold dragon throne, staring at the empty hall doors and the sword on the ground that symbolized his defeat and powerlessness.

He took back military power.

But why did he feel not the reassuring sense of control over everything, but rather an unprecedented feeling of loss of control?

Li Chengqian's overly calm "I accept the decree" echoed repeatedly in his mind like a curse, bringing waves of bone-chilling cold.

What exactly did he overlook? (End of Chapter)