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

Li Chengqian walked out of the Liangyi Hall. The afternoon sun was a bit dazzling, making the dark patterns on his black robes appear to flow subtly.

His face remained expressionless, as if the fierce confrontation that had just taken place in the hall—a confrontation that could have determined the fate of countless people and torn apart the bond between father and son—had never happened.

He walked steadily along the palace path, heading towards the East Palace.

Just as I rounded a corridor, I came face to face with a slightly bloated figure peeking out.

And this figure was none other than Li Tai, the Prince of Wei.

Li Tai was clearly taken aback to run into Li Chengqian here. A moment of panic flashed across his face, but it was quickly replaced by a warm, even somewhat obsequious, smile.

He quickly stepped forward, bowed deeply, and spoke with an almost exaggerated level of respect:

"Your subject greets Your Highness, elder brother! I heard you returned to the palace in triumph today and was just about to pay my respects when we unexpectedly met. You must have had a long journey!"

Li Chengqian stopped, his gaze calmly landing on Li Tai's chubby face, which was full of smiles. A faint smile also appeared at the corners of his mouth, but the smile did not reach his eyes.

"It's Qingque. How thoughtful."

His tone was casual, as if it were just a normal greeting between brothers.

Li Tai stole glances at Li Chengqian's expression, trying to find some clues, but he couldn't see anything. So he cautiously asked:

"Brother, you just went to see Father... Did everything go smoothly? Father must have greatly praised you for your great achievements in pacifying Goguryeo and conquering Japan, right?"

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian sighed softly, a sigh as light as a breeze, yet carrying a deliberately crafted sense of desolation:

"Appreciation? Perhaps. However, I may be leaving Chang'an soon."

"Leave Chang'an?"

Li Tai was taken aback, secretly delighted, but feigning surprise and confusion on the surface:
"Brother, what do you mean by this? You have just made an unparalleled contribution and are currently in Chang'an receiving the congratulations of all the officials. Why do you want to leave?"

Li Chengqian looked up at the azure sky above the palace walls, his tone carrying a sense of resignation, or rather, indifference:

"It is not uncommon for someone's achievements to overshadow the emperor. Father... perhaps he feels uneasy about me leading troops in the field for too long."

"what?"

Li Tai looked bewildered, seemingly not quite understanding.

Li Chengqian's gaze returned to Li Tai's face, as if discussing a trivial matter unrelated to himself, and he casually remarked:

"Just now in the palace, Father Emperor stripped me of all my temporary command of troops. The Eastern Expeditionary Army will be returned to the Ministry of War, the Navy will be handed over to the Dengzhou Governor's Office, and even the Six Guards of the Eastern Palace will have their troop numbers reduced, and all firearms will be handed over."

“Now, I am nothing more than a crown prince with no troops, and I am just an eyesore in Chang’an.”

"Perhaps in a few days, Father will issue an edict and send me to some remote border region to herd horses."

boom--!
Li Tai felt an overwhelming surge of joy rush to his head like a torrent, almost making him faint!
Stripped of his military power! A figurehead crown prince! Sent to the frontier!

These words echoed wildly in his mind.

The situation he had been dreaming of had suddenly arrived.
Without military power, Li Chengqian is nothing more than a tiger with its teeth pulled out. What's there to be afraid of?!
He forcibly suppressed the grin that almost reached his ears, his face instantly switching to an expression of utter heartache, indignation, and regret, his voice rising eight octaves as if he were speaking out for Li Chengqian:
"What?! How could Father Emperor do this?!"

"Brother, you have made great contributions to expanding the territory of our Tang Dynasty. It's one thing to not reward you, but how... how can you strip me of my power?!"

"This...this is so disheartening!"

He stepped forward, seemingly wanting to grasp Li Chengqian's arm to express his support, and said in a 'sincere' tone to comfort him:
"Brother, don't lose heart! Father may just be temporarily... temporarily misled by a villain!"

"Your Majesty, I will certainly find an opportunity to speak on your behalf! This is so unfair!"

Looking at Li Tai's slightly exaggerated performance, Li Chengqian's eyes flashed with a faint hint of mockery, but he remained noncommittal, simply saying, "Qingque is very thoughtful."

After saying that, he turned to leave, seemingly having lost interest in the topic.

Li Tai was filled with ecstasy, plotting how to capitalize on the momentum and expand his gains.

But Li Chengqian had just taken a step when he suddenly stopped, as if he had suddenly remembered something trivial. He turned his head and asked casually:

"Oh, right, Qingque."

His tone remained calm, yet it made Li Tai's heart skip a beat for no apparent reason.

"I remember telling you something when you left Chang'an for your fiefdom..."

Li Chengqian's gaze suddenly sharpened, like an ice pick, piercing Li Tai's heart: "Without my command, you are not allowed to return."

"how?"

He tilted his head slightly, a hint of amusement in his eyes: "Qingque, you... are you disobeying your elder brother?"

The smile on Li Tai's face froze instantly, and the color drained from his face at a visible speed, turning him deathly pale.

He felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, and his heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand.

Back then, he had just been enfeoffed as the Prince of Wei by Li Shimin when Li Chengqian forcibly drove him to his fiefdom. Moreover, he was taken away in humiliation by the Embroidered Uniform Guard in front of Li Shimin.

At that time, he hated Li Chengqian to the core.

However, he knew Li Chengqian's strength and also knew Li Shimin's fear of him. Otherwise, Li Shimin would never have allowed Li Chengqian to act so recklessly.

However, the situation is different now than it was back then.

Li Chengqian was stripped of his military power by Li Shimin, with no room for negotiation.

What does this mean? It means that his father has already got this 'rebellious son' under control and no longer needs to be wary of him.

With his father backing him up, he no longer needed to fear him.

Having grasped the key point, Li Taiqiang calmed himself down, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly, as he explained:
"Big...Big Brother, you are wise!"

"It's not that I disobeyed my elder brother! It's just that... it's just that Father suddenly issued an edict summoning me back to the capital. I can't disobey the emperor's command, and I... I had no choice!"

He seemed to think this reason was sufficient, and even regained a bit of confidence, so he couldn't help but retort with a mix of grievance and firmness:
"After all... the Crown Prince's decree can't be... more powerful than His Majesty the Emperor's edict, can it?"

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian not only did not get angry, but instead seemed to have heard something amusing. The half-smile on his lips deepened, and he nodded, saying:
"Yes, that's true. The Emperor's decree is naturally the most important."

His casual agreement only made Li Tai more uneasy.

Because of Li Chengqian's personality, he was always vengeful, and he had never seen his elder brother, the Crown Prince, so calm.

Sure enough, before Li Tai could even catch his breath, Li Chengqian suddenly took a step closer, so close that they could almost feel each other's breath.

He asked softly, in an almost whispered tone, with a strange intimacy yet chilling coldness:
"Bluebird..."

"You should know that I, your elder brother, killed Li Ke, and I also killed Li Yin..."

His voice was very soft, yet it slithered into Li Tai's ears like a venomous snake.

"Didn't you ever think about it..."

"Brother, what if one day... I kill you too?"

Boom! !
Li Tai was struck dumb, completely frozen in place, his pupils suddenly shrinking to the size of pinpoints, his face filled with extreme shock and fear.

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He could only stare at Li Chengqian's calm and expressionless face, which was so close to his.

This statement completely shattered all pretense and politeness, laying bare the bloody threat.

Li Chengqian seemed quite satisfied with Li Tai's terrified state, then resumed his nonchalant demeanor, gently patting Li Tai's shoulder as if he had only said, "The weather is nice today."

He straightened up and left behind a final sentence that sent chills down Li Tai's spine:

"I, as the eldest brother, don't like... disobedient younger brothers."

After saying that, he didn't look at Li Tai again, turned around, put his hands behind his back, and walked out of the Taiji Palace area with a leisurely gait, as if taking a stroll.

The sunlight cast his shadow long, and in Li Tai's eyes, that dark silhouette was more terrifying than a ghost.

Only when Li Chengqian's figure completely disappeared at the end of the palace road did Li Tai feel as if all his strength had been drained away. His legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground.

He hurriedly grabbed a pillar next to him, panting heavily, his forehead covered in cold sweat, his face turning pale and then flushed in turns, a truly dramatic sight.

"He...he actually dared...dared to threaten me directly?!"

Li Tai was both shocked and furious, his whole body trembling: "A madman! He's a madman!"

A strong impulse surged into my heart.

[Go immediately to the Liangyi Hall and report to the Emperor! Accuse Li Chengqian of threatening the Prince; his intentions are despicable!]

But as soon as this thought came to his mind, he suppressed it forcefully.

No! I can't go!

Li Tai quickly calmed down and his mind raced.

He's just been stripped of his power, and the Emperor is furious. If I were to complain that he threatened me, it would be baseless, and he could easily deny it!

[On the contrary, it makes me seem impatient, taking the opportunity to kick someone when they're down, leaving my father with the impression that I'm useless!]

[Moreover... he's lost his military power now, but he dares to threaten me so openly; he must have a backup plan!]

[His demeanor just now... was too calm! It didn't seem like the reaction one would expect after being stripped of power!]

What else does he have to rely on?!

Fear and doubt intertwined, making Li Tai hesitant to act rashly.

"We must go back first...go back and discuss this with Liu Xiang and the others! We need to plan this carefully!"

Li Tai made up his mind, and with his legs trembling, he walked quickly toward his carriage outside the palace, almost staggering, as if a vengeful ghost was chasing him.

He had to figure out immediately what kind of murderous intent was hidden behind Li Chengqian's seemingly compliant relinquishment of power.

Li Chengqian, with seemingly leisurely but actually precise steps, disappeared at the end of the palace road leading to Da'an Palace.

Almost at the same instant their figures disappeared, from the shadows of the corridor, a figure almost blending into the pillars moved silently, moving like a ghost along another path, rapidly heading towards the Hall of Two Elements. (End of Chapter)