Transmigrated into Li Chengqian, he effortlessly ascended the throne and became emperor.

The overwhelming joy of regaining what was lost momentarily clouded Li Shimin's judgment. However, Li Shimin was, after all, Emperor Taizong of Tang, who conquered the world on horseback and became one of the greatest emperors in history.

That overwhelming emotion of paternal love only lingered in his heart for the time it takes to burn an incense stick.

Li Shimin suddenly straightened up, placed his hands on Li Chengqian's shoulders, and slightly distanced himself from him.

"As long as you share my burdens, I'll die without regret?" Li Shimin's voice turned cold. "Do you think that just because you're injured, I'm blind and can let you treat these matters of state as child's play?!"

The surrounding air seemed to drop to freezing point instantly.

The wounded soldiers and officers, who had been moved to tears, were now so frightened that they held their breath and dared not even breathe loudly.

At this moment, Li Shimin's pent-up anger finally found an outlet: "You are incredibly audacious! You drugged the Emperor with a bowl of calming soup, that's the first offense! You forged an imperial edict to seize power and monopolized military affairs, that's the second offense! You, the Crown Prince of the Great Tang, a man of noble birth, instead of commanding the central army, dared to imitate the bravery of a mere brute, charging into battle alone! If anything were to happen to you, would the foundation of the Great Tang still be intact? That's the third offense!"

"You think that by getting a little injured and putting on a pitiful act, I'll let you off easily for your outrageous and reckless behavior?!" Li Shimin grew angrier with each word, the veins on his forehead throbbing. "Speak! Where's your silver tongue?!"

Faced with this overwhelming anger, the system in his mind trembled with fear: [It's over, host, we've messed up! Li Shimin's intelligence has kicked in! Quick, think of something!]

However, Li Chengqian's mind remained completely unmoved, and he simply replied, "What words are you thinking of? Arguing with an emperor who is in a fit of anger is something Wei Zheng does, not me."

Before he finished speaking, Li Chengqian's once clear and bright eyes suddenly blinked heavily.

"Father..."

The next second, it was as if all the bones in Li Chengqian had been suddenly removed. His eyes closed, and without warning, he slumped backward.

The moment the man fell, Li Shimin's anger vanished instantly, replaced by intense tension.

He quickly pulled Li Chengqian into his arms just before he was about to fall into the mud.

The entire camp at Mashou Mountain was instantly thrown into chaos, with men and horses falling over in disarray.

……

Half an hour later, in the central command tent.

Dozens of braziers were burning red-hot, baking the large tent as if it were late spring.

Several imperial physicians accompanying the army knelt before the bed, wiping the cold sweat from their foreheads, and reported back to the emperor, whose face was ashen.

"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince was already weak and frail. This long journey and fierce fighting among thousands of troops have greatly depleted his energy. In addition, he suffered an external injury to his left arm, lost too much blood, and was chilled by the wind and snow in this bitterly cold place... which is why he suffered a sudden attack of internal heat and fainted."

The imperial physician kowtowed tremblingly. Although Li Shimin did not cause any medical disturbance this time, he did not even dare to breathe loudly.

After all, Li Shimin now dares to be fierce even to the Crown Prince, let alone them!

"We have administered acupuncture and given Your Highness a heart-protecting and life-saving medicine. Your Highness is out of immediate danger, but... but you absolutely must not be subjected to any further stimulation!"

Your Highness, this is all we can do to help you!

"Alright, go and brew the medicine!"

Li Shimin waved his hand impatiently.

After removing his blood-stained outer garments, Li Chengqian was now lying in a brocade quilt wearing only a soft nightgown.

There was no sign of life on that delicate face. The white bandage on her left arm, which had been re-bandaged, was faintly stained with blood. She looked so thin, fragile, and vulnerable.

With trembling hands, Li Shimin brushed aside the stray hairs at his son's temples, which were damp with cold sweat. The anger in his heart had long since turned into endless sorrow.

How could he have forgotten?

Yu Nu was someone who needed to be pampered and pampered in the Eastern Palace, so how could I demand the same standards of a fierce general from him?

"You damned brat..." Li Shimin gritted his teeth, his voice choked with emotion, "You just take advantage of the fact that I can't bear to kill you, and you keep torturing yourself..."

Just then, Li Chengqian, who had been unconscious on the bed, suddenly shifted restlessly.

His brows furrowed painfully into a knot, and fine beads of cold sweat seeped from his forehead again. His bloodless lips parted slightly, as if he were trapped in some kind of extremely terrifying nightmare.

"No...don't..."

Faint murmurs escaped from his chapped lips, tinged with a sob.

Li Shimin's heart tightened, and he quickly bent down.

"Gao Ming? Gao Ming, don't be afraid, Father is here, Father is here..."

"Swords and blades have no eyes...it's too dangerous..."

Li Chengqian, still unconscious, gripped the brocade quilt tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. A single, glistening tear slid down his cheek and into his hair.

"Father...don't go into battle...don't abandon Gaoming..."

Li Shimin was terrified, as if struck by lightning.

"Gao Ming isn't afraid of dying..."

"But I can't... I don't want to... I don't want to be someone without Aye..."

In that instant, Li Shimin felt as if his heart had been stabbed with the dullest knife.

It turned out to be the case.

Why did Li Chengqian dare to risk the wrath of the world by drugging him? Why did he dare to forge an imperial edict and seize power? Why did he dare to charge into the midst of a massive army, charging in and out seven times with a sword in hand?

Because in Li Shimin's plan, he, as the emperor, would personally lead the central army to fight Goguryeo to the death.

This silly child wasn't vying for credit or power; he was using his already half-dead life to shield his father from harm.

He didn't want to become someone without a father, just like he had prayed for Guanyinbi back then.

However, as parents to Guanyinbi, how could they let this child pay such a high price for them?

"clever……"

"Father won't leave, Father won't go to the battle..." Li Shimin's voice was filled with endless regret and heartache. "It was Father's fault, Father wronged you, good child, so clever, wake up..."

Deep in its mind, the system watched Emperor Taizong crying like a 200-pound child, its core data completely numb.

[Host...] The system emitted a weak electronic wave, [You understand the saying, "One monkey, one way to leash it."]

Li Chengqian stretched comfortably in his mind's eye, without a trace of guilt: "Just routine procedure."

Inside the tent, Li Shimin calmed himself for a long time before he could barely suppress the aching pain in his heart.

He hastily wiped away the tears on his face, looked at his son on the bed whose nightmare had gradually subsided and whose breathing had become long and even thanks to his comforting, and couldn't help but let out a long sigh, full of helplessness and resignation.

"That's enough...that's enough..."

Li Shimin carefully tucked the corner of the quilt into Li Chengqian's bed.

"The army is still on the front lines, and Goguryeo has not yet been destroyed, so I will not punish you today."

Li Shimin stood with his hands behind his back, as if talking to himself.

"I'll let you rest and recover comfortably for now. Once you wake up, I'll explain the pros and cons to you!"

He snorted coldly, but his tone betrayed a hollow bluster: "Don't think this is over! Once we return to Chang'an in triumph, back to the Taiji Palace... Hmph, old scores, new scores, ancestral rules—we'll settle them all slowly, father and son!"

Having said that, Li Shimin lightened his steps, strode out of the tent, and lifted the curtain.

His crown prince laid the best foundation for him, and as the emperor, he could not let his son's blood be shed in vain.

As the curtains fell, the tent returned to its usual quiet.

On the bed, His Highness the Crown Prince, who had been unconscious and on the verge of death, slowly opened his eyes.

"Did you hear that? He said he'd settle things together back in Chang'an." Li Chengqian tapped the system in his mind. "Once the punishment period is postponed indefinitely, it means—"

"This matter is completely over."