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

The night was as dark as ink, engulfing the majestic Taiji Palace in a suffocating darkness.

West Palace, Haichi Hall.

Countless palace lanterns were hastily lit, illuminating the main hall as if it were daytime.

Li Chengqian felt as if he were floating on a pool of scalding lava.

[System notification: The host's pain shield has been activated to 70%. Current vital signs are weak. The main damaged areas are the esophagus and gastric mucosa, which are undergoing cellular-level repair... It is recommended that the host remain unconscious to allow the body to regenerate.]

If it were truly a six-year-old child, their soul would probably already be on the verge of death.

But it is precisely because of this that the effect of this self-inflicted injury was so amazing.

"Imperial Physician! Where is the Imperial Physician?!"

Li Chengqian had never heard this General Tian Ce lose his composure like this before. A rough, large hand tightly gripped his cold, small hand, with such force that it almost crushed his finger bones, revealing boundless fear.

He struggled to lift a sliver of his eyelid, and what came into view were layers upon layers of apricot-yellow curtains and Li Shimin's deathly pale face.

This man, who could remain unfazed amidst a vast army, now had bloodshot eyes, and there seemed to be tears glistening in the corners of his eyes.

His purple robe was still stained with the black blood Zhao Heng had just vomited, and with each breath, it looked as ferocious as a living creature.

"Ah...yeah..." Li Chengqian moved his lips, the sound as faint as a whisper.

"Yu Nu! Yu Nu, don't be afraid, Father is here, Father will always be here!" Li Shimin suddenly leaned closer, pressing his cheek against his son's cool forehead. The stubble prickled Li Chengqian, making him feel a little itchy, but he could also feel the burning heat of his body. "The imperial physician will be here soon, you will be alright, Father will never let anything happen to you!"

At this moment, a strange bittersweet feeling welled up in Li Chengqian's heart.

As a time traveler, he always shrewdly plotted against this "Emperor of the Ages," taking advantage of his guilt and his paternal love.

But when this fatherly love truly weighed heavily down, without any scheming or calculation, but simply a father's desperate plea to keep his dying son alive, his heart couldn't help but tremble.

This is perhaps why Li Chengqian later became Li Shimin's lifelong obsession.

"I'm not in pain..." Li Chengqian forced back the metallic taste in his throat and tried to force a docile smile.

"The Sage has arrived—!"

A high-pitched announcement came from outside the hall, followed by a series of hurried and chaotic footsteps.

Li Yuan hadn't even had time to change out of his casual clothes; his hair was somewhat disheveled, clearly indicating that he had rushed all the way.

"Second Brother, how is Yu Nu?" As soon as Li Yuan entered the hall, he smelled the unpleasant stench of blood, and his legs went weak, almost tripping over the threshold.

Li Shimin did not bow.

He knelt by the bed, his back ramrod straight, like a solitary stone monument.

Upon hearing Li Yuan's voice, Li Shimin slowly turned his head, his usually respectful eyes now filled with a deathly coldness.

"Father," Li Shimin's voice was hoarse, "if Yu Nu doesn't make it through tonight, I won't live either."

Li Yuan's heart skipped a beat. Looking at the father and son covered in blood, he felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

He walked quickly to the bedside and looked at his grandson, who used to be the most adorable and sweet-talking boy, always calling him "Grandpa," now lying there barely breathing, his chest rising and falling so weakly that it was almost invisible.

Several imperial physicians, their foreheads covered in sweat, were administering acupuncture. Silver needles pierced the acupoints, drawing out drops of black blood.

"Is this poisoning?" Li Yuan asked in a trembling voice. "What kind of poison? How could I be poisoned?"

The head imperial physician knelt on the ground, trembling all over, not daring to raise his head: "Reporting to Your Majesty, this poison is extremely potent. It seems to be... it seems to be a mixture of 'Qianji Yin' from the Western Regions and arsenic. If Prince Zhongshan had not been so young and had not ingested too much, and if he had not been rescued in time, he would probably already be..."

"Tethering the machine..." Li Yuan staggered back a step and grabbed the carved pillar beside him.

This poison was strictly controlled within the palace, and was only available to a select few nobles.

Tonight, Li Shimin and his son went to the Eastern Palace.

Everyone knew where the poison came from, but everyone kept quiet.

At this opportune moment, Li Chengqian let out a painful whimper.

"pain……"

"Investigate! Investigate for me!" Li Yuan roared fiercely, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "Arrest all the servants who served the banquet at the Eastern Palace! I want to see who has the audacity to plot against my eldest grandson!"

Li Shimin remained kneeling there, motionless, repeatedly wiping the blood from the corner of Li Chengqian's mouth with a damp cloth.

Time passed slowly, and the atmosphere inside the Haichi Palace became oppressively suffocating.

About an hour later, a trusted eunuch hurried in and whispered a few words in Li Yuan's ear.

Li Yuan's face instantly turned extremely ugly. He looked at Li Shimin with complicated emotions, and then at the unconscious Chengqian.

"You may all leave." Li Yuan waved his hand, dismissing his attendants, leaving only the Imperial Physician waiting in the distance.

Only three generations of the family remained in the main hall.

"Second Brother." Li Yuan sat down in the chair, looking as if he had aged ten years in an instant. His tone was tentative and weary. "The Imperial Household Department has checked. That plate of dried meat... was specially prepared for you by your elder brother."

Li Shimin paused, slowly raised his head, and a cold, sarcastic smile curled at the corner of his lips: "Father, are you saying that my elder brother wanted to kill me, and Yunu merely took the blame for me?"

Li Yuan opened his mouth, but said nothing.

This is precisely the most awkward part.

If Li Jiancheng wanted to kill Li Shimin, it would be a fratricidal conflict, a political struggle; but if he specifically poisoned a six-year-old nephew, that would be utterly depraved and worse than a beast.

But at this time, another version of the story began to circulate among the common people and even in the palace—

In order to seize the throne, Prince Qin, Li Shimin, did not hesitate to poison his own son to frame the crown prince, gain sympathy, and force the emperor to depose the crown prince.

After all, even tigers don't eat their cubs. Who would have thought that someone would gamble with such an exceptionally intelligent eldest son?

But it is precisely because it is so incredible that this conspiracy theory makes Li Shimin seem even more "deeply scheming".

Looking at his second son, who had achieved numerous military exploits, Li Yuan felt the scales in his heart swaying violently.

Did he love Chengqian?

Love.

This grandson is intelligent and handsome; he sees him as an auspicious omen.

But he was more afraid of Li Shimin.

They feared the military power held by their son and his immense prestige that commanded widespread support.

If it really was the eldest son who did it, then the eldest son is morally corrupt, how can he be worthy of being the crown prince? But if the eldest son is deposed and the second son succeeds to the throne, can he, the retired emperor, still sleep peacefully?

Moreover, there are rumors of it being a "self-inflicted injury" scheme...

Looking into his father's flickering eyes, Li Shimin felt his heart grow colder and colder, as if he had fallen into an icy abyss.

He knew his father too well; this hesitation, this weighing of options, was itself a cruel betrayal.

"Father, do you think it was I who poisoned Yu Nu?" Li Shimin's voice was as light as a breeze, yet it carried a bloody pain.

"I didn't say that!" Li Yuan avoided his son's gaze somewhat awkwardly, rubbing his hands irritably. "It's just that there are many strange things about this matter. The cook in the Eastern Palace has already committed suicide, so there's no way to verify anything. Eldest brother... Eldest brother has also been crying and pleading his innocence in the Eastern Palace, saying that someone framed him and tried to sow discord between you brothers."

"Framed?" Li Shimin laughed in fury, a laugh tinged with sorrow. "Using my son's life to frame someone? Father, Yu Nu is only six years old!"

Li Shimin pointed to the lifeless little face on the bed, and tears finally welled up in his eyes.