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

Before Wang Zhi could finish speaking, what he said next was a true bolt from the blue.

"Your Highness, this is not the worst part..." Wang Zhi lowered his voice, as if afraid of being overheard, every word carrying a bloody undertone, "The Crown Prince and Prince Qi are already plotting. They plan to... take advantage of the army's departure to invite Your Highness to Kunming Pool to bid farewell to Prince Qi."

The pavilion fell into a deathly silence, with only the incessant chirping of cicadas outside the window continuing to be irritating.

"Kunming Pool..." Li Shimin squeezed out these three words through gritted teeth.

"Yes!" Wang Zhi kowtowed and said hurriedly, "They've arranged for assassins to lie in ambush behind the tents. As soon as Your Highness takes your seat, the signal will be a wine cup smashed, and then a flurry of swords will fall, killing Your Highness on the spot!"

"And then?" Li Shimin's voice was terrifyingly calm, yet it sent chills down one's spine.

"Then...then they would report to the Emperor that His Highness died suddenly from an illness. By then, the deed was done, and even if the Emperor didn't believe it, there was nothing he could do." Wang Zhi paused, seemingly recalling something even more horrifying, his face turning deathly pale. "And...and the Prince of Qi also said..."

"What did you say?"

"The King of Qi said that since they hold tens of thousands of elite troops, after killing the King of Qin, there's no need to relinquish military power," Wang Zhi said, trembling. "They plan... they plan to force the emperor to abdicate and become the retired emperor, with the crown prince ascending the throne!"

Li Shimin was so angry that he laughed and suddenly stood up, forcing Li Chengqian to hold him tightly around the neck.

"I risked my life for the Tang Dynasty, sustaining seventy-two arrow wounds, and this is the end I get?" Li Shimin questioned the void, his eyes red-rimmed. "They not only want to kill me, but also force my father to abdicate? What does this Tang Dynasty mean to them? Is it just a piece of meat to be cut up at will?"

Li Chengqian nestled in Li Shimin's arms, sighing inwardly.

Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji's move was indeed ruthless.

Not only did they seize military power, but they also set up a trap, even targeting the old father sitting on the throne.

Li Chengqian raised his head slightly, looking at Li Shimin's strong jawline.

He should add fuel to the fire.

"Ah Ye..."

Li Shimin lowered his head and saw his son in his arms looking up at his delicate little face, his big eyes filled with tears, but stubbornly refusing to let them fall.

"Father, does everyone dislike Chengqian and Father anymore?" Li Chengqian reached out his delicate white hand and gently stroked the wrinkles between Li Shimin's brows. "If... if Yunu dies, Father, can you please not die? Yunu wants Father to live."

As Li Shimin looked into Li Chengqian's clear eyes, a series of images flashed before his eyes.

If he dies, what will become of Yu Nu?

When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact.

Li Jiancheng could not tolerate him, let alone this intelligent and precocious grandson who was deeply loved by Li Yuan.

That butcher's knife will eventually be used to cut down that exquisitely beautiful face.

Li Shimin took a deep breath, gently placed Li Chengqian on the bamboo couch, then turned to face Changsun Wuji, Du Ruhui, and Wang Zhi, who was kneeling on the ground.

"Xuanling, Ruhui." Li Shimin's voice no longer trembled, but was as calm as a stagnant pool.

"Your subject is here." The two bowed in unison, sensing that their familiar lord had returned.

"Since they've put a knife to my neck and are going to go and rip a hole in the sky of this Tang Dynasty, then don't blame me for showing no brotherly mercy."

Li Shimin walked to the window and looked at the blazing sun and the eerily shimmering Venus beside it.

"Since they're going to make a move at Kunming Pool, let's send them on their way before they do."

When Venus shines across the sky, the King of Qin will rule the world.

The wheels of history are finally about to roll over the stone slabs of Xuanwu Gate.

……

The third day of the sixth month in the ninth year of the Wude era.

The sweltering heat in Chang'an showed no signs of abating; on the contrary, it intensified, making the majestic capital feel like a boiling cauldron about to burst.

Just after 9 AM, that strange celestial phenomenon appeared once again.

On the observatory platform of the Imperial Observatory, the Grand Astrologer Fu Yi looked up at the sky, his face as pale as paper.

The sun was high in the sky, and to its side and below, Venus shone brightly once again, its position even more precarious than the day before, directly approaching Qin Fen.

"Venus crosses the sky... Venus crosses the sky again..." Fu Yi's fingers were trembling.

As the highest-ranking official in charge of celestial phenomena in the Tang Dynasty, he knew that this was not only a change in the stars, but also a harbinger of death.

He dared not delay, and with almost all his strength, he wrote the secret memorial that was powerful enough to cause the heavens and the earth to collapse. Then, he tremblingly ran towards Taiji Palace.

On the shore of the lake, Li Yuan was sitting in the cool palace to cool off. Although a palace maid was fanning him, he could not suppress the heat rising from the bottom of his heart.

"Your Majesty, the Grand Astrologer Fu Yi has a confidential report that is extremely urgent."

Li Yuan's eyelids twitched as he took the memorial presented by the eunuch.

The memorial contained only a few words, yet every word was piercing: "When Venus appears in the Qin region, the King of Qin will rule the world."

If the Venus crossing the sky the previous two days was merely a warning from the heavens, then today's "appearance of Qin" is practically a direct call to the world: Li Shimin is going to rebel, or rather, Heaven is going to make Li Shimin the emperor.

"Very good...very good." Li Yuan slammed the memorial down on the imperial desk, his voice forced out through clenched teeth. "Summon the Prince of Qin to the palace immediately!"

……

Hongyi Palace.

The atmosphere was extremely oppressive.

Li Shimin was still in full military attire, but over his armor he wore a purple casual robe that he usually wore when entering the palace. It looked somewhat bulky, but it made his figure appear even more imposing and mountain-like.

He was standing in front of the bronze mirror, adjusting his collar.

A small, fair, almost transparent hand reached out and smoothed out the wrinkles on his clothes.

"Is Father going to the palace again?"

Li Shimin lowered his head and met Li Chengqian's clear, obsidian-like eyes.

"Father will be right back." Li Shimin squatted down, his rough hands stroking Li Chengqian's delicate cheeks, his eyes filled with complex emotions. "Yu Nu, be a good girl at home. If... if Father comes back late, you'll stay with your uncle, understand?"

That sounds like a dying wish.

Li Chengqian sighed inwardly, but his eyes instantly reddened. He stretched out his arms and tightly hugged Li Shimin's neck.

"Father is talking nonsense. Father is the General of the Heavenly Strategy, a great hero. How could he not come back? Yu Nu gave all her good luck to Father."

As he spoke, he gave Li Shimin a heavy kiss on the cheek, as if stamping his seal.

The soft touch added a touch of ruthlessness to Li Shimin's already resolute heart, a determination to survive.

"Alright, let's do as Yu Nu says."

Li Shimin suddenly stood up, strode out, and never looked back.