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

Taiji Palace, Lakeside Hall.

Li Yuan dismissed his attendants, leaving only the father and son in the hall.

The air was deathly still; the chirping of cicadas outside the window only made the silence inside the hall seem even more profound, so quiet that one could hear each other's heartbeats.

Li Yuan remained silent, coldly watching Li Shimin kneeling below, before casually tossing the secret report from the Grand Historian in front of Li Shimin.

The memorial fell apart with a snap, the ink on it still wet.

Li Shimin didn't pick it up; he didn't even need to look to know what was written on it.

These past two days, Venus has been hanging in the sky, and everyone in Chang'an has seen it. How could he not know?

This was Li Yuan forcing him to make a statement, or rather, waiting for a reason to kill him.

If it were the Li Shimin of the past, he might have been apprehensive, made excuses, and said that he had no intention of seizing the throne.

But now, Li Shimin has experienced poisoning, the loss of power, and being driven to the brink of despair; his heart has long since hardened like iron.

He slowly raised his head, and his phoenix eyes, which resembled Li Yuan's, were now filled with tears.

"Father!"

This cry was filled with grief and indignation, as if the speaker had suffered a great injustice.

Li Yuan was slightly taken aback, not expecting his usually strong-willed second son to behave in such a way.

"Father, do you suspect me of plotting a rebellion based solely on celestial phenomena?" Li Shimin's voice choked with emotion. "I have fought countless battles, pacifying the realm, my body covered in wounds, yet I have never uttered a single complaint. But now, it is not that I want to rebel, but that someone is forcing me to my death!"

Li Yuan frowned deeply: "Who wants to force you to die? Fu Yi was talking about celestial phenomena; does that mean celestial phenomena are also caused by human intervention?"

"I know nothing of celestial phenomena; I only know the treacherous nature of the human heart!"

Li Shimin did not follow Li Yuan's words to explain the celestial phenomena, because it was something that could not be explained.

In dire straits, the only way to survive is to shift the focus and attack where the enemy is most vulnerable.

Li Shimin kowtowed sharply, his forehead striking the floor tiles with a dull thud.

"Father, do you know why the Crown Prince and Prince Qi are so determined to kill me? It's not just for the throne, but also to... to cover up their shameful deeds!"

Li Yuan's eyes narrowed: "What shameful thing?"

Li Shimin raised his head, his face streaked with tears, but his eyes were sharp as knives: "Crown Prince Li Jiancheng and Prince Qi Li Yuanji have been having affairs with Consort Zhang, Consort Yin, and others in the harem, engaging in debauchery! They have long since colluded and formed a faction!"

Li Yuan, who had been leaning back on the soft couch, suddenly sat upright, his cloudy eyes instantly becoming bloodshot as he stared intently at Li Shimin: "Second Prince, do you know what you're saying? Falsely accusing the Crown Prince is a capital offense!"

This is no longer just a political struggle; it is a family scandal, an ethical tragedy, and the greatest humiliation for him as the emperor and his father!

"If I have uttered even the slightest lie, may I be struck by lightning!"

Li Shimin gave Li Yuan no chance to breathe, speaking rapidly and with every word dripping with venom: "I have been slandered by the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qi all this time because these two concubines have been whispering in Father Emperor's ear! They have used their sordid relationships with the concubines in the harem to incite them to attack me, trying to kill me so that their dirty deeds will never be discovered!"

Li Yuan's hands began to tremble as he recalled many details.

She recalled how Consort Yin had tearfully complained about Li Shimin's tyranny in front of her, and how Consort Zhang had cleverly used her words to ask Prince Qi for a reward.

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He used to think that the woman was short-sighted, or that Erlang had indeed offended someone because he was ignorant.

But what if... what if there's an affair behind this?

"However, I have not failed my brothers in the slightest!"

"Over the years, one incident after another, what kind of brotherhood is this? It looks more like they're avenging Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande from the past!"

At this point, Li Shimin's eyes welled up with tears. He remembered the child who had hugged his neck in the waterside pavilion and said, "Yu Nu wants Father to live."

"If I were to die unjustly now, forever separated from my sovereign and father by the cycle of life and death, and my soul were to return to the underworld to meet Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande, and let them know that I died for this very reason, because of the conspiracy of my own brother and the women of the harem, I... I would feel utterly ashamed! I would be ashamed to face the ancestors of the Great Tang!"

These words were spoken with heart-wrenching emotion and profound grief and indignation.

Li Yuan stared in astonishment at his son kneeling on the ground.

The once high-spirited King of Qin, who swept across the land, now resembled a wronged child, crying out to his father about the injustice he had suffered.

For many years, Li Yuan always treated Li Shimin with the same caution as the relationship between ruler and subject, because his second son held a large army and his achievements were so great that they threatened the emperor.

The bond between father and son has long since become as thin as a cicada's wing under the erosion of power.

With Li Shimin away on campaigns for many years, far from him, Li Yuan listened to his husband's whispers and watched the Crown Prince and Prince Qi enjoying their company. His heart had already turned towards his eldest and fourth sons.

However, Li Shimin's words at this moment were like a wake-up call, making Li Yuan realize that a chill ran from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

What if it's true?

What if the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qi really had illicit relations in the harem?

In imperial families, the relationship between fathers and sons is the most difficult to manage.

He had always been secretly wary of Li Shimin, who held the most power, and felt that he would become the same Emperor Yang of Sui.

But he was less wary of Jiancheng and Yuanji.

What if... what if he defended the wrong person?

If Consort Zhang and Consort Yin are indeed the Crown Prince's people, what does that mean?

This means that Li Yuan had no secrets from his two sons at all!

What he ate every day, what he said, even where he slept at night and his physical condition—all his privacy was laid bare before the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qi!

In fact, if the Crown Prince so desired, he could have taken his life at any time by using these two women in his bedside!

This was extremely dangerous for an emperor, even more terrifying than Li Shimin's rebellion!

Rebellion requires troops and the ability to conquer cities and seize territory.

And the betrayal of one's spouse only requires a cup of poisoned wine and a white silk ribbon!

Li Yuan felt a wave of dizziness. He looked at Li Shimin, the murderous intent in his eyes fading, replaced by deep doubt and an indescribable weariness.

"Erlang..." Li Yuan's voice was a little hoarse, no longer as cold and hard as before.

"You should have told me about this sooner."

Li Yuan sighed, the scales in his heart swaying violently.

While Venus crossing the sky is indeed terrifying, it is an ethereal and unpredictable destiny.

The debauchery in the harem was a real threat, a sharp knife aimed directly at his imperial power and life.

This matter must be investigated!

We must investigate thoroughly, meticulously, and in detail!

Whether it was for the sake of the royal family's reputation or for Li Yuan's own life, it was all for the sake of the royal family's honor.

"Let them all come to confront each other at tomorrow's court assembly."

Li Yuan made his decision. He waved his hand, seemingly aging ten years in an instant. "You may return now. Tomorrow morning, I will personally interrogate you about this matter. If what you say is true, I... will show no leniency!"

"Your subject obeys the decree."

Li Shimin kowtowed heavily, and when he raised his head again, the tears in his eyes had stopped, leaving only a bottomless darkness.

He then stood up, bowed, and left the Linhu Hall.

Outside the hall, the sunlight was so dazzling it made one dizzy.

Li Shimin squinted at the blazing sun high in the sky, a cold smile curving his lips.

Father, do you think tomorrow will be a confrontation?

No.

There will be no confrontation tomorrow.

Only life and death.

……

Li Yuan sat alone in the hall, gazing in the direction Li Shimin had left for a long time without moving.

For some reason, both the celestial phenomenon of Venus crossing the sky and Li Shimin's tearful accusation just now gave Li Yuan a strong sense of unease.

This unease was like a venomous snake, coiling around his heart.

The feeling was like a dragonfly flying low before a storm, and the sweltering air.

"Someone come here," Li Yuan called out.

"His Majesty."

"Issue an imperial decree that tomorrow morning court summons the chief ministers Pei Ji, Xiao Yu, Chen Shuda, and others to the palace for a meeting. Also... instruct the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qi to arrive early."

"Yes."

Li Yuan closed his eyes and gently tapped his fingers on the imperial desk.

For some reason, he had a feeling that tomorrow would be a big day.

But he never imagined that this day would be so significant that it would directly end his era.