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

A deathly pale dawn broke over the horizon, and the heavy vermilion gates of the Eastern Palace slowly opened, as if a giant beast were yawning in the morning light.

Crown Prince Li Jiancheng sat upright on his prized horse, named "Huleibo," his fingers unconsciously stroking the jade belt at his waist.

His face lacked the composure one would expect when about to meet the emperor; instead, he had deep bags under his eyes, clearly indicating that he hadn't slept all night.

Beside Li Jiancheng, Prince Qi, Li Yuanji, dressed in military attire, snorted uneasily from his carriage.

Compared to his elder brother's melancholy, Li Yuanji appeared more irritable.

Those wolf-like eyes warily scanned the dimly lit streets around them, as if every shadow harbored a predator ready to devour its prey.

"Brother, the time has come." Li Yuanji reminded him in a gruff voice, his voice still carrying a hint of murderous intent. "At the morning court today, Father will definitely question that Li Er. As long as we confirm his crimes of raising assassins and plotting rebellion, no matter how powerful he is, he will fall into our hands."

Li Jiancheng nodded slightly, his gaze fixed on the majestic outline of the Taiji Palace in the distance.

For some reason, there was always a lingering gloom in his heart.

Just as the procession reached the alley outside the Linhu Hall and was about to turn into the Xuanwu Gate Square, a hurried figure suddenly rushed out from the shadow of the palace wall to the side.

"Your Highness! Your Highness the Crown Prince, please wait!"

A shrill female voice shattered the tranquility of dawn.

Li Yuanji reacted extremely quickly, raising his whip sharply, almost striking the target, but upon closer inspection, he stopped himself.

"Zhang Jieyu?"

The man blocking the road had disheveled hair and a face full of terror; he had even abandoned his usual composed demeanor.

"Your Highness, this is the forbidden area, how could you..." Li Jiancheng pulled on the reins, his unease instantly amplified to its extreme.

Zhang Jieyu, catching her breath, grabbed the reins of Li Jiancheng's horse and, in a low, rapid-fire voice, cried out, "Your Highness, something terrible has happened! The Prince of Qin... the Prince of Qin isn't trying to explain himself; he struck first!"

"What?" Li Jiancheng's pupils shrank suddenly.

"Last night, the King of Qin secretly reported to the Emperor, accusing..." Consort Zhang gritted her teeth, a hint of humiliation and resentment flashing across her face, "accusing the Crown Prince and the King of Qi of having illicit relations with the harem, and of having affairs with us...! The Emperor is furious, and today he has summoned you two to the palace, not to question the King of Qin, but to interrogate you!"

Of all the charges, the most insidious and the most difficult to prove is the one involving defilement of the harem.

Li Shimin's move was not about winning, but about muddying the waters.

Once this charge is brought to light, Li Yuan's dual dignity as father and emperor will be damaged. Before the truth is found, he will definitely create a rift between the crown prince and the Prince of Qi, and may even temporarily strip them of their power to avoid suspicion.

In political struggles, temporarily losing power means death.

"That Li Er! That Qin King!" Li Yuanji trembled with rage, his whip lashing the air with a sharp crack. "How dare he slander us like this! Since he's so unrighteous, he won't hold back!"

Li Yuanji suddenly turned his head to look at Li Jiancheng, his eyes revealing a fierce glint.

"Brother, we can't go in!"

Li Yuanji turned his horse around, his voice low and urgent: "Since Li Er dared to throw this bucket of dirty water, it means he has made thorough preparations. Today, he'll likely be unable to get out of the palace! Let's return to the East Palace now and immediately mobilize the Changlin soldiers, as well as the guards from my residence, to defend the East Palace! I refuse to believe that with our few thousand elite troops, plus the troops defending Chang'an, Li Er can possibly rebel!"

At this moment, Li Yuanji displayed extremely high military intuition.

This was their only chance of survival on the original timeline of history.

If they retreated at this point, relying on the high walls and deep fortifications of the Eastern Palace and the Prince of Qi's residence, plus the defenses of Chang'an that they controlled, it would be impossible for Li Shimin's eight hundred men to capture the city in a short time.

If the situation is dragged out until dawn, when all the officials attend court, the power dynamic will shift in favor of the legitimate crown prince.

Li Jiancheng remained silent in the morning breeze.

His expression shifted between light and shadow, his gaze moving back and forth between the deep entrance of Xuanwu Gate and the wide street behind him.

To retreat or to advance?

This was a choice that could change the course of Chinese history.

Countless images flashed through Li Jiancheng's mind: his father Li Yuan's scrutinizing gaze, Li Shimin's ambiguous smile, and the inquisitive expressions of the civil and military officials in the court.

As a crown prince who received orthodox Confucian education and always presented himself as benevolent, Li Jiancheng's thinking was ultimately bound by political rules.

"no."

Li Jiancheng finally spoke, his voice somewhat hoarse, but his tone unusually firm.

"Fourth brother, if we back down now, wouldn't that confirm that we have a guilty conscience? If we don't dare to confront him face-to-face about this crime of defiling the inner palace, what will Father think? What will the people of the world think? At that time, even without Li Er taking action, Father's edict will be enough to depose us!"

Li Jiancheng took a deep breath, trying to calm his wildly beating heart.

He raised his head and glanced at the banners fluttering in the wind atop the Xuanwu Gate tower.

"Moreover, we are not unprepared."

Li Jiancheng tightened the reins, a glint of arrogance flashing in his eyes: "Chang He, the commander of Xuanwu Gate, is my confidant. Over the years, I have shown him immense kindness, bestowing upon him countless gifts of gold and silver. Xuanwu Gate is our own backyard. Once we enter the palace and meet Father Emperor, with our eloquence and the real power we hold, Li Er's dirty tricks won't get us anywhere."

"But brother..." Li Yuanji wanted to persuade him again, but the feeling of being terrified made him extremely uncomfortable.

"No need for further words!" Li Jiancheng interrupted him, straightening his slightly disheveled clothes and regaining his princely demeanor. "We have brought dozens of elite followers, all of them handpicked. If anything goes wrong, we can hold out for a while without any problem. Once there is any movement, the Changlin soldiers of the Eastern Palace will hear it and come to our aid immediately."

He turned to look at Consort Zhang, forcing a gentle smile: "Thank you for the news, Your Majesty. Please rest assured, Your Majesty. I will explain the situation to my father and ensure that Li Er does not succeed."

Seeing Li Jiancheng's resolute attitude, Zhang Jieyu opened her mouth, but in the end, she could only sigh helplessly and turn away into the darkness.

She has done her best; the rest is up to fate.

"Walk!"

Li Jiancheng cracked his whip, and his horse, Huleibo, neighed loudly as it charged towards the Xuanwu Gate, which resembled the mouth of a giant beast.

Li Yuanji gritted his teeth, cursed under his breath, placed his hand on the hilt of the knife at his waist, and followed after them with a forced smile.

The crisp sound of horses' hooves echoed on the empty bluestone road, each sound like a death knell tolling in people's hearts.

As dawn broke, the first rays of sunlight shone precisely on the Xuanwu Gate tower, making the massive gate appear even more mysterious and unfathomable.

The two, accompanied by dozens of close followers, swaggered through the first palace gate.

The guards stood tall and straight, expressionless, neither saluting nor obstructing the way.

As Li Jiancheng passed through the city gate, he looked up and saw Chang He on the city tower, which reassured him.

Chang He was an old subordinate of Li Jiancheng when he went to war against Liu Heita. After returning to Chang'an, Li Jiancheng also used a lot of gold and silver to win him over.

With Chang Hezai around, Li Jiancheng was completely at ease.