The rebellious grandson of Emperor Zhenguan of the Tang Dynasty: Please, Your Majesty, be called Cro

Chapter 133 Li Tai: Three hundred men it is. Three hundred men, we should strike first!

Li Tai was startled, and his fat cheeks instantly wrinkled.

He leaned forward and questioned Zheng Renzhe, "Where did you get this information?"

Is the news true?

"Has Your Highness ever told Prince Jin that you and Yuan Chang have always been on good terms, and now that Yuan Chang has been defeated, do you still think you can rest easy?"

"That sentence?" Zheng Ren asked Li Tai in return.

Li Tai was taken aback. These were indeed the words he had said in private to threaten Li Zhi.

After all, Li Zhi was also the eldest son of the legitimate wife, and he did indeed once, on a whim, threaten Li Zhi.

"My friend has a family member who serves as a close attendant in the palace. He overheard the Prince of Jin telling Your Majesty this, and Your Majesty was furious. I also overheard Your Majesty speaking with Chu Suiliang, saying that the Prince of Wei should not be the crown prince," Zheng Renze said.

He then told Li Tai about Chu Suiliang's advice to the emperor that killing one's son to pass the throne to one's brother was unreliable.

"That old dog—" Li Tai gritted his teeth in hatred. "I shall kill him!"

"What time is it? King Wei is still thinking about these things." Zheng Ren thought to himself, but dared not show the slightest change in expression.

Li Tai was already 70% convinced by Zheng Renzhe. The Zheng family of Yingyang had a wide circle of acquaintances; it was perfectly normal for them to know one or two family members of palace eunuchs.

Moreover, those words were indeed spoken to Li Zhi. The fact that Zheng Renze could utter such words is enough to prove that he did indeed know some palace secrets.

"His Majesty has recently been weakening His Highness's influence in court, which is obvious to everyone with discerning eyes. There is no reason for this if he did not intend to install the Prince of Jin as emperor," Zheng Renze continued.

"Moreover, both Chancellor Fang and Lord Changsun respect Your Highness but keep their distance. These two are Your Majesty's confidants."

"If His Majesty did not wish to establish His Highness as emperor, why would he be avoiding him so much?"

Li Tai's expression turned even uglier.

He had never taken Prince Li Zhi of Jin seriously before. But now, he thought, if his father was truly determined to rule the world alone and therefore wary of the Crown Prince, then wouldn't Zhi Nu be the best choice?

Since the young prince is young, making him the crown prince would inevitably lead to his dependence on his father, and it would also ensure the stability of the heir apparent and appease the people.

That brat Li Xiang—he truly sees through his father, the emperor, or rather, the emperor as a creature—

So-called emperors, what kind of family affection and humanity do they have?

"I am not destined for the high position, yet you come to me."

"What is your intention?"

Li Tai squinted and looked at Zheng Renzhe.

Zheng Renzhe lowered his knees slightly, bowed deeply, and spoke in a very low voice.

Yet every word was as powerful as thunder, striking straight to the heart!

"Your Highness, I have come to request that you emulate His Majesty's past deeds—"

The temperature inside the sealed room plummeted, and the candlelight flickered violently.

Li Tai's entire body of fat trembled suddenly, his pupils contracted sharply, and he slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly.

A wide sleeve swept the teacup off the table, the porcelain shattering with a sharp, jarring sound. Li Tai's face turned deathly pale, his expression a mixture of shock and rage, his voice trembling uncontrollably: "Insolence! How dare you speak so recklessly about the past of Xuanwu Gate!"

That was the most taboo thing the Emperor had ever done, the most untouchable taboo for all the officials in the court, the most bloody past of the royal family killing each other, and the most vicious curse that brat Li Xiang had cast on the Tang Dynasty!

Now Zheng Renze dares to bring this up in front of him and urge him to repeat the coup!

Li Tai's chest and abdomen heaved violently as fear and terror instantly gripped his body. He shook his head repeatedly, "No! Absolutely not! Father Emperor took that risk back then; it was a desperate struggle for survival!"

"Now that Father Emperor holds absolute power, he is most wary of this matter. Moreover, Father Emperor now controls all military power in the capital region; how could I possibly have any military power?"

"If we raise an army, there is absolutely no chance of survival!"

"Your Highness is afraid, I understand." Zheng Renze did not rise, but looked directly at Li Tai and incited him, "But now that things have come to this, can Your Highness escape unscathed without raising troops?"

He spoke in a deep, seductive voice: "His Majesty has made up his mind to abandon His Highness and support the Prince of Jin. The Prince of Wei's faction has crumbled."

"When the Prince of Jin appoints his heir, Your Highness, as the former leading candidate for heir apparent, and with past offenses of intimidating your younger brother and forming cliques, what will His Majesty do to ensure the Prince of Jin's stability in the throne?"

"You must understand, His Highness's power in the court far surpasses that of the deposed crown prince. Even a lifelong confinement like the deposed crown prince wouldn't suffice! Perhaps he'll be punished with poison and execution, his entire family implicated!"

"His Highness's decades of favor, his life, his family and relatives, have all vanished into nothingness!"

Li Tai's body stiffened, his face drained of color, and his lips trembled slightly.

"The world only knows about the Xuanwu Gate Incident, the fratricide and the disobedience to the emperor and father, but they have forgotten that it was a way out of a desperate situation!" Zheng Renze struck at Li Tai's heart.

"Back then, Your Majesty was also a prince, controlled by your father and the crown prince, trapped in a deadly situation. In one fell swoop, you staged a coup, set the world in order, and ascended the throne! This is a shining example before us, a ready-made path to follow!"

"His Majesty acted in the same way in the past, so how can the people of the world condemn Your Highness for doing the same?"

"Your Highness's supporters are already spread throughout the court. If the coup succeeds, there will be no turmoil in the court, and we will all be willing to serve Your Highness as our master."

"But if His Majesty waits until tomorrow's court session to establish an heir, Your Highness will have no further opportunity!"

"Retreat, and you will perish and your clan be wiped out; advance, and you will rebuild the Xuanwu Gate and ascend to the throne!"

"Your Highness, do you choose to sit and await your death, or draw your sword and fight to seize this vast Tang Dynasty?"

A single question sent a jolt through Li Tai’s mind.

His hands clenched tightly at his sides, his knuckles turning white, as images flashed through his mind: Li Shimin's cold indifference, Chu Suiliang's framing in court, and Li Zhi's cowardly and innocent yet cowardly loss of the throne.

He recalled the desperate situation he had faced in recent days, with his followers collapsing, everyone turning their backs on him, and his future completely ruined.

The will to survive, overwhelming resentment, and lust for power all pressed down on the fear in his heart.

"The palace is heavily guarded, and the only people I can trust are the three hundred men in the Imperial Household Department and the Tent Department."

17

"My father once held the position of Grand General of Xingtai in Shaanxi East Circuit, and still has eight hundred personal soldiers in the Tiance Palace. Are you sure I can succeed in this coup?"

"Of course!" Zheng Renze said confidently.

"In the past, Your Majesty's mutiny at Xuanwu Gate effectively brought the late Emperor under control without lifting a finger."

"This is because at that time, the Crown Prince (Li Jiancheng) and the King of Chao (Li Yuanji) were leading large armies outside. Therefore, Your Majesty had to seize Xuanwu Gate to prevent the Crown Prince and the King of Chao's army from attacking the palace gate and rescuing the late Emperor."

"Your Highness currently has no external enemies. We only need to take him by surprise and subdue His Majesty, and the great cause will be accomplished."

"Once His Majesty is subdued, those arrogant and fierce soldiers under His Majesty's command will naturally be hesitant to act rashly."

Three hundred people are enough.

Li Tai's heart was pounding. He had to admit that he was persuaded.

Yes, if we don't act, we're doomed. If we do act, there's still a glimmer of hope.

If the Emperor could do what happened at Xuanwu Gate, why can't Li Tai?

The candlelight illuminated his fat, bloated face, and all fear faded away, replaced by a growing madness, ruthlessness, and desperate rage in his eyes, his entire being radiating a fierce aura.

Li Tai slowly sat back in his seat, his Adam's apple bobbing violently. He remained silent for a long time, his voice hoarse and low, carrying a resolute determination.

"Three hundred men it is, three hundred men, the first to strike wins!" He gritted his teeth.

"Your Highness is absolutely right!" Zheng Renze said.

"However, there is another person outside the palace who may raise a large army and launch a strong attack on the palace."

"Your Highness must act on two fronts to eliminate that external threat first!"

A glint of revenge flashed in Zheng Renze's eyes.

On that day, Tai led a hundred horsemen to Yong'an Gate. —Zizhi Tongjian

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