In my dream of returning to the Tang Dynasty, I snatched Wu Zetian from my lap.

Time flies, and several days have passed.

The case of the brothel gradually subsided in Chang'an.

Li Shimin was determined to severely punish Li Yuanchang. He not only rejected the pleas of many in the court, but also ordered that Li Yuanchang not be transferred to the courtyard of the Imperial Clan Court, but only kept in prison.

This means that Li Yuanchang, as the Prince of Han, did not even have basic living security, which is quite rare in the royal family.

Generally speaking, it's difficult to get to this point without rebellion.

But on the first day of the tenth month, Li Shimin was handling government affairs in the Liangyi Hall.

A message from the Imperial Clan Court shattered the peace that had lasted for several days.

"Your Majesty, a report has come from the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs that the Prince of Han has been on a hunger strike for three days, and coupled with his severe injuries, he seems to be on the verge of death!"

boom!

Upon hearing this news, everyone in the Liangyi Hall was slightly surprised.

Li Shimin was aware of this matter; he had heard about it the day before yesterday, but he didn't take it seriously.

"That bastard!"

"What does he want to do?"

"Is he trying to defy me?"

"If he doesn't want to eat, then he doesn't have to. Tell the people at the Imperial Clan Court to ignore him!" Li Shimin said angrily.

Wei Zheng immediately jumped in: "Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

"The Prince of Han is, after all, your younger brother!"

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui also stepped forward together, their expressions serious. "Your Majesty," they said, "Lord Wei is right, this is unacceptable!"

"If the Prince of Han dies in the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs, what will that be considered?"

Almost the entire staff of the Liangyi Hall were trying to persuade Li Shimin, including people like Changsun Wuji.

After all, with Li Yuanchang dead, the blame would fall on Li Shimin.

Killing one's brother is something that can be talked about but not actually done; it violates morality and human ethics.

The Xuanwu Gate Incident was a last resort; the two sides were already locked in a life-or-death struggle, and if Li Shimin didn't act, Li Jiancheng would have killed them.

However, the situation of the King of Han clearly does not fit.

Li Shimin wasn't stupid either. After calming down, he realized that the Prince of Han couldn't die at the Imperial Clan Court.

But he remained furious: "By doing this, he is threatening me!"

"I release him today, and from now on, every member of the royal family shall follow suit!"

The ministers remained silent.

Indeed, this method is coercion.

But at that moment, someone from the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs said, "Your Majesty, the Prince of Han... he says he won't go out."

Everyone turned to look.

Li Shimin was taken aback: "If he's not going out, what does he want to do?"

"He, he... Your Majesty, this humble subject dares not speak." The people from the Imperial Clan Court stammered, as if what Li Yuanchang said was extremely taboo.

"Speak quickly, and I will pardon your crime!" Li Shimin shouted.

The people from the Imperial Clan Court knelt on the ground before daring to repeat what they had said.

"The Prince of Han said he was not wrong, but Chai Lingwu was wrong, yet he had to suffer humiliation in prison. Rather than prolonging his life, it would be better to end it sooner rather than later."

He also said he would rather die than be humiliated and would not confess his guilt.

They said they were going down to the capital, Emperor Gaozu, to seek justice!

Upon hearing the last sentence, Li Shimin's blood pressure spiked instantly, his face turned red, and he almost spat out a mouthful of blood on the spot.

"Beast, this beast!"

"What is he trying to say? Is he trying to imply that I am persecuting him?"

Li Shimin was so enraged that he let out the most furious roar in his eleven years of rule.

He was an emperor of all time, and he possessed extraordinary stability and power, but Li Yuanchang was simply jumping around in his most sensitive areas, repeatedly bouncing back and forth.

Changsun Wuji and everyone else knelt down, and even they were trembling.

This is practically a direct insult: Li Shimin, you're persecuting your brothers!

I'm not satisfied! I'll die trying to complain to you from below!

Fang Xuanling and other important officials during the Zhenguan era were all sweating profusely.

This King of Han is really good at causing trouble!

Isn't he afraid of dying?

"..."

Inside Zongzheng Temple.

Li Yuanchang's hair was disheveled. Because he hadn't bathed for many days and couldn't move, he smelled bad. The blood on his waist and buttocks had dried and formed a thick layer of scabs.

"Your Highness, please have something to eat."

"If you don't eat soon, you'll really die!" Li Shaode, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs, personally persuaded him, squatting in the cell with the food in his hands.

Li Yuanchang lay there, his face deathly pale, barely breathing and exhaling more than he was taking in.

He had visibly lost a lot of weight, hadn't eaten for days, and his already severely injured body couldn't withstand the strain.

"I won't eat it!"

"This..." Li Shaode was about to cry, thinking to himself, "If you're going to die, don't die here! If you're angry with His Majesty, I'm going to suffer the consequences!"

"Your Highness, I'm begging you, please?" he pleaded.

"You can leave, I'm not eating!"

"If I die, go down to the underworld and file a complaint." Li Yuanchang was weak and listless, his eyelids were too heavy to open, but he just wouldn't open his mouth.

He knew that this was his only chance to get out, and his only chance to turn things around.

He risked his life, betting that Li Shimin wouldn't dare let him die.

He wasn't threatening to go on a hunger strike, but rather to threaten with the words "persecution of his brothers"!

Li Shimin gained power through the Xuanwu Gate Incident, killing his elder brother and younger brother. His brilliant and powerful life was accompanied by criticism and slander.

The reason he was so diligent in his duties was, frankly speaking, to atone for his sins and to prove himself.

History clearly records that Li Shimin once demanded that his sons not shed the blood of their brothers, which shows that he was also afraid of being criticized and suffered greatly.

If Li Yuanchang were to simply shout "I'd rather die than be humiliated" and die a miserable death in prison, then all of Li Shimin's efforts over the years would be completely overturned by Li Yuanchang, leaving him with nothing at all.

He has a chance as long as Li Shimin compromises!

Li Shaode, a member of the imperial family in his fifties, was on the verge of tears.

"Your Highness, please stop! Please don't say anymore!"

"Are you asking for it?!"

"His Majesty imprisoned you, but didn't say he would kill you!"

"Imprisoning me is tantamount to killing me. I cannot swallow this insult!" Li Yuanchang resigned himself to his fate.

Li Shaode felt that something was wrong; this King of Han had gone mad.

Just when the Zongzheng Temple was caught in a dilemma.

Outside the prison, a large procession arrived, and the Thousand Bull Guards and Golden Guards immediately cleared the area.

"His Majesty has arrived!!" someone shouted.

Li Shaode felt as if he had been granted a pardon; the long-awaited opportunity had finally arrived. He couldn't handle this situation, so he rushed out to greet it.

What no one saw was that despite Li Yuanchang's extremely weak body, a victor's smile appeared on his lips.

After a while.

When Li Shimin entered the prison, he was dressed in a black robe, looking exceptionally imposing, with an angry expression on his face, as if he had swallowed a dead fly. He was truly disgusted by Li Yuanchang.

Why say those things when you're going to die?

He strode confidently, furious, ready to settle scores with Li Yuanchang.

But when he saw Li Yuanchang's miserable state—disheveled, his back covered in blood, his face gaunt, weak and listless, lying in the hay—his fists clenched.

He forcefully suppressed all his anger.

He felt reluctant, after all, he had watched Li Yuanchang grow up, even though they were half-brothers.

In addition, the most important reason was that he was afraid after the Xuanwu Gate Incident.

He looked up and took a deep breath, then waved his hand.

In an instant, the prison was swiftly cleared out, leaving only two trusted confidants.

"I'm here. What exactly do you want?" Li Shimin said through gritted teeth, his hands behind his back.