Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

He raised his head and looked towards the direction of the general's residence, but saw no movement—Princess Ningguo, have you managed to deliver the message? Will Li Chu and Li Bi be willing to come to the palace to plead for Li Tan? Looking at Li Tan from afar, he was quite pitiful; yesterday a nobleman, tonight a prisoner; his purple robe was still on, but his golden crown had fallen off, and he was barefoot, his hair disheveled; his features were still handsome, but his face was flushed red, and his eyes seemed to spit fire…

Li Ji felt a pang of conscience and was unwilling to leave just like that, letting things unfold as they would, since it was none of his business anyway... After thinking for a while, he finally lowered his profile, moved lightly, and carefully followed behind the crowd, returning to the front of the hall.

When he arrived, Li Tan had already been taken into the palace. Apart from Yu Chaoen and two imperial guards holding him hostage, everyone else was waiting outside. Li Ji watched Lao Jing's back and whistled softly, wanting to call him over and find out the details, but the guy was hard of hearing and didn't react at all.

Well, it wasn't his hearing problem. The other guards didn't react either. Everyone had a solemn expression and were staring at the palace gate. No one was paying attention to what was happening behind them.

Using the shade of the trees to conceal himself, Li Ji crept closer, pondering how to attract Lao Jing's attention, when suddenly he heard Li Heng's furious roar from inside the hall: "You rebellious son, how dare you argue!" Li Tan's voice followed, but he was too far away to hear clearly, though it sounded as if Li Tan was trying to explain himself, and his tone was both urgent and angry…

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Li Ji's mind—I understand! Yu Chaoen was ordered to capture Li Tan, but he suddenly stopped halfway there to have such a long talk with Li Tan, accusing him of falsehoods. His purpose was to provoke Li Tan! Li Heng was a mediocre ruler, and he was drunk. If his son had entered the palace and knelt down, wept, and begged for forgiveness, there might have been a glimmer of hope for him. But given Li Tan's strong character, and further provoked by Yu Chaoen, he certainly wouldn't say anything nice. He might even confront his father, asking why he listened to women and eunuchs and doubted his own son.

Even between fathers and sons, or brothers, daily friction and discord are inevitable if they live together. This is especially true for royalty, who have the sword of Damocles hanging over their heads; conflict is simply unavoidable. Even strangers, if they sit down and calmly analyze the problem, can resolve their doubts and untangle their knots. But even fathers and sons, if both are angry and constantly arguing, will eventually escalate the conflict.

Li Ji, being a son himself, understood this situation. In his previous life, he and his father constantly argued, even bringing his mother, caught in the middle, to tears. In this life, the real Li Ji was even more volatile; while his father was alive, they argued almost daily—for some reason, after his father's death and his move to Yingyang, he listened to Li Bi. Fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, are naturally destined to be enemies; arguments are inevitable. However, most families, despite their quarrels, don't hold grudges afterward.

But this family is different today; it's the imperial family, where kinship has always been weak and power has always been a dangerous force. In this day and age, the head of the family has almost absolute control and power over his children. As for the royal family, the emperor killing his sons and brothers is a common occurrence in history—theoretically, if it weren't for the crown prince, even court officials might not dare to plead against the emperor and risk offending him!

That Yu Chaoen is truly cunning; his intentions are despicable!

Just then, Li Heng roared again from inside the hall, and two soldiers dragged Li Tan out once more. This time, not only Yu Chaoen came out, but also Li Fuguo, who stood in front of the door and announced loudly: "By imperial decree, the Prince of Jianning harbors treacherous intentions and plots to murder his brother. He is to be executed immediately to uphold the law!"

Not only did Li Ji's heart skip a beat, but even the Imperial Guards exchanged bewildered glances upon hearing this—Holy crap, was the Emperor really going to kill his own son? Yu Chaoen coldly ordered, "Did you all hear the Emperor's decree, Lord Li? Why aren't you making your move?!"

After Li Tan fled Chang'an with Li Heng, he repeatedly led troops to suppress defeated soldiers who dared to defy the emperor, earning him considerable prestige within the army. If it were still the original imperial guards, it's likely none would obey the orders of the two eunuchs, Li and Yu; they might even kneel before the steps, pleading with Li Heng for mercy. However, most of Li Tan's former confidants have now been purged by Yu Chaoen, and the men Yu Chaoen brought to capture Li Tan tonight are all newcomers.

Chapter 40, Breaking into the Palace and Disobeying the Emperor

Li Fuguo ordered that Li Tan be executed immediately in front of the palace. Li Ji, seeing this scene in the shadows, felt a nameless fire rise in his heart—these eunuchs were truly despicable!

Whether Li Tan had actually intended to murder Li Chu, Li Ji didn't know; nor did he know how Li Fuguo and the others had advised Li Heng, or whether they had truly found any incriminating evidence against Li Tan. However, he understood that if Li Tan were truly guilty and there was evidence, those eunuchs wouldn't have spoken to him in the dead of night while Li Heng was drunk, much less would they have first provoked Li Tan, causing a quarrel between father and son, escalating the conflict, and then, without waiting for dawn or to escort Li Tan out of the palace, immediately ordering his execution before the Emperor…

This is an attempt to create a fait accompli. Even if Li Heng comes to his senses and regrets his actions, it will be too late. Given Li Heng's weak character, he will only blame himself and will not punish Li Fuguo afterward, much less blame Consort Zhang. Moreover, given his status, knowing that he has been implicated in the affairs of the nation, no matter how much grief he feels, he will never easily change his mind and say that Li Tan is innocent—how could the emperor be wrong?

These eunuchs, including Consort Zhang, really had an accurate grasp of timing and a real understanding of the emperor's temperament, which allowed them to carry out their wicked schemes! Those spineless bastards can be so vicious when they do evil!

Seeing Li Tan kneeling on the ground, and the soldiers raising their swords high under the watchful eyes and urging of Li Fuguo and Yu Chaoen, Li Ji was extremely anxious—Princess Ningguo, are you a snail? Why haven't you been able to persuade Li Chu and Li Bi to come to your rescue yet? Li Tan is about to die. If I weren't here, it would be fine, but now that I'm here, can I just stand by and watch this tragic human drama unfold?

How can I face Princess Ningguo after this? How can I still have the nerve to boast and act all high and mighty in front of Li Bi?!

Filled with rage and hot-blooded, Li Ji immediately roared, "You mustn't kill him!" He then strode forward and kicked the soldier who was holding a sword high into the air.

Everyone was shocked. Old Jing was the first to react and asked him, "Li Ji, what are you doing?!"

Li Ji hadn't yet figured out how to answer, so he simply raised his arms to block Li Tan from behind. Then he heard Li Fuguo's effeminate, reproachful voice: "Li Ji, instead of returning to the commander's residence to report, why have you come to the palace?"

Li Ji turned around and clasped his hands in a gesture of respect to Li Fuguo: "Reporting to Lord Li, when I left, a group of people were escorting Prince Jianning here. I don't know why, and I wanted to find out the reason before reporting back to the Marshal, so I came here..."

"The Emperor has decreed that Prince Jianning be executed. Since you came along, didn't you hear it?"

Li Ji raised his head and said loudly, "This humble general has only heard Lord Li's words, but has not heard the Emperor's decree—we humbly request the Emperor to come to the palace and give the order personally."

Before Li Fuguo could reply, Lao Jing came over and put his hand on Li Ji's shoulder: "This is none of your business, go ahead." His tone was quite gentle, but he was actually reminding Li Ji: This is not something you can meddle in, it's best to pretend you didn't see it.

Li Ji slumped his shoulders slightly, dodging Lao Jing's hand, then turned his head and glared angrily, shouting, "What are you all doing? Prince Jianning is the emperor's own son. It's common for him to get drunk and make a scene, shouting and threatening to kill. He'll definitely regret it when he wakes up tomorrow. Do you think those of you who committed violence will have any chance of survival then?!"

Upon hearing this, Lao Jing and the other soldiers couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spines, secretly filled with lingering fear.

Yu Chaoen took two steps down the steps, and with a "whoosh," drew his sword from his waist: "Li Ji, the Emperor has decreed that Prince Jianning be executed immediately. If you obstruct him, you will be disobeying the imperial decree! Get out of here at once. This is none of your business. If you do not heed my advice, don't blame me for being rude!"

In fact, Yu Chaoen had the upper hand in the matter of executing Li Tan—he had the emperor's decree—and his rank was far higher than Li Ji's. Moreover, he was responsible for guarding the palace. If it were anyone else, he probably wouldn't have bothered to persuade him and would have just struck him down. It was only because Li Ji had Li Bi backing him that Yu Chaoen hesitated to act, and thus wasted a few more words with him.

Before Li Ji could react, Li Tan, who was kneeling on the ground, straightened up, turned around, and advised, "Chief Guard, I am deeply grateful for your kindness in saving me. If I have a spirit after death, I will surely repay you. However, I have also heard the Emperor's decree, how dare I disobey? If a father commands his son to die, how dare the son not die? Otherwise, how could these soldiers and Yu Chaoen have captured me?"

Li Ji rolled his eyes: "Your Majesty, haven't you heard the saying, 'Take a small beating, run away from a big one'?"

Upon hearing this, Li Tan was slightly taken aback, then sighed and said, "Things have come to this, I have no choice but to die. You should go now, and do not implicate Mr. Changyuan..."

Unexpectedly, Li Ji was unmoved and glared at Yu Chaoen, saying, "Even a sage cannot lightly kill the Prince of Jianning!"

Li Fuguo sneered from the steps: "Oh, even the Emperor couldn't kill Prince Jianning, so who could? Do you also want to help Prince Jianning seize the throne?!"

Li Ji thought to himself, "Wow, impressive! He's already slapped a serious accusation on me with just two sentences." He immediately replied, "The Marshal has already appointed the Prince of Jianning as his military advisor. The Emperor has entrusted all military affairs to the Marshal. How can we kill his advisor without first informing him?!"

Yu Chaoen and his group were in the right, so Li Ji thought to himself, "I have to find my own reasoning, even if it's flawed, to buy time for Li Chu and Li Bi to arrive. If those two still refuse to show up, then neither Princess Ningguo nor Li Bi can blame me. I've done my best..."

Theoretically speaking, since Li Heng had appointed himself Grand Marshal and entrusted all military responsibilities to Li Chu, he could not bypass Li Chu and directly issue orders to the officials in the Grand Marshal's office, nor could he dispose of matters without informing Li Chu.

His subordinates. Li Ji's meaning was, go and call Li Chu over. If he says he won't get involved, then I'll immediately let go and not interfere anymore.

Who would have thought that Li Fuguo would sneer, "Although the Prince of Guangping has submitted a memorial, the Emperor has not yet granted his request, so how can it be considered valid? I still have that memorial in my pocket and haven't handed it over yet!"

Li Ji retorted, "How can a marshal recruit virtuous men, only to have a sage kill them beforehand?!"

Yu Chaoen couldn't stand it any longer and immediately slashed at Li Ji's shoulder with his sword. He thought to himself that Li Ji was clearly just there to cause trouble and buy time, hoping that someone would go to Li Chu and Li Bi to ask for reinforcements. How could he let him have his way? Although killing Li Tan was not my plan, I was happy for it to happen. How could I let this reckless brat ruin things?

He probably thought I wouldn't dare to make a move, and that once I slashed him, he would be scared and retreat. Of course, I couldn't go all out, but since I was in the right, I should teach him a lesson and draw some blood. Surely Li Bi wouldn't blame me for that.

The sword was about to strike when, halfway down, Li Ji suddenly reached out and firmly grasped Yu Chaoen's wrist. His five fingers were like steel clamps, making it impossible for Yu Chaoen to exert any more force. The two glared at each other. Li Ji continued to apply pressure, slowly pressing Yu Chaoen's wrist to the side. Yu Chaoen cried out in pain, his entire body involuntarily turning halfway, one knee slightly bent, as if he might be forced to the ground at any moment. But this eunuch was truly stubborn. Although his face was flushed with pain, he refused to cry out, instead shouting at Li Ji: "You are disobeying the imperial decree! Do you intend to rebel? Know that treason is a crime punishable by the extermination of three generations of your family!"

That means not only can Li Bi not protect you, but you might also implicate Li Bi, and the two brothers will be executed on the same day!

These words truly struck a nerve with Li Ji, but by this point, he was already in a bind… You think I'd back down just because you yelled at me? How am I supposed to face the world then? Damn it, is Li Heng really drunk? I shouted and yelled so loudly, and he didn't utter a sound. If Li Heng were to come to the palace gate now and say, "Li Ji, stop making a scene. It really was my personal decree to execute Li Tan. I'll tell Guangping afterwards," then I'd at least have a way out…

Delaying can only provide temporary relief, not a permanent solution. Without Li Chu and Li Bi's arrival, this matter will remain unresolved. Moreover, as Yu Chaoen said, if things escalate, not only will I be in trouble, but even Li Bi will likely suffer. Li Ji was anxious, his mind racing, and in a few short breaths, he made a decision—might as well go all the way and rebel!

-Book-

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The most important thing now is to take a hostage so that the Imperial Guards will hesitate to attack us. Even if Li Bi refuses to come, I will have to summon him. The two brothers will then take the hostage and break out of the palace, then out of the city, and go far away. The world is vast, and there is turmoil all around. Where can't we find refuge? How could the Tang court catch us so easily?

Only in this way can we hope for a glimmer of hope.

However, when it comes to hostages, this Yu Chaoen in my hand isn't enough...

He glanced at the spot, made up his mind, and immediately increased the force in his hand, while simultaneously slamming his elbow outwards. Yu Chaoen was struck in the chest by the elbow, the pain almost causing him to faint. At the same time, his right hand went limp and he could no longer hold the horizontal sword. With a "clang," the sword fell to the ground.

In the blink of an eye, Yu Chaoen was incapacitated. Li Ji then released his grip, grabbed the rope binding Li Tan, easily lifted the over 100-pound prince, and leaped up the steps towards the palace gate. He shouted, "Your Majesty, I wish to see you and receive your orders!"

His leap took everyone completely by surprise. Old Jing and the others were caught off guard, and even the guards at the palace gate were terrified, hastily lowering their halberds—they figured it was too late to stop him. At the palace gate, only Li Fuguo remained to stop Li Ji. The old eunuch instinctively spread his hands, shouting, "How dare you! You dare to barge into the palace…!"

Li Ji, who was carrying Li Tan with his left hand, immediately reached out with his right hand and grabbed Li Fuguo's shoulder—this was the hostage of real value! Driven to desperation, he naturally used no force, and Li Fuguo screamed like a pig being slaughtered. Li Ji ignored him, carrying Li Tan with his left hand and dragging Li Fuguo with his right, and stormed over the threshold into the hall.

Upon seeing this, all the palace servants and eunuchs screamed and scattered in panic. The only ones who remained seated and did not move were Emperor Li Heng and Consort Zhang.

In fact, Li Heng was a little drunk and not very clear-headed, but he was not so drunk that he was unconscious. How could he not hear Li Ji shouting outside? But firstly, he was the emperor and should have the majesty of an emperor. Did the emperor really need to personally come out of the palace to deal with a seventh-rank military officer causing trouble? Li Fuguo and Yu Chaoen were both outside the palace.

Secondly, Li Heng himself is not a responsible person, and he is even less capable of handling such troublesome matters, so he sat calmly in the hall, pretending not to hear. I only hope that the two eunuchs, Li and Yu, can resolve the matter satisfactorily—the two are both talented and will surely not disappoint me.

But to everyone's surprise, Li Ji refused to give up for a long time, and even dragged Li Tan and Li Fuguo by the arm, barging directly into the hall. Li Heng was greatly shocked and instinctively shrank back, asking, "Li Ji, what are you doing here?"

Consort Zhang, however, had some courage. She quickly stood up, spread her arms, and shielded Li Heng, shouting, "Everyone, come and protect His Majesty!"

Li Ji thought to himself, "What do you mean? Are you confirming that I stormed the palace with the intention of offending the emperor? If that's the case, then so be it if I offend the emperor!"

In that instant, a thought flashed through his mind.

Chapter 41, Bound and Pleading Guilty

Li Heng shouted, "Execute Jianning immediately!" Only then did Li Ji realize the gravity of the situation. He entered the hall without saying a word or moving, while Li Tan, who had been like a wooden statue, suddenly cried out, "Father, I have absolutely no desire to vie for the throne! I would rather die than harbor any intention to harm my brother, the Prince of Guangping. If you do not believe me, I will have no choice but to die!"

As he spoke, he struggled to get up and turned to leave the hall.

But Li Ji was still there, so how could he act on his own? He immediately pressed down hard on Li Ji's shoulder—You keep kneeling properly for me!

Li Fuguo seized the opportunity to say, "Li Ji, you heard His Majesty's decree with your own ears, do you still dare to disobey the imperial order?!"

Li Ji thought to himself, "We're doomed. It seems the only way out is to take Li Heng hostage."

My actions today are indeed as Consort Zhang said: not only did I storm the palace, but I also offended the emperor, a crime deserving of unforgivable punishment. If I can save Li Tan and fulfill the bond between father and son, then I can not only receive a minor punishment but may even be considered meritorious and innocent; but if Li Tan dies, I certainly won't survive either!

Filled with immense resentment, he immediately plotted a final effort, shouting, "That's right! If I harbor ill will towards my elder brother, I deserve to be killed! If my elder brother suspects me of harboring ill will towards him, and he wants to kill me, I will not hesitate! Your Majesty, I request that Prince Jianning be handed over to Prince Guangping for disposal. If Prince Guangping knows that I am not sincere, he will never let me off easily!"

"If Prince Yong is destined to die, does Your Majesty wish to decide the matter yourself, or hand it over to the retired emperor in Shu?"

For some reason, these words struck a nerve with Li Heng, causing his shoulders to slump and his whole body to buckle. He then said in a tearful voice, "Then summon Guangping..."

Li Fuguo and Consort Zhang exchanged a glance, just as they thought it was all over, when they heard someone outside the hall call out: "Your Majesty, your subjects Li Chu and Li Bi humbly request an audience!"

Upon hearing this, Li Ji almost collapsed—it's been so long, why did you take so long to arrive! He loosened his grip, and Li Tan didn't move. Li Fuguo took the opportunity to crawl away, but Li Ji reacted in time and grabbed his wrist again. His five fingers were like steel hoops, and Li Fuguo was in so much pain that he almost fainted.

At Li Heng's command, Li Chu and Li Bi strode into the hall one after the other. After surveying the surroundings and the situation, they were both secretly alarmed—even from a distance, they had already heard Li Ji shouting and yelling. Li Bi's gaze was like a sharp blade as he glared at Li Ji, who didn't turn his head, pretending not to notice.

—You think I'm meddling? I'm actually annoyed that you guys are late!

Li Chu knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I have a deep friendship with Jianning. I would never deceive him, and he would never betray me. If there are any doubts, I have already summoned Jianning to serve as the Marshal's Military Advisor. I humbly request that he be handed over to me for judgment. If he is found guilty, he can be punished according to military law!"

This was the line he and Li Bi had agreed upon on the journey. It's important to understand that Li Tan, Li Fuguo, and Consort Zhang had been attacking each other for quite some time. Although Li Tan was the son, he was only entitled to morning and evening greetings, while the other two were practically always by the emperor's side. Therefore, it was predictable who would ultimately suffer the consequences. Li Chu had repeatedly advised Li Tan that his father favored Consort Zhang and trusted Li Fuguo, so it was best not to oppose them, but Li Tan simply wouldn't listen.

Upon hearing Princess Ningguo's report of the change tonight, the two were greatly surprised and rushed to the palace to rescue Li Tan. However, they did not expect that Li Fuguo and Yu Chaoen would not even wait until dawn and wanted to carry out the execution immediately in front of the steps. On the way, they discussed that under the current circumstances, it was said that the emperor was still drunk and it would be inappropriate to directly ask him to withdraw his order. It would also be inconvenient to let Li Fuguo, especially Consort Zhang, confront Prince Jianning. It would be better to use the pretext of summoning Prince Jianning to serve as military commander and ask the emperor to hand him over to Li Chu for disposal.

First, ensure his life and prevent him from being humiliated by the eunuchs. Then, wait until the emperor sobers up before slowly offering advice and persuasion.

Upon hearing Li Chu's words, Li Heng asked, "You summoned Jianning to be the military commander? I have never heard of this."

Li Ji hurriedly replied, "I just delivered the memorial, and it's in Lord Li's arms. Lord Li thought it wasn't urgent, so he hasn't presented it to Your Majesty yet."

Li Fuguo was furious. Who said Li Ji was stupid? He might be rough, but he was certainly quick-witted! As a powerful eunuch, Li Fuguo could naturally decide which memorials were urgent and needed to be presented directly to the emperor, and which were not urgent and could be postponed until the emperor had time. But the problem was that while this could be done, it couldn't be stated openly. Whether something was urgent or not should be judged by the emperor; when did it become the turn of a eunuch like him?

Leaders often delegate many tasks to their secretaries, but they don't appreciate it when secretaries proactively make decisions for them. If this isn't explicitly stated, the leader won't take it to heart; but once it is, it's impossible for them not to harbor even the slightest resentment.

Therefore, even though Li Fuguo argued, "This old servant was about to report when Li Ji started yelling outside the hall..." at the same time, he reached into his robe as if to rummage through it—now that I'm about to report, Li Ji, why don't you let go?

However, Li Ji refused to let go—the emperor hadn't agreed to hand Li Tan over to Li Chu yet, and I couldn't release the hostage in my hands right now!

Li Bi knelt beside him, glared at Li Ji fiercely, and scolded, "Release Lord Li! What kind of behavior is this?!"

Li Ji said, "It wasn't me who grabbed Lord Li; it was my recklessness. Lord Li was afraid I would offend His Majesty, so out of concern, he held my hand." Then, with a cold smile, he stared at Li Fuguo and tightened his grip slightly: "Lord Li, is that so?"

Li Fuguo wasn't as resolute as Yu Chaoen. In pain, he quickly nodded like a pecking at rice: "Yes, yes... The young man doesn't know his own strength, it's better to lend a hand."

The implication is: Go easy on me, my ancestor.