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Upon hearing the rumors that Li Shimin intended to assassinate him during the hunt, Li Yuan was filled with doubts and decided to use the hunting event to test Li Shimin. He ordered the preparation of a royal hunt, commanding Li Jiancheng, Li Shimin, and Li Yuanji to participate, hoping to observe Li Shimin's behavior and determine the truth behind the rumors.
On the day of the hunt, the sun shone brightly, and the hunting grounds outside Chang'an City were bustling with activity. Li Jiancheng, Li Shimin, and Li Yuanji led their respective entourages, dressed in splendid hunting attire and riding magnificent horses as they entered the hunting grounds. Li Yuan sat on a high platform, his gaze cold and watchful as he observed his three sons.
As the hunt commenced, everyone spurred their horses and raced towards their prey. Li Shimin was acutely aware that this hunt was fraught with hidden dangers; he suspected that both Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji had ulterior motives. Thus, he remained particularly cautious, feigning a chase while keeping an eye on his surroundings.
Meanwhile, Li Yuanji began to execute his planned scheme. He secretly arranged for Yuwen Bao to disguise himself as a guard from Prince Qin's mansion and infiltrate the hunting party. Armed with a dagger, Yuwen Bao looked for an opportunity to approach Li Shimin, ready to create chaos at a critical moment to make Li Yuan believe that Li Shimin truly intended to assassinate him.
"Today is your last day, Li Shimin!" Yuwen Bao hid in a thicket, his eyes gleaming with hatred as he fixed his gaze on the distant figure of Li Shimin.
At that moment, a startled rabbit suddenly darted from the bushes towards Li Shimin. Seeing this, he immediately urged his horse forward in pursuit. Just as he was about to catch up to the rabbit, Yuwen Bao seized the opportunity and burst from the thicket, brandishing his dagger and shouting as he charged at Li Shimin.
"Protect Prince Qin!" The attendants of Li Shimin gasped in alarm and rushed forward to intercept Yuwen Bao. However, Yuwen Bao moved swiftly and reached Li Shimin in an instant.
Li Shimin's heart raced at the sudden attack, but his years of battlefield experience allowed him to react quickly. He sidestepped just in time to evade Yuwen Bao's lethal strike while simultaneously grabbing Yuwen Bao's wrist and twisting it forcefully to disarm him.
"Who are you? Why do you want to assassinate me?" Li Shimin shouted angrily.
Yuwen Bao did not respond but struggled desperately to break free from Li Shimin's grip. At that moment, people began to gather around them, encircling Yuwen Bao.
Seeing the situation escalate, Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji rushed over on horseback. Feigning surprise, Li Jiancheng asked, "Second brother, what happened?"
Li Shimin shot a cold glance at Li Jiancheng and replied, "Elder brother, this man disguised himself as one of my guards with the intent to kill me. I suspect someone is behind this!"
Li Yuanji felt a tightening in his chest but forced himself to appear calm as he said, "Second brother, how can this be? Could it be a misunderstanding?"
Before Li Shimin could respond, Li Yuan observed the scene from his high platform and felt his anger flare up. Believing that Li Shimin truly intended to assassinate him during the hunt, he immediately ordered, "Seize this man! Bring him before me for questioning!"
The soldiers promptly apprehended Yuwen Bao and brought him before Li Yuan. With a fierce glare, he demanded, "Who are you? Who sent you? If you do not confess honestly, I will have you tortured!"
Yuwen Bao was terrified but knew he could not reveal the truth; otherwise, not only would he lose his life but Prince Qi would also be implicated. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Your Majesty, I am a guard from Prince Qin's mansion; it was Prince Qin who ordered me to assassinate you!"
Upon hearing this, Li Yuan's expression darkened significantly. He turned to look at Li Shimin and angrily exclaimed, "Shimin! You dare commit such treasonous acts! I have trusted you so much; why would you betray me?"
Li Shimin felt deeply wronged but understood that defending himself now would only deepen Li Yuan's suspicions. He quickly knelt down and pleaded, "Father Emperor, your humble son is wronged! This must be a deliberate frame-up against me. Please see through it!"
Li Jiancheng pretended to intercede for Li Shimin: "Father Emperor, perhaps second brother has been deceived; please consider his past contributions and spare him."
However, Li Yuan remained unmoved. With a cold snort he replied: "Deceived? Such treasonous crimes cannot be explained away by mere deception! Take Li Shimin back to the palace for punishment!"
Just as the soldiers were about to take away Li Shimin, an idea struck him. He addressed Li Yuan: "Father Emperor, your humble son is willing to confront this man directly; if he can provide evidence that I ordered him to act against you, I will accept my punishment."
Li Yuan pondered for a moment and found some merit in what Li Shimin said. He replied: "Very well; I will grant you this opportunity. But if you are truly guilty, I will show no mercy!"
Li Shimin stood up and approached Yuwen Bao directly. Staring into his eyes intently he asked: "You claim I ordered you to assassinate Father Emperor; do you have any evidence? If you dare slander me, I will ensure you pay dearly!"
Yuwen Bao felt a surge of panic within him, but he steeled himself and said, “Prince Qin, stop trying to deny it. You gave me a large sum of money and instructed me to find an opportunity to assassinate His Majesty during the hunt. That is the evidence!”
Li Shimin let out a cold laugh. “You’re talking nonsense! I have never given you money or instructed you to do such a thing. You are clearly being manipulated by someone else, trying to frame me!”
As the two sides remained at a stalemate, Li Shimin suddenly noticed something unusual about Yuwen Bao’s clothing. He stepped forward for a closer look and discovered a subtle mark on the garment, which was the distinctive emblem of Prince Qi's Residence.
“Ha! You really are one of Prince Qi's Residence!” Li Shimin exclaimed, pointing at the mark on Yuwen Bao’s clothing. “Did you think that wearing Prince Qin's mansion’s attire would allow you to frame me?”
Li Yuan was startled by this revelation and immediately glanced at Li Yuanji. Li Yuanji's face turned pale as he silently cursed himself. He hadn’t expected Li Shimin to uncover this flaw.
“Yuanji, what is going on?” Li Yuan asked sternly.
Li Yuanji quickly knelt down and replied, “Father, your humble son knows nothing of this matter. Perhaps someone is deliberately framing your humble son to sow discord between us brothers.”
Li Yuan looked at Li Yuanji with disappointment and anger filling his heart. He snorted coldly, “I will thoroughly investigate this matter. If it truly involves you, I will not be lenient!”
The Hunting Ground Incident had made the situation even more complicated. Li Shimin had successfully uncovered Li Yuanji’s scheme and temporarily cleared himself of suspicion, but he knew that Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji would not let this go easily; they would surely devise even more vicious means to deal with him. Meanwhile, Li Yuan grew increasingly disappointed and worried about the conflict between his sons, as the future of the Tang Dynasty became ever more uncertain in this whirlpool of power struggles.
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