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墨書 Inktalez
People often say that it is lonely at the top; throughout history, emperors have often felt solitude. Even though they look down upon the world, they cannot escape the feeling of isolation. It is not that one cannot understand the emperor's heart, but rather that no one dares to speculate on it.
At this moment, Li Shimin felt a twinge of regret. If he had not sent Xu Zhen to Qizhou, he could have listened to this little one's words now. Although he did not dare to give reckless advice, Li Shimin could genuinely feel that while Xu Zhen had picked up some flattering habits from the court, she still retained her sincerity in front of him.
Li Shimin was not at a loss; he simply wanted someone to confide in. Despite being at the pinnacle of power, he, like an ordinary person, wished to vent about daily trivialities. This desire only grew stronger with age.
With Qibi Helix leading the North Gate Imperial Guards, the Eastern Palace rebels were quickly surrounded. Many soldiers understood the ferocity of the Heavenly Soldiers and surrendered one after another. Only the Turkic People recruited by Tubo refused to yield and were encircled and slaughtered by Qibi Helix's forces, suffering further from He Gan Chengji's internal and external support, leading to their near-total annihilation.
Tubo continued to dream his dreams until this Turkic army was completely destroyed. The once glorious imperial dream shattered in an instant. Remembering his father's kindness, he couldn't help but feel heartbroken and fell to the ground, weeping bitterly.
He was never like Li Yuanchang, a fierce hero; he held no rebellious thoughts but had long been oppressed by many elder ministers who scrutinized him for any mistakes. He felt there was no freedom or space in his life; any minor error could lead to accusations. His temperament was carefree and unruly, unable to endure constraints, yet he found himself in the position of Crown Prince.
In the end, unable to bear it any longer, he succumbed to the temptations of Hou Junji and others and took this wrong path.
Now that things had come to light, he felt overwhelming shame and revealed his true nature. Seeing his father accompanied by brothers and sisters along with civil and military officials arriving at the Eastern Palace only deepened his humiliation.
Li Mingda was knowledgeable and kind-hearted. Seeing his brother in such despair caused him great sorrow. The officials were indifferent, fearing association with Tubo and Hou Junji's rebellious faction; they all wished to distance themselves completely. Only Crown Prince's Left Assistant Yuzhining and Crown Prince's Mentor Li Gang were moved to tears, kneeling before the Sage and expressing their failure in guiding the Crown Prince, pleading for leniency on his behalf.
Had it not been for Li Gang and Yuzhining stealing the Secret Letter, the situation at the Eastern Palace would not have been exposed prematurely. For their country and for the Sage, they truly acted out of benevolence without shame.
However, Li Gang was a great scholar of governance, while Yuzhining was one of the original eighteen scholars of Qin Wangfu. Both understood righteousness and morality deeply; feeling they had failed in their teachings towards Tubo, they wept together with their student for a long time before pulling away.
Li Mingda was unlike those court officials; he was intelligent, understanding, gentle, and affectionate towards his siblings. Seeing his brother make such a grave mistake filled him with pain as he stepped forward to comfort him sincerely.
Although the Sage appeared cold and stern on the outside, he felt deep sorrow within. However, since Tubo's rebellion was confirmed, he had no choice but to impose strict punishment as a warning against others.
Helan Chushi and Du He felt utterly despondent; only Hou Junji remained unrepentant. Seeing Li Mingda and Tubo vulnerable and alone, he drew his sword and took Li Mingda hostage, openly confronting the Sage!
“Hou Junji! I have treated you well, how could you insult me like this! At this point, do you dare not awaken to your situation?”
Under the imposing presence of the Sage, the surrounding ministers trembled in fear, yet Hou Junji remained calm and composed, laughing sorrowfully towards the sky and justifying himself with righteous words.
“I, Hou Junji, came from humble beginnings and have been promoted and nurtured by the Sovereign. Yet after serving in the military for half my life, how many great contributions have I made for you? Time and again I have risked my life, yet I am still overshadowed by a hypocrite like Li Jing! I have never wronged the Tang Dynasty in any way; the honors I enjoy today are earned through my own blood and sweat, and I have already repaid you and the Li Family!”
“You see my lowly origins and disregard me. How could I resign myself to such a fate? The weak wait for opportunities, while the strong create their own. If I, Hou Junji, do not strive for progress, how could I attain my current high position? Everything is based on my own efforts; how dare you say you have treated me well!”
Li Shimin did not expect that Hou Junji would still be so defiant at the moment of his death. His words were well-founded, as if everyone in the world owed him something, truly reminiscent of Cao Aman who would rather betray the world than be betrayed himself!
However, since Li Mingda was in Hou Junji's hands, Li Shimin did not dare to provoke him further. He could only sigh and soothe him: “Your words truly hurt my sincere feelings. On that day when Sister Si was in trouble, it was only after much effort during the Tuguhun that she was brought back by Xu Zhen. I already knew that there were conspiracies within the Court aimed at harming Zhi Nu (the nickname of Li Zhi), but due to a mix-up, Sister Si was mistakenly captured. How could I not know it was your doing!”
“Yet I have considered your hardships and waited patiently, hoping you would awaken to your senses. That is why I have not pursued a thorough investigation or punishment. But now, seeing you still act this way today, what do you think this places me?”
Upon hearing this, Hou Junji's heart trembled. He had not expected that Li Shimin already knew about their collusion with the Tuguhun to eliminate Li Zhi but mistakenly captured Li Mingda instead. Thinking of his family, his heart softened.
“Sovereign, your mercy is commendable. It is true that Hou Junji has wronged his master, but my lifetime of achievements cannot be erased. Now that I hold your daughter captive, you are worried and pained. If I were to die, who would care for my family? Wouldn't you feel the same? I do not dare to hope for survival; I only wish that the Sage does not bring harm to my family…”
As Hou Junji spoke these words, his face filled with sorrow and despair. However, Caesar seized the opportunity to strike; he disarmed Hou Junji and rescued Li Mingda!
With Li Mingda no longer as leverage, Hou Junji lost all hope for survival and collapsed onto the ground, laughing and crying simultaneously as if he had gone mad.
Li Shimin pulled Li Mingda into his embrace and felt relieved when he saw her safe. At that moment, with Li Yuanchang recently deceased and Qizhou still in turmoil, he had no intention of killing Tubo; he even wished to spare Hou Junji's life.
At this time, those old men who once fought for power were either dead or nearing death. Li Shimin truly became a lonely figure; he felt reluctant towards these old men but was also furious at their rebellion, causing him deep sorrow.
Li Shimin felt a pang of conscience and questioned Hou Junji's merits in stabilizing the situation. Many officials advised against punishing him, arguing that his crimes were unforgivable and that he should be executed to uphold the integrity of the court and to appease the world.
In a state of indecision, Li Shimin could only imprison those who had committed offenses, waiting for a calm moment to make a clearer judgment.
Just as things settled down, news arrived that the Brave Count's Mansion had been attacked by bandits, resulting in the complete slaughter of all servants and attendants.
Hou Polu was also a treacherous character who harmed his own father. His father, Hou Junji, had pleaded with the Sovereign to protect their family, yet at such a critical moment, this son caused further trouble.
The Sage was troubled and distressed, spending days in his study in deep thought and lamentation. He ordered the capture of those responsible and tasked the Three Departments with clarifying matters related to the Eastern Palace.
With worries weighing heavily on his mind and no one to share them with, the Sage felt desolate. He summoned Li Mingda to the palace, where Li Mingda prepared tea. As they spoke more deeply, Li Mingda offered heartfelt comfort and shared his own experiences, alleviating some of the Sage's gloom.
However, she felt lonely and isolated at that time, relying solely on Xu Zhen for support. Although she tried to conceal her feelings, her words often revealed her admiration for Xu Zhen's wisdom and resourcefulness, wishing she were present to devise a suitable plan.
From the first time Li Shimin saw Xu Zhen wearing the iron ring he had gifted her, he understood his daughter's feelings. Over the past six months of observing and testing Xu Zhen, he found no faults in her character, which led him to develop deeper thoughts about her.
Xu Zhen was unaware that in Chang'an City, a noble father-daughter pair was discussing their exploits. At that moment, she was following Li Jue as he commanded the Nine Provinces Army to take aggressive action against Qizhou.
The Imperial Guards had not yet arrived; however, the Imperial Guards from Qing and Zi provinces were already ignoring Li You's orders. After hearing Yan Hongliang's strategies, Li You sent proclamations to various counties, but they refused to comply. Some even urged Prince Qi to plunder the citizens of the city, leading them into becoming bandits at Bean Hill. Amidst this chaos, righteous individuals rose up.
At that time, Prince Qi and Imperial Guards commander Du Xingmin conspired to capture Li You. Many soldiers were supportive of this plan. Under cover of darkness, Du Xingmin led his troops to breach the walls. Li You and Yan Hongliang donned armor and armed themselves with bows and arrows, hiding in their residence to resist but were surrounded by Du Xingmin's forces.
Yan Hongliang was also recklessly determined; he brought his men to fight fiercely until dawn broke when Du Xingmin still could not break through.
Just then, a vanguard rushed into the city—it was led by Xu Zhen carrying the Sage's edict—seeking to enter alone and persuade Li You to return from his misguided path.
Li You was indeed a soft-hearted and indecisive person. Upon seeing the angelic figure, he recalled his father's authority and felt a wave of fear wash over him.
The Xu Zhen entered with dignity, carrying a bow and a long knife, and the bandits dared not harm her, parting ways to let her pass. When she reached Li You, she presented him with a decree personally written by the Sovereign.
After reading the decree, Li You felt the kindness in Li Shimin's words, tears streaming down his face. He had already considered surrendering. The Xu Zhen seized the moment to persuade him further: "Your Majesty was once an emperor's son, but now you have become a traitor to your country. Many loyal and brave individuals are fighting against traitors without hesitation. If you do not surrender quickly, you will be reduced to ashes!"
As soon as the Xu Zhen finished speaking, flames erupted from her palm. The bandits from Qizhou had never seen such an illusion and believed that the Xu Zhen was indeed an angel favored by fate. They immediately knelt down in submission.
Li You was still hesitant when he noticed movement outside the residence. It was Du Xingmin, who had received instructions from the Xu Zhen to stack firewood outside the residence, intending to burn all the bandits inside.
At this point, Li You finally felt frightened and compromised but found it difficult to say to the Xu Zhen: "It is not that I am unwilling to surrender, but I fear for Hong Liang's life..."
Upon hearing this, the Xu Zhen couldn't help but sigh; Li You's trust in Yan Hongliang had reached such an extent!
To avoid loss of life, the Xu Zhen immediately promised not to harm Yan Hongliang. Only then did Li You leave the residence to surrender. Du Xingmin's brothers suffered many casualties as they dragged Yan Hongliang out of the residence, gouged out his eyes, and threw them on the ground while killing the others by breaking their legs. By the time the Xu Zhen arrived, Yan Hongliang was already dead beyond recovery.
(Note: Li Gang served in Northern Zhou, Sui, and Tang dynasties and taught three princes: Sui Dynasty Prince Yang Yong, Tang Dynasty Prince Li Jiancheng, and Tubo. None of them ended well; however, historical evaluations of Li Gang are quite high. He passed away in 631 AD. This work takes some liberties with time for character development purposes to portray a tragic yet unyielding Tubo character; please do not hold it against us.)
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