Side Story Chapter 37: Each With Their Own Plans!
Li Chengyi had gotten what he wanted, and he soon strode out of Taiji Palace. Outside, several furtive figures came out to welcome him.
“How was it?” Li Chengyi asked.
“His Highness the Crown Prince has already received the news and will be here soon,” a raspy voice reported. “If all goes as expected, once he hears the news of His Majesty’s death, he will immediately make his move. In addition, the Third Prince has been keeping a close watch on the palace this entire time. So long as there is any suspicious movement, he should quickly hear the news.”
“Great!”
Li Chengyi gave a sinister laugh, his expression proud and content.
“With Imperial father dead, First Brother has nothing to fear. As for Third Brother, the news that his mother is detained will have him overcome with rage, and there will be no more room for negotiation between the two. A great show is about to take place. Come, then! First Brother, Third Brother, in this show, let me see which one of us will be laughing at the summit!”
That arrogant voice lingered in the air as Li Chengyi led away those figures, disappearing like ghosts.
……
Bang!
As the curtain of night descended, a flash of lightning appeared in the sky. It wasn’t long before dark clouds had engulfed the skies over the capital.
Taiji Palace was brightly lit.
The Tang Emperor’s body had already been taken away, and at this moment, the one standing in the hall was a heroic and armored figure, his cape flapping in the wind.
The doors of Taiji Palace were already open, and First Prince Li Xuantu stood like a mighty mountain, a saber at his waist. But in his heart surged a restless turmoil.
His father was dead, and the new had replaced the old. The day he had awaited for so many years had finally come.
Li Xuantu couldn’t say if he felt joy, sorrow, or both.
An enormous empire had opened its arms to him, but Li Xuantu knew that many things still needed to be concluded before he took the throne.
“Did you find it?” Li Xuantu said.
A court official walked out from Taiji Palace. “We searched, but the jade seal is not in Taiji Palace, nor can we find a decree from His Majesty.”
Hearing this, Li Xuantu frowned, his expression turning grave.
Although he was the Crown Prince and the right and proper heir to the throne, without the jade seal or a decree, there would be many unwanted variables. More importantly, the Tang Emperor had once said that he wanted to make the Third Prince Crown Prince. Many court officials knew this.
“What have our spies in Jade Dragon Palace said? Could the jade seal be there?” Li Xuantu asked.
“Our spies don’t have sufficient access, so we can’t rule out this possibility. After all, Virtuous Empress Dou has been attending His Majesty all this time. It is hard to say whether or not His Majesty passed the jade seal and decree to the Third Prince,” Li Xuantu’s close aide said.
“Have you found Virtuous Empress Dou?” Li Xuantu suddenly said.
“Yes. The Second Prince found her in a secret passage to the southeast. It seems that His Majesty sent her away while he was still alive, and based on the direction, it should have been to the Third Prince. Alas, he was one step too slow, and she was found by the Second Prince.
“Following Your Highness’s will, we have had the Second Prince send over Virtuous Empress Dou, but the Second Prince said that Virtuous Empress Dou seemingly fell unconscious from her immense grief, so he has found an imperial physician to treat Virtuous Empress Dou and will send her over a little later,” the trusted aide said.
“Hmph.”
Li Xuantu coldly snorted. He knew about his second brother’s little moods, but there were some things that he did not have the right to decide.
“Tell Chengyi that I want to see Virtuous Empress Dou now. His intervention is not necessary for such things.”
“Your Highness, though Virtuous Empress Dou is important, this lowly subject believes that taking care of the Third Prince should be the first priority. With the passing of His Majesty, there have been strange movements in the palace, and the Third Prince will realize what has happened soon, if not already.
“If he really does have the decree or jade seal, then he will act soon. Speed is paramount in war. Virtuous Empress Dou is in Your Highness’s hands, so Your Highness should use this chance to strike swiftly and put an end to all sources of unrest, so that you can take the throne as soon as possible and bring peace to the realm!” the subordinate solemnly said.
Li Xuantu chuckled. He naturally understood these arguments.
“Relax; he can’t escape. We have already taken care of everything.”
Li Xuantu had begun to refer to himself in the plural. When the previous Emperor died, the Crown Prince became the next Emperor. All of this was right and proper.
Third Brother, the winner is king while the loser is a bandit! Don’t blame me for this!
Li Xuantu turned his gaze in the direction of Jade Dragon Palace.
……
Jade Dragon Palace was brightly lit.
Wang Haibin, wearing full armor, bowed and sternly said, “Your Highness, the Imperial Army has begun to move. In addition, our spies report that the First Prince has already arrived at Taiji Palace. He will probably make his move tonight. Your Highness’s well-being will depend on this battle!”
The air in the hall was tense and jittery.
The Tang Emperor had passed, and though Jade Dragon Palace had realized it a little late, it had also received the reports. At the moment it received the news, Jade Dragon Palace was bursting with soldiers, and the air was incredibly tense.
Everyone understood that tonight would be the most crucial moment in the struggle for the throne. When the sun rose tomorrow, the Great Tang would welcome its true sovereign.
Only one of the Princes could ascend to the Supreme Throne of the Nine and Five in Taihe Palace, and before this, the Imperial Palace was certain to run with rivers of blood.
Li Taiyi stood tall and motionless.
Wang Jiuling stepped forward. “Your Highness, restrain your grief. Expediency is key, and you must act quickly.”
Though he was wearing a scholarly robe, he was clearly wearing a suit of armor beneath it.
Their lives were at stake, and the winner would be a king while the loser would be a bandit. Everyone’s lives, including the Third Prince’s, would be decided by tonight’s battle.
Li Taiyi took in a deep breath and quickly focused himself.
His father truly had left like this. Although Li Taiyi had expected this development from the moment the Tang Emperor fell unconscious, he still could not help but feel sorrow when it actually transpired.
But Li Taiyi knew that this was not the time to be overcome by grief.
“Have all the arrangements been made?” Li Taiyi quickly asked.
His voice was deep and composed, infused with a powerful force. All of his negative emotions were expelled.
“Your Highness, Zhangchou Jianqiong and Zhang Shougui are arriving with reinforcements, but their military authority is limited, so they can’t bring many soldiers. In total, they have around ten thousand. They should arrive at the city gates in an hour,” Abusi said.
Zhang Shougui and Zhangchou Jianqiong, as border generals, were not easily mobilized, nor could they be summoned to Jade Dragon Palace. Only Abusi, because he was a Turk, had things easier.
“It’s enough,” Li Taiyi indifferently said.
Although ten thousand soldiers seemed like nothing compared to the Imperial Army, this was not a real battlefield, and what would ultimately decide the battle was not the number of soldiers each side had.
“What of the guards outside the palace?” Li Taiyi quickly asked.
“Your Highness, amidst the one hundred thousand soldiers of the Imperial Army, we currently control around seven thousand. I have already ordered them to be on their guard and to protect Your Highness,” Wang Haibin said with a bow. “But the First Prince is the Crown Prince, and all of the Imperial Army is under his command. With our current forces, contending against the First Prince will be… very difficult.” His expression was grave.
The Imperial Army consisted of one hundred thousand elites. The Third Prince, relying on his achievements on the battlefield and the help of Virtuous Empress Dou, had only managed to control the seven thousand men placed around Jade Dragon Palace, and this was because Wang Haibin had been able to get in touch with his old friends in the Imperial Army.
Such a small force was not enough to fight against the First Prince.
Wang Haibin paused before adding, “The Emperor has passed, but the Crown Prince has yet to find a proper reason to use the Imperial Army against Your Highness. However, it won’t be long until he does.”
The First Prince had always had an excellent reputation in society and had extremely high prestige. If he used the Imperial Army against the Third Prince without a proper reason, this would leave a giant stain on his reputation once he took the throne. This was the only reason the Imperial Palace remained quiet at this time.
But everyone knew that this was simply the calm before the storm.
Li Taiyi placed his hands behind his back, his eyes flashing with a wise light.
“Soon,” Li Taiyi suddenly said.
Whoosh!
A flapping of wings came from outside, and then a bird flew through the window and into Li Taiyi’s hand.
Li Taiyi opened the letter, and as he glanced at it, his heart sank.
“Reporting!”
A flurry of footsteps came from outside, and then a guard frantically rushed in.
“Your Highness, His Majesty has summoned you for an audience.”
Buzz!
This news went off like a boom of thunder, causing the entire hall to buzz.
Everyone knew that the Tang Emperor had passed, so where had this decree come from?
“It’s the First Prince. He’s fabricated an imperial decree!”
Wang Haibin paled as he looked over at Li Taiyi.
This was an open scheme. The Emperor had passed away, but all of the news had been locked down, and the only ones who knew were the First Prince, Second Prince, and Third Prince.
In the current situation, if the Third Prince refused, he would be defying an imperial decree, and the First Prince would have sufficient reason to move against Jade Dragon Palace.
And if he did go to the audience, the Third Prince would be entering alone, casting himself into the net.
The First Prince was finally about to make his move!
“Your Highness, what does the letter say?” Wang Jiuling said, his eyes turning to the letter in Li Taiyi’s hand.
“Our spies in the Eastern Palace have sent word that Virtuous Empress Dou is imprisoned in the Eastern Palace. In addition, this letter… though it comes from our people, it does not carry our secret sign,” Li Taiyi said.
Upon hearing this, Wang Jiuling immediately understood that the writer of this letter was not their spy, but First Prince Li Xuantu. He was bluntly telling Li Taiyi that he had Virtuous Empress Dou and that Li Taiyi would have to think carefully about his decision.
Entering the palace meant death, and so did not entering the palace, and he also had to consider Virtuous Empress Dou. Li Taiyi did not have many options.
“Your Highness.”
Wang Jiuling looked at Li Taiyi, his heart heavy. This was bad news no matter how one looked at it.
“I understand how to proceed. Let us discuss the matter of Taiji Palace first,” Li Taiyi said.
HIs eyes were composed, as if he had already calculated everything.
Thump!
Li Taiyi flicked his finger, sending two bolts of purple energy shooting out to snap two threads tied around a scroll. As the threads snapped, a map of the Great Tang capital unrolled across from the main door of Jade Dragon Palace.
The defensive arrangements of the capital, including those of the Imperial Army, were clearly marked on this giant map, many of them with additional notes written in red.
This was a strategic map that only the members of Jade Dragon Palace understood the meaning of.
The unrolling of this map had some magical power, drawing everyone’s eyes to it.
“Wang Jiuling, Wang Haibin, Abusi… I entrust this next part to you,” Li Taiyi sternly said.
“Yes!”
All of them bowed.
