98: Li Shimin was betrayed by his relatives and friends

Li Chengqian, however, did not spare them another glance; even one more look would be an insult to himself. He raised his head again, his gaze once more fixed on Li Shimin, his eyes filled with cruel pity, as if watching a pathetic joke.

“Father Emperor.”

He spoke slowly, his tone terrifyingly calm.

“Open your eyes and look.”

He stretched out a finger, pointing distantly at Li Taixu and the trembling Officials behind him.

“Look at them! These are the Ministers you rely on! These are the pillars you believe to be loyal and righteous!”

“Look again, every single one of them, whose knees are straight? Whose backbone is stiff?”

“This is the result of you rather believing them than believing me!”

Every word from Li Chengqian was a heavy hammer, fiercely striking Li Shimin’s already tottering mental defenses.

Li Shimin followed his finger.

He saw it.

He saw Li Taixu’s old face filled with a mixture of fear and flattery, and the lowly appearance of those aristocratic Officials, as if they wished to prostrate themselves completely.

These people, just half an hour ago, had sworn to him that the Five Surnames and Seven Clans would pledge their lives to him and be irreconcilable with the Crown Prince!

But now?

Betrayal!

Naked betrayal!

A humiliation and rage even stronger than when his son had just pointed a finger at him and called him a “rebel” exploded in Li Shimin’s chest!

His eyes were so red they seemed to drip blood, and his face, pale from blood loss, was twisted into a hideous shape.

“Good… good!”

He laughed in extreme anger, his laughter hoarse and mournful.

“My loyal Ministers! My trusted aides!”

He suddenly turned around, using all his strength, and let out a final roar at the group of terrified Officials behind him:

“Who! With me! Will kill this fiend!”

The despair and madness in his voice made everyone who heard it tremble.

“Who is willing to face this national crisis with me!”

Clang—!

A clear Dragon’s roar.

The Son of Heaven’s Sword, symbolizing the Supreme and the power of the realm, was suddenly drawn by Li Shimin from his waist!

The blade reflected a chilling cold light under the fire, its edge pointing directly at Li Chengqian below the city!

At this moment, on the Xuanwu Gate tower, there was dead silence.

The sound of the wind, the crackling of burning torches, and the heavy breathing of tens of thousands of soldiers below the city were all swallowed by this sudden silence.

No one answered.

Not a single person stepped forward.

Not a single person dared to take a step.

Behind Li Shimin, those civil and military Officials, those imperial relatives, were now like puppets under a freezing spell.

Zhangsun Wuji clenched his fists tightly, his nails deeply embedded in his palms, yet his feet felt as if they were filled with lead, unable to move.

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, the two Chancellors of the Great Tang, simultaneously lowered their heads, avoiding the Emperor’s eyes that were almost spitting fire. They knew clearly that the tide had turned; any resistance at this moment would only be a futile suicide.

Even seasoned generals like Qin Qiong and Cheng Yaojin, who had experienced countless battles, now stood in silence. They could shed their last drop of blood for the Great Tang, but they could not make any choice in this tragic fratricide. What’s more, the deterrence brought by the three thousand Bad People below the city was enough to make any army hesitate.

Everyone was silent.

This silence was the most cruel torture for an Emperor.

Li Shimin’s sword-holding hand trembled violently.

His bloodshot eyes slowly, one by one, scanned the familiar faces behind him.

He saw fear.

He saw evasion.

He saw numbness.

He even saw… relief in the eyes of some?

He did not see loyalty.

Not an iota.

“Ah—!”

Li Shimin let out a mournful roar that sounded inhuman, looking up at the sky.

Uncontrollable rage!

The towering rage and boundless despair could no longer find any outlet, finally transforming into a madness that would destroy everything. He gripped the Son of Heaven’s Sword, his crimson eyes fixed on Li Chengqian below the city, as if he wanted to devour him alive.

“Rebel! Rebel! I will personally kill you today!”

He roared, holding his sword, and actually staggered, trying to rush down the city wall!

An Emperor who had lost all support, to challenge his son who commanded a million strong army, alone.

This was no longer bravery, but utter madness.

It was the elegy of an Emperor at the end of his road.

But Li Shimin’s steps, after only two, froze in place.

He was not stopped by anyone.

What stopped him was a sudden, bone-chilling coldness.

It did not come from the night wind, but from his rebellious son.

Below the city tower, Li Chengqian slowly raised his head.

He didn’t even spare a glance for his father, who was acting like a madman.

His gaze, cold as frost, pierced through the flickering firelight and the chaotic figures, falling directly on Zhangsun Wuji, Li Taixu, and the group of aristocratic Officials.

The next instant, Li Chengqian moved.

Without the aid of any tools, he merely lightly tapped his toe on the stirrup, and his entire being floated up like a weightless feather.

His figure traced an elegant and deadly arc in the night sky, silently landing on the Xuanwu Gate tower.

“Thump.”

A soft sound, like the first beat of a war drum, struck everyone’s heart.

Where he landed, he was no more than ten paces away from the trembling Officials of the Five Surnames and Seven Clans.

Li Chengqian held a sword in his hand, its scabbard ancient and unadorned, yet his presence was even more sharp-edged than a drawn blade.

He took a step forward.

“Crash—”

The Officials, led by Li Taixu, the head of the Longxi Li Clan, were hit by an invisible giant wave, and collectively took a large step back. Some lost their footing, bumping clumsily into the people behind them, causing a flurry of muffled grunts and gasps.

The last trace of color on their faces instantly drained away, leaving only the pallor of death.

Li Chengqian took another step forward.

They, in turn, retreated another step in terror.

This scene was comically absurd.

On one side, leisurely strolling, calm and composed.

On the other, Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, every step filled with trepidation.

Li Chengqian stopped, a very faint, yet incredibly sarcastic smile playing on his lips.

His voice was not loud, yet it clearly pierced into everyone’s ears, like steel needles dipped in ice.

“Why aren’t you shouting anymore? Where’s that vigor from earlier?”

He tilted his head, his gaze slowly shifting from Li Taixu’s bloodless old face to another Cui Clan Official, who was trembling like a sieve.

“I seem to recall, it was you, who shouted the loudest just now, saying you would… tear me to pieces?”

The Cui Clan Official dropped to his knees with a “plop,” his crotch quickly becoming wet, and a foul stench permeated the air.

He wept profusely, kowtowing like pounding garlic: “Your Highness, spare my life! Your Highness, spare my life! It… it was this old subject who was muddle-headed! This old subject deserves ten thousand deaths! This old subject spoke nonsense!”

Li Chengqian didn’t even glance at him again; he was just a nauseating puddle of mud.

His gaze refocused on Li Taixu.

“And you all.”

With the tip of his sword, unceremoniously, he drew a circle from afar, encompassing all the aristocratic Officials.

“Just now, weren’t you all filled with righteous indignation, clamoring to execute me, this ‘rebellious subject and traitor’?”

He leaned forward, his tone suddenly turning chillingly cold, every word seemingly dredged from the netherworld.

“What, I’m standing right here now, where are your swords?”

“Where is your courage?”

No one dared to speak.