Li Yuan remained unmoved by his words. Just as Zhou Quan was about to be dragged away, Wan Shi said softly: “Your Majesty, this consort has heard that experienced midwives can verify whether a woman has given birth or had a miscarriage. Why not summon one to examine Consort De? Besides this, we could also summon the palace maids around Consort De for questioning.”

Before Li Yuan could speak, Li Jiancheng suddenly shouted: “Enough! No need to examine further. Let everything end here!” Then he said: “I confess – I saw Consort De’s beauty and harbored evil intentions. I violated her and caused her to become pregnant.”

At these words, the entire Taiji Hall fell silent, all eyes falling on Li Jiancheng alone. Li Yuanji was the first to recover, rushing to him and saying frantically: “Elder Brother, have you gone mad? You never did such a thing – they are framing you!” Though Li Yuanji was unclear about the affair between Li Jiancheng and Yin Shi, he knew something about it. But he never expected Li Jiancheng would admit it before everyone. Having private relations with imperial concubines was a capital offense – even as Crown Prince, Father Emperor would not easily forgive him. Elder Brother had simply gone mad.

Li Jiancheng said sorrowfully: “If I don’t admit it for even a moment, Noble Consort and the Prince of Qin will keep pressing relentlessly, continuously implicating innocent people until they convict Consort De and me.” Speaking thus, he raised his eyes to Li Yuan, whose expression was complex, and said chokingly: “If Father Emperor considers your son a shameless, lustful person, then just have your son dragged out and executed. Your son has nothing to say!”

Li Yuanji said urgently: “Father Emperor, they clearly want to divert your attention to make you forget about Second Brother’s plot to seize the throne. You must not fall for their scheme!”

Li Yuan remained silent with a gloomy expression. Each claimed innocence and accused the other of framing – he didn’t know whom to believe, or perhaps… neither side was trustworthy!

At this moment, Li Shimin also steeled his heart and knelt: “Your son personally witnessed the Crown Prince and Consort De behaving intimately. If I am lying, your son is willing to die as penance!”

“Li Shimin!” Li Jiancheng said hatefully: “How have I wronged you that you would slander me so, defaming Consort De’s reputation? Everything you do is merely for the Eastern Palace position. I’ll give it to you – I’ll give you everything!” As he spoke, he removed the nine-pearl golden crown from his hair that represented the Eastern Palace position and forcefully threw it at Li Shimin, gritting his teeth: “Take it! From now on, our brotherhood is severed!”

Li Shimin picked up the golden crown that had rolled to the ground and silently looked at Li Jiancheng, who was disheveled and filled with grief and anger. After a long while, he closed his eyes and said painfully: “If mother’s spirit in heaven sees us brothers like this, she surely cannot rest in peace!”

Li Jiancheng shouted sternly: “You have no right to mention mother! When you descend to the underworld someday, you won’t have the face to see her!” Then he took a deep breath and knelt before Li Yuan: “Father Emperor, everything was caused by your son. Your son is willing to accept the death penalty, only begging Father Emperor not to implicate the innocent!”

Li Yuanji said hastily: “Father Emperor, Li Shimin first conspired with Xia Houduan to deceive Father Emperor, wanting to seize the Great Tang realm. Then he conspired with Noble Consort Wan to fabricate lies about Elder Brother’s affair with Consort De. His intentions are vicious – he is the one who deserves death most!”

“Your Majesty…” Wan Shi had only said two words when Li Yuan raised his hand to stop her. He rubbed his throbbing forehead and said with closed eyes: “I am very tired. You may all withdraw. We will confront each other again in three days. During this time, you might as well find evidence properly, rather than always speaking empty words.”

Li Yuanji, fearing things would change with delay, hastily said: “Father Emperor, the matter is already clear. What more confrontation is needed!”

“I don’t need you to teach me how to conduct affairs!” After this rebuke, Li Yuan waved his hand: “All of you withdraw!”

Seeing Li Yuan’s mind was made up, Li Jiancheng and the others had to withdraw. Though Wan Shi wanted to stay, she knew that no matter what she said now, Li Yuan would not fully believe her.

Seeing Li Yuan’s unpleasant expression, Gaoyang said quietly: “Your Majesty, would you like to rest for a while?”

Li Yuan waved his hand and looked at the now empty hall below: “Go tell the secret guards to thoroughly investigate the Crown Prince and Prince of Qin. I want to know everything about them. Also, deploy two more people into the palace to investigate Noble Consort and Consort De!”

At this moment, the only ones he could completely trust were the secret guards he had personally cultivated. When he had Li Jiancheng and the others withdraw earlier, he had already decided to entrust this matter to the secret guards.

As Gaoyang went to relay Li Yuan’s instructions, Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin were confronting each other silently at the palace gates. After a long while, Li Jiancheng suddenly clapped his hands: “Good, truly good! I never expected you, who I always thought was woman-hearted, to hide such a sharp blade. Formidable, truly formidable!”

Li Shimin said expressionlessly: “Speaking of formidable, how could I compare to the Crown Prince, who stops at nothing to achieve his goals?”

Li Jiancheng raised an eyebrow: “What, you won’t even call me Elder Brother now?”

“The Crown Prince has long since ceased to regard me as a younger brother. Why should I shamefully continue calling you Elder Brother?” Facing Li Shimin’s words, Li Jiancheng smiled slightly: “If not for today, I wouldn’t have known that you’re not only formidable at warfare, but also at verbal sparring and fabricating stories.”

“Whether the Consort De matter was fabricated by me, the Crown Prince knows best.” He looked down at the nine-pearl golden crown still gripped in his hand and said slowly: “Before today, though I had some dissatisfaction, I always believed the Eastern Palace position belonged to none but you. But now…” He released his hand, letting the crown fall to the ground. “You are unworthy!”

Li Yuanji, who had been holding back his anger, could no longer contain himself upon hearing this and scolded: “What are you to dare speak to Elder Brother like this!”

Li Shimin said coldly: “And what are you? Rather than being a proper person, you insist on being a dog at the Crown Prince’s side!”

Seeing him compare himself to a dog, Li Yuanji flushed with anger. As he was about to speak, Li Shimin spoke first: “If one’s conduct is not upright, commands will not be obeyed. If the Great Tang realm falls into your hands, it will inevitably meet the same fate as the former Sui!” After finishing these words, he departed with a flick of his sleeves, unwilling to look at them again.

Li Yuanji was so angry he nearly went mad. He wanted to rush forward but was held back by Li Jiancheng: “Don’t act rashly!”

“Elder Brother, you heard his words. He not only called me a dog but compared you to that tyrant surnamed Yang. I cannot swallow this insult!”

“Even if you can’t swallow it, you must!” Li Jiancheng said coldly: “Acting here will only ruin everything!”

“I’m not afraid – at most I’ll be exiled.” He struggled forcefully but couldn’t break free from Li Jiancheng’s restraint, saying angrily: “Elder Brother, you…”

“If you had killed Shimin before today, indeed you would at most be exiled. But now it’s different. If you act, Father Emperor will think we’re killing to silence him. Then my affair with Consort De will be confirmed in Father Emperor’s eyes. Do you think under such circumstances, he would still pass the throne to me?”