Li Yuan stared at him for a moment, then turned his gaze to Li Shimin, who hadn’t spoken a word: “Shimin, is this your intention?”

Li Shimin said calmly: “This son believes that to preserve the Great Tang’s foundation and ensure the stability of the realm, selecting and establishing a Crown Prince is beyond reproach. As for this son, although lacking in talent and virtue, I am also willing to shoulder this heavy responsibility, carry on Father Emperor’s will, and protect the realm and state.”

All along, Li Shimin had given Li Yuan the impression of not competing or striving for anything. Even when he learned from Li Yuanji that Li Shimin had rebellious intentions, this impression remained the same. Therefore, when Li Shimin agreed without hesitation to Zhangsun Shi’s proposal, Li Yuan was so shocked he couldn’t speak.

After a long while, Li Yuan said coldly: “What if I don’t permit it?”

Li Shimin looked at him, his expression as calm as before: “Elder brother and fourth brother rebelled against their superior, and no longer have the qualifications to inherit the imperial throne. Even the other brothers are still young and cannot bear such great responsibility. Father Emperor can only choose this son alone!”

“Outrageous!” Li Yuan slammed his hand heavily on the table, stood up abruptly, and stared at him fiercely: “You keep saying that Jiancheng and Yuanji committed treason and rebellion, but what about you? How are you any better than them?”

Li Shimin met his eyes that seemed ready to spew forth flames of anger: “This son doesn’t understand Father Emperor’s meaning!”

“At this point, you still feign confusion with me?” Li Yuan laughed coldly, walked before Li Shimin, and said word by word: “You have exactly the same thoughts as Jiancheng and the others – all treasonous palace-forcing, except you’re cleverer than them. You actually succeeded in bribing Chang He, and even I was deceived by you! Fu Yi said you wanted to seize the world, and indeed he wasn’t wrong. With you being such a treasonous son and rebel minister, you still want me to pass the throne to you – it’s simply wishful thinking. I tell you, this Great Tang realm doesn’t belong to you, and you shouldn’t even think of laying a finger on it!”

Li Shimin didn’t respond to his scolding, only said indifferently: “Does Father Emperor think he still has a choice?”

This sentence, devoid of any anger, made Li Yuan’s face contort like a demon’s: “You want to kill me?”

Li Shimin bowed slightly: “This son wouldn’t dare. It’s just that Father Emperor is advanced in years and should enjoy his twilight years. Let this son handle court affairs!”

“You… you…” Li Yuan was so angry he couldn’t speak, bent over in a violent coughing fit. Gaoyang stepped forward to support him, but Li Yuan pushed him away forcefully. After the coughing stopped, Li Yuan straightened up and pointed at Li Shimin with heartbreak: “How did I raise you rebellious sons? Every one of you has a wolf’s heart and dog’s lungs. Had I known this would happen, I should have killed you all long ago!”

Du Ruhui said coldly: “If Your Majesty had killed the Prince of Qin, do you think this world would still belong to the Great Tang, to the Li clan?”

Li Yuan said hatefully: “You keep talking about his military achievements, but no matter how many military achievements there are, they cannot cover up the fact that he is a rebellious minister and traitor today!”

Li Shimin raised his hand to stop Du Ruhui’s words and said in a condensed voice: “The reason this son has become a rebellious minister and traitor today is entirely because Father Emperor forced it!”

Li Yuan laughed coldly: “You certainly have a sharp tongue, actually pushing the matter onto me. Could it be that I held a knife to force you to rebel?”

“All along, this son never thought of inheriting the imperial throne or sitting in that position in the Taiji Hall. But the Crown Prince and Prince of Qi were jealous of my military achievements and constantly slandered this son before Father Emperor. Father Emperor, as the sovereign of a dynasty, cannot distinguish right from wrong, black from white, and believed the Crown Prince’s rumors, thinking this son had treasonous intentions. You sidelined this son until Liu Wuzhou rebelled and no one in court could suppress him, then you were forced to reemploy this son. But even so, you still guarded against this son everywhere. Father Emperor, in all these years, have you ever truly trusted this son for even a moment?”

Li Yuan said coldly: “Today you’ve brought people to storm the palace and force me to establish you as Crown Prince – is this still called a rumor?”

“This son has said that reaching this step was entirely because Father Emperor forced it. If this son hadn’t acted thus today, I fear tomorrow I would have had my noble rank stripped away and be confined to my residence forever!”

Li Yuan’s expression froze, then he shouted: “Even if that were true, it would be your own doing!”

Yuchi Jingde, seeing them going back and forth endlessly, said impatiently: “Your Highness, why say more to him? Just directly make him hand over military power and establish you as Crown Prince. If he refuses, just put him under house arrest!”

Li Yuan was so enraged by his extremely arrogant words that his whole body trembled. If looks could kill, Yuchi Jingde would have died countless times already.

Li Shimin was silent for a moment, then said: “Please, Father Emperor, issue the edict!”

How could Li Yuan agree? He said hatefully: “If you want me to establish you, this rebellious son, as Crown Prince – impossible!” Although the Taiji Palace was currently controlled by Li Shimin, there were still hundreds of thousands of troops outside the city. As long as the army knew Li Shimin had rebelled, they would immediately enter the city to protect the emperor. Li Shimin’s forces, even including the Imperial Guards, were only a few tens of thousands – how could they possibly match hundreds of thousands of troops?

Liu Hongji saw through his thoughts and said: “This subject advises Your Majesty to abandon this notion.”

Li Yuan’s expression changed: “What do you mean?”

“Indeed, with the tens of thousands of men His Highness currently has, he truly cannot compare to hundreds of thousands of troops. But Your Majesty has forgotten that in this world, besides military tallies, there’s another thing called ‘people’s hearts.’ Among the hundreds of thousands of soldiers stationed outside the city, which one hasn’t followed the Prince of Qin into battle? Which one hasn’t fought bloody battles alongside the Prince of Qin? The name of War God has long been carved into every soldier’s heart. Does Your Majesty think they would really point their swords at the Prince of Qin?”

His words made Li Yuan’s face extremely ugly as he gritted his teeth: “No matter whom they’ve followed into battle, they remain soldiers of the Great Tang. How could they side with rebellious ministers and traitors?”

Liu Hongji smiled slightly: “If Your Majesty doesn’t believe it, you’re welcome to try. But this subject can guarantee that Your Majesty will definitely be disappointed!”

Hearing him block even his only remaining escape route, Li Yuan was so hateful he nearly went mad. Did he really have to do as they said – establish Li Shimin as Crown Prince and hand over the military power and imperial authority in his hands?

No, the Great Tang’s imperial throne belonged to him, and he would never allow this rebellious son to touch it!

Thinking this, Li Yuan hardened his heart and pointed at the high dragon throne in the hall, saying to Li Shimin sternly: “You want to sit on this chair? Fine! Kill me, then step over my corpse to sit on it!”

Yuchi Jingde couldn’t stand him the most. He struck his long spear heavily and stepped forward: “Do you think we don’t dare?”

“Don’t speak nonsense, withdraw!” After shouting back the unwilling Yuchi Jingde, Li Shimin met Li Yuan’s hate-filled gaze: “Father Emperor knows that this son will not and dare not kill you.”

Li Yuan said coldly: “You already dare to bring people to force the palace – what else can’t you do!”

Just as the situation reached an impasse, Pei Ji cupped his hands and said: “Your Highness, may this subject speak privately with His Majesty?”