My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 340: Three Sons Fight for Succession
"Fourth brother, we can't lose."

"Send the guards up."

Li Zhi said through gritted teeth.

The personal guards of the Tang princes are naturally the elite among the elite, and their combat effectiveness is comparable to that of the palace guards.

You should know that in the Tang Dynasty during this period, those who could become the Imperial Guards had basically participated in many battles and had won many military merits.

As legitimate sons, the same was true for the personal guards of the King of Wei and the King of Jin.

"Your and my personal guards combined only have 300 people. Is that enough?"

Li Tai hesitated slightly.

Li Zhi immediately replied: "Fourth brother, the prince only has one thousand soldiers and three hundred people charging at the enemy will be enough."

In fact, up to this point, Li Chengqian only had more than 600 troops.

The Shenwu Army is powerful, but facing enemies that are several times their number and have no difference in armaments and physical fitness, the fact that they have persisted until now and still have the advantage is already very impressive.

The Wei-Jin coalition suffered at least thousands of casualties.

Now Li Zhi wants to use these pro-health forces to turn the situation around.

"it is good."

Li Tai agreed immediately.

They cannot lose. If they lose, one thing they will lose is the position of crown prince, but most likely, even their lives will be lost.

Back then, when Li Shimin launched the Xuanwu Gate Incident, not only Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji were executed, but also their wives and children, leaving no trace of trouble behind.

It is obvious that Li Chengqian now wants to take this path.

What's more, this time they were the ones who started the attack first, which even gave Li Chengqian enough reasons to take action.

After killing Li Tai and Li Zhi, he could have easily shirked responsibility, saying it was just for self-protection.

Of course, the winner takes all.

Whoever wins is qualified to speak the truth.

Those who fail have no say.

Give an order.

The personal guards who were originally protecting the King of Wei and the King of Jin immediately jumped on their horses and joined the battle.

The arrival of this fresh force did boost the morale of the Wei-Jin coalition forces, and the situation began to change.

Under the charge led by the personal guards, the unstoppable momentum of the Shenwu Army suddenly came to a halt.

The three hundred guards were like a sharp blade with a cold glow, swiftly cutting into the Shenwu Army's seemingly unbreakable defense line.

They were wearing specially made steel armor, and under the sunlight, the surface of the armor glowed coldly.

The long spears in their hands stood in a forest, and every thrust was wrapped in an unstoppable momentum. The war horses neighed loudly, and the dust raised by the horses' hooves filled the sky above the battlefield. The deafening shouts of the guards made everyone's eardrums hurt.

Seeing this, Li Tai said to Li Zhi with some pride: "The armaments of our personal guards are all thanks to the crown prince. Without his sledgehammer, we wouldn't be so good."

"Using the weapon made by my elder brother against my elder brother is really a tit-for-tat."

The sledgehammer that Li Tai mentioned was the hydraulic forging hammer in the East Palace.

After Li Shimin went to the Eastern Palace and saw this thing, he asked the craftsmen to make it as well.

Although I don't know the principle, it's still no problem to follow the example.

The fine steel armor and spears forged by the hydraulic forging hammer were naturally supplied first to the palace guards, including the prince's personal guards.

In front, facing this group of personal guards, Su Dingfang frowned slightly: "Pass the order, make sure to stop them."

Although the Shenwu Army is brave, they are not invincible.

Fighting on the battlefield consumes the most physical energy. Even if you are riding on a horse, after a fierce battle, 70% to 80% of your strength will be gone.

The Royal Guards had been watching the battle from the sidelines, so they were full of energy.

Coupled with the advantage in numbers, the balance of victory gradually tilted towards the Wei-Jin coalition forces.

"Come on, too."

Li Chengqian gave instructions to Chen Yunchao who was guarding nearby.

The Prince’s Left Marshal Chen Yunchao.

He has always been the commander of Li Chengqian's personal guards.

From the Eastern Palace to Liaodong, and then from Liaodong to Luoyang.

Chen Yunchao himself seems to be somewhat unknown, and there is not much to note in his military achievements.

However, no matter who it is under Li Chengqian's command, not even Su Dingfang, no one would look down on Chen Yunchao.

To be able to reach the position of Prince Zuo Nei Lieu, loyalty is not only a requirement, personal ability is also a very important factor.

"Yes, Your Highness."

After receiving the order, Chen Yunchao took the lead and led the one hundred guards into the battlefield like a whirlwind.

Their armor gleamed golden in the sunlight.

The long sword in his hand flashed with a cold light, completely different from the spears of ordinary guards, and exuded a sharp and ruthless aura.

The war horses' hooves were galloping, raising dust wherever they went, and in an instant they came into close combat with the personal guards of the Wei and Jin coalition forces.

The offensive of the personal guards of the King of Wei and the King of Jin, who originally had the upper hand, was suddenly hindered the moment this new force joined.

Chen Yunchao was agile and strong, like a god of war on horseback. He swung the long sword in his hand, and the cold light flashed, bringing up pieces of blood.

His swordsmanship was extremely brutal, and every time he struck, he would accurately cut through the gaps in the armor and aim at the enemy's vital points. However, in the blink of an eye, many guards of the Wei-Jin coalition fell down with screams.

This fierce attack threw the guards of the Wei-Jin coalition into disarray, and the situation on the battlefield instantly became deadlocked.

"Chen Yunchao is so brave."

Li Tai felt a little bit unbelievable. He naturally knew Chen Yunchao, but in Li Tai's mind, this guy was a taciturn person who could hardly say a few words on weekdays.

The only thing worthy of praise is that he listens to the prince very much.

But for these princes, when have they ever lacked obedient people?
It was not until now that he realized that Chen Yunchao had such powerful force.

Li Chengqian's personal guards, under the leadership of Chen Yunchao, worked in perfect harmony. They worked in groups of three, supporting each other and advancing and retreating in an orderly manner.

The spear and the long sword cooperate with each other. The spear is responsible for stabbing and restraining, while the long sword seizes the opportunity and quickly reaps the enemy's life.

Although their numbers were far less than those of the Wei-Jin coalition's personal guards, they were like sharp wedges, forcibly blocking the enemy's offensive.

It was at this time that Chai Lingwu rode his horse to Li Tai's side and observed the battlefield situation with a serious expression. After a moment, he approached Li Tai and whispered: "King Wei, look at the prince's army. Everyone is very brave. Although we have the advantage in numbers, it will be difficult for us to win by frontal attack."

"In my opinion, we should adopt the method of rotating battles. With our abundant forces, we can take turns to fight and constantly consume the manpower and physical strength of the prince's side. In this way, even if they have high morale, they will not be able to last long."

Li Tai's eyes lit up and he said, "Good plan. Let's do as you say." Li Zhi also nodded in agreement.

In fact, many of the generals on Li Tai and Li Zhi's side also understood the art of war.

But at the beginning, everyone thought it would be easy this time.

After all, they were in secret, ambushing the prince, and they had several times more troops.

We are all the elite of the Tang Dynasty and have our own pride.

Even if they fight alone, they can easily win.

But who would have thought that the Liaodong soldiers on the prince's side were not only not inferior to them, the elite troops of the Tang Dynasty, but also advanced and retreated in an orderly manner in battle formations. In contrast, they became scattered guerrillas.

Although Chai Lingwu was the son of Chai Shao, he was not very outstanding in military affairs and had never participated in any wars.

This suggestion was not thought up by Chai Lingwu, but by the soldiers under his command.

Following the order, the Wei-Jin coalition forces began to change their formation.

Thousands of soldiers were divided into three groups.

After fighting for a while, the soldiers in the front row immediately retreated, and the second row took over, followed by the third row, and the battle continued like this.

Suddenly, the number of casualties of the Wei-Jin coalition forces began to increase.

After all, it took more troops to hold on before, but now the troops are suddenly reduced, which is equivalent to five or six people fighting one, but now it becomes two or three against one, which is naturally more difficult.

However, in just a moment, the Wei-Jin coalition forces suddenly became brave.

No, it was not that the Wei-Jin coalition forces became more brave, but that the soldiers on Li Chengqian's side gradually lost their strength.

With a temporary rest during the halftime, the Wei and Jin soldiers naturally had an advantage in physical strength.

The huge gap in numbers is ultimately an insurmountable chasm.

As time went on, the casualties on Li Chengqian's side began to increase.

Although the prince's personal guards were all fearless and brave, their defense line gradually began to loosen in the face of the influx of the Wei-Jin coalition's personal guards.

The battlefield was filled with shouts of killing and blood splattered everywhere.

Relying on their large numbers, the Wei and Jin armies launched continuous and fierce attacks.

Like surging waves, one after another, they continuously impacted the seemingly solid but actually fragile defense line of Li Chengqian's personal guards.
-
Palace garden.

This is the temporary palace chosen by the court officials for the prince.

Dozens of court officials were waiting here for the prince's arrival.

But, wouldn’t they be aware of the chaos on Suzaku Street?

Most officials naturally did not know this, but Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling and others certainly knew it.

Because people kept coming to report the current battle situation on Suzaku Street to Changsun Wuji and others.

Chu Suiliang's face lit up when the latest news came, and he said, "Everyone, although His Majesty has not yet dealt with the Crown Prince's rebellion, he also said that restoring his position as Crown Prince is only a delaying tactic."

"Now he is fighting with the two princes in the street again. It is obvious that he is still harboring evil intentions!"

"In my opinion, we should follow His Majesty's wishes and take this opportunity to assist the King of Wei and capture the Crown Prince in one fell swoop to prevent future troubles!"

"The King of Wei has a reputation for being a virtuous man. He recruits talented people and studies the strategies of governing a country. He cares about the world. If he can ascend to the position of crown prince, he will surely lead the Tang Dynasty to a more prosperous future."

"On the other hand, the Crown Prince has committed the grave sin of treason. Even if he is reinstated as Crown Prince, who can guarantee that he will not revert to his old ways and do something that harms the court again?"

Chu Suiliang hoped to take advantage of the King of Wei's advantage at this time and persuade everyone to directly support the King of Wei.

In this way, there will be no variables on Suzaku Street.

Once the imperial guards are dispatched, no matter how powerful the prince is, he will be of no use.

As soon as he finished speaking, Wei Zheng stood up and scolded Chu Suiliang: "This is ridiculous! You keep saying that the prince is still treacherous, but why don't you think about who started this war first?"

"The King of Wei and the King of Jin actually openly ambushed and attacked the Crown Prince. How is this different from treason?"

"As the crown prince, even if he made mistakes, it was His Majesty who personally decided on the matter. When is it their turn to resort to force in private?"

"The prince was appointed as the crown prince at a young age. Over the years, under the careful teaching of Your Majesty, he has been familiar with the classics, history, and literature, and has the ambition to govern the country and bring peace to the nation. Although he made a mistake due to his momentary confusion, he also demonstrated his extraordinary ability to govern during his time as regent, reducing taxes, building water conservancy projects, and doing many practical things for the people."

"Since Your Majesty has restored his position as Crown Prince, it means that you still have hope for him and believe that he can reform. As ministers, we should do our best to ensure the integrity of the court and the stability of the royal family, instead of aiding and abetting such treasonous acts!"

Chu Suiliang was not to be outdone. He took a step forward, blushing and retorting, "Duke Wei, you can't say that!"

"The King of Wei is a wise man who cares only about the Tang Dynasty. How could he commit treason?"

"It is obvious that the Crown Prince is stubborn and wants to keep the Crown Prince position that does not belong to him, which forced the King of Wei and the King of Jin to take action."

"This is for the future of the Tang Dynasty and for the stability of your majesty's rule!"

"The King of Wei is respectful to the wise and humble, and many knowledgeable people in the court are willing to serve him."

"The many reforms he proposed are all in line with current problems. If they can be implemented, the Tang Dynasty will surely become rich and powerful. On the other hand, the crown prince is surrounded by flatterers. If he is restored to the throne, the court may fall into chaos again.

Wei Zheng was so angry that he was shaking all over. He pointed at Chu Suiliang and shouted, "Chu Suiliang, you are confusing right and wrong!"

"The Crown Prince's talents are known to the world, but you are here slandering him. Are you so partial to the King of Wei? Is it for the sake of the Tang Dynasty or for your own selfish interests? Are you trying to gain a high position and enjoy wealth and glory after the King of Wei ascends the throne?"

Chu Suiliang's face turned pale and red, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Wei Zheng, don't slander me!"

"I, Chu Suiliang, am loyal to Your Majesty, as the sun and the moon can attest."

"Supporting the King of Wei is entirely out of consideration for the Tang Dynasty."

"The talent of the King of Wei is far superior to that of the Crown Prince, and he is deeply loved by Your Majesty."

"You are so protective of the prince, isn't it because there is something between you and the prince that cannot be revealed to others?"

Faced with the confrontation between the two, Changsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling lowered their heads and remained silent, as if they had not seen anything.

Changsun Wuji thought that it would be best if Prince Jin succeeded to the throne of Crown Prince.

Fang Xuanling was a shrewd man and would naturally not easily express his opinion before things were completely settled.

After all, the prince has given too many surprises. Although the King of Wei and the King of Jin have the upper hand for a while, it is completely meaningless to get involved before the result comes out.

However, at this time, Li Jing said: “Sending troops to help either side so rashly may cause greater chaos.”

"But whether it's the Crown Prince, or the King of Wei, or the King of Jin, if anything goes wrong, when Your Majesty wakes up, they will definitely blame us for not doing anything."

When Changsun Wuji heard Li Jing's words, he knew that he could no longer pretend not to know.

As the first meritorious official, he was the one that His Majesty blamed the most after he woke up.

After all, he is the uncle of the Crown Prince, King of Wei, and King of Jin.

It is unacceptable to sit back and watch my three nephews fight to death.

(End of this chapter)