My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 342 Li Shimin's Calculation
It has come to this.

Of course, Li Chengqian would not let King Wei and King Jin go.

He is not a good guy.

Repaying resentment with virtue, why repay virtue?

Even if Li Shimin came, there would be nothing to say.

These two people brought this upon themselves.

"Your Highness."

Su Dingfang asked softly.

Li Chengqian knew what Su Dingfang meant. He glanced at the defeated Wei-Jin coalition army in the distance and said calmly, "Kill them."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Su Dingfang answered in a firm tone.

He was not worried that killing the King of Wei and the King of Jin would ruin the reputation of the Crown Prince, but he was worried that the Crown Prince would be too soft-hearted at this critical moment.

This is the best opportunity.

After receiving the order, Su Dingfang personally went into battle, leading a team of elite soldiers, bypassing the chaotic battlefield from the right side, and heading straight for the two kings of Wei and Jin, determined to take their heads.

The defeated Wei-Jin coalition had no resistance at all. Even the royal guards were powerless to stop Su Dingfang and his men when they saw them charging towards them.

At this time, Wei Wang Li Tai and Jin Wang Li Zhi, who were far away, witnessed Su Dingfang leading his elite troops to attack.

Li Tai's round face was as pale as paper at this moment.

He knew very well that this was Li Chengqian's order to kill him directly.

Li Zhi also had a look of despair on his face.

They wanted to escape, but how could they escape?

"Fourth brother... I'm afraid we're going to die here today."

Li Zhi's voice was trembling violently and he sounded like he was crying.

At this time he regretted very much, regretting that he should not have been greedy and wanted the position of crown prince.

If he always stands on the side of the eldest brother, he will naturally not treat him unfairly after he ascends the throne.

But I don’t know when ambition began to grow.

Until now, it's too late to regret.

In fact, Li Zhi didn't regret it, he was just afraid.

in a blink.

Su Dingfang, with his elite cavalry, had already arrived.

Li Tai no longer cared about his dignity as the King of Wei and shouted, "General Su, spare my life."

"Gold, silver, treasures, fertile fields, beautiful houses, whatever you want, I will give it to you with both hands!"

Li Zhi couldn't help but shout, "General Su, you have to think it over. If you kill me and my fourth brother, when the emperor wakes up, he will not let you go. Even my eldest brother can't save you."

"Only the eldest brother can kill us two."

The words of King Wei Li Tai did not shake Su Dingfang in the slightest.

However, Li Zhi's words made Su Dingfang pause slightly.

However, Su Dingfang quickly thought of it.

The Crown Prince Li Jiancheng was indeed killed by Your Majesty, but the Prince of Qi Li Yuanji was killed by Yuchi Jingde.

Isn’t Yuchi Jingde still alive and well now?
Now that he has killed the King of Wei and the King of Jin, he will surely become like Yuchi Jingde in the future.

Thinking of this, Su Dingfang no longer hesitated and rushed towards the King of Wei and the King of Jin.

Li Tai's heart trembled: "My life is over."

Li Zhi looked at Su Dingfang rushing towards him, his eyes trembling and his hands shaking violently.

However, it was at this critical moment.

A loud shout came out of nowhere.

"How dare you be so presumptuous!"

Suddenly, a large number of guards emerged from the surrounding streets.

Li Chengqian frowned.

This person is not from the King of Wei or the King of Jin.

Not the Jinwu Guard.

But the Northern Ya Imperial Guards.

The Sixteen Palace Guards and the Left and Right Yulin Army.

These imperial guards are usually responsible for guarding the palace.

The King of Wei and the King of Jin could not command them. The only one who could command them was Li Shimin.

The fierce general leading the group was none other than Yuchi Jingde.

Seeing that Su Dingfang was about to capture the King of Wei and the King of Jin, Yuchi Jingde took the lead and rushed straight towards Su Dingfang.

In terms of personal strength, Yuchi Jingde must be the most powerful general in the Tang Dynasty.

He is not a qualified commander, but when it comes to bravery, there are only a handful of people who can compare with him.

Yuchi Jingde always led the charge on the battlefield, saving the situation at critical moments many times.

In the battle with Wang Shichong, Li Shimin led a small number of cavalry to scout the enemy and encountered Wang Shichong's army. Wang Shichong's general Shan Xiongxin pointed his spear and aimed at Li Shimin. At this critical moment, Yuchi Jingde jumped out on his horse, shouted loudly, and stabbed Shan Xiongxin off his horse, protecting Li Shimin from the siege.

During the expedition against Liu Heita, Li Shimin was surrounded by Liu Heita's army. Yuchi Jingde led his troops into the siege, fought hard and rescued Li Shimin.

Once, in a duel with Qi Wang Li Yuanji, Li Yuanji was proud of his superior martial arts and his proficiency in using the horse lance, and wanted to humiliate Yuchi Jingde in front of everyone. However, Yuchi Jingde easily avoided Li Yuanji's attacks and took the lance from his hand many times. Although Li Yuanji was brave, he could not gain any advantage in front of Yuchi Jingde.

And now, Yuchi Jingde, holding a horse lance, rushed straight towards Su Dingfang.

Su Dingfang's martial arts skills are not bad, but compared with Yuchi Jingde, he is still a little inferior.

In desperation, they could only let the King of Wei and the King of Jin go and resist first.

However, a large number of royal guards came to support, numbering several thousand.

This was not something Li Chengqian's army, which only had 1,300 cavalry left, could resist.

The Left and Right Imperial Guards were the most elite cavalry of the Tang Dynasty.

Its predecessor was the Black Armor Army that Li Shimin dominated.

Every Yulin Guard has been strictly selected and has rich combat experience.

In terms of physical fitness, personal strength, and fighting will, they are all top-notch.

It can be said that even if they fight to the last man, the Yulin Guards will not retreat in the slightest.

This is their pride as the royal guards.

With the appearance of Yuchi Jingde, Cheng Yaojin also led his troops out and suppressed the military formation.

However, Yuchi Jingde and Chen Yaojin had no intention of fighting with Li Chengqian.

But after forcing them, they stopped.

Li Chengqian looked at the surging Yulin Guards and frowned slightly.
-
Tai Chi Hall.

The rear palace.

This is where Li Shimin recuperated.

Since he fell into a coma due to illness, Li Shimin has never appeared in public again.

Whether it was a few imperial concubines or other ministers.

Even when Princess Tong'an came to visit, she was turned away by the eunuch Zhang Anan on the grounds that His Majesty needed to rest.

So no one knows when His Majesty will wake up.

There is no definite news from the imperial physician.

But at this moment.

Li Shimin was already wearing casual clothes and sitting in the study.

Although his complexion was not rosy and he looked a little weak, it was obvious that he did not look like he had just woken up.

"Did Cheng Qian win?"

Li Shimin asked.

Zhang Ananda replied respectfully, "Yes, Your Majesty."

"The prince was at a disadvantage earlier, with less than 300 soldiers left out of a thousand. However, the prince hid his soldiers in the secret passage at Qujiang Pond and in Furong Garden, and then another 1,000 cavalrymen rushed out and caught the King of Wei and the King of Jin off guard."

Li Shimin smiled and said, "Only one thousand cavalry?"

Zhang Anan said: "A thousand cavalrymen."

Li Shimin sighed and said, "Furong Garden is so vast that it can hide more than a thousand soldiers. It seems Cheng Qian has other plans."

"Perhaps he has already guessed that I have actually awakened."

Zhang Ananda hesitated and said, "This, the prince should not know."

"After all, even Changsun Situ and Fang Xiang did not tell His Majesty that he had awakened."

"Princess Tong'an came to visit yesterday, but I stopped her at the door."

"No matter how well-informed the prince is, he can't possibly know."

Li Shimin nodded: "Cheng Qian will naturally not get the news, but he will be prepared for it."

At this point, Li Shimin paused and continued, "From the Japanese envoys who came to the court, to the expedition to Goryeo, to the unification of Liaodong, to the occupation of Luoyang and the military power." "Every step he took was carefully calculated."

"When I was playing chess with him, I already felt that he had the same personality as the late emperor. He was worried about losing before he could win."

"In that case, how could you not consider my awakening?"

"Cheng Qian doesn't know how to gamble, so he is naturally prepared."

"There must be more than a thousand soldiers in Furong Garden. If I am not mistaken, Cheng Qian wants to take advantage of the opportunity to seize the city gate."

"The army outside the city is his foundation."

Zhang Ananda was startled and said quickly, "I will immediately arrange for people to prepare to prevent the prince from attacking the city gate."

Li Shimin shook his head: "It's useless, I can't stop it."

"Don't forget that the prince not only has Thunderbolts, but also cannons."

"If they are outside the city, the city gates can still stop them, but if they are inside the city, how can the soldiers stop them?"

Zhang Ananda was a little anxious and said hurriedly: "There are 30,000 troops outside the Prince's City. If they seize the city gate and enter the city, this..."

Li Shimin waved his hand and interrupted Zhang Ananda.

"I just want them to enter the city."

"With the advantage of artillery, Cheng Qian was invincible outside Chang'an."

"Even if Duke Wei leads the army, he still cannot defend Tongguan."

"If Cheng Qian did not enter Chang'an, but only occupied Luoyang as a base and swept everywhere, it would be very difficult to pacify it."

"But once we enter Chang'an, this matter becomes much simpler."

Zhang Ananda looked hesitant.

In his opinion, the situation outside the city was so serious, wouldn't it be even more troublesome once inside?

If the prince breaks into the palace.

Well, what should I do then?

Can the palace walls really stop the prince’s artillery?

Li Shimin saw Zhang Ananda's worry and said with a smile: "This is the duel between me and Cheng Qian."

"He wants to solve the problem once and for all. I think so too."

"Perhaps Cheng Qian has already guessed what I am thinking, so let's see who has the better move."
-
Suzaku Avenue.

The appearance of thousands of Yulin Guards made the originally chaotic scene suddenly quiet down.

Prince of Wei Li Tai and Prince of Jin Li Zhi both had a look of having survived a calamity on their faces.

There was still some remnant of fear in his eyes.

I was really about to die, just a little bit away.

If Yuchi Jingde had arrived a little later, the two of them would have really died here today.

"Thank you, General Yuchi, for saving my life."

Li Zhi was the first to react and hurriedly bowed to Yuchi Jingde.

Li Tai also hurriedly thanked him.

Yuchi Jingde waved his hand: "I am following your majesty's orders."

Father emperor?

Li Tai and Li Zhi were shocked.

Li Tai couldn't help but ask: "Father has woken up."

At this point, there was no need to hide anything, Yuchi Jingde said carelessly: "Your Majesty has naturally woken up a long time ago."

In fact, Yuchi Jingde didn't know about it until two hours ago.

When Prince Yu entered the city, the eunuch Zhang Ananda suddenly asked him and Cheng Yaojin to go to the back hall to meet the emperor.

Only then did Yuchi Jingde realize that the emperor had already woken up.

It was also in accordance with His Majesty's instructions that he led the palace guards to ambush in the surrounding neighborhoods.

He would wait until the Crown Prince, the King of Wei and the King of Jin decided the winner before he could stop them.

Li Zhi felt a little scared.

Suddenly I felt a little relieved that my eldest brother won.

If the eldest brother was defeated, and he wanted to kill the eldest brother and the fourth brother, but was stopped by Yuchi Jingde, then he would probably not be able to explain to his father.

The most important thing is that his reputation for benevolence and filial piety will be ruined, and he will no longer have any chance of becoming the crown prince.

No matter what, my father will never consider him.

front.

Cheng Yaojin rode on his horse towards the prince's carriage.

He bowed and said, "Your Highness, please follow me to the Taiji Hall to meet His Majesty."

In Cheng Yaojin's opinion, old ginger is still spicy.

Your Majesty has already made plans, and today's situation is completely under your control.

After trying their best to defeat the prince, they failed and now they are caught in a jar.

Prince, you are still too young.

Li Chengqian said calmly, "If I say so, no."

Cheng Yaojin grinned and said, "This is not up to Your Highness the Crown Prince. I am following His Majesty's orders."

"Could it be that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince intends to disobey His Majesty's order?"

"Please don't make it difficult for me."

As he spoke, Cheng Yaojin took two steps forward on his horse. The Yulin Guards behind him followed him, giving him a huge sense of oppression.

Seeing this, Li Chengqian answered the question irrelevantly: "General Cheng, have you ever seen fireworks?"

Gunpowder was not yet mature, and there was no concept of fireworks.

Cheng Yaojin was stunned: "What fireworks?"

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "Of course it's a large-scale firework. Today, I'll ask General Cheng to take a look."

As soon as he finished speaking, Cheng Yaojin was still confused.

Suddenly, there was a thunderclap out of nowhere.

boom.

Boom boom boom!
The ground seemed to be shaking and the sky seemed to be collapsing.

In the distance, flames were everywhere.

It really looks like a large firework.

But in this daytime, the light is obscured by the sunlight.

If it is night, it will surely light up the entire sky.

"artillery!"

Cheng Yaojin's body trembled subconsciously.

This is the shadow left in Tongguan.

Like Yuchi Jingde, Cheng Yaojin was a brave general who led his troops by example.

On the battlefield, they often fight on the front lines.

However, the incident at Tongguan really left a shadow on Cheng Yaojin.

People have absolutely no ability to resist artillery.

That is not something the physical body can resist.

The rocks will collapse, and no matter how strong the armor is, it will not be able to stop it.

“It’s Qixiamen!”

Li Zhi looked into the distance and shouted.

How could everyone not understand at this moment.

The prince sneaked in through the secret passage of Qujiang Lake, bringing not only soldiers and horses, but also a large number of artillery.

And these cannons were aimed at the Qixia Gate.

obviously.

The prince promised the court officials that sending a thousand soldiers into the city was just a cover.

Use yourself as bait to attract everyone's attention.

They also hid soldiers, horses and artillery and stormed the Qixia Gate.

If the prince captured the Qixia Gate, tens of thousands of troops outside the city would be able to enter the city.

This is not a matter of just a few thousand soldiers.

That’s an army of 30,000.

What does the prince want to do?

The 30,000-strong army that entered the city was certainly not here to monitor the country.

This is to seize the throne in one fell swoop.

(End of this chapter)