The door closed again, and the Emperor walked in alone. The hem of his cloak brushed past Li Yuangui's shoulder as he turned and sat by the small couch, stretching his long legs so that his black leather boots came right before Li Yuangui's eyes.
"I shouldn't have come, nor can I stay long. Passing by the North Gate, I heard that you, Fourteenth Young Master, were starving yourself. Came up to see the spectacle."
His voice was cold, devoid of any feigned concern or kindness, laced with obvious mockery. For some reason, this attitude actually put Li Yuangui at ease. He took a deep breath, steadied himself, and raised his head to reply.
"Your Majesty, this subject did not intentionally starve himself to resist the imperial decree or evade responsibility. Since my capture, I have waited day and night for officials from the Imperial Clan Court or the Court of Judicial Review to interrogate me and confront the charges. But they never came. Confused and distraught, I found it impossible to sleep or eat, unable to swallow even water or rice..."
"Fool!" the Emperor cursed outright. "With such a clever face, how can you be this stupid? If the case were handed to the Imperial Clan Court or the Court of Judicial Review, it would fall under the jurisdiction of imperial law—'the prince who breaks the law is punished like commoners!' Sun Fu-jia, Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, or Wei Zheng, the Imperial Chancellor—which of them would bend the law for favor? Could your elder brother still protect you then? Even now, by delaying your handover, Wei Xuancheng has already admonished me several times to my face. I've had to fend him off with excuses of familial duty. And here you are, rushing to your own death?"
Li Yuangui stared fixedly at his imperial half-brother, momentarily forgetting even the decorum due before the sovereign. But the Emperor clearly had no intention of nitpicking formalities at this moment. Leaning on the couch with one hand, he gazed at his younger brother, his expression less angry than annoyed—or perhaps regretful?
Their father and son shared such similar features, and with matching expressions, the resemblance was striking... Naturally, this referred to Crown Prince Chengqian's likeness to his father. In comparison, the Son of Heaven, now in his thirties, carried an air of mature authority and an unshakable dignity, along with the weariness of one long burdened by cares of state.
"This subject knows of Your Majesty's deep familial kindness and protective intent. I, in my youthful ignorance, have failed Your Majesty's grace, shamed beyond measure, unworthy even in death..."
"Enough of these formal court platitudes," the Emperor cut him off. "Do you think I spend my days in court listening to Confucian scholars and ministers droning on in flowery prose, only to hear more of the same from you? Speak plainly. What were you trying to achieve by colluding with foreign enemies, forging imperial decrees, breaking into your sovereign's residence at night, committing murder and arson?"
Li Yuangui closed his eyes. What was coming could not be avoided.
"Though I committed great folly, I harbored no intent to harm my sovereign or destabilize the realm. It was only because my younger sister was abducted by the barbarians, and under pressure from the Crown Prince's Palace and that vile woman Yin Shi, I acted rashly in desperation..."
"The matter concerning Seventeenth Sister was mishandled by Chengqian. Both his mother and I have reprimanded him for it," the Emperor said with a frown. "Your desire to protect your sister is not wrong. But why didn't you come to the Hall of Established Governance to seek the Empress or me? Did you take us for the kind of foolish rulers who blindly favor our son over justice?"
How to answer that? In truth, the phrase "distance precludes mediation" would suffice. Moreover, Li Chengqian had been acting under his father's orders in managing the forbidden garden. How could Li Yuangui, a powerless minor prince, presume to bypass the Crown Prince and bring his grievances directly to the Emperor and Empress?
And as for this imperial elder brother before him—his reputation in dealing with siblings was, after all, "widely celebrated"..."Saving your sister is one thing, but colluding with Tuyuhun assassins—do you not realize the gravity of the situation?" The Emperor grew increasingly furious as he spoke. "We are at war! And you dared to bring enemy assassins into the heart of the Tang imperial palace! Endangering the state is called 'treason.' Destroying ancestral temples, imperial tombs, or palaces is called 'great sedition.' Betraying the nation to serve false rulers is called 'rebellion!' Assaulting or plotting to murder one's parents is called 'extreme wickedness.' Stealing or forging the imperial seal, or showing no respect as a subject, is called 'great disrespect.' Falsely declaring the death of one's parents is called 'unfilial conduct!' The Ten Abominable Crimes are beyond pardon, and you’ve committed at least six or seven of them. Quite the accomplishment, Fourteenth Young Master!"
In truth, whenever Li Yuangui recalled the fierce battle in the Great Peace Hall that night, he felt a lingering regret and fear. He had been too impulsive and overconfident, believing he could control the situation and steer events as he wished... Only when chaos erupted, and he found himself engulfed in flames, blood, blades, arrows, screams, and the frantic surge of panicked crowds, did he truly grasp the madness, danger, and his own helplessness.
Given another chance, he would have chosen differently... but he still wouldn’t have done as the Son of Heaven expected—running to the Hall of Established Governance to lodge a complaint.
Had it been the Minister of Justice Sun Fu-jia, the Imperial Counselor Wei Zheng, or even the Empress’s uncle Zhangsun Wu-ji enumerating his crimes, Li Yuangui might have accepted it without protest. But it was his second brother—the same brother who, nine years ago, led assassins through these very gates to kill their eldest brother and imprison their father.
Li Yuangui’s gaze involuntarily drifted toward the southern window, beyond which lay the square inside the Black Tortoise Gate. Past the Gate of Double Mystery, the blood of their eldest brother, the former Crown Prince Jiancheng, and their fourth brother Yuanji must still seep deep into the earth, didn’t it?
The Emperor followed his gaze and paled instantly.
"I know what you’re thinking," the elder brother hissed through clenched teeth. "You think you’re following my example, don’t you? Li Yuangui, do you—have the right to emulate me?"
In a flash, the Emperor rose from his seat, kneeling on one knee before Li Yuangui, gripping his chin and forcing him to meet those piercing, star-like eyes:
"At eighteen, I joined our father in raising the righteous army in Taiyuan, rallying forces to conquer the land. At twenty-four, the Battle of Hulao secured the Central Plains, and the Tang’s finest strategists and generals rallied under my banner. The people’s hopes rested on me, and the realm united under my rule. The elite Tiger Guard revered me as a god, and even the Turkic invaders hesitated to face me in battle! Only with such merit and talent did I dare defy all norms, forced by necessity to stain the palace gates with blood! Li Yuangui, what achievements have you made for the nation or its people that you dare to imitate me?"
The Emperor was truly enraged. Li Yuangui felt the scorching fury radiating from the man looming over him. His jaw clamped shut under the Emperor’s grip, unable to speak or resist.
"You rely on one thing alone," the Emperor sneered. "Our father’s favor toward your mother! You know I loathe turning against my brothers, that I care for my reputation! And you know the Supreme Emperor is gravely ill and cannot bear further shock—that I’m preoccupied with military campaigns and dread the thought of national mourning!"
Hearing the scorn in his words for his deceased mother, Li Yuangui’s ears rang, and fury surged in his chest. He wrenched his head free, no longer restraining himself:"I have no reliance nor dare to compare myself to the Sacred Sovereign! With a clear conscience, I have but one principle: one must answer for their own actions! Yuangui was not forced into this, nor does he need others to gloss over his faults. For the crimes committed, may Your Majesty punish according to the law—death is all there is!"
With a sharp "crack," Li Yuangui felt a searing pain on his left cheek as a tremendous force sent him sprawling sideways, his forehead and temple slamming against the ground.
Truly worthy of being the most renowned archer of the era—his hand was indeed formidable... The young prince's vision spun, stars dancing before his eyes as a ringing filled his ears. Amid the din, he heard knocking outside the door, followed by what seemed to be Cheng Yaojin's voice:
"Your Majesty, the auspicious hour approaches over there..."
The rustle of robes and the sound of boots echoed as the Emperor rose and strode away, slamming the prison door shut with a heavy thud.
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