Chapter 156: Xuanwu Gate, Gu Quan's Decision (Combined Chapter, Requesting Monthly Votes)

Human nature is inherently competitive.

Especially when the contradictions involved escalate to matters of life and death, everything within them can no longer be reconciled.

Such is the case now; this sensational reform can indeed bring benefits to many people.

Li Jiancheng serves as the current Crown Prince.

Compared to Li Shimin, he indeed occupies the advantage.

Whether it concerns the officials of the Prince of Qin’s manor or having his own people seize key positions, he naturally possesses an innate advantage by having more supporters.

This situation once left Li Shimin unable to catch his breath.

Since conversing with Gu Yu, Li Yuan seems to have gradually awakened.

He actually proposed an idea at such a time.

That is, he wants to send Li Shimin to Luoyang to implement a policy of "separate governance in Luoyang."

Although he still has not given Li Shimin the title of Commissioner of Ten Directions, the authority involved is exactly the same, only requiring that Li Shimin cannot call himself the Son of Heaven and that it cannot be passed down.

The emergence of this matter can be described as earth-shattering!

In such a long time, this is the first time Li Yuan has expressed his attitude head-on.

It remains neutral.

He wants his two sons to stop fighting and return to the previous overall layout where Li Jiancheng managed internal affairs and Li Shimin managed external affairs.

Li Shimin naturally would not refuse.

Although after such a long struggle, he has gradually developed the heart to contend for the throne, this thought is still built upon the foundation of establishing a prosperous age.

For him.

As long as the Nine Provinces can welcome a prosperous age, and as long as he and those who follow him are safe, that is enough.

But how could Li Jiancheng agree to this?

Not to mention the hidden crises behind this move.

Given the current situation, he could not possibly allow Li Shimin to leave Changancheng.

As long as Li Shimin does not leave Changancheng.

His so-called reputation and influence in the military will ultimately struggle to bring him any significant help.

Under Li Jiancheng’s efforts, this matter ultimately came to nothing.

Li Yuan’s character had long been predetermined.

With those by his bedside and the various lords of the court all refusing, he could not possibly be decisive.

And this move undoubtedly pushed this series of struggles to a new climax.

The Gu family has never participated in it.

Even after confirming the reforms, Gu Yu began to handle other matters.

He must guard against the Turks.

Gu Yu can be certain that a battle between the Turks and the Great Tang is destined to happen.

And given the nature of the Turks;

This great battle is very likely to occur while the entire Nine Provinces have not yet fully recovered.

He has always firmly believed in a principle that Gu Chen upheld in the past.

—Peace exists only under the sharp blade!

The so-called alliance between the current Great Tang and the Turks is actually an exchange based on interests.

But relying solely on interests can never satisfy a person’s ambition.

As time passes;

These interests will breed more contradictions.

This is something he can be certain of.

Although Li Yuan is somewhat hesitant by nature, his judgment regarding the overall situation is not bad.

Upon hearing Gu Yu explain these things, he directly handed the matter over to Gu Yu.

And Gu Yu did not do much, only letting the various Gu Shizi begin to secretly train troops and horses to prepare for a rainy day.

It is worth mentioning that Gu Yan and Princess Pingyang have married.

Li Shimin also supported this matter.

He naturally could not refuse.

In fact, in Gu Yi’s view, the current Li Shimin has already undergone great changes; although he is not a Gu family member, he highly identifies with the Gu family’s philosophy.

If it were not for him helping Princess Pingyang block Li Yuan back then, Gu Yan and Princess Pingyang would not have reached this point today.

But even so, Gu Yan participated in it.

Except for Gu Quan.

Although he is nominally among them, Gu Yu did not arrange any tasks for him; Gu Quan’s personality is simply too obvious.

Never mind Gu Yu, even the other brothers can feel his recent changes.

That tug-of-war between family and brothers.

Has made his current state of being become extremely poor, almost locking himself in the manor every day.

The entire Great Tang court.

Under these circumstances, the situation has become increasingly treacherous.

It did not exceed Gu Yu’s expectations; upon hearing that the interior of the Great Tang was undergoing reforms, the Turkic Khan would never give up this opportunity and began leading troops to plunder the surroundings of the Great Tang.

Although he did not penetrate deep into the Guanzhong region.

But the trouble caused by this move was not insignificant.

The Turkic Khan could not possibly give up this opportunity; not only for the sake of profit, but plundering could also improve his rule within the Turks.

Moreover, the internal contradictions of the Great Tang were no secret to him either.

He was certain that the Great Tang would not dare to fall out with them.

Regarding this, Li Yuan was also extremely helpless.

He wanted to let Li Shimin take command again to face the Turks head-on, but the infighting within the court began to drag this matter down.

How could Li Jiancheng let Li Shimin hold military power again?

He would rather propose moving the capital than let Li Shimin hold power again.

Even Li Yuan was moved by this thought.

Guanzhong has no natural barriers to rely on; under the constant threat of the Turks, moving the capital was indeed a clear choice.

However, Li Shimin firmly refused this matter.

In his eyes, this move was undoubtedly abandoning the people of the entire Guanzhong; the prosperous age he wanted to build absolutely could not allow such a thing.

This matter once again caused a massive uproar throughout the court.

In the end, even Gu Yu participated in it, which finally blocked the matter.

This matter can be said to have once again deepened the contradictions between the two palaces.

Li Jiancheng believed that Li Shimin’s move was only to secure an extra guarantee for controlling military power.

This made him even more uneasy.

It even reached the point where he and Li Yuanji did not give up any opportunity in front of Li Yuan, constantly attacking Li Shimin.

The so-called brotherly bond was finally completely annihilated under the weight of interests and continuous contradictions.

It seems that precisely because of Gu Yu’s reminder back then.

Li Yuan’s attitude toward Li Shimin was not as disgusted as it was in the original history, and was even much better than his previous attitude.

He helped Li Shimin block many attacks.

But it was precisely because of Li Yuan’s attitude that Li Jiancheng became increasingly panicked.

Under these various factors.

The relationship between the two palaces had completely reached its end.

Changancheng, Prince of Qin’s manor.

Li Shimin walked toward the manor trembling; the moment he entered, his entire body instantly went limp, and he kept spitting out fresh blood.

"Your Highness!"

The sudden turn of events instantly shattered the silence of the entire Prince of Qin’s manor.

Princess Zhangsun rushed over, looking anxious as she ordered people to find a physician, while simultaneously maintaining martial law in the manor.

She desperately wanted to find some of Li Shimin’s trusted aides.

But by now, those people in the Prince of Qin’s manor had long been ordered not to enter the manor again.

She was also helpless.

A strong sense of crisis kept striking.

Under these circumstances, Princess Zhangsun held her eldest son Li Chengqian’s hand with one hand, while holding a short sword in the other, standing before Li Shimin’s couch.

For an entire night, Li Shimin remained in a coma.

It was not until dawn that he slowly woke up.

"Your Highness!" Princess Zhangsun instantly put down the short blade and threw herself onto him, asking with teary eyes: "Did you not go to the Donggong for a banquet? How did it come to this?"

Her face carried obvious panic and exhaustion.

Although it was only one night, for her, this night felt like years; she had even prepared herself for death.

Li Shimin did not say much, only reaching out to slowly embrace Empress Zhangsun, his expression incomparably calm.

The last glimmer of light in his eyes gradually extinguished.

Replacing it was absolute coldness, and an unprecedented resolve.

There were some things he did not wish to do—

It was just that the situation was forcing him to make a choice.

This matter had a huge impact within the entire Tang court, and even Li Yuan personally came to visit Li Shimin.

After learning the ins and outs, although Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji acted as if they knew nothing, he still scolded the two of them privately and even forbade them from seeking out the Prince of Qin for drinks in the future.

But he could no longer mend the relationship between his brothers.

—Hearts were in turmoil!

The struggle between the two palaces was, at this moment, no longer just about the two of them and their supporters behind the scenes.

This kind of infighting had caused a certain degree of impact on the stability within the entire Tang court.

But now that things had developed to this point, who could one blame?

Was it Li Jiancheng?

Or was it Li Shimin?

Ultimately, it was simply that people's hearts had changed.

Li Shimin's uprising had made too many people feel fear; whether it was Li Jiancheng or Li Yuan, neither had made the most correct decision at the very beginning.

By now, everything was impossible to change.

Inside the Gu Fu.

Gu Yan and a group of others who had once followed Li Shimin and fought alongside him were all furious.

They were ready to go straight to find Li Shimin.

Gu Yu did not interfere with this, but in the end, they were stopped by Gu Quan.

"Elder brother!" Gu Yan's voice trembled with a crack, "His Highness the Prince of Qin has shown us grace; now that His Highness's very life is threatened, how can we sit by and wait for death?"

Gu Quan stood in the shadow of the veranda, blocking the crowd with an unchanging expression. He scanned the brothers present with a calm gaze, his Adam's apple bobbed, but he only spat out two words: "Go back."

"Elder brother!!!" Gu Yan took half a step forward, his face full of confusion, "The Prince of Qin..."

Before he could finish, Gu Quan suddenly looked up, a trace of anger appearing on his face.

The rest of the brothers fell silent, and only the sound of the wind wailing remained under the veranda.

Gu Quan looked at these siblings who had grown up with him; the righteous indignation burning in their eyes was like a fire, burning his chest with pain.

But he knew that if he took this step now, the entire Gu family would have no way back.

"Go back!"

Gu Quan repeated it once more.

The group of brothers fell silent instantly. Although they understood Gu Quan's intentions, the turmoil brought about by their past feelings was still tormenting them.

But what could they do?

If it were something else that wouldn't affect the family, they might have sparred with Gu Quan just like when they were children.

But now... they ultimately couldn't do anything and could only turn back.

As the sound of footsteps faded, Gu Quan raised his hand to summon Xue San: "Lock the side gate. Without my order, no one is allowed in or out."

As he turned, his robe swept across the pillars, shaking down a few dead leaves that were about to fall, and he headed straight for the study.

Inside the study, Gu Yu was grinding ink, and the wolf-hair brush created tiny ripples in the inkstone.

"Have you decided?"

Hearing the familiar footsteps, Gu Yu did not even lift his head, clearly having seen through his son's thoughts long ago.

Gu Quan knelt on one knee and nodded earnestly: "Father."

As he spoke, he drew a three-inch short blade from his sleeve; the scabbard was wrapped in gold thread, one of the rewards personally bestowed by the Prince of Qin back then, "Son cannot watch the Prince of Qin face danger, but son will also not betray the family."

The scent of ink permeated the air. Gu Yu set down his brush, and the candlelight illuminated the deep wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.

He looked at this son who was taciturn yet stubborn as stone, and suddenly chuckled: "Go."

"To be able to meet the Prince of Qin is your honor."

"Think of our ancestors and the wise monarchs of the past; they were the same."

Gu Quan stood up, his robe sweeping across the "Border Defense Map" on the desk: "If my judgment is correct, the Prince of Qin will create a golden age."

"At the morning court session later, I will submit a memorial to His Majesty to lead the Gu family disciples to garrison Shuofang. You need not worry about your younger brothers."

His tone was not as calm as it usually was.

How could Gu Yu not have his own judgment regarding Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin?

It was just that he could not say it.

In fact, Li Jiancheng's talent was truly not bad; every time he came to consult Gu Yu during this period, he had gained significant progress.

But compared to Li Shimin, he was ultimately still lacking.

This was not because of talent.

It was character.

Even to this day, from beginning to end, Li Shimin had never taken the initiative to see or summon any Gu family disciples.

Compared to Li Jiancheng.

The opportunities he had to win over the Gu family were far, far higher, but the fact that he never did so explained everything.

He understood the Gu family's predicament and was also preserving talent for the entire world.

Based on this alone.

Gu Yu could see that Li Shimin possessed a heart of benevolence, a rare virtue in any ruler.

"Father."

Gu Quan's eyes turned red instantly, and his chest heaved more noticeably. Looking at Gu Yu, who already had white hair, he nodded forcefully again, but ultimately could not say anything more.

Gu Yi had been watching all of this silently.

In fact, in his view, Gu Yu had long ago guessed the choice his son would make.

Ever since he took over the training of the new recruits, he had been preparing for this.

Gu Quan could go to help Li Shimin.

But he could not represent the Gu family.

Whether this battle was won or lost actually held no benefit for the Gu family.

Because what the Gu family needed was not a momentary glory; no matter what, Gu Yu had to ensure the Gu family was completely separated from this matter on the surface.

And this move was the best excuse.

This matter did not attract much attention in the court; after all, Gu Yu had been training new recruits for some time, and with the frequent incursions by the Turks, deploying troops now was completely within reason.

Li Yuan naturally agreed to this.

He was a man who still valued family matters very much.

In the whole world, who could compare to the Gu family?

Li Yuan was very relieved to entrust all of this to Gu Yu.

He even wanted to personally lead the officials to see Gu Yu off.

Li Shimin also came.

His body had not yet fully recovered, and he hadn't even attended the morning court for the past few days, yet he still chose to come and see off Gu Yu and the group of brothers.

Seeing Li Shimin again, the emotions of Gu Yan and the others were incredibly complex.

Actually, if they could, every one of them would be willing to help Li Shimin, but it was a pity they could not do so.

Gu Quan was also in the departing ranks.

Seeing that Li Shimin's complexion was still not quite right, he frowned, stepped forward, and asked in a deep voice:

"Your Highness, are you well?"

"It is nothing." Li Shimin smiled faintly, then stepped forward, placed his hand on Gu Quan's shoulder, his gaze burning: "Ziyuan, you must display the might of our Great Tang in this battle!"

"Just like when you and I fought together in the past, do not let the Turks look down on the men of our Central Plains!"

His tone deepened, and a layer of frost gathered between his brows:

"The Turks frequently invade the borders, leaving the people displaced. If even the Grand Tutor and you cannot stabilize the situation..."

"I fear the Emperor's proposal to move the capital will no longer be stoppable."

"By then, the millions of commoners in Guanzhong will all become fish and meat under the Turks' blades."

"This battle must not be lost!"

His voice was low, yet every word was like iron; though his face was pale, his eyes were as sharp as knives.

Gu Quan kept his face taut and remained silent for a long time, finally speaking slowly, spitting out only one word:

"No!"

He looked Li Shimin straight in the eye, his voice hoarse yet firm:

"This general... will wait for Your Highness."

In an instant, Li Shimin was stunned.

Although Gu Quan had only said a very simple sentence, based on his understanding of Gu Quan, he still faintly heard the deeper meaning within it.

"Ziyuan—"

Li Shimin immediately frowned, just about to say something more.

But Gu Quan had already bowed and left.

Beside Li Yuan, Li Jiancheng watched this scene, the wariness in his eyes growing even more intense.

Li Yuan was clearly very serious about this mobilization of troops, and after conversing with Gu Yu for a long time, Gu Yu and the others slowly departed under the gaze of Li Yuan and his ministers.

The situation in the capital grew increasingly turbulent.

Although Li Shimin had only chatted casually with Gu Quan in public, his unparalleled prestige within the army still irritated Li Jiancheng.

From this day on, Li Jiancheng’s offensive became increasingly fierce.

He even took the initiative to have rumors spread, using them to have people secretly report to Li Yuan that Li Shimin seemed to have developed rebellious intentions.

Even if this move could not topple Li Shimin.

It was enough for him to continuously plant seeds of suspicion in Li Yuan’s heart.

These suspicions would make Li Yuan stop using Li Shimin, and one day, they would erupt completely.

But how could Li Shimin sit and wait for death?

For him.

In truth, after seeing that his wife was under threat of death that day, everything had already been destined.

He had no path of retreat; he could only fight back.

Seeing that Li Yuan still had no intention of completely deposing Li Shimin, under the suggestion of Li Yuanji, Li Jiancheng finally harbored murderous intent once again.

Right within the Donggong.

Li Yuanji even put out the word that he would personally kill Li Shimin.

When Li Shimin received the news sent by his eyes and ears in the Donggong, the last shred of attachment in his heart finally dissipated completely at this moment.

The ninth year of Wude, the third day of the sixth month.

The Prince of Qin’s Mansion.

The water clock dripped.

The candlelight flickered in the bronze bird lamp, casting Li Shimin’s silhouette onto the wall, swaying unsteadily with the night wind, much like his own wavering yet firm heart at this moment.

He was waiting for his confidants.

Just a moment ago, he had issued a secret order to summon those confidants who had once held important positions in the Prince of Qin’s Mansion and the Tiance Mansion.

Although many of them had long since been compromised by Li Jiancheng and kicked out of the Prince of Qin’s Mansion.

Li Shimin still believed they would come.

Time passed in a hurry.

Within the silent Prince of Qin’s Mansion, figures appeared one after another.

Some wore Taoist robes, others wore the attire of commoners; almost everyone had taken steps to conceal their identities.

This could not be blamed on them; many had long been subject to an imperial decree from Li Yuan forbidding them from entering the Prince of Qin’s Mansion again, declaring that entering again would be a capital offense.

But today, they had to come.

Because Li Shimin had already made his decision.

"Your Highness!"

"Your Highness!"

"Your Highness!"

One greeting after another rang out throughout the hall; Li Shimin’s expression remained solemn, and he did not speak from beginning to end.

Until everyone had arrived—

He slowly stood up, scanned the people present with a sharp gaze, and spoke slowly: "Today I received news that the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qi have decided to kill me."

"Things have reached this point; further words are meaningless."

He slowly picked up his sword, drew it before the candlelight, and said calmly: "Brothers, are you willing to die with me, Li Shimin?"

—Die with me, Li Shimin!

A sentence without any fluctuation, yet it exploded in the hall like a thunderclap!

Without the slightest hesitation, everyone present knelt down almost immediately, the expression of each person being so solemn.

They had already urged Li Shimin more than once.

But Li Shimin had always been hesitant.

Now that they saw Li Shimin had made his decision, what was there to fear?

"The Prince of Qin holds the bow, and we follow with spears; even a million men, what can they do to us!" Yuchi Gong shouted once again the very words Li Shimin had said when facing Dou Jiande in the past.

Everyone’s expressions were impassioned.

Li Shimin’s expression became increasingly earnest; he raised his hand to signal for silence, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the room, and said in a deep voice: "This operation concerns life and death, and it also concerns the Jiangshan of the Great Tang."

"Once we act, there is no turning back."

"."

His expression remained cold as he explained the strategy he had devised to those present.

Currently, his influence within Changancheng was extremely weak.

He could not even compare to Li Yuanji, let alone Li Jiancheng.

The most critical point was—

Li Shimin still had to consider the Imperial Guards.

However, he still had a path of retreat; Cheng Yaojin was currently outside, and even if the matter failed, as long as he could fight his way out of the city, he could still rise again through Cheng Yaojin.

For this, Li Shimin had long been prepared to play the final hand.

Everyone listened very carefully, occasionally offering some suggestions.

But just then—

A sound of footsteps suddenly rang out.

Li Shimin did not have the slightest hesitation; he immediately stopped speaking, held his sword, and headed directly toward the door: "Who is it!"

"Your Highness!"

A familiar voice rang out instantly.

Following that, the figure of Gu Quan walked out directly from the darkness; at this moment, he looked nothing like he once did, his entire body covered in filth and his clothes extremely tattered.

"Ziyuan!" Li Shimin was completely stunned, extremely shocked, "What is this?"

As he spoke.

He also pulled Gu Quan into the room without any hesitation.

The tension dissipated instantly.

Everyone present had never expected that the person arriving would be Gu Quan, and they were all incredibly surprised.

"Your Highness, this subordinate wants to go to the battlefield with you." Gu Quan did not have a shred of nonsense, staring straight at Li Shimin as he spoke.

A simple sentence, yet it stated his attitude.

It had not been easy for him to sneak back this time.

To prevent others from discovering him, he had made many preparations.

If it weren't for his excellent skills and the help of Xue San, he wouldn't even have been able to climb over the wall of the Prince's Mansion.

In an instant, everyone was stunned again, followed by wild joy.

They knew of Gu Quan’s bravery.

How could they not be happy?

Only Li Shimin frowned at this moment, immediately grabbing Gu Quan’s hand and saying earnestly: "Ziyuan, how could you..."

He was still somewhat worried—

Although Li Shimin was very confident in himself.

But at this very moment, he also had to consider leaving capable people for the sake of the entire world.

However, before he could finish.

Gu Quan did not hesitate at all; right in front of him, he took out that short blade and slashed it directly across his own face.

One slash;

Two slashes;

Three slashes;

This scene was completely beyond everyone’s expectations.

Before anyone could react, Gu Quan had already made three slashes.

His martial arts were already quite extraordinary.

This move was only to scar his face, and he had not used too much force.

But watching the blood dripping continuously, everyone was still stunned.

"Your Highness, this subordinate cannot betray his family, but I also cannot watch Your Highness take risks; today, this subordinate destroys his face to accompany Your Highness. Whether we win or lose, the Gu Quan of the past has already died on the battlefield."

Gu Quan still did not stop, and his tone had not changed at all.

Until this moment.

Li Shimin finally reacted, hurriedly pulling Gu Quan, his eyes red as he said with a trembling voice: "Ziyuan, why go to such lengths?"

"I did not go to see you; could it be that Ziyuan still does not understand my heart?"

The eyes of the others present also gradually turned red.

As confidants of Li Shimin, they naturally understood how much Li Shimin valued Gu Quan.

And it was precisely because of this.

They had also felt dissatisfied about it.

After all, Gu Quan had not provided any help when Li Shimin was repeatedly threatened.

But now, this feeling had completely dissipated.

Compared to them, it was indeed far, far more difficult for Gu Quan to act.

Before Gu Yu had ever come to the capital.

As the eldest son of the Gu family, he represented the entire Gu family.

Consequently, he could not abandon the entire family.

"Your Highness, there is no need to say more. This general believes that Your Highness is the true ruler of a prosperous age!" Gu Quan broke free, then immediately held his blade and slashed at his face again.

Drops of fresh blood fell continuously.

Gu Quan had clearly made many preparations for this long ago; once his face was completely ruined, he took the medicine he had prepared from his bosom.

Until this moment—

His breathing became slightly heavier.

This kind of pain was something others could hardly imagine.

One scar might not count for much, but after ten or a hundred, it was a different story.

Everyone wore complex expressions, and Li Shimin had even shed tears.

Only knowing that at this moment.

They truly understood what the loyalty of the Gu family meant.

This family being able to reach where it was today was not just empty talk; they were capable of doing things others dared not imagine, let alone do, using all of this to contribute to the family.

Gu Quan had indeed died—

But as long as the great cause could be achieved, they dared not imagine what Li Shimin's attitude toward the Gu family would become, given his personality.

How was this not also for the sake of the family?

The Gu family was constantly weakening.

Now, as the eldest son of the Gu family, Gu Quan was using everything he had to add bricks and tiles to the family, and it was also for the sake of his own heart.

"Hoo~"

Li Shimin exhaled deeply, reached out once more to grab Gu Quan, snatched the medicine bottle from his hand, and personally applied the medicine for Gu Quan.

Everyone watched this scene, feeling no dissatisfaction whatsoever in their hearts.

At the very least—

If they were placed in Gu Quan's position, they would absolutely lack the courage to perform such an act.

Because regardless of who won or lost.

The status of the Gu family would not be affected in the slightest.

——————

"Chinese Dictionary: Disfiguring the Face to Preserve the Records"

—Definition: Refers to being willing to destroy one's appearance and identity to protect a belief more important than life (such as cultural heritage or the great cause of the nation).

The allusion originates from the Tang Dynasty, when a Gu Shizi disfigured himself to assist Li Shimin. The literal meaning is "burning the face to preserve the scrolls," extended to mean "sacrificing the superficial to protect the fundamental."

(End of chapter)