Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 118

Cheng Yuanzhen wept and said, "This servant is Your Highness's servant. How can I abandon Your Highness? Everyone else may leave, but please let this servant die with Your Highness."

Li Yu reached out and patted his shoulder: "I have always known of your loyalty... Do not die, spare your life and collect my remains."

In the short few minutes that followed their conversation, even as they made their final arrangements, Li Ji had already taken up residence at the gate, slaying several men in succession. The Shence soldiers were originally fierce and skilled in combat, but they had been guarding the Forbidden City for quite some time and had gradually acquired the habits of the old Imperial Guards, becoming somewhat cowardly and afraid of death. Moreover, this was ultimately an internal strife, not a defense against foreign invaders, so they were bound to have doubts. Thus, Li Ji firmly kept them outside the gate.

However, Li Ji felt that he probably couldn't hold out for long... Although the courtyard wall wasn't low, it wasn't a city wall after all. Once the enemy recovered from their initial shock, they would naturally think of climbing the wall, bypassing him, and going straight for Li Yu. He thought to himself that today he could only do his best and leave the rest to fate. If Li Yu was captured or killed, he would find a less crowded place to fight his way out and would never die for the Li family.

Well, there are still some differences. If it's Li Heng behind me, I'll just surrender to the enemy and become a traitor. If it's Li Yu behind me, I can hold off the enemy for a while. If it's Li Tan or Li Shi behind me... I'll tuck them under my arm and try to break through the encirclement.

I'm afraid they're too heavy. If I bring one of them along, it'll be hard to get out of there... Speaking of Li Tan, since he settled in Longyou, although he's been working hard day and night, his figure has not only not become thin, but has become increasingly plump. As for Li Shi, if I had brought him along when we first met in Ding'an, even if it wasn't as heavy as Zhao Zilong carrying the young master, it wouldn't be far off. Now... I guess he's not light either.

He didn't just blindly fight; his eyes were sharp as he constantly observed the enemies opposite him. As Du Fu wrote, "To shoot a man, first shoot his horse; to capture a thief, first capture his king." He knew he couldn't possibly defeat the hundreds of Divine Strategists before him by himself, but if he could capture their general, perhaps there would be a glimmer of hope.

But when his gaze swept over Prince Yan, Li Xian, even though they were still ten paces apart and separated by three or four layers of soldiers, Li Xian still felt flustered and quickly steered his horse backward. Looking at the generals leading the troops, they were all somewhat unfamiliar faces—meaning that they had never accepted his invitation from the very beginning and were all Liu Xixian's trusted subordinates.

Li Ji figured that Liu Xixian couldn't possibly drive all the Shence Army into the inner court and had to divide his forces to surround the Yingwu Army. Logically speaking, he should send his reliable subordinates, who never accepted his invitations to banquets, to face the Yingwu Army. If he had one or two familiar generals in front of him, Li Ji would have a chance to turn them against him on the spot.

Was Liu Xixian too foolish, resulting in his own mishap and leaving him at a loss? Or were unreliable generals simply not allowed to participate in this coup?

However, if Liu Xixian were here, there would be no way to deal with him. Since he couldn't see the thief in sight, perhaps he still had a chance. So Li Ji drew his sword and shouted, "His Highness the Crown Prince is in the stable! How dare you intrude? Are you all out of your minds? Do you intend to rebel?!"

Sure enough, a commotion arose in the opposing army, but Li Xian immediately shouted, "By imperial decree, Crown Prince Li Yu is guilty of treason and should be executed. The Emperor will establish me as Crown Prince! All of you who help me quell this calamity will be richly rewarded, whether you are generals or soldiers! Whoever kills Li Yu will be rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold, and whoever kills Li Ji will be rewarded with a thousand taels of gold! If either of them escapes, none of you will survive!"

Upon hearing this, some bold and greedy soldiers immediately charged forward, thrusting three spears at Li Ji's chest. Li Ji dodged two of them, grabbed one spear, pulled it into his robes, and then slashed down with his sword, knocking the spearman to the ground.

But then someone said, "Go inside Chongxuan Gate and fetch a long ladder..."

Li Ji thought to himself, "Useless! If you all just stacked one on top of the other, you could easily climb over the wall. Why did you need a ladder?"

Even if he went to get the ladder, it wouldn't take long. It seemed that Li Yu was doomed, and he had to consider his escape route now... Just as he was feeling anxious, he suddenly saw another team of Shence Army soldiers rush out of Chongxuan Gate, holding torches high and protecting a single rider.

Li Ji narrowed his eyes slightly and took a closer look, as if he recognized him—this was the King of Yue, wasn't he? He did look somewhat like Li Yu.

King Li Xi of Yue spurred his horse into the Flying Dragon Stable and asked loudly, "Is the Crown Prince in the stable?"

Li Xian was displeased: "Why has my elder brother come here?"

Li Xi glanced at him sideways: "Why can't I come?"

He thought to himself, "So I'm not the only one considered for the Empress's heir apparent; there's also the Sixth Prince. If the Sixth Prince kills Li Yu first, I'll probably lose the throne!"

Li Xian asked, "Shouldn't my brother go to the Right Silver Terrace Gate to eliminate Li Fuguo? Where is Li Fuguo then?"

Li Xi curled his lip: "What's so scary about that old eunuch? Let's kill Li Yu first!"

According to the Empress's faction's plan, the strongest force of the Shence Army, led by Liu Xixian, was sent to launch a surprise attack and besiege the Yingwu Army's headquarters; five hundred men were assigned to the Li faction—to send more soldiers into the palace would be too noisy and might scare away Li Fuguo—and two hundred newly-armored eunuchs were sent to surround and kill Li Yu and Li Fuguo; and another four hundred men were given to Li Xian, who was to falsely issue an imperial edict to take over the various gates.

No one expected Li Yu to suddenly decide to enter the palace through the north gate. Therefore, Li Xian traveled all the way from the west. When he arrived at Lingxiao Gate, he saw dozens of people linger at the gate for a short while before disappearing into Feilong Stable. He suspected that it was Li Yu's group, so he sent someone back to report to Empress Zhang while simultaneously searching and killing them at Chongxuan Gate.

Li Xian thought to himself, "Empress Yunyue is dull-witted and incapable of handling important matters. I was initially skeptical of being offered the position of Crown Prince—after all, there's an order of seniority." However, having been summoned to the palace, he was now on a dangerous path and couldn't disembark hastily. If he obeyed, even if he didn't secure the Crown Prince position, he could at least win the Empress's favor; if he refused, firstly, he might not be able to escape the palace alive, and even if he did manage to escape temporarily, given the Li family's character, they would surely kill him afterward…

Who would have thought I'd have the chance to capture and kill Li Yu! With this achievement, the Empress will surely be pleased, and perhaps she will even grant me the throne, bypassing the Li faction—is this a gift from Heaven? I cannot abandon it! To defy Heaven is inauspicious!

However, his thoughts were not much different from Li Xi's. Li Xi was lying in wait near the Right Silver Terrace Gate, watching from afar as Li Fuguo, surrounded by his personal guards, stood in front of the gate to await Li Yu's arrival, but he could not see the Crown Prince's mount on the left or his carriage on the right... Then he heard that Li Yu's figure had been spotted in the Flying Dragon Stable in the north of the palace.

—Li Xi has long harbored ambitions, and naturally he has also planted spies in the palace. Although they can't accomplish anything major, it's not difficult for them to keep track of Li Xian's movements.

Li Xi panicked on the spot. If the sixth prince killed Li Yu, his position as heir apparent would be unstable! He also understood that Empress Zhang hated Li Yu the most—because he blocked her son's path—not Li Fuguo. The reason she wanted to eliminate Li Fuguo first was merely to cut off Li Yu's arm. Even if he successfully killed Li Fuguo, as long as Li Yu was still alive, with his status as regent crown prince, he could either unite with court officials or summon foreign troops, and still have a chance to turn the tide, making it difficult for his family to establish an heir apparent. But if Li Yu died at Li Xian's hands, he might have to compete with the sixth prince next!

He hurriedly rose up and ordered the Shence Army to besiege Li Fuguo, while he himself led the two hundred eunuchs and rushed north to the Flying Dragon Stable to pick the peaches.

He glanced at the situation, then sneered, "You're all being held back by one person—Sixth Brother, how can you shoulder such a heavy responsibility with such cowardice? Step aside, and I'll kill Li Ji first, and then Li Yu!"

The two brothers kept shouting "Kill Li Yu!" Li Yu, who was listening in the courtyard, turned pale and burst into tears. He bowed his head and cried, "How can brothers be like this? Have I ever mistreated them? My brother's disrespect is my brother's unfriendliness. This is my fault..." He took a step forward, saying, "Enough, enough, let my brothers take my head!"

Cheng Yuanzhen and the others had to pull and drag him with great difficulty to finally hold him back.

At the gate of the courtyard, King Li Xi of Yue dismounted, drew his sword, and went to fight Li Ji.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Standing Firm with Keys

During the day, Li Ji had just returned home from his shift when he heard the news of Qingluan's abduction. He didn't even have time to change out of his official clothes before hastily riding out of Chunming Gate. So at this time, Li Ji was still dressed as a sixth-rank civil official, wearing a black gauze turban with drooping legs, a plain green silk robe with a round collar and straight sleeves, a silver belt around his waist, and black leather boots.

However, he hadn't brought the pair of iron maces that he always carried at his waist, especially not at this crucial moment.

A fierce battle broke out below Wangchun Tower, and his mount, startled, ran away—it was his own fault. He had rushed upstairs upon hearing Jingjing'er's call, hastily unsheathing his mace, without thinking to first tie the horse to a stake—even the mace in the saddlebag was nowhere to be found. Cui Qi offered to help find the horse, but Li Ji couldn't wait—he had been out for so long, and it was already dark; how could he possibly gauge the situation inside the palace?

When he finished his daytime duty, he hadn't realized the palace coup was happening that very night. But after being lured out of Chang'an by Jingjing'er and surrounded by a group of swordsmen and shieldmen, even if Li Ji was slow-witted, he would have sensed something was wrong. Between the palace coup and Qingluan, he would definitely choose Qingluan. But since Cui Qi and the others had already rescued Qingluan and were temporarily safe, Li Ji's heart instantly drifted to the palace.

So he only asked Qingluan for a mount and a broadsword—he forgot about the shield and crossbow, as he wasn't used to them—and spurred his horse onward toward the Daming Palace.

So at this moment, Li Ji was dressed in his official uniform, holding a horizontal sword. The only difference between his sword and his body was the amount of blood that was more abundant than usual.

King Li Xi of Yue, however, had come prepared. When he was summoned to the palace by Empress Zhang at dusk, he secretly brought his beloved horse and armor with him. Now, he was impeccably dressed, wearing a red-tasseled phoenix helmet and intricately patterned armor, gilded and adorned with silver, dazzling under the lamplight. In his hand was a precious sword crafted by a master artisan, a gift from his father when he was appointed commander; it was two fen wider and three cun longer than the standard military sword.

Although he had boasted to Empress Zhang, he didn't dare underestimate Li Ji too much—after all, Li Ji was renowned for his bravery, and as the saying goes, "there's no smoke without fire." But upon urging his horse closer, he saw that Li Ji was unarmored, wearing only a robe, and had been fighting fiercely for some time, half of his body covered in blood... Why not take advantage of such an easy target?

If I can seize the opportunity to kill Li Ji, the hundreds of Shence and eunuchs here will surely fear and respect me as if I were a god. Then, would the sixth prince still dare to compete with me for the throne?

In any case, I am a descendant of Emperor Taizong, born with a destiny bestowed upon me. Since being appointed commander last year, I have invited renowned teachers and diligently practiced martial arts. How could I possibly be unable to defeat a mere Li Ji?

So he dismounted—firstly because the place was cramped and the horse couldn't run fast enough, and secondly because... he wasn't yet proficient in mounted combat—and parted the soldiers, brandishing his sword to fight Li Ji.

Li Ji kept a close eye on Li Xi, secretly on guard.

Li Xi strode forward and shouted, "Li Ji, do you dare to raise your sword against a prince? Death penalty!" He gripped the sword with both hands and viciously unleashed a "Splitting Mount Hua" move, slashing down on Li Ji's head.

Li Ji blocked with his sword, and with a clang, the sword broke.

Firstly, Li Ji was physically fit, with broad shoulders, a thick waist, and considerable strength. Secondly, he wielded a precious sword made of fine steel, whose sharpness and sturdiness far surpassed that of ordinary military swords. Furthermore, Li Ji had already been fighting fiercely for some time, killing more than a dozen people, and his sword already had cracks.

That's the logic, but the sudden breakage of his weapon during the fierce battle was completely unexpected for Li Ji. He had to bend his left leg and kneel on the ground, both to deflect the enemy's attack and to dodge the flying broken blade.

Exclamations of surprise arose both inside and outside the government office.

Li Xi's ability to gain the upper hand in a single move was also unexpected. Inside the courtyard, Li Yu thought to himself that his life was over, while outside, Li Xian lamented that he had no chance of becoming the heir apparent... When did the second son develop such skills? He could even defeat the dignified Li Erlang, the commander of the Imperial Guard? He truly "played dumb to fool the enemy"; everyone had underestimated him before...

Li Xi was overjoyed. He didn't think Li Ji was really unworthy of his reputation or too weak. Instead, he felt that he was indeed powerful and invincible, and deserved to be called the supreme one! So he slightly withdrew his sword and then slashed down again, determined to cut Li Ji in two.

Li Ji rolled away, barely dodging the attack; Li Xi slashed the ground with his sword, then stepped forward and unleashed a third strike.

Li Ji appeared to be hiding in a rather disheveled state, but it was actually a ruse to lure the enemy. He felt that the situation was extremely unfavorable to his side, and the only way to break the deadlock was to capture the enemy's leader; however, Prince Yan, Li Xian, kept hiding in the back, not giving him the slightest chance. Fortunately, Prince Yue, Li Xi, was a fool and dared to rush forward.

However, Li Xi was ultimately clad in armor and wielding a precious sword. If he couldn't defeat Li Xi in one move and Li Xi retreated even slightly, there were still so many Shence soldiers behind him who could provide cover and help him reclaim the enemy. But if he missed this opportunity, even if Li Xi was completely out of his mind, he probably wouldn't dare to charge forward a second time.

In addition, Li Xi's precious sword was indeed powerful, and Li Ji's weapon was broken, and the break was quite low, with less than two inches of the broken blade remaining on the guard of his sword—less than a dagger! Since he had no armor and no shield, how could he dare to risk using his own flesh to withstand the attack?

I deeply regret not bringing my beloved iron mace. If I had it, with Li Xi's meager skills, I could have defeated him in a single move, even if he was followed by a thousand troops who wouldn't have had time to come to his aid. As the saying goes, "With the four-sided green lotus mace in hand, I'll slay all the lousy dogs in the world"... oh wait, I mean, "I'll slay all the pretentious dogs in the world!" So what if it's a precious sword? Under my mace, it's just brittle stuff that shatters upon contact; so what if it's a national prince? I'll just kill a few to make a name for myself!

So he pretended to be outmatched, rolling and dodging while looking around for the other half of the broken sword—where had it gone?

Out of the corner of my eye, I suddenly noticed a dark iron rod on the ground beside me—what is that thing?

Seeing Li Xi step forward and bring his sword down again, Li Ji saw an excellent opportunity. He didn't care what the thing on the ground was, grabbed it, and forcefully knocked it away with a "clang." Then he leaped forward, grabbed Li Xi's shoulder with his left hand, and slammed his right knee down, striking Li Xi squarely in the abdomen.

—Ouch, that hurts!

Li Xi was indeed wearing heavy armor; otherwise, Li Ji's knee strike would have ended the fight on the spot. Even so, Li Ji only felt pain in his knee, while Li Xi felt as if he had been struck by a sledgehammer, his internal organs churning in agony. He opened his mouth, nearly vomiting, and his precious sword fell to the ground. His movements slowed, leaving him temporarily "stiff." Li Ji seized the opportunity, leaping upwards and pressing his entire weight down on Li Xi with a loud thud. Then, he brandished an iron rod at Li Xi's face and roared, "Anyone who dares to come up here, I will kill the King of Yue!"

It wasn't until then that I realized that what I had hastily picked up from the ground was actually a "key".

The main gates of most official residences were double-leafed, sealed on the inside with wooden or iron bolts. For some reason, the gate to the "Flying Dragon Stable" was unlike those of the former Imperial Kitchen in Luoyang; it was not only narrow but also single-leafed, and could not be bolted, but only secured with a key. These keys, horizontally called "guan" and vertically called "jian," were mostly inserted vertically on the upper outer side of the door leaf, much like a modern-day "bolt," and were all made of metal.

When the Shence Army broke down the gate of the Flying Dragon Stables, they didn't knock the entire gate down or fly away; they only knocked off the bolt, and the key fell to the ground, which Li Ji happened to pick up. This key was quite large, shaped like a carpenter's square, with a diameter of more than two fingers. One section was over two feet long, and the other section was about five inches long. In short, it was heavier and easier to use than the broken sword that Li Ji originally had.

In a sense, the longer section of this "key" is just like a miniature "mace," which Li Ji can use to unleash his mace moves.

In a flash, Li Xi was pinned to the ground, screaming like a pig being slaughtered. Both sides, inside and outside the government office, were shocked, but subconsciously, they all felt this was the natural course of events.

It's not surprising that Li Erlang defeated the King of Yue in one move—this world is still normal.

Upon hearing Li Ji's threat to kill Li Xi, two cries of alarm rang out simultaneously from within the yamen. One was from Li Xi himself—"Don't kill me!" The other came from Li Yu—"Don't harm the King of Yue!"

Only half a second later, a third shout came from outside the gate: "Don't worry about the King of Yue, rush up and kill Li Ji!"

The one who shouted this time was naturally Prince Yan, Li Xian. Li Xian truly hated the Li faction. He thought to himself, according to the Empress's plan, in this coup, you were the master and I was the assistant. You went to assassinate the eldest son and Li Fuguo, and I sealed off the palace gates. But Li Yu didn't go to the Right Silver Terrace Gate, but came to the Flying Dragon Stable, and I happened to run into him. This is the will of Heaven, and it is my turn to make a contribution. I have a share in the crown prince position, so why are you in such a hurry to come and seize it?

Yes, Li Yu's life is important to both of us, but in this operation, what's more important is capturing or killing Li Fuguo. If Li Fuguo dies, Li Yu will be like a man without an arm; given his weak character, he'll be powerless. But if Li Fuguo lives, even if Li Yu dies, the old eunuch can still find a way to enthrone princes like Li Tan, Li Jin, and Li Quan, and even the grandson Li Shi. So, when I asked you about Li Fuguo, what was your answer? Not "The old eunuch has been eliminated," or "He has been captured," but rather—"What is there to fear from the old eunuch? Let's kill Li Yu first!"

This means Li Fuguo is still alive and has not been captured. So why are you rushing here instead of commanding the battle at the Right Silver Terrace Gate?

And you even dared to go alone and charge straight at Li Ji, playing the trick of a one-on-one duel... I even suspected that you were hiding your strength, but it turns out that you are still the same as expected.

Second brother, I know you've always been foolish, but I never knew your stupidity had become so deep-seated and incurable! This idiot, I'm ashamed to be brothers with him. I'd rather be killed by Li Ji with one stab... no, one click!

That Li Fuguo is cunning and ruthless; he's not easy to deal with. Without a prince to oversee things, victory near the Right Silver Terrace Gate is uncertain. I can't stay here leisurely any longer; I need to break through Li Ji's defenses and kill Li Yu quickly, or all my efforts will be in vain—forget about my stupid brother, everyone, let's attack together and get rid of Li Ji first!

Although he shouted and gave orders, his soldiers hesitated for a moment and dared not obey. After all, the Shence Army was not a private army trained by Li Xian himself, but only temporarily serving. Li Xian could drive them to charge at Li Yu—shouting to kill, but when they actually got to him, Li Xian would most likely have to do it himself, and the soldiers would not dare to—but he could not make them completely disregard the life of a prince.

Li Xi lay on the ground, straining to turn his face away, exhaling a breath of foul air, and shouted, "Sixth Brother is utterly heartless! If you kill me now, do you think you can live on your own?"

For some reason, Li Ji wanted to laugh when he heard this—you keep talking about killing your own brother, and then you have the nerve to criticize your brother for being heartless?

Just then, Li Yu walked over.

He was initially surrounded by Cheng Yuanzhen and the others, but everyone's attention was immediately drawn to the fight between Li Ji and Li Xi. They were also shocked by Li Xi's capture, causing them to temporarily overlook Li Yu. This allowed Li Yu to break through the crowd and reach Li Ji's side. He then bent down, picked up the precious sword that Li Xi had dropped, and handed it to Li Ji, saying, "Guard, you may force back the rebels, but please do not harm my brother."

Li Ji frowned, glanced at Li Yu, and thought to himself, "From now on, I will have to look at this Crown Prince with new eyes."

Back when Li Yu knelt before the Uyghur Crown Prince outside Chang'an, Li Ji felt that the fellow was cowardly in a way reminiscent of his father, and thus began to look down on him. To be honest, if Li Shi were Li Yu's son, Li Ji wouldn't have needed to pave the way for that little guy; he wouldn't have bothered to put in the effort or take the risk to protect Li Yu.

However, now that life and death are hanging by a thread, it is unexpected that Li Yu would have such courage; it is truly rare.

So he threw down the door key, took the precious sword, held it across Li Xi's neck, and glared at the Shence soldiers, shouting, "Retreat immediately!" Then he lowered his voice and warned Li Yu, "Your Highness, retreat, beware of cold arrows."

Instead of backing down, Li Yu puffed out his chest and loudly called out to Li Xian, "Sixth brother, I hope you will pull back from the brink and leave now. If you do, I will not punish you for what happened today." He pointed upwards and said, "Heaven above bears witness to my oath!"

Li Xian smiled wryly and said, "Brother, the arrow is on the string, and we have no choice but to release it." As he spoke, he picked up the bow.

None of the Shence Army soldiers dared to fire arrows at Li Yu; as for the two hundred eunuchs brought by Li Xi, even if they had bows, they might not know how to fire them, and even if they did, they might not hit the target; now, the only one who dared to shoot arrows at Li Yu was Prince Yan, Li Xian.

Li Xian thought to himself, "I've also practiced archery. At a distance of only twenty paces, it's theoretically impossible for me to miss. Besides, I killed Li Yu first, and then shot Li Xi with another arrow—but that guy was lying on the ground, so aiming wasn't so easy." As for shooting Li Ji, he didn't even dare to think about it.

Li Ji naturally noticed Li Xian's intention. On the one hand, he urged Li Yu to retreat, and on the other hand, he kept a close eye on the other's movements, ready to swing his sword to deflect the arrow at any time—but the distance was too close, and he didn't know if he could do it in time.

With a "bang," the bowstring was drawn and the arrow was released, followed by a scream...

Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Northern Army

Before leaving the Eastern Palace, Li Yu sent someone to Bai Sun's residence to inform his eldest son, Li Shi.

As the Crown Prince, he had been confined to the palace for a long time, making it difficult for him to contact the outside world, which naturally dulled his political sense. Li Shi was different—especially since Li Yu had been appointed as regent, allowing him to summon the prime minister and enabling timely communication between the Eastern Palace and the Prince of Fengjie's residence—when Empress Zhang ordered someone to lure Li Yu into killing Li Fuguo during the day, and Li Yu refused, an imperial edict arrived that evening, summoning him to the palace. Li Shi instinctively sensed that something was wrong.

So he led a few trusted men and hurriedly slipped out of Baisun's residence to Pingkangfang to find Li Ji.

Although Li Ji had moved and taken in more than twenty new servants, the old gatekeeper remained in his post and immediately opened the door to let Li Shi in. Li Shi asked where Li Ji was, but the old man couldn't explain. It was Yuan Jing'an, whom Li Ji had asked to stay behind to protect the house before leaving, who then recounted the whole story in detail.

Li Shi stamped his foot in dismay: "How can he possibly leave the city at a time like this?!"

This seemed to foreshadow an eventful night. Having exhausted all other options, Li Shi risked everything and went to the Mingfeng Gate, knocking and asking to be let in. The Shence soldier guarding the gate replied, "The superior has ordered that the palace gates be locked; no one may be let in."

A single sentence revealed an ominous message. Logically, they should have replied to Li Shi, "Even a prince cannot enter the palace without an imperial edict." This was the law, a legal provision; there was no need to specifically emphasize "an order from a superior." Li Shi was frantic—"What should I do?"

The attendants suggested, "Lord Li is at the Right Silver Terrace Gate, or perhaps he hasn't finished his shift yet. Why doesn't Your Highness go there to meet Lord Li and discuss a plan?"

Li Shi shook his head: "The Empress had already implied that the Crown Prince should kill Li Fuguo during the day, and now she has ordered the Shence Army to lock the palace gates. She will most likely send troops to the Right Yintai Gate... I have no troops at my disposal. Wouldn't going there be like walking into a trap?"

He desperately wanted to escape Chang'an and head to Longyou to seek refuge with his third uncle, Li Tan, but he was unwilling to give up—years of planning had been thwarted in a single night, and in such a bizarre way that he hadn't even caught a glimpse of the enemy…

He spun around twice in place, then suddenly remembered—"Go to Yanxi Gate."

Yanxi Gate was the eastern gate of the Western Inner Palace, situated to the east and west of Anfu Gate, flanked by a side street. South of this street lay the Imperial City, while to the north was the Palace City. Upon arriving at Yanxi Gate, Li Shi revealed his identity and asked the guard, "Which general is on duty today?"

The guard replied, "It is Commander Li."

Upon hearing this, Li Shi couldn't help but exclaim in delight, "This is Heaven's help to me!"

Since returning from Fengxiang, Li Ji has continued to win over the generals of the Shence Army while also getting involved in the Weiyuan Army. He has made many good friends and even sent a list of reliable people to Li Shi. Among them, the one who was closest to Li Ji and strongly recommended to Li Shi was Li Sheng, also known as Li Liangqi, the Left Guard General and the actual commander of the Left Wing of the Weiyuan Army.

Li Shi summoned Li Sheng to see him, recounting the entire incident and pleading for Li Sheng's protection as he proceeded to the Right Silver Terrace Gate. Li Sheng hesitated, but Li Shi stamped his foot in exasperation, saying, "I am a friend of the Changwei, and you are also a friend of the Changwei. Don't you trust me?" Li Sheng smiled wryly, "This matter is of great importance, Your Highness..."

Li Shi waved his hand, interrupting the other party, and pleaded, "Liangqi, the situation in the Eastern Palace is currently unclear. If I were to ask you to lead troops to help me enter the palace and quell the rebellion, it would be putting you in a difficult position..." Li Sheng thought to himself, "Whether there is a rebellion or not, and who is causing it, I still don't understand." He continued, "However, asking you to lead a contingent of troops to escort me to the Right Silver Terrace Gate shouldn't be too difficult, right? If we reach the Right Silver Terrace Gate and find out that it was I who intended to cause the rebellion, you can immediately capture me, which would be a great achievement!"

The Imperial Guards are now disorganized and far from their peak. Generals often drive their soldiers to do their own private business. So, with Li Sheng's power, leading a team of men to act as bodyguards, even if it's just to earn extra money, is not a big crime. In fact, as long as he doesn't get caught, he can easily get away with it.

Li Sheng was slightly moved. After a moment's thought, he clasped his hands and said, "I hope Your Highness will not fail Changwei, then I will not fail Your Highness either." He then gathered more than a hundred people and escorted Li Shi to the Right Silver Terrace Gate.

A fierce battle was taking place near the Right Silver Terrace Gate, with hundreds of Shence Army soldiers surrounding Li Fuguo. Fortunately, the old eunuch knew he had too many enemies, both in the inner court and the outer court, many of whom wanted to devour him and sleep on his skin. Therefore, he had always kept fifty brave soldiers as his personal bodyguards, as well as dozens of junior eunuchs under his command, all of whom were strong and capable.

The key issue is that Li Xi fled to the Flying Dragon Stable to kill Li Yu, leaving the Shence Army without a leader. The generals and soldiers were all suspicious and, fearing Li Fuguo's power, no one was willing to fight to the death. This is why the fierce battle lasted for a long time without a clear winner.

Just then, Li Shi and his men arrived. Li Fuguo was overjoyed and ordered Li Sheng, "Quickly summon the entire Weiyuan army to come here and annihilate this rebel!" As the Minister of War and in charge of the Inner Palace Secretariat, he was able to give direct orders to Li Sheng from any perspective.

Li Sheng sent someone back to mobilize the entire Weiyuan Army, while Li Shi anxiously asked, "Where is the Crown Prince?"