Chapter 28: One Arrow Broke Li Yuan’s Heart!
Meanwhile, high above, the celestial canopy’s narration continued to recount the achievements of Li Shimin!
"At Yanmen Pass, Emperor Yang of Sui was surrounded by the Turks. The seventeen-year-old Li Shimin led troops to rescue him, and subsequently followed his father into battle to quell rebellions and repel the Turkic invasion."
"Later, Emperor Yang of Sui, overly ambitious and reckless, burdened the people with heavy taxes, pushing them to the brink of survival and inciting nationwide resentment."
"At nineteen, Li Shimin secretly gathered capable men and righteous warriors, urging his father, Li Yuan, to revolt!"
"At twenty, he raised an army with his father in Jinyang, marched on Chang'an, and commenced the war of unification!"
"Emperor Yang of Sui was forced into the role of Retired Emperor. Li Yuan established the Prince of Dai, Yang You, as the new emperor, changing the reign title to Yining. Li Yuan appointed himself Grand Chancellor and was enfeoffed as the Prince of Tang."
"In 618, Emperor Yang of Sui was killed. Li Yuan forced Yang You to abdicate and formally ascended the throne. The state was named Tang, and Li Yuan became the founding emperor of the Tang Dynasty, honored with the title 'Emperor Shenyao Dasheng Daguangxiao'."
"From that moment, the brilliant and radiant dynasty of 'Tang' was officially born!"
"Thereafter, Li Shimin began his life on horseback, campaigning across the land to secure the empire."
"At twenty-two, he defeated Song Jingang and captured Yuchi Jingde!"
"At twenty-three, in the Battle of Hulao Pass, he captured two rivals, defeating Wang Shichu and Dou Jiande, and earned the title 'Supreme Commander of Heavenly Strategy'!"
"At twenty-four, he defeated Liu Heita and Xu Yuanlang..."
"At twenty-six, he met with the Turks with only a hundred men..."
"His father, Li Yuan, had promised during the chaos of the world that once the empire was secured, he would name Li Shimin the Crown Prince. However, once the world was at peace, Li Yuan never mentioned it again."
"At twenty-eight, sensing his perilous position, Li Er initiated the Xuanwu Gate Incident—the most perfect coup in history!"
As the narration reached this point, the imagery on the canopy shifted abruptly.
The three large characters "Xuanwu Gate" appeared on the screen.
Accompanied by stirring music, the heavy city gates slowly swung open. Li Er, mounted on his horse, appeared as a true Son of Heaven.
Seeing this, Li Yuanji notched an arrow to fire, but in his panic, he failed to draw his bow fully three times.
Witnessing this, Li Shimin no longer hesitated.
He drew his bow!
He fired...
An eagle-feathered arrow pierced the void... striking Li Jiancheng squarely in the chest.
Li Jiancheng looked down at the arrow in his chest, his face filled with disbelief, and then looked at the face of his own dear second brother!
Tears shimmered in the depths of Li Er’s eyes...
The bowstring in Li Er’s hand still trembled slightly. Looking at his fallen elder brother, he whispered, "Brother... you forced my hand!"
Seeing his brother struck, Li Yuanji ignored his fate and fled toward the woods.
Li Er glanced at his elder brother, Li Jiancheng, lying in a pool of blood, a flash of complex emotion crossing his eyes, before he spurred his horse to chase after Li Yuanji.
Blood trickled from the corner of Li Jiancheng’s mouth as he watched Li Er’s back fade further and further away... further and further...
...
Li Yuanji’s clothing caught on a tree branch, causing him to fall from his horse, coming face-to-face with the pursuing Li Er.
The brothers stared at each other. As Li Er dismounted, Li Yuanji seized his bow, attempting to strangle him.
Yuchi Gong arrived with his cavalry just in time. Seeing this, Li Yuanji released Li Shimin and attempted to flee toward the Wude Hall, but Yuchi Gong fired an arrow and shot him dead!
Meanwhile, the celestial narration rang out.
"Overnight... the Crown Prince's residence was slaughtered by Li Er. Aside from a few women, his niece, who posed no threat, and the stubborn Wei Zheng, none survived!"
"The same fate befell Li Yuanji; all five of his sons were ordered to die, and he took his own brother’s wife, Lady Yang, into his harem. Most of his daughters were spared!"
Those watching beneath the canopy could not help but frown!
In the Spring and Autumn period, Zilu, seeing what the canopy revealed, exercised his traditional virtue of asking about things he did not understand. He turned to Confucius, who was teaching, and asked, "Master, how do you view this action of Li Shimin?"
Confucius glanced at Zilu and remarked gloomily, "From my perspective, I would condemn him and use virtue to teach him how to behave. To kill one's brothers! And to seize a sister-in-law—it goes against our teachings!"
"However... from Li Shimin’s perspective, I might have razed the Crown Prince's residence to the ground, leaving no chicken or dog alive, ensuring not a single yolk was left intact. After all, I am not a man who leaves hidden dangers behind!"
Hearing this, Laozi, who was also teaching, and the three thousand disciples of Confucius were stunned for a moment.
"Pervert!"
Knowing Confucius as he did, Laozi figured that if the old man said such a thing, he truly dared to do it.
...
In his twilight years, Li Er looked at the image of Li Jiancheng lying in a pool of blood, his expression momentarily dazed!
That look... it was that very look that had haunted his dreams countless times, countless times!
He had ushered in the Reign of Zhenguan, yet he could not escape the nightmares that visited him every night...
Whenever he thought of it, cold sweat drenched him, but then he reminded himself that he had also killed Li Yuanji, and his mood improved slightly.
Regarding his elder brother, Li Jiancheng, he actually felt a lingering sense of guilt in his heart...
For this reason, he had even kept a seat reserved for his brother in the Lingyan Pavilion and kept the copy of the *Six Secret Teachings* that his brother had once gifted him by his side.
Reflecting on his life, Li Er knew he had been true to the Great Tang and the empire.
But he had failed his devoted wife, Empress Zhangsun, his sons... and his father... and his elder brother...
Now, in his old age, he could finally understand... finally understand the heart of his father back then!
Because his own Crown Prince was just like him... he had rebelled... just like him.
...
During the Wude era of the Great Tang!
Li Yuan sat in the palace, listening to the celestial narration, tears flowing uncontrollably.
It felt as if a knife had been driven deep into his heart.
A heart-wrenching pain!
He remembered the little details of Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin’s childhood.
They were once... such close brothers. He still remembered when Shimin had clutched Jiancheng’s horse whip, begging his elder brother to teach him how to ride!
And when Shimin had shielded his brother from a hidden arrow on the battlefield... an arrow that had missed Shimin’s heart by only a centimeter.
Jiancheng had seen his younger brother grimacing in pain... and the blood that wouldn't stop flowing. He had nearly gone mad, scouring the entire camp for a military physician!
He had thought they would be different from other dynasties, that they would not be stained by the blood of kin, but this...
Watching the eagle-feathered arrow on the canopy pierced into his eldest son’s chest was blindingly painful.
One had to remember that it was his eldest brother, Jiancheng, who had taught Shimin how to draw a bow!
Yet... yet he died by the arrow of his own younger brother. How ironic.
The former bond of brotherhood had now fallen into such a tragic state!
As a father, he could not shirk his responsibility. If only... if he hadn't said those things to Shimin back then... would the outcome have been different?
Li Yuan walked down from the dragon throne, utterly despondent.
He looked at the three sons kneeling before him...
As for Li Yuanji, Li Yuan knew his nature well; one could say that when Shimin killed him, he did not feel quite as much heartache.
Tearfully, Li Yuan looked at Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin, trembling as he reached out to take their hands, choking out the words:
"Shimin... Jiancheng... can only one of you truly survive? Is it true? Ah... my sons?"
...
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