Volume Three: The Xuanwu Gate Incident, Chapter 102: The Prince of Qi's Estate and the Princess of Qi

Mingyu obtained the assassin’s confession and returned to the room to report the findings to Li Shimin.

Li Shimin, along with the strategists and generals of the Tiance Mansion, was waiting for news. Upon hearing the result, he was not particularly surprised. He nodded and said, "As expected, just as Xuanling analyzed, it is the Crown Prince's doing."

Fang Xuanling stroked his beard and said, "Indeed. When you think it through, if we were to have a complete falling out with the Prince of Qi, the only one who would ultimately benefit is the Crown Prince."

Mingyu was puzzled and asked, "Since you and the others had already guessed it was the Crown Prince's work, why go through so much trouble to get the assassin's confession?"

Before Li Shimin could answer, Du Ruhui explained, "Mingyu, you don't understand; there is a difference between speculation and having concrete evidence. From the current situation, the Prince of Qi does not truly want to break with us; at most, he is making some minor moves in the shadows. Through this incident, we have gauged the Prince of Qi's true attitude, which will help us decide how to respond."

Mingyu nodded. Du Ruhui meant that they needed to clearly understand the positions of the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qi in this matter before adopting different countermeasures.

He frowned and asked again, "But isn't the Crown Prince's framing attempt a bit too incompetent? Anyone with a brain could see through this trick at a glance. No one is stupid enough to carry weapons with their own markings to commit an assassination. Since it couldn't have been the Prince of Qi’s people, the first suspect is obviously the Crown Prince!"

"Indeed, the Crown Prince certainly knows this. It seems that the Prince of Qi has been making many small moves lately, and the Crown Prince is quite dissatisfied with him. This incident was orchestrated by the Crown Prince. On the surface, it is meant to sow discord between us and the Prince of Qi, but in reality, he is using our hands to warn the Prince of Qi, or even force him out and extinguish any thoughts he shouldn't have. The Prince of Qi has always stood with the Crown Prince; if the Crown Prince were to confront him directly, he would fear that the Prince of Qi might defect to us. Thus, he can only use our hands to knock some sense into him," Fang Xuanling explained to Mingyu, speaking with ease.

Only then did Mingyu realize there were so many layers to this. It seemed that Li Shimin’s brothers were none of them simple—all filled with conspiracies and schemes, constantly looking for ways to use others to strike at their rivals. He sneered and said, "The Crown Prince has a fine scheme, but we simply won't play along!"

Li Shimin rubbed his temples and sighed, "The Crown Prince’s plan is a grand, open conspiracy, forcing us to follow his lead. Why do you think he had his assassin openly carry the Prince of Qi’s weapons to commit the crime? He is forcing me to choose: either react and break completely with the Fourth Brother, or stay silent and lose face, letting the whole world know that I, Li Shimin, am afraid of him. Either way, it benefits him and causes me no good."

"Ah? Then are we forced to obediently follow the Crown Prince's lead?" Mingyu pouted, his face full of annoyance.

Li Shimin pondered for a moment and said, "Very well, let us follow his lead for once. I also want to take this opportunity to properly knock some sense into the Fourth Brother. Even if I can't force him out, at the very least, I can make him stand on the sidelines for a while and stop obsessively trying to make things difficult for me alongside the Crown Prince."

After saying this, Li Shimin stood up, brushing off his clothes, and smiled at Mingyu: "Let's go. Your Second Uncle will take you to meet my useless brother. He sent people to kidnap you; how can I let that pass without demanding an explanation?"

Cheng Yaojin, Qin Qiong, and other generals also hurriedly stood up, cupping their hands: "Your Highness, the Prince of Qi is violent and self-willed. It would be better for us to accompany you!"

"No need. My brother is suspicious, biased, arrogant, and narrow-minded. If too many people go, he will think I am coming to settle scores, which would be counterproductive. Taking Mingyu and Jingde is enough. Even the thousands of cavalrymen of Dou Jiande at Hulao Pass could do nothing to us, let alone mere Li Yuanji!" Li Shimin laughed heroically.

The Prince of Qi’s mansion was also located in the East City of Chang'an, separated from the Qin King’s mansion by a few wards.

Li Shimin traveled light with Mingyu, Yuchi Gong, and six or seven guards. They rode out of the mansion and galloped, arriving at Li Yuanji’s residence shortly.

When Mingyu first saw Li Shimin’s Qin King’s mansion, with its pavilions, towers, and magnificent eaves, he had already found it shocking. But looking at the Prince of Qi’s mansion before him, Li Mingyu finally understood the meaning of "arrogant, extravagant, and debauched."

The vermilion-lacquered gate was three zhang high, with a black golden-nanmu plaque hanging at the top, inscribed with the three characters "Prince of Qi’s Mansion" in a bold, dragon-like calligraphy.

At the entrance of the Qin King’s mansion, there were only two stone lions about as tall as a man. However, what stood at Li Yuanji’s gate were two pure copper lions three times larger, shining with brilliant gold, standing on both sides, baring their fangs and claws in a ferocious, menacing display.

A row of twenty or so guards in bright armor stood at the gate, clutching swords and spears, their chest plates polished so brightly they were blinding.

It is said that the servants reflect the master. From the way the guards at the Prince of Qi’s mansion stood with chests puffed out and noses in the air, exuding an overbearing aura, it was not hard to imagine how arrogant and domineering Li Yuanji was in his daily life.

However, no matter how arrogant the guards were, they dared not act recklessly in front of Li Shimin; they recognized him from afar.

A guard leader immediately came over with a fawning expression, trotting to help Li Shimin hold his horse. He bowed deeply and said with a smile, "Greetings, Your Highness, Prince of Qin."

Li Shimin waved his hand, tossed the reins to him, and asked, "Is the Fourth Brother in?" He then walked straight inside.

The guards naturally dared not stop him. One led the way while others signaled for someone to run ahead and report the arrival.

Mingyu and Yuchi Gong followed behind Li Shimin, passing through many courtyards and corridors, until they met the Princess of Qi, who had been informed and was coming to greet them with her maids.

The Princess of Qi was fair-skinned and beautiful, her features delicate like a painting. Accompanied by several maids, she bowed gracefully and said, "I did not know the Second Brother was coming. Please forgive my lack of a proper welcome. Gui Mei pays her respects."

Li Shimin’s attitude toward the Princess of Qi was much warmer. He stepped forward, intending to support her with his hand, saying, "Sister-in-law, why be so formal? We are all family; no need for such courtesy."

Men and women should not touch, let alone between the Prince of Qin and his sister-in-law. In full view of everyone, the Princess of Qi saw Li Shimin reaching out and pulled her hand back subtly, avoiding him without a trace. Her pretty face flushed, and she gave him a quick, sidelong glance.

It was less of a glare and more of a flirtatious look. The Princess of Qi’s attitude toward Li Shimin was intriguing.

Li Shimin didn't mind and asked with a smile, "Where is the Fourth Brother? Where is he?"

Mentioning Li Yuanji, the Princess of Qi’s eyes reddened. She frowned slightly and whispered, "The Prince is not in a good mood today; he has been throwing quite a temper. He should be at the training grounds right now."

Having said that, the Princess of Qi signaled her trusted eunuch: "An Hai, you accompany the Prince of Qin to find the Prince. I... I will not go."

An Hai agreed, gesturing for them to follow, and said respectfully, "Your Highness, please follow me this way."

"Hmm." Li Shimin nodded, looked back at the Princess of Qi once more, and then followed An Hai.

Li Mingyu watched Li Shimin and the Princess of Qi exchanging glances and felt a sense of mockery. It was said that Li Shimin killing his brothers and taking his sister-in-law, and forcing his father to abdicate, were the stains of his life. Whether it was for self-preservation or ambition, it had reached a point of life and death, so any ruthless act could be justified. But taking another man's wife was a clear sign of lustfulness. The Princess of Qi was indeed a beauty who made one feel pity, so it was no wonder Li Shimin was tempted. But looking at their flirtatious behavior, had they already been involved for a long time?

Mingyu did not know that the Princess of Qi, named Yang Guimei, was a member of the Sui royal family. Because of the tyranny of Yang Guang at the end of the Sui Dynasty, the people rose up, and the Sui Dynasty fell. Yang Guimei lost her family and was forced into the world of entertainment. Relying on her beauty, charm, and talent in song, dance, and poetry, she became a famous performer in Chang'an.

Countless young nobles in Chang'an chased after her, until the powerful Li Yuanji saw her and became obsessed.

He forcibly seized her and took her as his wife. Unfortunately, Li Yuanji was a man of insatiable lust who tired of the new and abandoned the old. Once the novelty wore off, he gradually neglected her. Yang Guimei was very depressed about this but could do nothing.

By chance, she developed secret feelings for Li Shimin, though due to their status and position, their relationship remained limited to emotional longing, restrained by propriety.

It was only after the Xuanwu Gate Incident, when Li Shimin killed Li Yuanji and Li Jiancheng and ascended the throne, that Yang Guimei was brought into the palace by Li Shimin. She was highly favored by him and bore him a son. After Empress Zhangsun passed away, Li Shimin had considered making her Empress, a thought he only abandoned after being dissuaded by Wei Zheng.

"I just heard the Princess say that your Prince is in a bad mood today?" Li Shimin asked An Hai, the eunuch leading the way.

An Hai, likely the Princess's absolute confidant, saw no one else nearby, gave a bitter smile, and replied in a low voice, "Your Highness, you know that our Prince has always had a bad temper. I don't know who angered him today, but he beat two servants to death and still remained furious. The Princess tried to persuade him, which only infuriated him further. After venting his anger on her, he went to the training grounds to practice alone."

Hearing this, Li Shimin nodded and sneered, as if contemplating how to deal with Li Yuanji.

"In a bad mood? Heh, that makes sense. He just got played by the Crown Prince, so it would be strange if he were in a good mood," Mingyu thought to himself with a smirk.

As they talked, they had passed through several courtyards and corridors. After turning past a side hall, the training grounds appeared in front of them.

Before they even entered, they could hear the sound of galloping horses and the clashing of weapons.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, the Prince of Qin is here!" An Hai called out in a loud voice. There was no response from inside, only the sound of clashing weapons becoming more intense, accompanied by sharp shouts.

Mingyu looked up and saw that the training ground of the Prince of Qi’s mansion was over a hundred zhang in circumference, filled with stone locks, training dummies, wooden stakes, and archery targets. Rows of weapon racks displayed spears, horse lances, axes, hammers, swords, and halberds.

In the center of the training ground, a dozen people were maneuvering and fighting on horseback.

The two sides were divided: one side consisted of a dozen fully armed guards on horseback holding lances, while the other was a fair-skinned young man. He was bare-chested, his muscles knotted, riding a robust black horse.

This man was wielding a horse lance with incredible speed, whipping up wind and rain, letting out strange whistling sounds as he fought off a dozen guards without losing ground.

Mingyu noticed that the fair-skinned young man looked eighty or ninety percent like his master, but compared to his master's elegance, this man’s appearance held a hint of viciousness and cruelty. He assumed this must be the Prince of Qi, Li Yuanji.