Volume Three: The Turmoil at Xuanwu Gate Chapter Ninety-Eight: The Reaction of the Dugu Family

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The reason Prince Qin himself, a man of such stature, came rushing over was because the situation had taken an unexpected turn. When he first learned that Ming Yu had been kidnapped, Li Shimin flew into a rage and sent an ultimatum to the Du Gu family: return Ming Yu safely before dawn, or he would personally lead troops to retrieve him.

But matters had escalated far beyond a mere quarrel among prodigals or a simple kidnapping. It had become a battlefield of behind-the-scenes power struggles among various forces.

Moreover, at this moment, the Qin Prince’s residence and the Du Gu family had completely torn off the mask of civility. Given their respective statuses, it was like rowing upstream—if one did not advance, one would only fall behind. Whoever yielded first would admit defeat, suffer a fall, and find it nearly impossible to regain their prestige.

As for the Du Gu family, ever since Du Gu Wudu received the summons from Prince Qin, he had been so furious that he overturned the table on the spot.

“Li Shimin, that brat! What does he think he’s doing? Threatening me? Does he think Du Gu Wudu is afraid of him? That’s going too far!” Du Gu Wudu’s eyebrows bristled with rage, and his roar thundered through the room, echoing off the walls.

Several of his relatives and many nephews and grandsons were present, all frozen in fear, barely daring to breathe.

“You good-for-nothing! I spoiled you too much!” Seeing Du Gu Jie, Du Gu Wudu kicked him hard, sending him sprawling on all fours. “Didn’t I tell you not to provoke the Qin Prince’s residence for now? Once he falls, we’ll deal with him as we please! But you just couldn’t keep your temper! You even resorted to kidnapping! Do you hate the Du Gu family so much that you want to make enemies everywhere?”

Du Gu Jie still had a bandage wrapped around his head, but he knew his grandfather’s fiery temper well. After being kicked down, he dared not get up and instead knelt, sobbing, “Grandfather, please forgive me. It wasn’t me! Though that bastard cut off one of my ears and left me disfigured, this hatred is deep and unforgiving. But this matter truly wasn’t my doing! I hired some wandering martial heroes and made arrangements with familiar gangs to keep a close watch on that boy. But before they could act, someone else beat them to it! This really has nothing to do with me!”

“You scoundrel! You say you didn’t do it, but all Chang’an is spreading rumors that it was you! I believe you, but does Prince Qin believe you?” Enraged, Du Gu Wudu kicked Du Gu Jie several more times.

“Father! That’s wrong! If you say that, aren’t you just boosting Prince Qin’s prestige and suppressing the Du Gu family’s spirit? Why are you so worried about Prince Qin? Are you afraid that once he gains power, he’ll settle scores in autumn?” Seeing his son so miserably beaten, Du Gu Lun, Du Gu Jie’s father, couldn’t help but speak up in protest.

Du Gu Wudu, a domineering man who hated to be challenged, slapped him hard and shouted, “Nonsense! How dare you speak to your father like that! Li Shimin is nothing! Am I afraid of him? Humph! The eldest son inherits, not the most capable. That’s the ancient order of father and son, senior and junior, established by our ancestors for thousands of years. Otherwise, rites and music collapse, and chaos ensues! Li Shimin is just delusional; he’ll never sit on that throne in his lifetime. Don’t be fooled by his current glory—that’s just the emperor’s way of using him to pressure the crown prince! The emperor is aging, but the crown prince’s power is already solid. With our full support, Li Shimin is just a grasshopper after the harvest, powerless to overturn the heavens. When the time comes, the crown prince will settle him without us lifting a finger!”

Du Gu Lun clutched his reddened cheek and agreed, “Exactly! So why are you so concerned about Prince Qin? If offending him is inevitable, then so be it. He’s finished sooner or later!”

The younger generation of the Du Gu family was equally resentful, speaking out all at once, “Big Brother is right! Honestly, why not just be forthright with Prince Qin? Whether he believes us or not is his business. If he persists and refuses to recognize our position, then the Du Gu family has the justification to give him a good fight!”

“Exactly! On what grounds does he claim we kidnapped his man? Where’s the proof?”

“Our Du Gu family has held sway over Guanzhong for centuries, with deep roots and wide connections. Li Shimin has only risen to power recently and dares to look down on us? The Guanzhong and Longxi clans have always been close allies, and with the crown prince’s support, we’re virtually unbeatable! Why bother caring about Li Shimin? Let’s just openly challenge him!”

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“Li Shimin is nothing! The Tang Dynasty has the emperor and the crown prince above all. He has no say!”

“That’s right!” Du Gu Wudu grew more furious hearing their foolishness. How could such ignorance manage the Du Gu family in the future? His anger flared, and he kicked Du Gu Lun down again. “No matter how miserable his future is, that’s future business! For now, Prince Qin is still Prince Qin, the emperor’s son! As long as he hasn’t fallen, we cannot fully break with him! Otherwise, what will the emperor think? What will the world say? That the Du Gu family is arrogant and bullies princes? That we have disloyal hearts and don’t respect a prince?!” Growing more furious, Du Gu Wudu assaulted Du Gu Lun and Du Gu Jie with fists and kicks.

“Big Brother! Please calm down! Since it’s confirmed that little Jie didn’t do it, our immediate task is to find out who the real mastermind is! They’re trying to frame the Du Gu family and push us into a showdown with Prince Qin’s residence. While we don’t fear Prince Qin, there’s no need to be a pawn for others!” Seeing the family head so enraged, Du Gu Kaiyuan, Du Gu family’s strategist, hurried to intervene.

“Hmm! Kaiyuan is right!” Du Gu Wudu nodded and took a deep breath to calm down. “Yes! Order a thorough investigation! Find out exactly who it is! I want to see which bastard dares to frame the Du Gu family!”

Du Gu Kaiyuan quickly responded, “I’ll send people now. Shall I use the shadows?”

“Yes. Use everything, but only where it counts!” With a wave of his hand, Du Gu Wudu told everyone, “You may all leave. Behave yourselves and don’t cause trouble!”

The Du Gu family members bowed respectfully and left. Only Du Gu Wudu remained, sitting alone with a dark and unsettled expression.

At that moment, the old steward quietly entered and whispered into Du Gu Wudu’s ear, “Master, the imperial eunuch from the inner palace has arrived. He says this matter has become very serious. The Qin Princess consort went to the emperor in tears. That boy’s identity is quite extraordinary, and the emperor is very concerned. The eunuch was sent to deliver an imperial decree: if it truly was us, return the boy at once.”

Upon hearing this, Du Gu Wudu’s expression shifted slightly. Though he was domineering and reckless—at times even the emperor had to show him some respect—he was not foolish. He knew his limits. For minor matters, the Du Gu family could act with impunity, but when it came to crucial affairs, he had to bow to the emperor.

The Du Gu family was powerful, and even Emperor Li Yuan of Tang had to yield some respect. But despite being the reputed leader of the Guanzhong aristocracy, the most powerful among them remained the Longxi Li family. Otherwise, Li Yuan wouldn’t have become emperor.

Du Gu Wudu asked tensely, “Where is the messenger?”

The steward replied respectfully, “Waiting in the side chamber.”

“Good, you may go for now. I’ll come shortly.” Du Gu Wudu nodded.

The steward bowed and left.

Du Gu Wudu pondered for a moment, then called the steward back. “Wait. Take the pair of white jade and glass cups from my study to the eunuch. Tell him to wait a little longer. Say I’m dispatching people to investigate and will give him a satisfactory answer within half an hour.”

The steward responded, “Yes,” and departed.

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Mobilizing the full strength of the Du Gu family proved remarkably efficient. In less than half an hour, Du Gu Kaiyuan hurried back and reported the investigation results truthfully.

Du Gu Wudu narrowed his eyes, cold light flashing from them. “So it was him! Damn it, I underestimated him! Fine, I’ll inform the eunuch immediately.”

Du Gu Kaiyuan asked, “The eunuch from the inner palace? He came?”

Du Gu Wudu nodded and recounted how Prince Qin had escalated the matter to the emperor.

After some thought, Du Gu Kaiyuan said, “Big Brother’s original plan wasn’t wrong. But this benefits the Du Gu family not at all. I suggest we truthfully inform Prince Qin’s residence of who actually kidnapped the boy and prove our innocence. Let the two princes fight it out while we stay clear, watching from the sidelines. As for the inner palace, just tell them who the kidnapper was to clear our name. Let the emperor investigate the mastermind himself for best effect. This way, we achieve three goals at once: stir conflict between Prince Qin and Prince Qi, arouse the emperor’s suspicion of that person, and distance ourselves while bolstering the crown prince’s position. This is the best strategy!”

Du Gu Wudu laughed heartily, “Good! Let’s do just as you say!”

Du Gu Kaiyuan continued, “Those wandering heroes little Jie hired are a liability. If the Du Gu family wants to stay uninvolved, we cannot keep them around to invite gossip. We must clean this up completely, leaving no trace.”

Du Gu Wudu’s voice turned cold as he commanded, “Handle it thoroughly and discreetly! Also, to show our sincerity to Prince Qin’s residence, you must visit them personally.”

“I will, Big Brother! You can count on me!” Du Gu Kaiyuan clasped his fists and turned to leave.

“Wait!” Du Gu Wudu’s eyes flickered as he considered a moment. “Don’t go yourself. I’ll write a letter to Prince Qin explaining the situation. Hmm, who should I send? Let’s send Du Gu Kai. In these turbulent times, no one can say how things will end. We should be cautious and not fall out too badly with Prince Qin. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. It’s best to be prepared.”

“Truly, Big Brother is far-sighted! Only then can the Du Gu family remain forever prosperous!” Du Gu Kaiyuan praised before bidding farewell and departing.