Chapter 245
Changle watched silently as Li Chengqian, unable to close his eyes in death, lay before her. Despite being prepared mentally, tears still welled in her eyes when this moment unfolded. How did it come to this?
In Changle's perspective, Li Chengqian's death was entirely his own. As the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty, there was no reason for him to end up in such a state if he hadn't entertained those unrealistic ideas. His downfall was entirely self-inflicted.
At this moment, the sounds of battle from the direction of the imperial palace faintly reached them. Changele suddenly raised her head and looked in that direction. Over the imperial palace, towering flames had already ignited and were reaching for the sky. Changle looked at Su Li with a fearful expression.
Tonight, she had already lost one family member and didn't want to see anyone else die. Su Li approached and held Changle in his arms, whispering, “Your Majesty has fought all her life, and Hou Junji cannot be his match.” He paused before continuing, “Tonight is too chaotic. I will take you and Su Che back home and then come to the palace to gather information.”
Changle opened her mouth, intending to ask Su Li to rescue Li Er. However, considering what had just happened, she couldn't bring herself to make that request. Tonight's events were originally a struggle for the throne, and she felt guilty about involving Su Li in this conflict.
While Su Li maintained a calm appearance, Changle could see through it. Her husband had grown extremely tired of such matters. With a heavy sigh, Changle could only follow Su Li in silence.
The battle cries resounded through the heavens on the other side of the palace, outside the Hall of Martial Valor. Half an hour ago, Hou Junji led the Prince and his six commanders into the palace, totaling over two thousand men. Inside the palace were already arranged insiders who had opened the city gates.
At the outset, the Prince's forces had indeed been unstoppable. The palace guards had never anticipated a rebellion and could not organize effective resistance. They swiftly advanced, eventually arriving at the Hall of Martial Valor. Over two thousand men surrounded the Hall of Martial Valor.
Hou Junji gave the order, and the eight double-crossbows, drawn by eight oxen each, fired in unison, collapsing the main gate. Hou Junji led the charge, entering the palace square with his troops.By now, Li Er had received the news and was fully armed, holding a long spear as he stood at the Hall of Martial Valor entrance. Surrounding him were over a thousand palace guards who had swiftly rushed to his aid upon hearing the news.
The two men, emperor and usurper, stared at each other from a distance of several dozen paces. Li Er gazed at Hou Junji, disappointment in his eyes. To be fair, Li Er trusted Hou Junji more than any other general in his army.
Although Hou Junji also came from a prestigious family, in his youth, he was known for his arrogance, always boasting about his martial prowess when he was, in reality, all talk and no substance. Later, Hou Junji joined Prince Qin's household and became one of Li Er's close aides.
Despite his lack of major achievements, he had one redeeming quality—he was fearless in battle. On the night of the Xuanwu Gate Incident, Prince Qin's household had everything thrown into the fray.
When Li Er plotted to ambush his sons Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, Hou Junji was one of the ten men who accompanied him. After successfully killing Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, Li Er sent someone to control the Crown Prince, Li Shimin, who was still the legitimate emperor of the Tang Dynasty at the time.
Most attending courtiers hesitated to get involved in this dangerous endeavor. While killing Li Jiancheng could be framed as avenging their loyalty to their respective masters, forcibly entering the palace to control Emperor Li Yuan was an act of rebellion and would forever tarnish their names in history.
Only Hou Junji showed unwavering resolve and willingly accepted the mission. Afterward, Li Er rewarded him generously. Li Er ranked Hou Junji equally with other prominent figures, such as Zhangsun Wuji, for his role in the Xuanwu Gate Incident. Li Er even ordered the official records to be modified to protect Hou Junji's reputation.
The revised version claimed that Emperor Li Yuan peacefully enjoyed a boat ride with his confidants during the incident. Originally, Hou Junji, whose insignificant military achievements, suddenly gained great favor due to a certain incident. Li Er directly appointed him as the Left Guard General and Duke of Lu.
Later, Li Er also arranged for his daughter to marry him. Such honors were unparalleled in the entire imperial court. There was no one else like him. Li Er never mistreated Hou Junji.
However, Li Er never expected his high regard for Hou Junji to lead him into unrealistic fantasies. Hou Junji was already somewhat boastful, and with the increasing favor he received, he became even more presumptuous.
Under Li Er's command, there were many renowned generals, most of whom had achievements and positions that closely matched their abilities without much exaggeration. Only Hou Junji, whose abilities were average at best, owed his position as the Minister of War to Li Er's sentimental feelings for him.
So, what led him to believe that he would rebel against Li Er? Hou Junji might not be the brightest, but he couldn't have suddenly decided to commit such an act on his own…
Then... It must be Li Chengqian! Aside from his disappointment, there was a faint trace of anger in Li Er's heart. However, the current situation left no room for him to dwell on his emotions.
Despite having only around a thousand guards with him, facing a rebellion force twice their size, Li Er showed no signs of panic. Without any dialogue, they launched into a charge as soon as the two sides met.
A head-on confrontation might seem devoid of any tactical finesse. Still, Li Er, a renowned military strategist of his time, had an unmatched ability to assess the battlefield compared to Hou Junji, who was far less skilled. Moreover, the rebels were already on shaky moral ground, having been coerced by Li Chengqian's orders in many cases and not truly enthusiastic about their cause.
Li Er stood in the grand hall, calmly observing the carnage unfolding in the square below as if watching a routine martial display. At the same time, he issued a series of commands with a composed demeanor.
Under Li Er’s command, the palace guards, numbering just over a thousand, were somehow maintaining the upper hand against an enemy force twice their size. They consistently pinpointed the weak points of their adversaries, using their superior numbers to whittle down the enemy’s strength gradually.
Another half hour passed, and the sounds of battle on the square grew quieter. At this point, Hou Junji was covered in blood, fighting fiercely within the ranks. Suddenly, he felt the pressure around him lighten. Hou Junji raised his head in bewilderment and scanned his surroundings.
Only then did he realize his own army, under his leadership, had been annihilated or severely injured. Instead, the palace guards now surrounded him. Pushing through the dense crowd of soldiers, Hou Junji gazed towards the Hall of Martial Prowess. There, he saw Li Er, expressionless.
He turned his head towards the direction of the East Palace, where the night sky, once pitch black, had been painted a fiery red by the raging flames.
It’s over… Hou Junji’s thoughts turned to despair. At this moment, he finally realized that he had overestimated his abilities.
What he thought was a flawless plan had been riddled with flaws from the beginning, with no chance of success whatsoever. Hou Junji couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh. He raised his sword without hesitation and swung it fiercely at his neck. Blood sprayed, and the rising military leader who had started as a rebel met his end in rebellion…
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