The Flourishing Tang Dynasty: Beginning with Marrying Yang Yuhuan

Chapter 136: When a man is about to die, his words are not good
Li Ying sneered as he listened to Li Longji's scolding.

He thought of the battle ahead.

As soon as he led his men into the gate of Xingqing Palace, they were attacked by the Longwu Army who had been ambushed in advance, and then the elite "Flying Cavalry" of the Yulin Guard came behind them.

Being attacked from both sides, he fought desperately but was defeated step by step.

If it weren't for the bravery of Xue Xiu and the Eastern Palace Guards, and the "laziness" of the Longwu Army and the Yulin Guards, he wouldn't have lasted even an incense stick of time.

Now, he has realized that he has fallen into Li Longji's trap.

The "slackness" of the Longwu Army and the Yulin Guards was intended to test whether other princes had any unusual movements.

Thinking of the source, Li Ying said: "My son is a traitor, but has your father really fulfilled his responsibility as a father to his son? On the surface, I have been the crown prince for more than 20 years, but in these 20 years, I have been terrified every moment. If I make the slightest mistake, you will reprimand me. If I interfere in state affairs, you will suspect that I am forming a clique. If I ignore state affairs, you will think that I am not worthy of being the master of the East Palace and cannot shoulder the responsibility of the country left by my ancestors."

Li Shizhi, who was standing by, was a good man. After hearing what Li Ying said, he was worried that Li Longji would be angry and Li Ying's life would be in danger, so he quickly advised: "Your Highness, as the crown prince, you should relieve the worries of the Holy Father. How can you hold a grudge against the Saint? Please apologize to the Saint. The Saint is magnanimous and will forgive you."

After hearing this, Li Ying turned his head and glanced at Li Shizhi, then swept his eyes across the crowd in the hall and said, "You are not good people either. It would be fine if you didn't help me, but instead hindered me secretly. And you..."

Li Ying looked at the princes and continued:
"Although I was already crowned the crown prince, Queen Wang targeted me from the beginning. After Queen Wang was deposed, Consort Wu Hui came. Fortunately, God had a good eye and Li Heng fell ill and stayed away from the court. But then Li Heng came. Now it's good. I'm free. You guys can fight for it."

Li Ying knew that death was most likely to await him, but he was not afraid. Instead, he felt relieved.

Li Longji was so angry that he gasped and said, "Someone come! Someone come! Take him down quickly!"

As soon as Li Longji finished speaking, two soldiers from the Longwu Army walked in and were about to drag Li Ying out.

Li Ying said, "Okay, if I punish you without teaching you, for thousands of years, in the glorious annals of history, someone will naturally seek justice for me."

"Wait!" Li Longji interrupted the actions of the Longwu Army soldiers and asked two soldiers and other ministers to go out first.

Only their family was left in the Zichen Palace.

Although Li Longji was devoted to pleasure at this time, he was aware that his civil and military achievements were comparable to those of Yao, Shun, Yu and Tang, and he believed that his name should be recorded in history.

Therefore, Li Ying's words of "punishing without teaching" and the fact that future generations and history books would seek justice for him had a great impact on Li Longji.

Li Longji didn't want this to happen, so he planned to close the door and have a good talk with Li Ying.

Li Longji came down from the hall and approached Li Ying, saying, "You think I have treated you harshly, but I have to consider the whole country and the people. Even so, I have given you everything I should have given you. I have asked so many learned people to teach you well, but what have you learned? You only care about the benefits and have no compassion. Yao Chong, Song Jing, Zhang Shuo, Zhang Jiuling, these wise ministers are all Confucian disciples who advocate the eldest son to succeed the throne. Which of them did not guide you step by step, and which of them did not have earnest expectations for you? It is your own actions that have made you cut off from the world and from everyone. If you still have a sense of right and wrong, you should not say such groundless words as I did not teach you but executed you, and that the ministers secretly hindered you."

Li Longji's words were so convincing and his own power left Li Ying speechless for a moment.

Seeing this, Li Yao, who had been silent the whole time, said calmly, "Our Li family has always had frequent coups. How many coups did father launch in the first half of his life? How much blood of relatives is on his hands? Now you come to tell us about morality, how interesting. Father, we are your sons. We learned everything from you. We are the same as you. We both know what we did and what you did. Now that your goal has been achieved, you can tell us what to do."

Li Ying's previous words were just to vent his dissatisfaction, but Li Yao's words tore through the veil and hit Li Longji's heart. Li Longji's expression instantly turned cold, his eyes were cold, he stared at Li Yao, and said in a cold voice: "Aren't you afraid that I will kill you?"

Li Yao met Li Longji's gaze without fear, and said with a smile: "Father killed my people, I will kill your heart."

Li Longji asked, "Do we father and son have to go to this extent?"

Li Yao said: "It has already come to this point."

Li Ju, who was always arrogant and domineering, didn't expect Li Yao to be so brave and his eyes widened in fear.

However, Li Yao wanted to die, but he didn't.

So Li Ju kowtowed to Li Longji and said, "Father, I know I was wrong. I was deceived. I beg you to have mercy on me and forgive me..."

"Eighth brother, don't ask him!" Li Ying interrupted Li Ju and said, "We are just going ahead."

After Li Ying persuaded Li Ju, he looked at Li Longji and said with a smile: "Father, I failed this time, but I believe I am not the last son to oppose you. Li Heng gave you the woman he had always dreamed of. What do you think he wanted? Father, you must be careful in the future."

Li Heng was shocked and frightened when he heard this. A cold light flashed in his eyes, but he suppressed it immediately and said calmly: "Second brother, at this point, do you still want to bite me? Not everyone is like you."

Li Ying ignored Li Heng and continued to analyze the situation for Li Longji, saying, "Li Cong, he is the eldest son, doesn't he want to be the crown prince? Li Wan, his military talent is not inferior to Li Heng, doesn't he want to make achievements?"

Speaking of Li Ying, Li Ying glanced at Li Ying and said, "You are the person I hate the most, but also the person I envy the most. I hate why you have a favored mother, hate that you are favored by everyone, and I even hate that you have a princess who is more beautiful than your mother when she was young, but I also envy you. Fortunately, God is fair, letting you have all these, but also letting you suffer from an incurable disease."

Li Ying recalled what Concubine Wu Huifei looked like when she was young.

Speaking of which, he is not much younger than Concubine Wu Huifei.

When he first met Concubine Wu Hui, he was struck by her beauty, but Concubine Wu Hui wanted to kill him. Later, he met Yang Yuhuan, who looked a bit like Concubine Wu Hui, but was more beautiful than her.

These two people happen to be Li Heng’s closest people.

How could he not be envious and resentful?
Li Ying was talking to himself, but Li Longji glanced at Li Heng.

When Li Heng heard Li Ying's words and saw Li Longji's eyes, he felt sick all over.

This year is 740 AD. It was this year in history that Li Longji asked Yang Yuhuan to become a Taoist priest.

Li Heng's anger suddenly surged up.

(End of this chapter)