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After the Hunting Ground Incident, Li Yuan did not immediately convict Li Shimin, but his suspicion of him reached its peak. He felt that even if Li Shimin was not directly involved in the assassination plot, he must be secretly scheming something; otherwise, it would not be such a coincidence for him to encounter the assassin. To prevent any further misconduct from Li Shimin, Li Yuan decided to place him under house arrest in a side hall of Tai Chi Palace, assigning strict guards while ordering a thorough investigation into the matter.
“Shimin, you will reflect on your actions here in this side hall. Once I ascertain the truth, I will make a decision,” Li Yuan said expressionlessly to Li Shimin, his eyes filled with disappointment and heartache.
Though Li Shimin felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness, he could only accept the reality of his house arrest. He knew that any further explanations would be futile; he could only wait for the opportunity to prove his innocence. “Your humble son obeys. I hope Father Emperor will uncover the truth soon and restore justice for me,” he respectfully replied, a hint of unwillingness and grievance flickering in his eyes.
The news of Li Shimin's house arrest quickly spread throughout the palace and reached Prince Qin's mansion. Upon hearing this news, everyone in the mansion was thrown into chaos. Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and others were extremely anxious; they understood that Li Shimin was in a dangerous situation, and if they could not come up with a countermeasure quickly, Prince Qin might face disaster.
“Now that His Highness is under house arrest, we must find a way to rescue him,” Fang Xuanling said, frowning as he paced back and forth in the hall.
Du Ruhui pondered for a moment before saying, “The urgent task is to find evidence to prove His Highness's innocence and expose the conspiracy of Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji. We can start with Yuwen Bao; since he is from Prince Qi's Residence, he must know quite a bit about the inside story.”
Everyone nodded in agreement and began secretly investigating Yuwen Bao's background and his connections with Prince Qi's Residence. Meanwhile, Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji were discussing their next plan in Eastern Palace. They did not expect that Li Shimin would be so clever as to see through their conspiracy, but they had no intention of backing down.
“Elder brother, although Li Shimin has escaped this time, we cannot let him have another chance to rise again,” Li Yuanji said with a glint of malice in his eyes. “We must take this opportunity to further weaken his power.”
Li Jiancheng nodded slightly and said, “You are right. Now that he is under house arrest, it is indeed a good time for us to act. I will go to the palace to suggest to Father Emperor that we take control of the Imperial Guards to strengthen the palace's defenses and prevent Li Shimin's people from rescuing him. At the same time, you need to closely monitor Prince Qin's mansion; report to me immediately if you notice any unusual movements.”
Li Yuanji accepted his orders and began arranging for people to monitor Prince Qin's mansion. Meanwhile, Li Jiancheng entered the palace to meet with Li Yuan and proposed taking control of the Imperial Guards.
“Father Emperor, now that Li Shimin is under house arrest, the security of Tai Chi Palace is crucial. Your humble son is willing to relieve you of your worries by taking over the Imperial Guards to ensure the palace's safety,” Li Jiancheng said earnestly.
After pondering for a moment, Li Yuan felt that what Li Jiancheng said made sense. The current situation was unstable and indeed required strengthening the palace’s defenses. Moreover, he wanted to use Li Jiancheng’s power to balance out Li Shimin’s influence. Thus, he nodded in agreement with Li Jiancheng’s request.
“Very well, I command you to take over the Imperial Guards. But remember, you must fulfill your duties diligently and ensure the palace's safety. If there are any mistakes, I will hold you accountable!” Li Yuan said sternly.
Li Jiancheng felt secretly pleased but maintained a respectful demeanor as he replied, “Your humble son will not disappoint Father Emperor’s expectations.”
After taking control of the Imperial Guards, Li Jiancheng immediately reorganized them, placing his trusted subordinates in key positions to gain actual power over them. He also ordered increased patrols and vigilance around Tai Chi Palace and implemented strict checks on all personnel entering or leaving to prevent anyone from Prince Qin's mansion from approaching Li Shimin.
Meanwhile, at Prince Qin's mansion, Fang Xuanling and others finally found some crucial evidence after much difficulty in their investigation. They discovered that Yuwen Bao had close ties with Prince Qi's Residence and had been summoned multiple times by Li Yuanji in secret during a previous period. This evidence was sufficient to prove that Yuwen Bao was acting under Li Yuanji’s orders in an attempt to frame Li Shimin.
“We must present this evidence to His Majesty so that he can see through the true nature of Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji,” Fang Xuanling said excitedly while holding the evidence.
However, getting this evidence into Li Yuan’s hands was no easy task because Li Jiancheng had already tightened control over the palace; people from Prince Qin’s mansion could hardly approach him.
“We can find a reliable person who can sneakily deliver the evidence into the palace,” Du Ruhui suggested.
After some discussion, they decided to send a quick-witted and loyal guard from Prince Qin’s mansion into the palace. This guard disguised himself as an ordinary eunuch and took advantage of the night to evade patrols by the Imperial Guards before stealthily entering Tai Chi Palace.
He finally found himself at the door of Li Yuan’s study but discovered it was heavily guarded. Just as he was at a loss for what to do next, he happened upon one of Li Yuan’s personal eunuchs. This eunuch had some connections with Prince Qin’s mansion; upon learning about the guard’s intentions, he decided to help them.
“Hand me the evidence; I will find an opportunity to present it to His Majesty,” the eunuch whispered.
The guard hesitated for a moment but thought about how this was their only chance to save Li Shimin; he ultimately handed over the evidence to the eunuch. The eunuch carefully concealed it and waited for an opportune moment.
The next day, while handling state affairs, Li Yuan was presented with evidence by a eunuch who seized the opportunity. Upon seeing the documents, Li Yuan's expression darkened significantly. He had not anticipated that his two sons would resort to such treacherous and cunning tactics in their quest for the throne.
"Why would Li Yuanji want to harm Li Shimin? Does he also wish to claim the throne? Perhaps it was Li Jiancheng's instigation?" Li Yuan silently analyzed, feeling an overwhelming sense of disappointment and heartache towards the actions of his sons. However, he knew that he could not react impulsively at this moment, as the matter involved the royal family's reputation and the stability of the Tang Dynasty. He decided to remain composed and observe what further moves Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji would make.
Meanwhile, under house arrest, Li Shimin found himself in a difficult situation, yet he did not lose hope. He believed that his subordinates would find a way to rescue him, and he was confident that the truth would eventually come to light for all to see.
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