This matter has once again deepened the conflict between the two palaces.

Li Jiancheng believed Li Shimin’s action was merely to ensure an additional control over military power.

This made him even more uneasy.

Even in front of Li Yuan, he and Li Yuanji never gave up any opportunity, continuously attacking Li Shimin.

The so-called brotherly bond was finally completely extinguished under the pressure of interests and ongoing conflict.

It seemed to be precisely because of Gu Yu’s initial reminder.

Li Yuan’s attitude towards Li Shimin was not as hostile as in the original history; it was even much better than before.

He helped Li Shimin fend off many assaults.

But it was precisely because of Li Yuan’s attitude that Li Jiancheng became even more panicked.

Amidst these various factors,

the relationship between the two palaces had reached a dead end.

...

Chang’an, Prince’s Mansion.

Li Shimin trembled as he walked into the mansion, and as Fang Fu entered, he collapsed, continuously coughing up blood.

"Your Highness!"

The sudden change instantly shattered the silence of the Prince’s Mansion.

Princess Consort Changsun hurriedly arrived, urgently ordering people to seek a physician while also maintaining a security lockdown in the mansion.

She wanted to find some of Li Shimin’s confidants.

But now, all those people in the Prince’s Mansion had been ordered not to enter the mansion.

She was helpless.

A strong sense of crisis kept assaulting her.

In this situation, Princess Consort Changsun, holding her eldest son Li Chengqian by the hand, stood in front of Li Shimin’s bed with a short sword.

The entire night, Li Shimin remained in a state of coma.

It was not until dawn that he gradually awoke.

"Your Highness!" Princess Consort Changsun immediately put down the short blade and rushed up, her eyes filled with tears, asking, "Weren’t you just attending a banquet at the Eastern Palace? How did it come to this?"

Her face was filled with obvious panic and exhaustion.

Although it was just one night, it felt like an eternity to her, and she had even been prepared to die.

Li Shimin said little, only gently embracing Empress Changsun, his expression extremely calm.

The last spark in his eyes gradually extinguished.

Replaced by absolute coldness and unprecedented determination.

There were things he did not want to do—

Only the situation was forcing him to make a choice.

This incident had a tremendous impact on the entire Great Tang court, even prompting Li Yuan to personally visit Li Shimin.

Upon learning the whole story, although Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji feigned ignorance, he still privately scolded both of them and even forbade them from drinking with King Qin again.

But he was no longer able to mend the relationship between the brothers.

——Hearts are restless!

The struggle between the two palaces at this time was no longer merely about them and their supporters.

This conflict had caused some degree of instability within the Tang court.

But things had developed to this point, who was to blame? 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Was it Li Jiancheng?

Or Li Shimin?

Ultimately, it was merely the change in people’s hearts.

Li Shimin’s uprising had instilled fear in too many people. Whether it was Li Jiancheng or Li Yuan, neither made the most correct decision at the outset.

Now, nothing could be changed.

Inside the Gu Mansion.

Gu Yan and others who were once followers of Li Shimin and fought alongside him were all enraged.

They directly wanted to seek out Li Shimin.

Gu Yu did not interfere, but in the end, Gu Quan stopped them.

"Brother!" Gu Yan’s voice trembled with a cracked timbre, "King Qin has been kind to us. Now that His Highness’s life is even threatened, how can we sit by and do nothing?"

Gu Quan stood in the shadow of the corridor, blocking the crowd with an unchanged expression, calmly surveying the brothers present, his Adam’s apple moved, but he only uttered two words: "Go back."

"Brother!!!" Gu Yan took half a step forward, his face full of confusion, "Over at King Qin..."

Before he could finish, Gu Quan suddenly looked up, revealing a trace of anger on his face.

The rest of the brothers were silent, with only the sound of the wind weeping under the porch.

Gu Quan looked at these brothers who had grown up with him, their eyes burning with righteous indignation like a fire, causing him chest pain.

But he knew, if he stepped forward at this moment, the Gu family would have no retreat left.

"Go back!"

Gu Quan repeated once more.

The brothers instantly fell silent. Although they understood Gu Quan’s thoughts, the emotions from past relationships still tormented them.

But what could they do?

If it were something else that did not affect the family, they might have bickered with Gu Quan like they did in their childhood.

But now... they were ultimately unable to do anything, only to turn and go back.

As the footsteps gradually faded, Gu Quan beckoned to Xue San: "Lock the side gate, without my order, absolutely no one is allowed to enter or leave."

As he turned, his robes brushed against the porch pillar, dislodging a few falling leaves, heading straight for the study.

In the study, Gu Yu was grinding ink, the brush creating tiny ripples in the inkstone.

"Have you made up your mind?"

Hearing the familiar footsteps, Gu Yu did not lift his head, clearly having already seen through his son’s thoughts.

Gu Quan knelt on one knee, nodding seriously: "Father."

As he spoke, he drew a three-inch short blade from his sleeve, the scabbard wrapped in gold thread, one of the rewards bestowed by King Qin in those years, "I cannot watch King Qin be endangered, but I will not betray the family."