The scent of ink lingered in the air as Gu Yu set down the brush, the candlelight casting deep shadows on the wrinkles at the corner of his eyes.

He looked at his silent yet obstinate son, and suddenly let out a soft laugh, "Go then."

"To meet King Qin is your honor."

"Think of the forefathers of the past and the wise monarchs; it was the same."

Gu Quan stood up, the hem of his robe brushing against the "Defense Map" on the desk. "If my judgment is correct, King Qin will create a flourishing era."

"At tomorrow’s morning court, I will petition the emperor to have the young men of the Gu family defend Shuofang. You need not worry about your brothers."

His tone was not as calm as it usually was.

How could Gu Yu not have his own judgment about Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin?

It’s just that he could not speak of it.

In truth, Li Jiancheng’s abilities were not lacking; every time he came to consult Gu Yu, he had substantial gains and progress.

But compared to Li Shimin, he was still lacking in some ways.

This was not due to ability.

But due to character.

Even to this day, from the beginning to the end, Li Shimin never took the initiative to meet or summon any of the Gu Clan’s young men.

Unlike Li Jiancheng.

The opportunity for him to win over the Gu Clan was far greater, yet he never did, which explained everything.

He understood the difficulties of the Gu Clan and also aimed to retain talents for the entire realm.

Just based on this alone.

Gu Yu could see that Li Shimin possessed a benevolent and righteous heart, a very rare trait for any ruler.

"Father."

Gu Quan’s eyes instantly reddened, his chest visibly heaving. Looking at Gu Yu, who now had gray hair, he nodded vigorously once more but did not say anything further.

Gu Yi had been silently observing all of this.

In truth, from his perspective, Gu Yu had long guessed what choice his son would make.

Since he took over the training of the new recruits, he had been preparing for this.

Gu Quan could go to assist Li Shimin.

But he could not represent the Gu Clan.

The outcome of this battle, win or lose, would not benefit the Gu Clan in any way.

Because what the Gu Clan needed was not transient glory, no matter what, Gu Yu had to keep the Gu Clan separate from this affair in the open.

And this act served as the best excuse.

This matter did not spark much attention in court, after all, Gu Yu had been training the new recruits for some time, and with the frequent incursions of the Turkic, deploying defenses seemed completely reasonable.

Li Yuan naturally agreed to this matter.

He was someone who valued family affairs very much.

Who in the entire realm could compare to the Gu Clan?

Li Yuan felt very assured entrusting all this to Gu Yu.

He even wanted to personally lead the officials to see Gu Yu off.

Li Shimin also came.

His body had not fully recovered yet; he hadn’t even been to the morning court in recent days, but he still chose to come to see Gu Yu and the brothers off.

Seeing Li Shimin again, Gu Yan and the others had complex emotions.

In truth, if they could, each of them was willing to help Li Shimin, but unfortunately, they could not do so.

Gu Quan was also in the departing convoy.

Seeing Li Shimin’s face still somewhat unwell, he furrowed his brow, stepped forward, and asked in a deep voice:

"Your Highness, are you well?"

"No problem." Li Shimin smiled faintly, then stepped forward and placed a hand on Gu Quan’s shoulder, eyes burning bright: "Ziyuan, in this battle, you must demonstrate the might of our Great Tang!"

"Just like when you and I fought together back then, do not let the Turkic people belittle us men of the Central Plains!"

His tone deepened, a layer of frost settling between his brows:

"The Turkic repeatedly violate the borders, causing the people to be displaced, if even the Grand Tutor and you cannot stabilize the situation..."

"Father Emperor’s proposal to move the capital will be unstoppable."

"At that time, the millions of civilians in Guanzhong will all become fodder for Turkic blades."

"This battle must not be lost!"

His voice was low, yet each word was like iron, his face pale, but his eyes sharp as a blade.

Gu Quan kept a stern face, silent for a long while, and finally murmured, uttering a single word:

"No!"

He stared directly at Li Shimin, his voice hoarse yet firm:

"This humble servant will wait for Your Highness."

Instantly, Li Shimin was taken aback.

Though Gu Quan spoke a very simple sentence, Li Shimin’s understanding of him allowed him to faintly discern its deeper meaning.

"Ziyuan—"

Li Shimin furrowed his brow once more, just about to say something else.

But Gu Quan had already cupped his hands and taken his leave.

Beside Li Yuan, Li Jiancheng watched this scene, his eyes growing more wary.

Li Yuan clearly also took this military mobilization very seriously; after conversing with Gu Yu for quite some time, Gu Yu and the others finally departed under the watchful eyes of Li Yuan and the court officials.

The situation in the capital grew increasingly turbulent.

Although Li Shimin merely had a casual chat with Gu Quan in public, his unparalleled reputation in the army still provoked Li Jiancheng.

From that day forward, Li Jiancheng’s attacks grew increasingly fierce.

He even took the initiative to spread rumors and orchestrated secret reports to Li Yuan suggesting Li Shimin might have rebellious intents.

Even though this move could not defeat Li Shimin.

But it was enough to sow seeds of doubt in Li Yuan’s mind.

These suspicions would lead to Li Yuan no longer trusting Li Shimin and would eventually erupt completely one day.

But how could Li Shimin sit and wait for his demise?

To him.

In truth, from the day he saw his wife’s life threatened, everything was already destined.

He had no way back, he could only strike back.