Legend of Great Tang’s Twin Dragons

Kou Zhong and Li Shimin walked side by side out of the Yeting Palace’s north gate in the direction of the Xuanwu Gate, accompanied by Wang Xuanshu, Zhangsun Wuji, Yuchi Jingde, thirty Flying Clouds Guards, and thirty Dark-Armored Elite Troops.

The Xuanwu Gate’s north gate was open, the Imperial Guards were serving on sentry duty as usual, there was not the slightest bit of difference.

Kou Zhong was still thinking about Yang Xuyan’s heartfelt words before his death. Actually, everybody has a demon of desire in his heart, one thing goes wrong, he would fall under its control, becoming its slave, and just like Yang Xuyan, only death would end it. It was not that he, Kou Zhong, did not have the inner demon to pacify and rule the earth by force, only luckily he had finally escaped from the quagmire of this desire, so much so that the Central Earth did not fall into an endless fire of war.

When he thought about galloping to his heart’s content in the prairie, gazing at the vast and infinite horizon, beyond the realm of knowledge, he felt even closer to himself, approaching the center of life. After he decided to help Li Shimin to unify the world, the horizon of his mind opened up infinitely, and the decisive moment was precisely before his eyes.

The Xuanwu Gate guards stood respectfully to salute, the deep and long gateway represented the shortcut to the future.

The high-ranking military officer guarding the gate was Jing Junhong, Chang He’s deputy. He hurried forward and spoke in heavy voice, “Reporting to Qin Wang and Shaoshuai, the shields are arranged inside the gateway, your ministers and generals will defend the entrance to the death.”

From Kou Zhong and Li Shimin’s perspective, the three layers of gateway were quiet, no one was in sight. The two sides of the city walls were guarded by the Imperial Guards as usual. The east and west, two forts and the six sentry-towers stood tall and upright on either side, the atmosphere was solemn and respectful.

Li Shimin nodded and said, “Jing Qing [subject] be careful, don’t seek to kill the enemy, only seek to defend yourself.”

Jing Junhong respectfully said, “Mojiang understands, I am willing to serve Qin Wang and Shaoshuai to the death.”

Kou Zhong clearly felt the effect of ‘Qin Wang and Shaoshuai’. The reason why his alliance with Li Yuan was welcomed by the army and the people in the whole city was because he had become the most terrifying and most formidable enemy of the Great Tang Kingdom, his threat was especially above the allied armies from beyond the Great Wall. Now he has given up everything and handed over the throne to Li Shimin, while Li Shimin has always been regarded as a hero by the House of Tang, from top to bottom, plus knowing that Li Yuan’s resistance has completely gone, hence from top to bottom they were of one mind, giving their allegiance to him and Li Shimin. Even without the Dragon Tally, Jing Junhong would still happily follow Chang He to surrender to their side.

The guards saluted together.

Jing Junhong issued an order, the nearly a hundred imperial guards holding up the rear and lining up on both sides of the gateway all moved forward, revealing dozens of large steel shields leaning against the wall behind them.

Li Shimin made a signal to start moving, before walking side by side with Kou Zhong into the gateway. The Flying Clouds Guards and the Dark Armored Elite Troops rushed in from both sides, grabbed the steel shield and darted forward.

Wang Xuanshu shouted loudly, “Formation!”

The warriors dashed toward the gateway, which was as long as five zhang deep, and laid out a defense on the passage outside, which was more than twelve zhang wide, separately making three rows. The front row sat on the ground, the second row squatted, and the back row stood up, each with shield held high, forming a shield formation that could withstand arrows and darts attack, the last row of shields was raised at an angle, shaped like an iron barrel, impenetrable.

At the same time, hundreds of Changlin troops charged out from the second layer of the gateway. Arrows and darts flew like locusts, ‘Ding! Ding! Dong! Dong!’ all of which were blocked by the steel shields and flew away.

The sound of horses’ hooves rumbled across the sky, coming from the East Palace’s north gate, indicating that Li Jiancheng, as revealed by Chang He’s secret letter earlier, was leading the Changlin Army to attack from the East Palace, to cut their retreat route.

On the Yeting Palace’s side, the sound of footsteps was thunderous, assisted by Xu Ziling, Ba Fenghan, Hou Xibai, the three thousand elite troops under Ma Chang, Song Faliang, Song Shuang, and Song Bang’s command, poured out of the Yeting Palace to meet Li Jiancheng’s troops head-on.

Kou Zhong and Li Shimin knew even more that Li Xiaogong would lead Cheng Mo’s five-thousand-man imperial guards to enter the East Palace from the traversing square at this time, to cut off Jiancheng’s escape route, so that in the event of a defeat, Jiancheng would not be able to retreat to the East Palace. The two-thousand-man Dark Armored elite warriors, with Li Jing in command, assisted by Qin Shubao and Cheng Yaojin as his lieutenants, started off from the Yanjia Gong, so that Ke Dazhi’s five-hundred-man Changlin Army at the Xuanwu Gate was attacked from the front and rear, with no way to advance or retreat. Without waiting for Li Shimin’s orders, Jing Junhong’s men completely retreated into the gateway and formed a defensive formation, so that Kou Zhong and Li Shimin had no fears of trouble in the rear.

Kou Zhong turned to Yuchi Jingde and Zhangsun Wuji and said, “I’ll have to trouble two gentlemen to remain at the main gate to hold out the disposition of troops for Jing Fu Tongling [Deputy Commander].”

Yuchi Jingde and Zhangsun Wuji you looked at me I gazed at you, simply because their duty was not to leave Li Shimin’s left and right, to risk their lives to protect Li Shimin’s safety.

Li Shimin smiled and said, “With Shaoshuai here, do you still have to worry about this king’s safety? Besides, this king has enough strength to protect himself. Why haven’t you obeyed Shaoshuai‘s command? Otherwise, if the main gate is lost, we could forget about even one of us able to escape alive.”

He has not even finished speaking, the sound of killing outside the Xuanwu Gate shook the sky. The Changlin Army, using fast horses, lances and arrows, charged straight into the first layer of the gateways.

Everyone could imagine Li Jiancheng’s predicament at this moment. Were it not for Chang He throwing his lot to them, Jing Junhong’s men would have cooperated rather than stopping the attack, allowing the Changlin’s Army to march straight in unchallenged, and together with Ke Dazhi’s men attacked from front and rear, two sides, and killed them all that not a single armor would remain.

Yuchi Jingde and Zhangsun Wuji hurriedly accepted the order and left.

Li Shimin and Kou Zhong looked at each other and laughed. He said, “Ke Dazhi should be sensible, right?”

Kou Zhong turned his gaze around calmly, the shield formation under Wang Xuanshu’s command had not returned a single arrow, while the enemy’s arrows practically could not damage their side the slightest bit. This moment, the arrows’ momentum was exhausted, no longer as swift and fierce as before. Only one way left for Ke Dazhi to advance. The imperial guards gushed out from the top of the wall, the watchtowers, and the east and west fortresses. Everyone held a crossbow, but they held their bows unmoving. What Li Shimin meant by ‘Ke Dazhi should be sensible’ was in reference to this, because they were living high and looking down, they could easily shoot dead any adversary.

Kou Zhong paid no attention to the intense offensive and defensive battle in the rear, he shouted loudly, “Dazhi still has not pulled back?”

Ke Dazhi voice rang out, “Stop!”

‘Ding! Dong!’ The incessant sound of the arrows hitting the iron shield stopped abruptly. This side quieted down, it made the ruckus outside the Xuanwu Gate even more prominent.

Kou Zhong lightly tapped Li Shimin on the shoulder, then somersaulted forward, crossing over the iron shield formation, to face the enemy’s panic and frightened expression.

Ke Dazhi stepped out of the rank, the saber was still inside the scabbard, he let out a hoarse bitter laugh and said, “I, Ke Dazhi have never been in such a distressed situation of being surrounded by enemies on all sides. Shaoshuai indeed have a reaching-perfection strategy, Dazhi is convinced!”

Li Shimin soared into the air and landed at the top of the city wall. Chang He appeared beside him and shouted loudly, “Qin WangWanshui [ten-thousand years, Long Live]!”

The army of the wall, the fortresses and the watchtowers cheered in unison and echoed it. And then the Dark Armored Elite Troops cutting off Ke Dazhi’s escape route responded. Their voices soared straight into the skies. Although they still called Li Shimin the Prince of Qin, but this moment he was already regarded as the Great Tang’s Son of Heaven, otherwise, they would not have cried out, ‘Wanshui’.

“Long live Qin Wang!”

The third round of cheering came from outside the wall, indicating that Li Shimin and Kou Zhong were in control of the overall situation.

Kou Zhong smiled and looked at Ke Dazhi, he said, “It’s not that you, Ke Dazhi are not doing your best in battle, it’s just that Jiancheng is incompetent and unpopular. Ha! You and I are brothers once, we are brother from the beginning to the end. No need for you to surrender this time, as long as you say a word, we can go to Fu Ju Lou for a drink and chat. Of course, your men could leave swaggeringly. As for Taizi’s men, as long as they are willing to change and vow loyalty and devotion to Qin Wang, Qin Wang will not investigate the past.”

Ke Dazhi responded with a wry smile, and then he turned his powerful body around, sweeping his gaze across the officers and soldiers of his side first, and after seeing that everyone’s face was ashen, he shouted, “Did you hear that?”

Hearing that, Li Jiancheng’s side high-ranking military officers, among whom Feng Liben occupied the highest rank, responded, “We are willing to surrender to Qin Wang and let Qin Wang deal with us.” And then he shouted his order, “Abandon the weapons and surrender!” and took the lead to toss his weapon first, and was the first to kneel down. Shortly afterwards, all soldiers and generals of Jiancheng’s side abandoned their weapons and knelt down, leaving only the three hundred Tujue warriors, quietly waiting for Ke Dazhi’s order.

Ke Dazhi spoke calmly in Tujue language, “We can keep our weapons, bows and arrows, but we must withdraw from this conflict.”

Turning to Kou Zhong, he said, “Where should we go to rest, please Shaoshuai bestow instruction.”

Kou Zhong spoke cheerfully, “Li Jing Jiangjun will make proper arrangements for Dazhi. Qin Wang and I will deal with Jiancheng first, and then come back to you for a drink, ha! Heaven really does not treat us, two brothers – meagerly.”

Kou Zhong, Li Shimin, and Chang He stood side by side on top of the outer wall, the whole situation appeared before their eyes.

Ma Chang’s three-thousand-man elite soldiers moved outside the Xuanwu Gate in neat formation, forming a battle array, pressing on Li Jiancheng’s nearly three-thousand-man Changlin Army to withdraw to the Xuanwu Gate’s right side, arraying themselves in battle formation to meet them. Outside the Xuanwu Gate, there were corpses lying everywhere. It could clearly be seen that the attack on the Xuanwu Gate caused heavy losses on Jiancheng’s side, they worked to no avail.

Li Xiaogong’s army to take over the East Palace has not yet shown their trace, but they should appear at any time.

Kou Zhong shouted loudly, “Receive Qin Wang’s order, those who are willing to surrender will be spared death.”

Li Jiancheng rode his horse out of the ranks, his pair of eyes bursting with flames of anger and anxiety mixing together, he shouted wildly, “Chang He, how dare you betray me, I promoted you in vain, how can you still be considered a human being?”

Upright and unafraid, Chang He responded, “Taizi’s heart harbors ill will, yet you blame me for being in the wrong. Chang He only knows where the righteousness lies, I have no time to take everything else into consideration. If Taizi is willing to surrender, Qin Wang can remember the brotherly affection and spare you the death penalty.”

Magnificent army with thousands of men and horses standing opposite each other outside the Xuanwu Gate, yet the crow and peacock made no sound, only two men’s dialog reverberated outside the gate.

Li Jiancheng spoke sternly, “You want me to surrender? You have been poisoned, only strong in appearance but weak in reality. Officers and soldiers! Charge! Victory will belong to us.”

Hearing that, Kou Zhong and Li Shimin you looked at me I gazed at you, Li Jiancheng let out a cry and charged like a madman towards the troop formation under Ma Chang’s command.

On the Changlin’s army’s side, no one was willing to throw away their life with him. Everyone reined in their horses on the spot, only Li Jiancheng, one person remained, riding his horse to charge against the battle array of the Shao Shuai and the Song Family’s allied armies. What’s more pitiful was that Li Jiancheng unexpectedly appeared to be oblivious that no one was following him, he even continuously yelled, “Charge! Charge! Charge!”

While Kou Zhong and Li Shimin cried inwardly, ‘Not good!’, Ma Chang thundered, “Release the arrows!”

Kou Zhong, in company with Li Shimin arrived outside the imperial study room. Li Shentong and Feng Deyi came out to meet them. The former said, “After Huangshang woke up, he insisted on coming to the imperial study, we did not dare to stop him.”

Knitting his brows, Kou Zhong asked, “Does he know what happened?”

Feng Deyi replied, “Xiuning Gongzhu explained it clearly to Huangshang, but Huangshang just listened without saying a word.”

Li Shimin asked, “Where’s Xiuning?”

Li Shentong replied, “Still in the imperial study, keeping Huangshang company.”

Kou Zhong stopped Li Shimin, who was about to enter the imperial study, he spoke firmly, “It would be best for me to go alone to see him first.”

Li Shimin was staring blankly for a moment, finally he nodded his agreement.

Li Shentong said to Kou Zhong, “Shaoshuai, come with me.”

The two men entered the heavily guarded imperial study room, straight toward the outside of the study room’s door. Li Shentong spoke over the tightly closed door, “Reporting to Huangshang, Shaoshuai is asking for an audience.”

A moment later, the door opened, revealing Li Xiuning’s jade countenance. Meeting Kou Zhong’s gaze, her pretty eyes emitted a complex expression that made Kou Zhong’s heart tremble. She spoke softly, “Shaoshuai, please come in.”

Kou Zhong and Li Xiuning brushed past each other, Li Xiuning gently closed the door for him from the outside, leaving only Kou Zhong and the Great Tang Emperor Li Yuan sitting behind the dragon desk.

Li Yuan’s spirit has not yet fully recovered, his face pale, under the reflection of the vast space of the study room, not only did he look even more lonely and desolate, it also looked like he has suddenly aged for many years.

He silently watched Kou Zhong approaching, and then asked in a heavy voice, “Jiancheng?”

Kou Zhong spoke in deject, “We originally intended to save his life, but he obstinately persisted in going about things the wrong way, and was shot by random arrows outside the Xuanwu Gate.”

Li Yuan’s dragon body trembled, he raised his head up to look at the beam of the roof, tears rolled out of his pair of eyes, suddenly he rose up to his full height, put his hands behind his back and moved to the back window. With his back against Kou Zhong, he said, “Li Yuan has not thanked Shaoshuai for your kindness in saving my life.”

Kou Zhong walked over and stopped in front of the dragon desk; he sighed and said, “Huangshang need not take it to heart.”

After a moment of silence, Li Yuan said slowly, “How are you guys going to rectify the desperate situation?”

Kou Zhong respectfully said, “Now all the civil and military officials are gathered outside the Taiji Dian, waiting for the alliance ceremony. If Huangshang is willing to take this opportunity to announce the successor of your choosing to the ministers, Kou Zhong can represent the Shao Shuai Army, the Song Family Army and the Jianghuai Army, to swear an oath to vow loyalty and devotion to the Great Tang, this way, the Great Tang’s great undertaking of unifying the world is eighty-, ninety-percent completed, please Huangshang make the decision.”

Li Yuan spun around like a whirlwind, the refined light in his pair of eyes flaring greatly, he spoke coldly, “Shaoshuai‘s achievements did not come easy, unexpectedly you are willing to give it up so easily?”

Kou Zhong calmly said, “If I, Kou Zhong, speak one word of lie, let me never be reincarnated. Huangshang should understand the pain and pleasure of being an emperor better than anyone else. I, Kou Zhong, do not hesitate to give up the throne, it is to give up the pain and obtain the pleasure, let Shimin Xiong undertake this responsibility, and I would be glad to see it happen. Currently the Great Tang is still at a critical moment where success or failure is uncertain, so it is necessary to immediately stabilize the heart of the army, to boost morale, to be millions of people of one mind [idiom: people united] to face an attack of the allied armies from beyond the Great Wall. Huangshang, please note clearly.”

Li Yuan’s countenance relaxed, he sighed and said, “Shaoshuai is indeed a very good lobbyist.”

Smiling wryly, Kou Zhong said, “Let bygones be bygones, we must face the future. Chang’an is completely under Shimin Xiong’s control, we only wait for Huangshang to declare his holy will to the ministers.”

Li Yuan spoke in deject, “It’s finished! This time our Great Tang fell into the danger of being overturned by treacherous evil, yet Zhen is powerless to defend myself. I, Li Yuan, bear the greatest responsibility for all this. I have no face to sit on this position. Shaoshuai, please invite Shimin to come and see me, I will immediately give up the title of Emperor. After the pledge outside the Taiji Dian, I will retreat to the Anyi Gong. As for Jiancheng and Yuanji, I will explain to all the civil and military officials that they colluded with outsiders, intending to destroy the alliance and assassinate Shaoshuai, and were executed at the Xuanwu Gate.”

In order to give him enough face, Kou Zhong promptly went down on his knees and said, “Thank you for the dragon kindness, Weichen [this small official] Kou Zhong still has a request, ten thousand times hoping that Huangshang will accept it.”

Li Yuan walked around the desk, helped him up, and said with a wry smile, “To be honest, after I know that Shaoshuai is also the divine doctor, Mo Yixin, not only I admire Shaoshuai very much, but also really like Shaoshuai. It is rare that you win without being arrogant, Jiancheng and Yuanji really saw only the other rider’s dust and had no hope of catching up [idiom: far inferior]. Whatever it is, please speak up.”

Kou Zhong spoke awkwardly, “Dong Fei wants to settle in Luoyang alone.”

Li Yuan was slightly startled, fortunately, he immediately caught the meaning behind Kou Zhong’s words, a desolate smile escaped out of the corner of his mouth, he nodded and said, “As Shaoshuai requested, with Shuni’s temperament, she is indeed not suitable to live in guarded palace for a long time. Yin Fei also must leave the city with her father; I don’t want to see them again in the future.”

Kou Zhong stepped out of the imperial study room, the waiting-outside Li Shimin, Feng Deyi, Li Shentong, and Li Xiuning hurriedly crowded around him.

Yet Kou Zhong said, “Bi Xuan and the others’ sudden departure gave me an ominous premonition.”

The four people could not see through his brains, they did not understand why he suddenly said something that had nothing to do with his meeting with Li Yuan.

Li Shimin nodded and said, “It is indeed suspicious.”

Kou Zhong said, “We have no choice but to plan for the worst. We must assume that the allied armies from beyond the Great Wall already sneaked up on Guanzhong, hence the reason Bi Xuan left immediately after receiving the report, because success or failure will not be determined inside the city but outside the city. For the enemy, the more chaotic we are, the more beneficial it will be for them. Based on Bi Xuan’s position and status, it will not be appropriate for him to directly intervene in political struggles. What’s more, Bi Xuan thinks that we are bound to lose, so there is practically no need to trouble his good-self to make a move.”

Li Shentong nodded and said, “Shaoshuai‘s remark is very true. Tujue people have always come and gone like the wind, attacking people when they are unprepared. How could they be willing to miss the golden once-in-a-thousand-year opportunity to break through Chang’an, to take advantage of the chaos?”

Feng Deyi slapped his forehead and praised, “Fortunately, we are now the sky clears after the rain [idiom: new hopes after a disastrous period], Chang’an has not been shaken at all. What instructions does Huangshang have?”

His last sentence spoke out everybody’s thoughts.

Li Xiuning spoke with slight displeasure, “Kou Zhong!”

A smile spread from the corner of Kou Zhong’s mouth, suddenly he grabbed Li Shimin’s both hands; laughing aloud, he said, “Taking advantage while Shimin Xiong, this rival has not become a dragon’s hand, I have to grab it first to get my money’s worth.”

Li Shentong and Feng Deyi were pleased beyond their expectations. It should be noted that if Li Yuan was still occupying the imperial throne, although his power has been substantially transferred into Li Shimin’s hands, he was still officially the Great Tang’s Son of Heaven, those who betrayed him would not pass auspicious days. If Li Shimin became the emperor, that would be a completely different matter.

Staring blankly, Li Shimin said, “Don’t exaggerate.”

Kou Zhong laughed and said, “Shimin Xiong knows my character well, but this time you are mistaken. Your Fuhuang wants to see you immediately, and you should know that I don’t speak half an empty word. The alliance ceremony will become the succession ceremony, and it will also be the ceremony of me, Kou Zhong swearing an oath of loyalty and devotion to Li Shimin Xiong, ha!”

Li Shimin calmed down instead, he said, “How should we deal with Xieli’s army?”

One reaction showed Li Shimin’s strong point. Not only did he not get carried away by the good news, but he also grasped the deep meaning behind Kou Zhong’s mention of the allied armies from beyond the Great Wall. Because the decision has to come to him, Li Shimin, he must seize the fortunate timing to make a decision.

Kou Zhong said, “Since I have received the new emperor’s trust and approval, this matter will be handled by Weichen immediately. The information will be sent via flying pigeons, to guarantee that within nine days, the elite troops to save the country in times of danger from all sides of the Great Tang Kingdom will assemble on the Guanzhong Plain, to the north of Chang’an, and to the south of the Great River, to show the courage, spirit, and unity of our Central Earth army and people to the invading foreign tribes.”

Finished speaking, he let go of Li Shimin’s hands.

Li Shimin laughed and said, “I will still say the same thing, what Kou Zhong says is what I, Li Shimin say.”

Finished speaking, he went to have an audience with Li Yuan.