Tang Chen: Starting from the Xuanwu Gate Incident

Chapter 3: Venus reveals the Qin region; the King of Qin is destined to rule the world.

Just as Huang Jiji's slap was about to land on his face, he quickly waved his hand to block it and said sincerely, "But the principle is the same."

Shen Ce stood up and glanced at everyone. Although they remained silent, they did not show any fear, nor did they flee or betray him. They simply looked at him silently.

"Let me tell you, this morning the King of Qin went to the palace to explain to the sage that Venus appeared in the Qin region this morning, indicating that the King of Qin possesses the celestial signs of the world. The Crown Prince and the King of Qi will surely know about this. Will they then promote us and grant us titles, or will they all be executed to prevent future troubles?"

"Nonsense! It's already a sign of the Crown Prince's benevolence that he spared our lives," the crowd remarked, recalling how the Crown Prince had summoned the Prince of Qin for drinks the other night, only to return vomiting blood, and how he had strictly ordered the servants in the mansion not to utter a word.

Once the King of Qin loses power, given the nature of the Crown Prince and the King of Qi, they will certainly not let go of these fierce soldiers who have followed the King of Qin since the uprising began. Now that the general in the palace has been conscripted first, and the celestial signs are following, everyone senses a sense of crisis.

Qin Chuan was a fire captain under Shen Ce, and he was usually the most talkative. After the soldiers argued noisily, he mustered up his courage and asked, "Squad leader, what do you want us to do by talking to us like this today? Just tell us."

"We can't wait any longer," Shen Ce said sternly. "You gossipy brothers, tell your acquaintances about today's celestial phenomena. Once the rumors spread, the guards will definitely ask where it came from. If they ask, just say that I told them, and I will take all the blame."

Qin Chuan didn't reply immediately. He turned to look at everyone, and after getting the answer he wanted from their gazes, he said, "If Your Highness is unwilling, wouldn't we all be harming the squad leader?"

"You all want the family fortune, doesn't the King of Qin want it too? His Highness just needs a way out..."

The soldiers agreed with the captain's statement; after all, who wouldn't want a family fortune, let alone the throne?

Once the soldiers' ambitions are stirred up, only their heads can suppress them.

It has to be said that the drill ground was a great place to spread rumors. The rough men had no jobs, no ice fish, and no women. The best way to beat the heat was to squat in a corner and brag about everything under the sun.

Suddenly, many literate soldiers appeared in the drill ground, explaining the day's celestial phenomena in great detail.

The question is, "So you read a few books when you were young? What? I didn't mention how I did before, that's because you didn't ask. I'm very knowledgeable."

The soldier only shut up after the enraged captain grabbed the illiterate soldier and slapped him hard across the face several times.

After ascertaining the source, the captain didn't waste any words and went straight to the door. At this moment, Shen Ce was leaning against the shade, shirtless, with his legs crossed and a fish tally in his mouth.

When the captain approached, Shen Ce stood up, cupped his hands, and raised his head as a gesture of respect. The captain, who had been furious, turned and left when he saw what Shen Ce was talking about. Clearly, he didn't want to get involved, much less know about the important person's affairs.

Only when Yuchi Jingde's personal guards stood in front of Shen Ce did he put away his lazy attitude.

Shen Ce stood upright and bowed repeatedly to Yuchi's personal guards, saying with a wry smile, "Please, brothers, have mercy. You can use walnuts, rags, or even your foot binding cloths, but please don't use vinegar cloths."

"The captain is joking. The rags are all used by the soldiers to wipe their armor. This vinegar cloth was specially borrowed from the cook."

"Why bother talking to him so much? Just tie him up!"

Just before the vinegar cloth was shoved into his mouth, Shen Ce said desperately, "Damn it, why is it a sword on my back? Don't wait until I turn over, uh, uh."

Seeing how the guards treated their captain, the surrounding soldiers were about to get up when Qin Chuan grabbed them tightly and said in a hoarse voice, "Don't ruin things."

"How could this be?"

"The team leader is here to offer advice on behalf of everyone; just wait for the letter."

"What if it doesn't work?"

"Our lives were given to us by the King of Qin, and if the King of Qin needs them, we should repay him."

It's unclear who invented the punishment of Su Qin carrying a sword on his back. At this moment, Shen Ce's shoulders and neck were being pulled tightly, the muscles in his upper arms felt as if they were being torn apart, and every rise and fall of his chest brought with it a piercing tearing sensation in his fingers.

In the dimly lit side hall, Shen Ce endured his physical discomfort, his mind churning wildly.

Since he woke up, events have occurred one after another, giving him no time to think. The yellow robe he wore earlier was just a risky gamble, and facing the King of Qin's questioning is his only chance to escape danger and gain entry into the inner palace.

At this time, Li Shimin was being swayed by family ties, killing his brother and imprisoning his father... It was too heavy a burden. The historian's pen is like a knife, and anyone would be afraid of it.

Originally, it was Yuchi Jingde who risked his life to advise the Crown Prince against cutting off the King of Qin's arm, but now that he himself had presented the yellow robe, the matter of urging him to ascend the throne had inexplicably fallen on his head.

There are no distinctions between嫡子 (legitimate sons) and 庶子 (illegitimate sons), no rigid rules of etiquette, only merit; only in this way can one arouse the empathy of the masses.

After an unknown amount of time, just as he was in unbearable pain, a ray of light illuminated Shen Ce's cheek.

Shen Ce squinted, barely managing to make out who it was.

"Captain Shen, the King of Qin summons you." Go to the Hall of State Affairs immediately.

The east wind of Yuchi Jingde has arrived.

Shen Ce struggled to his feet and shook off a few tufts of hair from his forehead.

The side hall was not far from the auditorium. On the way, a guard quietly reminded him: "Say what you should say, and keep your mouth shut about what you shouldn't say. If you mess things up, it's not just a matter of losing your head."

Shen Ce nodded in response.

The main hall of the Prince's Mansion was spacious, with the beams painted black without any fine workmanship. Whenever there was a confidential matter, the Prince of Qin would lead people to the west seat without servants or scribes. There were also three guards outside the door, and people could not approach it casually. From a distance, it looked like a place of solemnity and killing intent.

"Your Majesty, the criminal Shen Ce has been brought here." The guards escorted Shen Ce into the hall, clasped their hands in salute, and then stepped aside, sword in hand.

"Now you're calling me an official? Why didn't you think of that when you stuffed a vinegar cloth in my mouth?" Shen Ce cursed inwardly.

He knelt obediently on the ground, not daring to raise his head. He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw Li Er standing upright in the center with his back turned and hands behind his back, flanked by more than ten burly generals.

Before the King of Qin could speak, Cheng Zhijie, who was standing beside him, spoke first: "Your Majesty, this person has been spreading celestial information in the training ground since 9:00 AM today, so that the news has become known to everyone. Please deal with this matter, Your Highness."

Yuchi Jingde chimed in, "I have already ordered my soldiers to ride at full speed to check the house. We just received a message by carrier pigeon that there was nothing unusual at home and all the people and animals are there."

The guards went to my house? Shen Ce's expression tightened. It seemed that General Yuchi did not completely trust him and was playing his cards openly.

Just now inside the room, Yuchi Jingde sternly warned him to incite the soldiers and only speak the thoughts of ordinary soldiers in front of the King of Qin, and not to talk too much.

He also understood that everyone wanted the credit for joining the army, and being able to speak on behalf of the soldiers was already a stroke of luck; he dared not ask for more.

Kneeling on the ground, Shen Ce clenched his fists, his heavy breathing betraying his state of mind; success or failure hinged on this moment.

Tap, tap.

Li Shimin walked forward step by step, and the entire hall was silent as everyone waited quietly.