The two of them traveled through the Tang Dynasty to open a supermarket, and the little Sizi was sup

Chapter 143 A Head-on Confrontation with Li Shimin!
Li Tai suddenly looked up. Li Chengqian's words were full of hidden meaning: "Little Sage" was the respectful title given to Li Shimin by people during the Wude era. Now it was being used to imply that Li Tai intended to succeed his brother to the throne.

Even more ruthless was the phrase "not to perform the ceremony for the crown prince," which directly hit the core of royal etiquette—the princes must perform the rites of a subject to the crown prince, a system personally drafted by Fang Xuanling in the early years of the Zhenguan era.

"Grandpa, I didn't! My brother has wronged me!" Li Tai said hurriedly.

Li Shimin slammed his fist on the table, causing the teacup to bounce half an inch off the table, spilling amber tea onto the bright yellow tablecloth, much like the rage in Li Shimin's heart.

Staring at the bruise on Li Chengqian's forehead, he raised his fingertips towards Li Tai and said, "Even if Qingque was impolite, as the Crown Prince, should you teach him manners with the 'Zhenguan Decree,' or with your fists?"

Li Tai let out a suppressed sob at the right moment, covering half of his face with a blood-stained handkerchief, but his shoulders were trembling.

Li Shimin's tone softened slightly, but became even colder: "Last month, you beat up an unruly subordinate at the Imperial Academy, and I suppressed the censor's impeachment on your behalf."

"Half a month ago, you arbitrarily changed the guards of the Eastern Palace. I did not reprimand you because it was your first time."

"But today you beat your own brother in public. If word gets out, what will the world say?"

"To say that I raised a tyrannical and immoral crown prince? To say that my Great Tang Eastern Palace is a street martial arts school where people fight each other?"

Li Shimin's words deeply stung Li Chengqian's heart.

Li Shimin rose and walked towards Li Tai, gently pressing his fingertips against the bruise that snaked from his brow bone to his cheekbone. His voice softened considerably: "You have been frail since childhood. Last winter solstice, you caught a cold. I granted you special permission to ride in a palanquin to court, precisely because I feared you would catch a chill."

Her tone abruptly changed, and she flicked her sleeve, pointing at Li Chengqian, "I'm not telling you to use this favor as an excuse to act recklessly!"

"How many times have you copied the 'Etiquette for Princes to Court' personally drafted by Fang Xuanling? You must straighten your clothes and bow respectfully when you see the Crown Prince, and you must show deference to the officials of the Eastern Palace. Even if Qingque has forgotten these rules, how are you, as his elder brother, supposed to teach him?"

"Don't you have any patience at all, brother?"

"To resort to fists and kicks directly, is this still the crown prince of my Great Tang Dynasty?"

Empress Zhangsun hesitated, knowing she couldn't possibly contradict Li Shimin at this moment.

Li Lizhi remained silent as well, recalling Li Chengqian's previous meeting with Xiao Ran, and felt that this matter might be related to Xiao Ran.

However, Li Lizhi is currently unable to contact Xiao Ran.

Li Chengqian looked at Li Shimin and asked, "Father, why are you so biased towards Qingque?"

"Is it my fault that Qingque disrespects etiquette?"

"I ask you why you beat Qingque in public? Why didn't you come and tell me!" Li Shimin raised his voice.

“Last month, Qingque hosted a banquet for Shandong gentry in Yankangfang. During the banquet, he openly discussed that ‘the rightful heir to the throne is virtuous.’ I wrote to remind him of this, but he replied with a painting called ‘Wagtail Plain’. The painting depicts two birds standing side by side, and even the feather patterns are made up of the twelve symbols of the crown prince’s robe!”

"Grandpa, what do you think I should do?" Li Chengqian asked in return.

"Chengqian!!!" Li Shimin said through gritted teeth.

"Your Majesty, please address me as Crown Prince!" Li Chengqian raised his voice, directly challenging Li Shimin.

"Your Majesty, why are you so biased towards the King of Yue?"

"Does Your Majesty intend to install the Prince of Yue in place of the Crown Prince?"

"The censor impeached Qingque; has His Majesty reprimanded him?"

"Your Majesty has repeatedly tolerated Qingque's overstepping of authority and covered for him time and time again. Is he waiting for me to end up like my uncle?!"

Li Chengqian directly attacked Li Shimin's heart.

"Chengqian!" Empress Zhangsun quickly stopped him, "You mustn't talk nonsense!"

Li Shimin was so angry that he trembled.

"Look at you, where is the bearing of a crown prince!" Li Shimin pointed at Li Chengqian, very disappointed.

"Now that I no longer act like a crown prince, Your Majesty, you must remain in this position and never let anyone else have it!"

"Haven't we learned our lesson from the Xuanwu Gate Incident?"

"Does Your Majesty wish to repeat the cycle of fratricide?"

"You scoundrel!" Li Shimin was furious and flew into a rage, while Li Chengqian repeatedly stabbed him in the heart.

"I'm fed up!" Li Chengqian retorted, his neck stiff. "I know I'm not the Crown Prince anymore, Father!"

"Fine, fine, fine," Li Shimin laughed in exasperation.

"Your Majesty, please calm down," Empress Zhangsun quickly pleaded. Li Lizhi and Li Tai were also shocked, never expecting things to escalate to this point.

In reality, Li Tai doesn't pose a threat to Li Chengqian yet, but this momentum is already there. Others might not feel it much, but Li Chengqian feels like he has a thorn in his side.

Xiao Ran's spoilers led Li Chengqian to choose to reveal his true intentions ahead of time.

"It's better not to be the crown prince! I'm sorry, Mother, I've disappointed you!" Li Chengqian kowtowed to Empress Zhangsun.

"Grandpa likes Qingque, so let Qingque come. I just want to serve Mother!"

Li Chengqian directly admitted defeat, using a retreat as a strategy to advance, but this completely blocked Li Tai's path.

"You child, don't talk nonsense." Empress Zhangsun also wanted to know what kind of stimulation Li Chengqian had received from Xiao Ran.

Just then, Xiao Ran arrived with his two little princesses.

The two little princesses carried two cute bags filled with candy and snacks.

"Mother~" the little princess called out, but sensing that something was wrong, she didn't say anything.

Xiao Ran also realized that he had come at the wrong time. "Um, I have something to do, I'll go back first."

Seeing Li Chengqian there, Xiao Ran realized what it was about.

When the two little princesses heard that Xiao Ran was leaving, they pulled him along, ready to go with him.

This was the first time Li Chengqian and Li Tai saw Xiao Ran and the two little princesses walk out from behind the screen.

"Nephew, please stay for now!" Li Shimin breathed a long sigh of relief.

Li Shimin just wanted to ask Xiao Ran about his successor.

I thought these things were too far away, so I didn't ask.

Seeing Xiao Ran appear, Li Chengqian felt a greater sense of victory.

Li Shimin gestured for Li Chengqian and Li Tai to leave first.

Xiao Ran knelt down in front of the desk.

The two little princesses stood next to Xiao Ran, taking things out of their bags and distributing them to the others.

"Grandpa Ni Qi Tangtang~"

"Don't be angry, okay?" The little princess may be young, but she can tell that Li Shimin is angry.

Li Shimin's expression softened considerably. "Alright, alright, I'll listen to Sizi."

"Hee hee~"

"And Mother too~" The little princess naturally hadn't forgotten her elderly mother.

Li Lizhi glanced at the two little princesses' bags; they were modern and didn't quite match their traditional-style dresses.

But it also looks cute.

"Did the young master buy it?" Li Lizhi asked.

It's definitely more convenient for the two little princesses to have bags.

"Sister, you're so pretty!" the little princess said quickly.

The appearance of the two little princesses did indeed ease the oppressive and awkward atmosphere.

Li Lizhi poured Xiao Ran a glass of water.

Li Shimin then asked, "Nephew, is Chengqian a qualified emperor?"

Li Shimin didn't beat around the bush and asked directly.

"I don't know about that!"

Li Shimin, Empress Zhangsun, and the others stared intently at Xiao Ran, feeling that Xiao Ran, as a person from the future, should know about such things.

"So, young master, you mean Chengqian didn't ultimately ascend the throne?" Empress Zhangsun was the first to react.

(End of this chapter)