The Fierce Teacher of Zhenguan: Starting with Teaching the Crown Prince to Make a Comeback

Chapter 2: No Father and Son in the Heavenly Family

crazy!

They've gone completely insane!
Li Chengqian felt his blood running backward, and his whole body trembled.

Each of these questions was like a red-hot dagger, stabbing directly into the heart of the emperor on the dragon throne, and using the words of the sage whom the emperor himself admired as a handle!
This is no longer a debate, this is digging to the root of the problem!

It is to turn up all the soil beneath that seemingly glorious and magnificent foundation and expose it to the light of day!

This outrageous madness, this blatant provocation, was like a raging flood, pouring into Li Chengqian's thirsty and rebellious heart.

He desperately needs this kind of power!

This is the power to question everything, even the highest authority!

"Hahaha! Good! Well asked! I'd like to see that old scoundrel's true colors!"

Li Chengqian suddenly burst into wild laughter, slamming his fist on the table.

"That's exactly how you should ask him! Leave him speechless! Make him tremble! Let him know that I'm not someone to be trifled with! Hahaha!"

He laughed so hard he could hardly breathe, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at Li Yichen as if he were looking at a rare treasure.

"How dare you! Everyone else has left, why didn't you? And you still dare to say these things?"

Li Yichen chuckled, his smile filled with an almost manic composure.

"I have only said half of what I had to say."

"Half?" Li Chengqian's interest reached its peak.

"Is there anything even more infuriating? Tell me!"

Li Yichen leaned closer, his voice lower but clearer.

"Your Highness, if His Majesty reprimands you because of Zhang Xuansu's complaint, you need not be afraid. Just kneel down, not to admit your mistake, but to ask for guidance! Ask for guidance as the Crown Prince!"

"Ask for advice? What do you want to ask?"

"You mentioned that you've been reading the Book of Documents and the Analects recently and are extremely confused! In the past, when Emperor Shun's father, Gu Sou, wanted to kill Shun, Shun, though filial, chose to flee to save his life. Does this mean that above filial piety, there is also the greater righteousness of preserving oneself for the sake of the future?"

"What if the deposed Crown Prince Li Jiancheng and the Prince of Qi did not intend to harm Your Majesty, but rather Your Majesty misunderstood? Should Your Majesty, like Emperor Shun, have yielded first to preserve your reputation for filial piety and brotherly love?"

"If Your Majesty had chosen to yield back then, what would the Tang Dynasty be like today? Please enlighten me, Your Majesty!"

Li Chengqian gasped, his hair standing on end.

This...this is practically putting Father Emperor on the moral high ground!
Use your father's own actions to question the rationality of his behavior!
Using the sage's highest standard of "filial piety" to question the legitimacy of his claim to the throne!
This is no longer asking for advice; this is stabbing someone in the heart with a knife!

He even forced his father to explain why he wasn't wronged by being stabbed!

"You...you're trying to kill me..."

Li Chengqian's voice changed tone, but the burning flame in his eyes betrayed his extreme excitement.

"No! Your Highness!" Li Yichen's eyes were burning.

“If His Majesty answers you, whatever the answer may be, it means he acknowledges the validity of this question! How can he then apply the same standard to you without any flaws in the future?”

"If he rebukes you, he is rebuking the logic of his own actions! If he answers you, he is tearing away the halo of absolute correctness! From then on, you will no longer be a son who can only passively accept reprimands in front of him, but a crown prince who can discuss these ultimate questions on an equal footing!"

"This is true power!"

Li Chengqian stared intently at Li Yichen.

He was utterly shocked by this insane plan.

This is no longer a simple farce; it is a "heart-piercing argument" against the highest authority!
Use the rules set by the other party to bombard their fortress!
Just then, a eunuch's urgent voice came from outside the hall.

"Your Highness! His Majesty summons you! Please proceed to the Liangyi Hall immediately!"

Zhang Xuansu's complaint has been filed.

The ecstasy on Li Chengqian's face vanished instantly, replaced by a trace of instinctive fear, but the way he looked at Li Yichen was completely different now.

He struggled to his feet, and Li Yichen stepped forward to help him. Li Chengqian grabbed Li Yichen's arm and whispered, "What if Father doesn't buy into this?"

Li Yichen's gaze was calm, but a sorrowful smile curved his lips.

“Your Highness, if His Majesty is enraged, you should lower your head and listen respectfully. You should respond to whatever he says, but remember in your heart—this is not a lecture between father and son, but a dialogue between ruler and subject.”

"There are no fathers and sons in the imperial family. This court is a battlefield without bloodshed. He wants a crown prince, not a son. You are not kneeling before your father, but before the emperor."

He lowered his voice slightly, but his words were clear and distinct.

"You need not argue, need not refute. Simply, in the intervals between his reprimands, in an extremely sincere, even slightly bewildered tone, softly say that you are foolish, but have often read history books and have seen wise rulers who, when faced with matters, are always calm and composed, remaining unmoved even when Mount Tai collapses before them. May I ask Your Majesty, if Your Highness were to encounter such a situation in the future, would you emulate Emperor Shun's filial piety, or uphold Your Majesty's decision? You... simply seek a lesser-than-ideal path."

"Just ask. Don't ask if it's right or wrong, just seek answers. Package your question as an overly stubborn, even somewhat foolish, pursuit of the Way of the Sage King."

"If His Majesty provides an answer, it means he acknowledges that you are qualified to consider these questions; if His Majesty becomes even angrier..."

Li Yichen took a light breath, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"That proves that he doesn't need a thoughtful crown prince, he just needs an obedient son."

“Your Highness, you should let him make a choice, instead of you passively accepting all the consequences. This is not defiance, this is strategy.”

"Furthermore, Your Highness must insist that His Majesty address you as Crown Prince, and not use any other title, not even 'rebellious son'!"

Li Yichen's words were resolute.

Li Chengqian's pupils contracted, and his breathing became rapid.

This extremely crazy plan has a do-or-die charm.

"Good! Good!" he said twice. "Li Yichen, you stay here. Wait for me to return."

A resolute glint appeared in Li Chengqian's eyes.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Li Chengqian limped toward the palace gate.

Li Yichen stood still.

I listened as the footsteps faded into the distance.

Silence returned to the hall.

He slowly straightened up, his back feeling cold.

He knelt back down on his seat, his fingers trembling slightly.

The stakes have been placed, and this time, the target is Li Shimin.

All that's left is to wait.

The air inside the Liangyi Hall was heavy.

Li Shimin sat behind his desk, his face expressionless, his gaze fixed on the palace gate.

Zhang Xuansu stood below, her body bowed low.

A series of footsteps approached, and Li Chengqian entered the main hall.

His right foot was difficult to move, and he moved very slowly.

He walked to the imperial desk and knelt down, his forehead touching the ground.

"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty." Li Chengqian's voice came from the ground.

Li Shimin did not speak immediately. His fingers tapped on the imperial desk, the sound echoing in everyone's hearts.

"Raise your head." Li Shimin's voice was steady and unwavering.

(End of this chapter)