Deposed? I couldn't be happier! I wouldn't even be a dog to the crown prince.

Wei Zheng's roar was so powerful that it seemed to shake the stone lions at the entrance of the Taiji Hall.

Li Shimin was already seething with anger, but this interruption caused him to choke on his own blood, unable to swallow it.

He glanced at the elite "fangs" hanging on the stone lions, their bare bottoms disheveled in the cold wind, and then at Wei Zheng, who stood upright and seemed to be the embodiment of justice. Suddenly, he felt a throbbing pain in his temples.

What kind of situation is this?

The spy he sent to monitor his son was stripped naked and hung up at his own door as a public spectacle.

Now they're being criticized by censors for "failing to raise their children properly"?

"Minister Wei."

Li Shimin took a deep breath, struggling to maintain the last shred of imperial dignity, though his face was as black as the bottom of a pot. "You mean, the Crown Prince condoned his subordinates' murder?"

"Isn't that right?!"

Wei Zheng slammed his tablet down with a deafening roar, spitting all over Li Shimin's face. "Your Majesty, please look! Although those men... although they have disgraced us, they are still able-bodied men of the Tang Dynasty! The Crown Prince not only stripped them naked, but also drew... drew turtles on their faces! Such behavior is unbecoming of a Crown Prince! It's downright vulgar!"

Li Shimin's eye twitched.

He wanted to curse it as scoundrel behavior, but when he thought that he had sent those "scoundrels," he couldn't bring himself to say the words.

"Ahem, well... perhaps the Crown Prince was just joking with them?" Li Shimin offered a guilty explanation.

"joke?!"

Wei Zheng's eyes widened like copper bells, and his voice rose eight octaves, "You're playing with the dignity of court officials? Your Majesty! How long are you going to indulge the Crown Prince?!"

As he spoke, Wei Zheng knelt down with a thud, holding the thick memorial in his hand high above his head.

"Your Majesty, I have compiled four major charges against the Crown Prince since he assumed regency, and I request Your Majesty's review them!"

Helpless, Li Shimin gave Wang De a wink.

Wang De nervously took the memorial and handed it over.

When Li Shimin opened it, good heavens, it was filled with densely packed words, each one piercing to the heart.

"His first crime: privately harboring assassins and wielding military power! The origins of those three thousand Great Snow Dragon Riders are unknown; they only know the Crown Prince, not His Majesty. This is a path to chaos!"

Wei Zheng knelt on the ground, his voice strong and clear, each word striking Li Shimin's heart like a hammer blow.

"His second crime: disrespect for elders and assault on court officials! Previously, Minister Dai was so enraged he fainted; today… today these people are being humiliated—each and every one of these acts is outrageous!"

"His third crime: He is lazy by nature and neglects state affairs! Since becoming regent, he has not gone to the Secretariat, nor reviewed memorials, but spends his days hiding in the Eastern Palace eating, drinking and having fun, and even... he even invented hot pot!"

"His fourth crime: Disrespect for the emperor and father, utterly rebellious! Yesterday at the Wei River, the Crown Prince actually ordered Your Majesty... to deal with those sordid matters, while he went back to sleep! Is this the behavior of a son?"

Wei Zheng became more and more agitated as he spoke, and in the end he burst into tears, his forehead banging loudly against the gold bricks.

"Your Majesty! Spoiling a child is like killing him! Although the Crown Prince possesses extraordinary talent, if he is not properly disciplined, he will surely go astray! The fate of the Tang Dynasty is in grave danger!"

The Taiji Hall was deathly silent.

All the civil and military officials bowed their heads, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Only Wei Zheng would dare to say such a thing; anyone else would have been dragged out and beheaded long ago.

Li Shimin sat on the dragon throne, his hand holding the memorial trembling slightly.

Are you angry?

That's for sure.

But more than anything, it felt like a deep sense of helplessness.

He was well aware of what Wei Zheng was saying.

That unfilial son is truly outrageous!

Their private stash of money exceeds the national treasury, their private army is stronger than the imperial guards, and now even their intelligence network is more powerful than their own.

If things continue like this, will the Tang Dynasty be surnamed Li or that "salted fish"?

Moreover, what frustrated Li Shimin the most was that he realized he really couldn't do anything about this son.

Fight? We can't defeat those three thousand Great Snow Dragon Riders.

Scold him? That kid has a whole bunch of twisted and fallacious arguments; he could make you so angry you'd have a stroke.

"Then... in Minister Wei's opinion, what should be done?"

Li Shimin rubbed his temples, his tone revealing a sense of weariness.

Wei Zheng suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with a fervent light that seemed to say, "Even if there are thousands of people against me, I will go."

"Your Majesty, I request that you bestow upon me the 'Imperial Ruler'!"

"As the Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, I have the responsibility to instruct the Heir Apparent! Since the Crown Prince is so unruly, then this old minister must act as a teacher and discipline him strictly!"

"If he doesn't listen, I will beat him! I will beat him until he listens!"

"If he dares to resist, I will smash my head against the gate of the Eastern Palace and die as a bloody remonstrance, so that the world may see the Crown Prince's tyranny!"

ruthless!

Too bad!

This is teaching with their lives on the line!

Li Shimin's eyelids twitched as he listened, but then a strange sense of pleasure rose in his heart.

Hey? That's a good idea!

If I can't control that rebellious son, surely Wei Zheng, this rock in the latrine, can't control him?

Who is Wei Zheng? He's the kind of person who dares to criticize even the Emperor!

If this old man really loses his temper, let alone the Great Snow Dragon Riders, even the King of Hell himself would be blasted back by him.

Moreover, Wei Zheng held the moral high ground.

It is perfectly justified for the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor to discipline his students! No matter how powerful you are, Xu Xiao, would you dare to lay a hand on your teacher? You would be drowned in the spittle of all the scholars in the world!

The more Li Shimin thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.

This will not only deflate that rebellious son's arrogance, but also allow me to vent my anger—it's a win-win situation!

"good!"

Li Shimin slapped his thigh, the gloom on his face vanishing instantly. "Minister Wei's sincerity is truly gratifying to me!"

"Wang De, go and fetch my 'Golden Whip for Beating the King'... no, I mean, bring me that sandalwood ruler from my study!"

"Give this to Minister Wei!"

"Today I grant you full authority! Even the Crown Prince, if he makes a mistake, you may punish him!"

"If anything happens, I'll back you up!"

Li Shimin spoke with absolute confidence, as if he could already see Li Chengqian being chased around the Eastern Palace by Wei Zheng.

"Your subject accepts the imperial decree and expresses his gratitude!"

Wei Zheng accepted the heavy ruler with both hands, as if he were receiving an imperial sword.

He stood up, straightened his somewhat disheveled clothes, and wore a resolute expression that suggested he was ready to die.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, this old minister will go to the Eastern Palace immediately!"

"Today, this old minister will surely teach the Crown Prince what it means to respect teachers and the importance of national righteousness!"

After saying this, Wei Zheng turned around with a proud and imposing air, and strode out of the Taiji Hall. His back view had a tragic and heroic feel to it, like the line from the poem "The wind is howling, the Yi River is cold, the hero departs, never to return."

Watching Wei Zheng's departing figure, Li Shimin picked up his teacup and took a sip with relish.

"Heh heh, you unfilial son, let's see what you do now."

"Trying to fight me? You're still too green!"

……

At this very moment, in the East Palace, at the Lizheng Hall.

"Achoo!"

Li Chengqian rubbed his nose and then let out a tremendous sneeze.

"Who's insulting me? It must be that petty old Li again."

He rolled over and settled into a more comfortable position on the rocking chair.

On the table next to them were all kinds of fruits and snacks, as well as a pot of freshly brewed pre-rain Longjing tea.

Before him, Qinglong, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, was kneeling on one knee, presenting a sealed dossier with both hands.

"Your Highness, this is what you requested."

Qinglong's voice remained as cold and indifferent as ever, "All the information about Lord Wei Zheng."

"Oh? So fast?"

Li Chengqian raised an eyebrow, reached out and took the file, and casually broke the sealing wax seal.

He casually flipped through the pages while cracking sunflower seeds. As he looked, the smile on his lips grew wider and wider, until he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Tsk tsk tsk, I didn't realize that our Lord Wei, who is known for his 'uprightness and integrity,' doesn't have a monolithic family."

"The fire in this backyard is burning really hard."

Li Chengqian closed the file, gently patted the cover, and a sly glint flashed in his eyes.

"I heard that Father Emperor sent that old troll to teach me a lesson?"

Qinglong nodded: "Your Highness, Wei Zheng is already charging over with the ruler bestowed by His Majesty, and he is expected to arrive at the East Palace gate in about 15 minutes."

"Should we stop them?"

Shen Lian, holding the hilt of his sword, was eager to try. "I guarantee he won't even be able to get through the door."

"Stop them? Why should we stop them?"

Li Chengqian waved his hand and spat the melon seed shells into the plate. "He is the Grand Tutor, here to 'teach' me. We must respect our teacher."

He stood up from the rocking chair, stretched, and put on a look of anticipation.

"Open the door and let him in."

"I want to see whether Wei Zheng's words are tougher or the stack of 'dirt' in my hand is tougher."

"Old Xu, go brew a pot of good tea, the kind that can cool you down."

"When Lord Wei gets tired of scolding, we need to let him moisten his throat, otherwise how will he have the energy to listen to my story?"