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

The gates of the Eastern Palace were wide open, like a giant mouth waiting to devour its prey.

Wei Zheng, carrying the sandalwood ruler, strode confidently across the threshold.

The moment you step inside, a suffocatingly chilling atmosphere hits you.

Two rows of Imperial Guards, dressed in flying fish robes and with embroidered spring knives at their waists, stood like statues on both sides of the road. They did not stop him, nor did they utter a sound; they simply stared intently at the Grand Tutor of the court with the same cold, deadly gaze they had for him.

If it were anyone else, they would probably have been so frightened by this scene that their legs would have gone weak.

But who is Wei Zheng?

He was a ruthless person who dared to spit in the face of even the emperor.

He snorted coldly, straightened his chest, treated these killing gods as nothing, and strode towards Lizheng Hall.

"Where is the Crown Prince?! I have been ordered to discipline him; come out at once to receive your punishment!"

This shout, full of vigor, startled several crows on the rooftop.

In the main hall of Li.

"I've come today not for tea, but to fulfill my duties as Grand Tutor!"

He took a deep breath and began his long speech.

He spoke eloquently, citing classical texts and historical examples, from the teachings of Yao, Shun, Yu, and Tang to the doctrines of Confucius and Mencius, from the fall of the Sui Dynasty to the Xuanwu Gate Incident.

The manner in which he acted made it seem as if the Tang Dynasty would perish the next day if Li Chengqian did not immediately kneel down, weep bitterly, and repent.

Time passed by, second by second.

Half an hour later.

Wei Zheng spoke until his mouth was dry and his throat was parched, but he found that Li Chengqian was still slumped there, even shifting to a more comfortable position, his eyes vacant, clearly lost in thought.

He perfectly embodied the phrase "in one ear and out the other."

"Are you... are you even listening?!"

Wei Zheng was completely broken down.

This feeling is like punching cotton with all your might, so frustrating you feel like vomiting blood.

"I'm listening, I'm listening."

Li Chengqian nodded perfunctorily, yawned, and said, "Uncle Wei is right. Yao and Shun were good emperors, and Jie and Zhou were villains. I've remembered that. Anything else?"

"You—! You're utterly hopeless!"

Wei Zheng was so angry that he trembled all over and suddenly raised the sandalwood ruler in his hand.

"Since words cannot subdue you, then today I will take on the responsibility of corporal punishment on His Majesty's behalf!"

"Hands out!"

The ruler hangs high, about to fall with a whoosh of wind.

The surrounding Imperial Guards instantly gripped their sword hilts, and the killing intent in the air almost froze.

However, Li Chengqian remained calm.

He neither reached out nor dodged; he simply took out a file from his sleeve and waved it in front of Wei Zheng.

"Uncle Wei, before you hit me, would you like to take a look at this?"

Wei Zheng froze, the ruler hovering in mid-air.

"What is this? You think you can bribe me with this? How ridiculous!"

"Whether it's a bribe or not, you'll know once you see it."

A playful smile curved Li Chengqian's lips as he gently unfolded the file, as if he were reading a beautiful essay.

"Wei Zheng, Wei Xuancheng. Throughout his life, he was upright and incorruptible, as pure as water, and had no surplus wealth. He was a model official of the Tang Dynasty. I admire him greatly."

Wei Zheng snorted coldly, a hint of arrogance on his face: "I have acted uprightly and sat properly, why do I need your praise?"

"But..."

Li Chengqian changed the subject, his tone becoming somber, "Lord Wei, you are indeed incorruptible, but your family members don't seem to be bringing you much honor."

Wei Zheng's heart skipped a beat.

"The third day of the eighth month of the first year of Zhenguan, which is three days ago."

Li Chengqian looked at the file and slowly read aloud, "Your cousin, Wei Shuyu, relied on your power in your hometown of Julu to forcibly seize thirty acres of fertile land belonging to Old Man Wang in the south of the city, and even injured Old Man Wang's son."

"Are you aware of this?"

Wei Zheng's expression changed instantly.

"Nonsense! Shuyu is an honest and kind man, how could he do such a thing?!"

"Don't rush, there's more."

Li Chengqian gave him no chance to explain and continued reading, "Yesterday at noon, your most favored third concubine received a pair of jade bracelets from the Wang family of Taiyuan at the 'Linlang Pavilion' in the West Market. They were worth a thousand gold pieces."

In exchange, she agreed to help a distant relative of the Wang family get a job in the Ministry of Personnel.

"Lord Wei, are you enjoying the whispers in my ear?"

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Wei Zheng's face turned a deep purplish-red, and the ruler in his hand trembled. "I am extremely strict in managing my household and have never allowed my family members to accept bribes! This is slander! This is a frame-up by the Embroidered Uniform Guard!"

"Framed?"

Li Chengqian chuckled lightly, casually tossed the dossier onto the table, and spread it out.

"This contains a copy of the land deed, the pawn ticket for the pair of jade bracelets, and the fingerprint of your cousin."

"It even remembers things as small as the fact that you ate two bowls of millet porridge and a dish of pickled vegetables for dinner last night."

"Lord Wei, would you like to take a look yourself?"

Wei Zheng's hands trembled as he grabbed the dossier.

I only glanced at it.

His pupils suddenly contracted, and he stood frozen in place as if struck by lightning.

That's true.

All the evidence is irrefutable.

Especially the signature on the land deed, which was his cousin's handwriting, couldn't be faked!

"How...how could this happen..."

Wei Zheng muttered to himself, and the ruler in his hand fell to the ground with a clatter.

His proud reputation for integrity and the moral bottom line he upheld throughout his life were shattered at this moment by this thin file.

What terrified him even more was the level of detail in the intelligence.

What happened three days ago, what happened yesterday, and even what happened last night...

The Embroidered Uniform Guard had investigated everything thoroughly!

This isn't an intelligence network; it's clearly a pair of ghostly eyes hanging over everyone's heads!

Seeing the distraught Wei Zheng, Li Chengqian did not press his advantage but instead made a move that surprised everyone.

He picked up the candle on the table and leaned close to a corner of the dossier.

"laugh--"

The flames licked at the paper, and it quickly burst into flames.

Wei Zheng suddenly looked up, staring at Li Chengqian in shock: "Your Highness, what...what do you mean by this?"

This could be considered a weakness for Wei Zheng. If he handed it over, his life would be ruined, and he would even have to be expelled from the court for "failing to manage his household properly".

The Crown Prince actually burned it?

Li Chengqian looked at the flickering flames, the firelight reflecting on his youthful face, revealing a depth beyond his years.

"Uncle Wei, water that is too clear has no fish, and a person who is too discerning has no followers."

"You are a good official, the backbone of the Tang Dynasty. I don't want to see this backbone broken because of a few parasites in the house."

"Only I have seen this file. Burn it, as if it never existed."

The files turned to ashes and scattered on the ground.

Li Chengqian clapped his hands, lay back down in the rocking chair, and resumed his carefree and irresponsible demeanor.

"However..."

He glanced sideways at Wei Zheng, his tone carrying a hint of warning, "This is just a small reminder."

"Uncle Wei, you can scold me if you want. You can yell at me if you want. But next time you point a ruler at me, or try to hit me..."

Li Chengqian pointed to the ashes on the ground, grinned, and revealed two small, white tiger teeth.

"Then what was burned wasn't just this piece of paper."

"I'll add some firewood to the fire in your backyard so it can burn brighter."

Wei Zheng was startled.

Looking at the eight-year-old child in front of him, he felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

He employs both kindness and severity, and his methods are shrewd and sophisticated.

This saved his face while also firmly grasping his weakness.

Is this really the incompetent crown prince of legend?

This is clearly a little monster in sheep's clothing!

Wei Zheng took a deep breath, bent down to pick up the ruler from the ground, but found that this ruler, which represented imperial power, was burning hot at the moment.

He gave Li Chengqian a deep look, then didn't say another word, and even forgot to bow.

He turned around and walked out of Lizheng Hall with heavy steps and a slight stagger.

His figure was desolate, as if he had aged ten years in an instant.

……

At the entrance of the East Palace.

Changsun Wuji was pacing anxiously.

Hearing that Wei Zheng was coming with the "Imperial Ruler," he was afraid his nephew would suffer, so he rushed over to save the day.

As soon as he reached the door, he saw Wei Zheng walk out looking lost and dejected. Although he was holding a ruler, he looked like a puppet who had lost his soul.

"Brother Xuancheng?"

Changsun Wuji quickly went to greet him and tentatively asked, "How are you? The Crown Prince... didn't upset you, did he? If the Crown Prince is being unreasonable, I, as his uncle, will apologize on his behalf..."

Wei Zheng stopped and slowly raised his head, looking at Changsun Wuji with a complicated expression.

a long time.

He sighed deeply, shook his head, and his voice was terribly hoarse.

"Duke of Zhao, there's no need."

"Crown Prince..."

Wei Zheng turned around and took a deep look at the heavily guarded gates of the Eastern Palace, a hint of awe flashing in his eyes.

"His Highness the Crown Prince is unfathomable, like a ghost or god."

"In the future, the world of the Tang Dynasty is likely to change."