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

If the market strike only made Li Shimin feel the pinch, then the next move played by the aristocratic families was like stabbing him in the heart.

This was a bloodless battle, yet a hundred times more insidious than any real fight.

South of Chang'an City, the Confucius Temple.

This place, originally a tranquil spot for scholars to worship sages and cultivate their character, is now as noisy as a marketplace. Thousands of students, dressed in blue scholar's robes and wearing square headscarves, have gathered in a grand procession in the square in front of the temple.

Looking out, everything was a vast expanse of white, like a sudden blizzard that made it hard to breathe.

"Alas! All civility has been lost! A complete disgrace!"

An elderly scholar with gray hair knelt before the statue of Confucius, weeping uncontrollably, his face streaked with snot and tears. He pounded the ground with his fists, his fingernails digging into the soil, as if he had suffered a tremendous injustice.

"Honorable Sage! Open your eyes and see! In this Tang Dynasty, where is there any way for scholars to survive?"

"The Embroidered Uniform Guards acted with tyranny, disregarding the law and slaughtering scholars and officials in the streets! What crime did Lord Cui commit? What evil did Lord Lu do? They were all executed along with their entire families, their bodies left to rot in the wilderness!"

"This is tyranny! It's a tyranny comparable to Qin Shi Huang's burning of books and burying of scholars alive!"

This old man was the headmaster of a branch academy of the Cui family. He usually spoke of benevolence and morality, but at this moment he became the perfect spark to incite emotions.

His crying immediately caused an uproar among the young students below.

These students were mostly young and impetuous, and many were from aristocratic families or from humble backgrounds who had benefited from their influence. They were out of touch with the world and knew nothing of the truth. All they knew was that the court had killed people, and those people were the "famous scholars" they admired.

"A life for a life! Severely punish cruel officials!"

"Abolish the Embroidered Uniform Guard! Restore the bright and clear world to our Tang Dynasty!"

"His Majesty has been blinded by treacherous officials! We must remonstrate with him to the death! We must awaken His Majesty's conscience!"

The crowd was indignant, and the outcry was deafening.

Several loyal followers of powerful families, who were mixed in with the crowd, saw that the time was right and immediately shouted at the top of their lungs:

"It's all that Crown Prince's fault! He's the one who established the Embroidered Uniform Guard! He's the one who brought this disaster!"

"Depose the Crown Prince! Cleanse the court of corrupt officials!"

"Let His Majesty issue an edict of self-reproach, apologizing to all scholars in the land!"

This tactic of "moral blackmail" was executed with unparalleled skill. They portrayed themselves as victims, stood on the moral high ground, and used "sage teachings" as weapons to push Li Shimin to the brink of disaster.

……

Inside the Ganlu Hall, Li Shimin felt like his head was about to explode.

He rubbed his throbbing temples, listening to the news from the Hundred Cavalry Commandery, his face even more grim than when he first heard about the strike.

"These pedantic scholars! These scoundrels!"

Li Shimin was so angry that he crushed the lid of the teacup, and the porcelain shards pierced his palm, but he was completely unaware of it.

"I killed traitors! The assassins who tried to kill the crown prince! How did they turn it into the slaughter of scholar-officials? Or tyranny?"

"They want me to issue an edict of self-reproach? What crime have I committed?!"

Fang Xuanling stood to the side, his face also filled with bitterness. His worst fears had come true.

"Your Majesty, this is the power of aristocratic families."

Fang Xuanling sighed, his tone heavy, "They control the pen, they control the discourse. All the truths of the world are contained in their mouths."

"You may kill one Cui Mingan, and you may kill a thousand assassins, but can you kill all the scholars in the world?"

"If we forcefully suppress it, history will record it in just a few lines, and Your Majesty will become a second 'Jie and Zhou,' a tyrannical ruler who persecuted loyal officials. This infamy cannot be borne for eternity!"

Li Shimin slumped back in his chair, the murderous intent in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by a deep sense of apprehension.

He was also an emperor who rose from the ashes; he was not afraid of swords or thousands of troops.

But he feared those seemingly weak pens that could kill invisibly.

"Many voices can melt metal, and accumulated slander can destroy bones."

Li Shimin muttered to himself, realizing for the first time the terror of "information warfare," "Am I really just supposed to let them distort the truth? Let them force me to bow my head?"

He, the mighty Khan, was actually cornered by a bunch of bookish pedants?

This is so frustrating!

Just then, the Grand Eunuch Wang De stumbled in again, like a harbinger of doom. This time, he even forgot to perform the proper etiquette, his hat fell off, revealing a head of messy, gray hair.

"Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!"

Wang De knelt down with a thud, his voice becoming shrill and distorted.

"Over at the Confucius Temple... those Confucian scholars are alive!"

"They didn't disperse?" Li Shimin suddenly sat up straight.

"They didn't disperse! Not only did they not disperse, but they've gathered even more!"

Wang De gestured with trembling hands, indicating the names, "They came to the palace in a grand procession, carrying the banner of 'Confucius and Mencius,' and bearing the tablet of Confucius!"

"The group of elderly scholars leading the way, dressed in mourning clothes and carrying a coffin, said they were going to... to 'die in protest' outside the Vermilion Bird Gate!"

"They chanted slogans, saying that if His Majesty did not agree to punish the Crown Prince and issue an edict of self-reproach, they would all smash their heads against the palace wall and let their blood stain the Vermilion Bird Gate!"

"What?!"

Li Shimin felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, and his head began to buzz.

To carry a coffin and die in protest?

Are we all going to bang our heads against a wall?

This is a blatant threat! It's like holding a knife to his throat and forcing him to hurt himself!

If thousands of scholars were to die by crashing into the palace gates, Li Shimin would never be able to clear his name, and the backbone of the Tang Dynasty would be broken!

"They've gone mad...they've all gone mad..."

Li Shimin gritted his teeth, yet was utterly helpless. He dared to charge against the Turkic cavalry and kill the elite warriors of noble families, but he truly dared not move against this group of unarmed students who spouted nothing but benevolence and morality.

You can't hit them, you can't scold them, you can't kill them.

It's like a hedgehog; no matter how you try to grab it, it'll prick you.

Fang Xuanling was also extremely anxious: "Your Majesty, we must think of a solution quickly! Once they reach the palace gates, things will truly be beyond repair!"

"A solution? What solution could I possibly have?"

Li Shimin scratched his hair in frustration. Suddenly, as if he remembered something, he abruptly raised his head and looked intently at Wang De.

"Go! Go now!"

"Go to the Eastern Palace! Bring the Crown Prince to me!"

"Aren't these scholars supposed to be eloquent? Aren't they supposed to be reasonable?"

Li Shimin gritted his teeth, a desperate glint of determination flashing in his eyes.

"If I can't handle these scoundrels, then I'll find someone even more scoundrels!"

"Let that unfilial son clean it up! He's the one who created this mess; let him clean it up himself!"