The rebellious grandson of Emperor Zhenguan of the Tang Dynasty: Please, Your Majesty, be called Cro

Chapter 105 On Imperial Power: The Tang Dynasty Emperor Was Nothing More Than a Fart

"Bang!"

Inside the Liangyi Hall, Li Shimin suddenly threw the imperial gold wine vessel on the sandalwood imperial desk to the ground.

A loud, jarring crash rang out, and leftover wine spilled all over the floor, splashing everywhere.

Dead!

The entire Liangyi Hall was instantly so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Li Shimin stood behind his desk, his face ashen, silent for a long time, seemingly processing the news he had just learned that many aristocratic officials in the East Market had been beaten by scholars and commoners, and that many had been injured.

After snapping his fingers dozens of times, Li Shimin finally spoke out in anger, his voice devoid of any warmth.

"Okay, okay!"

"In the grand East Market of Chang'an, right under the emperor's nose, a popular uprising nearly broke out—"

"Your subject deserves death!" Sun Fujia prostrated himself on the ground, his voice unusually revealing fear and helplessness.

Even he, an old man who had lived through the chaos of the late Sui Dynasty, was terrified by the scene.

Even in those chaotic times, there had never been such a shocking scene of common people surrounding the sons of powerful families and throwing punches at them!

The scene was so chaotic that even with him, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, leading his men to shout and try to stop it, he couldn't stop it at all!

Watching as Zheng Langzhong and other members of prominent families were beaten until their noses and eyes were crooked, he could only stand anxiously on the outside, fearing that the angry crowd might actually commit the act of beating and killing officials.

As things escalated, he even drew his ceremonial sword from his waist!

Fortunately, these people still obeyed that brat's orders. Finally, at the brat's shout, "Run now!" the group scattered like birds and beasts.

Those few who remained looked innocent, keeping their distance from the mess.

In the end, only a group of aristocratic scions, their hats askew, robes filthy, and bodies disheveled, remained in the arena, some trembling, others sobbing.

Sun Fujia, feeling both amused and exasperated, lost interest in frightening Li Xiang and hastily gave Li Xiang thirty strokes of the cane.

Ignoring the scoundrel who had just realized he had been deceived and was jumping up and down cursing vehemently, he hurriedly went to the palace to report to the emperor.

"Did someone die? Can the assailant be arrested?" Li Shimin's face was extremely ugly, his phoenix eyes fixed on Sun Fujia.

"—Your Majesty, no murders have occurred. However, the situation was extremely chaotic at the time of the arrests—" Sun Fujia said hesitantly.

In fact, if Li Xiang hadn't reminded them, the Dali Temple should have been able to arrest several of the people who had committed the act.

But because of that reminder, almost everyone scattered like birds and beasts. The Dali Temple did not have many people on site, so they couldn't stop them at all.

—Of course, perhaps they didn't even intend to stop them. After all, many of the officials and soldiers of the Dali Temple came from humble backgrounds. Some were even students from the law school of the three lower schools of the Imperial Academy.

At least Sun Fujia witnessed some officials and soldiers taking advantage of the opportunity to pull away the scholars and commoners to sneakily kick the young nobleman who was being beaten a few times.

Li Shimin's expression darkened further. He took a deep breath and said, "In the twenty-five years since the founding of our Great Tang Dynasty, in this strategically important region of the capital, has such a horrifying disturbance ever occurred?"

"Investigate! Investigate thoroughly! No matter how long it takes, you must give my subjects an explanation!"

"The Imperial Medical Academy is hereby ordered to dispatch physicians to the residences of all the nobles, and to do everything in their power to treat them!"

"A bunch of lawless scoundrels! They've infuriated me!"

"Yes, sir." Sun Fujia replied, prostrating himself. Hearing the emperor's seemingly furious words, he suddenly realized: the emperor's words did not mention the imperial grandson at all?

Furthermore, what does it mean to say "no matter how long"?

Sun Fujia left with a sense of understanding. Li Shimin paced anxiously in the Liangyi Hall, seemingly still angry.

After a moment, he ordered, "All of you, withdraw! Fu Ji, stay."

"Yes." All the ministers who were discussing matters, as well as the two princes, Li Tai and Li Zhi, rose, bowed, and took their leave.

Given the magnitude of the event, it was understandable that the emperor, in a fit of rage, would seek to vent his anger and discuss the matter with his close advisors.

Staying here would only make it easier to get caught in the crossfire—which is why most people left with a hint of relief on their faces.

However, they did not expect that once they left the Liangyi Hall...

The overwhelming rage on Li Shimin's face vanished instantly.

His face showed only a mixture of amusement and bewilderment, along with a thoughtful expression.

"Fuji, take a look." Li Shimin sat back on the imperial couch and said to Changsun Wuji with a smile, "That brat, he certainly knows how to cause trouble. One memorial has stirred up a storm in the East Market."

"I had just decided to reform the imperial examination system when he incited scholars from poor families to beat people up."

"Ha, those Shandong gentry have been thoroughly stirred up by that brat. I'm afraid that by tomorrow, my desk will be piled high with all sorts of memorials from those old gentry cowards."

"Such aristocratic families as Zheng Renze are merely relying on the legacy of their ancestors and have no real talent or learning. Since Your Majesty is determined to carry out your plans, their dissenting opinions are nothing more than a mantis trying to stop a chariot."

Changsun Wuji remained expressionless, bent down to pick up the golden goblet that Li Shimin had feigned anger toss on the ground, wiped it on his robe, and then placed it back on the imperial desk.

"The fact that they failed to force the emperor to abdicate in court and had no other options is proof of this."

"Your Majesty's feigned compliance is enough; a little appeasement will suffice."

The Shandong gentry, though few possessed great talent, still held sway over scholars and remained the most prestigious and influential families in the land, thanks to the legacy of their ancestors.

Even the Guanzhong gentry who rose up with the late emperor and Your Majesty often regarded the Shandong gentry as superior, and formed marriage alliances with them, willingly submitting to their status.

Changsun Wuji had always disliked these self-proclaimed noble families.

So what if they are a family with a thousand-year history? The Changsun family is not only the imperial family, but also the first family of meritorious officials in the Tang Dynasty after the emperor.

Why can't the number one family in the world be the Changsun family?

Li Shimin nodded, acknowledging Changsun Wuji's statement. Having Sun Fujia thoroughly investigate the assailant was already a way for him, the emperor, to give those powerful families an explanation.

He looked thoughtful and said to Changsun Wuji, "Fuji, what do you think?"

"Is there any merit to what that brat has said?"

Compared to this "last memorial," Li Shimin was more concerned about the words Li Xiang said in the East Market.

"To establish the moral order of the world, and to control right and wrong!"

This was a perspective he had never considered. He knew that the aristocratic families controlled the classics and monopolized the imperial examinations. Although he was wary, he could still tolerate it. Because he believed that as long as there was a balance between the court and the people, the country would still belong to the Li family.

However, if the emperor governs the country based on Confucianism and allows the aristocratic class to control the interpretation of the classics, what ultimately results is a shackle placed on the emperor's head.

Li Shimin could not possibly comply with the wishes of the gentry!

Li Shimin was an extremely intelligent man.

That brat Li Xiang's words are shallow; he directs his criticism at the aristocratic families, but only scratches the surface.

Li Shimin thought even deeper, recalling the early days before the rise of Confucianism and the periods of the Former Han and Former Qin dynasties.

The First Emperor unified the six kingdoms and swept across the land, thus holding absolute power. Li Shimin considered himself a monarch as well, but as the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, he lacked the absolute power that the First Emperor of Qin possessed, and his word was law.

At the very least, if Li Shimin wanted to tour the four seas like the First Emperor, he would inevitably be attacked by Confucian scholars.

After all, even if he went hunting around Chang'an, without delaying state affairs, he would be constantly impeached by his ministers.

Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, was able to urinate and defecate in the Confucian scholar's hat, engage in cockfighting and horse racing, and do all sorts of absurd things, yet he was still called a wise ruler.

If Li Shimin dared to do so, I fear that the next day, half of the officials in the court would kneel down and remonstrate with him, threatening that the Tang Dynasty would perish because of his foolish actions.

He suddenly felt that, as an emperor, he, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, seemed to have regressed compared to those emperors and rulers hundreds or nearly a thousand years ago.

The sudden realization of this gap between emperors made Li Shimin subconsciously very displeased!

If Li Xiang were here, he would tell Li Shimin the truth.

If we only consider the degree of concentration of imperial power, this Tang emperor was nothing compared to Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Gaozu of Han, and even Emperor Wu of Han, whom the Li Tang court despised the most.

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