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

Chapter 125 Li Xiang: Come, let me give you a temple name, Li Er.

Princess Gaoyang looked at Li Xiang defiantly. She truly intended to embarrass him.

Everyone knows that the grandson of the emperor, Li Xiang, has always been rebellious and at odds with the emperor. His every word is rebellious.

Today is the grand banquet for the Xia sacrifice, and all the members of the imperial family are gathered here. If Li Xiang were to recite a poem, especially a seditious one, his father would surely punish him severely and banish him from the palace.

If he were to recite a poem that is not anti-rebellious but instead sings praises, his actions would be inconsistent with his previous behavior, showing arrogance before and obsequiousness afterward, which would invite ridicule and be embarrassing.

Or, if one doesn't utter a poem, it's an admission of lack of talent and a loss of face!

No matter what she chooses, Princess Gaoyang will be able to vent her anger and avenge the loss of her husband's family's treasure to this little rascal.

As for whether this brat would ruin the harmony of the Xia Sacrifice Feast if he actually recited a rebellious poem—humph, the willful and capricious Princess Gaoyang didn't care about such things.

But Emperor Gaoyang didn't consider it; Emperor Li Shimin, however, did.

Upon hearing that his daughter actually wanted to encourage that brat to compose a poem, Emperor Taizong of Tang (Li Er) felt a sudden surge of panic.

Who knows that brat's little mouth better than him? Even if this grandson is truly talented, he has never uttered a single good word in front of him.

He was initially relieved that the brat had only focused on eating and hadn't caused any trouble. He was even thinking of bestowing something upon him after the banquet in the name of the Xia sacrifice to ease the tension between grandfather and grandson.

Who would have thought that while the gourd sank by itself, the ladle floated up again. The brat hadn't caused any trouble, but this daughter had actually egged him on!

The Xia sacrifice is a major event; how can we allow that brat to cause trouble?

Among those present, Li Tai was unwilling to let Li Xiang ruin this opportunity for him to publicly display his status as crown prince.

Seeing Li Xiang put down the lamb leg and actually try to get up, Li Tai frowned and quickly interrupted, "Gao Yang!"

"Xiang'er is still young, you should act like an elder. How can an elder force a junior to write poetry?"

"Father has already spoken, and today's poetry recitation is entirely voluntary. No one needs to be bound by any rules."

Li Xiang casually wiped his oily hands on his clothes, stood up calmly, and respectfully crossed his arms and bowed, saying, "Uncle Wei, it's alright. Aunt Gaoyang is an elder, and since she has given the order, how could I refuse?"

Li Xiang's submissive demeanor sent chills down Li Tai's spine. Seeing the mocking smile on Li Xiang's lips, he was even more convinced that this rascal was up to no good.

"Xiang'er, there's no need for that. Your uncle will take care of it for you. You and Jue'er should just focus on eating—"

"No, no, no, as a member of the imperial clan, and given His Majesty's elegant banquet for the ancestral relatives during the summer festival, the elders have extended their earnest invitations. To decline would be impolite."

"When have you ever shown any manners, you brat!" Li Tai gritted his teeth inwardly, but his smile on his fat face grew even more gentle: "It's alright, it's alright, Xiang'er, there's no need for that—"

The two pushed and shoved each other, leaving Gao Yang and his relatives stunned: weren't Li Xiang, the grandson of the deposed crown prince, and the Prince of Wei supposed to be mortal enemies? How come they seem to be getting along well today?

"Ahem—Fourth Prince, Xiang'er, there's no need to argue anymore." Finally, Princess Chang Le, who appeared gentle and frail, stood up. She took Li Xiang's hand and gave Li Shimin a graceful bow.

"Father, since Xiang'er has such talent, why not let him give it a try?"

"My daughter also wants to hear what great works I, a junior member of the royal family, can produce."

She had been living in seclusion in her residence for many years to recuperate, and was not very aware of Li Xiang's rebellious behavior. She only thought that Li Tai's obstruction was because he did not want Li Xiang, a descendant of Li Chengqian, to show his face in front of Li Shimin.

Li Lizhi was kind-hearted and single-mindedly wanted to support her elder brother's two poor children. If Xiang'er's poem could please the Emperor, perhaps her elder brother's family's situation could improve somewhat.

"————" Li Shimin's expression was strange. He looked at his most beloved, sickly daughter, and then at Li Xiang, who was being led by his daughter.

"Since Chang Le has made this request, then so be it."

After saying that, Li Er glared at Li Xiang with a warning look.

Who the hell are you, flirting with me like that?

Li Xiang remained expressionless, as if he hadn't noticed the Heavenly Khan's subtle warning glance.

But Li Lizhi's face still had to be given some consideration. Li Xiang thought for a moment and decided to choose a less sensational one—a rebellious poem.

"In that case—I'll make a fool of myself!"

Li Xiang stepped out of his seat, amidst the encouraging gaze of Princess Chang Le and the admiring look of Li Jue;

Under the strange gazes of Li Shimin and Li Tai;

Under Princess Gaoyang's provocative gaze.

He lowered his head slightly in thought, then, gazing upon the magnificent scene of the summer sacrifice, he began to recite: "The northern landscape is breathtaking, a thousand miles of ice, ten thousand miles of snow!"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall was stunned.

Today is the Xia Festival, and it's in the prosperous city of Chang'an in Guanzhong. Why are you reciting the scenery of the northern lands, a thousand miles of ice?

Li Shimin's face had turned ashen. He was certain that this brat was deliberately looking for trouble.

"Looking beyond the Great Wall, all that remains is boundless desolation. The Yellow River, both upstream and downstream, has lost its roaring flow!"

"The mountains dance like silver snakes, the plains gallop like wax elephants. They seem to vie with the heavens in height!"

"On a sunny day, behold the red-clad beauties amidst the white-clad figures. They are exceptionally enchanting!"

Ignoring the whispers among the people in the hall, Li Xiang remained calm and recited aloud.

As the poem was recited, the displeasure on Li Shimin's face gradually faded, replaced by surprise and solemnity.

Although he was an emperor who rose from the ashes, he also had a refined taste and enjoyed calligraphy, painting, poetry, and prose. He once spent a fortune collecting authentic works by Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi, and he studied Wang Xizhi's "Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion" every day, cherishing it dearly.

Hearing such magnificent and powerful sentences of varying lengths, I couldn't help but applaud in my heart.

"This brat actually possesses such talent!"

"Such grand and powerful words are beyond the reach of ordinary people! Though not a regulated verse, it is still worthy of being recorded in history!"

He considered himself an emperor with the ambition to conquer the world, but upon hearing Li Xiang's words, he also felt a surge of overwhelming pride that was no less than, and perhaps even greater than, the imperial pride in his heart!

"Alas, I am not skilled in poetry and cannot transform the passion in my heart into these verses. Alas, these words did not come from my own mouth!"

"

Inside the hall, the whispers were completely drowned out by Li Xiang's half-finished poem. No one cared whether the poem was deliberately inappropriate for the occasion; instead, they were all deeply moved by its meaning.

Princess Gaoyang, who had initially been waiting to see Li Xiang make a fool of himself, also had a slight change in expression.

She admired talented people the most; otherwise, she wouldn't have so much disliked her husband, Fang Yi'ai.

His nephew, reciting poetry at the banquet, even though it was a poem about snow in the summer, deliberately recited this unorthodox long and short verse while others were reciting poetry, which was considered disrespectful.

But the meaning behind those words was so profound that even a woman like her was deeply moved!

This poem will surely be remembered for eternity!

Li Tai's face was grim. He had been polishing his poem for a long time. He had originally planned to arrange for it to be widely recited in Pingkangfang after the banquet, to further enhance his literary reputation as the Prince of Wei and pave the way for his ascension to the throne.

Well, this brat didn't deliberately cause trouble or recite any treasonous poems, but he still came up with these kinds of words.

His poem paled in comparison in an instant, becoming a mere backdrop in the shadow of timeless masterpieces. How could it possibly stir up any ripples?

Seeing that this half-finished poem had already silenced the entire hall, Li Xiang revealed a triumphant smile on his lips.

This is just the beginning! The real excitement is yet to come.

He continued reciting the second half of the poem aloud: "Such a beautiful land! It has attracted countless heroes to bow down!"

"It's a pity that Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han were somewhat lacking in literary talent."

"Emperors of the Sui and Tang dynasties were slightly inferior in their brilliance!"

This sentence was uttered.

The moment the words fell, the entire Liangyi Hall fell into a deathly silence. The few scattered whispers that had just been uttered were instantly cut off, becoming so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

The entire hall was filled with members of the imperial family and close officials, all frozen in place, their wine cups and chopsticks hanging in mid-air, their eyes fixed in astonishment on Li Xiang, who stood in the hall.

Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han were both great rulers who founded dynasties and are recorded in history books. It is not unusual for ordinary poems and essays to cite ancient emperors.

For example, Emperor Taizu of Sui should be Yang Jian. Although he was the emperor of the previous dynasty, he was still a great ruler.

But where did the name "Tang Zong" come from?

At present, the Tang Dynasty has only one deceased emperor, the late emperor whose temple name is Gaozu. If the poem refers to the late emperor, it should be called "Tang Zu" (Tang Ancestor), and there is absolutely no way it would be associated with the word "Zong" (ancestor).

And whose temple name is "Tang Zong"?

The strange gazes of everyone in the hall involuntarily shifted to Li Shimin, who had just shown amazement and praise but whose face was now as black as the bottom of a pot!