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

Chapter 126 Does Your Majesty perhaps wish to continue the music and the dance?

Before the second half of the poem was even finished, the entire court of civil and military officials and members of the imperial family were already terrified and their souls were pounding.

The Tang Dynasty had a strict system of rites and rituals. The titles of "Zu" and "Zong" were temple names determined after the emperor's death. Only those who died and were enshrined in the temple could be given these titles.

There is absolutely no reason for a living emperor to claim ancestor status.

Although Li Xiang did not explicitly point it out, the phrase "Emperor of Tang" placed him among Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Wu of Han, and Emperor Taizu of Sui. Everyone present could understand that every word was a veiled reference to Li Shimin on the throne.

To predetermine the temple name of a living monarch, to put it bluntly, is tantamount to cursing the emperor to die young, and to predetermine the sacrificial rites after his death, which is already a great treason!

Princess Gaoyang, who had just been sitting idly with her arms crossed, eagerly waiting to see Li Xiang make a fool of himself in public, suddenly froze, her almond-shaped eyes wide open, all her previous mischief and schadenfreude turning into utter panic.

Her original intention was merely to make things difficult for Li Xiang and embarrass him, but she never expected that her nephew would utter such arrogant and outrageous words.

This is no longer a trivial matter of being rude or arrogant. In the context of the Xia Dynasty Imperial Banquet for the Clan, which is an important occasion for honoring ancestors and demonstrating harmony among the clan, it is a serious crime of disobedience!

These disobedient words were spoken because she had instigated them—Princess Gaoyang was beginning to fear that her father might hold her accountable for some of the blame!

"Father!"

Princess Chang Le, Li Lizhi, hurriedly stood up from her seat. The sudden movement aggravated her lung ailment, and a violent coughing fit suddenly broke out. She covered her mouth with a handkerchief, her shoulders trembling slightly, and her pale cheeks flushed with a sickly red.

"Xiang'er is young and naive, with limited knowledge and ignorance of etiquette and rules, which is why he spoke without thinking for a moment—those who are unaware may be forgiven, but Father Emperor, please forgive me—cough cough!"

Before he could finish speaking, he broke out in another fit of violent coughing.

Li Shimin, seated on the throne, had a livid face and his sharp gaze was fixed on Li Xiang below the steps. His natural imperial aura spread out, causing everyone in the hall to hold their breath and not dare to utter a sound.

He had no time to worry about the anxious Gao Yang and the trembling imperial clansmen, nor did he care to comfort the coughing and wheezing Chang Le. All his attention was focused on this rebellious grandson who had repeatedly challenged his imperial authority.

"Continue reading." Li Shimin spoke each word clearly and coldly. "Read the remaining words completely."

If you're going to read it, then read it. Who are you going to stare at?

Li Xiang, completely unfazed by Li Shimin's intimidating presence that silenced everyone, curled his lip and began to recite, "Alas, Qin Shi Huang and Han Wudi were slightly lacking in literary talent, and Sui Taizu and Tang Taizong were somewhat inferior in poetic flair." He continued, "The armored warriors of Hulao Pass are no longer as valiant, a song that has brought laughter for ten years!"

"All that is past; to find truly remarkable figures, look to the present!"

Upon hearing these last two sentences, the crowd's gazes became even more peculiar—if they could have argued earlier that Li Xiang was unaware of the proper etiquette regarding temple names and thus made a mistake.

Then this statement is truly solid proof! What is the Hulao Xuanjia? Outside Hulao Pass, the Xuanjia Iron Cavalry defeated two kings in one battle. This was the highlight of Li Shimin's life and the point of greatest pride for him.

In the seventh year of the Zhenguan era, Li Shimin personally created the dance illustration, Wei Zheng and Yu Shinan composed the lyrics, and Lü Cai, the music master, set the music to music. He then played the "Qin King's Battle Song" himself, exactly ten years ago.

Just now, during the banquet, the musicians had finished playing this piece, and Li Shimin, as usual, listened with great interest and a happy expression.

I've been listening to it for ten years and I'm not tired of it at all.

But in the blink of an eye, Li Xiang ridiculed him in public with the line "A song of ten years has made people laugh," clearly mocking him for indulging in past achievements and living off his savings.

This statement was tantamount to slapping Li Shimin in the face again, leaving him utterly humiliated.

"You brat!"

Li Shimin felt a sudden surge in his skull, a dull pain shooting straight to his head, and his anger almost bursting out of his chest.

Upon catching sight of Chu Suiliang, who was in charge of recording the emperor's daily life, and noticing that he had somehow produced his writing tablet and was writing furiously, Chu Suiliang was so angry that he almost fainted.

Just moments before, I had even felt sorry for my grandson's distress and was planning to give him money and provisions after the banquet.

Li Shimin felt a tightness in his chest, a surge of anger mixed with deep disappointment welling up inside him. He suppressed the throbbing pain in his head, raised his hand to his temple, and said in a deep voice, "You have always spoken arrogantly and acted erratically. I have repeatedly tolerated you and not investigated further."

"But what occasion is today? The Xia sacrifice is complete, and relatives have gathered to pay homage to our ancestors—it is a grand national ceremony!"

"Are you determined to spout nonsense at this crucial moment, recklessly disrupting the banquet and ruining the solemnity and dignity of our Great Tang Xia Sacrifice Ceremony?"

"Do you still have any regard for the Tang Dynasty? Do you even know that you are a descendant of the Li family and a subject of the Tang Dynasty?!"

The entire hall was deathly silent. Under the emperor's imposing presence, everyone held their breath. Gao Yang's heart pounded with anxiety, Chang Le clutched her chest in turmoil, and Chu Suiliang's hand holding the pen paused slightly as his gaze fell upon the young man below the steps.

"What, Your Majesty, are you going to say something like, 'You've worked so hard for so many years, what's wrong with enjoying yourself a little?'" Li Xiang said in a teasing tone.

"Are you trying to expel me from the temple so you can continue the music and the dancing?"

Li Shimin's expression froze.

"Since Your Majesty knows that today is the Xia Sacrifice Ceremony, you have spent money and grain to hold a grand palace banquet, with relatives and officials dressed in fine clothes and eating delicacies, with fine wines and rare foods laid out on the table."

"But outside the palace, there are countless common people who suffer from lack of crops in spring, disasters in autumn, lack of warm clothes in winter, and difficulty in getting enough to eat in famine years."

"Even in the bustling city, there are still ordinary people who suffer injustices and are constantly harassed; many injustices in the world remain unresolved!"

"Your Majesty, possessing the entire realm, does not think of working day and night to bring peace to the people, but instead confines himself to the deep palace, year after year accompanied by the 'Qin King's Battle Song'."

Recalling their early battlefield exploits, indulging in past glories, feasting and reveling! And yet they have the audacity to accuse me of disregarding the fate of the Tang Dynasty!

Li Xiang, showing no sign of backing down, rebuked sharply.

Li Shimin's face turned pale and then red, and his already throbbing headache became even more severe. He had ruled the country and established the Zhenguan era of prosperity, and had always prided himself on loving the people. He never expected that his own grandson would publicly question him about the livelihood of the people in front of the entire imperial family and the court historians.

"Guards!" Li Shimin struggled to suppress his anger, rubbing his forehead. "Expel this boy from the palace!"

He shouldn't have taken any chances and tacitly allowed the Imperial Clan Court to invite this brat to the palace banquet.

"No need for Your Majesty, I can go by myself." Seeing the armored soldiers entering with a clanging sound, Li Xiang snorted and said.

"However, this gift should be left to His Majesty," Li Xiang said, bending down to pick up the wooden box he had brought into the palace.

Li Shimin was taken aback, and his expression softened slightly. Although it was true that on the day of the Xia sacrifice, the imperial relatives would present gifts to him, the emperor, he had never expected that his rebellious grandson Li Xiang would actually prepare gifts in accordance with the ritual.

When the eunuch nervously presented the wooden box to Li Shimin, Li Shimin opened it and his blood pressure, which had just eased, began to spike again.

"Li Xiang!!!!"

Inside the wooden box was a woman's dress!