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

As he sighed and strolled back into the room, sitting down by the couch, a faint trace of pain and unease crossed his face.

(Li Xiang: Ouch, that hurts... Could it be that I got scratched by that broken bamboo strip?)

Li Chengqian had been paying close attention to Li Xiang, and he took in these subtle changes in expression. His heart stirred slightly, and a rare tenderness welled up within him.

He was just a child of about ten years old, though he was sharp-tongued and defiant in front of outsiders, appearing fearless.

Now that no one else is around, the anxiety and unease in my heart can no longer be hidden.

...If he hadn't been standing up for me, why would he have been imprisoned in this desolate and dilapidated side hall, suffering this injustice?

My son, with utmost sincerity and disregard for the consequences, risked his life to protect his disgraced father…

Even when he was being whipped, Li Chengqian never felt that he was wrong.

But now, a piercing sense of self-reproach rises in his heart.

Later scholars, when studying Li Chengqian, could easily see that by the seventeenth year of the Zhenguan era, Li Chengqian's mind had already become distorted due to illness and high pressure, and he even suffered from a certain degree of mental illness.

Indeed, since he was made crown prince in the ninth year of the Wude era, Li Chengqian had always lived under the constant pressure of his father and a group of teachers.

He was only eight years old that year, and he began to bear the earnest expectations of his father, Li Shimin, for the future of all the people in the world.

We must repeat this process day after day, forcibly practicing the Confucian moral principles that have been suppressed to the extreme.

They had to accept the extremely rigorous learning requirements set by Kong Yingda, Yu Zhining, and others.

Kong Yingda, Yu Zhining, and others visited the Eastern Palace every day, like circling vultures and lurking hyenas, single-mindedly searching for Li Chengqian's faults.

Once they found a mistake, they would happily spread it around to build their reputation for honest and outspoken advice, and to gain Li Shimin's trust and rewards.

Even when Li Chengqian had a rare moment of rest, or even just a bite more of food, they would advise him: "The Crown Prince is responsible for the fate of the nation and cannot be negligent in the slightest; the Crown Prince should be a role model for the nation and should not waste food."

Li Chengqian still doesn't understand: Does he think that if he eats one more bite of rice, everyone in the world will starve to death?

But at that time, he still had his mother.

A wise and loving mother would understand his difficulties as the crown prince and gently comfort him from the depths of his heart.

The dignified and virtuous mother would secretly cook Li Chengqian's favorite roasted beef in the Lizheng Hall, without telling his father and brothers. This was a delicacy that they, as the Empress and the Crown Prince, could never enjoy in public.

This is a warm secret deep within Li Chengqian's heart, belonging only to him and his mother.

Relying on this sliver of warmth, Li Chengqian suppressed his inner dissatisfaction and frustration.

He was an outstanding prince: he was well-versed in the classics and history by the age of eight, and was "intelligent and exceptionally perceptive";

He began adjudicating cases at the age of twelve, demonstrating "clear-sightedness, fairness, and compassion for the wronged."

At the age of seventeen, he became regent, making decisive decisions on various affairs. His approach was "balanced in both leniency and severity, and in accordance with the overall situation," which earned him widespread praise from both the court and the public.

However, in the tenth year of the Zhenguan era, Empress Zhangsun passed away.

His only mother, who loved and understood him, is gone.

For Li Chengqian, the sky had completely darkened.

He became taciturn and melancholy, and increasingly unable to tolerate the humiliating and oppressive advice from the Crown Prince's tutors.

My mother is gone. My father only dotes on my younger brother. My teachers only want to suppress me and please my father...

He began to rebel, drank heavily, deliberately admired the customs of the barbarians that were not bound by Confucian morality, and could no longer tolerate the provocations of his younger brother, Li Tai...

Li Chengqian became increasingly paranoid, and his inner sorrow and loneliness grew day by day.

When Li Shimin summoned him to the Ganlu Palace and questioned him with a horsewhip about why he wanted to rebel.

Li Chengqian's first feeling was actually one of relief:

You've finally decided to take away my position as crown prince, and you've finally decided to send me to see my mother.

He remained silent, even when his father beat him until he was covered in bruises, he stubbornly pursed his lips and did not utter a word.

Then, an unexpected figure appeared outside the Ganlu Hall, sword in hand…

-----------------

Looking at Li Xiang's distressed expression, Li Chengqian's mind was in turmoil, and he thought about many things.

Just outside the palace gates, the sound of armor scraping against each other suddenly broke the silence inside.

A squad of imperial guards in gleaming armor entered the palace gates and saluted Li Chengqian and Li Xiang with their hands clasped.

"Your Highness, Crown Prince, Grandson of the Emperor."

"By order of His Majesty, His Highness Prince Li Xiang is hereby invited to the Liangyi Hall for an audience with the Emperor."

"Your Highness, please."

"Are the two old men so quick to get things done?" Li Xiang's spirits lifted, and he leaped off the bed in a somersault.

Li Chengqian frowned, steadied himself against the bed frame, and sat up: "The Liangyi Palace?"

"Why not invite me?"

The Liangyi Hall, the main hall of the inner court, was where the emperor and his trusted ministers discussed important matters.

Since the matter is being discussed in the Liangyi Hall, it must be about the "treason case" involving the Crown Prince.

Why invite Li Xiang instead of the Crown Prince, who was in charge of the matter?

"I don't know, I was just following orders." The guard commander's reply was curt and distant.

Li Chengqian's mind raced, and he immediately guessed that Kong Yingda and Yu Zhining must have gone to the Liangyi Hall to stir up trouble.

"Father, don't worry, I'll be right back."

Seeing that Li Chengqian's expression was unpleasant and that he seemed reluctant to go to the Liangyi Hall, Li Xiang spoke up to comfort him.

Just kidding, I finally managed to provoke Kong and Yu, those two old men, and now I have another chance to confront Li Shimin, the old man.

If we miss it, are we going to have to spend the New Year in this miserable and awful Tang Dynasty?

"Nonsense!" Li Chengqian reached out to stop Li Xiang, and his usually gloomy and sullen face showed a look of anxiety.

"You offended that person yesterday, and now that you're going again, those two old dogs are stirring things up with you."

"...It can't be anything good!"

"So what?" Li Xiang insisted, his tone impassioned.

"The world has its own right and wrong; even an emperor cannot arbitrarily distort the truth."

"Where justice lies, I will go even if it means facing a million enemies! Father, do not worry, I will surely seek justice for you!"

He was already in the zone, his mind filled with freshly baked, even harsher insults.

They couldn't wait to use these newly conceived insults to lash out at Li Shimin and return to the modern era.

Amidst the strange gazes of the palace guards, Li Xiang, like a general about to be conferred a title, strode out with his head held high and chest out.

Li Chengqian watched Li Xiang leave with a complicated expression, until the side hall door slowly closed again, completely obscuring Li Xiang's figure.

In the cold, dilapidated palace, he was once again left alone, utterly alone, with only desolation as his companion.