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

Shocking!

Li Shimin was stunned. Who had ever dared to say such rebellious words to him, words that showed no respect for the emperor or father?

Even Li Chengqian looked at Li Xiang with a shocked expression.

This tone doesn't sound like Li Shimin is asking Li Chengqian to be called Crown Prince. Rather, it sounds like Li Shimin, who is about to become a father, is addressing his son Li Chengqian with a respectful title!

Reversing the Heavenly Gang!

Li Shimin took a few deep breaths, then laughed out loud in anger. "Fine, fine indeed."

"They've rebelled! They've all rebelled!"

"They've all gone against the grain!"

Li Shimin was furious, his terrifying rage seeming to tear the roof off the Ganlu Palace.

"Isn't it His Majesty who set a good precedent? Will the one who started this have no descendants?"

Li Xiang, however, had already gotten into the zone. Faced with the emperor's overwhelming rage, he responded with a sarcastic tone.

"Having washed away the blood of Xuanwu Gate, does Your Majesty truly consider yourself a sage, benevolent, and virtuous ruler?"

He even stepped forward again, aggressively extending his index finger and pointing it directly at Li Shimin:

"Even if Your Majesty governs the Zhenguan era into the greatest golden age in history, the history books will not record that you are the rightful heir to the throne!!!!"

Yet another shocking and rebellious statement!

Li Chengqian's eyes widened, and the palace servants who were prostrating themselves in the Ganlu Hall trembled with fear, almost losing their souls in terror!

Li Shimin was so startled that he took two steps back, stumbled, and fell onto the dragon throne behind him.

They've gone mad, completely mad!

This was tantamount to completely tearing down and smashing the glorious and majestic statue of Li Shimin, the Khan of that day. It was to expose the bloodshed and filth that filled that statue to the light of day!

And the one who did these heartless things was none other than Li Shimin's own grandson!

"You unfilial son...you rebellious grandson...you wicked child...you wicked child!"

Li Shimin's face turned from red to green, and he muttered curses under his breath, but he couldn't find any useful words to refute them.

Looking at this arrogant and unruly brat before him, he was unwilling to admit that, in addition to anger, a long-lost emotion, one he had almost forgotten, was stirring deep within him.

fear!

The fear that had been suppressed deep within me for so long!

Seeing Li Shimin's unpleasant expression, Li Xiang was even more delighted. However, his face remained dignified; he turned his head and said:

"My father and I are rebellious sons and grandsons, but isn't Your Majesty also rebellious?"

"Unless His Majesty kills me today, I will never change my mind!"

My performance was absolutely perfect!

Your Majesty, the atmosphere has been built up to this point.

If you don't suddenly retaliate and kill your relatives or grandchildren, it will be very difficult to resolve this situation!

Li Xiang secretly rejoiced.

Li Shimin's expression indeed became even more unpleasant, as if he had choked on his words.

"Guards!" Li Shimin suddenly called out. Immediately, a horde of fierce-looking imperial guards appeared outside the hall. Li Xiang shuddered, a surge of joy welling up within him.

Has he arrived? Shall we drag him out and behead him, or give him poisoned wine?

It's best if it's not slow slicing... that would be too much suffering!

"...Take the Crown Prince and this brat to the Right Army Commandery prison for safekeeping!"

"Without my decree, they shall not be released!"

"only!"

"……what?"

Li Xiang was dumbfounded. Just imprison him? Could His Majesty the Heavenly Khan really tolerate this?

He opened his mouth, about to utter a few more classic traitor quotes.

"Gag this brat and carry him out!" Li Shimin roared before he could finish.

As soon as Li Shimin gave the order, several imperial guards subdued Li Xiang before he could struggle.

"Waaaaah!" Li Xiang's mouth was tightly covered by a member of the Imperial Guard, and he was carried on the shoulder, unable to struggle.

Another imperial guard tried to help Li Chengqian up, but Li Chengqian weakly shook off the guard's hand, then pushed himself up with both hands.

"Get out of my way... I'll walk myself!"

He took a deep look at Li Xiang, who was still struggling, then straightened up and limped out.

His tattered, blood-stained robes trailed behind his lame leg, leaving a long, shocking trail of blood in the Ganlu Hall.

He didn't look at Li Shimin once throughout the entire process.

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

The door, which hadn't been oiled in a long time, was pulled open, making a sickeningly loud sound.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince and Your Highness the Grandson, please do not be offended. His Majesty has given the order, and we have no choice but to obey."

The guard here was a young junior officer of the Right Army. After he and his soldiers invited Li Chengqian and Li Xiang into the house, they hurriedly left as if avoiding a plague.

The heavy door creaked shut. Only Li Xiang and Li Chengqian remained in the room.

"I've exposed all of Li Er's secrets, and this old man, he actually..."

"How could he possibly resist killing his own parents?"

Even at this point, Li Xiang was still pondering where his plan had gone wrong.

He couldn't believe it; his head was buzzing.

Li Chengqian's rebellion must have been the time when Li Shimin was most easily angered and most likely to lose his temper.

Such a golden opportunity! Unbelievable!

None of them could provoke Li Shimin to kill his own father.

When will I be able to leave this damned Tang Dynasty?

"...Sigh, it seems the conditions given by the dog system are even more difficult than I imagined."

Li Xiang sighed inwardly.

After a long period of calming down, Li Xiang finally recovered from his disappointment and frustration.

He turned around and observed his surroundings: the place where he and Li Chengqian were imprisoned.

This place is more of a secluded palace than a prison.

Although the hall was somewhat dilapidated, it was not cramped and the furnishings were complete.

On the left and right sides of the room, there were two couches, one large and one small. Although the paint on the tables, chairs, and doorposts had faded, they still looked antique.

The window frames outside were covered in dust, making it difficult for sunlight to penetrate, which made the interior of the hall slightly chilly.

Indeed, Li Chengqian and Li Xiang were princes and grandsons of the emperor, so imprisoning them was essentially house arrest.

The Right Guard Commandery was the imperial guard of the Tang Dynasty, the emperor's private army. The prison of the Right Guard Commandery was also located within the imperial city, and naturally it would not be as filthy as ordinary prisons.

Li Xiang glanced at the limping Li Chengqian, sighed, and stepped forward to help Li Chengqian to the bed.

He peered into Li Chengqian's torn robe and saw that the prince's robe, whipped into ribbon-like shapes, was soaked in blood and turned blackish-red. He could vaguely see the whip marks inside still oozing blood.

Li Xiang was horrified just looking at it. Li Chengqian, however, remained grim-faced, his facial muscles twitching occasionally, but he endured the pain without uttering a sound.

This guy... oh no, he's a cheap dad now.

This crown prince's father was also unlucky. He was finally born as the eldest son of the royal family, but unfortunately, he had to have a father like Li Er.

He served as crown prince diligently for eighteen years, and his role as regent did not cause any major problems.

In other words, he had many hobbies: he liked to gather his friends for parties, he liked to cosplay as Turks fighting, and he liked to secretly play around with male and female characters, but he didn't do anything immoral.

He was then subjected to a barrage of criticism from the group of upright teachers that Li Er had invited. His personal hobby was exposed and made known to the world by these critics.

This is like your hobby: you just enjoy erotic art online, and you don't intend to become an antisocial person.

A group of lunatics will break into your house, cover your mouth, grab your computer, and expose all your hard drive contents and browser history.

After you've completely ruined your reputation, they still stand on their moral high ground, inciting netizens to launch a massive online attack on you, all to demonstrate their own superiority as moral gentlemen...

Who the hell can tolerate this?

After years of such relentless criticism, Li Chengqian's reputation naturally became utterly infamous: the teachers in the Crown Prince's palace tirelessly spread rumors of the prince's lack of virtue day after day, and even street vendors in Chang'an would spit in disgust upon hearing the name of Crown Prince Li Chengqian.

Li Er, instead of standing up for his son, generously rewarded these trolls, encouraging them to continue criticizing, to criticize relentlessly, and not to stop...

With the emperor's approval, the critics became even more emboldened, each one relentlessly attacking the crown prince, turning the child into a psychopath.

If Li Er treated all his legitimate sons equally and in the same way, that would be fine.

Li Er was exceptionally kind to his other sons.

Emperor Taizong (Li Er) did not allow his ninth son, Li Zhi, to live alone outside the palace, keeping him by his side and showering him with affection.

As for the fourth son, Li Tai, everything was permitted. A special decree was issued granting him treatment comparable to that of the Crown Prince and allowing him to reside in the Wude Hall!

What is the Wude Hall? It is located next to the Taiji Hall, where the emperor lived and handled state affairs, and is even closer to it than the East Palace.

Allowing Li Tai to reside in the Wude Hall blurred the lines between the Crown Prince and a Prince in terms of etiquette, which could be interpreted as the Emperor's intention to enhance Li Tai's political capital and pave the way for a change of heir apparent.

Li Er had spent his entire life playing the game of power, and Li Chengqian could see through this political implication at a glance. How could the Heavenly Khan, Li Er the Great, not understand it?

The child was already psychologically disturbed by the criticism, and was now extremely anxious.

Li Er continued to provoke him year after year, and Li Tai was always jumping around in front of him, getting in his way.

Li Chengqian's desire to replicate the Xuanwu Gate Incident was understandable; he wanted to do it quickly and decisively to avoid being tormented by it year after year.

Moreover, they haven't even started implementing it yet; they're just in the stage of talking nonsense and acting crazy. They're just contacting Hou Junji, who is also dissatisfied with the emperor, through letters, saying some rebellious things, and venting their frustrations in their hearts.

Honestly, Li Xiang thought this was filial piety enough.

If he were Li Chengqian, would he have been able to kneel and endure Li Shimin's whipping and questioning in the Ganlu Hall?

He should have challenged Old Deng to a duel at Xuanwu Gate right there and then!

Anyway, this is the tradition of the Li family. Since Li Shimin did it himself, it's no wonder that his descendants followed suit!

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

Thinking of his father's tragic past, Li Xiang sighed again, carefully placed him on the couch, and gently lifted his tattered crown prince robe.

Then they saw that the whip marks on Li Chengqian's back, which were turned outwards, contained a lot of debris and dust.

Looking at the filth, Li Xiang frowned in disgust. He then stood up, fetched some clean water from the jar in the corner of the room, found a clean cloth, and used the water to carefully wipe Li Chengqian clean.

Li Chengqian remained silent, letting Li Xiang do as he pleased.

Only after Li Xiang had roughly cleaned his wounds did Li Chengqian suddenly speak:

"Just now... at Ganlu Palace."

"Aren't you afraid of being sentenced to death?"