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

"The Huang family?"

Upon hearing this, the young men from prominent families all frowned and pondered silently.

The leader raised his eyes and asked, "May I ask whether your family is from the Jiangxia Huang clan or a branch of the Henan Huang clan?"

Li Xiang smiled slightly and said, "He's just an ordinary local from Chang'an."

Upon hearing this, the eyes of everyone at the table met, and after a moment of staring at each other, undisguised contempt and disdain instantly welled up in their eyes.

"So you're just a poor commoner." The young man who had asked the question earlier sneered, his tone full of disdain.

"How dare someone from a humble, commoner family sneak into the elegant gathering at Prince Wei's Hibiscus Garden?"

"Poetry and prose have always been the domain of noble families. How could commoners, so crude and uncouth, possibly know how to compose poetry and prose?"

"I advise Brother Huang to leave as soon as possible and not get in the way. If the guards of the Prince of Wei's mansion discover that you are an unauthorized person, you will be humiliated, driven away, or even punished on the spot. You will only bring shame upon yourself."

The surrounding area was filled with sarcastic and cutting remarks.

Faced with the crowd's ostracism and ridicule, Li Xiang showed no anger whatsoever. Instead, he chuckled and calmly cupped his hands in greeting: "Why must you all keep me at arm's length?"

"The other day, I sat down and discussed the Way with Masters Kong and Yu, and I also had a long discussion about the Spring and Autumn Annals before the Emperor."

"When I spoke with the two gentlemen, Kong and Yu, they were so moved and amazed that they were eager to recommend my words to His Majesty."

"Even though His Majesty is still ill, he was startled awake and called me a 'monster'."

"Your poetic skills... are probably far inferior to those of a commoner like myself!"

"You!" The faces of the group of aristocratic scions changed drastically, and the scion who had just recited the poem about peonies turned ashen.

Immediately, someone stepped forward and said, "What a madman! Brother Cui's poetic talent is renowned throughout Chang'an. This poem about peonies is particularly outstanding in its style and natural charm."

"An Rong, how dare you insult me ​​like this!"

"Oh, so you're a member of the Cui family." Li Xiang remained unmoved, smiling amiably.

"You've all misunderstood. I wasn't targeting this Brother Cui."

Before Cui's son's expression could soften slightly because of Li Xiang's conciliatory words, everyone heard Li Xiang continue:

"I mean, everyone here is trash!"

The expressions of the group of scions of noble families changed drastically, and they looked at the person in front of them with surprise and suspicion.

This guy is too arrogant!

But the more this was the case, the less they dared to act rashly.

Such arrogant and outrageous words would never be dared to be spoken by ordinary people from humble backgrounds, especially since His Majesty is mentioned so often. Who would dare to fabricate stories or make jokes about the emperor?

Could it be that this seemingly humble boy is actually a peerless madman hiding in the city?

After a brief silence, a young master from a prominent family, though his expression was also unpleasant, still managed to maintain a semblance of his noble bearing and said in a deep voice:

"Since you possess such talent, please compose a poem so that we may broaden our horizons."

"No rush."

Li Xiang, who had been taking the initiative just moments before, was now putting on airs.

He stood with his hands behind his back beneath the flowers, his expression haughty, slowly waving his hand, displaying the indifferent demeanor of a hermit sage.

"The verses I write are far beyond what ordinary, leisurely poems can compare to."

"To recite it only in this small area is too limiting and would only bury its spirit."

Having said that, he raised his eyes and surveyed the entire room, his voice suddenly rising several decibels, carrying an arrogant air of looking down upon all living beings:

"Please trouble you all to go and inform the guests and scions of prominent families throughout the garden."

"Today I will compose a poem here in public."

"We cordially invite all the refined scholars of the garden to gather here, to enjoy this exhilarating song, and to witness the birth of a timeless masterpiece!"

Everyone was taken aback. They hadn't expected that this person would not only fail to restrain himself, but would become even more arrogant, even going so far as to summon all the guests of the Hibiscus Garden to come and listen to him compose poetry.

In an instant, disdain turned into astonishment, and contempt turned into curiosity. Many people secretly wondered: If he didn't have real talent and learning, how dare he speak so arrogantly in front of the scions of aristocratic families in Chang'an?

The young men from prominent families exchanged glances, all filled with surprise and uncertainty.

After a moment's hesitation, the Cui family member said in a low voice with a dark face, "Go, do as he wishes."

"If he didn't have that talent, he would be a laughing stock."

Among these people, the Cui family son was clearly the leader.

Upon hearing his words, several scions of prominent families immediately left the banquet to spread the word to Li Xiang and call for reinforcements.

Li Xiang didn't stand on ceremony; seeing some pastries and dishes left on the table, he casually picked them up and started eating. This made the remaining young noblemen at the table frown deeply.

But this kind of unrestrained behavior is in line with the style of the eccentric scholars of the Wei and Jin dynasties in the book.

Therefore, although these scions of prominent families were still full of doubts, they did not stop them.

Before long, news spread like wildfire throughout the Hibiscus Garden that a young, arrogant scholar had declared that all the scions of noble families present were worthless, and that he alone would create a timeless masterpiece.

The garden was mostly filled with scions of noble families, so how could they not be filled with righteous indignation upon hearing of someone's arrogance?

For a time, the place where Li Xiang was located became a very eye-catching spot in the Hibiscus Garden.

Of course, there were many voices of contempt and insults.

The park was packed with people, forming several concentric circles around it.

Well-dressed scions of noble families, civil officials and their advisors, and students from the Imperial Academy all arrived, whispering among themselves, pointing and gossiping, their expressions a mixture of sarcasm, anger, and disdain.

Someone whispered angrily, rebuking the commoner boy for being arrogant and disrespectful of the etiquette and rules of the aristocratic class.

Some people watched coldly, thinking he was just a street ruffian trying to gain attention, waiting to see him make a fool of himself with his poem and become the laughingstock of the whole garden;

Many other talented young men from prominent families stood with their hands behind their backs, their eyes haughty, secretly determined to humiliate the other person on the spot and expel him from the Hibiscus Garden, no matter how good his or her poetry was.

The river breeze rustled through the trees, carrying the fragrance of flowers. All eyes were fixed on the young man beside the table, who was eating and drinking heartily, seemingly oblivious to everyone else.

Seeing that he had already summoned a considerable number of people, the Cui family member, feeling confident in his power, crossed his arms and coldly shouted:

"You madman, everyone is here. Since you've uttered such arrogant words, claiming you'll create a timeless masterpiece, now is the time to put pen to paper and recite your poem! If it's empty and meaningless, today you'll lose all face and have no place to stand in Chang'an!"

The surrounding crowd echoed their sentiments, their voices carrying a subtle but powerful pressure.

"Hmm, that should be enough people."

The entire audience was focused on him, countless eyes pressing down on him, making the atmosphere increasingly tense. Li Xiang slowly swallowed the pastry in his mouth, casually brushed the crumbs off his sleeve, picked up a pot of wine, and slowly stood up.

He walked unhurriedly to the chrysanthemums in the courtyard that had not yet bloomed. With his back to the powerful and wealthy people in the garden, he stood tall and straight, seemingly carefree, yet exuding an air of fearless arrogance.

"In that case, please listen quietly."

"This is my poem, 'A Collection of Poems on Chrysanthemums and Peonies in Late Spring'!"

He stretched out his finger, tracing an arc, pointing to the surrounding peonies in full bloom, their vibrant colors almost annoying.

Or perhaps it was directed at the aristocratic youths who were gathered together, mocking him:

"When autumn comes on the ninth day of the ninth month, my flowers will bloom and all other flowers will wither."

"The fragrance of incense fills Chang'an, the entire city adorned in golden armor!"