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

Seeing Li Tai's chubby head, which had just poked its head out, suddenly shrink back the moment it caught sight of him, he was astonished.

Li Xiang was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter, his tone full of mockery and sarcasm:

"Oh, why is the King of Wei hiding?"

"He has successfully pulled my father down from the position of crown prince. He should be riding high now."

"Such a grand event, it's one thing not to invite my nephew, but to completely ignore him?"

"Could it be that the King of Wei fears me like a tiger?"

His voice is clear and has a strong penetrating power.

Moreover, he was already the focus of everyone's attention in the Hibiscus Garden at this moment, with countless eyes watching his every move.

These words immediately caused an uproar.

Finally, someone suddenly realized what was happening and pointed at Li Xiang, exclaiming in shock:

"This person...this person is neither Huang Chao nor Zhu Yuanzhang!"

"He is—Li Xiang, the son of the deposed crown prince!!"

This identification resounded like a thunderclap in the crowd.

The guests in the garden instantly became agitated, whispering among themselves, and the scene completely spiraled out of control.

"Finally, someone has recognized me." Li Xiang thought to himself as he heard his real name gradually spreading among the crowd.

Li Xiangben had calculated everything perfectly: after reciting the rebellious poem and gathering a crowd, someone would surely recognize his identity.

Then, he can follow the third strategy and publicly accuse Kong Yingda and Yu Zhining, those two old dogs, forcing them to show up and confront him, tearing off their hypocritical masks in front of everyone.

But he never expected that the original owner of this body would be so inconspicuous—none of the gathered noble families recognized him as the son of the deposed crown prince and the grandson of Li Er.

That makes sense. Most of the people on the outer corridor are from collateral branches of aristocratic families. It's rare to see even a proper official. How could they possibly recognize him, a fallen grandson of the emperor?

The truly powerful and influential would never be eating and drinking in this drafty covered walkway. They would all be gathered in the elegant pavilions by the river, drinking and chatting.

Since he couldn't attract the main target, Li Xiang didn't linger. He picked up his wine pot and headed towards the waterside pavilion.

The security at Furong Garden was originally loose inside but tight outside – to prevent soldiers from clashing with nobles, the guards inside the garden were already lax.

In addition, since he had just recited a rebellious poem and caused chaos in the garden, everyone was afraid that Li Xiang would suddenly attack and hurt people. They were only concerned with watching the commotion from a distance and no one stepped forward to stop him.

He brazenly barged into the waterside pavilion, surrounded by a large group of curious onlookers. The sounds of footsteps and chatter mingled together as he approached the private room where Li Tai was.

"What? Li Xiang?"

Kong Yingda and Yu Zhining were standing beside Li Tai when they heard the crowd below calling his name. They instinctively craned their necks to look.

At just one glance, the two men's expressions changed drastically, exactly like Li Tai's earlier. They hurriedly shrank back, their expressions panicked.

Li Xiang, who was standing under the eaves, saw it clearly. His eyes lit up, and he laughed loudly, "Oh, Masters Kong and Yu are here too?"

"You peeked out just now, why did you retreat so quickly? King Wei is always timid and cowardly, it's one thing for him to hide his head and tail."

"You two are renowned scholars of our time, exemplars of the academic world. How can you emulate the despicable and treacherous King Wei?"

"Li Xiang!"

Before Kong and Yu could speak, Li Tai could no longer contain himself and roared angrily, "How dare you speak so arrogantly and rudely in front of me!"

"Oh, Your Highness Wei, what a grand display of power." Li Xiang showed no fear whatsoever, instead a mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips.

"That day in the Hall of Two Elements, before the Emperor of the Great Tang, I showed no fear whatsoever. Do you, Prince Wei, think you can intimidate me with just a few words?"

"What, you, Prince Wei, haven't even ascended to the throne yet, and you already think you're acting like an emperor?"

"you!"

One sentence hit the nail on the head. Li Tai froze, his face instantly turning as black as ink, speechless for a moment, unable to refute.

The surrounding guests gasped in surprise: "Is this person truly Li Xiang, the grandson of the deposed Crown Prince Li Chengqian?"

"The deposed crown prince and his family have long been confined to Longqing Ward and under strict surveillance. How could he have suddenly appeared in Furong Garden?"

"Why has this imperial grandson suddenly barged into this place?"...

Just now, everyone still had some doubts, but King Wei called him by his name in public, which was tantamount to confirming his identity.

The expressions of the gentry and dignitaries in the garden all changed, their curiosity, surprise, and desire to watch the spectacle all surging within them.

People love to watch the drama unfold, and with the succession to the throne fraught with tension and the unresolved case of the Crown Prince still unresolved, the convergence of these top-level entanglements has everyone sensing the impending bombshell.

Instead of continuing to target Prince Li Tai of Wei, Li Xiang called out upstairs, "Lord Kong, Lord Yu!"

"Why don't you two come downstairs for a chat?"

"What, with the King of Wei backing you up, you look down on me, the son of your former master?"

"Do they have the guts to serve their former master's enemy, but not the guts to step downstairs?"

He kept in mind the three winning strategies given by the think tank. His purpose in coming here today was to concentrate his firepower and first bring these two old men down from their pedestals in order to salvage his father Li Chengqian's image.

As for King Wei, Li Tai... a destined loser, there is no benefit in opposing him, and in Li Xiang's view, it is a pure waste of energy.

"Nonsense, you brat! I'm merely here to participate in this elegant affair in Chang'an; I have never pledged allegiance to the King of Wei!"

Hearing the commotion downstairs and the many people pointing and whispering at them, Yu Zhining felt extremely uncomfortable and could no longer contain himself. He leaned out and angrily rebuked them.

"Oh, you haven't pledged allegiance to the King of Wei?" Li Xiang chuckled. "If you haven't, why are you all standing by his side, never leaving his side?"

"When my father and I were in distress, you rushed into the palace and kicked us while we were down."

"Now that the Crown Prince has just been placed under house arrest, the two of you are already maneuvering around the Prince of Wei, attending his private banquets, and bolstering his influence. Everyone in the garden is watching; are the people of the world blind?"

Li Xiang clasped his two fingers together and pointed them directly at Yu Zhining upstairs!

"Adding insult to injury? There's such a hidden story behind it?"

"Of all the officials and staff of the Crown Prince's palace, only Kong and Yu remained unharmed and were not punished..."

"So there was such a complicated story behind it all..."

Rumors spread like wildfire, and three men can make a tiger.

Hearing the growing murmurs from the crowd downstairs, Yu Zhining's face turned ashen. He trembled slightly, his anger palpable.

"This is utter slander! Do not believe this scoundrel's nonsense!"

"Nonsense?" Li Xiang laughed, raised the wine pot, and drank the remaining wine in one gulp.

He then swung his hand forcefully, and the wine jug flew out of his hand, crashing heavily onto the bluestone ground and shattering with a bang.

"Then let me ask you—is your claim that Yu Zhining is selling his reputation for honesty also nonsense?"

"You have served in the Eastern Palace for a long time and are an official under the Crown Prince. You should assist the Crown Prince and support the Eastern Palace."

"But your reputation for integrity throughout your life was mostly earned through deliberately criticizing the Crown Prince. You deliberately amplified the faults of the Crown Prince, spreading your reputation for honest remonstrance everywhere. By belittling the Emperor, you gained his favor and prestige in court and among the people, and you repeatedly received rewards for this, reaping both fame and fortune!"

"You criticize the Crown Prince daily, tarnishing the reputation of the Eastern Palace, sowing discord between the Emperor and his son, causing the successor to lose favor and the Eastern Palace to be tarnished, leaving you with no way to defend yourself!"

"Now that the Crown Prince is in trouble, the world is in turmoil, and the former master is imprisoned, you turn around and join the enemy's camp, leisurely attending banquets and living a life of glory!"

"You, Yu Zhining, are using national affairs to gain personal fame!"

"You'd trade the affairs of the world for your own selfish desires!"

His voice suddenly rose, each word sharp and piercing, resounding throughout the waterside pavilion:

"In the past, the Crown Prince's banquets and feasts were of ordinary cost, yet you, Yu Zhining, repeatedly entered the hall to strongly remonstrate, your words sharp and cutting, often denouncing the Crown Prince's extravagance and waste of the people's wealth, making a scene known to everyone! You insisted on reaching the Emperor's ears!"

"But today's riverside pavilions, with their carved and painted rafters, this extravagant and wasteful late spring gathering, are a thousand times, ten thousand times, more extravagant than the usual banquets at the Eastern Palace!"

"Why haven't I heard a single word of advice from you, Yu Gong? Why haven't I seen a trace of your forthright spirit? Instead, you're here in this waterside pavilion, in this dark room, following behind the King of Wei, head bowed and subservient, a picture of servility!"

"What, is the Prince of Wei your true master?!"