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

—Should His Majesty come to the Hibiscus Garden...to pay his respects?

The moment those words were spoken, Wang De felt a buzzing in his ears, as if he had been struck by lightning.

The silver talisman in his hand, which was used to prove his identity, crashed onto the bluestone ground with a "clang," rolled a long way, and only stopped after hitting a pillar.

He lived to be fifty-six years old and served Li Shimin for twenty-three years. He delivered at least eighty or one hundred imperial edicts. From princes to prime ministers, everyone who saw him deliver an edict received it with utmost respect.

When have I ever seen anyone dare to defy an imperial edict and even say something like, "Let His Majesty come to the Hibiscus Garden to pay his respects to him in person"?

This is more than just disobeying an imperial order; it's treason! It's an unforgivable crime of treason!

The crowd, which had just calmed down slightly due to the imperial decree, instantly fell into a deathly silence.

Within a few breaths, the thousands of guests in the garden were so quiet that not a single breath could be heard; you could hear a pin drop.

With a "thud," a young master from a prominent family standing at the front row collapsed to the ground, his face deathly pale, muttering repeatedly, "He's gone mad... he's really gone mad..."

"You madman!" Kong Yingda's beard and hair bristled, and he trembled with rage. "Disloyal and unfilial..."

"Kong, you old dog, stop changing the subject." Li Xiang turned to glance at him and chuckled.

"Why don't you dare answer my questions? You claim to be a loyal minister, so why do you only dare to advise the Crown Prince, but remain completely silent about the Xuanwu Gate Incident?"

"Do you also see Li Shimin as lacking the qualities of a ruler?"

"You only spread rumors about criticizing the crown prince to gain a reputation for honesty and rewards, while turning a blind eye to the emperor's dirty deeds. Do you still dare to say you're not selling honesty for fame?"

"You!" Kong Yingda's lips trembled uncontrollably as he pointed at Li Xiang, barely able to form a coherent sentence, "You... traitorous madman, spouting nonsense, when..."

"Yes, I did indeed commit treason."

Li Xiang shrugged, his tone full of provocation.

"Everyone knows that I am not the only one who plotted rebellion; my ancestors for three generations have all committed treason."

"What, you great scholar, are you going to exterminate my entire family?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire garden erupted in a collective gasp!

Three generations of ancestors plotted rebellion? This grandson of the emperor really dares to say anything!

Who doesn't know? Li Xiang's great-grandfather Li Yuan rebelled against the Sui Dynasty, his grandfather Li Shimin seized the throne at Xuanwu Gate, and his father Li Chengqian was just convicted of treason—this is absolutely true.

But can these things be brought up and exposed in public?

Tearing down this facade in public is not just slapping the face of the Li Tang dynasty, it's tantamount to overturning its destiny!

On the waterside pavilion, everyone was terrified.

Cen Wenben's hand, which was stroking his long beard, suddenly stopped, and his face showed shock. Wei Ting and Liu Ji were pale and their legs were trembling. Li Tai's hand, which was holding onto the windowsill, suddenly trembled, and his fat body swayed, almost falling down.

He had only one thought in his mind: It's over, his late spring gathering is completely over!

Not only is it all over, but these outrageous remarks that threaten the foundation of the nation all originated from his Furong Garden, and the Emperor will surely take his anger out on him!

Kong Yingda swayed even more, his seventy-year-old body shaking like a leaf, thankfully Yu Zhining quickly reached out to support him.

Yu Zhining was also terrified, his hands trembling as he supported the person downstairs, shouting with all his might, "You... you're just spouting nonsense! Confucius never had such a thought!"

"You didn't have that thought? Then you two are just bullies who prey on the weak!"

Li Xiang's voice suddenly rose in pitch, each word sharp and forceful.

"They only dare to bully the easy target, the Crown Prince, but dare not touch the Emperor who can kill you, much less stop the Prince of Wei who can bring you benefits!"

"You still dare to say you're not just using your position for personal gain? If the Crown Prince were to truly rebel, it would be because of you people who forced him into it!"

Upon hearing this, Kong Yingda felt a surge of anger, his beard and hair stood on end, his eyes widened, and two unnatural flushes appeared on his face.

His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but the words stuck in his throat.

With just a soft "crack" sound, her body went limp and she fell straight into Yu Zhining's arms—she had fainted on the spot!

"Master Kong! Master Kong!"

Chaos erupted instantly throughout the pavilion. Upstairs, people scrambled to help, some pinching the philtrum, others calling out names. Downstairs, the guests, seeing the great scholar rendered unconscious by the grandson of the emperor's words, also became disoriented, exclaiming in surprise.

"Ancestors! My ancestors!"

Wang De, who had been stunned, suddenly rushed forward and grabbed Li Xiang's arm tightly. Sweat poured down his forehead like rain, and his voice was trembling with tears.

"Stop talking! This is going to kill someone! What are you trying to do?!"

"Tsk, that old man's an act." Li Xiang shook off his hand and sneered.

This old man, when he was in the Eastern Palace, relied on his age and authority to act arrogantly. When he cursed people, he was full of vigor and seemed to be more alive than Li Chengqian, who was in his twenties.

You think a few words can make him faint? You're kidding me.

Li Xiang saw it clearly. When the old man suddenly fell, he clearly aimed precisely at where Yu Zhining was.

You think you can get away with faking fainting? Do you think I, Li Xiang, will let you succeed with that "fainting escape" trick? Respecting elders is never about being an immoral old man like Deng. It's better to press on and finish off the enemy!

"This scoundrel has ruined the Crown Prince's reputation, yet he remains at large, still posing as a great scholar. I am outraged!"

"If this old man really dies, then heaven will have eyes!" Li Xiang shouted, his clear voice drowning out the noise in the garden.

"Your Highness! If you are truly indignant, you should come with this old servant to the Ganlu Palace to see His Majesty!" Wang De was already crying, stamping his feet in frustration. "Besides His Majesty, who can judge Kong Gong? With His Majesty here, he can surely give you justice!"

"He's got justice?" Li Xiang laughed as if he'd heard the biggest joke in the world.

"He manipulated power using his own son, fearing his eldest son and supporting his youngest, creating chaos in the court over the succession. To secure his own throne, he deposed his eldest son, sowing the seeds of future trouble. What justice does he have?"

"Hiding in places like the Liangyi Hall and Ganlu Hall, where the sun never shines, they spend their days discussing those shameful, underhanded schemes with these hypocritical old men, afraid of being discovered. And then they're all smug about it, thinking they're unfathomable, the greatest emperor of all time. What justice do they have?"

Li Xiang became more and more animated as he spoke, so he took a step forward, his gaze sweeping over the guests filling the garden. His voice grew louder and louder, each word striking a chord deep within their hearts:

"Justice is not found in his damp, gloomy palace! Nor in the emperor's edicts!"

"Justice resides in heaven and earth! In the hearts of the people! In the glorious annals of history!"

"You want me to hide in the palace and talk about it? I want to hold a public trial right here in front of everyone! I'll expose to the whole world the sordid things these two old dogs have done to tarnish the Crown Prince's reputation!"

"I want this sky to no longer obscure people's vision! I want this earth to no longer conceal people's true feelings!"

"May all living beings know the true meaning! May the wicked schemes and plots of those despicable old dogs vanish like smoke!"