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

Longqingfang, inside the residence where the deposed Crown Prince Li Chengqian was imprisoned.

Sunlight streamed through the window, casting dim shadows that made the courtyard seem even more desolate.

The closed wooden door was gently pushed open, and Su, dressed in simple clothes and wearing a simple hairpin, slowly walked into the room carrying a bowl of dark medicine. The former majesty of the Crown Princess had long faded, and her plain clothes were washed until they were somewhat white. Her brows and eyes were filled with indelible sorrow and weariness.

"Brother, it's time to take your medicine."

Su would say this every day, and Li Xiang had heard it many times these past few days. But every time he heard it, he couldn't help but feel a strange unease in his heart.

"Uh, I'm almost fully recovered." He quickly sat up in bed, subconsciously straightening his back, trying to appear strong and healthy.

"Should we stop taking this medicine from now on? It's just too bitter."

"no."

Madam Su steadily handed the medicine bowl to him, her tone still gentle, yet carrying an unyielding resolve.

"With your small body, you've endured forty lashes; how can you possibly stop taking your medicine so easily?"

"If you don't take good care of yourself, what if you develop a hidden illness? What will you do then?"

On that day, after Li Xiang caused a scene at Furong Garden, he was carried back to Longqingfang by the Imperial Guards.

Forty lashes might not be much for a seasoned general, but Li Xiang was still young and not fully grown. Those forty lashes were excruciating for him.

To be honest, if he were beaten to death directly, although the process would be agonizing, Li Xiang could barely accept it—it would save him the trouble of courting death.

But it was precisely this limbo that left him bedridden, unable to move for almost half a month...

No phone to use, no games to play, being trapped in this tiny room every day is bad enough, but Su Shi is also forcing me to drink this bowl of medicine that's so bitter it makes me want to vomit...

It's double torture.

Seeing that he couldn't persuade this stubborn woman, Li Xiang pinched his nose, frowned, and obediently sipped the medicine soup, albeit with difficulty. Only then did Madam Su slowly nod, her brows relaxing slightly.

"Now that you're feeling better, don't be so stubborn and argumentative anymore."

She sat on the edge of the bed, her voice soft yet full of sincerity.

"Being careful with your words and actions, and staying here quietly, is the best course of action."

To this day, she still can't understand why, in the past, in the Eastern Palace, Li Xiang, though a son of a concubine, was always obedient, cautious, and extremely tactful in front of her.

How could he suddenly go to Furong Garden—and even dare to publicly defy the emperor and speak recklessly about the foundation of the nation!

On that day, when Su Shi saw Li Xiang being carried into the courtyard covered in blood and barely breathing, and then learned that he had caused a scene at the Prince of Wei's banquet in Furong Garden and even offended the emperor, she felt as if the sky was about to fall.

Li Chengqian's eyes turned red on the spot. He completely forgot that he had already been deposed and was unable to move easily. He limped out and tried to fight his way into the palace.

If they hadn't been held back by the soldiers, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Later, upon learning that Li Xiang was out of danger, Li Chengqian put away his madness and locked himself in the back room again—he remained locked up for several days, not seeing anyone and refusing to say a word.

Ever since Li Chengqian was deposed and his entire family was confined to Longqingfang, the former glory and wealth of the Eastern Palace have vanished. Madam Su has been constantly worried and restless day and night.

Now that her eldest son has suddenly become so restless, Madam Su is tossing and turning every night, unable to sleep, her heart pounding with anxiety.

Now that things have come to this, she doesn't ask for much anymore—she just wants to live a peaceful life, stay by her dejected husband's side, and raise her two children, Li Jue and Li Xiang, well.

She and the Crown Prince had given up hope. But if His Majesty were to grant them a general amnesty in the future, perhaps the two children would still have a chance to be pardoned and freed from their confinement.

"Sigh... I know you have resentment and unwillingness in your heart. But as long as you are alive, there is hope. You should try to be more open-minded about the rest."

"Do not anger His Majesty again, and do not cause your father any more worry."

Li Xiang responded with "uh-huh," but inwardly he disagreed. How could he die before the great cause was accomplished?

That scoundrel Li Er takes advantage of my weakness and uses this method of silencing me every time... His skin is getting thicker and thicker, and he even dares to boast in public that he will shine for eternity.

...Relying solely on empty words is unlikely to lead to successful suicide attempts.

—You have to ride on Li Shimin's face and poop for him!

Fortunately, the battle at Furong Garden was still quite fruitful. At least the reputations of those two old dogs, Kong and Yu, have certainly been tarnished.

As is widely known, the reputations of the old dogs in the Eastern Palace are inversely proportional to Li Chengqian's reputation. Their reputations have been ruined, so presumably, Li Chengqian's reputation has improved somewhat...

However, no one knew who Li Er appointed as the new crown prince at the court meeting.

Choosing Li Tai as heir had its own self-destructive path, and choosing Li Zhi as heir had its own self-destructive path; the routes were completely different. Now that he, this moth to a flame, had appeared, had he stirred up a storm, altered history, and prevented Li Zhi from ascending to the position of crown prince...?

Speaking of Li Zhi, that actor was absolutely despicable! He ruined my plans at the last minute...

Li Er is practically a Ninja Turtle; he can still endure such intense spraying... How can I ride on Li Er's neck and make him unable to bear it any longer...?

Seeing that Li Xiang only casually agreed and did not actually agree, Su fell into thought, muttering to herself, and a worried look returned to her face.

But Li Xiang was already fourteen and not her biological son, so she couldn't say much. She could only sigh softly, take the medicine bowl, and silently walk out the door.

Hearing Su's footsteps fade into the distance, Li Xiang immediately sprang up from the bed. Then, with practiced ease, he grabbed his bedding and left.

Then, sneaking around, they arrived at the crooked tree by the wall...

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

Liu Zhi, dressed in ordinary soldier's uniform, leaned against the mottled old wall with a sword in his arms. His brows were so furrowed that they could almost trap mosquitoes, and he kept sighing softly.

He was originally a soldier from Guanzhong Prefecture. In the fourth year of the Zhenguan era, he followed General Li Jing and vanguard Su Dingfang in a raid on the Turkic royal court. He was brave and fierce on the battlefield and was highly regarded by the general.

He was only twenty years old that year. After the war was over, the general specifically asked him his wishes: whether he wanted to stay in Dingxiang as a subordinate general, guard the frontier and gain fame and fortune; or to retire and return to Chang'an to settle down.

He missed his elderly mother at home and was unwilling to serve on the frontier, so he chose to leave the battlefield and return to Chang'an. With Li Jing's help, he was admitted to the Imperial Guard based on his outstanding military achievements and was appointed as a junior officer in the Right Army Command.

More than a decade has passed in the blink of an eye. Far from the comrades who once shared life and death, the youthful passion has gradually worn away. As a junior officer in the Imperial Guard, life is leisurely and stable, with a generous salary enough to support his family and allow them to live a prosperous and comfortable life in Chang'an.

He thought that the years to come would just be like this, day after day, monotonous and repetitive, until he grew old and retired from the army, and that would be the end of his ordinary life.

No one expected that the arrogant and unruly grandson of the emperor would completely shatter his peaceful and tranquil life.

Because of a slight oversight in guarding the imperial grandson, his rank was repeatedly demoted. The military achievements and seniority he had painstakingly accumulated over the years were almost wiped out in just a few days.

"Alas... If I had known this would happen, why did I insist on returning to Chang'an back then? It would have been so much better to stay and guard the border."

Liu Zhi was filled with resentment and let out a long sigh. Just as he was feeling annoyed, he suddenly noticed the crooked peach tree on the wall, its branches swaying gently without any wind.