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

Looking at Kong Yingda, whose face was ashen and whose chest was heaving, and Zheng Jingzhi and the other students of the Imperial Academy, who were full of resentment and indignation but could not refute him, Li Xiang understood that he had made the right move.

His initial intention in storming the Imperial Academy was simple: to imitate the old story of Furong Garden and expose Kong Yingda's hypocrisy in front of a group of young students, smash his reputation in the Confucian community, and thereby salvage the reputation of the deposed Crown Prince Li Chengqian that had collapsed among scholars.

But when he actually stood in the Confucius Temple and faced three thousand students of the Imperial Academy, Li Xiang suddenly realized that his original ideas were too shallow.

Kong Yingda's prestige at the Imperial Academy was no longer solely supported by his reputation as a great Confucian scholar; he had long since become a protector and patron for the sons of aristocratic families and high-ranking officials who relied on him for advancement.

As the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, he controlled the academy's preliminary examinations and recommendations, and set the standard answers for the "Correct Meanings of the Five Classics" examination, effectively controlling the first hurdle for Confucian scholars to enter officialdom.

Countless gentry sons with mediocre talent and no hope of being recommended through conventional means managed to sneak into the Imperial Academy to study the three schools thanks to the regulations set by Kong Yingda.

By relying on the most worry-free and reliable shortcut of the Mingjing examination, one only needs to memorize the classics and their meanings to easily pass the imperial examinations, enter officialdom, and then hold power in the court for generations.

It should be noted that during the Zhenguan era, the imperial examination system was still very primitive and rigid. Of all the students who went to the capital to take the exams, nine out of ten came from the Imperial Academy.

However, in such a large and important place for cultivating talents, the quotas for recommendation, preliminary examination, and imperial examination were all tilted towards the three schools of higher learning; the real way out left for children from poor families was very few and extremely rare.

Every year, dozens of people pass the Mingjing examination, most of whom are sons of noble families from the Imperial Academy, the National Academy, and the Four Gates.

In contrast, the three subjects of law, calligraphy, and mathematics were the few paths for poor families to advance their careers. Each year, only one or two people would pass the exams, and the positions were often vacant, making them virtually useless.

Is it really true that children from poor families are dull-witted and unworthy of being cultivated, and that they are far inferior to those from aristocratic families who study classics, even in practical subjects like law, calligraphy, and mathematics, which are extremely troublesome to learn?

Li Xiang sneered inwardly; the answer was obvious.

It's not a matter of superior or inferior talent, but rather that the quotas are artificially controlled and the paths to success are deliberately blocked.

The Imperial College had a limited number of places available for students to take the imperial examinations each year, and the sons of the three most prestigious families occupied these places, squeezing out the spots through their family background, teachers, and connections.

The students of the three lower schools—law, calligraphy, and mathematics—were mostly sons of poor officials or even commoners from the city who had worked hard to gain admission to the Imperial Academy. They had no family connections or favoritism from their teachers.

Those who were able to enter the Imperial Academy were already among the best of the common people. They must have seen further than ordinary people, and their desire to learn must have been extremely firm. Only in this way could they overcome numerous obstacles and tests to enter the Imperial Academy, the highest institution of learning in the Tang Dynasty.

However, within the Imperial Academy, they could only study in the lower three schools. Even if they studied diligently for ten years and were exceptionally talented, they could hardly pass the academy's preliminary examinations. They could only be suppressed at the bottom, watching helplessly as the quotas for the imperial examinations were divided up by the aristocratic families. Year after year, they were just there to make up for their lack of success, and were used to highlight Li Shimin's wisdom and power in "appointing only the talented" and "ensuring that all the heroes of the world are within my grasp." In reality, they rarely had a chance to rise above their circumstances.

Kong Yingda appeared to be a teacher and educator, and a reformer of classical studies, but in reality, he was a Confucian master in name only, helping those powerful families to control the academic world!

One's stance determines one's perspective. If one were to criticize Kong Yingda, the Chancellor who represents their interests and protects them, within the Imperial Academy of the Great Tang Dynasty, which is dominated by aristocratic sons, one would naturally be attacked by the masses.

The powerful clans of the Tang Dynasty were like a giant hornet's nest perched atop this magnificent palace.

Everyone can see it, everyone knows it, yet no one dares to easily provoke it. Because once touched, they will be attacked by the masses, leaving them disheveled and battered.

And was Li Xiang afraid? He wasn't afraid of a thing!

Zheng Jingzhi and other scions of noble families were smug and self-important, while many students from poor families could only cower in a corner of the courtyard, silent and trembling. Even Wang Xuance, who had already passed the imperial examination, dared not take a single step closer to the center of the crowd.

Kong Yingda even sat high on the platform, boasting that he would "cultivate more talents for the country and ensure the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty for ten thousand years." Li Xiang was truly enraged.

Words alone, and the royal gossip of Xuanwu Gate, were no longer enough to stir up any greater waves. Li Shimin had learned to deliberately ignore the situation and forcibly silence him.

Kong Yingda also developed a humble and self-possessed demeanor, trying to beat him into believing he was just a child making a fuss, but instead gaining all the moral high ground.

Since petty squabbles are useless, he might as well stand on the side of true justice and on the side of the people!

For the common people, for the sake of the world, let's expose the deep wounds of the prosperous Tang Dynasty! Let's poke down the hornet's nests that are parasitic on the roof of the Tang Dynasty! Let's turn Li Er's dynasty upside down!

Produce solid evidence and slap Li Er in the face, defying the damn feudal system!

Let the whole world know that the emperor on the dragon throne and the ministers in the court are both incompetent rulers and treacherous officials!

As the son of the deposed crown prince, he took up the banner of Li Chengqian, stood on the opposite side of the ruling class, and wanted to be the strictest father to the royal family, the gentry, and the Confucian scholars!

Possessing the legitimate title of the eldest son, yet siding with the ruled and opposing the ruling class! Such a person undoubtedly poses a tremendous threat! At that point, it will no longer be merely that he intentionally angered the emperor, prompting Li Shimin to want to eliminate him; all the powerful families and Confucian scholars will frantically urge Li Shimin to kill him!

In feudal times, trying to expose the sores and bring about change was a sure path to certain death! Li Xiang simply didn't believe that he could survive when that time came.

Although he had no affection for the Tang Dynasty, why not leave some positive influence and intellectual legacy in the world?

...Hopefully, I won't end up like Shang Yang, torn apart by five horses.

Wang Xuance stood in the crowd, his fist clenched so tightly that his fingers turned white.

He felt that Li Xiang's words pierced his heart, exposing the deep-seated problems of the Confucian scholars and the Imperial Academy during the Zhenguan era, and directly touching the heart of a poor scholar like him.

But... what's the use?

Wang Xuance was aware of these long-standing problems, as were many impoverished scholars and instructors at the Imperial Academy.

For those from humble backgrounds, rising to prominence is as difficult as ascending to heaven. Wang Xuance also harbored ambitions to achieve great things and leave his mark on history, but given his origins, what could he do?

Resistance? The gentry are deeply entrenched in the land.

If we were to return to the Nine-Rank System of the Wei and Jin Dynasties, those from humble backgrounds and commoner families would never be able to rise above their station!

In contrast, although the imperial examination system of the Tang Dynasty was like this... at least it left a glimmer of hope for people from poor families to rise up.

These scholars from humble backgrounds had little power and few influence. They were powerless in the imperial court and would never dare to offend the powerful aristocratic families.

—Our future depends on others; what if even this slim chance of looking up is taken away?

Li Xiang swept his gaze across the students from impoverished backgrounds in the corner. Some of them had trembling eyes and were clearly filled with surging passion, but when they saw Li Xiang's gaze, most of them subconsciously avoided his eyes.

They dared not join Li Xiang in criticizing the Imperial Academy, which was clearly biased towards powerful families.

Li Xiang could understand why they dared not follow him. But ultimately, there was still some regret.

"Tsk, I raised my arms and shouted like that, and I crushed the arrogance of these aristocratic families."

"It's really embarrassing that no one is willing to come up and be the straight man."

Just as the silence and undercurrents of the Confucius Temple's outer courtyard were intertwined, a steady and rhythmic sound of footsteps came from the entrance, breaking the deadlock.