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

Inside the Liangyi Hall of the Taiji Palace, Li Shimin sat upright before his desk, listening to reports from his ministers and handling state affairs.

He could not be considered a diligent emperor who personally attended to every matter. His lifelong wish was for the Tang Dynasty to last as long as the powerful Han Dynasty, so he often took Emperor Gaozu of Han and Emperor Wen of Han as his models in his conduct and governance.

Rather than personally handling all matters, large and small, he believed more in the way emperors govern their subjects, and habitually entrusted the complex affairs of state to trusted ministers to handle, while he himself controlled the overall situation from the center and ruled by doing nothing.

However, ever since the incident of deposing the crown prince, and after the grandson of the emperor, Li Xiang, caused a disturbance at the Furong Garden, Li Shimin suddenly became much more diligent.

Firstly, with the Eastern Palace now vacant, many administrative matters that should have been decided by the Crown Prince overseeing the country in Japan are now left to the Emperor, who has no one to share the burden and has to personally intervene.

Secondly, he always harbored a deep-seated resentment and stubbornness.

He was confident that his actions throughout his life showed he was by no means a foolish ruler; he was confident that he could carefully select the most suitable heir for the Tang Dynasty to inherit the throne.

He was even more convinced that the Tang Dynasty, which he had laid the foundation for, would be as prosperous as the Han Dynasty, lasting for generations.

As for the various troubles and uncertainties about the fate of the nation that Li Xiang, that brat, spoke of, he absolutely disdained them—he, Li Shimin, would personally prove that those alarmist speculations had absolutely no chance of coming true!

"Your Majesty, this is a memorial from the Court of State Ceremonies: The envoy of King Harsha of India arrived in Chang'an again the day before yesterday, bringing with him tulips, Bodhi trees, fire pearls, and other items. The Court of State Ceremonies has made arrangements according to the proper etiquette. We are here to request Your Majesty when to summon the envoy." The official from the Court of State Ceremonies bowed and reported respectfully.

After a moment's thought, Li Shimin said in a deep voice, "Summon him to the Taiji Hall at Chenshi (7-9 AM) three days from now. Order the Court of State Ceremonies to prepare interpreters and rituals, so as not to lose the dignity of the Great Tang Dynasty."

"Yes!" The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies bowed and withdrew.

"Your Majesty," an official from the Ministry of Revenue stepped forward, holding a tablet.

"This summer, the prefectures within the pass have experienced little rain, and some counties are even suffering from drought, making it difficult for the people to draw water for irrigation. We have already investigated the extent of the disaster and intend to request Your Majesty to issue an edict ordering the Prefect of Jingzhao and the Governor of Tongzhou to take the lead in conscripting laborers from nearby areas to dredge the tributaries of the Wei River, draw water to irrigate the fields, and exempt the disaster-stricken prefectures and counties from half of their annual rent and taxes, so as to reassure the people."

"Granted. The dredging of the waterway must be carried out under strict supervision. Officials must not be harassed, and those who violate this rule will be severely punished." Li Shimin carefully read the memorial before speaking.

"Your subject obeys the decree!" The Ministry of Revenue official bowed to receive the decree and withdrew from the hall.

"Your Majesty, we have received a report from the Shuofang Army that a small number of remnants of the Turkic tribes recently harassed the border. Although they have not caused any major trouble, it is still necessary to send more troops to guard against them. We request Your Majesty to make a decision." An official from the Ministry of War stepped forward and reported.

Li Shimin tapped his fingertips lightly on the imperial desk, frowning in thought. After a moment, he spoke: "Order the Ministry of War to dispatch three thousand Yunqiwei to reinforce Shuofang, and prepare for battle. If the Turks dare to harass the border again, there is no need to request permission; defeat them on the spot!"

"I obey your decree."

Li Shimin raised his hand and rubbed his temples. He had just finished dealing with three matters: diplomacy, people's livelihood, and border troubles, but there were still many officials waiting to report to him, with memorials on their desks and reports awaiting them in the palace.

"Father, your health is of utmost importance. Please rest for a while," said Li Tai, the fourth son, with concern.

"It's alright." Li Shimin waved his hand, and Li Zhi, the ninth son on his right, understood and immediately picked up the next memorial and placed it in his hand.

If there's any difference in how he handles state affairs compared to the past, it's that Li Shimin now brings along his two eldest sons, Li Tai and Li Zhi, when he deals with state affairs.

With the Eastern Palace vacant and the succession undecided, undercurrents were swirling throughout the court and the country, with powerful families and clans each seeking their own allegiance. He was unwilling to hastily establish an heir, nor did he want to allow court officials to form factions and influence the emperor's mind. So, he simply took advantage of the opportunity of attending court every day to listen to the proceedings in the Liangyi Hall.

Firstly, with his eldest son's fate as a precedent, he was determined to personally teach his next successor, so that they would learn the ways of governing the country through observation and experience. Secondly... he also wanted to observe the character of his two sons in order to choose the most virtuous one to succeed him.

"Your Majesty, I have a memorial to present..." The next person to present a memorial was Kong Zhixuan, the Director of Studies at the Imperial Academy.

"Yesterday, the imperial grandson Li Xiang sneaked into the Imperial Academy..."

"That brat has climbed over the wall again. I have forbidden him from doing so, but he doesn't care at all."

"Do you really think I wouldn't dare to abolish his imperial lineage?" Li Shimin said as he reviewed the memorial.

In the Tang Dynasty court today, the term "rascal" basically refers specifically to the grandson of the emperor, Li Xiang. Hearing that the grandson had escaped from his confinement, the attention of all the court officials and princes was drawn to him.

"Yes, after the imperial grandson entered the Imperial Academy, he uttered absurd words, claiming that 'the Five Classics interpret me,' showing contempt for the classics of the sages, and even slandering the Imperial Academy for suspected cheating in its examinations," Kong Zhixuan continued.

"My father, unable to bear this humiliation, was so enraged that he fell ill and remains imprisoned. He has entrusted me to present this memorial to plead his case and defend himself." With that, he took out another memorial from his robes and presented it to His Majesty with both hands. "I humbly request Your Majesty's perusal."

Li Shimin did not look at the self-defense letter, but instead continued to concentrate on reading the memorial about Li Xiang's admission to the Imperial Academy.

Upon hearing Li Xiang's blunt statement that the Zhenguan era was a laughing stock, Li Shimin sneered.

Upon seeing Li Xiang's direct accusations that the Imperial Academy controlled the academic system, established its own factions, and engaged in factionalism, Li Shimin frowned slightly, his expression revealing a profound meaning.

When Li Shimin saw the poem "Ode to Righteousness," he suddenly narrowed his phoenix eyes, a clear look of surprise flashing in his long, narrow eyes.

"Qingque, Zhinu," Li Shimin said, handing the memorial forward with a gentle smile, "Take a look and what do you think of this matter?"

Li Tai stepped forward first and took the memorial. He glanced at it briefly, and the more he looked, the more somber his expression became.

After a moment's thought, he said, "Father, I believe that Li Xiang, despite being pardoned by you, has repeatedly violated the prohibitions and secretly escaped from his restricted area, which is already a great act of treason. Furthermore, he dared to break into the Imperial Academy, desecrate the sages, slander the Imperial Academy, and groundlessly frame the government offices and learned scholars. He is arrogant and outrageous."

"Since Father Emperor has spoken beforehand, he should be severely punished and expelled from the imperial clan. Otherwise, he may disrupt the dignity of the court in the future."

Li Tai gritted his teeth slightly. Although he hated that Li Xiang was still alive, the aftermath of the Furong Garden incident had not yet subsided, and Li Tai had become wiser.

His father was clearly wary of him; at this time, he should be cautious and discreet. He should not reveal anything excessive.

Li Shimin then gestured for Li Zhi to step forward.

Li Zhi's hand tightened slightly as he took the memorial. As he read its contents, his mind was filled with the word that Li Xiang had only uttered halfway through that day.

He said "martial arts...martial arts what?" Just how much does that brat know?

His heart was in turmoil, and he secretly wished Li Xiang were still alive. However, on the surface, he still looked fearful and said, "Father, elder brother... Li Xiang's actions were indeed too reckless and violated etiquette."

"In my opinion... it was truly wrong."

Li Shimin sighed softly, feeling somewhat disappointed. Kong Zhixuan's memorial avoided the main issues, only mentioning Li Xiang's arrogance and attacking Kong Yingda, as if the matter were merely a child's grudge and unreasonable fuss.

However, the most crucial point in this memorial is the "cheating" incident that the Kong family only briefly mentioned. That brat directly accused the Imperial Academy of suppressing poor families, but this wasn't entirely baseless. Otherwise, why would Kong Yingda have been so angered that he fell ill?

Qingque and Zhinu discussed the majesty of the court and the violation of etiquette, but their discussions remained superficial, and neither of them touched upon the crucial point.

It's unclear whether they truly only see the surface or are simply wary of each other, neither willing to reveal their true thoughts.

Since Chengqian's incident and the nonsense spouted by that brat, he clearly felt that the estrangement between Qingque and Zhinu, as well as between himself and his two sons, had deepened.

However, he would never admit that Li Xiang had actually succeeded in sowing discord among the imperial family.

But for some reason, at this moment, Li Shimin thought of his eldest son, Chengqian. If Chengqian were here, he wondered how he would answer.