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

"you!"

Even though Li Shimin had prepared himself mentally beforehand, he was still so angry when he actually met Li Xiang's sharp tongue that his headache relapsed within minutes.

"How dare you!"

"You're either arrogant or presumptuous, why don't you just kill me already!" Li Xiang rolled his eyes without any attempt to hide it, making Li Shimin tremble with anger.

His small mouth continued, relentlessly: "You're just old! Not only are you old, but you're also fame-seeking and clinging to power!"

"You are attached to the imperial power, and seeing that the crown prince is now grown up while you are old, you are filled with apprehension!"

"You supported Prince Wei, Li Tai, to restrain the Crown Prince, while you stood by and watched as Kong and Yu, a bunch of old dogs, slandered the Crown Prince's reputation and suppressed him. You disregarded the potential dangers for future generations and the injustice suffered by the Crown Prince, only thinking about securing your throne!"

"Shut up..." Li Shimin took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and forcibly suppressed his overwhelming anger.

"...You are well aware of the power and influence of the aristocratic families, and you know that offending them will inevitably cause turmoil throughout the land. Therefore, you choose to compromise with them, wanting to make life difficult for the common people, as long as you can secure your throne!"

"...You are like a withered skeleton in a tomb, devoid of any spirit! You can only drag your frail, aged body away in the deep palace, plotting schemes and conspiracies like a venomous snake, manipulating underhanded tactics of control! You have lost the courage to face powerful enemies head-on!"

"Shut up!" The veins on Li Shimin's forehead bulged and throbbed visibly, and he felt a buzzing in his temples.

"My spirit remains undiminished; I am still myself!"

"No! The Qin King who once dominated the world is dead! Li Shimin is dead!" Li Xiang declared resolutely.

"Faced with Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande, Prince Qin, Li Shimin, did not advocate a gradual approach; with only three thousand soldiers, facing an enemy army of one hundred thousand at Hulao Pass, Prince Qin, Li Shimin, did not advocate a gradual approach!"

"And now, sitting on the throne, speaking of 'gradual progress,' is merely a fat, complacent, power-hungry, and incompetent ruler who only dares to bully his poor son!"

"He believed himself to still be a wise ruler, constantly reminiscing about his past glories. Yet he only indulged in the pleasures of the women in the palace! Amidst their flattery and sycophancy, he thought he still possessed his former power!"

"You..." Li Xiang's rebuke froze his almost uncontrollable anger. He felt a surge of shame and annoyance deep in his heart, as if a sore spot had been exposed.

Then, this shame and anger transformed into an even more magnificent, overwhelming rage, like a tsunami and a landslide!

"Did I say something wrong?" Li Xiang stepped forward. His still-grown height clearly only reached Li Shimin's chest, but his imposing presence was in no way inferior.

"Powerful families are monopolizing the imperial examinations, and the number of spots for those from humble backgrounds is decreasing daily. Every year, the list of successful candidates will appear on your desk!"

"You turn a blind eye to such blatant blatantness, isn't it because you've lost your courage and dare not confront those powerful families? Even the power to appoint officials and recommend scholars is entrusted to these families. You have to be timid and hesitant to do anything, fearing the displeasure of these families."

"Still claiming this land belongs to the Li family? Don't make a fool of yourself."

"Do you know why those aristocratic families didn't take your Li family seriously when you compiled the clan genealogy? It's because you, the emperor, are clearly just a dog kept for show by these powerful clans!"

"They're there to guard power and wealth. They throw you a bone called the 'throne,' and you're just a smug watchdog!"

"If you, Li, were to marry a woman from one of the five noble families, people would think it's a marriage of unequal status! Because you're not worthy!"

"You, Li Shimin, are not even worthy of sharing the empire with the aristocratic families; you are merely fighting and protecting the empire for them!!"

"Li Xiang!!!!"

A roar erupted, as if a monstrous dragon had suddenly emerged from the clouds and appeared in the world. The enraged dragon panted heavily, seemingly about to devour Li Xiang whole!

Li Xiang was even more excited.

"What, you dare to bully the aristocratic families, yet you dare to bully me?" Li Xiang sneered, his mockery growing even more pronounced. It was as if he practically had "Kill me" written all over his face.

"They may bully their own children and grandchildren, but they dare not bully the powerful families. This proves that what I said is true!" Li Xiangyi spread his hands.

"Why don't you talk to my father about 'gradual progress' or to me about 'gradual progress'? Why do you insist on talking to the gentry about 'gradual progress'?"

"Now that you've started to 'take it step by step,' don't blame the poor folks for telling you, 'Are you born with a special destiny?'"

Li Shimin was panting heavily. He felt dizzy and his vision blurred. He could only hold onto the parapet to keep himself from falling.

For a moment, he even felt that the blood vessels on his forehead would burst immediately. After a long while, he finally managed to recover, but he felt that he was covered in sweat and that he had lost nine-tenths of his energy.

Looking at his sharp-tongued, constantly defiant grandson, and then at the people below the city wall, still gathered together, peering at the city wall and awaiting their fate—the impoverished scholars and commoners—he could only watch as the city wall crumbled.

Li Shimin suddenly felt a wave of weariness in his heart.

"You unfilial son...you rebellious grandson!"

"Do you know that governing this country and its people is not about fighting on the battlefield?"

"Without swords, spears, or arrows, it's ten times more dangerous!"

"What do you want? What do you think you can do!"

He looked up, only to see Li Xiang still curling his lip, his young face full of undisguised sharpness.

"Tsk."

"That's why I said you're old. You've become complacent because of some prosperous era like the Zhenguan era. It's precisely because you've lost your ambition that you only know how to fuss over trivial matters."

"Those powerful clans, aren't they all cunning and scheming, plotting and scheming for generations, for hundreds of years? The Tang Dynasty has only been established for a few years. Can you possibly outmaneuver their centuries-old foundation?"

"The treacherous minister has already revealed himself and has found the incriminating evidence against you. Yet Your Majesty is still hesitant, looking before and after the event, and dares not take action."

"Hmph." Li Shimin snorted coldly. "Do you know how deeply entrenched and complex the powerful clans are? A single hair on their head can have far-reaching consequences..."

"So what?" Li Xiang said. "Killing a hundred might cause unrest, but killing a thousand, ten thousand, a hundred thousand—do those parasites who have been rich and powerful for centuries, clinging to their wealth and refusing to let go, still have the courage to risk their lives in rebellion?"

"Since they're a bunch of parasites, it's best to kill them all. Otherwise, they'll rot away at the company's expense and enrich themselves at the company's expense!"

Li Shimin was stunned. At that moment, he saw in Li Xiang's eyes the mad shadow of his eldest son, Li Chengqian, whom he had never liked.

He suddenly remembered that just moments before, he had been thinking about how he would respond if he were the eldest son to the Imperial Academy's exclusion of students from poor families.

Now, he seems to know the answer.

"If I were emperor, I would indulge my desires. Those who disobey would be killed! Killing five hundred would surely bring order!"

This arrogant statement, which he once found extremely offensive, was the reply from his eldest son and this grandson!