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

"What?" Kong Zhixuan was taken aback, then roared in fury, "Who dares to surround the Imperial Academy?"

"It's...it's that grandson of the Emperor, Li Xiang," the official said. "And Minister Sun, and that group of impoverished scholars in the prison..."

"They...they blocked the prison gates, restricting the students' entry and exit."

"They claimed...they claimed they were investigating a case!"

Kong Yingda was taken aback upon hearing this, and barely managed to stand after grabbing the table for support. Kong Zhixuan angrily retorted, "What kind of investigation is this! How dare you privately seal off a government office!"

"Doesn't he know that the Imperial Academy is filled with the sons and grandsons of high-ranking officials?"

"Are we treating everyone like prisoners?!"

"Hmph, don't you know that brat's tricks?" Kong Yingda sneered. "He's deliberately trying to make a big scene, the bigger the better!"

"Father, this might not be a bad thing for us!" Kong Zhixuan suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

"That scoundrel has acted perversely and offended many officials and noble families. He has actually pushed everyone to our side."

"If we could stand up for them in the eyes of these many aristocratic families, wouldn't that be..."

Kong Yingda's eyes lit up. The Emperor was hinting at his retirement, and he had clearly lost the Emperor's favor. But if he could do a favor for a powerful family in the court, perhaps he could make a comeback in the future?

He was the tutor of the deposed crown prince, and because of that brat's unreasonable behavior, His Majesty may have already labeled him as "selling his integrity for fame."

Besides the "Correct Meaning of the Five Classics," any other resources available would be greatly appreciated.

"Fine... I'll swallow my pride and go again..."

He forced himself to straighten his clothes, adopting the air of a learned scholar, and walked out with a stiff upper lip. Kong Zhixuan could only follow closely behind, ready to support his father at any moment.

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

At this moment, the atmosphere in front of the main gate of the Imperial College was already extremely noisy.

Li Xiang remained as nonchalant as ever, leaning against a stool that had been moved from somewhere, toying with a silver fish-shaped pouch in his hand—the very pouch temporarily granted by Li Shimin as a symbol of his investigative authority, which he jingled as he shook it.

Sun Fujia stood beside him, his brows furrowed and his face grim. He was restraining the soldiers of the Dali Temple to prevent them from clashing with the scholars, while secretly giving Li Xiang meaningful glances. He was so anxious that cold sweat broke out on his back.

Four clerks from the Court of Judicial Review guarded the main gate of the Imperial Academy, blocking a group of aristocratic students from entering or leaving. Inside, the young men from these families looked anxious; some shouted reprimands, some paced back and forth, and others huddled together whispering, all filled with resentment and unwillingness.

"Your Highness, we have completed the tasks you previously instructed us to undertake!" Song Shenzhi strode forward, bowed, and reported to Li Xiang, his tone tinged with excitement. "The surrounding common people and scholars have all gathered around, eager to witness firsthand how Your Highness investigates the case and delivers justice to the poor scholar!"

Li Xiang glanced at the dense crowd on the periphery, a mocking smile playing on his lips. He raised his chin and said, "Well done. Let them see clearly that I, Your Highness, am investigating this case by imperial decree, without a trace of personal bias."

His words seemed frank, but in reality, he was deliberately trying to make a big scene so that everyone in Chang'an would know that he, Li Xiang, was investigating corruption within the Imperial Academy, making it impossible for Li Shimin to suppress the matter.

Sun Fujia's heart tightened upon hearing this, and he leaned close to Li Xiang and whispered, "Your Highness, it's alright if you want to test their true abilities in front of the people."

"But you've gone too far by blocking all the aristocratic students inside the gate, treating them like suspects! What if you anger the aristocratic officials in the court? What about His Majesty...?"

"What's there to be afraid of?" Li Xiang waved his hand dismissively, interrupting him. "His Majesty appointed me to preside over the trial so that I could uncover deep-seated problems. I'm doing this to prevent them from colluding and destroying evidence. This is called being prepared!"

Sun Fujia was about to try to persuade him further when a furious shout suddenly came from inside the door: "Li Xiang! How dare you!"

The crowd turned to look, and saw Zheng Jingzhi, a member of the Zheng family from Xingyang, push through the throng and stride forward. His brocade robe accentuated his tall and straight figure, and his brows were filled with arrogance and anger. He sternly rebuked Li Xiang: "You were ordered to investigate the malpractices of the Imperial Academy, and we should cooperate. But you ordered your men to surround the Imperial Academy, restricting our entry and exit, treating us all as criminals. What kind of logic is this?!"

The aristocratic students behind him echoed his sentiments, glaring angrily: "That's right! You're illegally occupying a government office, showing utter disregard for the law!"

"We all passed the exams based on our talent and ability, so how can there be any talk of cheating? Don't make baseless accusations!"

Li Xiang slowly stood up, dusted off his robes, and walked step by step to Zheng Jingzhi. He had a half-smile on his face and spoke in a casual yet somewhat authoritative tone: "What is the reason? It is naturally the reason for investigating fraud."

"I am ordered to investigate the cheating in the Imperial Academy examinations and the monopoly of aristocratic families. Since the investigation is about cheating, all the students who passed the examinations are naturally suspects."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Jingzhi's face flushed red instantly, and he trembled with anger: "You! You're just making excuses! We all passed the imperial examinations through rigorous tests; how could there be any suspicion of cheating?"

"You're acting so indiscriminately, clearly seeking personal revenge!"

"Whether it's revenge or not, we'll find out after the investigation." Li Xiang raised an eyebrow, his tone still nonchalant. "Anyway, today, you either cooperate with the investigation, or you stay inside until we've finished."

"Your Highness!" Sun Fujia could no longer contain himself. He stepped forward and grabbed Li Xiang's sleeve, his face extremely grim. "Absolutely not! All the successful candidates are suspects. That's too absolute. If word gets out, it will cause a huge uproar in the court and offend all the aristocratic families. This matter must not be blown out of proportion!"

He bent down and whispered to Li Xiang, "Even if Your Highness is righteous, you should proceed slowly and methodically."

"The powerful clans are formidable; if we offend them all at once, we'll find ourselves unable to move an inch... Please think carefully!"

If he had known Li Xiang would act so recklessly, he would never have agreed to come along. This is not investigating a case; it's clearly trying to create a hole in the sky!

Li Xiang patted the back of his hand in return, looking confident, and lowered his voice to advise, "Minister Sun, please calm down. Since His Majesty has ordered me to handle this case, I cannot be negligent. I will not let a bad person go unpunished, nor will I wrong an innocent person."

"The innocent will be proven innocent. We must examine all those who pass the exams to ensure that no bad person escapes justice."

He paused, then added, "Besides, with the authority His Majesty has granted you to make decisions on the spot, if anything really happens, you can just step in and stop me. What's there to be afraid of?"

"you……"

Looking at Li Xiang's confident and fearless demeanor, and recalling Li Shimin's imperial edict, Sun Fujia was ultimately helpless.

He sighed heavily, released his grip, and retreated to the side with a grim expression, secretly praying that Li Xiang wouldn't go too far.

Just then, the crowd parted to make way, and Kong Yingda, dressed in a Confucian robe, with a serious and stern face, slowly walked over, supported by Kong Zhixuan.

"Li Xiang!" Kong Yingda straightened his back, adopting the demeanor of a great Confucian scholar: "You are investigating the case on His Majesty's orders, which I have no objection to. But what exactly is your intention in besieging the Imperial Academy and making things difficult for the students?"

"What do you intend to do?" Li Xiang tossed the fish bag aside and casually stuffed it into his robes.

"Of course we must test them to see if these students who have been examined by Confucius are truly talented and have a clear conscience."

"It is precisely because the Imperial Academy is responsible for the education of the nation that it is a vital place for the stability of our Great Tang Dynasty."

"Therefore, it is all the more important to be fair, just, and transparent. It is all the more important to cultivate and select the most outstanding students for the country and the most honest and capable officials for the people."

"Nonsense!" Kong Zhixuan immediately glared and rebuked, "Stop behaving recklessly here! Our Imperial Academy is responsible for the education of the nation, and all students are disciples of the sages."

"You've gathered so many people only to make them watch the sage's teachings like a monkey show? This is utterly disgraceful!"

"Ha, isn't the teachings of the sages designed for the benefit of the common people?" Li Xiang scoffed.

"Officials' salaries are all paid by the people. Yet you look down on the people? Even His Majesty said that the people are the water and the ruler is the boat."

"If you look down on the common people, don't you look down on His Majesty even more?"

"You!" Kong Zhixuan had finally experienced Li Xiang's sharp tongue. "You're spouting nonsense!"

"It's better than you spewing nonsense, Confucius," Li Xiang mocked. Then, he looked at Zheng Jingzhi and the other scholars behind Kong Yingda.

"Even Mencius said that the people are more important than the ruler. Do you, who study Confucian classics, have more insight than the Sage?"

"If you pride yourself on your talent and learning, why do you avoid the common people?"

"If you have nothing to hide, why don't you prove your talents in front of the people!"

"Today, I, Li Xiang, will make this clear—anyone who dares to reveal their true abilities and prove themselves in front of the elders of Chang'an will be personally apologized to by me, Li Xiang, and respectfully sent off to the Imperial Academy;"

"But if you are arrogant and dare not take the exam, or if you perform terribly and are unworthy of your reputation, then don't blame me for acting on imperial orders, thoroughly investigating your crimes of cheating, smashing the ancestral archways and signs that have been displayed in your homes for a hundred years, and tearing away the fig leaf that covers your monopoly on the imperial examinations!"