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

His words stunned everyone present, and the entire room fell into a deathly silence.

Li Xiang's smile vanished, his expression calm and composed. His gaze slowly swept over the crowd, and his clear voice echoed throughout the streets:

"As you all know, when the Crown Prince was in the Eastern Palace, he never mobilized a single soldier, never occupied an inch of land or city, and never took any actual action of raising an army to rebel."

"When the Duke of Zhao, Changsun Wuji, and other important officials were ordered to thoroughly investigate the case, they exhausted all their efforts to search for evidence. The final conclusion they reached was never that the Crown Prince had already started a rebellion. They merely relied on the testimonies of others and a few rebellious words to conclude with a short four-word judgment: 'The signs of rebellion are already evident.'"

He paused briefly, then clearly explained the meaning of each word:

"What does it mean to have the signs of rebellion? The so-called signs are nothing more than outward behavior and daily signs, and are by no means irrefutable evidence of treason. To put it bluntly, it means to conclude that someone has ulterior motives and is secretly plotting rebellion based solely on other people's speculations about their words and deeds and on one-sided testimonies."

"This is exactly what Brother Zheng and Chief Minister Kong just said. Even if they harbored evil thoughts and showed unusual signs, they ultimately did not commit any evil deeds. Therefore, they should be pardoned and treated leniently."

"Following this logic, how can one fabricate a charge of treason based solely on a few false accusations and baseless speculation, without any concrete evidence of treasonous acts, and arbitrarily smear someone's innocence?"

Li Xiang's explanation was both reasonable and logical, and was by no means a baseless sophistry.

Previously, everyone had been silent because he had rashly mentioned a major royal case, but now whispers of discussion had quietly begun to rise again.

Such stories of the crown prince, buried deep in the palace, are rarely heard by ordinary people. Everyone secretly wonders whether the deposed crown prince was truly wronged.

Sun Fujia turned his head to look at Li Xiang, his heart already churning with turmoil, but he still forcibly suppressed his suspicions and calmly observed the situation.

Zheng Jingzhi trembled slightly, all his previous arrogance and pride vanished.

He had previously quoted the words of sages, firmly believing that one cannot be convicted if one has thoughts in one's heart but no concrete actions. Now, this very principle has become a shackle that binds him.

If one agrees with this reasoning, it would be to openly question His Majesty's wise decision and secretly sympathize with the deposed crown prince, which would be tantamount to disobeying the emperor. If one were to change one's mind on the spot and overturn one's previous statement, it would be to betray the sages' morality and slap oneself in the face in public. Not only would it be difficult to convince the public, but it would also confirm that one is merely learned but lacks practical skills and is not worthy of serving as an official.

Even though he came from the Zheng family of Xingyang, a prestigious family among the five surnames and seven clans, he would never dare to get deeply involved in such a heinous case as the Crown Prince's rebellion.

In an instant, cold sweat soaked through his clothes, his lips trembled uncontrollably, and he couldn't utter a single word for a long time.

Kong Yingda's face was ashen, his long, white beard trembled uncontrollably, and he forced himself to speak in rebuttal:

"You brat, dare to speak such nonsense! Treason is a grave crime that threatens the very foundation of the nation; how can it be treated like a common street lawsuit!"

"Oh?" Li Xiang raised an eyebrow, a half-smile playing on his lips. "This junior was merely following the lead of what Master Kong and Brother Zheng had just said. This reasoning was stated by the two of you yourself; surely it doesn't count?"

"When handling ordinary civilian cases, we rigidly adhere to judging actions over intentions; but once the crown prince is involved, we immediately change our criteria and judge intentions over actions?"

"Master Kong's way of handling things was truly reasonable in every situation. Oh! I understand now."

Li Xiang suddenly clapped his hands, feigning sudden realization, his tone tinged with mockery and sarcasm:

"So this is how knowledge is used!"

"Speak of whatever the words of sages and worthies benefit you. Whatever is good for you is reasonable."

"In the past, when Confucius spoke frankly and remonstrated with the Crown Prince, it was considered an act of direct remonstrance; now, when we speak frankly and argue back, we are simply called ignorant fools."

"The saying 'at seventy, one can follow one's heart's desires' is, in Confucius's view, a method of doing whatever one pleases. But I wonder if Confucius's principle of fickleness and capricious change can truly convince the public?"

As he finished speaking, Li Xiang casually raised his hand and pointed towards the sky when he said the words "to win over the masses".

Kong Yingda's body suddenly stiffened, and his face turned deathly pale.

Li Xiang's words were truly veiled in their intent. Kong Yingda suddenly wondered, if these words reached His Majesty's ears, how would His Majesty react?

Will they think that Kong Yingda is eloquent and insincere, and that he is two-faced, thus confirming in their hearts that his previous so-called "straightforward advice" was just a way to gain fame by being honest, and that he did not hesitate to sow discord between the Crown Prince and His Majesty?

Will His Majesty blame Kong Yingda for the tragedy of the father and son breaking with the deposed crown prince and the grandson of the emperor?

Cold sweat broke out.

The people on the street were whispering amongst themselves, and the students of the Imperial Academy looked at each other in confusion. Sun Fujia, Song Shenzhi and others seemed to be deep in thought, while only Kong Yingda and Zheng Jingzhi were caught in a dilemma, unable to move forward or backward.

After a long silence, Kong Yingda finally moved his lips with difficulty, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, as if using all his strength:

"...Just now, I was careless and spoke rashly."

"My previous judgment on this case was incorrect; Jingzhi's words and judgment were indeed inappropriate."

"Oh?" Li Xiang raised an eyebrow slightly, his smile deepening. "So, Master Kong personally admits that a student like Brother Zheng, whom the Imperial Academy has carefully recommended and cultivated, is utterly unfit to serve as an official in the Tang Dynasty and govern the people?"

"Nonsense! Father, you must not say such things!" Kong Zhixuan was extremely anxious and subconsciously spoke up to refute.

He felt that his father's actions were utterly foolish. By taking the initiative to back down and admit his mistake in front of everyone, he was undoubtedly confirming the Imperial Academy's poor selection of personnel!

If the Kong family refuses to support the scions of prominent families now, the reputation they have built up over many years among scholars will likely vanish in an instant!

"Shut up!" Kong Yingda shouted sternly, interrupting his son on the spot.

He was once the tutor of the Crown Prince. No matter how the Crown Prince's rebellion is argued, he cannot escape blame. We must not allow Li Xiang to continue to delve deeper into this topic.

Moreover, all avenues for rebuttal have already been blocked by Li Xiang.

If one insists on agreeing with Zheng Jingzhi's statement, one will either be seen as fickle and cunning, and thus be remembered by the emperor; or one will be seen as openly advocating for the deposed crown prince and blatantly opposing the emperor, the Prince of Wei, and the officials.

Having lived through the chaos of the late Sui Dynasty and experienced the turmoil of the imperial court, the seventy-year-old man knew very well that getting involved in either of these two things would be a catastrophic disaster that would result in his death and the extermination of his clan!

The only way to protect oneself now is to admit that the Imperial Academy's selection of personnel was flawed. At worst, this would result in a loss of face and being dismissed from office, but it would still ensure the safety of oneself and one's clan.

His Majesty has already hinted at his resignation. It's just that it will be even more embarrassing for him…

Concerned about his reputation and honor, Confucius, who had spent his entire life cultivating his renown, felt as if his heart was being torn apart...

He looked at Li Xiang and, with one last struggle, said:

"I dare not presume to say whether these students are truly capable of serving as officials in the Tang Dynasty. As the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, I have always simply selected those who best fit the examination system and are well-versed in the classics to participate in the special examinations."

"The Imperial Academy was established by the court at the cost of countless people's hard-earned money. Its fundamental responsibility is to cultivate pillars of the nation and recommend virtuous talents, not just to have Confucius teach students to memorize the classics in order to pass the imperial examination," Li Xiang said indifferently.

While the original intention of exam-oriented education is indeed as stated, this statement cannot be used as a justification in public.

Kong Yingda's words can almost be considered an admission of dereliction of duty.

A chorus of boos erupted from the crowd, mixed with agreement with Li Xiang's words. Li Xiang turned to Sun Fujia, who stood silently to the side, and asked:

"Minister Sun, could the words spoken by Chancellor Kong just now be taken as a confession?"

"...Alright." Sun Fuqing's expression was somewhat complicated. This young imperial grandson had actually obtained a confession from the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy admitting his wrongdoing in just one day...

The Imperial Academy's recommendation of students to serve as candidates for the Imperial Academy was a fait accompli, failing to meet the court's original intention of selecting talented individuals.

"Wait!" Zheng Jingzhi's face was grim. Kong Yingda had given up, but he hadn't.

He glared fiercely at Li Xiang: "But I have one more question: If this were the grandson of the emperor, how would you judge this case?"

Since this question is a trap and no matter how you judge it, it will be wrong, then let this idiot judge it; he won't be able to make a judgment either!

If he can grasp this point, Zheng Jingzhi still has a chance to turn the tables!

"How should it be judged? It will be judged as Brother Zheng said!" Unexpectedly, Li Xiang spoke without hesitation, as if it were nothing.

"What Brother Zheng said makes a lot of sense. Without concrete evidence, how can we easily convict either the man or the Crown Prince?"

"It is Chief Minister Kong who disagrees with you, but I personally agree with you wholeheartedly—I just don't know if Brother Zheng dares to agree with yourself now."

Li Xiang gave a half-smile.

That's right! This guy in front of me is a rebellious figure who dares to enter the palace and directly criticize the emperor, dares to recite seditious poems in public in the Hibiscus Garden, and dares to say that His Majesty is not fit to be emperor!

When it comes to reckless and outrageous behavior, he's the only one in the world!

It's just reiterating that the Crown Prince's case was unfair, and that the Emperor contradicted himself. What wouldn't he dare to do...?

But does Zheng Jingzhi have the guts to do that?

Zheng Jingzhi's legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground.