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

The three resounding "fairness" words were powerful and resounding!

These three shouts were like three heavy hammer blows, crashing into the hearts of Sun Fujia and his group, shaking their minds and thoughts.

The eyes of Song Shenzhi, Dong Jiming, and other scholars from humble backgrounds suddenly lit up, their eyes brimming with fervent enthusiasm and reverence.

Sun Fujia was stunned on the spot, his gaze lingering on the young man before him who was not yet twenty.

Deep within his heart, which had been sealed away for half his life, something worn smooth by time and buried by the ways of the court was slowly awakening, as if repeatedly questioning his true self.

—Yes, is the grandson's request really too extreme?

Is it too extreme to demand a cleanup of the long-standing malpractices in the imperial examinations and to restore fairness to scholars across the land?

Is it too much to demand that scions of wealthy families who rely on their lineage and enjoy the fruits of others' labor prove themselves through genuine talent and learning?

What the imperial grandson wanted, and what the commoners longed for day and night, was never the same privileges as the sons of the aristocratic families, nor was it about taking a share of the quota from the sons of the powerful clans...

All they want is a simple, impartial fairness!

That's it!

—His grandson Fujia also came from a poor family and had a life full of hardships before finally entering officialdom.

Why is it that now that he holds a high position, he is the first to speak out against it, yet subconsciously feels that this young man is acting too radically?

The past suddenly flooded my mind: the chaotic world at the end of the Sui Dynasty, with war raging everywhere, the world as murky as ink, and countless people drifting with the tide, abandoning morality for profit.

But even then, he was still able to uphold his principles, distinguish right from wrong, and refuse to compromise his principles.

During those dark and hopeless years, he never abandoned his principles. But in this peaceful and prosperous era of the Zhenguan reign, the ups and downs of officialdom and the power struggles of the court gradually wore down his edges!

But today, the young man's words caused something to surge again in his aged chest, making the blood that had been dormant for half his life boil again!

He didn't know the name of this thing before, but after meeting this young man, he now knows its name—righteous spirit!

"Heaven and earth possess righteous energy, which manifests in various forms..."

Sun Fujia murmured the poem softly, his tone full of emotion and sympathy. The hand that had been tightly gripping Li Xiang's sleeve slowly loosened, his expression complex and unreadable, his thoughts churning like a surging tide.

"Oh well, never mind."

Sun Fujia let out a long sigh, swallowing back all his words of advice, unable to utter another single word.

Even though he was going his own way this time and might disappoint the Emperor's trust, he could no longer go against his conscience or betray the righteous spirit that had resurfaced in his heart.

"I am sixty-five years old this year, and I am already halfway to the grave. I have no worries about the rest of my life. Since the imperial grandson is determined to do this earth-shattering thing, I will give up my own frail body."

Changing his tone, he looked at the impoverished scholars beside him with deep concern and earnestly advised, "These students are rare talents from humble backgrounds. It is already extremely difficult for impoverished scholars to pursue their studies; every step is fraught with hardship."

"In my humble opinion, the investigation of this case and the rectification of the imperial examination system should be entirely handled by myself and the Imperial Grandson. We must not allow any more students from humble backgrounds to get caught up in this mess and suffer the resentment and revenge of the powerful families. What do you think, Imperial Grandson?"

"Well……"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiang pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized that he had been careless and had almost made a grave mistake.

Although these students from poor families faced constant exclusion and difficulties from the sons of aristocratic families at the Imperial Academy, they still held the title of students, which was a rare shortcut for them to enter officialdom.

It should be known that in the Tang Dynasty, how difficult it was for a poor family to obtain a place as a student in the Imperial Academy.

An ordinary poor family often has to exhaust the savings of several generations, pool the resources of the entire clan, live frugally, and even sell their possessions to support a son who can study, hoping that he can change the family's fate through the imperial examinations.

Meanwhile, powerful clans such as the Five Surnames and Seven Noble Families had dominated the world for hundreds of years, their influence deeply entrenched and their reach extending to all walks of life in the Tang Dynasty.

For hundreds of years, powerful clans such as the Five Surnames and Seven Noble Families have dominated the world, their influence deeply entrenched and their reach extending to all walks of life.

If this action angers the powerful families, and they secretly retaliate, these poor scholars with no family background or powerful connections will have no power to resist.

Li Xiang was about to speak when he agreed to Sun Fujia's thorough consideration.

Before he could speak, Song Shenzhi, with a solemn expression, stepped forward, suddenly lifted his robe, and knelt down on the ground.

The dozens of impoverished scholars who had followed Li Xiang there followed closely behind, all bowing their heads, forming a dark mass with resolute eyes, showing no fear whatsoever.

Song Shenzhi raised his head, his voice resounding: "Your Highness, Minister Sun! We have studied diligently for more than ten years, and since childhood we have suffered from poverty and hardship. We have studied day and night without stopping, and dared not slack off in the slightest."

"What I seek is nothing more than to earn a place in society through my own talent and learning, to bring honor to my family who support me, and, as the sages say, to contribute to the world!"

"However, if we continue as before, even if we study diligently all day long, we will only become stepping stones for the sons of noble families, and we will have little chance of getting ahead!"

"Now that Your Highness dares to speak out for those from humble backgrounds, dares to confront the deep-seated problems of the imperial examination system, and dares to stand against the powerful families of the world, how can we be cowards, protect ourselves, and hide in the rear to avoid disaster!"

"Are you suggesting that Your Highness, along with Minister Sun, an old man and a young boy, fight this battle alone?"

Dong Jiming echoed in a deep voice, his words sincere: "Although we come from humble backgrounds, we know that Confucius said, 'To achieve benevolence,' and Mencius said, 'To uphold righteousness!'"

"Since we resolved to follow His Highness and petition the Vermilion Bird Gate that day, we were already prepared to cut ourselves off from the Imperial Academy!"

"If I could accomplish this with Your Highness in this lifetime, what would I regret even in death?"

"Hahaha, even if it fails, so what?" someone laughed. "Without Your Highness, I'm afraid I'd have to leave prison and return to my hometown to farm in a few days. How could I have had the opportunity to do such a great thing?"

"His Highness said that day that heaven and earth need righteousness! How about we become the first ray of righteousness in this Tang Dynasty's imperial examination?"

"Exactly. If Your Highness fails, it's like those noble families letting us pass the imperial examinations. Besides, how can a life of mediocrity compare to leaving a name in history!"

The kneeling students echoed in unison, their voices resounding with fervor. Before long, the sound of the scholars reciting the Song of Righteousness reverberated throughout the streets and alleys, revealing their fervent passion and unwavering loyalty.

"You..." The old temple minister looked at this group of people, his eyes welling up with tears.

Li Xiang was also moved.

The reason why the Tang Dynasty was able to become the Tang Dynasty, and why China has always remained China, lies not in the emperors, the powerful and noble, or the aristocratic families.

But there will always be a group of people like this.

A group of ordinary, yet dazzling people.

"Alright!" Li Xiang laughed heartily. "In that case, you'd better keep up!"

"Follow me, and we'll take the butts off those powerful families who are associated with the Pixiu..."

"—To rip a huge hole in it!"