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

Recalling Li Xiang's outrageous words and deeds, the three historians exchanged glances and burst into laughter again.

The laughter gradually subsided, and Chu Suiliang's expression turned serious. He put away his playful tone and said in a deep voice, "My regard for this imperial grandson is not solely because I am a historian."

"Your Majesty currently regards him only as a rebellious and unruly youth, but this boy is insightful and upright, and does not seem like a child of only fourteen years old at all."

"The poems and essays written in the Furong Garden in the past were already quite remarkable. The line left in the Taiji Hall, 'Since ancient times, who has ever escaped death? Let my loyal heart shine in history,' is a direct expression of our feelings and fully conveys the integrity of us historians who uphold our original intentions and are not afraid of ups and downs."

"Such exquisite lines?" Yan Shigu and the other man were both shocked upon hearing this. "We only knew that he was in the Eastern Palace and always kept a low profile. We had never heard of such amazing talent before."

"He lived in the Eastern Palace from a young age, and his father was deeply involved in the struggle for the throne. I suppose he was cautious in his words and deeds and kept his sharp edge hidden in the past," Chu Suiliang said slowly. "He dared to face the emperor directly to protect his biological father, which is the epitome of filial piety; he stood up for scholars from humble backgrounds and was not afraid to offend the noble families of the world, which is the epitome of virtue."

"Moreover, his argument for establishing the eldest son as heir apparent in the Hibiscus Garden was incisive. If the eldest son is deposed and a younger son is established in his place, the Tang Dynasty court will surely be unstable in the future."

Yan Shigu's gaze narrowed slightly: "Judging from your words, could it be that you are wholeheartedly biased towards the deposed crown prince's faction?"

"I am not biased towards anyone, but for the sake of the Tang Dynasty." Chu Suiliang said solemnly, "If the Crown Prince truly has no hope of rising again, I am willing to comply with His Majesty's will. But I cannot bear to see His Majesty neglect and abandon such a virtuous and talented grandson."

"If he can truly eradicate the long-standing malpractices in the imperial examinations this time, His Majesty will surely see that this seemingly arrogant and unruly young man is actually loyal and righteous, and has a heart full of beautiful landscapes in his mind."

"Once His Majesty develops affection for the Crown Prince, and this affection extends to his son, the matter of deposing the Crown Prince might not be without room for maneuver. Moreover..." Chu Suiliang paused.

"That phrase, 'I am loyal to you,' may well be his veiled hint that there is more to the story than meets the eye regarding the Crown Prince's conviction."

The Yan brothers were slightly startled upon hearing this, but instantly understood its profound meaning.

"If the Crown Prince can be exonerated and reinstated, the court will be stable, and the foundation of the Tang Dynasty will be secure and worry-free."

"So Dengshan harbors such thoughts in his heart." Yan Xiangshi spoke slowly, "However, since the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Rites have not been able to jointly present their reports, the Imperial Grandson's actions are still fraught with difficulties. In a few days, the grand court session will be held, and the outcome will be clear in the court."

"Indeed." Chu Suiliang nodded slightly. "As historians, we only need to observe from the sidelines. I am quite looking forward to seeing if this court assembly will allow this young imperial grandson to add another significant chapter to the annals of history."

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On the fifteenth day of the fifth month of the seventeenth year of Zhenguan, the grand court ceremony was about to begin.

Inside the waiting courtyard, a group of court officials from aristocratic families, including Wei Wanshi, Wang Shidan, and Zheng Renzhe, gathered together, all with tense expressions.

"Has everything been properly instructed?"

"All done." Wei Wanshi nodded, his tone tinged with hesitation.

"...My esteemed uncles, if we submit this memorial solely in the name of the Ministry of Personnel, will we truly be able to persuade His Majesty? What if His Majesty remains unmoved and remains focused on reforming the imperial examination system...?"

Although the imperial examination system was initially created to counterbalance powerful clans, it has now become a major guarantee for their continued prosperity.

By controlling the imperial examination system, aristocratic families could continuously produce members who obtained official positions and wielded power. And power was the true foundation upon which these powerful families stood.

"That scoundrel is making enemies everywhere, just to provoke us into submitting a joint memorial, so that His Majesty will be wary," Zheng Renzhe said, stroking his beard. His tone was filled with resentment.

"We certainly cannot do as that brat wishes... We can only submit a memorial through the Ministry of Personnel. Although it has less impact, at least it does not cause His Majesty any concern. It is the best approach at present."

"Although Vice Minister Yan is unwilling to join forces with the Ministry of Personnel, there are still many aristocratic colleagues within the Ministry of Rites who are willing to step forward. Together with the officials of the Ministry of Personnel, they should be able to represent the positions of both ministries." He sighed and said helplessly.

According to the custom of the Tang Dynasty court, the ministers of the six ministries were mostly members of the imperial family, meritorious officials, or veterans with military achievements. They mostly held nominal positions and did not personally handle administrative affairs. The real power of each ministry was in the hands of the vice ministers.

This time, the joint memorial aimed at suppressing Li Xiang and Sun Fujia was less powerful without the leadership of Yan Xiangshi, the Vice Minister of Rites.

To ensure everything went smoothly, the powerful families had no choice but to voluntarily relinquish their interests in exchange for the emperor's approval.

"Brother Wang, we are sorry to have troubled you this time. We will repay you handsomely in the future," Zheng Renze said in a deep voice.

The surrounding aristocratic officials also spoke up to appease him.

Wang Shidan's face turned ashen, filled with resentment yet utterly helpless.

To quell the emperor's anger and silence the discontent in the court, everyone agreed that he would voluntarily resign from his position as Assistant Minister of Personnel Examination and temporarily return the power of examination and selection to His Majesty.

Such concessions should be enough to prompt Li Shimin to step in and stop Li Xiang's provocative investigations, thus preserving the reputation and dignity of the aristocratic scions and sparing them the humiliation of having to retake the exams.

Because of one scoundrel, several families were forced to cut their losses and seek survival!

All of them were seething with anger.

"By the way, will that brat be going to court today?" Wei Wanshi was still shaken. He couldn't get over the scene of being publicly refuted and humiliated by the boy at the Vermilion Bird Gate.

"We have already ascertained that he has no official position in the court and is not qualified to enter the court to meet the emperor," Zheng Ren said calmly. "His Majesty is also unwilling to let this unruly youth disrupt the court assembly. Today, in the court, only Sun Fujia is confronting us."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. Although Sun Fujia held the high-ranking position of Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, a third-rank official among the nine ministers, he was only proficient in criminal law and was not good at court debate. Moreover, he had no strong backing behind him and was not a threat.

They may not have realized that, without them noticing, the mere fourteen-year-old boy they spoke of had become someone that these powerful families feared.

Before long, a palace attendant announced that the emperor had arrived at Taiji Palace. The officials then straightened their court robes and lined up to enter the court.

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

As the aristocratic families had predicted, things unfolded as they had in the subsequent court assembly.

Inside the Taiji Hall, as soon as the court meeting began, officials from prominent families within the Ministry of Personnel were the first to step forward and take turns speaking out. They did not plead for themselves, but rather spoke from the perspective of the court and the nation, accusing Li Xiang of acting arrogantly, falsely accusing the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Rites, and disrupting the order of the nation, and imploring His Majesty to issue an edict to stop him.

Sun Fujia immediately stepped forward and argued his case, stating that there was indeed unfairness in the imperial examinations and that Li Xiang's investigation was an act of impartiality.

However, the entire court of noble families and officials echoed his sentiments, creating a powerful momentum. Wang Shidan also requested to resign from his post, his tone mournful.

In this way, Sun Fujia could not say anything more. The Assistant Minister of Personnel in charge of the imperial examinations had already resigned, and this move of retreating to advance only made Sun Fujia appear to be in the wrong.

After weighing the pros and cons, Li Shimin finally granted the request of the people and issued an edict to revoke Li Xiang's power to investigate cases and to stop Li Xiang's practice of visiting each household to investigate.

They tacitly allowed the powerful families to relinquish this portion of their profits in order to quell the turmoil.

Sun Fujia had no way to put his loyalty and integrity to use, and he was alone and could not withstand the opinions of the crowd. Even though he was full of indignation, he could only keep quiet and retreat to the ranks, with no power to refute.

After the court session concluded, the officials filed out of the Taiji Hall.

Along the imperial road, a group of aristocratic officials walked together, their faces no longer showing the fear and grievances they displayed in the court, but instead filled with gloom.

Zheng Renze raised his hand to stroke his beard: "Finally, the dust has settled, and this turmoil has come to a peaceful end."

Wang Shidan, standing to the side, though still wearing his official robes, was no longer an official, and felt a pang of heartache. He gritted his teeth and said:

"Li Xiang was, in the end, just an inexperienced child, full of enthusiasm and high spirits. He didn't understand that there was never any straightforward right or wrong in the court, and that it was all about weighing and exchanging interests from beginning to end."

"Thinking that you can shake the foundation of my century-old family by acting recklessly is utterly naive and laughable."

The crowd echoed in unison. "A mere nobody dares to cause trouble!"

Ultimately, the rules of the imperial court were still in the hands of these aristocratic families.

Someone whispered, "His Majesty has now halted all his actions. Without the tacit approval and support of imperial power, he is like a rootless duckweed. He has repeatedly humiliated us before; how can we let this score go?"

"That's right." A cold glint flashed in Zheng Renzhe's eyes. "It's not convenient to openly make trouble in the open. There's still a long way to go."

"That brat has offended His Majesty several times, and I imagine His Majesty has long been disgusted with him. It's just that he's reluctant to take action because of kinship."

"We will help His Majesty smooth out the rough edges of this young man, making him clearly understand the rules of the world, the complexities of the court, and the bitter consequences of his reckless behavior!"

Everyone nodded in agreement, their words filled with certainty, feeling that controlling a powerless young imperial grandson would be a piece of cake.

As the group approached the Vermilion Bird Gate, their steps abruptly halted.

The young man who had forced them to relinquish such great benefits was now standing at the foot of the Vermilion Bird Gate's stone steps, surrounded by dozens of impoverished scholars, a group of people seemingly waiting for something.

Noticing someone emerging from the Vermilion Bird Gate, the young man slightly raised his eyes and bumped into the group of high-ranking officials from noble families.

After a brief standoff, Zheng Renze suddenly stroked his beard and laughed, his tone full of mockery: "Gentlemen, look! This brat must be waiting here on purpose for the outcome of the court assembly, hoping for a miracle."

"Heh, they really don't know their place!" The group of aristocratic officials sneered, their laughter filled with undisguised mockery and glee.

Although they reluctantly relinquished some power and interests and temporarily backed down, they ultimately protected the reputation and dignity of their clan members and stopped the young man's reckless behavior. In the end, they won this game and the overall situation!

The group walked slowly by. Wei Wanshi, who had been publicly humiliated by Li Xiang earlier, deliberately slowed his pace, raised his voice in a sarcastic tone, and said with a hint of triumph, "Grandson, don't bother waiting, it's a waste of your energy!"

"In this great Tang Dynasty, rules and hierarchy have always been observed. It is not a place where a naughty child like you can run wild."

"Do you really think that brute force and a bit of arrogance can guarantee success? Ha, that's utterly naive and laughable!"

"Oh?" Li Xiang raised an eyebrow, his tone nonchalant. "So, in the end, His Majesty accepted your exchange of benefits and did you a favor?"

He clicked his tongue and muttered to himself, his tone full of disdain: "I knew I shouldn't have trusted that corrupt and decadent feudal emperor. Tsk, I should have known better than to go through all that trouble scheming."

His voice wasn't loud, and the wind was strong outside the Vermilion Bird Gate today, so Wei Wanshi and the others couldn't hear the whole thing clearly, only catching a few fragments of conversation.

Even so, they could still hear the sarcasm in Li Xiang's tone, and their faces immediately darkened.

Zheng Renze shouted angrily, "You brat, what did you mean by what you just said?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Li Xiang waved his hand.

"I just want to ask, given how powerful your aristocratic families are, if I were to go any further, do you have any way to get His Majesty to severely punish me, his grandson?"

"you……!"

This brat, even in this state, is still so reckless, even daring to make sarcastic remarks and deliberately provoke others!

Wei Wanshi, Zheng Renzhe, Wang Shidan and others were instantly enraged, and their pent-up anger surged up instantly.

Zheng Ren suddenly flung his sleeves and shouted sternly, "You insolent brat! Do you really think that just because you're a grandson of the emperor, no one can control you?"

"The Crown Prince has been deposed, and you are nothing more than an insignificant grandson of a concubine! If you dare to act recklessly again, do you really think we cannot impeach His Majesty and punish you for the crime of disrespect?"

"Oh, that's fine then." Li Xiang smiled, a smile that seemed harmless.

"I had completely forgotten that you are on the same path."

"This is really good news."

"What did you say...?"

Before Zheng Ren could figure out what Li Xiang meant, his vision suddenly went black, and a fist suddenly appeared.

Li Xiang punched Zheng Renzhe hard in the eye socket.