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

Chapter 94 Li Er, you've lived too long.

"What did you say?" Li Shimin narrowed his phoenix eyes.

"Isn't that right?" Li Xiang also narrowed his eyes, confronting Li Shimin.

"Your Majesty must be thinking that powerful clans and aristocratic families are entrenched in various places, and that to ensure the stability of the realm, it is necessary to stabilize these powerful clans and aristocratic families."

"In that case, why not change the unified system to a system of fiefdoms, or simply maintain a loose control?"

"If Your Majesty is so weak towards powerful clans and noble families, what kind of emperor are you?"

Li Shimin's face darkened further, but Li Xiang continued to attack.

"A great situation? The aristocratic families merely shared a piece of meat, and His Majesty considers that a great situation?"

"For example, when training a dog, in order to make the dog obey, you must give it a piece of meat to eat."

"Is Your Majesty a lackey of noble families?"

A vein throbbed on Li Shimin's forehead.

"To proceed slowly and deliberately, through exchange of benefits? How laughable."

"Little did they know, the imperial examination system was the very foundation for eradicating the malignant tumor of powerful families! It was a fundamental area that absolutely could not be used for concessions or bargaining!"

"Innovation! Only innovation! Only unwavering innovation! Can eradicate these ills!"

As he spoke, he suddenly sighed, waved his hand, and seemed unwilling to say anything more to Li Shimin.

"I have already said enough. His Majesty considers himself wise and mighty, but he simply won't listen, and there's nothing I can do about it."

"Just sit idly by and watch the poison of fathers and sons fighting among brothers remain in this Tang Dynasty. Just watch as aristocratic families and powerful clans control the court and officialdom."

"You did indeed unify the world, and you did indeed establish the Zhenguan era of prosperity. But your biggest problem is that you lived too long," he said calmly.

Chu Suiliang's brush veered off course, nearly tearing the paper. Li Shimin stared at Li Xiang in utter shock, seemingly unable to believe that anyone would dare say such a thing to him.

"You—how dare you curse me?"

"What's there to be afraid of?" Li Xiang shrugged.

"If it had been you who died in the tenth year of Zhenguan instead of my grandmother, you would have been an indisputable wise ruler."

"Unfortunately, after the tenth year of the Zhenguan era, Li Shimin was merely an empty shell, squandering his inheritance!"

"Have you ever looked in the mirror properly and seen yourself like this? Now you're old, senile, and pleasure-seeking. When faced with problems, all you think about is backing down and convincing yourself that you're maintaining stability!"

"Li Xiang!"

Li Shimin's eyes widened, his face resembling an angry dragon:

He glared fiercely at Li Xiang, his eyes filled with the instinctive wariness of an emperor towards someone vying for the throne. He roared at Li Xiang, "You are cursing the emperor! You are disloyal and unfilial! You are delusional that your rebellious father can ascend the throne!"

"From the moment his father said he didn't want to be born into an imperial family, he already looked down on your position!"

'

"You must stay in this seat and not give it to him!"

Li Xiang also roared.

Chu Suiliang wielded his brush with the speed of the wind, and in the midst of his busy work, he glanced up at the two men. He felt that the scene before him seemed strangely familiar.

It seems that on that day, when the Crown Prince and His Majesty confronted each other in the Liangyi Hall, it was a similar scene.

Like two dragons facing off!

Enraged, Li Shimin grabbed a paperweight from the table and threw it heavily at Li Xiang.

Li Xiang didn't move at all, and even made a deliberate move to meet him, causing the paperweight to knock a cut on his forehead.

Blood continued to gush down, flowing down his handsome face, which resembled Li Shimin in his youth, making this mere ten-year-old boy's face appear murderous!

"you!"

Li Shimin stared at the young face covered in blood, his expression froze, and he unconsciously took a few steps back.

He seemed to see his younger self glaring at his current, aged self!

"Guards! Guards!"

Upon hearing the sound, the guards immediately entered the hall.

"Throw this boy into prison! His sentence will be determined at a later date!"

Li Shimin roared, feeling a splitting headache. The image of his younger self haunted his mind like a nightmare.

"Get out of my way, I can walk by myself!"

Li Xiang flicked his sleeves, shooing away the guards who were about to step forward.

He gave Li Shimin a deep look—and then gave Li Shimin the middle finger.

"Tsk—I actually thought you were a wise ruler."

Having said that, he turned and walked away proudly out of the hall without looking back.

Blood flowed down his cheeks and dripped onto the ground, leaving a broken, shocking trail of blood in the Taiji Hall.

For some reason, Li Shimin felt as if a piece of his heart had suddenly become empty.

Li Xiang never looked back from beginning to end.

Take another look at his grandfather.

"His Majesty?"

Li Shimin slumped onto his throne, his eyes vacant, unaware of how much time had passed.

It wasn't until Chu Suiliang called out softly and even reached out and waved his hand gently in front of him that Li Shimin's eyes slowly regained focus.

After his outburst of anger, his headache returned, and he felt as if his head was about to split open. But the overwhelming grief in his heart made him ignore the tearing pain.

"Dengshan—" He slowly looked at Chu Suiliang and spoke slowly.

"My son has turned away from me. Today my grandson has cursed me."

"Tell me, am I a completely unsuccessful ruler?"

Seeing the emperor's rare display of vulnerability, Chu Suiliang felt a chill run down his spine.

Even during the earlier struggle between grandfather and grandson, he remained calm and composed. But now, all he wanted was to escape.

After careful consideration, he said cautiously, "Your Majesty's wisdom is unparalleled throughout history—"

"I can also tell from the words of the imperial grandson."

"At least once, the imperial grandson admired Your Majesty."

"Yes, Chengqian was once a child who adored his father." Li Shimin smiled bitterly and shook his head slightly.

He took a breath, trying to perk himself up a bit. Then he said, "This brat is ignorant of worldly affairs and doesn't understand my good intentions."

"Does he think that by acting recklessly and indulging in personal vendettas, he can govern the country?"

"He talks about reforming the imperial examination system, but all he does is provoke the powerful families. If he provokes them, the whole country will be in uproar, and then the poor will benefit?"

"When he grows up, he may understand my good intentions."

He seemed to be questioning Chu Suiliang, or perhaps talking to himself. Li Xiang's demeanor and words just now, as well as his strange actions when he left, and the same disappointed look in his eyes as his eldest son, ultimately shattered the emperor's supposedly invincible confidence.

He needs affirmation right now. He really needs it.

"Uh—Your Majesty." After pondering for a long time, Chu Suiliang finally made up his mind and said to Li Shimin with his hands clasped, "In fact, His Highness the Imperial Grandson—is not merely acting recklessly."

"Hmm?" Li Shimin frowned.

"His Highness the Imperial Grandson also has a heart for governing the country and managing the world. His statement that he wants to reform the imperial examination system is not just to provoke the powerful families."

As he spoke, he took out a memorial from his sleeve and bowed to present it to Li Shimin.

"This is a memorial that Sun Fujia, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, entrusted me to present to His Majesty when he was at the palace gate. Later, His Majesty summoned the Imperial Grandson and others, and I was unable to present it to him."

"What's written inside is His Highness the Imperial Grandson's idea for reforming the imperial examination system—after reading it through, I find it quite remarkable."

"That arrogant brat, who only knows how to be reckless, actually has any real strategies?"

Li Shimin couldn't believe it, and despite his headache, he took the memorial.

Upon unfolding the memorial, Li Shimin's eyes widened in astonishment!