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

Chapter 96 Li Chengqian's Move

The Dali Temple prison, deep and solemn, is perpetually shrouded in darkness.

The thick stone walls were icy cold, and the air was filled with a mixture of mold, blood, and the rust of iron chains.

A chill crept out from the cracks in the ground.

Everywhere exudes a sense of desolation and death.

—That's how it should be.

Outside the wooden bars, the jailer carefully handed a food box into the bars and softly called out, "Your Highness, today's meal has arrived."

"Is there anything good today? Lord Siqing specially ordered that the best restaurant in Pingkang Ward be chosen. They've also included a pot of fine Sanle liquor. What do you think—"

"Is this a last meal before execution?" the person inside asked lazily, as if in a dream.

"Uh—no."

The jailer choked on his words, then waved his hands, both amused and exasperated, saying, "Young master, be careful what you say! You are a grandson of the emperor, of such high status. You are merely staying here temporarily to await trial. How can you talk about a last meal before your execution!"

You will surely escape danger and be safe and sound this time.

"Pah, pah!" Li Xiang rolled his eyes at these auspicious words as he straightened up from the haystack, looking disgusted. "If you can't speak properly, shut up. Nobody thinks you're mute."

The jailer froze helplessly, unsure of what expression to make.

"Same rules as always, leave the food, take the wine. Don't you know minors can't drink alcohol? Tsk, you guys are the only ones who treat this horse piss from the Tang Dynasty like a treasure—"

Having said that, he lay back down on the haystack, stretched lazily, and muttered impatiently, "Wake me up when you're really about to deliver my last meal. Tsk, that old dog from the Zheng family and those people from the Five Clans and Seven Noble Families are so slow."

"Uh—" The jailer and guard exchanged bewildered glances, and could only manage a forced smile as they placed the lunchbox into the cell.

Having worked at the Dali Temple for over ten years, they had never seen anyone as eccentric as this gentleman.

He keeps asking if his last meal has arrived, as if he's looking forward to death.

However, he was quite a remarkable person. He couldn't get used to the finest food at the Dali Temple and had to report to the Temple Minister to buy him the finest food.

Even so, he always managed to leave a large portion uneaten. If there was any alcohol, he wouldn't drink a single drop.

They seemed to look down on these famous dishes in Chang'an.

However, this also benefited the brothers in prison—they had all gained a few pounds from indulging in gluttony thanks to this man.

Since it's all paid for by the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, it's a waste not to take advantage of it.

"This damned Tang Dynasty, there's nothing here. All I can do all day is sleep, I'm practically going moldy from sleeping so much," Li Xiang complained, touching the gauze on his forehead.

Li Er is really something; he only lost an inkstone. If he had lost a knife or sword, he'd probably be enjoying Crazy Thursday right now.

I wonder if the five powerful clans and seven prominent families outside have started to exert their influence yet. As a mere illegitimate grandson, it shouldn't be difficult for Li Er to kill me, right?

Li Xiang thought to himself.

The jailer, carrying a small jug of Sanlejiang (a type of Chinese liquor), was feeling the urge to drink more when he suddenly heard footsteps outside. A figure in a purple robe appeared outside the jail.

He quickly put the small pot down, turned to the side to block it, and bowed with his hands clasped, saying, "Prime Minister, Minister of the Imperial Academy."

"All of you, leave."

Sun Fujia looked at the untouched lunchbox, then at Li Xiang fast asleep inside, and couldn't help but say irritably, "You brat, how can you still be sleeping!"

"Oh, it's Old Sun." Li Xiang straightened up slightly and saw that it was Sun Fujia. He finally sat up straight and said with interest, "What, did the emperor send you to deliver poisoned wine or something like that?"

Every time Li Xiang came to visit him, he would ask about his death date with the same eager expression. He couldn't help but retort, "You're still young, with a bright future ahead of you. Why are you so eager to die?"

"If you hadn't provoked His Majesty that day, we might have had other options. Even now—" He sighed again. "As long as you've given up your will to die, I'll give up this official position and continue to fight alongside you."

"Eliminate the will to die? It won't erase a single bit!" Li Xiang waved his hand lazily, indicating that he accepted Sun Fujia's good intentions.

He changed the subject, asking, "How's it going outside?"

Sun Fujia's expression froze, and he gave a bitter smile: "The situation is not good. The Zheng family and other aristocratic families have seized on your crime at the Vermilion Bird Gate and have been submitting petitions to His Majesty demanding that you be severely punished. The momentum among the court and the public is quite strong."

"Oh?" Li Xiang perked up at this. "What did the tyrannical emperor say?"

Sun Fujia's lips twitched, his face turning ugly: "Your Majesty—remained noncommittal, offering no explicit statement—"

"Oh? Looks like I'm going to die soon?"

Seeing Li Xiang's obvious delight upon hearing this, he couldn't help but change his expression and say, "You—so young, yet you become so lax and complacent at the first sign of setback, even contemplating suicide. How can you expect to achieve anything great in the future!"

"So what if I die?" Li Xiang said matter-of-factly. "Have you not heard Cao Cao say: Death is like a cool summer night, allowing one to sleep peacefully without worry?"

"Haven't you figured it out yet? That cold-blooded emperor is completely controlled by the powerful ministers; he wouldn't dare to lay a hand on the powerful families for the sake of the commoners! We need to give him a pretext, to make the powerful families willingly pay a sufficient price, before the emperor will go along with their crooked deal!"

"Since the powerful families so desperately want me dead, they must pay a heavy price. This is called sacrificing one person for the happiness of countless others!"

"Confucius said, 'To achieve benevolence,' and Mencius said, 'To uphold righteousness.' This is a golden opportunity to realize one's life's value! You don't want me to die, do you not want me, Li Xiang, to be remembered in history?"

"You—" Li Xiang said so righteously that Sun Fujia felt a slight headache and was speechless for a moment.

"When did Emperor Wu of Wei say such a thing? It sounds rather shallow."

After struggling for a long time, all he could manage to say was this sentence.

"—Then don't worry about it." Li Xiang waved him away. "If you have time, go out and tell the Five Clans and Seven Noble Families a message—if you're a brother, come and kill me!"

"You really had to kill me. But you didn't this time. I'm out here. I'll keep fighting them."

Sun Fujia gave Li Xiang a deep look, sighed, and left the prison.

Outside the prison, a man was waiting. Seeing Sun Fujia emerge, he hurried forward and asked, "Minister Sun, young master—"

How is His Highness the Imperial Grandson?

Sun Fujia shook his head and said, "Alas, his resolve to die is firm—"

"This—" The newcomer's expression froze. "Before I arrived, His Highness the Crown Prince attempted to break out of the forbidden area several times, appearing to be insane."

"If anything were to happen to the Crown Prince—this humble servant truly does not know what His Highness might do next."

"Alas, since the imperial grandson is in my Dali Temple, I will naturally try my best to take care of him secretly." Sun Fujia's expression was grave.

At this point, Sun Fujia showed a hint of admiration.

"The imperial grandson, though from a humble background, acted out of a sense of righteousness, fearlessly defying His Majesty despite the risk of death. This is truly a display of great integrity!"

"You can tell the Crown Prince that as the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, I will certainly speak out for justice." As he spoke, he straightened his expression.

"Even if it means being ground to dust, I will ensure the life of the imperial grandson."

Upon hearing Sun Fujia's resounding oath, the prince's close advisor paused, all doubts and worries in his eyes vanishing instantly.

He had come at the Crown Prince's request to gather information, but he was still uneasy, fearing that the officials of the Court of Judicial Review would be afraid of imperial power and powerful families and would not dare to sincerely protect the imperial grandson.

But at this moment, seeing Sun Fujia's vow to be crushed to pieces, every word sincere and every sentence resounding, it was by no means a pretense or perfunctory statement.

My tense nerves suddenly relaxed.

The man solemnly composed himself, no longer harboring any probing intent. He stepped forward, bowed deeply, and spoke earnestly and solemnly: "With your words, Minister, I am completely at ease! The entire court and the public fear the power of the Five Clans, yet only you, Minister, remain upright and incorruptible..."

With a strong sense of righteousness, they are truly pillars of the nation!

After speaking, he raised his hand and took out a thick, simply bound book from his pocket.

"These were personally prepared by His Highness the Crown Prince."

He held the register in both hands and solemnly handed it to Sun Fujia, his voice low and solemn: "Your Highness the Crown Prince deeply regrets that he is now imprisoned and unable to openly confront the powerful families of the court, let alone protect the Crown Prince at all times."

"Therefore, he worked day and night at his desk, searching and sorting through the information, listing all the connections, factions, marriage alliances, students and former officials of the five clans and seven noble families and their affiliated gentry, as well as the local gentry and powerful families in various states who were affiliated with the gentry, and the civil and military officials who secretly sided with the court."

"We hope that Minister Sun can use this book as a reference to help the Crown Prince rescue the Imperial Grandson!"

Sun Fujia's expression hardened, and he quickly reached out to take the roster. His fingertips traced the rough pages; they felt heavy in his hand. He flipped through a few pages and saw densely packed, neat handwriting, clearly organized and meticulously categorized.

From core members of aristocratic families and trusted confidants serving in the imperial court to local powers and those secretly colluding for interests, no one was overlooked.

This is not just a register; it is clearly a genealogical map of the entire Guandong gentry and Guanlong clans, showing their roots in the government and the countryside!