My cultivation disguise has been exposed by Xiao Sizi.

"Oh no, I can't take it anymore."

Li Chen didn't give him a chance at all, exaggeratedly rubbing his temples and leaning back.

"Teaching Chang Le how to cultivate just now took a lot of my energy."

"My talent is terrible, my mental energy is running low, I need to recuperate quickly, bye-bye!"

The moment the words fell.

Li Chen made a hand seal, and his body twisted like ripples on water, disappearing right under Li Shimin's nose.

"You unfilial son! Get out here right now!"

Li Shimin missed his target and let out a hysterical roar at the air.

He drew the Emperor's Sword from his waist and began hacking wildly in the courtyard, cutting down more than a dozen willow branches.

However, in the empty backyard, no one answered him anymore.

That night, at Taiji Palace.

The candles in Ganlu Hall remained lit throughout the night.

Li Shimin, wearing only a single garment, paced back and forth in front of his desk like a trapped beast, his leather boots making a restless and hurried sound as they trod on the gold bricks.

The calming tea on the table had long since gone cold, and he hadn't even touched it.

"Cuckoldry...usurpation of power..."

Li Shimin gritted his teeth, his lips even drawing blood.

Various images uncontrollably flashed through his mind, and he thought of Fang Yi'ai, that unlucky guy who was cuckolded.

Fang Erlengzi became a laughing stock and a stain on his reputation for being cuckolded, all because of a single green hat.

What about yourself?

He himself was the Heavenly Khan of the Great Tang Dynasty, a saint revered by all under heaven!

Not only was he cuckolded by his own son, but the Li Tang dynasty, which he had worked so hard to build, was also taken away by that woman, and the dynasty's name was changed to Zhou!

If this were recorded in history by historians, wouldn't future generations laugh their heads off when they read this? It would be utterly ridiculous!

The more I think about it, the angrier I get, and the angrier I get, the more I think about it.

The anger in his chest transformed into a ball of magma that could not be extinguished, burning his internal organs with a dull ache.

Empress Zhangsun carried a bowl of hot soup into the main hall. Seeing her husband's seemingly bewitched appearance, she sighed with heartache.

"Erlang, let's rest. Chen'er's words might not necessarily be true..."

"No! Guanyinbi, you don't understand!" Li Shimin suddenly stopped in his tracks, looking at his wife with red eyes.

"That unfilial son may be a scoundrel, but he never lies."

Li Shimin suddenly grabbed the teacup on the table and smashed it on the ground, sending shards of porcelain flying everywhere.

"If I don't know who that rebellious son and that vixen are today, I will never be able to close my eyes in peace!"

The third watch drum sounds.

In the dead of night, Chang'an City was plunged into a deathly silence and darkness.

Li Shimin sat on the dragon bed, wide awake, his eyes staring like copper bells, bloodshot.

The next day, in the early morning.

Before dawn, when everything is at its most vulnerable.

Li Chen, who was sleeping soundly, suddenly felt an unusual presence approaching.

When he opened his eyes, he was met with a face that was bloodshot, had huge dark circles under his eyes, and was as pale as paper.

"A ghost!"

Startled, Li Chen reacted instinctively faster than his brain, his left hand flashing out like lightning, unleashing a palm strike that was ready to be unleashed!

But the moment the lightning illuminated that face, Li Chen recognized it as Li Shimin.

Holy crap!

He managed to control 99% of his strength.

Boom! Even so, the remaining power of the thunder still struck Li Shimin solidly.

The Tang emperor screamed in agony as he was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing into the courtyard with a loud bang.

Li Chen, wearing a coat, walked out cursing.

"Old Deng, are you crazy?! It's not even dawn yet and you're pretending to be a ghost to scare me!"

"Luckily, I recognized your old face the instant the lightning illuminated the area, and managed to hold back 99% of my strength!"

Li Chen patted his chest, still shaken.

"Otherwise, your ashes would have been scattered into the moat by now!"

Li Shimin lay on the ground, his whole body aching as if his bones had been broken.

He trembled as he raised his hand, which was numb from the electric shock and still twitching uncontrollably, pointed at Li Chen, and after a long pause, managed to squeeze out a few words that sounded like gasps in his throat.

"You rebellious...rebellious son...how dare you murder your lord..."

Just then.

The commotion in the courtyard finally woke up the others in the palace.

The wooden door to the side room was kicked open.

Qin Qiong didn't even bother to put on his armor; he charged out carrying two golden maces.

Immediately afterwards, Qin Huaidao, carrying a horse-slaying saber, Crown Prince Li Chengqian and Prince Wei Li Tai, holding their swords, and Qin Wan'er, wearing an outer robe, all rushed into the backyard with wary expressions.

"Assassins! Protect Your Highness!"

The crowd shouted and quickly surrounded the smoking black figure in the center of the courtyard.

Only Xiao Sizi's room was quiet, because Li Chen had specially set up a soundproof array in her room, and the little girl was still sleeping soundly with her pillow.

"Where is the assassin?!" Qin Qiong raised his golden mace, just about to smash it down on the charcoal-covered head on the ground.

"Wait! Don't do it! It's my father!"

With his sharp eyes, Li Chengqian recognized the tattered bright yellow undergarment in the morning light. He screamed in fright, and the sword in his hand clattered to the ground.

Everyone stared intently and gasped in shock.

Looking at the Tang emperor's horribly charred appearance, with his hair sticking up in an afro, it was a truly tragic sight.

Besides Li Chengqian and Li Tai rushing to help, Qin Qiong, Qin Huaidao, and Qin Wan'er exchanged glances and turned around in perfect unison.

"Oh dear, it's not even dawn yet, I think I'm sleepwalking." Qin Qiong coughed awkwardly.

"Yes, yes, I need to go back and practice my swordsmanship."

The three of them turned around and left without hesitation, slamming the door shut behind them, pretending they hadn't seen anything.

This is a massive scandal involving the royal family; even glancing at it could cost you your head.

Li Chen walked to the stone table, sat down casually, poured himself a cup of cold tea, and rolled his eyes as he complained:

"Chengqian, your father is sick! He came in early this morning pretending to be a ghost to scare me, and I almost slapped him so hard that his soul was scattered. He brought it on himself."

Empress Zhangsun stepped forward with heartache and supported her swaying husband.

Li Shimin caught his breath, and upon hearing Li Chen's words, his bloodshot eyes widened suddenly, and he roared:

"You unfilial son! Isn't this all your fault!"

Li Chen retorted, not to be outdone: "Huh? Old Deng, you dressed up as a ghost to scare me this morning, and you're blaming me?"

Li Shimin could no longer restrain himself. Like a mad demon, he broke free from the empress's support, pounced on Li Chen, grabbed his arms tightly, and shook him wildly.

Li Shimin's face, blackened by the smoke from the thunder and fire, was almost touching Li Chen's nose.

His once neatly combed hair now looked like a giant, exploded sea urchin, with every strand standing on end.

"Tell me quickly!"

The Tang emperor's hands, like two rusty iron clamps, gripped Li Chen's arm tightly, shaking it wildly back and forth.

"Who is that little beast who cuckolded me! And who is that vixen who usurped the throne of the Tang Dynasty!"

Li Shimin's voice was hoarse and cracked, revealing a crazy obsession that he would not give up until he got the answer.

Li Chen was so dizzy from being shaken around.

He rolled his eyes dramatically, forcefully shook off Li Shimin's hands, and slowly patted the wrinkles on his robe.

"How would I know? My talent is trash, my aptitude is mediocre, I can't even compare to one of Chang Le's toes."

Li Chen drawled out his words in a sarcastic tone.

"This kind of advanced skill that allows one to see through the secrets of heaven is beyond the reach of someone like me with only average talent and spiritual roots."

Li Shimin was struck right between the eyebrows by the boomerang he had just shot, causing him to choke and feel a tightness in his chest, almost fainting.

Seeing that the father and son were about to start fighting again, Empress Zhangsun could not stand it any longer and had no choice but to step in to mediate.

"Chen'er, stop making a fuss," Empress Zhangsun gently advised.

"This matter concerns the face of the royal family and the future foundation of the Tang Dynasty. It involves a wide range of issues. If you know anything about it, please tell us about the future situation."

He pursed his lips and let out a long sigh.

"Alright, give the Empress Dowager some face, Old Deng, you're lucky today."