The Demonic Crown Prince

"You want to pass the throne to your second brother, Li Jun?"

Emperor Jinglong asked in an icy tone, still furious about what had happened earlier.

"Your subject does not."

Li Yuan smiled slightly and said, "Li Jun bullied me like that, it would be a fool to give in!"

A collective gasp filled the hall.

"You wrote it yourself, and Chu Shu is right here. How dare you deny it?"

Li Jun pointed at Chu Shu and angrily questioned him.

I knew that bastard was up to no good!

"Oh, this makes Chu Shu, my good second brother, if you read the first sentence with your name in the middle and then the last character of each other's sentences together, it must have a unique charm!"

Li Yuan gave him a mocking look.

"What?" Li Jun was taken aback, a sense of foreboding washing over him.

"Read it together." Emperor Jinglong frowned.

The eunuch on duty then read aloud, "Li Jun is a scoundrel and cannot be the crown prince... Your Majesty, Second Prince, please spare him..."

The eunuch on duty grew paler and paler as he read, and finally knelt down with a thud, his face ashen.

"So it was an acrostic poem that insulted someone..."

A low murmur and suppressed laughter filled the hall.

Li Jun was filled with shame and indignation. Damn it, he finally suffered from his lack of education!

"This is outrageous! What kind of behavior is this?" Emperor Jinglong was furious.

"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince has committed numerous crimes yet shows no remorse, treating the position of Crown Prince as a joke. He should rightfully resign as heir!"

At this moment, Xu Rui, the Duke of Qi, who belonged to Li Jun's direct line, saw that the situation was not good and immediately came to Li Jun's rescue, turning the tables on him.

"Given the Crown Prince's crimes, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to demote him to a commoner."

"If he is not dismissed, we will resign our posts and retire to our hometowns!"

The voices of agreement from the Second Prince's faction immediately rose around them.

"Shut up, all of you!"

Li Yuan suddenly let out a furious shout.

His sharp gaze swept across the area, and everyone he looked at lowered their heads in embarrassment.

Everyone looked at Li Yuan in shock. When did the once timid Crown Prince acquire such power?

Li Yuan turned his head, his eyes filled with sorrow, and said to Emperor Jinglong, "Father, whether what they say is true or false, the public sentiment is overwhelming, and I really can no longer be the Crown Prince."

"Since that is the case, I am willing to resign as crown prince and travel two thousand miles to the bitterly cold north to quell the rebellion in Yanbei!"

"What...?"

Everyone was stunned. Was he serious?

"That's not necessary..." Emperor Jinglong shook his head and said.

That's his son after all. Even if he's made a mistake, we can't just stand by and watch him be in extreme danger, can we?

Li Yuan regretted it a little. Damn it, he had overacted and made the old emperor feel affection for his son.

This won't do!

He said again with sorrow, "Your son has heard about the situation in Yanbei Road, but it is precisely because of this that your son insists on going!"

The people rebelled because they were dissatisfied with the court. I was once the regent, and the people's dissatisfaction with the court was primarily directed at me.

This mess should be cleaned up by your son! Besides…”

At this point, Li Yuan looked up, surveyed his surroundings, and suddenly roared, "The emperor guards the nation's gates, the monarch dies for the country, the soldiers are buried on the battlefield, and daughters sacrifice themselves for the empire! As a member of the royal family, it is only natural for me!"

The court was deathly silent; everyone stared in shock. What a fitting saying: "The emperor guards the nation's gates, the monarch dies for the state!"

I've never heard such a powerful and resounding vow before; it's truly inspiring!

For a moment, even the military officers who never meddled in the affairs of civil officials couldn't help but nod in agreement, their hearts filled with fervor, and they looked at Li Yuan with eyes full of admiration.

Emperor Jinglong was also moved. If Li Yuan personally led the troops to quell the rebellion, it would solve his immediate problem. Furthermore, his resignation as crown prince would stabilize the court!

Having considered this, Emperor Jinglong no longer hesitated. "Since that's the case, then I'll have to trouble you for now. Issue an edict granting Li Yuan permission to temporarily resign as crown prince, and instead bestow upon him the title of Prince of Qin, with Yanbei Circuit as his fief. He may build a Prince of Qin's residence. Ten days later, he will lead troops to Yanbei Circuit to quell the rebellion. There must be no delay!"

"Thank you, Father Emperor!"

Li Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. It was a success!

Unexpectedly, a voice rang out again.

"Your Majesty, the national treasury is empty, with only one million taels of silver in cash. There are too many important national affairs that require funds, and I fear that the military funds for this campaign to quell the rebellion will be insufficient!"

"Your Majesty, we are currently defending against the Rong barbarians in the west, and the Manyi barbarians in the east and south. The elite Imperial Guards are also needed to protect the capital region, so it is impossible to spare a large force to quell the rebellion!"

Wu Yuanshan, the Minister of Revenue, and Liu Yuwen, the Minister of War, both from the same faction of the Second Prince, stepped forward at the same time, holding their official tablets and speaking loudly.

"this……"

Emperor Jinglong frowned in thought; he had indeed been troubled by these matters earlier.

"Father, I will give away my entire fortune to quell the rebellion rather than take a single penny from the national treasury! As for troops, I only need two thousand cavalry!"

Li Yuan had anticipated all of this, and smiled calmly as he bowed.

My second brother contributed a lot of money.

He had long planned for his troops—only by recruiting soldiers himself could he guarantee absolute loyalty.

However, before that, we must have a core, elite force as a foundation. Quality over quantity, two thousand is enough.

The hall was filled with gasps of astonishment; the group of courtiers felt as if they had eaten the most shocking meal of their lives today.

"Free of charge? Just two thousand soldiers?"

Emperor Jinglong repeated his words in disbelief.

A group of ministers stared at him wide-eyed; was this simply courting death?

"Your mind is made up; if I do not succeed, I will die for my country!"

Green hills everywhere bury loyal bones; why must they be wrapped in horsehide to return home?

Li Yuan shouted in a long voice.

The civil officials in the hall were amazed, and the military officers felt their blood boil again.

What a heroic spirit and lofty ambition!

"Granted!" Emperor Jinglong sighed and waved his hand, seeing his resolute attitude.

But he began to look at this son with new respect.

However, Duke Xu Rui of Qi stared at Li Yuan with a suspicious look in his eyes. This kid didn't seem like he was going to his death at all. On the contrary, he wanted to run away.

If this kid leaves the capital and doesn't go to Beiyan Road but runs away directly, he might become a major threat in the future.

With a thought flashing through his mind, Xu Rui hurriedly said while holding his scepter, "Your Majesty, His Highness the Prince of Qin is not yet married and has no children. Why not settle His Highness's marriage before he goes to war, so as to avoid leaving any regrets?"

"Well said! Yuan'er, you may choose a suitable match from among the wives of important officials in the court and get married immediately."

Therefore, a marriage selection ceremony will be held tonight in the Duanhe Hall, where all court officials will bring their unmarried daughters to participate, allowing the Prince of Qin to choose his consorts.

These words struck a chord with Emperor Jinglong. He nodded emphatically, a fatherly smile appearing on his face for the first time, and looked at Li Yuan to ask.

"Holy crap..."

Li Yuan was dumbfounded.

He came to apply for permission to abscond, not to find a partner.

"Thank you, Father Emperor!"

Li Yuan was frustrated.

Women only affect hand speed... and the speed at which you draw your sword.

But he had no choice but to agree.

Hmm? Wait a minute, something seems off.

He unconsciously looked up at Xu Rui and saw Xu Rui staring at him with a gloomy and sharp gaze.

In an instant, everything became clear to him, and he understood what was going on.