Chaos of the Three Kingdoms Summons

Chapter 2799 The deposed crown prince is imprisoned and placed under house arrest by the Imperial Music Bureau.

Li Xiang stared blankly at the Crown Prince for a long while before slowly speaking, his voice filled with deep weariness.

"Do you know how history will portray you, even if you succeed? A patricide, a regicide, a usurper and a traitor!"

Upon hearing this, the crown prince actually laughed, a laugh filled with arrogance and a hint of madness.

"So what? Your Majesty! If I win, I will be the new emperor!"

"Just as you told your son back then, let future generations judge my merits and demerits!"

"If the world is at peace and a golden age is upon us, what do a little stain matter? One lifetime is worth ten thousand lifetimes!"

A deathly silence fell over the main hall.

The father and son stood a few steps apart, their eyes locked in a fierce battle.

One represents the unshakeable existing imperial power, and the other represents the long-suppressed right of succession that is now bursting forth.

Finally, the emperor slowly closed his eyes, as if he had exhausted all his strength.

He waved his hand, the movement slow and heavy.

"Take him away." His voice was as light as a breeze. "Depose him from his position as crown prince, place him under house arrest, and he shall not be released until he dies."

After the Crown Prince, this matter was not over. Not to mention the Crown Prince's cronies who were involved, there was another prince besides the Crown Prince.

Soon, as the crown prince was taken away, the twenty-two-year-old prince Li Ju was also brought up.

Compared to Crown Prince Li Hao, Li Ju's robes were much neater, though his handsome face carried a hint of unruly stubbornness.

Upon seeing Li Xiang, he did not kneel down to beg for forgiveness like a typical guilty official, but simply bowed slightly and gave a casual greeting: "Father."

Li Xiang looked at him, the youngest son he had in his old age, whom he had practically held in his arms and personally taught and raised in the Imperial Study.

He harbored a complex mix of emotions, even a secret sense of relief. This kid, after all, was of imperial blood and had the guts to fight!

As Li Xiang's son, and as the emperor's son, it should be normal for him to dare to compete for this position.

As the emperor's son, he should naturally vie for this position.

Li Xiang's gaze was sharp as he stared directly at the young prince, Li Ju. "Tell me, what do you want by getting involved in this?"

"My throne?"

"Or should you pave the way for your elder brother, strive for merit in supporting the new emperor, and become a powerful prince in the future?"

Li Xiang's tone even carried a subtle hint of guidance, as if he were expecting a "decent" answer.

The young prince Li Ju raised his head and met his father's gaze. His eyes were clear and open, even carrying a hint of dissatisfaction at being misunderstood.

He spoke, his voice clear and bright, but what he said instantly stunned Li Xiang, shattering all his illusions.

"Your subject does not desire the throne, nor does he desire the merit of supporting the emperor. Your subject simply does not wish to marry that noblewoman Wang!"

Li Xiang was almost stunned, almost doubting that he had heard correctly.

"……What did you say?"

"Your subject says, Your subject does not wish to marry the noblewoman Wang!"

Li Ju repeated himself, his tone even more resolute, even tinged with a hint of grievance, "Your subject has long had someone in his heart, the daughter of Imperial Censor Qin Zhen, Qin Shi. Your subject and she are mutually in love!"

"Father, you knew perfectly well that you were forcing that noblewoman Wang on me! My elder brother promised me that he would allow me to marry her after the matter was settled!"

Li Xiang's facial muscles twitched slightly as he looked at his most beloved youngest son, to whom he had poured countless efforts, and watched him speak these words with such self-righteousness...

This is utterly absurd, childish and laughable!
An indescribable rage, mixed with immense disappointment and a sense of humiliation and absurdity, surged into Emperor Li Xiang's heart!

It was even worse than when he heard that the crown prince had rebelled!
Li Xiang could tolerate his sons rebelling for the throne. After all, they were princes, and the position was naturally closest to them. If they truly had no ambition for the throne and didn't dare to even raise a finger, then Li Xiang would be disappointed in them.

However, he could not tolerate doing such a thing for a mere woman.

You should know that if you want to achieve great things, what kind of woman can't you find?

Women all over the world could line up waiting for your favor!

"Just for a woman?"

Li Xiang's voice was squeezed out from between his teeth, and it was terrifyingly low.

"You colluded with the Crown Prince, mobilized the Imperial Guards, and stormed the palace, almost causing a catastrophe, all because you didn't want the marriage I had arranged for you?"

"Yes!"

Li Ju retorted, his neck stiff, "That is my life's most important matter! Why can't I fight for it? Father, you taught me from a young age that what you want, you have to fight for yourself!"

“The son of the emperor should be like this! Your son argued, but... he didn’t win.”

However, Li Ju's calm demeanor completely ignited Li Xiang's anger!

"Bastard thing!"

Li Xiang slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups rattle. He stood up abruptly, his body trembling slightly from extreme anger.

"I taught you to fight for civil and military achievements! To fight for the country and its people! Not to use the military strategies you've learned to rebel against your father for the sake of a woman!"

"All the things I taught you over the years, you've learned but forgotten!"

Li Xiang was so angry he almost laughed; it was a reaction to extreme anger and disappointment.

"I thought, I thought you had finally grown up! And developed some ambition!"

"So, this is all the ambition you've achieved?"

"For a country bumpkin, you're going to use what I taught you on such childish games?"

"You have utterly disgraced all the teachings I have given you over the years! You have disgraced your imperial lineage!"

Li Ju's face paled slightly from the scolding, but his eyes remained defiant. He retorted, "Your subject does not feel disgraced! How can my beloved be treated as a child's play?"

“Brother’s struggle for the throne is a struggle, and I’m fighting for what I love. Why isn’t that a struggle too? In my heart, they are equally important!”

"important?"

Li Xiang suddenly grabbed the memorial on the table, as if he wanted to smash it.

"How can personal feelings be compared to matters of national importance? Your elder brother is vying for the throne, while you're only concerned with petty squabbles! And you dare to say you're on the same level!"

Li Ju pursed his lips and stopped speaking, but his eyes, which resembled Li Xiang's when he was young, were filled with defiance and persistence.

He didn't think he did anything wrong; he just failed.

As the son of the emperor, even if he were executed on the spot today, he would not bow his head, much less admit his mistakes against his conscience.

Seeing his unyielding attitude, Li Xiang felt a surge of powerlessness mixed with overwhelming anger, which burned in his chest.

He spent countless efforts to cultivate such a romantic?

How ridiculous!
"Get out! Get out of my place!"

Li Xiang pointed at the palace gate and roared, "Imprisonment! Get out of here and go to your palace to think this over! If you don't understand, don't ever come out again!"

"Furthermore, Imperial Censor Qin Zhen has been exiled to the State of Tai!"

"The Qin family's daughter, send her to the brothel!"