A thousand-year-old family begins with one fighting against ten thousand.

Deep within the prison, there was a room that didn't look like a cell.

The room has bright windows and is fully equipped with a table, bed, and bedding.

The rooms in some ordinary homes in Luoyang were no different.

It's hard to imagine that this is a prison where heinous criminals are held.

In this very cell, a man dressed in luxurious clothes, who looked incredibly wealthy, sat quietly, holding a book in his hand and reading it intently.

His imposing presence made it impossible to tell that this was a prison cell; it felt as if one were in their own study.

This person was none other than Li Chengqian, the former crown prince of the Tang Dynasty.

Just then, footsteps approached, but they did not disturb Li Chengqian's reading at all.

Li Shimin looked at Li Chengqian, who was leisurely reading a book in front of him, and felt a surge of anger.

This unfilial son did such a thing, yet he's still leisurely reading a book, showing absolutely no remorse.

"The traitor!"

Li Shimin shouted angrily, interrupting Li Chengqian's thoughts.

Li Chengqian raised his eyebrows slightly and looked up at Li Shimin. "Father, you taught me not to act rashly, but to think thrice before acting. Why are you so anxious now?"

Li Shimin was furious; this rebellious son was now lecturing him!

This is utterly upside down!

"You unfilial son, do you know what heinous crime you have committed? You show not the slightest remorse."

"How could I have a son like you?"

"Please, Your Majesty, address me as Crown Prince."

Li Chengqian said calmly.

He picked up the book again, but his mind was no longer on it.

"Heh heh, Your Highness!"

Li Shimin was so angry that he laughed instead.

"Look at yourself! You don't resemble a prince at all! What prince ever staged a coup?"

"Father, aren't you the same?"

Li Shimin was taken aback by Li Chengqian's words; he really was something else.

Lies don't hurt, truth is the knife.

Li Shimin was furious; Li Chengqian's words struck a nerve.

"No ruler, no father, utterly no ruler, no father!"

"This is absolutely outrageous!"

"From today onwards, you are no longer the Crown Prince. I have shifted the blame for the rebellion onto Hou Junji. You were merely coerced and have been demoted to the Prince of Qian, forbidden from returning to the capital."

"I'm only sparing your life because of Guanyinbi. Li Chengqian, you'd better watch yourself."

Li Shimin flicked his sleeves and was about to turn and leave.

Then those words, which pierced his heart, came from behind him again.

"I say, Your Majesty, please address me as Crown Prince."

Li Shimin's eyelids twitched violently. He turned around, somewhat disbelieving his ears. "What did you say?"

"Say it to me again."

"Oh!"

Li Chengqian even chuckled, "It seems that Father is indeed getting senile; even his hearing isn't working so well anymore."

"In that case, I will say it again: Your Majesty, please address me as Crown Prince!"

Li Chengqian's voice grew louder and louder, and the last two words, "Crown Prince," were so powerful that they almost echoed throughout the prison.

All the other prisoners in the dungeon looked over curiously, wondering what had happened.

Since they were already on the verge of death anyway, they didn't care much. Being able to hear royal secrets before they died was not a bad thing.

"Li Chengqian, how dare you!"

Li Shimin roared, his anger almost escalating his irrationality.

"Insolence? How have I been insolent? I am the eldest son of Emperor Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun of the Tang Dynasty, the grandson of the founding emperor of the Tang Dynasty personally recognized, and the legitimate heir to the Tang Dynasty. All laws and regulations apply. What is wrong with that?"

Li Chengqian said coldly.

"At today's court assembly, I have stripped you of your position as Crown Prince."

Li Shimin said coldly.

"Oh?"

Li Chengqian smiled knowingly. "According to the rules of etiquette, to depose the crown prince, the three judicial departments must jointly review the case, and the imperial relatives, nobles, and officials of the third rank or above must jointly convene a court meeting to discuss the matter and obtain approval."

At this point, Li Chengqian paused, his smile becoming even more sinister.

"Afterwards, Your Majesty will need to personally go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to offer sacrifices to the ancestors and tell them about the Crown Prince's faults and the reasons for his removal."

"Afterwards, an official decree was issued to announce to the world the revocation of the crown prince's seal, ceremonial regalia, and so on."

"Only after this entire process is completed will the whole process be finished, and only then will I no longer be the Crown Prince."

"Father, did you go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to offer sacrifices? Did you tell the ancestors of the Tang Dynasty why you deposed the Crown Prince? What mistake did the Crown Prince make? What did he do?"

Li Chengqian's smile grew increasingly eerie as he silently watched Li Shimin, who then took a step back.

"Chengqian, don't force me!"

If he were to personally go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple and tell the ancestors of the Li family that he, Li Shimin, had murdered his brother and imprisoned his father, and that his son had followed his example and also committed the same acts.

How can he possibly say such things?

The reasons given in court may fool ordinary people, but must they also deceive the spirits of our ancestors?

"Hahahahahahahahaha!"

"Father, are you afraid?!"

"Is there anything in this world you wouldn't dare to do?"

Hahahaha!

"Shut up! I told you to shut up!"

Li Shimin took two steps forward and slapped Li Chengqian hard across the face.

Li Chengqian did not dodge, but instead took the blow head-on.

"Was that slap from His Majesty a matter of national law or family law?"

"If this is family discipline, was it administered on behalf of my recently deceased mother?"

"If so, then I am willing to accept it. I have indeed failed my mother."

"But if it's the law of the land, which law is Your Majesty basing your decision on?"

Li Chengqian's gaze frightened Li Shimin. Now, Li Chengqian was fearless; he had nothing left to lose.

Because they are fearless, they are undaunted.

"You unfilial son, even now you still have the nerve to mention your mother?"

"Your mother has only just passed away, and you have already killed your own brother, whom you shared the same mother's blood, and you have personally led troops in rebellion against your father!"

Li Shimin roared.

"I grew up on my mother's milk, so why can't I mention her? That morning at Xuanwu Gate, it was my mother who stood guard at my door, holding a short sword to protect me and not let anyone hurt me in the slightest. But today, it is you, Father, who has hurt me."

Li Chengqian spoke each word with force and conviction, showing no sign of timidity.

"I didn't dodge that slap, because it's something I owe my mother, not something I owe you, Father!"

"Shut up!"

"Li Chengqian, shut up!"

Li Shimin was almost losing his mind, roaring in anger.

"Father, please address me as Crown Prince!"

Li Chengqian's voice was louder and full of energy!

"Father, I've lost. The victor is king, the loser is villain. I accept it!"

Li Chengqian took an official seal from his pocket and threw it on the table.

"Father, isn't the new crown prince Zhinu?"

"Consider this a gift from your older brother."

"With Zhinu's temperament, he will definitely be a good crown prince, and more importantly, his age is also suitable."

Li Chengqian's words were full of sarcasm.