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

Chapter 167 Is that brat truly the prodigy of the Li family?

Seeing Li Shimin's dejected appearance, Li Zhi's heart was filled with mixed emotions.

He originally intended to incite his father's anger, but instead, it seems that he made his father feel guilty towards Chengqian and Qingque instead.

Fortunately, Li Shimin soon emerged from his grief.

As an emperor, Li Shimin knew that emotions and reason should not be confused.

Especially now, with the political situation in turmoil and countless issues at hand, he, as emperor, must not act impulsively; the foundation of the Tang Dynasty must be the priority in everything he does.

His gaze shifted to Li Zhi, who had now reverted to a submissive and gentle demeanor. Seeing this, Li Shimin felt a slight sense of relief, patted Li Zhi on the shoulder, and said with a self-deprecating laugh, "It's alright, I still have a son like you."

"Without Zhinu, I, as a father, would truly be utterly useless."

"I will certainly do my best to be filial to Father on behalf of my two elder brothers," Li Zhi said immediately.

"Good, good." Li Shimin's eyes showed satisfaction as he patted Li Zhi's hand. His thoughts finally shifted to the political situation.

"If others were to hear Li Xiang and Qing Que's words, it would likely cause some turmoil in the court," he said.

Although he punished Li Tai on the charge of "fighting for the throne," exiling him to Qianzhou and blocking news from the palace.

But in this world, what wall is truly impenetrable?

An unusual fire broke out in Longqingfang at night, nearly killing the deposed crown prince; Prince Wei Tai entered the palace late at night, an unusual occurrence, and was punished the next day; Zheng Rentai, a member of the Zheng family of Xingyang, suddenly accused his cousin Zheng Renze of plotting a rebellion, and killed him out of righteousness; overnight, more than a dozen generals in the palace were punished according to military law.

All these events clearly indicate that some dramatic change must have occurred in the palace that night. Rumors of "all three sons rebelling" were also quietly circulating in the court, and many upright officials had submitted memorials questioning the matter, leaving Li Shimin in a state of great distress.

If rumors were to spread that Li Xiang had sent Li Tai away and had cursed the emperor, and that the two brothers, Li Chengqian and Li Tai, had reconciled but neither would forgive their father, then...

How could Li Shimin maintain his reputation as a wise ruler? How could he govern the court and educate the people?

By looking directly at Li Zhi, he was telling Li Zhi to restrain his subordinates and entourage and not to spread those words.

However, to everyone's surprise, Li Zhi looked troubled.

"Father—you are unaware of this matter."

"It's probably hard for people not to know about it."

"Hmm?" Li Shimin narrowed his phoenix eyes, surprised, and asked, "Why is that?"

Li Zhi lowered his eyes, speaking slowly with a hint of helpless bitterness, as he slowly recited the lines from the poem "Sending Prince Wei Tai to Qianzhou at Ba Bridge": "Drawing my sword to cut the water, the water flows on; raising my cup to dispel sorrow, sorrow only deepens—"

"With soaring spirits and boundless thoughts, we yearn to ascend to the heavens—and grasp the bright moon?"

The poem is clear, sharp, and incisive, with an unyielding spirit that soars to the clouds. It is devoid of the sorrow of bidding farewell to a disgraced official, but instead is full of youthful arrogance and the spirit to conquer mountains and rivers.

Li Shimin was completely stunned.

He was also fond of literature and read countless poems throughout his life. He had heard of countless masterpieces by scholars in the palace and the court.

But I have never heard such a youthful and sharp, ambitious sentence before!

"That brat, presenting this poem to Qingque?" Li Shimin's breathing quickened slightly as he looked at Li Zhi in disbelief.

"Bluebird—what was its reaction?"

"Fourth Brother—overjoyed, he clapped his hands and laughed, saying that this poem had dispelled all the sorrow and desolation in his heart. He even said frankly—Xiang'er has a profound understanding of history and unparalleled character, far surpassing those trapped in the power struggles of the palace." Li Zhi whispered.

He said that with this poem, it would be enough for his name, Li Tai, the Prince of Wei, to be remembered for eternity, and that his Li family was a rare breed of genius.

"They should have been the pillars of the Tang dynasty, but—"

"What is it?" Li Shimin asked.

"My fourth brother said—such a genius should have been the hope of the Li Tang dynasty and the responsibility of the people. But alas—but because Father Emperor controlled his sons and weighed the succession, such a talent was tarnished and his family became estranged. He schemed and plotted, but—he lost such a promising relative who could have brought prosperity to the country."

"Such an ending is both laughable and lamentable."

Li Shimin's expression changed again in an instant.

If it were just a few casual words of farewell or a few complaints of disappointment, with his imperial power, he only needed to issue strict orders to restrain the palace attendants, privately reprimand the scholars present, and suppress dissent in the court. In time, the rumors would naturally fade away.

But who can suppress this spirited poem right now?

Preventing the people from speaking is more difficult than preventing a river from overflowing! Even if he held the power of life and death over the entire country, he could not ultimately silence the people's mouths or stop the writing from spreading!

Poetry and prose are intangible, yet they flourish the more they are forbidden. Within three to five days, they can spread throughout the Imperial Academy and the Hongwen Academy in Chang'an. After several months, scholars from all over the country will copy them down, and they will be recorded in books for thousands of years to come, so that everyone can read them.

At that time, the old story of the deposed crown prince bidding farewell to his former rival on Ba Bridge, and the two lamenting the emperor's misjudgment of power, will also be passed down along with the poems. The reputation of a wise and benevolent ruler that he has painstakingly cultivated for half his life will only sink to the bottom day by day. No matter how he tries to make amends, he will not be able to wash away the opinions of future generations.

Li Zhi's fingers, hanging by his side, clenched quietly as he waited in his heart for his father to fly into a rage and issue a severe decree to punish Li Xiang and tighten the control over Longqing Ward.

But if you peek up, you'll see that although Li Shimin's face is clouded with anger and his brows are furrowed, what's surging in his eyes is not just anger, but also a deep sense of wavering and struggle.

"Zhi Nu, you may leave." Li Shimin suddenly waved his hand, showing his exhaustion.

Li Zhi's mind was filled with a myriad of complex emotions, but after some deliberation, he still bowed and paid his respects.

"————That brat————"

Li Zhi silently withdrew.

Li Shimin waved his hand, and Wang De, the palace maids, the eunuchs, and others understood and all withdrew, leaving only Li Shimin in the vast Liangyi Hall.

Li Shimin stood up, went behind the screen, and soon returned with a black-covered booklet.

He gently placed the booklet on the imperial desk, raised his hand to open one side of the title page, took the purple brush that was placed next to the inkstone, dipped it in thick ink, bent down at the desk and began to write, the brush tip making a rustling sound as it touched the paper.

In a short while, the poem "Sending off Prince Wei Tai to Qianzhou at Ba Bridge" that Li Zhi had just recited was copied word for word onto the book.

After writing, he gently turned the page backward, his fingertips twirling the paper.

If someone else were here, they would find that the entire book is filled with all sorts of words and poems that Li Xiang had written in the past.

Li Shimin traced lines of ink characters with his fingertips and slowly recited in a low voice: "The fragrance of incense permeates Chang'an, the whole city is adorned with golden armor."

"The rise and fall of the nation is the responsibility of every citizen."

"Be the first to worry about the world's troubles and the last to enjoy its pleasures."

He returned to the farewell poem he had just written at Ba Bridge, and softly repeated: "Drawing my sword to cut the water, the water flows on; raising my cup to dispel sorrow, sorrow only deepens—we all cherish lofty aspirations and soaring thoughts, yearning to ascend to the heavens and grasp the bright moon."

After finishing reading, he put down his pen, his narrow phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, a deep and unfathomable scrutiny shrouding them. His gaze lingered on the pages of poetry, and he murmured to himself, his words laced with a complex disbelief: "That brat, could he really be—a once-in-a-century prodigy of the Li family?"