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

Chapter 176 A Smile That Couldn't Close

"Sister, can Xiang'er really persuade Father to retract his decree?"

In the deep, quiet palace, behind a single vermilion gate, Princess Li Wanning of Xinxing gazed in the direction of the Hall of Longing, her voice trembling slightly, filled with barely concealed fear and timidity, as she whispered a question to Princess Li Li of Changle beside her.

The Xiangsi Hall, where the banquet was held, is located in the northern corner of the palace. Officials from the outer court had to pass through a narrow and winding passageway to attend the banquet.

This path is separated from the inner palace by a palace wall.

The two sisters were waiting in a doorway connecting to a passageway in the inner palace for the banquet in the Hall of Longing to end.

"Cough cough—" Li Lizhi felt a slight itch in her throat. She struggled to suppress the discomfort surging within her body before gently comforting her, "A-Ning, don't worry. Xiang'er once persuaded Father to reform the corrupt practices of the imperial examination system. His insight and eloquence are far beyond what ordinary people can match."

She raised her eyes to look in the direction of the Hall of Longing, her gaze gentle yet tinged with helplessness, and continued softly, "This time, he will surely have a way to persuade Father Emperor—"

Seeing her younger sister's furrowed brows and red eyes, looking restless and pitiful, Li Lizhi couldn't bear to say anything. Asking Li Xiang to persuade her was a desperate measure, a last resort when all other options were exhausted.

Despite being plagued by persistent, dull aches that gnawed at her body, she paid no heed, only reaching out to gently touch the bewildered...

Li Wanning embraced her, gently stroking her thin back to soothe her.

The two stood quietly, their minds racing with a thousand thoughts.

Compared to the composed Li Lizhi, Li Wanning was extremely anxious. The outcome of tonight's banquet at the Hall of Longing was not a trivial matter, but rather the fate and destiny of her entire life!

What becomes of him in this life depends entirely on whether his rarely seen nephew can persuade his father—

How could Li Wanning not be anxious?

Not long after, from the depths of the long, quiet passageway, faint sounds of chaotic voices and footsteps could be heard, indicating that the banquet was gradually coming to an end.

Immediately following behind, a palace maid, sent by Li Lizhi to gather information, rushed over, slightly out of breath, and urgently reported: "Princess! Both princesses! The banquet has ended, and all the ministers of the court have left the palace!"

The moment the words left her lips, Li Wanning's body stiffened abruptly, her fingertips trembled slightly, and the tension and fear in her heart instantly reached their peak, even her breathing became somewhat sluggish.

Palace maids, being of lowly status, could only observe and spy from afar. It was ultimately inappropriate for them to approach and inquire about matters of the court.

Only Princess Li Lizhi of Chang Le, who had already married and established her own household and whose status was noble and extraordinary, was able to come forward to find and inquire about the person.

Li Lizhi gently pushed away her younger sister from her arms, her eyes filled with tenderness and certainty, and softly comforted her: "A-Ning, don't be afraid, wait here, your older sister will be right back."

After speaking, she composed herself slightly, lifted her skirt slightly, and walked quickly but gracefully out of the vermilion gate.

Before long, she arrived at this narrow passageway, her eyes searching around, hoping to find Li Xiang, who had just left the banquet, or her husband Changsun Chong, to ask about the final result.

She stood by the passageway, gazing around. Many passing officials recognized the princess's entourage, bowed to her, and then went their separate ways.

Li Lizhi preferred quiet and had little contact with outsiders; she didn't even recognize a single one of these court officials.

However, neither Li Xiang nor Changsun Chong were ever seen.

Li Lizhi felt anxious and coughed a few more times, with beads of sweat even appearing on her forehead.

Three officials in scarlet robes approached. Two of them had flowing white beards and, unlike the others, appeared quite pleased. The one on the left, with a black beard, looked worried.

It was Chu Suiliang, Yan Shigu, and Yan Xiangshi.

Yan Xiangshi stroked his long, white beard, a smug look on his face. He raised the tablet in his hand, densely covered with small characters, and slowly spoke: "Just now, seeing the imperial grandson enter the hall from afar, I knew in my heart that today's banquet would surely produce earth-shattering waves, therefore..."

He deliberately hid the official tablet in his robes so that he could record the entire process.

"For this reason, when I entered the Hall of Longing, I almost got into a dispute with the Left Guard of the Imperial Guards who were on duty at the palace gate. Those soldiers were rigid and unreasonable, and they actually said that one could not bring a tablet into the imperial banquet. Did they think that I could use a tablet to commit treason?"

"It was thanks to my insistence that I was able to keep this item with me and not miss this once-in-a-lifetime event in the imperial court."

The tablet in his hand was covered with ink marks on both sides, recording every dispute and every word spoken. His old face was beaming with joy, and his white beard trembled slightly with his smile.

Yan Shigu stood beside him, his gaze fixed on the tablet covered with writing, his eyes filled with undisguised envy: "Based solely on the two poems the imperial grandson composed in court just now, the events at the Hall of Longing today are enough to be recorded in history and passed down to future generations."

"Since the Imperial Grandson temporarily took charge of the Ministry of Rites, you have gained countless unique insights and observations. When will you be able to introduce the Imperial Grandson to me? We are brothers—"

Before he could finish speaking, Yan Xiangshi quickly waved his hand, his tone tinged with disdain: "Brother, please don't say that. Recording historical facts depends entirely on chance and opportunity, and has nothing to do with brotherly affection."

"I, your foolish brother, still hope to leave my mark on history after my death, relying on these firsthand records. How can I share them with others? Besides, what's wrong with us dividing the work? Textual research, exegesis, and collation of ancient books are your strengths, elder brother, while recording events on the spot and collecting current affairs will be my responsibility. We each have our own strengths, wouldn't that be perfect?"

Yan Shigu secretly rolled his eyes, inwardly grumbling. He had spent his entire life buried in old books, studying classics and exegesis, and only after decades had he gained some fame.

What could be more likely to win the admiration of posterity than writing history and passing it down to future generations?

He was clearly afraid that I would get a share of his exclusive historical materials. He was a petty person who had gained power and was stingy and kept his secrets!

Yan Xiangshi, however, paid no attention to his elder brother's thoughts. His beard trembled as he grinned from ear to ear.

Since becoming acquainted with Li Xiang, he has amassed countless exclusive historical materials that others could not access: the details of the farewell to Prince Wei at Ba Bridge were so intricate that even Chu Suiliang, who was in charge of recording the emperor's daily life, knew very little about them. Only he obtained the imperial grandson's own oral account, a record that will surely be eagerly studied by future historians.

Afterwards, he continued to copy and record many of Li Xiang's memorials submitted to the emperor. Each of these memorials directly addressed the ills of the time, and the words were so sincere and heartfelt that ordinary officials could never have seen them.

Moreover, the imperial grandson was diligent; after his daily roll call, he would write a memorial and submit it to the palace.

These unique written records alone are enough to greatly increase the value of his surviving notes.

Furthermore, during the confrontation between the emperor and his ministers in the Xiangsi Hall today, he brought his own clapperboard and took notes in real time, leaving no detail overlooked. This is yet another exclusive historical record.

It's a pity that Chu Suiliang, the Imperial Secretary, and many other court officials were in the palace at the time, thus taking away the opportunity to record this exclusive account. Otherwise, what we have recorded today would be the only complete historical record in the world.