Tang Dynasty: Father, if you don't rebel, I will!

The five surnames and seven prominent families were indeed quite capable.

This is the evaluation given by Sun Simiao after examining Lu Zhaojing's condition.

"Dean Sun, what's wrong with this bastard surnamed Lu? This prince hasn't even started using his powers yet, and he can't even handle it?"

Hou Junji looked displeased.

Upon hearing this, Sun Simiao couldn't help but sigh and gently shake his head.

"Forget it, Duke of Lu. Lu Zhaojing's body is now like a candle in the wind. Back in Goguryeo, he probably already needed daily medicine to recuperate. Now that he has returned to the Tang Dynasty, from Yanzhou Prefecture to Zhenbei Road, he has been tormented by Duke Du... Even if his ancestors of the Lu family of Fanyang were to protect him, he probably wouldn't live past the fifth year of Zhenguan."

“If you continue to torment him, I’m afraid he won’t live to see the day he goes to Chang’an.”

These words made Hou Junji even more displeased. He glared at Lu Zhaojing, who was lying half-reclined in the ward. Beside her, Li Xing and Cui Minshi were curiously looking at the Royal Medical College of the Tang Dynasty, which had been mentioned many times in the Tang Dynasty Daily.

Sun Simiao wrote out a prescription and asked his students to go to the pharmacy to get the medicine and prepare it.

Hou Junji snorted coldly and was about to enter the ward when he heard footsteps and saw Wang Ming, the governor of Bingzhou and the head of the Wang family of Taiyuan, rushing over.

"Duke of Lu, is he still alive?"

He frowned. His Highness the Crown Prince had allowed them to torment those three bastards along the way, but he hadn't said he'd allow them to torment them to death.

These old bastards, even if they die, they must die under the law of the Tang Dynasty!

Hou Junji snorted coldly. He had suffered so much humiliation from the Five Surnames and Seven Noble Families over the years, and he still hadn't vented his anger on them.

"He's lucky to be alive!"

When Wang Ming entered the ward, Lu Zhaojing, who was lying on the bed, as well as Li Xing and Cui Minshi, opened their mouths as if to say something, but in the end, they could only get up and bow with complicated expressions.

"Outside, your humble servant Li Xing (Cui Minshi) pays his respects to Governor Wang..."

Both of their voices were filled with obvious resentment and shame. Back then, Wang Ming, the head of the Taiyuan Wang family, was considered to have a relatively low status in their circle.

However, times have changed and things are unpredictable now.

The Wang family of Taiyuan continued to exist, while the Li family of Zhao County, the Lu family of Fanyang, and the Cui family of Qinghe were about to become skeletons in the tomb.

Wang Ming waved his hand, glanced at the two of them with a flickering look, and finally focused his gaze on Lu Zhaojing, who was lying on the bed with a face as pale as paper.

"Ah... Brother Gongyun, it's been years! How have you been?"

He gave a weak, bitter smile and greeted them in a hoarse voice.

Upon hearing the other person address him by his courtesy name, Wang Ming's jaw muscles twitched twice. Looking at the other person's emaciated appearance, he couldn't help but be moved.

Back then, Lu Zhaojing was the most handsome and dashing among the heads of their families. He disliked wearing crowns and often wore long hair and a scholar's robe at home. He could always quote classics almost instinctively without ever speaking to anyone.

He was exceptionally talented and, among the group, possessed a strong Confucian character from a young age.

Hou Junji stared at him intently from the side. No matter how complicated Wang Ming's heart was, he ultimately couldn't address the other party as "Brother Sihe" as he had done back then.

"Master Lu...why have you become so haggard?"

After uttering a meaningless remark, the heads of the Cui, Lu, and Li families present all sighed inwardly.

Seeing the way the group acted, Hou Junji wanted to make a sarcastic remark, but looking at Lu Zhaojing's half-dead appearance, he could only let out a cold snort in the end.

He left those words behind and walked out of the ward.

"Our guild has requested permission from His Highness the Crown Prince to allow you to rest here for a few days before proceeding to Chang'an... You'd better behave yourselves during these next few days!"

Seeing Hou Junji leave, Lu Zhaojing and the others visibly relaxed.

Cui Minshi stood up and cupped his hands: "Brother Gongyun... In the end, we reaped what we sowed back then, and now we are completely at our wits' end."

His eyes were filled with tears as he stepped forward, his voice choked with sobs and pleading.

"My Cui clan of Qinghe still has many relatives, many of whom were dragged to Goguryeo by my own willful actions, which led to the current situation. I wonder if Brother Gongyun can..."

Before he could finish speaking, he saw Wang Ming take a step back.

Cui Minshi opened his mouth, and even though he had no hope, his expression couldn't help but darken.

"Ah, I misspoke, please forgive me, Governor Wang."

Wang Ming looked at the group with a complicated expression.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of shared sorrow, especially after learning that Crown Prince Li Chengqian had transferred the Wang family of Taiyuan and the Zheng family of Xingyang to Pyongyang to serve as executioners for the future Cui, Lu, and Li families.

“I know what you are thinking, but unfortunately, if I were to get involved now, it would only backfire... The Wang family of Taiyuan is also walking on thin ice right now, so please forgive me.”

"I cannot help you!"

Wang Ming made his stance clear: "It's better to sacrifice your friends than yourself." He had already made a mistake in his pursuit of his daughter's favor, which had earned him a warning from Crown Prince Li Chengqian.

If we were to interfere in the affairs of the Cui, Lu, and Li families now, the Wang family of Taiyuan would likely follow in their footsteps.

Lu Zhaojing let out a soft sigh, but she did not express any resentment towards the other party.

"Hehe, Brother Gongyun is still willing to speak frankly with us, and is still willing to see us, these traitors and condemned prisoners, which is already a sign of leniency. The crimes we have committed have brought disaster upon our entire families, and we have brought this calamity upon ourselves, so we have no one to blame but ourselves..."

"It's such a pity, haha..." Lu Zhaojing's eyes were filled with regret and remorse as tears streamed down her face.

"I have no face to meet my ancestors. My Lu family of Fanyang has a history of hundreds of years, but in the end, I am destined to be known as a foreign vassal... I am not even as good as the Cui family of Boling, whose nine generations were exterminated!"

"Woooooooo..."

Lu Zhaojing sobbed, but he forced himself to sit up.

His eyes were full of pleading: "Brother Gongyun, I may die, but the Lu family of Fanyang must not bury our descendants and family learning in a foreign land. Could you please help the Lu family of Fanyang just this once? Consider it a prayer from the entire Lu family. In the next life, the Lu family will repay your great kindness with our utmost gratitude."

"His Highness the Crown Prince intends to execute us, but... could we at least be executed for the crime of treason against the Central Plains...?"

"I have no other request, nor do I dare to ask the Crown Prince or His Majesty for leniency. I only ask to die in the name of the Tang people!"

Lu Zhaojing was weak and trembling all over, tears mixed with cold sweat soaking his gray hair.

Beside him, Cui Minshi and Li Xing also bowed to Wang Ming with their hands clasped.

"Brother Gongyun, I beg you! If the Crown Prince harbors any grudge, he may cut me into a thousand pieces, or even boil me in oil... I only ask that my descendants of the Li family of Zhao County be punished and tried as citizens of Tang!"

"Brother Gongyun, I beg you..."

"Oh? You're not going to live much longer?"

In Chang'an, at the Ganlu Palace, Li Chengqian, who was checking the studies of his younger siblings, raised an eyebrow slightly as he listened to Wang Ming's nervous report with his head bowed.

Wang Ming nodded cautiously: "Yes, after Dean Sun's diagnosis, he said that at most, his lifespan is only this year."

"Ha!" Li Chengqian scoffed.

"It really has become a worthless life..."

He looked at the other person with a half-smile, his eyes seemingly full of meaning: "Didn't they ask you, Brother Gongyun, for anything? After all, Minister Wang is now my father-in-law, isn't he?"

"In many matters, I also rely on the assistance of the Wang family of Taiyuan..."

Wang Ming's expression changed instantly, and without any hesitation, he knelt on the ground.

"Your Majesty, I am filled with trepidation! I would never dare to harbor the slightest thought of deceiving or betraying your grace!"

"The entire Wang family of Taiyuan dares not be arrogant or disobey the imperial decree for even a moment. We hope Your Highness will investigate this matter thoroughly!"

He pressed his head to the ground, beads of sweat, thick with fear, constantly sliding down his forehead and dripping onto the floor.

Wang Ming, however, knelt on the ground, not daring to move an inch.

Li Chengqian let out a soft, ambiguous chuckle, and nodded in satisfaction after reading Chang Le's academic test paper.

"I have seen all your efforts..."

It's unclear whether he was referring to Princess Chang Le's hard work in her studies or to the loyalty and efforts of the Wang family of Taiyuan.

Since the Crown Prince's wedding, this invisible aura has grown stronger day by day. Even Emperor Li Shimin sometimes had to marvel at the Crown Prince's imposing presence.

He's really starting to look more and more like an emperor.

He put the exam paper aside, then saw the exam paper belonging to Gao Yang below, and his brows furrowed slightly.

A quick glance revealed that the brat was still there, oblivious to everything, petting the head of the "Black Right Guard General" husky.

"Still playing there! Have you forgotten the lesson you learned before! Even if you spoil it, protect it, and feed it meat every meal, who knows, one day it might just drag you into the ditch like before... Have you forgotten how painful the fall was?!"

Li Chengqian scolded his troublesome younger sister.

This girl really loves these huskies, giving them names like "Black Right Guard General" and "Black Guard Holding the Golden Crow".

There have been quite a few impeachments about this matter by censors and officials in the past few days.

Gao Yang immediately sat up straight, while Wang Ming, who was lying on the ground, felt the surrounding cold air becoming increasingly biting.

Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger; he dared not look up to see what Li Chengqian's expression was at that moment.

But having served as an official his entire life, he could clearly tell from the tone of the voice that this was a warning to the Wang family of Taiyuan.

In response, he did nothing but show as much deference as possible.

There was no other way.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but just when Wang Ming felt that his legs no longer belonged to him.

A series of hurried footsteps, accompanied by Wang De's cheerful shouts, suddenly came from outside the hall.

"Your Highness, it's good news! The Crown Princess is pregnant!"

"Your Highness..."

Wang De was slightly out of breath, but his face was flushed with excitement. As soon as he rushed into the hall, he disregarded his composure and announced the good news again.

"Your Highness, the imperial physician has examined the Crown Princess's pulse; she is pregnant!"

"Really? It's true? Why don't you try it again?"

When Li Chengqian arrived at Crown Princess Qian Yingying's place with his men, his father had already arrived ahead of him and was urging the imperial physician to verify the diagnosis.

"Your Majesty, there's no mistake. Her Majesty the Empress sent word to me that the Crown Princess's diet has been unusual these past few days, suggesting she may be pregnant. I dared not delay, so I came today to examine her pulse, and it is indeed so..."

The imperial physician, with a smile on his face, saw Crown Prince Li Chengqian approaching quickly and hurriedly cupped his hands in congratulations.

"Your Highness, I congratulate you on the Crown Princess's pregnancy!"

Li Chengqian's face was filled with disbelief and surprise. He hurriedly went into the hall, only to find that his mother was also there with a big belly.

When she came in, Qian Yingying was still touching her lower abdomen in disbelief.

Upon seeing Li Chengqian enter, she couldn't help but reveal a bright smile.

"Your Highness, the imperial physician says I am pregnant..."

Li Chengqian nodded. At this moment, he was a completely different person from the Crown Prince of Tang who had frightened Wang Ming to the point of trembling with just a few words in the Ganlu Hall.

He was at a loss, yet excited to say something, but he just had a silly grin on his face.

Behind them, Princess Chang Le rushed over in a flurry, along with Gao Yang, Cheng Yang, and the other little ones.

"Quick, quick, Sister Chang Le, take a look! Is it a nephew or a niece?" Gao Yang urged from the side.

Chang Le, the "little miracle doctor" of the Li Tang royal family, immediately pretended to take the pulse of the bewildered Qian Yingying.

"It's only been a short time, and even if Doctor Sun came, he couldn't figure it out. How could you..." Li Chengqian rolled his eyes in annoyance, but his smile grew even wider.

Chang Le's little face was full of seriousness: "Shh, Your Majesty, I can do it!"