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

"Lu Zhaojing, how dare you! You attempted to rebel but failed, and even fled to the Tang Dynasty. Now that you've been brought before His Majesty, you still dare to speak so rudely and shamelessly bite back!?"

When Changsun Wuji heard that this old man actually dared to slander the reputation of the Crown Prince and His Majesty, he was shocked.

He was instantly enraged.

"Someone, bring..."

Before he could finish speaking, a figure moved even faster than him.

Wang Ming took three steps at a time, rushing past the officials in an instant. Before anyone could react, he kicked Lu Zhaojing hard.

"You old scoundrel, still have the nerve to argue! Die!"

A loud thud.

Lu Zhaojing's frail body rolled twice on the ground. With a scream, two teeth mixed with blood flew out of his mouth, having accidentally hit the ground.

Wang Ming glared angrily, ready to launch another brutal attack on him.

However, Li Daozong, who reacted quickly from the side, hurriedly grabbed him.

Even if you want to kill the other party, you absolutely cannot do so now.

"You old scoundrel Lu, you members of the Lu family of Fanyang are already unscrupulous and lawless in officialdom, and you are even more brutal and disrespectful to the common people. You are a family of scholars in Confucian robes and manners, but you are full of thieves and prostitutes!"

"You still dare to claim loyalty to the emperor? If the Crown Prince had truly revealed the advantages of those firearms back then, would you, Lu Zhaojing, dare to swear on the honor of your Fanyang Lu clan ancestors that your Fanyang Lu clan intended to seize those firearms for yourselves, or that you could truly join forces with His Majesty and the Crown Prince to launch a northern expedition?!"

"You think you're worthy of talking about loyalty to the emperor?! Bah!"

Among the crowd, Zheng Jiang, the head of the Xingyang Zheng family who had been standing next to Wang Ming, also realized what was happening.

While silently cursing Wang Ming as a despicable old scoundrel, he thought to himself...

He immediately rushed out of the crowd and kicked Cui Minshi, who was about to argue.

"boom!"

Cui Minshi screamed in agony, just like Lu Zhaojing had just done.

A clear shoe print was imprinted on his face, causing his nose to bleed profusely on the spot.

Cui Minshi stared wide-eyed at this damned traitor of the aristocratic family in disbelief.

You, the Zheng family of Xingyang, clearly agreed with us to instigate a rebellion in Henan Province, in support of our three families, but in the end you betrayed us...

Just as he was about to say something, Zheng Jiang suddenly interrupted him.

"You shameless bunch, using ambiguous matters to confuse the public. Where were you when Jieli sent 200,000 troops to attack our Great Tang again?!"

"What? Are you still going to say that even with the advantage of firearms, the Tang Dynasty is still no match for the Turks, and that we should still avoid their sharp edge?! Weren't you just spouting nonsense, claiming that a million-strong Turkic army would dare to join His Majesty and the Crown Prince on a northern expedition?!"

"Why did the eight elders of the Zheng clan of Xingyang lead two thousand of my clan members north to fight against the Turks back then, but you few families were nowhere to be seen?!"

Zheng Jiang's voice was full of anger and arrogance. After speaking, he suddenly raised his voice even higher in front of everyone.

He bowed respectfully to Li Chengqian, who looked completely bewildered on the stage.

"Our Zheng family of Xingyang has been loyal to the emperor and the country for generations. Although we dare not be as shameless as you Cui, Lu and Li families and say that we are innocent and without fault, we absolutely dare to say that our Zheng family is loyal to the emperor!"

"Our Zheng family of Xingyang, with two thousand men, donned armor and took up arms to fight the enemy in the north. When they returned, everyone wore white mourning clothes, carried coffins and spirits, and every family wept bitterly..."

Everyone stared wide-eyed at Zheng Jiang, who had red eyes and looked incredibly excited.

"The eight elders of the Zheng clan, eight men on horseback, swore to die rather than surrender in order to stop the army of Jieli. With the strength of eight men, they beheaded a hundred enemies. They are worthy of the glory of our Great Tang and fearless men of our Great Tang!"

"The Crown Prince presented a poem in praise, entitled 'Jiang Cheng Zi: A Gift to the Eight Elders of the Zheng Clan of Xingyang for Their Legacy of Bravery'!"

"This old man is suddenly seized by a youthful passion!!!"

Looking at Zheng Jiang, who was acting all tragic and heroic, he put on a loud performance right in front of all the officials, the emperor, and the crown prince, with one foot on Li Xing, the head of the Zhao County Li family.

Wang Ming's eyes widened, and they instantly filled with tears.

His voice was a full level higher than the other person's.

He pushed aside Li Daozong, who was stunned and confused, and then addressed the Crown Prince Li Chengqian, who was already somewhat helpless on the stage, to express his loyalty and merit.

"When the Turkic army approached the Wei River, our Wang clan of Taiyuan was ordered to quell the rebellion. We gathered the strength of the entire clan and ventured deep into the grasslands. The Crown Prince presented us with a poem..."

"The moon of Qin, the pass of Han!!!" (Very loudly)

Li Shimin took a deep breath. He was still a little angry because of Lu Zhaojing's sophistry, but now he looked at Zheng Jiang and Wang Ming in the hall.

This is the meaning of the phrase, "Wearing brocade hats and sable furs, a thousand horsemen sweep across the plains."

That line, "If only the Flying General of Longcheng were here..."

This cry of "To repay the city's favor, we follow the governor!"

That phrase, "We will not allow the barbarian horses to cross the Yin Mountains,"

As the two seemed to be competing, their voices grew louder and louder, and that old scoundrel Wang Ming was about to repeat the four-line poem for the third time.

Li Shimin finally couldn't hold back any longer.

"Cough cough..."

He cleared his throat and gestured to his son, the Crown Prince, to say a few words and take control of the situation.

You need to manage your people; they're overacting.

Li Chengqian received a look from his father, the emperor, and nodded helplessly.

"boom!"

He slammed the book on the table, sending a sheet of paper with over a dozen potential names copied out flying.

The eunuchs nearby quickly knelt down to pick it up.

"Okay, be quiet!"

Li Chengqian's calm voice immediately silenced Wang Ming and Zheng Jiang, whose throats were already a little sore.

Prince Li Tai of Wei, sitting next to his elder brother, clicked his tongue.

He shook his head and chuckled softly.

He muttered to himself, "It's truly a dog-eat-dog world. These aristocratic airs, stripped of their Confucian decorum, reveal nothing but their ugly side."

The sound could only be heard by Li Chengqian and the other person.

Li Chengqian didn't speak, but looked calmly at Lu Zhaojing, who was swaying and staggering as she got up from the ground, her mouth full of blood.

"How will you defend yourself against what Zheng Qing said? Are you going to say that the prestigious Lu family of Fanyang has not received any news from the northern border?"

Li Tai, standing to the side, said quietly, "Brother, you are just too kind-hearted. Back then, the Cui families of Qinghe and Boling even took a detour through the Hedong Road to enter the Eastern Turkic Khaganate and provided them with supplies. Why are you still saving face for them?"

Li Chengqian remained silent, but Lu Zhaojing and the others' expressions tightened.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Jiang, who had just fallen silent, immediately perked up.

"Fine, then how will you argue? You say we are disloyal to the Tang Dynasty and His Highness? The eight hundred newly added memorial tablets in my Xingyang Zheng Clan Ancestral Hall are still there! What has your Fanyang Lu Clan done for my Tang Dynasty?!"

Wang Ming immediately jumped out again: "Throughout Bingzhou, there are still seven hundred corrupt officials and traitors whose skins have been slain by my son. That is the contribution that the Wang family of Taiyuan has made to the bright and clear world and the clean and honest government of our Great Tang!"

With blood all over his nose and face, Cui Minshi struggled to his feet.

"What you have done, do you think my Cui family of Qinghe cannot do? You are just lucky to have caught the Crown Prince's eye! How could the family learning of my Cui family of Qinghe be inferior to that of the other two families!"

"It's all fate! Enough said. Kill me or torture me, that's all. My Cui family of Qinghe is simply not destined to receive the emperor's favor. If you want to say that my Cui family of Qinghe is a traitor, then we are foreign subjects!"

"Even if I die, I will not suffer such a bad reputation!"

As he spoke, Cui Minshi, that bastard, even snorted coldly, put his hands behind his back, and looked like a jerk who thought, "The whole world is corrupt, but I am the only one who is pure."

Such shamelessness made both Li Chengqian and Li Tai laugh out loud.

Lu Zhaojing, who had just been kicked by Wang Ming, coughed and stared at Wang Ming with eyes full of resentment and venom.

"It's just that your Taiyuan Wang clan happens to be based in the area on Jieli's southward journey. If my Fanyang Lu clan were in Taiyuan, you, Wang Ming, would have to turn the tables on me today!"

"If you can kill those corrupt officials who obstruct the new policies for the Tang Dynasty and for the Crown Prince, so can I, the Lu family of Fanyang!"

"If you can put righteousness before family and the Crown Prince, and purge the corrupt elements within your clan, so can I, the Lu clan of Fanyang!"

"You're just luckier than us, don't try to put on airs in front of me!"

He straightened up, his weak body seemingly unable to hold on any longer.

His gaze was fixed on Li Chengqian on the stage, who had a half-smile on his face, as if he were waiting to be slaughtered.

A bow.

“Your subject Lu Zhaojing, I have no one to blame but fate. I have made mistakes in the past, which have led to this day. My reputation is ruined, and I have nothing to say.”

"Your Highness... kill me!"

"But if there is an afterlife, I hope Your Highness, the Holy Ruler, will still favor me... My abilities, and those of the Lu family of Fanyang, are no less than those of the Wang family of Taiyuan!"

Li Chengqian: "......"

Damn it, how come it seems like I've become the bad guy?

Li Shimin turned his attention to his eldest son, deciding to see what his eldest son thought about how to deal with Lu Zhaojing and the other old men.

Li Chengqian pondered for a moment, and seeing this, the assembled officials hurriedly stepped forward.

Du Ruhui: "Your Highness, we cannot be so soft-hearted in this matter. These three traitors are clearly using clever words and flattery. Do not forget how many people in Hedong suffered a terrible calamity when the three clans rebelled!"

Fang Xuanling: "Your Highness, no matter how they try to justify themselves, the crimes they committed are true, and there is concrete evidence of their rebellion. Their entire family should be executed!"

Changsun Wuji: "Your Highness, if those three clans truly possessed the ability to govern the world, how could Goguryeo have been reduced to such a small territory? We must not be deceived by them!"

Everyone pretended to be worried that Li Chengqian had been deceived, but in reality, they were even more worried about the three clans returning to the center of power.

Now that the new policies have been implemented and everything is settled, the new positions have been filled by new people. If the Cui, Lu, and Li families are to be given lenient punishment or even pardoned... are we really going to make way for these old fogies when these new elites are allowed to take their places?

Don't even think about it!

Don't even dream about it!

The officials were outraged. Seeing Li Chengqian hesitate, some couldn't help but throw their official tablets or shoes at Lu Zhaojing and the other two through the crowd.

He wished he could smash the three of them to death on the spot.

Li Tai was somewhat puzzled and asked in a low voice, "Brother, what are your plans?"

Li Chengqian glanced at him: "Do you think... there's still something else that can be squeezed out of these families?"

Li Tai glanced at the thin and desolate Lu Zhaojing and the other two below the stage: "No more profit, huh? Look at the way they look. Isn't Lu Zhaojing going to die young? Dean Sun said that the old man won't live past this year."

Li Chengqian nodded slightly; this was also the issue he hesitated about the most.

Killing them would be easy; with just a word from him, these three people would be dragged out and beheaded.

The Ministry of War then sent another memorial to Li Ji and Prince Li Yin of Liang.

In two or three months at most, Goguryeo will become history.

Just as Li Chengqian was hesitating and pondering how to squeeze every last bit of value out of these three families, he suddenly heard a voice coming from below the stage.

Li Xing, the head of the Li family of Zhao County, stood up.

"Even if I, the Li family of Zhao County, die, I will not suffer your slander and attacks!"

"Your Highness, in the next life I will serve you again. Then we shall see if I am truly loyal!"

After Li Xing finished speaking, to everyone's surprise, he suddenly let out a sharp shout and slammed hard into a pillar in the main hall.

"boom!"

Blood splattered, and the officials standing by the pillar were so shocked that they stared wide-eyed at Li Xing, who lay motionless on the ground.

What the hell!