Seeing his father’s demeanor, he knew not fighting back would still mean a beating.
But what if this was a trap?
Li Chengqian’s mind waged a fierce internal battle.
“Ah…………”
“Father, don’t force me!”
He suddenly shouted, on the verge of collapse.
“Slap…………”
As soon as he spoke, Li Shimin raised his hand and slapped him again.
“I will force you today!”
“Fight back!”
“If you don’t fight back, I’ll beat you to death today!”
“So cowardly, your very existence is a disgrace to the Li family!”
“Slap…………”
Another slap!
Li Chengqian was already in tears, a trickle of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth, showing Li Shimin’s intent to show no mercy.
“Your Majesty, please calm down, there’s no need for this, really…”
“Silence, stand aside!”
Zhang Gongjin hurried forward to dissuade him but was glared at by Li Shimin.
Fang Er was also speechless.
“Father, you’re getting off track, weren’t we talking about Xiao Yu?”
Li Shimin had completely lost his temper and turned to glare at him, “Are you going to sit on the throne or not?”
Fang Er: ……
Your grandfather’s throne!
Seeing his silence, Li Shimin roared, “If you’re not taking it, then stand aside!”
Fang Er could only shrug helplessly and cast a look of sympathy towards Li Chengqian.
This kid was also pitiful…
To be pushed to such a brink by his own father.
If he fought back, he’d be branded as unfilial.
But if he didn’t, judging by Li Shimin’s fury, he’d be beaten to death…
Li Chengqian wished for a bolt of lightning to strike him dead, anything to escape his current predicament.
He raised his right hand, then lowered it, lowered it, then raised it again.
His body trembled, his face contorted with indecision.
“Slap…………”
Amidst his internal struggle, Li Shimin slapped him across the face again.
A roar reached his ears, “Fight back! If you fight back, you’ll be free!”
“The throne, commoner status, or being enfeoffed as a king, whatever you want, I’ll grant it!”
Li Chengqian suddenly looked up, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at Old Li.
Gritting his teeth, he let out a curse.
“Damn your ancestors!”
As the words left his mouth, his right hand landed on Li Shimin’s face.
Silence.
Fang Er stared at him, dumbfounded.
This kid had truly gone mad!
Zhang Gongjin was also bewildered.
He actually hit him??
The anger on Li Shimin’s face vanished, replaced by a look of relief.
But the next second, his smile froze.
That hand had merely brushed across his face…
“Who dared to disturb my father! Who gave you the nerve!”
Li Chengqian retracted his right hand, staring at his thumb and index finger as he cursed.
It was a mosquito…
Although it was winter, the palace had underfloor heating, making it normal for stray mosquitoes to hide indoors to survive the cold.
“Bang!”
Li Shimin kicked him two zhang away, his face turning green with rage.
“You imbecile, playing dumb with me, are you?”
“Guards, escort this unfilial son out!”
“You like catching mosquitoes? You’re banished to Lingnan!”
“Go to Fang Family Manor and bring back one hundred hens. You’re only allowed to feed them with mosquitoes there!”
“When you’ve raised ten thousand, you can return!”
Fang Er and Zhang Gongjin were dumbfounded.
The boy’s angry roar had made them think he was actually going to retaliate.
Who would have thought.
A true anticlimax?
Outside the hall, Cheng Chumou nudged Qin Huaiyu.
“Brother, should we go in?”
Qin Huaiyu rolled his eyes at him, “Are you genuinely stupid or just pretending?”
“If you dare to go in now, do you think your father wouldn’t beat you to death when he finds out?”
Cheng Chumou shivered instantly, glanced at the door of the Two Extremes Hall, and moved a few steps away.
I can’t see…
I can’t hear…
Inside the hall, Li Chengqian stared blankly at his father.
Lingnan, it wasn't much better than Yangzhou now!
Poisonous insects descended from the mountains, ravaging the populace.
He could go to appease them, to investigate these matters.
As long as there was hope of returning, everything was negotiable.
Being sent to raise chickens, feeding them with mosquitoes, that was also acceptable…
But not even being given a rooster…
He stood up, returned to Li Shimin, knelt down, raised his head full of bitterness, and looked at his father with tears streaming down his face.
“Imperial Father! I beg you, stop forcing your son!”
“A son defying his father is against human ethics!”
“Your son dares not, cannot, and is unwilling!”
“Slap…………”
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Shimin slapped him again.
Then he pointed at his nose and cursed.
“To hell with your father-son ethics!”
“If you don’t listen to your father, you are rebellious!”
“If you don’t listen to me, you are defying an imperial decree!”
“What, does defying an imperial decree make you stronger?”
“Forcing you? I will force you today!”
“Either fight back, or I will torment you until you go mad!”
“I want to make you understand what happens when a son of the Li family becomes a coward!”
Saying this, he yanked Li Chengqian up from the ground and whispered into his ear, coldly.
“I gave you the best teachers, I gave you the most noble status!”
“But what about you? You don’t even dare to rebel, what’s the point of your existence?”
“Look at Hou Junji, how boldly he rebelled?”
“Look at Xiao Yu, he’s still rebelling at his age!”
“You’re not even as good as an old geezer, tell me yourself, aren’t you trash!”
“Your entire life is destined to be lived in my shadow, a sneeze from me would scare you half to death!”
“You can sit on the dragon throne, but you are just a clown!”
“All the civil and military officials, the entire Tang Dynasty, the whole world knows you are a clown, a coward, trash!”
Old Li became more worked up as he cursed, his spittle spraying all over Li Chengqian’s face.
“Want to change any of this?!”
“Come on, make a move! Let me see if you still have any spirit!”
After speaking, he slapped him again.
“Slap…………”
“Come!”
“Slap…………”
“Come!”
“Slap…………”
Seeing his son so cowardly, Li Shimin even began to doubt if he was truly his offspring, showing no restraint in his actions.
Li Chengqian had already been beaten into a pulp, but the pain in his face could never compare to the wounds in his heart.
Clown, coward, trash…
These words pierced his heart like sharp swords, making it impossible for him to breathe!
His personality had inherent flaws; a sense of crisis and inferiority had never disappeared.
In historical records, these were attributed to his leg ailment.
In this world, it was due to those historical accounts!
But he had always suppressed them, striving to become better!
However, the word “rebellion” acted like a curse, trapping him!
Now, Li Shimin’s barrage of words had finally brought the curse into the open!
Li Chengqian could no longer suppress his emotions!
His face contorted into a ferocious expression, like an enragedvajra.
The courage of burning one’s bridges surged into his heart.
Years ago, the spirit he had when watching courtesans with Fang Er, and when arguing with great scholars with Li Tai, inexplicably returned!
His body trembled from tension and excitement.
At first, his head would still turn with Li Shimin’s slaps.
But gradually, he straightened his neck, allowing the slaps to fall without moving an inch.
Heavy breaths escaped his nostrils.
Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, flying with each slap.
He suddenly let out a roar.
“Li! Shi! Min!”
At the same time, his trembling right hand blocked a slap that was about to land on his face.
He drew up his knee and rammed.