Chapter 72: Let's Shoulder the Blame Together

  As the first woman to stand up for her rights, Gao Yang is not a trivial matter! Otherwise, she wouldn't have dared to rebel against the Li family in the end. Her own father killed her lover, and when Emperor Taizong of Tang passed away, she didn't even go to mourn! Let alone an uncle? She still can't imagine how overbearing Li Yuanba is, but now she's starting to retort!

  "My uncle's words also make sense! However, I think Father Emperor will not marry me off to someone I don't like! The person I want to marry must be approved by me, otherwise I won't obediently marry him and become a virtuous wife and good mother! My life must be controlled by myself, no one can change my will, or else I'd rather die!" Gaoyang said loudly and proudly.

  "Good! You have guts! Now I declare that Gao Yang is no longer a member of the Li family. I order you to announce it to the world, whoever dares to approach her, I will personally take action and destroy their nine clans!" Li Yuanba also became anxious, this kind of person is an idealist, unable to see the bigger picture. This kind of person, once indulged, becomes a disaster! Moreover, putting oneself in the position of a princess, showing off to Li Yuanba, is a provocation to him!

  "You're just a king, how dare you be rude to me, a princess! I've long heard that you're the one manipulating my father from behind the scenes. Is this world yours or my father's? What qualifications do you have to drive me away from the Li family on behalf of my father? You demon who kills people, the whole world can't tolerate your arrogance!" Li Yuanba was anxious, but Gao Yang was even more anxious! An eleven-year-old girl, already mature and fearless, with a personality that's just as bold. Like this, in front of all her brothers and sisters, she showed off her royal highness' majesty, also earning herself the reputation of being able to intimidate Li Yuanba. This world should be my father's!

  Everyone should know that in this era of imperial power, even if a daughter of a father marries into the palace, they have to pay homage as a subordinate when meeting privately! This title of "imperial uncle" is just a name, although they all call Li Yuanba "uncle", which also shows closeness, but it's actually the same as calling him "imperial uncle"!

  Gao Yang's rebuttal made everyone in the hall lower their heads and not dare to look at the commotion! However, among them, there were a few who brazenly looked at Li Yuanba to see his reaction. These were Li Shimin's younger sons and daughters. The older ones, such as Li Shimin's eldest son and those over 15 years old, almost buried their heads in the ground! They were all eyewitnesses to Li Shimin being beaten and crippled.

  Li Yuanba's gaze swept around indifferently, his initial fondness turning into indifference!

  Li Yuanba's transformation made the older princes and princesses who knew Li Yuanba's status, all kowtowed to Li Yuanba asking him to calm down, this foolish child was just speaking thoughtlessly, absolutely not representing their opinions or Emperor Li Shimin's thoughts!

  "Strip this child of his martial arts, throw him out onto the streets, and assign someone to monitor him! If he starves or freezes to death, don't bother intervening. Anyone who dares to secretly provide aid will be put to death immediately! Send someone to summon Li Shimin to my estate to see me!" Li Yuanba has now become a tyrannical person, killing millions as if it's nothing. The former shut-in has transformed into an overbearing and arrogant prince who won't tolerate anyone offending him. You might say this change happened too quickly, but think about it carefully - after more than 20 years of experiencing almost two decades of slaughter, it's a miracle that Li Yuanba didn't become a killing machine! Moreover, in all these years, Li Yuanba has never even seen these nephews and nieces. If not for his own flesh and blood, to say something unpleasant: if he killed them on the streets, he wouldn't even know who they were, and even if he found out later, he wouldn't care!

  Those who have always been in high positions, their feelings towards other relatives are very shallow. This is not to say that these people are bad, it's just the difference in status. Li Yuanba now stands at the top of the world, except for his closest family members, wife and children, everything else seems ordinary to him. He likes what he likes, appreciates what he appreciates, but none of this is taken to heart, once seen, that's it!

  Nowadays, Li Yuanba has been put on a pedestal, and this honor may not be something that Li Yuanba himself would mind destroying, but if someone else dares to offend him, he will not be polite or tolerant! Even his own niece, Gao Yang, if Li Yuanba were to mention her name heavily and then let it go lightly, Li Yuanba's future troubles would only increase! It could even lead to things that Li Yuanba never wants to happen. From the moment Li Yuanba found out about Gao Yang's origins, he knew she was a disaster waiting to happen! As long as Li Yuanba exists, if Gao Yang has any ideas, her first thought will be of Li Yuanba, the obstacle in her path!

  Gao Yang is a typical representative of being reckless and presumptuous. The fact that she dared to scold Li Yuanba in person shows just how extraordinary this woman is! Who among the people present doesn't know about Li Yuanba's past? Gao Yang daring to speak like this means she doesn't care about Li Yuanba's existence at all! Her own existence is also a threat to Li Yuanba's descendants, so of course Li Yuanba can't let her stay!

  At the same time, this also shows that Li Yuanba is no longer just a man who relies on brute force! After experiencing so many conspiracies and losing two of his most beloved women, Li Yuanba has matured, but at what cost! The price of twenty years of time and the loss of loved ones one after another is not something that anyone can easily accept!

  Li Yuan's departure left the whole hall in fear! Especially those few princes who showed different expressions from the crowd, including Li Shimin's ninth son, Li Zhi.

  Traditional historians believe that Emperor Gaozong of Tang was incompetent and ineffective. However, in reality, the Liaodong campaign during the late years of Taizong had already brought the "Reign of Zhenguan" to a crisis. In the fourth year of Yonghui (653), when Gaozong had just ascended to the throne, a peasant uprising led by Chen Shouzheng broke out in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and class contradictions became sharp again. Before formally ascending to the throne, Gaozong issued an edict: "Abandon the Liaodong campaign and all construction projects." In September of the second year of Yonghui, he ordered that the land and houses occupied by the people be returned to them. Gaozong had a talent for recognizing talented individuals, and many of his ministers were personally promoted by him, including Xin Maojiang, Lu Chengqing, Xu Yuanshi, Du Zhenglun, Xue Yuanchao, Wei Sizhe, Dai Zhi, Zhang Wencan, and Wei Yuanzhong. Among them, Wei Sizhe had been attacked by Chu Suiliang, and Du Zhenglun was neglected by Li Shimin. During the early years of his reign, the territory of the Tang Dynasty reached its largest extent, with some historical records referring to it as the "Reign of Yonghui".

  However, the existence of Li Yuanba, this eight-year-old Li Zhi would not know that the throne that should have belonged to him had already exited his life! There are also some people who are destined to be silent in the vast ocean of history, including the female emperor Wu Zetian of that generation.

  In fact, no matter what kind of world it is, without some special intervention, it will inevitably follow the same trend as the main history! This world, although it is a high martial arts world, all the people who appeared in the main history have also appeared, and even the direction they are heading is consistent. The difference is that the main history does not have high martial arts! A person's appearance affects the surrounding world at every moment. If he is just an ordinary person, he can only affect some historical details, and the overall direction will not be affected by this point to become unknown!

  However, Li Yuanba was like a giant, with the entire world in his palm, at his mercy! If Han Lin hadn't died, perhaps this world would now be progressing according to its original course. But the deaths of Han Lin and Du Lingyue allowed Li Yuanba to stand at the forefront of history, using his military might to completely disrupt the course of events!

  Li Shimin still came! Although he spoke to Li Yuanba in a calm tone, his helpless eyes and tightly clenched fists revealed how much pain Li Shimin was in!

  "If it weren't for the pain of losing my child that makes me blind, I wouldn't let you be emperor again! You should know that my feelings towards you aren't good, to the point where I'd rather kill you! Fourth sister's death, you should know about it, I'm not talking about anything else. The current Gao Yang is just like you back then! If I say that this Gao Yang will stir up huge trouble in the future, do you believe me?! In fact, since I can tolerate you sitting on the throne, I can also let Gao Yang off, but that's only if I didn't have any descendants! I won't leave any possible threats for my descendants, this should be the heart of all parents under heaven!" Li Yuan looked at Li Shimin with a calm expression, unsure whether he was defending himself or explaining something. Even the most overbearing person has moments of weakness, just like now as a father, letting Li Yuan say out loud the reasons behind his actions!

  "This is also one of your divine powers? Can you really foresee the future!" Li Shimin had also heard about Li Yuanba's expedition to the island nation, and at that time, someone thought that this unfathomable king had a divine power to predict the future!

  "...Go ahead and give the order, and let Gao Yang die in the same way as before - grant him death by his own hand!" Li Yuanba did not answer Li Shimin's question, but said how Gao Yang died afterwards! Li Yuanba also knew these things, anyway this was a very good reason!

  "Is she going to rebel? Is this girl going to start a rebellion?" Li Shimin muttered to himself. But he couldn't think of why Gao Yang would rebel, let alone the fact that she was just a woman!

  Li Yuanba was silent! Would Li Yuanba say that it was because Li Shimin had executed a monk who was the lover of his daughter?

  "Alright! For the future of the Tang Dynasty, no matter what, now that we know, we should prevent future troubles! But can you see me giving this order? It must be very painful... Li Shimin gave the order with great pain, bestowing poisonous wine upon Princess Gao Yang, on charges of... intending to rebel!"

  Li Yuanba was speechless, looking up at the roof with his head raised, thinking: "Damn it, lice are many but don't bite! It seems that the reputation of killing my niece will still fall on me! However, you were the one who gave the order, so this black pot also has a share for you! Two elders taking the blame for a younger generation isn't too unjust... ...However, it seems that I'd better not get involved in this trashy matter!"

  Li Zhi in orthodox history shed off the guilt of killing his sister in this version of history! If he knew, I wonder if he would cry or laugh...

  And this absurd history became a hanging case later. How could an eleven-year-old princess have the idea of rebellion? Incomprehensible...