Chapter 35: Li Longji: Your Majesty Taizong, you killed no fewer sons than I did!

Great Han.

Emperor Wu of Han widened his eyes, murmuring, "Such a prosperous age? Even my Great Han has never seen the like. How could this Li Longji end up on a list of 'inferior' rulers?"

"Is this celestial screen playing a joke on me?"

"If this qualifies as a foolish ruler, then I would gladly be such a fool."

Great Ming, Hongwu Era!

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao were equally shocked. Although historical records describe the Kaiyuan Prosperity as the most flourishing period in thousands of years, witnessing such a scene with their own eyes was truly astonishing.

Old Zhu stroked his beard and said, "Such a scene of prosperity... if only my Great Ming could achieve such heights, how wonderful that would be."

The scene shifted once more!

Inside a resplendent imperial palace, a massive plaza capable of holding tens of thousands of people appeared. Everything was magnificent and grand!

Atop a high platform, a man sat upon the dragon throne, wearing a dragon robe embroidered with the twelve symbols and a crown with twelve strings of jade beads.

Below, the palace was packed with people of various skin tones, costumes, and languages. Everyone held precious treasures from their respective lands, kneeling before the man atop the thousand-tier staircase.

The man on the throne tilted his head slightly, his gaze dignified and composed as he looked down at the envoys from various nations, exuding the aura of an "Overlord of the World."

In the plaza below, lines of envoys stretched for miles. The Persian delegation held golden pots adorned with rubies, and glass goblets filled with exotic spices. The camels brought by the envoys of the Arab Empire carried exquisite wool carpets, bringing a whiff of foreign air. The Japanese envoys to the Tang, dressed in wide-sleeved robes, held bamboo scrolls inscribed with Chinese characters and bowed respectfully. The Silla envoys offered brilliant pearls and rare medicinal herbs with humble expressions.

Officials of the Court of State Ceremonial, clad in scarlet robes, stood on both sides of the stone terrace, methodically guiding the envoys to present their tributes, calling out: "Envoys from such-and-such country, approach!"

Amidst the sound of drums and music, dancers in gorgeous attire entered in a continuous stream. Their wide sleeves fluttered like startled swans, and their colorful ribbons danced through the air. The Whirl dancers spun like wheels, the gold threads on their skirts shimmering in the candlelight, leaving the envoys dazzled.

Tributes were piled high like mountains, rare treasures gleamed, and envoys from all nations expressed their admiration and submission to the Great Tang, shouting, "Long live the Great Tang!"

The man on the throne nodded slightly, raising his hand to signal, his voice steady and powerful: "Arise, all! May the four seas remain in harmony and share in this peace!"

The sound echoed through the Hanyuan Hall, demonstrating the might of the Great Tang.

The grand spectacle of all nations paying homage was displayed before everyone through the celestial screen!

An unprecedented golden age...

In that moment, everyone understood what a truly prosperous age looked like.

...

There were no strong powers, no great powers, no rival powers in the surrounding regions. This was the Kaiyuan Prosperity!

...

The image froze at this moment. At the same time, the voiceover from the celestial screen resonated!

"If Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, had died at this moment, he would be an eternal emperor, a figure comparable to Li Shimin."

"The Kaiyuan Prosperity is the most flourishing era of all dynasties, past and present—bar none!"

"All dynasties? Are you sure that’s not an exaggeration?" Qin Shi Huang, Ying Zheng, asked with his mouth agape in shock.

"According to the celestial screen, the peak of all 24 dynasties? Are you serious?"

For a moment, those from dynasties before the Tang were skeptical. After all, if he were truly that impressive, why would he be on the 'inferior' list instead of the 'eternal emperor' list?

As for those from dynasties after Li Longji, they were mostly silent...

No one dared to claim they could surpass the peak of the Tang Dynasty, not even the emperors of the Song Dynasty, who were known for their wealth!

"One could also say that the Kaiyuan Prosperity was the result of generations of effort, from Li Shimin's Reign of Zhenguan to Li Longji's Reign of Kaiyuan!"

"So, this Kaiyuan Prosperity also has half of my credit?" Li Shimin stroked his chin, pondering the words of the celestial screen.

"If that is the case, why would my descendant be on this 'inferior' list? Could it be a mistake?"

"In his early years, Li Longji ascended the throne through a coup, the Shenlong Incident, and reclaimed power, showing his superior political maneuvering!"

"At the beginning of his reign, he was diligent and devoted to state affairs. His performance was at the ceiling of competence; both his civil and martial achievements reached the pinnacle of feudal dynasties."

"However, Li Longji's later performance was a disaster. A series of outrageous actions, such as killing three sons in one day and seizing his own daughter-in-law, led to his incompetence and corruption, allowing treacherous officials to run wild, ultimately triggering the An Lushan Rebellion."

"It is as if he were a transmigrator who had been successfully possessed by someone else—and a primary school graduate at that. He was completely different from his earlier self, much like a supporting character in a novel who suddenly suffers a forced decline in intelligence."

"Seizing his daughter-in-law? Killing three sons in one day? This is beyond absurd."

Cao Cao felt a chill down his spine!

The world said he loved married women, but compared to this later generation, his hobby was nothing.

Li Shimin killed his own brothers and seized his sister-in-law... now here comes a father who seized his son's wife!

"And the killing of the three sons... could it be that it came from this?"

"Compared to them, what is Cao's little hobby?"

"Now, let us talk about just how outrageous Li Longji's behavior was. Let us start with the killing of the three sons in one day."

"That is, in a single day, Li Longji demoted his three sons—Li Ying, Li Yao, and Li Ju—to commoners and ordered their deaths."

"At that time, Consort Wu was favored. She wanted her own son, Li Mao, to be the Crown Prince. Crown Prince Li Ying was not born to Consort Wu, and after his mother, Consort Zhao, fell out of favor, Li Ying was often resentful."

"Consort Wu colluded with the son-in-law Yang Hui to slander Li Ying before Li Longji, falsely accusing Li Ying, Prince of E, Li Yao, and Prince of Guang, Li Ju, of forming a faction and plotting to murder the Emperor."

"Li Longji believed the slanders of Consort Wu and, in the fourth month of the 25th year of the Kaiyuan era, ordered Li Ying, Li Yao, and Li Ju to be demoted to commoners, and shortly thereafter, forced them to commit suicide."

Everyone under the celestial screen was stunned!

"Could this be the same person who created such a prosperous age?"

"He believed the words of a consort, not only demoting the Crown Prince at random but also ordering his execution."

"Is it certain that this is the same person who created the prosperity?"

Seeing this, Ying Zheng quickly entered the chat group. He had finally caught his chance!

He remembered clearly how Li Shimin had mocked him earlier, and now it was his turn.

First Emperor of Qin: "Li Shimin? What do you say now? This kid is much more ruthless than the one in my house! At least my guy didn't kill his own sons! (Dog head)"

A Broken Bowl: "This is just the beginning; it gets even more explosive later, truly defying the heavens. (Eating melon)"

Tang's Li Shimin: "Come out, come out, Li Longji, get out here! (Angry)"

Tang Xuanzong: "Your Majesty Taizong, I was only learning from you. You didn't kill any fewer sons than I did! (Grieved)"

Tang's Li Shimin: "Damn it!"

Yongle Emperor: "One word: impressive!"

In the Kaiyuan era of the Great Tang.

Emperor Xuanzong, Li Longji, watched his own deeds on the celestial screen and read the discussions of the emperors from various dynasties in the chat group, feeling deeply aggrieved.

"I worked tirelessly to create the Kaiyuan Prosperity in my early years. Can I not enjoy myself now?"

"And Consort Wu would never deceive me. The Crown Prince was already at odds with me. If I didn't kill him, would I leave him there to launch a Xuanwu Gate incident like my ancestors did, and force me to become the Retired Emperor?"

Seeing Li Longji's furious expression, Yang Yuhuan stepped forward gently, took his hand, and consoled him softly: "Your Majesty, your early achievements are plain for all to see, and the world remembers the glory of the Kaiyuan Prosperity. Those are merely the one-sided views of later generations."

Li Longji sighed and said, "Yuhuan, although my later actions may have been inappropriate, I am only human, and I have my emotions and desires."

"Anyone has the right to judge me, but His Majesty Taizong has no right—he killed no fewer sons than I did!"