Adult Tang Dynasty: I, the Scoundrel, Fully Support the Empress - Chapter 16

Chapter 16: The Ultimate Plagiarist!

Inside the Imperial Academy.

Su Yang knew he had no personal grudge against Prince Li Tai. In fact, they had barely interacted at all. So why was Li Tai suddenly targeting him like this?

It all boiled down to one thing—his older brother, Crown Prince Li Chengqian.

In any dynasty, being named crown prince didn’t guarantee a smooth path to the throne. Take the previous regime, for example. Emperor Yang of Sui, a notorious tyrant, had seized power through usurpation. And the Tang royal family was no different.

After all, everyone knew that Emperor Li Er had claimed the throne by killing his own brother and imprisoning his father!

Though he wasn’t the first to do such a thing, his actions had cast a long shadow over the empire. As a result, every time a struggle for the throne emerged, it turned into a bloodbath that shook the heavens.

So, when Su Yang publicly humiliated Zhangsun Chong in the street, it was no surprise that Crown Prince Li Chengqian took offense. He would definitely find a way to retaliate.

But it wasn’t about Zhangsun Chong himself—his status alone wasn’t enough to warrant the crown prince’s attention. The real reason was his father, Zhangsun Wuji.

Zhangsun Wuji wasn’t just the Minister of Personnel; he was also a key figure in the powerful Guanlong aristocratic faction.

If Li Chengqian wanted to secure his claim to the throne, he had to win over Zhangsun Wuji. Otherwise, he could be replaced at any moment.

After all, his grandfather, Emperor Gaozu, had only been able to establish the Tang dynasty because of the Guanlong faction’s backing.

Their influence was immense.

Historians later studied the faction in-depth and came to a shocking conclusion: throughout history, many emperors owed their thrones to them. Some even speculated that imperial power itself was nothing more than a game of musical chairs orchestrated by the faction.

“Li Tai!”

“Did you just eat garbage? Because that’s the only way to explain the trash coming out of your mouth.”

At that moment, Su Yang’s sworn brothers, led by Cheng Chumo, didn’t hesitate to step forward, glaring at Li Tai with open hostility.

They had long been fed up with this guy.

And it made sense—wherever people gathered, cliques formed. Li Tai and his circle prided themselves on being refined intellectuals and looked down on anyone who relied on brute strength.

Tensions between the two groups had flared up more than once.

“You seem pretty full of yourself,” Su Yang said, stepping in to hold back his friends. As their sworn brother, he couldn’t just let them fight his battles for him.

Besides, when it came to arguments, his side had never come out on top. Li Tai always had the upper hand.

The guy was undeniably talented.

Even Emperor Li Er had allowed him to establish a literary academy at his residence, where he gathered and mentored scholars.

Though Li Tai didn’t respond, the arrogant smirk on his face said it all. He clearly thought of himself as the modern-day equivalent of the legendary scholar-prince Cao Zhi.

“How about this?” Su Yang suggested with a playful glint in his eyes. “There’s an academic competition coming up soon, right? Why don’t we settle this with a contest?”

“If I win, you have to kneel and apologize to my boys.”

“If I lose, I’ll let you deal with me however you see fit.”

“Do you dare?”

The moment those words left his mouth, a wave of shock swept through the crowd. Students and scholars alike stared in disbelief.

Had the infamous playboy Su Yang just challenged Li Tai to an academic duel?

Was he insane?

Even Cheng Chumo and the others were dumbfounded. They quickly tried to talk Su Yang out of it. Li Tai was no joke—he had dominated every academic competition he had ever entered.

“If you’re dumb enough to dig your own grave, who am I to stop you?” Li Tai sneered. He had been momentarily caught off guard by Su Yang’s challenge, but now he was just amused.

To him, Su Yang was nothing more than a lowly commoner. How much knowledge could he possibly have?

“Hey, are you out of your mind?!” Cheng Chumo and the others looked at Su Yang in a panic, trying to convince him to back out of the bet.

“Relax,” Su Yang grinned. “I’ve got this in the bag.”

After all, he wasn’t just any scholar—he was a reincarnated one, armed with the accumulated wisdom of centuries. If plagiarism were an art, Su Yang was the grandmaster.