Adult Tang Dynasty: I, the Scoundrel, Fully Support the Empress

Chapter 17: Li Er’s Jealousy and That So-Called ‘Destined Minister’

News of Su Yang’s bet with Li Tai spread like wildfire, shaking the entire city of Chang’an.

Everyone—from high-ranking officials to the imperial court—was stunned.

Their first reaction was Su Yang had lost his mind. How dare he challenge Li Tai in a battle of intellect?

Li Tai’s talent was beyond question. Many esteemed scholars had praised his intellect, some even claiming he was destined to stand alongside the greatest literary minds of the Tang Dynasty.

And Su Yang was a mere commoner with barely any formal education. Where did he even get the confidence to challenge Li Tai?

Residence of the Minister of Civil Affairs.

“That lowly commoner dares to challenge Li Tai in a literary duel?”

“He’s done for.”

Even bedridden with injuries, Zhangsun Chong couldn’t hide his excitement when he heard the news. The pain wracking his body didn’t matter—he was grinning ear to ear. He had already made up his mind.

No matter what, even if he had to be carried there, he was going to the Imperial Academy. He had to witness Su Yang’s humiliating defeat with his own eyes.

Inside the Palace.

“What? That idiot actually challenged Li Tai?”

Guan Yinbi sighed the moment she heard the news.

She was more than familiar with Li Tai’s capabilities. The boy was brilliant—few could match his intellect. Su Yang going up against him in a battle of wits was walking straight into disaster.

Truth be told, Guan Yinbi wanted to step in and put an end to this before things got out of hand. The stakes were too high. No matter who won, someone’s reputation was going to take a serious hit, and there would be no easy way to clean up the mess afterward.

Especially for Su Yang.

Guan Yinbi had always believed he was a fated minister—someone destined to bring prosperity to the Tang Dynasty. But if he suffered a crushing defeat and lost all confidence in himself, who knew what kind of impact that would have?

And if things spiraled out of control… it could even affect the fate of the entire empire.

But there was one problem.

It was too late.

The entire city already knew about the bet. If she stepped in now, it would only make things worse.

After all, rumors had already been circulating—some people, from commoners to court officials, suspected that she was secretly protecting Su Yang for… less-than-honorable reasons.

And if she intervened now, it would only add fuel to the fire.

To make things worse, Li Tai was her son. If she openly took Su Yang’s side, there was no doubt her enemies would use it against her.

Guan Yinbi had nothing to feel guilty about—she knew she had done nothing wrong—but not everyone saw it that way. Especially not someone like Wei Zheng, who would jump at the chance to use this against her.

And even if Guan Yinbi wanted to step in, Li Er would never allow it.

Lately, he had started to feel that Guan Yinbi was getting carried away when it came to Su Yang. Her favoritism was beginning to go too far.

Li Er didn’t believe for a second that Guan Yinbi would ever betray him, but the constant rumors about her and Su Yang had begun to wear on him. He would never admit it, but he was getting jealous.

In fact, he was almost hoping Su Yang would embarrass himself—maybe then he could finally strip the boy of his title as his sworn brother.

No matter how many people insisted Su Yang was some kind of ‘destined sage minister,’ Li Er wasn’t buying it.

Nightfall.

The sky was dark, with only the full moon and a few scattered stars above.

At that moment, Cheng Chumo and the others slipped out of their family estates and made their way to Su Yang’s place.

“Su Yang, what’s going on?” Cheng Chumo asked, his voice filled with curiosity and a little nervousness. The others looked just as uneasy.

After all, it was well past curfew. If they got caught, things could get ugly.

Su Yang smirked. “Relax.”

“If anything happens, I’ll take care of it.”

His confidence put the others at ease. Without another word, he led them toward Zhuque Street.

As they moved through the city, they narrowly avoided the Jinwu Guards on patrol, slipping past undetected under Su Yang’s lead.

Eventually, they arrived at a secluded location.

“Where are we?” Cheng Chumo whispered, scanning their surroundings.

Su Yang grinned. “A place as close to paradise as you can get.”

With a knowing smirk, he stepped forward, exchanged a few words with the guards at the entrance, and was promptly allowed inside.