A son who doesn't resemble his father? Love you, old man, see you at Xuanwu Gate!

Chapter 242 Winner
"Squeak."

The bronze lamps, designed to resemble the Fusang tree from the Classic of Mountains and Seas, are lit in succession. The lamps consist of a cylindrical trunk, nine layers of branches, mulberry leaf-shaped lamps, and a golden bird-shaped lamp at the top.

The combination of the nine lower lamps and the golden bird lamp at the top subtly echoes the legend of the sun taking turns in the "Ten Suns Legend," with nine suns residing on the lower branches and one on the upper branch, instantly illuminating the dark room.

The light illuminated the land, revealing distinct "mountains and rivers," a testament to the vast Han Dynasty. The Zhou clan's great achievements were born on these mountains, roads, and rivers.

Xiao Qing, the great-grandson of Xiao He, held a measuring stick in his hand and paced around this "mountain and river" to get a bird's-eye view. He kept measuring the mountain peaks, roads and rivers with the measuring stick, reciting a series of numbers, sometimes nodding and sometimes shaking his head.

Overall, it's largely correct.

"Marquis Pingqu?"

Xiao Qing walked back to the round table, put down the measuring rod, looked at Zhou Gong, and joked, "Are you determined to rebuild the mountains and rivers of the Han Dynasty by imperial decree?"

"Don't tell me that the angel didn't come to you, and didn't promise you the position of marquis?"

Zhou Gong looked at the three of them and said irritably, "If that's how you address people, then I should honor you as Marquis of Zan, Xiao Cheng as Marquis of Liu, and Xiao Mo as Marquis of Qu Ni."

Xiao Qing, Zhang Cheng, and Chen Mo couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Of the three heroes of the early Han Dynasty, apart from Han Xin, the Marquis of Huaiyin, whose family declined early on, the Xiao family of Xiao He, the Marquis of Zan, and the Zhang family of Zhang Liang, the Marquis of Liu, were families of two national heroes who were still doing reasonably well.

However, their time was also coming to an end. The Xiao family's title of Marquis of Zan was changed to Marquis of Zhuyang, then to Marquis of Wuyang, and was finally stripped by His Majesty in the second year of Yuanshuo. The Zhang family suffered an even worse fate. Their title of Marquis of Liu lasted only until the fifth year of Emperor Xiaowen's reign, when Zhang Buyi was sentenced to death for participating in the murder of the former Chu state official. His fief was abolished, and he later redeemed himself with money and was punished as a hard laborer, working on the Great Wall during the day and patrolling at night, fifty years earlier than Zhou Gong's father, Zhou Jiande.

As for Chen Ping, he made six ingenious plans for Emperor Gao and made outstanding contributions. Later, together with Zhou Bo, he helped to establish Emperor Xiaowen as the Marquis of Quni. In the fifth year of Yuanguang, the Chen family was also stripped of their family titles.

The Zhou and Xiao families were long-lived. Zhou Gong and Xiao Qing were the great-grandsons of Gongzu, while Zhang Cheng and Chen Mo were the great-great-grandsons of Gongzu, a generation younger.

The four of them gathered together, and at first glance, one might mistake them for the descendants of disillusioned Han dynasty officials, grumbling and complaining.

“If the Marquis of Pingyang were to return, the scene of the Yuanzu era would be repeated,” Zhang Cheng added.

In the early years of the Han Dynasty, the political situation was basically in the hands of several founding emperors, but Cao Xiang, the great-grandson of Cao Can, the Marquis of Pingyang, was missing.

Xiao Qing shook his head and laughed, "The Pingyang Marquis's family has been related to the Liu imperial family for generations, and is a relative of the Han imperial family. Their prestige grows stronger every day. How can they be compared to us?"

Marquis Pingyang's family has married two generations of princesses of the Han Dynasty. Under heaven, only the Marquis of Pingyang's family has achieved this. Being a member of the imperial family is not just a matter of words.

"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river. In the first thirty years, our families were not as good as the Marquis of Pingyang's mansion. In the next thirty years, the Marquis of Pingyang's mansion may not be as good as us," Chen Mo said.

Princess Guantao, also known as Princess Dou, set a bad precedent for the eldest princess of the Han Dynasty by trying to win Emperor Xiaojing's favor by presenting her beauty. During Emperor Xiaojing's reign, she was incredibly powerful, but now that Empress Chen Jiao has been deposed, she's nothing special.

Princess Yangxin followed suit and continued to flatter the current emperor, thus gaining Empress Wei's favor and becoming an absolute member of the imperial faction. The political situation changed drastically, and the crown prince took power. Princess Pingyang was undoubtedly the crown prince's most hated aunt, and her fate would not be good.

Although his son Cao Xiang married Princess Wei Chang, Princess Wei Chang is Princess Wei Chang, Princess Pingyang is Princess Pingyang, and Cao Xiang is Cao Xiang. Choosing the wrong side will not lessen the price they have to pay.

The son of the Cao family, born to Princess Wei Chang, is the Crown Prince's nephew. He may receive the Crown Prince's favor in the future, and it would not be surprising if he were granted a title and honors. However, the title of Marquis of Pingyang will probably come to an end here.

"Fortune, fortune," Zhou Gong said, tapping the table lightly. "You've all seen His Majesty's blood pact. What are your thoughts?"

"What else can we think? Which of the Liu family's rulers can we trust... except for the Supreme Ruler." Xiao Qing spread his hands and said.

That blood pact, "only for viewing, not for keeping," is no different from empty words. Even if His Majesty succeeds in restoring the monarchy, it's hard to guarantee that His Majesty and the Confucianists won't go back on their word and deny it.

The reputation of the emperor's benevolence and magnanimity is widely known. Anyone who is not foolish would not side with the deposed old emperor and the young monarch whose power is waning.

The so-called benefits can be obtained by simply informing on someone; is it worth risking your life?
Zhang Cheng looked at Zhou Gong and asked in return, "Uncle, the Zhou family has already failed once in the matter of the Crown Prince. Are you going to support the Crown Prince again this time?"

During the reign of Emperor Jing of Han, Zhou Yafu resolutely opposed the deposition and installation of Crown Prince Liu Rong, and also disagreed with Emperor Jing's wishes on matters such as the enfeoffment of Wang Xin, the brother of Empress Dowager Wang, and Xu Wu, the surrendered king of the Xiongnu. This angered Emperor Jing, and he was dismissed from his post as prime minister. He was later starved to death.

Of course, that wasn't the real cause of death. Emperor Xiaojing was worried that the current emperor wouldn't be able to control Zhou Yafu, so he took action. But that's how it happened.

The Zhou family suffered a loss in supporting Liu Rong, the Prince of Linjiang. Will they have reservations this time and turn around to support His Majesty instead?
Anhan was the Zhou family.

The Zhou family has twice saved the Han Dynasty from collapse. If it happens again, the Zhou family's position will be unshakeable for the entire Han Dynasty.

Zhou Gong replied with a dark face: "The lesson my great-uncle taught our clan is to always stand on the side of the winner."

What talk of turning the tide? This is the Liu family's empire, not the Zhou family's. After all these years, the Zhou family has even lost their titles. His Majesty's blood pact allows the Zhou family to risk annihilation to shake the Dragon Court. Who is the fool here?

The Zhou family made a mistake in choosing sides last time because Liu Rong and the Li family, the maternal relatives, were incompetent. The current crown prince and the Wei family, the maternal relatives, are simply invincible.

His Majesty intends for him to unite and lead the "rebel army" to fight against the northern and southern armies, the imperial elite, and the victorious troops led by Wei Qing and Huo Qubing. Zhou Gong wants to know whose idea this is.
Let alone letting him go, even if his great-grandfather or great-uncle were alive, they would still be crushed.

If there were no other choice, Zhou Gong would be willing to take a gamble. But since there was a choice, why gamble? At his age, his energy was waning, and he rarely had any interest in anything anymore.

A faint sigh.

Xiao Qing smiled knowingly and reminded Zhou Gong, "Xiao Cheng and Xiao Mo are still young, don't corrupt the children."

Zhang Cheng and Chen Mo remained expressionless; they were young and perhaps different from their two uncles.

"In that case, we should make a choice: should we pretend we don't know about the restoration movement, or should we take the initiative to inform His Majesty that he is plotting a restoration? If we are to inform His Majesty, what should we do, and who should do it?" Xiao Qing continued.

Informing on others is not something to be done casually; regardless of the considerations, it's all about maximizing one's own interests.

Zhou Gong, Xiao Qing, and Zhang Cheng all looked at Chen Mo simultaneously.

Chen Mo: "..."

Who exactly is ruining the reputation of my Chen family?

Slander!
(End of this chapter)