A thousand-year-old family begins with one fighting against ten thousand.

"What does Your Majesty mean by this? The Wei family has been loyal throughout the dynasties. Why does Your Majesty want to deal with them?"

Wang Mang pretended to be stupid.

Looking into those clear eyes, Emperor Huang of Han dismissed the idea that Wang Mang was deceiving him.

"Completely loyal?!"

"Have you ever seen a loyal minister who goes around contradicting the emperor's decrees? Have you ever seen a loyal minister who disregards the emperor?"

"If any loyal minister were to raise his arm and call to action, the entire court would respond!"

"Hmph, what a loyal servant!"

Emperor Huang of Han's tone was filled with resentment towards the Wei family.

He felt that he, as the emperor, was not as comfortable as a feudal lord.

After all, the feudal lords wouldn't tolerate so much humiliation from the Wei family.

"Your Majesty, the Wei family has been loyal and devoted all these years, and has never had a single thought of rebellion!"

"Although they contradicted His Majesty's orders, it was all for His Majesty's and the court's good; they must have had their own reasons."

Wang Mang defended the Wei family, saying that he knew there must be members of the Wei family among the people present.

Of course, I need to work on increasing our favorability.

Even if there were no members of the Wei family around, he would still spread the word to enhance his reputation.

"Alright, I know you are kind-hearted and unwilling to believe they are bad people, but that is the truth."

"I now want to completely destroy the Wei family and exterminate their entire clan."

"Just tell me what to do!"

Emperor Huang of Han interrupted Wang Mang with displeasure. He now only wanted to know how the Wang family could defeat the Wei family.

"I truly do not know how to defeat the Wei family."

"Birds, I know they can fly; fish, I know they can swim; beasts, I know they can run. Those that run can be caught in nets, those that swim can be caught with fishing lines, and those that fly can be shot with arrows. As for dragons, I cannot know them; they ride the wind and clouds to ascend to heaven. Is what the Wei family does not resemble a dragon?"

Wang Mang used the words Confucius used to describe Laozi to describe the Wei family.

"What does this mean?"

Emperor Huangdi of Han had been unlearned and incompetent for so many years, he had never heard such refined language before.

If it hadn't been Wang Mang who said this, he would have kicked the man out long ago.

"This means that there is no way to defeat the Wei family."

Wang Mang quickly apologized to Emperor Huang of Han and offered an explanation.

"I don't believe it."

"I don't care."

"If your Wang family cannot do this, then I will take back the preferential treatment I have given you over the years and instead promote the Ban and Zhao families."

Emperor Huang of Han was running out of patience, and his expression had become extremely impatient.

"I am guilty of failing to share Your Majesty's burdens; I deserve death!"

Wang Mang bowed respectfully once again.

"snort!"

Emperor Huang of Han waved his sleeve and said, "Get out of here!"

"I refuse to believe I can't find someone willing to deal with the Wei family!"

"Your subject takes his leave."

Wang Mang bowed and slowly retreated from Weiyang Palace.

Before a single day had passed, the conversation in Weiyang Palace had become the talk of the town in Chang'an.

Enraged, Emperor Huang of Han ordered another purge of the palace.

Wang Mang's reputation soared dramatically in the north.

The next day, the imperial relatives Ban Kuang and Zhao Lin were summoned to the palace by Emperor Huang of Han.

There was also an uninvited guest, Chunyu Chang, the nephew of Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun.

What are you doing here?

Emperor Huang of Han is now very unhappy with the Wang family. Although Chunyu Chang is not a member of the Wang family, he is still a relative of the Wang family.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to share your burdens."

"Oh?"

"Are you willing to fight for me against the Wei family?"

"Your subject is willing."

"His Majesty is the master of this country, and His Majesty's orders should be the only voice in this world."

As the nephew of the Empress Dowager, Chunyu Chang used this relationship to enter officialdom and rose through the ranks.

Later, he ingratiated himself with Zhao Feiyan and made great contributions to Zhao Feiyan's rise to the rank of Jieyu.

Life becomes quite enjoyable under the influence of whispered words in one's ear.

But he was still not satisfied; he was somewhat jealous of Wang Mang.

Wang Mang was nurtured by the Wang family with all their might, and all their connections and resources were invested in him.

If he continues to rely on the Wang family's connections, he will never have a chance to rise in the ranks.

They will always be overshadowed by Wang Mang.

Now he saw an opportunity. The reason why the Wang family was so powerful was because of His Majesty's deliberate support.

Now that the Wang family is powerful, those who wear shoes dare not fight or risk their lives.

Isn't this his chance?

He's barefoot now, and no matter how good the Empress Dowager is to her nephew, he's not a Wang.

Ultimately, everything about the Wang family had nothing to do with him.

Moreover, the Empress Dowager is already very old, and she may pass away at any time.

He'll have no political resources left then.

He had to take advantage of the Empress Dowager's presence to curry favor with the Emperor.

"That sounds nice, but once you've developed your business, you'll probably end up like the Wang family, cowering and timid."

Emperor Huang of Han simply didn't believe it. "Fine, I don't want to see you today. Get out."

Emperor Huang of Han waved his hand and sent Chunyu Chang away.

Chunyu Chang quickly explained, "Your Majesty trusts me!"

"His Majesty!"

After driving away Chunyu Chang, Emperor Huang of Han turned his attention to Ban Kuang and Zhao Lin.

"What I can give to the Wang family, I can give to you as well."

"Whether it's a family with eight marquises or three generations of high officials, there's only one thing you need to do: help me kick the Wei family and the Wang family into the graveyard of history."

"I will give you greater support, but you must first offer your pledge of allegiance."

"Tomorrow at court, you must impeach that old bastard Wei Lun, impeach him to the death."

"Don't think about just finding anyone to take the blame; they should at least be direct descendants of either of your families."

"Tomorrow in the imperial court, I will bestow upon you the titles of Grand General and General of the Cavalry, and the sons of both your families will also receive such titles."

"Go and do it."

Emperor Huang of Han waved his hand, dismissing the two men as well. In a bad mood, he went to the inner palace to find his two beloved concubines.

"This old minister takes his leave."

Ban Kuang left the palace with a wry smile, wanting to discuss what to do with Zhao Lin.

Are you saying the Wei family is so easy to mess with?!

With their meager power, they wouldn't even be enough to fill the Wei family's teeth.

The Wang family's power is immense; nine members of the family hold high positions, and two consecutive Grand Ministers of Agriculture have been from the Wang family.

His protégés and former officials were scattered throughout the imperial court, and even in local areas, there were many former officials of the Wang family.

Throughout history, only Wei Qing and Huo Qubing could rival them.

But neither the Wei and Huo families of yesteryear nor the Wang family of today dare to directly oppose the Wei family.

The two little karaomis from the Ban and Zhao families wouldn't dare to provoke a tiger.

Unlike the Wang family, all their power came from Emperor Huang of Han.

If Emperor Huang of Han wanted to, they could fall into the mud the next moment.

There are plenty of people who want to kick them while they're down.

With the Empress Dowager in power, the Wang family had the confidence to disobey the emperor.

After all, the Han Dynasty ruled the country based on filial piety, and the Empress Dowager naturally suppressed the emperor.

Now that the emperor has turned against the Wei family, the only force that could check the empress dowager no longer exists.

"Lord Zhao, we..."

Just as Ban Kuang was about to say something, Zhao Lin snorted coldly at him and left him with only his back.

The Zhao Feiyan sisters are currently favored in the harem, and the only obstacle preventing them from advancing further is Ban Jieyu.

The two families weren't exactly sworn enemies, but they loathed each other and wished the other's entire family would die tomorrow.

The Zhao family is now planning how to eliminate Ban Jieyu, and the plan is about to begin. How can Ban Kuang be worthy of standing with him?