If you were cold and aloof in your past life, why are you crying in this one?

When the Prince of Chenliu first arrived in Jiankang, his power base was unstable, and apart from the emperor, no one supported the edict.

This imperial edict, which the emperor had already approved with his golden words, became an empty and meaningless statement after being refuted by Yu Liang, the Director of the Imperial Secretariat.

Wang Dun, who held the real power, remained silent throughout the entire process.

Wang and Yu, who have always been at odds, are now almost on the same side on the issue of choosing an heir.

The emperor on the dragon throne couldn't understand it. He had personally helped Yu Liang rise to power, and he had also given the Yu family their wealth and honor.

At this critical juncture, Yu Liang actually betrayed him and took the lead in rejecting his imperial edict.

This was completely contrary to his original plan.

The emperor was so angry that he suffered a heart attack, and his already weak body became even more frail.

For a time, everyone in the court felt insecure.

The Prince of Chenliu, who was ordered to investigate the assassination of the crown prince, whether intentionally or unintentionally, was caught up in the case of corrupt officials from aristocratic families selling official positions.

The amount of silver was so large that it left people speechless.

Even Wang Dun could not refute such unhealthy practices.

Even though the emperor was nearing the end of his life, he still insisted on holding court every day.

A small number of ministers from humble backgrounds who were promoted through the recommendation system for filial piety and integrity, as well as some officials from declining aristocratic families, had long been dissatisfied with the situation where sons of aristocratic families could obtain official positions so easily. Seeing that the emperor was clearly determined to use his last breath to eliminate the corrupt elements for the country, a group of people led by Diao Huai and Wen Yuan were inspired with a sense of righteousness and became his loyal followers, serving him faithfully.

The emperor was surprised to find that there were still powerful families in the court who could not be corrupted by their influence. Overjoyed, he burst into tears.

A silent purge targeting powerful and wealthy families unfolded.

As the head of the aristocratic families, the Langya Wang clan suddenly became the target of everyone's attacks. Not only the emperor and commoners, but also some minor aristocratic families that could not rise to prominence and the Jiangdong clans that were ostracized by the immigrant gentry all joined forces with their allies, pretending to be bystanders while secretly kicking them when they were down.

Wang Bing, a member of the Wang family, was dismissed from his post as governor of Xuzhou because of his fondness for war and rebellion. The position was then taken over by Ying Zhan, a confidant of the emperor.

Xi Rui was inexplicably ordered by the emperor to exchange military posts with Tao Kang, who came from a humble background, and was reassigned to Xiangzhou, a major town in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River.

Xi Rui was so angry that he cursed his mother at home.

This purge of the Langya Wang clan, launched by the emperor before his death, inexplicably involved Xi Rui, who clearly viewed the Wang and Xi clans as a single entity. The implications of this purge as a warning and suppression of Xi Jian, a military commander who rose to power through military means, are quite evident.

When the family was on the verge of extinction, the emperor suppressed and targeted them, and other families took advantage of their misfortune. In an instant, the Wang family went from being admired by thousands to being avoided by everyone.

Meanwhile, Wang Dun and his son Wang Jue, who were at the center of the storm, closed their doors to visitors and lived a secluded life.

The Wang family members who were stripped of their official positions complied with the order without the slightest dissatisfaction.

Xi Lingxian was ordered to stay at home and not go out, but she kept abreast of every rumor circulating outside.

Regardless of what happened to the Wang family, they were also dragged into it. Exchanging military garrisons was tantamount to uprooting and renaming the Xi family's power in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River.

It is said that a dying person speaks good words; but unexpectedly, the emperor, on his deathbed, launched a desperate counterattack.

Is this a way to save the Xiao family's empire by risking one's own life?

Xi Lingxian had never experienced these things in her previous life, and no one had told her about them.

She only felt that the Wang family held a high position and great power, and that all the people under heaven respected and admired them. She thought that doing anything was just a matter of saying a word.

But little did they expect that the higher one climbs, the colder it gets; the higher one's position, the more people below will want to bring them down.

Glory and crisis can be separated by a single thought, catching one completely off guard.

The severity of the situation is spreading rapidly.

Xi Jian's position as Grand Secretary was suppressed by Yu Liang's position as Director of the Grand Secretariat, and he was hindered at every turn.

Diao Huai and his gang launched a verbal attack against him, labeling him as someone who had overstepped his authority, and Xi Jian was forced to resign from his position as Chancellor.

Xi Lingxian remained a delicate flower in a greenhouse. Neither Xi Jian nor Xi Rui would discuss matters of the court with her unless Wang Jue was mentioned, for fear of frightening her.

She knew nothing, but her heart was filled with increasing panic; power struggles always involved bloodshed.

She was very worried that something had happened to her father and older brother.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice the dark figure that had appeared in her boudoir.

"What are you thinking about?"

She was startled, and when she saw who it was, her guard relaxed slightly.

"Such a big thing happened in just a few days, what can I possibly think?"

Wang Jue sat down directly behind the tea table, as if he were in his own home, and poured himself a cup of tea.

The aroma of tea wafted around him, and his brows were elegant and refined.

"You still have the mood to drink tea?"

"You won't let me drink?"

Xi Lingxian was uneasy about his nonchalant demeanor. "You have a backup plan, don't you?"

Wang Jue stared intently at her. "Do you think I'm that special?"

"Can you stop speaking in riddles?" she said angrily.

"no."

"What?" She was momentarily stunned.

"I have no backup plan." He took a sip of tea. "But the emperor does."

"Is he still not going to give up?"

Wang Jue scoffed, "He held onto that last breath before he died. If he doesn't uproot the Langya Wang clan, he won't die content."

Will our family be implicated as well?

Wang Jue thought her question was ridiculously stupid.

What do you think?

Xi Lingxian forcefully defended herself: "My family has never done anything like what you did to show contempt for royalty..."

"To be unfaithful is to be unfaithful."

Xi Lingxian choked.

"If the emperor wins this battle, all the aristocratic families will be doomed, and none will escape unscathed."

Xi Lingxian wondered, "But right now, all the other families are just sitting on the sidelines watching the fight, and they have no intention of getting involved at all."

He nodded. "No rush, the emperor will help them take action."

Xi Lingxian's mind was in turmoil. "The Emperor is asking other powerful families to help the Wang family? Are you dreaming?"

Wang Jue glanced at her, genuinely taken aback by her stupidity.

"..."

Realizing she had said something stupid, Xi Lingxian's cheeks flushed, and she turned away and sat down with her knees drawn up to her chest.

He pressed his cheek against his knee, trying to calm the embarrassing feeling.

"Do whatever you want as long as it doesn't implicate my family."

"It has already implicated them. Xi Rui was forced to exchange military garrisons, which is an innocent bystander's misfortune."

Xi Lingxian turned her back to him and fell silent.

After a long pause, she turned around and asked, "After this incident, is there any hope that the Wang family can regain control of the military?"

Since the Wang Zhang Rebellion, in order to restrain the Wang family and to demonstrate their sincerity in having no intention of rebellion, no one from the Wang family has held military power.

But without military protection, scholarly families often lack confidence in many things.

Wang Jue was puzzled as to why she suddenly asked this question.

"If your family can regain control of the military, you probably won't need to rely on a marriage alliance with my family to get involved in the military, right?"

Is that what she's planning?

Wang Jue interrupted coldly with a displeased expression, "Stop trying to use your brain to speculate on national affairs."

Xi Lingxian remained unmoved and stubbornly insisted, "I think I'm right. This way, we won't have to arrange a marriage, which is better for both of us."

"To reassure other powerful families, and so that the emperor on the throne can sleep soundly, it is impossible for the same family to control both the central government and a regional military region." His expression grew colder and colder, as if his patience had run out.

Xi Lingxian's heart tightened, and her disappointment was evident.

Wang Jue suddenly felt a tightness in his chest, and thought it was all so meaningless.

……

Wang Dun and his son remained silent, while Wang family disciples were either ostracized or dismissed from their posts.

The emperor seemed genuinely eager to achieve something remarkable before his death, and as a dying man, he acted swiftly and decisively.

Everything else is minor and doesn't harm the foundation; if you want to completely wipe out a minister's family, only the charge of "treason" can achieve that.

The emperor brought up the old matter again, bringing up the Wang Zhang Rebellion of the Langya Wang clan. No matter the dynasty, rebellion and treason are punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family.

They had previously endured and lay low, but now they can be punished for multiple crimes.

The news of the retrial of the old case immediately caused a huge uproar in the court.

Although the Wang Zhang Rebellion is widely known as a treason, it has always been officially defined as an act of "purging the emperor's inner circle." Now, the emperor's intention is clearly to confirm this "treason" and use it to eliminate the Langya Wang clan.

Once a family is branded with the label of a traitor or rebel, it will bring about their downfall.

When Xi Rui told her family about this, Xi Lingxian couldn't help but feel worried for the Wang family.

This is an indelible dark history for the Wang family. How can Grand Commandant Wang deal with it and turn the tide?

Xi Lingxian, who never interfered in court struggles in her previous life, was genuinely curious this time.