Tang Dynasty: Father, if you don't rebel, I will!

Wang Qingyun had only read a few lines of the letter when a fine layer of sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.

He hurriedly took the letter to his study and then closed the doors and windows.

Only then did he carefully and nervously reread the contents of the letter.

"Consort Zheng of Xingyang has been summoned by the Crown Prince to serve him for seven days. The imperial physician has been taking her pulse every day, and Consort Zheng has also been sending her many tonics. Consort Zheng is about to give birth, and this matter is probably a done deal. If our Wang family of Taiyuan does not receive His Highness's favor, I fear the morale of our family will be unstable, and Yu Yan in the palace may also cause rumors. The Wang family has no other choice but to do this..."

Wang Qingyun's breathing became rapid and tense.

I looked up through the window and cautiously glanced outside.

"Your sworn brother Lu Wenhu is disliked by the Crown Prince. Perhaps we can use this to our advantage. The Prince of Liang and the Prince of Yan have long been dissatisfied with the remnants of the Lu family of Fanyang. Pyongyang has now been recuperating for over a year and should be returned to our Great Tang..."

Wang Qingyun's eyes flickered.

The letter made it clear that Prince Liang, Li Yin, and Prince Yan, Li Yun, would definitely support their actions, and if things could be accomplished, even if the Crown Prince didn't say anything.

At the very least, His Majesty the Emperor, the Empress, and many of the Tang Dynasty's vassal kings would give the royal family some face.

It would be natural for him to elevate his younger sister's status in the palace.

that is.......

Thinking of his sworn brother Lu Wenhu, even though he and his third brother Zheng Wuyang had lost contact with him.

He really didn't want to take action against the other party unless absolutely necessary.

Moreover, Zheng Wuyang himself was a member of the Zheng clan of Xingyang, and the underlying purpose of this matter was to compete with the Zheng clan of Xingyang.

This made Wang Qingyun think it over again and again, but he ultimately decided not to notify the other party.

Just a few days after Wang Qingyun received the letter.

Chang'an, the Xiande Hall of the Eastern Palace.

Wang Ming, the head of the Wang family in Taiyuan, knelt on the ground, breathing extremely humbly and nervously, waiting for a sound from above.

Li Chengqian flipped through the pages of the other party's "Memorial on Pacifying the Remnants of the Hereditary Noble Family".

In the article, Wang Ming seems to have forgotten that he is from the Taiyuan Wang clan, one of the five prominent families and seven prestigious clans, and is a member of the established aristocratic class.

However, despite this, this fellow sharply described the act of pardoning the Lu family of Fanyang and other prominent families, allowing them to change their surnames and go into hiding, thus erasing their clans, as releasing a tiger back into the mountains and sowing seeds of future trouble.

It is irresponsible to the future of the Tang Dynasty.

We should act swiftly and decisively, and exterminate their entire clan.

"I promised Lu Zhaojing and the others that I would atone for my crimes through meritorious service, and Pyongyang Province is now under their excellent management..."

"Your Highness! This old minister comes from a noble family. If we are to talk about the opinions of noble families, I dare to say that Your Highness is no match for this old minister!"

Wang Ming cupped his hands in greeting.

"What Your Highness said about dismantling their clans, scattering their members, and even changing their names and surnames would be one thing if they were just small clans and surnames. However, whether it is the Lu clan of Fanyang, the Li clan of Zhaojun, or the Cui clan of Qinghe, all three clans are major surnames in the world."

"One can openly change one's surname, but one can secretly collude with others. It may be irreversible in one or two years, but what about ten or a hundred years? Your Highness! You have granted enlightenment and wisdom to all people in the world, yet among the officials in the court who have excelled in the imperial examinations, there are still many who have inherited their learning from their families!"

"Therefore, Your Highness's description of Pyongyang as a well-ordered and harmonious place is not the achievement of the Choi, Lu, and Li families, but rather a calamity for our Tang Dynasty!"

His voice was intense and passionate, carrying a resolute quality that even Li Chengqian couldn't help but slightly turn his head in surprise.

"The Wang family of Taiyuan is willing to sign a military pledge! Your Highness should sit on the platform and entrust this old minister with the handling of the remaining three families. I guarantee with my head that the remaining forces in Pyongyang will be completely wiped out!"

"And it's all their own fault!"

"Your Highness is innocent to the scholars and has been kind to the people!"

Li Chengqian: "......"

Wang Ming kowtowed to the ground. In the deathly silence of the Xiande Hall, Wang Ming's gambling remarks seemed to carry a greater weight.

Li Chengqian was well aware that this was nothing more than the Taiyuan Wang family trying to regain his former trust and favor.

However, just as Wang Ming said.

He left everything to them to handle, and then all Li Chengqian needed to do was order someone to take over Pyongyang Province completely under his control.

As for the infamy and reputation among aristocratic families.

It was all done by the Wang family of Taiyuan; what does it have to do with the imperial family?

"We must not allow the surrounding area to be affected!"

Upon hearing Li Chengqian's calm words, Wang Ming was overjoyed.

"Your Highness, I thank you for your great kindness!"

After Wang Ming left, Li Chengqian gave him a look, and Wang De immediately brought over a brazier.

Looking at the "Memorial on Pacifying the Remnants of the Noble Family" burning in the brazier, Wang De and the others lowered their heads and remained silent, but everyone understood that what was burning in the firelight next would not be just a simple piece of paper.

I do not know how long it has been.

After the memorial was reduced to ashes, Li Chengqian suddenly spoke softly and gave an order.

"By imperial decree, Consort Wang will serve you tonight..."

Suliu Hall.

Compared to Zheng Lizhen's palace, this place has a noticeably less of a rouge-like feel and a stronger scholarly atmosphere.

On the rows of bookshelves, most of the books in sight show obvious signs of having been read.

The lingering fragrance of ink, the willows outside the window.

Wang Yuyan's delicate eyebrows were filled with sorrow, and her fair cheeks seemed to have thinned out, giving her a pitiful look reminiscent of Lin Daiyu.

Who would have thought that she, the legitimate daughter of the Wang family, was once a strong contender for the position of Crown Prince's principal wife, as rumored by outsiders?

However, now... the Crown Prince has not visited her Su Liu Palace for a month.

A burst of sweet, melodious voices interrupted Wang Yuyan's reminiscences of her past as a female official in the Crown Prince's Secretariat, accompanying His Highness on his travels throughout Bingzhou, inspecting new policies, or overseeing agriculture...

At that time, she foolishly thought that her father was the governor of Bingzhou and her brother was the military commander of Bingzhou, both of whom were the Crown Prince's right-hand men, and that she would definitely be able to stay by the Crown Prince's side at all times in the future.

"What's going on outside?"

Wang Yuyan frowned. The maid who had followed her from the Wang family into the palace to serve as her personal maid looked anxious.

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Zheng Lizhen has come to our door!"

The voice arrives before the person is seen.

Zheng Lizhen's flamboyant and arrogant laughter, unique even in the imperial harem, reached Wang Yuyan's ears.

It's not that the voice is unpleasant, but the utilitarianism and mercenary nature it carries truly tarnishes that silvery laughter.

"What brings Consort Zheng here? I heard she's been settling in and resting during her pregnancy?"

Wang Yuyan remained calm, but her unspoken words, "Settle down and nourish the fetus," caused Zheng Lizhen, who had not yet shown any signs of pregnancy but was making a big fuss about preparing various tonics, to freeze her smile.

Behind Wang Yuyan, several of Wang's maids smirked.

This angered Zheng Lizhen so much that her nose almost crooked.

"Hmph! You're all talk and no action. I'm not here to argue with you today!"

She walked straight into the hall on her own, and as if returning to her own palace, found a place to sit down.

She didn't let the maid who came with her in, and gave Wang Yuyan a look.

Wang Yuyan remained silent, but she also dismissed her maid.

Zheng Lizhen saw that Wang Yuyan was in the same temperament that she hated so much. This old man-like composure was something she could not learn, and it was something that her father had criticized her for since she was a child.

"Hmph! Now that the lowly Tibetan woman is gone, and the Crown Prince has repeatedly summoned me to his bedchamber, it seems he intends to give the Zheng family an important position..."

She paused, as if waiting for Wang Yuyan's reaction.

But the latter just stared at her quietly, offering her no emotional support whatsoever.

This made her lips twitch irritably twice more.

"The position of principal wife is out of the question now, but the one from the Duke of Ying's mansion is still occupying the position of concubine without moving an inch, and she hasn't shown any reaction at all. Perhaps there's something wrong with her health..."

Wang Yuyan finally reacted, but her expression was one of slight disgust and a furrowed brow.

Both the Wang and Zheng families were once among the five most prestigious families in China. Their eldest daughters had known each other since they were very young, but Zheng Lizhen's mercenary and sharp-tongued nature was something she really disliked.

Look at how she's lowering her voice, as if she's some cunning person plotting something in a dark room.

Wang Yuyan took a deep breath, stood up, and opened the palace door.

"Hey hey hey? Wang Yuyan, what are you doing? I haven't finished speaking yet! You..."

Wang Yuyan's voice was cold.

"I don't like the fabric that Consort Zheng mentioned. I prefer something simpler and more elegant. Consort Zheng doesn't need to order it for me. You can keep it for yourself."

Wang Yuyan's warning was loud, but the meaning behind her words, which only she and Zheng Lizhen could understand, made Zheng Lizhen's angry expression suddenly freeze.

"Hmph! Serves you right for being disliked by the Crown Prince! You'll just have to grow old and faded by now!"