The video takes us to ancient times; Li Er transforms into the Tongtian Emperor of Shu Han.

"You mean the emperor has nothing to do with this?"

"On the contrary, Zhuge Dan, who is far away in Yangzhou, is the most suspicious?"

After receiving the answer brought back by Sima Zhao, Sima Shi's expression grew increasingly gloomy.

Zhuge Dan?

He knew this person.

Some people possess the ability to orchestrate such a grand scheme, encompassing the entire aristocratic class and even the Sima family.

He probably doesn't have that much ability.

At least he alone is not qualified.

“Brother, I won’t even say whether that little emperor has the brains or not. After seeing him today, I’m certain he doesn’t have the guts.”

"He, the emperor, upon seeing me, actually proclaimed his utmost loyalty to you, General. Is this something an emperor should say?"

Sima Shi: "..."

To be honest, that's really the truth.

The last emperor who was so shameless and outrageous, saying whatever came to mind, seems to have been during the Qin and Han dynasties.

But Emperor Taizu of Han, who came from humble origins, had the Three Heroes of the early Han Dynasty by his side, as well as fierce generals such as Chen Ping and Fan Kuai.

What does the current emperor have?

"You can send people to investigate Zhuge Dan and keep an eye on him. If there is any unusual behavior, request an imperial edict to bring him back to the capital to serve as an official. You can choose one of the Nine Ministers to offer him."

"If he returns, send someone to take over as governor of Yangzhou; if he does not return, request an imperial decree to quell the rebellion."

"In addition, Li Zhao's whereabouts cannot be overlooked either. The place where he last appeared is where the mastermind is."

"But don't skimp on the young emperor's side either. Send plenty of beauties, palace maids, and palace servants."

After thinking for a moment, he still made a suggestion.

"Even if I'm just overthinking it, and he's truly loyal to the Sima family, someone should still take care of his daily needs."

"If he behaves obediently, then this is his reward; if he really has a scheme, then we will know in time, right?"

If that's the case, then there's no problem.

In Sima Zhao's view, his elder brother had simply guessed wrong but was too embarrassed to admit it, so he came up with this explanation.

However, sending some people to the young emperor's side is a piece of cake!

Seeing that he nodded in agreement, Sima Shi then spoke.

"If Zhuge Dan was indeed behind this, then Guanqiu Jian must have been involved as well. In that case, we should bring both of them back to the capital. Whoever refuses to return will be punished for his rebellion."

"What if neither of them replies?"

"One level."

Sima Shi's eyes were sinister.

"If Jiangdong dares to interfere, then we'll chop off Eastern Wu's hand as well!"

"As for the current issue between Wang Xiang and the gentry, you make the decision. If you take action, you must eliminate them completely. If you don't take action, you should talk to Wang Xiang in the next two days."

"The land of Eastern Wu is not acceptable, the land of Shu Han is not acceptable, the land of Guanzhong is not acceptable, Xuchang is also not acceptable, as long as Wang Xiang is willing to cooperate, all other places are acceptable."

Sima Shi already had a general understanding of Wang Xiang's appetite.

The old man is certainly unwilling to agree to grant him a title but no fiefdom.

Now the Sima family's reputation is already in the spotlight. If this is delayed any longer, and the patience of those aristocratic families runs out, their fortunes will plummet.

It is they who cannot drag this out any longer.

"Don't worry, brother. I've already made arrangements with Jia Chong. If that old bastard Wang Xiang refuses to listen to reason, he'll mobilize the city's defenses with a single order. At that point, not even a mosquito will be able to escape the entire capital!"

Although not as ruthless as Sima Shi, Sima Zhao was just as decisive when faced with a real crisis!

"In addition, to prevent Wang Xiang and other aristocratic families from getting close to and bewitching the young emperor, Guo De and Guo Jian should lead men to guard the palace and report all matters, large and small, that occur in the palace."

……

Jia Chong's actions were extremely subtle, and the city's defense forces were already firmly under Sima Shi's control.

It even included a large number of assassins raised by the Sima family in the past. It can be said that this was a loyal dog that only served the Sima family and did not recognize the gentry or the imperial power.

Normally, minor changes in the city's defense forces would go unnoticed, and no one would leak the information.

But the current situation is clearly unusual.

From the moment Jia Chong left home, he could not hide it from Chen Tai, who had been keeping a close eye on the Sima residence.

Sima Zhao returned from the palace with a beaming smile, but before he could even catch his breath, the city's garrison made another move.

This crisis looks like it's getting bigger and bigger each time!

"Brother, I'm afraid Sima Shi will be unable to resist taking action!"

"How should we choose?"

At Chen Tai's residence, all three brothers looked grim.

Sima Zhao's return from the palace without much fanfare at least indicated that the emperor was unharmed.

Who else could the city garrison's movements be aimed at but the aristocratic clans?

"Don't panic. Although the Chen family has pretended to participate in Wang Xiang's actions recently, anyone with eyes can see that we haven't contributed much."

"Even if Sima Shizhen is determined to purge the aristocratic families, it shouldn't affect us. At the very least, he has to leave some obedient ones to help him cover up his tracks, right?"

Chen Tai wasn't worried about himself.

His only worry was that if Sima Shi overturned the table, the situation would be completely out of the emperor's control.

"So what should we do now?"

"Should we release the news to let the other powerful families prepare?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Tai pondered for a moment and then shook his head.

Releasing the news will only cause panic among various powerful factions, at which point some will choose to flee and others will choose to defect.

The situation in the capital will become even more chaotic!

Moreover, Wang Xiang would definitely ask where the information came from, and Sima Shi would certainly be able to find out afterward that the information was leaked from the Chen family.

They themselves will be in danger then!

"I will go to the palace tonight to see His Majesty. Before the Sima family makes their move, they will probably have another talk with Wang Xiang. Before I return, you should do nothing and wait for my news."

In the past, he would have made the decision himself.

But now that they have decided to pledge allegiance to the emperor, and the emperor has demonstrated extraordinary abilities.

Chen Tai chose to believe in the young emperor of the present day!

Time passed bit by bit.

Beyond the celestial curtain, the Sima family's decisive actions truly astonished many.

"In terms of ruthlessness, Sima Shi has truly mastered it perfectly."

"The Emperor's preparations during this period were all based on the premise that the Sima family would not overturn the table. Faced with the situation that is about to unfold, he is probably helpless."

Mr. Cao scratched his head in frustration.

If we can delay things a little longer, and make the Sima family flip the table later...

Once Zhang Liang meets with Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin has made contact with the Eastern Wu side, Liu Bang's chances of success will be much greater.

"It's not that we're helpless; it just depends on how Emperor Gaozu responds."

"No matter how ruthless Sima Shi is, he can't really slaughter all the aristocratic families. He still has to leave some people in the court. Otherwise, what's the point of seizing an empty court?"

"Those who survive may succumb to the threat of weapons, but if they are given the opportunity, the Sima family will face an even bloodier revenge!"