After getting Li Shimin's promise, the bad guy quietly passed on the truth.

"Have you heard? This operation is because the Protector Princess was attacked in Ziyun Valley!"

"What? Someone actually dared to attack the Princess Protector of the Tang Dynasty? These people are truly audacious!"

"That's right! That's right! Princess Huguo is our lucky star. Since her birth, the fortunes of the Tang Dynasty have become increasingly prosperous.

This attack must have been carried out by those with ill intentions!" an old man said indignantly.

"That's right! Without going into too much detail, just take the Changle furnace, Mingda coal, Mingda plow, Mingda paper, Mingda pinyin, Mingda numbers...

Which one of them is not the benefit that the Princess Protector of the Country brings to our people?

These people with ulterior motives must be jealous of the Princess Protector's talent and contributions and are trying to destroy our happy life!" A middle-aged man said indignantly.

A woman nearby wiped her tears and choked up as she said, "The Protector of the Nation Princess was so young, yet she did so much for the Tang Dynasty and for the people.

It is really heartbreaking that they have been attacked like this.”

As the news spread, the people of Chang'an City felt sympathy and anger at the plight of the Princess Protector of the Country.

They all expressed their support for the court, severely punishing the attackers and protecting the safety of the Princess Protector of the Country.

With the support of the people, the court's search operation went more smoothly.

Through secret investigations, the bad guys gradually grasped some key clues pointing to certain families and forces.

The city-wide manhunt lasted a whole day and night.

Tens of thousands of people were questioned and searched, and the entire city of Chang'an was shrouded in a tense and solemn atmosphere.

However, this action was unprecedented in that it not only did not arouse the resentment of the people, but even received their widespread support and cooperation.

Because the Princess Protector of the Country has a very high reputation among the people, the people regard her as a treasure of the Tang Dynasty, and her safety concerns countless people.

However, the real masterminds behind the incident were thrown off balance by the sudden city-wide manhunt.

They originally thought that the frame-up plan could divert the court's attention, but they didn't expect it would bring even greater trouble.

In a hidden corner of Chang'an City, a group of representatives from various aristocratic families gathered together, and the atmosphere was tense and heavy.

"Everyone, we have to think of a solution. If we continue this investigation with such fanfare, none of us will be able to escape!"

“That’s right, although most of the families they arrested now are wrong, they are all more or less involved with us.

If this continues, we’ll be the ones to be investigated sooner or later,” another family representative added worriedly.

"So what even if the investigation leads to us?" Some representatives of the aristocratic families disagreed.

"Everyone present here represents the most influential aristocratic family in the Tang Dynasty."

"The land, resources, and population we jointly control account for one-third of the entire Tang Dynasty."

"Will the imperial court really become enemies with so many of our families just for a little girl?"

When these words were spoken, some people showed expressions of deep agreement, but some people frowned and looked worried.

"That being said, this matter is different from usual." A family representative who has always been cautious spoke slowly.

"As the saying goes, if Li Erlang really uses the matter of the Protector of the Nation Princess to suppress our aristocratic families, then he will have the upper hand in name only.

After all, the Princess Protector of the Country enjoyed a very high reputation among the people, and the court could take this opportunity to publicize their justice.

We might become the target of public criticism," the cautious family representative said solemnly.

These words made the representatives of the noble families present fall into deep thought.

They had to admit that what the cautious representative said did make sense.

The reputation of the Princess Protector of the Nation among the people has become a huge variable in their actions this time.

"What's more, Li Erlang has always been scheming and ruthless.

Since he can use this opportunity to suppress our aristocratic families, we will definitely not let it go easily."

The cautious representative continued, a hint of worry in his tone.

At this moment, another family representative suddenly stood up and said with a firm look, "If that's the case, then we can't just sit there and wait for death.

We must take action immediately and not let Li Erlang's conspiracy succeed!"

His words immediately resonated with others present.

Yes, when have these aristocratic families ever been so passive?

They control one-third of the land, resources and population of the Tang Dynasty. Are they really going to be suppressed by a yellow-haired girl and Li Erlang?

No! This is impossible!

Soon, the representatives of these families reached a consensus.

They decided to join forces to fight against the suppression of the imperial court and must not let the incident of the Princess Protector of the Country be the beginning of their decline.

However, they also knew that it was not easy to fight against the imperial court.

They need careful planning and deployment to ensure that nothing goes wrong.

Therefore, in the following period, these family representatives began to frequently contact each other secretly, exchange information, and discuss countermeasures together.

On the other hand, those noble families who were suddenly arrested and had their properties seized seemed to have suffered a devastating blow.

They were arrested without any warning and their property was seized. This sudden change plunged them into deep panic and despair.

These peripheral members of the family rushed around, used all kinds of connections, begged hard, and after inquiring from many sources, they finally understood the whole story.

It turned out that their family was inexplicably involved in the attack on the Princess Protector of the Country.

Although they knew that their family had nothing to do with the attack, they were implicated simply because swords or tokens related to their family were found at the scene.

This innocent involvement made them feel extremely wronged, and the family's reputation and property suffered irreparable damage.

"This... this is clearly a frame-up! Can't Your Majesty see it?" a family member said indignantly.

In order to discuss countermeasures, these peripheral members gathered together urgently.

Someone speculated, "His Majesty may have known this for a long time, but he chose to do this anyway. After all, it was the Protector of the Nation who ordered our arrest."

"Are you saying that all this is a conspiracy carefully planned by the Princess Protector of the Nation and His Majesty?

Are they deliberately framing us and using this opportunity to suppress our family?" a steward asked angrily.

The people around him looked at him as if he was a fool, as if they thought his question was too stupid.