In the imperial court, the once deeply entrenched powerful families were uprooted, and new nobles from humble backgrounds quickly filled the vacancies, giving the court a completely new look.
Meanwhile, most of the loyal followers that Prince Rong had painstakingly cultivated over the years were lost in this swift and decisive action.
At this moment, he felt extremely uneasy, looking around the court and finding no one he could rely on.
After much thought, the only person he could turn to for help was Zhou Yun'an.
He secretly visited Zhou Yun'an that very night, looking terrified, fearing that the emperor's personal guards would break down the door and throw him into prison at any moment.
To Rong Wang's surprise, Zhou Yun'an did not take the opportunity to manipulate him. Instead, he comforted him gently, saying, "Your Highness need not worry. The most important thing right now is to completely sever ties with the aristocratic families to avoid being implicated."
He carefully analyzed the situation and pointed out several clear paths for Prince Rong, advising him to stabilize the situation first.
Although Prince Rong was skeptical, he had no choice but to follow orders.
Once the sound of Prince Rong's footsteps had completely disappeared, the gentleness on Zhou Yun'an's face vanished instantly, replaced by a coldness.
He turned to look at Xiao Cheng, who had emerged from behind the screen, and sneered, "The Prince Rong is now a useless pawn, and can no longer accomplish anything."
Xiao Cheng frowned and said in a low voice, "Master, the situation has exceeded our expectations."
Previously, they had meticulously planned to replace Wang Huan with a death row inmate and deliberately spread rumors that the emperor intended to thoroughly purge the powerful families, hoping to use Wang Huan to incite them to rebel and completely disrupt the political situation of the Great Gan Dynasty.
When the powerful families and the imperial court turn against each other, they can take advantage of the chaos to profit from it.
However, no one expected that Lu Nancheng would dare to risk recalling Ming Lang, who was guarding Lizhou, back to the capital, even when the Ming family army was powerful!
With his command of a large army and the support of the troops, Minglang's appearance instantly silenced the restless aristocratic families, and the rebellion was swiftly suppressed before it could truly begin.
Xiao Cheng was completely baffled: "Since ancient times, which border general who holds heavy troops has not been a major concern for the emperor? Moreover, Lu Nancheng was not close to Lizhou before, and was even quite wary of the Ming family army. Why does he dare to trust Ming Lang so much now?"
"The art of rulership cannot be summarized by mere suspicion."
At this moment, Zhou Yun'an's eyes showed a hint of resentment mixed with a touch of relief.
He picked up his teacup, gently blew away the foam, and said slowly, "Although the Ming family army is in Ming Lang's hands, the money and silver bags are firmly controlled by the emperor. If Lu Nancheng really wants to touch him, he only needs to cut off his supplies. No matter how strong the Ming family army is, it won't last more than a month."
Like Xiao Cheng, the aristocratic families believed that Lu Nancheng was wary of Minglang, so they naively thought they could turn Minglang against the emperor.
Little did they know that the relationship between the Ming family and the imperial court was no longer a simple matter of suspicion between the emperor and his subjects. Someone had already quietly resolved the rift between the two sides, gaining the emperor's trust in Minglang and making Minglang willing to pledge his loyalty.
Using trade routes as a link, she secretly controlled the logistics lifeline of the border army for the emperor.
The Ming family army was loyal and capable because the imperial court provided a steady stream of funds and provisions; and the imperial court could rely on the Ming family army because that woman had already firmly bound their interests together.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Cheng felt a chill run through him.
Now, with the decline of powerful families, talented individuals from humble backgrounds are constantly entering the imperial court, commerce is booming, and the public's trust in the court is at an all-time high.
The entire project is experiencing unprecedented growth.
Zhou Yun'an sighed; at least for the time being, there was nothing more he could do.
He slowly rose, put his hands behind his back, and looked out the window into the deep night.
After a long silence, he said in a low voice, "Let's lie low for now. This game... is not over yet."
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