But ultimately, this upheaval was quelled by the Xiao Family's Three Siblings.

Or rather, it was suppressed.

The Xiao Clan from outside Long, already on the verge of splitting apart, saw Xiao Hang still retaining control over the family's ancestral lands. However, some members of the Xiao Clan had left Longwai far behind to establish their own independent branches.

Just as the Ye Clan and Lin Clan had each historically split into two, the world now witnessed the emergence of two Xiao branches. However, the Xiao Clan, already in steep decline, became even more fragile in both its resulting factions after this internal strife and division. The once dominant force in the northwest of the Great Tang visibly struggled to reclaim its past glory.

The Great Tang's Five Surnames and Seven Noble Families were, henceforth, no longer true to their name; perhaps they should now be called the Four Surnames and Six Noble Families.

Conversely, in the capital of the Great Tang, the situation was also turbulent. The newly established Scholarly Mansion, a subject of much discussion, encountered a great calamity. This time, however, the calamity did not seem to be aimed at Academy Libationer Xiao Chunhui.

The unfortunate ones were a monk and a Taoist. The Taoist was Elder Lin Shan from the Celestial Master Mansion of the Taoist Talisman Sect. The monk was Elder Fashan from the Tianlong Temple, a Sacred Land of the Buddhist Oath Lineage. Both were attacked, one after the other.

The identity of the attackers was strikingly clear. Lin Shan was injured in an attack by members of the Yellow Sky Sect, but fortunately, his life was not in danger. Elder Fashan of Tianlong Temple was not so fortunate. He was attacked by a master from the heretical Great Void Temple and attained parinirvana on the spot.

The Great Void Temple's return to the Eastern Lands was marked by a terrifying momentum. First the Bodhi Temple, then the Vajra Temple, and now Tianlong Temple—all three Sacred Lands of the Buddhist Sect had suffered casualties due to these heretical Buddhist factions. The Tianlong Temple was shaken to its core, and rumors spread that its masters were preparing to mobilize en masse to eradicate the heretical demons of the Great Void Temple.

Previously, when the Bodhi Temple was targeted, the Tang Imperial Court had issued a decree to eradicate the rebels of the Great Void Temple. This mandate had now been further escalated.

Upon hearing the related news from Yuan Mobai, Lei Jun's first thought was, The handiwork of the Four Surnames and Six Noble Families.

The Yellow Sky Sect, the Great Void Temple, and the White Lotus Sect had all survived to this day, despite repeated attempts to exterminate them. Their persistence was largely due to the clandestine support, and even direct aid, from other powerful factions. It was difficult to gauge the precise extent of the Four Surnames and Six Noble Families' influence over them, but their shadowy presence could always be faintly discerned behind the activities of these major rebel groups.

Yuan Mobai said, "The current Empress still seems secure on her throne for now. I just wonder how she will counter next, although..."

Lei Jun looked toward his master.

Yuan Mobai continued, "This time, the Four Surnames and Six Noble Families are unlikely to employ conventional, step-by-step tactics against Her Majesty. They are more likely to strike like a series of thunderclaps."

Lei Jun nodded slightly, agreeing with his master's speculation. Nevertheless, he looked up at the ceiling, lost in silent thought.

Yuan Mobai turned to Lei Jun. "What is it?"

Lei Jun replied, "Nothing, Master. I have no particular insights, but I just feel that Her Majesty's methods are somewhat... peculiar."

"Oh?" Yuan Mobai also fell into contemplation upon hearing this.

...

「Qingzhou.」

The two renowned Ye families had rarely met since their separation. Although their relationship was not as fraught as that between the Lin Clans of Youzhou and Jiangzhou, the atmosphere between the two Ye branches was equally delicate.

"Elder Brother, your visit to Qingzhou does me great honor. Please forgive my inadequate welcome," said a Confucian scholar, appearing to be in his fifties, as he hosted the elder from Jinzhou.

The elder smiled. "Chiyuan, you are too courteous. It was I who arrived unannounced."

After they were seated, the middle-aged Confucian scholar said slowly, "I have heard about the matter concerning Lingxi. My condolences, Elder Brother."

The elder replied, "It was my oversight. No one else is to blame."

The middle-aged Confucian scholar asked, "Elder Brother, you seldom leave Jinzhou. What are your plans regarding the Southern Wilderness next?"

The elder responded, "The Blood River situation will be handled by others; we mustn't disrupt our plans. Although Lingxi's fate grieves me, it was ultimately an unforeseen accident."

The middle-aged Confucian scholar idly traced the rim of his teacup. "It seems there's more to this Wei Ancheng affair than meets the eye?"

The elder nodded.

The middle-aged Confucian scholar did not press further and changed the subject. "So, Elder Brother, are you heading north next?"

"Yes," the elder affirmed.

The middle-aged Confucian scholar smiled. "In that case, I shall refrain from wishing you smooth sailing for this part of your journey."

The elder also smiled faintly. "The sentiment is mutual."

After finishing their tea, having formally communicated their respective upcoming decisions, the elder took his leave from Qingzhou and headed north towards Youzhou.

The middle-aged Confucian scholar fell into silent thought.

Later, a woman approached him. "Father."

The middle-aged Confucian scholar nodded gently.

The woman asked softly, "Father, is Jinzhou planning to support the one in Youzhou?"

Youzhou was not only home to the Lin Clan, one of the Five Surnames and Seven Noble Families. There was also another place of significance: Prince Zhao's Mansion. He was the most senior and powerful prince in the Tang Imperial Family.

"Yes," the middle-aged Confucian scholar nodded gently.

His daughter then said, "I have made all the preparations. I shall also depart for the capital to visit my elder sister."

The middle-aged Confucian scholar corrected her with a smile, "You mean Her Majesty the Empress and His Highness the Crown Prince."

The woman smiled, lowering her head. "Yes."

The Jinzhou Ye Clan had always maintained a low profile. In recent years, however, the Qingzhou Ye Clan had been flourishing. Ye Chiyuan, whose personal name was Ye Yan, was the current head of the Qingzhou Ye Clan. His eldest daughter had entered the palace, becoming the Empress Consort of the late Emperor Zhang Qilong, and had given birth to the sole imperial prince.

Following Zhang Qilong's death, as the Crown Prince was too young to rule, the current Empress (Female Emperor) ascended the throne. However, she still appointed her elder brother's son—the late Emperor's son and her nephew—as the Crown Prince. Ye Chiyuan's daughter still held the honored title of Empress of the Great Tang.

For the time being, neither the Qingzhou Ye, the Jinzhou Ye, nor any of the other great families, had any intentions of completely overthrowing the dynasty and reshaping the world.

But given that the current Empress was deemed incompetent and reckless, having already lost the faith of her officials and people, was it not then the duty of her subjects to support a worthy ruler to the throne and restore clarity to the realm?

It was just as it had been with her elder brother, the late Emperor Zhang Qilong...

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