Noble Families Plot, Everything Under Control

The blood in the Hall of Supreme Harmony was quickly washed away, as if nothing had ever happened.

But the cold declaration of "execute without mercy" from Lin Hanzhou lingered like an inescapable nightmare, hanging heavy over the hearts of the ministers.

On the very first day of his reign, the new emperor had used thunderous means to execute seven high-ranking court officials.

Among them were representatives of top-tier noble families like Wang Duan and Chen Jingzhi.

This ruthless, consequence-defying display of power completely shattered the last shred of illusion held by the great noble clans.

They finally understood that this new emperor was entirely different from the late emperor, Lin Batian.

Although Lin Batian had also sought to weaken the noble families, he had ultimately been mindful of the stability of the court.

He had always left room for maneuver, adhering to the principle of "struggle without breaking."

But this new emperor did not play by the rules at all!

He was like a peerless, bloodthirsty sword just unsheathed—he would rather shatter the entire chessboard than compromise!

Faced with such a "madman" emperor, open confrontation was clearly no longer viable.

Thus, a "soft resistance" that swept across the entire Great Sui began to unfold in the shadows.

Lin Hanzhou's three new policies were implemented across all counties and prefectures with the unquestionable majesty of imperial power.

However, the execution of these decrees encountered unprecedented and massive resistance.

At the local level, the great noble clans who held the real power in every state and county played the game they were best at: outward compliance while secretly defying orders.

When the imperial envoys arrived to announce the nationalization of land and demand the surveying and redistribution of fields, local officials and the local noble clans would greet them with smiles and empty promises, while secretly resorting to all sorts of tricks.

Some would transfer the majority of their clan's land to collateral relatives or servants overnight, fragmenting their holdings to make them impossible for the government to audit.

Others would secretly incite tenant farmers and refugees to manufacture "civil unrest."

They spread rumors, claiming the emperor intended to seize everyone's land, leaving them with nothing to till and destined to starve to death.

For a time, so-called "popular" riots erupted in many places, with mobs besieging government offices and beating imperial envoys, rendering the decrees impossible to enforce.

As for the widespread establishment of official schools, that became nothing more than a laughingstock.

Local governments would either delay indefinitely under the pretexts of "budget constraints" or "lack of teachers."

Or they would simply find a dilapidated temple, hang a sign for an official school, and hire two illiterate thugs to pose as teachers, just to go through the motions.

The most malicious tactic was the economic strangulation.

Relying on their vast financial resources, the noble clans hoarded grain and other daily necessities in various regions, then drove up prices.

Within a mere month or two, prices across the Great Sui skyrocketed, public resentment boiled over, and the lives of the common people were plunged into misery.

They intended to use this method to create chaos and shake the hearts of the people.

They wanted the whole world to see how the "tyranny" of this new emperor was pushing the prosperous Great Sui to the brink of collapse.

While there was outward defiance in the provinces, dark undercurrents were surging within the capital.

Led by the five top noble clans—the Cui Clan, Li Clan, Lu Clan, Wang Clan, and Zheng Clan—a conspiracy against the new emperor was being secretly brewed.

Late at night, inside a secret chamber at the Cui Clan's residence in the capital, the room was brightly lit.

The current heads of the five great clans were gathered together.

Any one of these five men was a titan whose mere foot-stamping could make the Great Sui court tremble.

"Gentlemen, I believe you are all aware of the situation."

"This new emperor is determined to make us his enemies and uproot us entirely."

Cui Xuan, the head of the Cui Clan—a middle-aged man with a scholarly appearance but eyes as sharp as blades—spoke first, breaking the silence.

"Hmph! A mere child who doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth!"

Wang Lie, the head of the Wang Clan, who had the most explosive temper, slammed his palm onto the table and roared.

"Does he think he can scare us by killing a few people in the court?"

"My Wang Clan has stood for a thousand years; what storms have we not seen? He is courting his own destruction!"

"Brother Wang, calm your temper."

Lu Zhaolin, the head of the Lu Clan, said in a measured tone.

"A head-on collision is not the best strategy. This boy holds the Shadow Guard and the Imperial Guards, and has a group of martial arts experts loyal to him."

"With our current strength in the capital, we cannot yet contend with him."

"Then does Brother Lu mean we should just sit here and wait for death, letting him swallow our land and family assets bit by bit?"

Zheng Yuankai, the head of the Zheng Clan, sneered.

"Of course not."

"On the surface, we truly cannot defeat him, but in the shadows, we have plenty of ways to make him miserable."

Li Changfeng, the head of the Boling Li Clan, who had remained silent until now, allowed a flash of sinister light to cross his eyes.

His gaze swept across the other four family heads as he spoke slowly.

"Those local tactics are merely appetizers; our true killing blows should focus on three things."

"First, we must continue to intensify our control over grain and salt prices, letting public resentment boil over completely."

"When the common people of the world can no longer survive, his dragon throne will no longer be secure."

"Second, mobilize all the scholars and literati under our control to spread word of the new emperor's atrocities, slander his reputation, and paint him as a cruel, heartless tyrant who murdered his father and brother."

"At the same time, we can support a member of the imperial clan, elevating him as a symbol of benevolence to create a stark contrast with the new emperor, paving the way for a 'cleansing of the court' in the future."

"As for the third, this is the most crucial step."

Li Changfeng lowered his voice further as he spoke, a murderous glint surfacing in his eyes.

"This boy's greatest reliance is his own martial prowess; as long as he dies, all problems will be solved."

Hearing this, Cui Xuan frowned.

"You mean... assassinating the new emperor?"

"He is surrounded by experts, and even has Xuan Ya, an Xiantian Third Layer commander of the Imperial Guard, protecting him personally. How could an assassination be easy?"

"It is indeed not easy, but do not forget, our five great families have a thousand-year heritage. Which one of us does not have a few Xiantian retainers kept as trump cards?"

"My Li family has one Xiantian Second Layer and three Xiantian First Layer experts. I presume your estates are not much worse off, are they?"

At this point, a cold sneer appeared at the corner of Li Changfeng's mouth.

Once these words were spoken, the expressions of the other four family heads shifted.

Just as Li Changfeng said, their five great clans combined could muster nearly twenty Xiantian experts.

With such strength, sweeping through the imperial palace would naturally be a trivial matter.

"Of course, this third point is only a last resort. With the first two in place, perhaps this new emperor will come begging to us before long."

"If he is sensible, he will abolish the new policies and become a puppet emperor. If he remains stubborn... then we shall let him suffer an 'accidental' death!"

A frenzied light flickered in Li Changfeng's eyes.

Upon hearing this, the other four family heads exchanged glances, seeing the same mocking smiles on each other's faces.

In their eyes, that new emperor already seemed like fish on a chopping block, waiting to be slaughtered at their whim.

Everything in Great Sui was already within their grasp.

Little did they know, from the shadows of the secret chamber, a pair of cold eyes had already taken in every detail of their conspiracy.