Beneath the imperial house of the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty stood four great royal clans: the royal lines of the East Sea King, the West-Pacifying King, the Southern Suppressing King, and the Northern Star King.
Of these, the Southern Suppressing King and Northern Star King lines—one aimed at the Demon Country, the other at the barbarian tribes—were currently thriving the most. They even held sway over Guang Province and Bing Province, suppressing the aristocratic clans there so thoroughly that they could scarcely turn over.
The East Sea King's line, though showing signs of gradual decline, had recently begun to rise again with the Immortal Dynasty's development of the East Sea.
Only the West-Pacifying King's line seemed so withered that scarcely any news of it emerged anymore.
By all reason, the West-Pacifying King's line should have been the royal clan responsible for commanding the war against the Western Region Hundred Cities.
Yet now, the one commanding the campaigns against the Western Region Hundred Cities was the Tyrant Thunder Lu Family, an aristocratic clan of Liang Province. Though they won victory after victory, how much of the benefits truly went to the Immortal Dynasty, and how much went to the Lu Family?
Minister Zhao of the Ministry of War had twice sung their praises at grand court assemblies, speaking of the Lu Family's achievements in opening up the Western Region. Was he truly extolling them—or stirring up trouble and planting thorns?
Thoughts flashed through Liang Zhaohuang's mind, and he swiftly reviewed the information and intelligence concerning the West-Pacifying King's line.
More than two thousand years ago, when the Immortal Dynasty was developing Ning Province, a royal clan had joined forces with aristocratic families to seize the opportunity to rebel, seeking to usurp the dynasty and seize the imperial house and the Human