Free Web NovelChapter 557: Chapter 61: Iron-Fisted Tactics, Establishing Empress Wu Zhao
The court was in turmoil.
Invisible waves of turbulence were building in the shadows, only a spark needed to ignite everything.
The next day, Li Zhi issued an edict to confine Empress Wang’s family.
—This was a blatant offensive move.
With the support of Gu Jing, he was imbued with unparalleled confidence, declaring the majesty that belonged to the Emperor before everyone.
Such an act was quite obvious.
Even newcomers to the court could sense the oddity, feeling as if treading on thin ice.
At such times, everyone couldn’t help but recall the Gu Clan of the past.
Though the Gu Clan of the past made many unable to see the road ahead.
At the same time... it also spared much of the strife.
Yet, it wasn’t just Li Ji who wished to stay on the sidelines and not meddle in such a sensitive matter.
After all, the stakes were too high in such matters. freewёbnoνel.com
Unfortunately, not everyone had the privilege of neutrality.
In this intricate court, one misstep could lead to constant missteps, caution was paramount.
Li Zhi undeniably had some political acumen.
Upon expressing his stance.
He immediately went to visit Zhangsun Wuji, Chu Suiliang, and others, even bringing gifts, meeting them as a junior.
The underlying message was to convince them to "go with the flow" and not easily meddle in this matter.
But whether it was Zhangsun Wuji or Chu Suiliang.
Neither had any way out.
Their status and rank were evident. If they abandoned Empress Wang, their reputation within the Guanlong aristocracy would plummet.
Who would be willing to follow them in the future?
They were indeed powerful and influential.
Yet with such power came the price they must bear.
They both had to give it a try regardless!
To shield Empress Wang from this calamity.
....
The Gu Clan never meddled in any of this.
And under the influence of the Gu Clan, this matter did not affect the court’s functioning; no officials would bring such matters to light.
Li Zhi was pressing forward step by step.
Clearly, he understood the potential impact if he disclosed all his thoughts.
Wu Zetian’s status was too sensitive.
It was impossible to expose this issue at such a time, so he could only keep a close watch on the affairs concerning Empress Wang.
Li Zhi began attending court every day, and the daily unavoidable issue was the investigation and questioning around Empress Wang.....
Both Zhangsun Wuji and Chu Suiliang could only stall.
Though this could indeed bring some resistance to Li Zhi, how could it stop the Emperor?
To put it plainly, Li Zhi was merely restraining himself for now.
That was his nature.
These were the ministers entrusted by Li Shimin, and the situation now was different from the original history; he didn’t wish to completely sever ties just yet.
But this was only temporary.
As an Emperor, if his ideas were continually interfered with, no matter how benevolent he was, he would eventually lose patience.
And by then, who could stop him?
Everything seemed destined for a result; no matter how the Guanlong aristocracy struggled, they couldn’t oppose imperial power.
The ministers had also seen everything clearly, rallying under the Emperor’s banner.
Launching an attack on the Guanlong aristocracy.
—The situation of the Guanlong aristocracy was entirely different from history.
In the original history.
Due to their enormous momentum, even if other clans were dissatisfied, they wouldn’t openly oppose the Guanlong aristocracy without a significant event.
Contrastingly now... the Guanlong aristocracy hadn’t yet reached dominance.
Yet, many among them still maintained behaviors similar to the original history.
This was bound to cause discontent among many.
And now was precisely the time for them to pay the price.
One side rejoiced while the other grieved.
Such a phrase aptly described the current court of the Great Tang.
Wu Zetian hadn’t meddled in the court.
—This was her most skillful move!
She knew Gu Jing’s bottom line well and understood the disparity between herself, Empress Wang, and Xiao Shufei’s maternal clan. With the current historical trajectory being entirely different, she had neither the opportunity to meddle in the court nor should she act rashly.
You can’t eat hot tofu if you’re impatient!
Given her status, instead of acting rashly, it’s better to wait.
However, Xiao Shufei was entirely different.
Such an urgent court situation finally showed her an unparalleled opportunity.
The desire for the title of Empress had completely shattered her reason—she could not afford to miss this fleeting chance and had to fight with all her might!
Just days later, Xiao Shufei’s maternal clan and some closely connected families immediately expressed their stance, starting to support the Emperor and launching an offensive against the Guanlong aristocracy.
—The struggle broke out completely.
Given the current situation, no one paid attention to Wu Zetian.
No matter how favored she was by the Emperor, what could she do?
Neither her status nor her maternal clan’s position supported her becoming Empress.
In many people’s eyes, she had no chance to compete at all.
But Xiao Shufei was different.
Although Xiao Shufei’s maternal clan wasn’t as prominent as Empress Wang’s, it was comparable.
The most critical point is—
Xiao Shufei had a son!
This was an advantage Empress Wang couldn’t match.
Under such circumstances, the entire court of the Great Tang immediately became factionalized.
