A thousand-year-old family begins with one fighting against ten thousand.

"I entrust the affairs of state to you all. I need to rest properly, and my health does not allow me to handle state affairs."

Cao Chong recalled the trigger for his illness and sighed deeply. With him down, many policies had to be relaxed in order to maintain the stability of the court.

All his and his father's efforts over the years were in vain, a complete waste.

By the time the crown prince grows up, there will be a gap of at least a decade. The regents are ultimately just ministers and cannot make decisions like the emperor.

That's enough time for these powerful families to completely destroy the arrangements made by their two emperors.

All that's left is to look after his son. Thinking of that little radish-headed boy who's only three years old, a mixture of warmth and helplessness flashed in Cao Chong's eyes.

A vast empire, the strongest nation in the world, was placed on the shoulders of a three-year-old child.

Can he handle it?!

A year later, Emperor Qianhui died of illness, filled with reluctance to leave this world and worries about the empire. His four-year-old son, Crown Prince Cao Ling, ascended the throne, and the Wei dynasty adopted the Wei system. Cheng Yu, Xun Yu, Cao Zhen, and Cao Xiu served as regents.

"Finally, after waiting for so long, today has finally come."

Cao Pi laughed heartily, "This is the Great Qian Dynasty, how can a four-year-old child shoulder such a heavy responsibility?"

Of the six ministers in the court, the two from the Wei family would not interfere in the internal struggles within the imperial clan. Cao Zhen and Cao Xiu were members of the imperial clan, and as long as the emperor was a descendant of Cao Cao, they would not care too much.

Moreover, Cao Pi was clearly superior to the child Cao Ling. Only a ruler with skill and sufficient age could bring the Cao family a higher status and more benefits.

The only people he needed to pay attention to were Cheng Yu and Xun Yu.

Cheng Yu, in particular, was Cao Chong's teacher and had a vested interest in Cao Ling.

"Sir, would you be willing to help me?"

Cao Pi reached out his hand to Sima Yi, and a rare glimmer of sunshine appeared on his gloomy face.

"Your Highness, please give us your orders. We are all in the same boat now, and I will obey Your Highness's commands without question."

Sima Yi bowed deeply to Cao Pi, confirming their relationship as ruler and subject.

Cao Pi waited until Sima Yi finished his greetings before he "realized what was happening" and hurriedly helped Sima Yi up.

"With your help, Ziheng is like a fish in water, as strong as a tiger with wings!"

"What does Your Highness wish to do?"

Sima Yi stared blankly at Cao Pi and asked.

"A military remonstrance!"

Cao Pi slowly uttered two words, causing Sima Yi's pupils to shrink sharply.

"Before that, let me visit my two good brothers."

"Hopefully they'll realize the situation."

That very evening, Cao Pi appeared at Cao Zhen's residence, and Cao Zhen was completely unaware of his presence until he saw him.

"Ziheng?!"

"What are you doing here! Shouldn't you be in the sealed-off country?!"

Cao Zhen saw Cao Pi and asked in surprise.

"I escaped back; Cang Shu wanted to kill me."

"The 2000 men he sent to protect me were both to ensure my safe arrival in the kingdom and to eliminate me after I arrived safely."

"Fortunately, I bribed a few of them and learned of their plan, which allowed me to escape."

"For years I hid in various places, and only dared to return to Luoyang after Cangshu passed away."

Upon hearing Cao Zhen's question, Cao Pi's eyes instantly reddened, his body trembled slightly, and tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.

"But I'm his older brother!"

"How could he do something so beastly!"

"To kill one's own flesh and blood is against the principles of nature and human ethics!"

Cao Zhen looked at Cao Pi speechlessly. Wasn't it you who did this first? How dare you criticize others?

He didn't doubt the truth of what Cao Pi said. With such a good example before, he wasn't surprised that Cao Chong did it.

"Wait, how did you get here?!"

Cao Zhen, being a seasoned general, quickly realized something was amiss. This was his residence, and he had not received any notification. Yet Cao Pi had appeared before him, which made him think of Cao Ang's death and filled him with dread.

How many of Cao Pi's men were in his household?!

Could it be that if Cao Pi wanted to, he would have done the same as Cao Ang, or committed suicide by being stabbed six times in the back?

Does it matter?

Cao Pi countered with a question.

Doesn't this matter?

Cao Zhen really wanted to confront him like that, but he didn't dare. In front of him was a madman who dared to kill his own brother, let alone him, a brother who had no blood relation to him.

"What do you want from me?"

Cao Zhen asked.

"Borrowing troops."

"What do you want to do with these troops? Are you planning a rebellion?!"

Cao Zhen stared wide-eyed, unable to believe it. After all, there was no concrete evidence of killing his brother, but if he were to raise an army in rebellion, that would truly be recorded in the history books.

"What does it mean to rebel?"

"This throne should have been mine all along!"

"After my elder brother's unfortunate passing, I am the first in line to inherit the throne!"

When this topic comes up, Cao Pi becomes somewhat frantic. He plots day and night and finally sees a glimmer of hope for his succession, only to have the young upstart Cao Chong steal the throne.

He's ruthless!

"Zidan, help me!"

"After this is accomplished, I will make you a king!"

"I'll help you."

Cao Zhen seemed to be persuaded by Cao Pi and said firmly.

After seeing Cao Pi off, Cao Zhen carried out a major purge of his own household.

No, he absolutely cannot let Cao Pi ascend to the throne. He never wants to experience this feeling of being powerless over his own life again.

Moreover, given Cao Pi's ruthlessness, would he really allow someone who knew he had murdered his own blood relatives to live in the world?!

Cao Pi had calculated almost everything, except for the human heart.

Cao Zhen secretly met with Cao Xiu, and Cao Xiu shared the same thoughts as him.

"Let's go ask the Grand Commandant for advice."

The two of them went to find Cheng Yu and told him about Cao Pi's appearance.

With Cheng Yu's intelligence, he immediately realized that the three families were taking the blame for Cao Pi.

He killed his own brother first, then his own brother. How ruthless!

"Let's go find the Prime Minister."

After thinking for a moment, Cheng Yu spoke to Cao Zhen and Cao Xiu.

"Find the Prime Minister? Would he be involved?"

"Yes, but not as a member of the Wei family, but as a close friend of Emperor Gaozu, the current prime minister, and a regent."

Cheng Yu, along with Cao Zhen and Cao Xiu, secretly went to Wei Xue's place and told him the whole story, as well as their speculations about the truth behind Cao Chong's death.

Wei Xue's expression remained unchanged after hearing Cheng Yu's words.

"Do you know how to make an ambitious person suffer terribly?"

"The answer is to let him fall from the highest point."

After saying that, Wei Xue handed Cheng Yu a piece of paper with several names on it.

Cheng Yu glanced at the paper, wrote down the name, and then lit the paper in the candlelight.

"On behalf of the late emperor, I thank you!"