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

When Wei Ying and Wei Hao learned of the results of the discussions among the family heads, they were quite surprised.

As expected of the head of the most prestigious family in the Great Qian Dynasty, he achieved their goal so easily.

Upon learning this news, the major families will certainly not lag behind and will actively conduct research.

Unfortunately, the existence of the Wei family created a "catfish effect."

The major families have become extremely competitive, and if they don't get involved, they will be eliminated very quickly.

Only by continuously improving can one maintain their position.

Everyone else is joining in, but you're not. If you fall behind, who else will get punished?!

Everyone knows that whoever masters the technology of steam engines has the potential to become a dominant force in the future.

Even though the heads of these aristocratic families were all extraordinary, they never considered that the Wei family would make this technology public.

This is a monopolistic industry with extremely high technological barriers; those who can afford to play it cannot afford to offend the Wei family.

Those who have nothing to lose and aren't afraid of those who wear shoes, and those retail investors who aren't afraid of death, can't afford to play this game.

With just this one technology, they could monopolize countless assets. But they shouldn't have considered that if the Wei family truly intended to conceal it, how could they openly offer related courses at the Imperial Academy?

If the Wei family keeps it a secret, which of their families will be able to find out?

The answer is none.

The Yang family.

The Yang family naturally had access to the same information as other families, not to mention that Li Yuan, whom they sent to the Imperial Academy, was also doing well in this course.

Not to mention that Yang Jian had already seen steam locomotives with his own eyes, and not only had he seen them, but he had also ridden in one.

Yang Zhong and Yang Jian sat down together again. "Father, what do you think is the reason the Wei family made this technology public?"

Yang Zhong looked relaxed. Over the years he had been in charge of the government, he had been puzzled by the actions of the Wei family countless times. It wasn't until one day, by chance, that he looked down on his own actions and the whole world from a superior perspective, that he understood what the Wei family was really thinking!

These people spent their entire lives fighting for power; even emperors fought for imperial authority.

The Wei family, however, had long since transcended all of this, looking down upon it all with an extremely detached attitude.

All the officials and emperors who fought for power were merely pawns. When he tried to look down on everything with a detached perspective, he suddenly realized that perhaps it was just wishful thinking.

They wanted to do it, so they did.

They wanted to bring the entire world under the control of Chinese civilization, so they developed Chinese civilization, initiated the feudal system, and allowed the Han Dynasty to expand outwards, resulting in the current situation where the entire world is controlled by Chinese civilization.

Now they want to cultivate a super empire that can truly unify the world. Population and other factors are indispensable, but transportation is even more important.

With such a vast area, without sufficiently fast transportation, trying to rule it is a pipe dream.

However, if one wants to lay railway tracks and steam locomotives that can freely connect to the whole world, it is absolutely impossible for one side to act alone.

Even if this force is the Wei family, it's impossible.

The amount of energy consumed is terrifying; it's an astronomical figure.

It is many times larger than the entire treasury of the Great Qian Empire.

Only by mobilizing the power of all the powerful families and feudal lords in the land could this feat be accomplished.

Compared to this plan, even the Great Wall built by the First Emperor seems insignificant.

"Aren't they really afraid that once a unified, powerful empire emerges, it will wage war against the Wei family?"

"Are they really that confident? Even at that point, will they still be able to remain aloof and superior?"

After listening to his father's explanation, Yang Jian tried to calm himself down before asking in a trembling voice.

"I don't know either."

Yang Zhong gave a wry smile. He was like the frog that had jumped out of the well and finally saw the vastness of the blue sky.

"Perhaps they are just that confident."

"This family is simply not something that could exist in the human world. Perhaps there really is a celestial realm in this world. Back then, King Zhongwu descended from the celestial realm and left behind this family that is like that of immortals."

Yang Zhong could only attribute everything to the immortals; there was nothing else that could explain it all.

"alright."

Seeing Yang Jian's dejected state, Yang Zhong comforted him, saying, "In any case, this has nothing to do with us."

"On the contrary, it's a good thing for our plans."

"If you perform well enough, you can win their favor and become their bettor."

Over the years, Yang Zhong has come to terms with it and is no longer ashamed of it.

But Yang Jian was different; he couldn't accept such a huge blow yet.

He exerted all his strength and desperately wanted to sit on the throne and become the supreme emperor. Was his purpose simply to become a suitable pawn of the Wei family?!

The fact that he would do anything to earn the chance to become a qualified pawn is a huge irony in the context of his pursuit.

"Don't be so prejudiced. What if we treat them not as pawns, but as investment targets?"

"Just like in chaotic times, powerful families invest in heroes from all walks of life. Does that mean all the heroes are just pawns of the powerful families?"

"Isn't this just the Wei family investing in various powerful rulers who have the potential to unify the known world?"

How could one say that Chinese culture is so profound and extensive? After his father said this, Yang Jian felt much better.

"I understand, Father."

Yang Jian's eyes were incredibly deep, like an abyss, making them impossible to see clearly.

He had figured it out: he would only be qualified to be a pawn once he ascended the throne; as long as he was strong enough, he could become a player.

All of this is predicated on him first sitting on that supreme throne, the one that is supreme except for the Wei family.

Before that, he needed the Wei family's help.

"Father, how much grain is in the national treasury right now?"

"I will have someone compile the national treasury's inventory and send it to you tomorrow. The amount of steel required is not small."

"To smelt steel, a large amount of iron ore is needed. Mining iron ore is not an easy task and requires a lot of manpower and resources."

"Moreover, there aren't that many iron ore mines in China, and iron is a strategic resource, so it's not easy to buy it from other countries."

Yang Zhong said with a worried expression.

Yang Jian smiled slightly, "Father, don't panic. Don't forget, there are people who care more about this matter than we do."

Yang Jian pointed in the direction of the Prince of Yan's residence, and Yang Zhong immediately understood, then smiled wryly.

He was just lecturing his son, and now his son is lecturing him instead.

"You're right, the Prince of Yan must have already come up with a plan."

"Then let's do as you say."