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

As was customary, Yang Jian needed to go to the Prince of Yan's residence to invite the current Prince of Yan to the palace to assume the position of Grand Minister of Agriculture.

Only in this way could the Sui Dynasty gain the recognition of all the people and become a true imperial dynasty of China.

When Yang Jian arrived at the Prince of Yan's residence, he found the gates tightly closed. After inquiring, he learned that the Prince of Yan and his family had already returned to their hometown of Yanzhou.

The newly established court was instantly thrown into turmoil, and the ministers in the court began to harbor ulterior motives.

Yang Jian had just quelled the various local forces, but because of this news, reactionary forces in various places began to resurface.

Many people are making connections everywhere, contacting members of the imperial family of the Qianlong era, and using their names to oppose the Sui dynasty and restore the Qianlong era.

Even among Yang Jian's generals and soldiers, some of them harbored a different kind of aspiration.

The vast empire, barely established, seemed poised to collapse.

"What do you all think the Prince of Yan means by this?"

Yang Jian summoned all his important ministers together. Even when facing the combined army of millions of princes, he had never felt so uncertain.

He doesn't even have the energy to deal with the turmoil in people's hearts right now; the chaos in the court alone is enough to keep him busy.

"Your Majesty, I believe that the Prince of Yan's actions are simply to avoid a bad reputation."

"The Wei family rose to prominence at the beginning of the Han Dynasty and gradually grew stronger during the Han Dynasty. By the end of the Han Dynasty, the Han Dynasty had lost its power, and various kings rose up in the world. Emperor Gaozu of the Qianlong Emperor fought in the south and the north, defeated one powerful enemy after another, and finally unified the world and established the Great Qian Dynasty."

"Although the Great Qian was established on the tomb of the Great Han, the Great Han was not destroyed by the Great Qian. Instead, it defeated the kings honorably, seized the fruits of victory in the struggle for hegemony among the kings, and established the country and became emperor."

"But the Sui Dynasty ultimately usurped the throne and established itself, a stain that the Sui Dynasty, His Majesty, and we can never wash away."

Now they were at a critical juncture, and the achievements they had made through life and death were about to collapse. Gao Ying didn't care about what was unpleasant to say or whether it would offend anyone. He directly pointed out the weakest point of their Great Sui Dynasty: that they had not obtained the country legitimately.

"Therefore, with a sufficient excuse, the Wei family immediately accepted Emperor Qianlong Cao Cao's invitation to serve as officials in the court, and it would not bring them a bad reputation."

"But if the Wei family immediately accepts official positions from the Sui Dynasty, how will the public perceive them?"

"Although Wei Jiaqiang is powerful, he is ultimately a subject, not a ruler."

"The previous dynasty had never treated the Wei family too poorly. If the Wei family were to surrender directly to the Sui, the people of the world would think that the Wei family had no loyalty to the emperor, which would be a huge blow to the Wei family's perfect image."

Yang Jian's face was very ugly, and he realized this after Gao Ying pointed it out.

If he cannot prove that he is the legitimate heir, he will not be able to persuade the Wei family to come out of seclusion.

If they cannot persuade the Wei family to come out of seclusion, they cannot prove that they are the legitimate heirs.

This is an endless loop.

"Does anyone have a brilliant plan to break this vicious cycle?"

Yang Jian was in a state of utter confusion and could only place his hopes on the many trusted ministers before him.

"Your Majesty, perhaps the Wei family simply needs a plausible excuse."

"Just like the Qian Dynasty, using the excuse of superior breeds and the people of the world, we will persuade the Wei family to come out of seclusion."

"The Wei family has always valued the people. Only by speaking out with the voices of hundreds of millions of people, and by appealing to their life and death, can we persuade the Wei family to act."

Changsun Sheng spoke up.

"No."

"If the Wei family truly had such intentions, they would not have left the capital, but would have waited at the Prince of Yan's residence."

"Now that the Wei family has returned to Yanzhou, one possibility is that they have given up on their plans to enter the world under the Sui Dynasty; another is that they feel the Sui Dynasty cannot come up with an excuse to persuade them in the short term."

Gao Ying shook his head. He had thought about what Changsun Sheng said, but he quickly overturned it himself.

Even Han Qinhu, Yang Jian's most valiant general, who dared to lead 500 elite troops to charge against tens of thousands of soldiers, turned pale and broke out in a cold sweat after learning that the Sui Dynasty would not gain the Wei family's approval.

"What should we do?"

Yang Jian looked at them and saw that even his most loyal and bravest generals were like this, not to mention the others.

Without the support of his soldiers and generals, he could be overthrown at any moment.

"Your Majesty, did you visit the Prince of Yan before you ascended the throne?"

Gao Yingai subtly hinted that she wanted to know if Yang Jian had consulted with the Prince of Yan beforehand.

Yang Jian was taken aback, then slapped his forehead; he had indeed overlooked this matter.

Gao Ying felt a chill run down her spine when she saw Yang Jian's actions. Seriously? You want to ascend the throne and establish a new dynasty—such a momentous undertaking—and you don't even consult the Wei family and obtain their permission before you act?!

Does this kind of thing really require instruction from his subordinate?!

"Zhaoxuan, what should we do?"

Yang Jian quickly looked at Gao Ying and said.

"Your Majesty, you have already ascended the throne; you must not act rashly."

"The only way forward is for the Crown Prince and I to go to Yanzhou to visit the King of Yan and try to persuade him, but the chances of that are extremely slim."

"Our true objective, as well as that of the Crown Prince, is to obtain a promise from the Prince of Yan to ensure that the Wei family will not make any statement."

"The third objective was to probe the situation and see what level the Sui Dynasty had to reach to gain the Prince of Yan's approval before they would be willing to serve as officials in the court."

Yang Jian jogged up to Gao Ying, grasped her hands tightly, and said, "Zhaoxuan, the life and death of the Sui Dynasty are now in your hands."

"Anything in the court that Zhaoxuan needs may be taken."

"Before the Prince of Yan, Zhao Xuan can represent me with full authority and agree to any conditions, as long as the Prince of Yan is willing to come to court."

"Your Majesty, I will certainly not fail in your trust!"

Gao Ying sighed inwardly. He wasn't really confident, but he could only give it his best.

"After I leave, Your Majesty may make this matter public. Those with ambitions in the world will be filled with fear and dare not act rashly."

"Before I leave the Prince of Yan's residence, the Sui Dynasty will not make any unusual moves. Your Majesty, you should take advantage of this great opportunity to rectify the court and promulgate some policies that benefit the country and the people. This will also give me more leverage."

"The Wei family is of noble character; they are indifferent to gold and silver. Only the overwhelming public opinion can move their hearts, and it is also our only bargaining chip."

Gao Ying bowed deeply to Yang Jie, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will certainly live up to your expectations!"

When the news spread that Gao Ying had taken the Crown Prince to Yanzhou to visit the King of Yan, the chaotic movements throughout the land instantly subsided, and the noise in the streets and alleys also decreased significantly.

But beneath this calm surface lies a turbulent undersea.

Once Gao Ying brings back bad news, this turbulent wave will instantly rise into a colossal surge on the sea.

If Gao Ying can bring about a good outcome, then the Wei family will be like a stabilizing force, suppressing all the turbulent waves at the bottom of the sea and bringing peace and tranquility.

On the way to Yanzhou, Gao Ying and the Crown Prince rode in the same sedan chair.

They did not choose to travel at full speed; the time they spent on the road was to buy time for Yang Jian. It was better to go slowly than fast, but they could not go too slowly either, lest the Wei family feel slighted.