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

"Your Highness, have you remembered everything the civil official said?"

Gao Ying instructed Crown Prince Yang Yong on etiquette and manners when meeting the Prince of Yan. The Crown Prince was the heir apparent and the future emperor, and his every move was closely considered by the Wei family.

Gao Ying did not want the Crown Prince's inexperience to cause his operation to fail.

"I've got it, Master Gao."

Yang Yong nodded first, then frowned.

"Do we need to be so subservient? Now that Father has unified the world and commands millions of soldiers, no hero in the land can rival him. The Wei family is merely a prince; no matter how strong we are, how can we compare to the royal family?"

"The Wei family's forces are mostly composed of scholars; how could they possibly withstand the Iron Army?"

Gao Ying's heart skipped a beat, thinking to herself that the Crown Prince was still young and unaware of the complexities of the world.

How could the Wei family's influence consist entirely of scholars?

Scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants, doctors, teachers, soldiers, generals—which of the Hundred Schools of Thought and the various schools of thought didn't regard the Wei family as the leader? Which family didn't occupy a central position within it?

Gao Ying knew he had to explain things clearly to the Crown Prince, otherwise, if the Crown Prince spoke rudely during his meeting with the Prince of Yan, it would ruin everything!

"Your Highness, are you aware that the Great Qian Dynasty is now at a critical juncture of life and death?"

Yang Yong frowned. "Master Gao, why are you trying to scare me? All the warlords in the land have been defeated by Father Emperor, and his prestige is at its zenith. The Sui Dynasty is like the morning sun, full of vitality. How can we talk about a life-or-death crisis?!"

Gao Ying sighed softly and said slowly, "Your Highness, are you aware that there are undercurrents and widespread anxiety in the court? Even the core team that helped His Majesty establish the empire is beginning to have doubts."

"Which of the feudal lords whom Your Majesty defeated did not have some loyal followers and remaining forces?"

"And those powerful families and various forces that once supported His Majesty in conquering the world have also developed different intentions."

"Back then, the Yang family stepped forward and took the fall for all the noble families in the world. Even though it turned out to be a sweet fruit instead of a thunderbolt, the debt of gratitude was still owed."

"It was precisely because His Majesty used this favor that he was able to pacify the realm so smoothly."

"But things are different now. This favor has been used up, and no one knows what these powerful families will do next."

"All of this is simply because no one from the Wei family has been appointed to one of the four duke positions."

"Ever since His Majesty went to the Prince of Yan's residence and did not find anyone, overnight, 36 anti-Sui forces of varying sizes have emerged in Luoyang alone."

"This is Luoyang, His Majesty's main base. The Yang family has been operating here for so many years, you can imagine how much they have done in other major prefectures and counties."

"But ever since the news of my trip to Yanzhou with His Majesty spread, all forces have gone into hiding, not daring to make any rash moves, and are just waiting for news of our trip to Yanzhou."

"If we can achieve a good result, the Sui Dynasty will be just as Your Highness said, like the rising sun, full of vitality, and about to usher in a golden age for the Sui Dynasty."

"If we fail to achieve a good result on this journey, the whole world will turn against us in an instant."

"Even Your Majesty's army can mutinied in an instant. Without the support of the army, how long do you think the Sui Dynasty can last?"

Yang Yong remained silent. Would the world really be as Gao Ying described?

Is the Wei family really that influential?

Sighing inwardly, Gao Ying realized he had to come up with something substantial.

"Does Your Highness not believe me?"

"Master Gao, it's not that I don't want to believe you, it's just that this matter is too far-fetched."

Yang Yong said with a wry smile that Gao Ying had been following his father for 20 years and was a man skilled in both literature and martial arts.

He can ride a horse to pacify the world, and wield a pen to determine the fate of the nation.

During the ten years of war, Gao Ying led his army in numerous campaigns in the south and north, pacifying more than one warlord.

At the same time, when not engaged in warfare, she was responsible for managing the internal affairs of the entire force, keeping everything in order so that Yang Jian could focus on his campaigns without distractions.

It can be said that Gao Ying's influence can be seen in the entire political structure, laws, etiquette, and systems of the Sui Dynasty.

Yang Jian's key ministers, such as Yang Su, Su Wei, and Han Qinhu, were all recommended to him by Gao Ying.

Without Gao Ying, the Sui Dynasty would never have been established.

It's possible that Yang Jian had already fallen to the alliance of princes long ago.

"Your Highness, which power do you consider to be the strongest in the world today?"

Gao Ying asked.

"Of course, it's the Sui Dynasty!"

Yang Yong replied without hesitation.

"The Sui Dynasty was also composed of forces of varying sizes, including civil officials and military generals. Your Highness, who are some noteworthy names from these two camps?"

Gao Ying continued to ask.

"Of course it's Master Gao."

Yang Yong said this from the bottom of his heart.

"Does Your Highness know who taught Gao Ying all her skills?"

"I don't know."

"It was taught by Wei Hao, the current heir apparent of the Prince of Yan, during his time at the Imperial Academy."

Gao Ying spoke slowly, then asked:

"Your Highness, who do you think is the most capable general under His Majesty's command?"

"General Han Qinhu was the bravest general in the army. He once led 500 elite troops to charge against an army of 5, and was invincible!"

At this point, Yang Yong became somewhat excited. What man wouldn't admire such a hero?!

"General Han is a disciple of the Prince of Wu'an. According to General Han, he could not last more than ten moves against the Prince of Wu'an."

Gao Ying poured cold water on Yang Yong's enthusiasm.

"And what about General Yang Su?"

Yang Yong pressed for an answer.

"He learned from Wei Xue, the founding prime minister of the Great Qian Dynasty."

"The eldest grandson who was the first to follow my father?"

"Master Changsun learned from the Guigu school of thought and is a contemporary follower of the Guigu school's Lianheng lineage."

"The contemporary Guiguzi was not a member of the Wei family."

Before Yang Yong could even catch his breath, "But the contemporary Guiguzi did study under the Prince of Yan for a period of time. Although there was no formal master-disciple relationship, there was one in reality."

"Where is General Shi Wansui?"

Yang Yong's eyes were already somewhat vacant.

"General Shi Wansui was indeed born from humble origins and possessed superhuman strength."

Gao Ying deliberately tried to provoke Yang Yong's mindset, waiting until Yang Yong's expression relaxed before continuing.

"However, the more commoners a person comes from, the deeper the influence of the Wei family becomes on them."

"The people of the world have been indebted to the Wei family for more than seven hundred years. All the people are willing to die for the Wei family."

"If the Wei family raises its banner, the people of the whole world will respond, and the soldiers of the entire Sui Dynasty will bring their armor and weapons to seize the Sui Dynasty's grain and military supplies and join the Wei family."

Yang Yong looked resentful: "..."

What are the leading schools of thought today?

Gao Ying pretended not to see it and continued to ask. Today, she was going to shatter Yang Yong's fragile heart and let him know what it meant to be arrogant and how the Wei family was not to be trifled with!