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

After the court session, Li Zhi and Wu Zetian intensified their efforts to win over people from humble backgrounds, the military, and the imperial family.

Ultimately, Li Ji, a senior military official, was persuaded by Li Zhi to speak on Li Zhi's behalf in court.

Recently, Changsun Wuji has become increasingly arrogant and domineering, even disregarding the imperial clan. The Guanlong Group, taking advantage of Changsun Wuji's status as a regent and the emperor's brother-in-law, has been ruthlessly seizing the interests that originally belonged to the imperial clan, which has aroused the dissatisfaction of the imperial clan.

The poor families harbored even greater resentment towards Changsun Wuji. Changsun Wuji promoted many people from the Guanlong Group and suppressed the poor families. Even if disciples from the poor families were willing to join his cause, they were often not valued.

After receiving promises from these parties, Li Zhi brought up the topic again during the morning court session.

"I intend to depose Empress Wang and install Consort Wu in the position. What is your opinion, Grand Commandant?"

Li Zhi sat high on the dragon throne, his gaze falling on Changsun Wuji. Changsun Wuji stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "The Empress has done nothing wrong and should not be deposed."

Li Zhi nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, but turned to look at the military representative, Li Ji.

"Sikong, what do you think?"

"This is His Majesty's family matter; why inquire of outsiders?"

Li Shiji replied.

This statement, ostensibly an excuse, was actually an endorsement of Li Zhi.

This is Li Zhi's family matter, and these officials have no right to object. It should be decided by Li Zhi himself.

This also implies that Changsun Wuji was meddling in other people's business, even interfering in the emperor's family affairs.

You're just the emperor's uncle, not his father. You're meddling too much and overstepping your bounds.

Changsun Wuji's face turned pale. He hadn't expected that Li Zhi would actually gain Li Shiji's support.

In the past, he had always suppressed Li Shiji in court affairs. Unless it was related to the military, Li Shiji never expressed his opinions. This made him gradually ignore this other minister whom Li Shimin entrusted to Li Zhi.

"The Grand Commandant is right. This is indeed a matter of state, but it is also my family matter. Yet, how many people in this court actually want to interfere in my family affairs?"

Li Zhi said quietly.

"Sikong is mistaken."

Changsun Wuji quickly retorted, "The emperor has no family matters, let alone the empress, who is the mother of the nation and the mother of the people. How can she be treated as a family matter?"

"To depose an empress without cause would plunge the nation into turmoil; this is a matter of state!"

"alright!"

Li Zhi angrily rebuked, "Grand Commandant, mind your place."

"Whether it's family background or matters of state, my mind is made up!"

"I have decided to depose Empress Wang, establish Consort Wu as Empress, and appoint Prince Hong as Crown Prince, in order to rectify the foundation of the country and secure the nation."

"If the Grand Commandant cannot accept this, he may resign and leave; I will not try to stop him."

"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

"Your Majesty's actions have disrupted the moral order and will surely bring shame upon our Great Tang Dynasty to all nations. In the future, there will be endless infighting in the harem, and the world will never be at peace."

"Your Majesty, ruling arbitrarily is not the behavior of a wise ruler!"

Changsun Wuji wanted to make one last effort to stop it.

"Dominating the court by his own hand?"

"When have I ever ruled with absolute power?"

Li Zhi asked in confusion.

"Gentlemen, what do you all think?"

Li Zhi looked at his ministers.

The military generals, led by Li Ji, all spoke out in support, saying that this was His Majesty's family matter and that His Majesty could make a decision on it.

The clan also remained silent and supported Li Zhi.

Led by Li Yifu, members of the lower-class families began to launch a massive attack on Changsun Wuji in the imperial court.

"Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, most of the imperial decrees have been issued by the Grand Commandant, and the selection of court officials has also largely been done by the Grand Commandant's protégés."

"His Majesty's decree is nothing but a piece of paper without the Grand Commandant's consent."

"The Grand Commandant's orders can be issued directly, bypassing His Majesty."

"The power of the Grand Commandant is comparable only to that of Zhao Gao and Guo Kai throughout history."

"May I ask, Grand Commandant, is this truly His Majesty's realm, or yours?"

Li Yifu stared intently at Changsun Wuji and asked.

Changsun Wuji was so angry that his face turned red. Who were Zhao Gao and Guo Kai?

Zhao Gao, a eunuch, was a wicked official who brought chaos to the Qin Dynasty and was the main culprit behind the Qin Dynasty's demise after only two generations.

Who is Guo Kai?

The Great Zhao War God, a representative of treacherous ministers during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, drove out Lian Po, forced Li Mu to commit suicide, and sold the entire Great Zhao to Great Qin.

Li Yifu actually ranked Changsun Wuji alongside Zhao Gao and Guo Kai—a humiliating disgrace!

As expected of Changsun Wuji, he suppressed his anger and knelt down before Li Zhi without arguing with Li Yifu.

"Your Majesty, you are wise enough to know that everything I have done was for Your Majesty and for the Tang Dynasty. My loyalty is as clear as the sun and the moon!"

"Your Majesty has chosen me to be the one entrusted with the care of the young emperor. Yet Li Yifu has dared to place me on the same level as Zhao Gao and Guo Kai. This is an insult to Your Majesty, making you no different from Qin Er Shi and King Youmiao of Zhao."

"These despicable beasts, who deceive the emperor, insult His Majesty, and bully loyal ministers, deserve to die! How can they be allowed to stand in this court?!"

"We beseech Your Majesty to strip him of his official robes and demote him to commoner status, in order to uphold justice!"

Changsun Wuji said indignantly.

"Your Excellency, please do not speak nonsense. The civil official is merely saying that Your Excellency's power is comparable to that of Zhao Gao and Guo Kai, and has not made any personal attack on Your Excellency's morality. Please do not take this personally."

"Is the person in charge of the allocation so agitated because they feel guilty?"

Li Yifu asked in confusion.

"you!"

Changsun Wuji was furious.

"That's enough!"

Li Zhi's angry shouts echoed down from the high platform, reverberating throughout the entire court.

"What do you think this place is? This is the Taiji Palace, the imperial court, not a marketplace!"

"You are all important officials of the imperial court, how can you behave like shrewish women, cursing in the street?"

"Where is the air of a high-ranking official?!"

"The Grand Commandant and the Imperial Secretary were both fined three months' salary."

"Since all the ministers agree, let's proceed as planned."

"Court adjourned!"

Emperor Li Zhi, unusually, exercised his imperial power, forcefully suppressing Changsun Wuji's proposal and severely dampening his arrogance.

Furthermore, he also penalized Changsun Wuji and Li Yifu by deducting three months' salary. This three-month salary was nothing more than a drop in the ocean for both Changsun Wuji and Li Yifu.

None of the people who have reached this position in the court are short of money. Even if they don't break the law, they still have various legal means to obtain money.

A mere three months' salary is nothing to me.

However, Li Yifu was very happy because this was another instance of Li Zhi embarrassing Changsun Wuji.

Although he lost face, how could his face compare to that of Changsun Wuji?

One was a regent, one of the Three Dukes of the court, the emperor's brother-in-law, a founding hero, a member of a powerful family, second only to the emperor, and above all others.

The other was merely from a poor family, a fifth-rank official in the Imperial Secretariat, barely qualified to attend court assemblies.

If you put a brick anywhere in the capital, the core of the entire empire, you could hit an official of the fifth rank or higher.

His face is worthless.

He was more than happy to exchange his face for Changsun Wuji's face, as this would elevate his own status by countless steps.

A quick calculation reveals that there is a difference of eight ranks between his position as a fifth-rank official and Changsun Wuji's position as Grand Commandant.