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

Xue Rengui's shoulders slumped slightly, and his once straight back became hunched.

Having spent half his life in armor for forty years, conquering Liaodong, resolving the world with three arrows, and pacifying the million-strong coalition of eighteen nations, he had never flinched even amidst mountains of knives and seas of fire. At this moment, only a profound sense of powerlessness arose within him.

While powerful enemies on the battlefield can be defeated with weapons, no spear can stop the intrigues and power struggles in the imperial court.

Xue Rengui knelt down in the direction of Li Zhi's mausoleum and respectfully performed a grand salute. Recalling the late emperor's dying words of entrusting his son to him while holding his hand, tears streamed down his face.

"Emperor Gaozong, I have failed your trust and have not been able to protect the Tang Dynasty!"

Zhou Qing also heard the imperial report and his heart skipped a beat. He immediately ran towards Xue Rengui's residence.

"Big brother!"

Just as Zhou Qing had expected, as soon as he ran over, he saw Xue Rengui kneeling on the ground, weeping bitterly.

Running to Xue Rengui's side, Zhou Qing slowed his pace and weakly reached out his hand.

Zhou Qing also had a complicated expression as he looked at his older brother, unsure of what to say.

He also risked his life for the Tang Dynasty, fighting on the battlefield with a fearless spirit.

In the end, however, it was the Tang Dynasty that betrayed them and broke their hearts.

He was able to let go, but his elder brother was once a hero and a god of war in the hearts of the people of the Tang Dynasty!

He had also received the favor of Emperor Gaozong and was a trusted minister entrusted with the care of the young emperor. The late emperor had shown him great affection and never mistreated him.

Xue Rengui was a man of great loyalty and righteousness. Facing the Tang Dynasty that had been replaced, he felt a mix of emotions that were hard to describe.

"Having received the decree from the emperor, they will unite to punish the rebellious minister."

"Let us sing songs of joy to break through the enemy lines, and together enjoy the peace and prosperity of the people."

"The imperial spirit spreads throughout the four seas, and the virtuous waters remain clear for a thousand years."

"We no longer wear military uniforms; today we announce our victory."

"Our sage ruler has established a prosperous reign, and your loyal subjects have faithfully followed his great plans."

"Look, after the war, there will be a peaceful autumn."

Familiar military music came from Xue Rengui's mouth, and Zhou Qing hummed along.

This is the military music of the Tang Dynasty, the Qin King's Battle Music of Emperor Taizong Li Shimin. After Wu Zetian usurped the Tang throne, she promulgated many policies and promoted a large number of talented people from humble backgrounds. Talented individuals continued to emerge in the court.

Di Renjie, Yao Chong, and other capable ministers emerged, and the entire Zhou Dynasty flourished.

The status of the Wu clan princes rose steadily, and a large number of officials joined Wu Chengsi's ranks.

Wu Chengsi also believed himself to be the only suitable successor to the throne. His aunt had gone to such great lengths to establish the Wu Zhou dynasty and replace the Tang dynasty; he couldn't very well pass the throne to his son and let a member of the Li family ascend the throne!

What's the point of going through all this trouble to change things so drastically?!

Are you kidding me? Are you making a scene?!

Therefore, Wu Chengsi disliked Crown Prince Wu Dan very much, always feeling that Wu Dan was occupying his position, which annoyed him no matter how he looked at him.

However, Wu Dan was usually cautious and knew her special status. She stayed at home and never went out, never making a mistake. Wu Chengsi was not in a position to cause trouble for others without reason.

Three years after the Heavenly Mandate, an unusual phenomenon appeared in the heavens, including a solar eclipse.

Although the Hundred Schools of Thought had already explained the occurrence of solar eclipses using astronomical methods, this did not prevent Wu Chengsi from using this as a pretext to attack Li Dan.

Wu Chengsi, citing unusual celestial phenomena indicating rebellion in the court, falsely accused Li Dan of plotting a rebellion to restore the Tang Dynasty.

Since Li Dan was the crown prince, Wu Chengsi could not directly attack him, so he ordered his men to arrest many of the guards and servants of the Eastern Palace and imprison them for severe torture.

They used torture to extract a confession and fabricated evidence of Li Dan's treason.

At this moment, Wang Xuance and Di Renjie stepped forward to defend Li Dan's innocence.

Even when Li Dan was on the throne and it was rightfully his, he still did not take any action.

Now that Wu Zetian has ascended the throne, he is still the crown prince, so how could he possibly rebel?

Moreover, everyone in the court was promoted by Wu Zetian, so who would be loyal to him?

Now, more than two years have passed since Wu Zetian usurped the Tang throne. Almost all the princes of the Li family have been killed, and the imperial family no longer has any power to shake Wu Zetian's rule.

With no people, no money, no power, no soldiers, and no influence, was Li Dan crazy to rebel?

Wu Zetian deeply agreed. Wu Chengsi was her son and Li Dan was her nephew, so naturally she was closer to her son.

However, she was also extremely hesitant about choosing a successor to the throne.

If it were returned to the Li Tang dynasty, then all that effort would have been for nothing more than satisfying his desire to be emperor. After Li Dan ascended the throne, he would inevitably change the Wu Zhou dynasty back to the Li Tang dynasty, and then his ascension would be nothing but a joke.

But if it were given to the Wu family, then he would only be their nephew, not their own bloodline.

It's a pity she's too old now; otherwise, if she had given birth to a son without Li Tang blood, he could have inherited her empire without the risk of restoring the Tang Dynasty.

After understanding Wu Zetian's meaning, Li Dan breathed a sigh of relief. Wu Chengsi became even more resentful of Li Dan and had his henchmen constantly impeach Li Dan in the court.

Wu Zetian's daughter witnessed all these power struggles in the imperial court.

Princess Taiping couldn't help but feel a surge of ambition when she saw her mother ascend the throne as a woman.

If her mother can do it, so can she!

If Li Dan and Wu Zetian could sit on the throne, why couldn't she?

Thinking of this, Princess Taiping could no longer sit still and began to study the entire process of her mother's ascension to the throne.

To protect himself, he did not form factions, participate in politics, or plead for his brothers and sisters. Sometimes, to show his loyalty, he would even give them a push.

She usually stayed in her mansion enjoying herself, but secretly she was always observing which people in the court could be used by her.

After studying for a period of time, she summarized several factors that enabled her mother to ascend the throne.

Imperial power must be seized, not waited for.

Military power is the most important thing. Without military power, even if her mother controlled the entire court, she would not dare to destroy the Tang Dynasty.

And most importantly, moral boundaries should be flexible.

People with overly high moral standards are unlikely to succeed.

Be ruthless, thick-skinned, and adapt your moral bottom line to different situations.

Her mother, according to seniority, was Emperor Gaozong's aunt, but for the sake of ambition, she joined forces with Emperor Gaozong and used his power to gain immense influence in the court.

Later, even her own brothers were used as tools by their mother, who could discard them at will, just to consolidate her position!

In the same year, Wu Zetian established the Crane Control Office to recruit literary and artistic talents, and Xue Huaiyi and Zhang Yizhi thus came to Wu Zetian's attention.