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

"You bastard! You traitor!"

Li Longji lost his temper in the Zichen Palace. As an emperor and a father, he felt deeply humiliated to be treated this way.

The contrast between Li Heng's previous respectful attitude towards him and this newfound respect only fueled his anger.

The humiliation inflicted on someone who was initially respectful to him but suddenly became cold and even defiant is far greater than that inflicted on someone who was initially cold and unfriendly to him.

"Power, my power."

Li Longji roared, like a wild beast controlled by power, howling hysterically.

How will he turn things around?

eunuch?!

He glanced at Li Jingzhong standing at the door; the eunuch had long been Li Heng's loyal dog.

Imperial Guards?!

After thinking about Zong Shen, the commander of the Imperial Guards, it seemed that he could be won over. It was Gao Lishi who had a grudge against Zong Shen, not him, so he could be won over.

A relative of the mother-in-law?!

Yang Guozhong's entire clan was exterminated, but he still had many concubines, all from top aristocratic families, who could be won over and used.

The courtiers?!

Having held power for so many years, Li Bai naturally had many political enemies. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and he could win over these officials who were hostile to him.

A prestigious family?!

Although he was an enemy of the aristocratic families before, people like them only have interests in their eyes. There are no permanent enemies, only permanent interests. If Li Bai is eliminated, a large number of official positions will be vacant in the court. These aristocratic families can fill these positions, greatly increasing their strength. Why not?

A military governor?!

Too far from the imperial court in Luoyang, it was difficult to rely on them for assistance, and their reach was limited.

The Wei family?!

Li Bai was the junior brother of the Prince of Yan, and they had a deep connection. Not only could he not be used, but he also had to be guarded against.

imperial clan?!

Li Heng is his legitimate son and the crown prince. It's uncertain whether the imperial clan will choose to support him, especially since his previous support for Yang Guozhong dealt a heavy blow to the imperial clan.

After much thought, the only forces he could currently utilize were the powerful families and the Imperial Guard.

Especially the Imperial Guards; their presence was a crucial element in enabling him to maintain contact with aristocratic families.

The entire Zichen Palace is now firmly guarded by the Imperial Guards, and he has no way to contact the outside world.

Winning over Zong Shen and consolidating the power of the Imperial Guards is of paramount importance at present.

Over the next few days, Li Longji continuously observed the rotation of the Imperial Guards.

It was finally confirmed that the Imperial Guards would change shifts at Chenshi (7-9 AM) every day, and Zong Shen would also come to Zichen Palace at this time to change shifts, and would not leave until Youshi (5-7 PM).

On this day, Li Longji took advantage of the change of guard to come to the gate of Zichen Palace and called out to Zong Shen, who was changing guards.

"General Zong, please wait."

Li Longji smiled and waved to Zong Shen.

Upon hearing Li Longji's call, Zong Shen stopped, turned around, bowed respectfully, and said, "Your Majesty, what are your orders?"

Seeing Zong Shen's respectful expression, Li Longji was overjoyed; there was hope!

"General Zong, I have come to apologize to you."

"If it weren't for my favoritism towards eunuchs, the general's family wouldn't have suffered this misfortune. However, please believe me, this was absolutely not my intention. I also deeply sympathize with the general's family's plight."

Li Longji rarely lowered his stance. He felt that he had already lowered his stance so much, surely Zong Shen couldn't still be angry?

He is the Emperor of the Great Tang Dynasty. Even he has expressed sympathy for your family. You should be grateful to me, right?

Li Longji remained arrogant and never truly considered things from other people's perspectives. He thought that his small favors would gain the support of others, but little did he know that this would only cause people to become annoyed.

"It's good that Your Majesty knows."

Zong Shen said calmly that he had seen through Li Longji's character and was now loyal to Crown Prince Li Heng, so he would naturally not have much involvement with Li Longji anymore.

Just because of Li Longji's casual remark, could his family members really be brought back to life?

Li Longji didn't know he was wrong; he just knew he had lost his power.

Li Longji's expression froze; he hadn't expected things to develop in such a completely different way than he had anticipated.

Shouldn't Zong Shen be grateful and bow down in gratitude?

"General Zong, may I have a word with you in private?"

Li Longji took a deep breath, suppressed his displeasure, forced a smile, and said in a low voice.

Zong Shen looked unwilling. How could he, the commander of the imperial guards, be so close to the emperor?

What if the news reaches the Crown Prince's ears and he misunderstands it?

Zong Shen really wanted to say to Li Longji, "Your Majesty, please don't get so close to me, I'm afraid the Crown Prince will misunderstand."

"Your Majesty, there are no private matters between us, only official business. You are all my comrades-in-arms, so there is no need for any taboos or reservations. Your Majesty, please speak freely."

Zong Shenqian said.

Li Longji's already gaunt appearance, a result of his serious illness, became even more unsightly, resembling the wrinkled, drooping bark of a withered tree.

"General, this matter is extremely important and must not be disclosed. Please come to me."

"Does this mean I no longer even have the right to speak privately with the general?"

Li Longji said quietly, and Zong Shen felt his hair stand on end. He felt as if he were being watched by a wolf hidden in the dark. The fear of his life being threatened made him very uncomfortable.

"Your Majesty, I dare not presume. All those around me are elite Imperial Guards, loyal ministers and generals who are devoted to Your Majesty. Please rest assured."

The more this happened, the less likely Zongshen would meet with Li Longji in private; it was too frightening.

He had finally managed to get close to the Crown Prince and become his confidant. With a bright future ahead and the possibility of being ennobled and promoted, why would he want to get involved in this mess? If he lost his chance to be ennobled and promoted just because he had spoken a few words to Li Longji in private, he would be so angry that he would want to die of vomiting.

"As long as the general doesn't regret it."

Li Longji's expression also turned cold, and his smile, as smooth as orange peel, disappeared.

If you won't listen to reason, you'll have to suffer the consequences. If I give you face but you don't appreciate it, then don't blame me for not giving it to you anymore.

"General, you have done so much for Li Heng, yet you are only a general. With your talent, it is a waste for you to hold such a lowly position."

"I intend to appoint you, General, as General of the Guards, a rank equivalent to the second grade, and enfeoff you as Marquis of Ningyuan. What is your opinion, General?"

Li Longji looked smug. He thought that Zong Shen, a general who came from humble beginnings, would definitely not be able to resist the temptation of General Wei, which was equivalent to a second-rank official and could be directly granted the title of marquis.

Even in the entire imperial court, those who held a higher position than him were only a handful.

Absolutely no one could resist such temptation.

Even the eldest sons of top-tier families couldn't refuse, let alone Zong Shen, a peasant from a humble background.

No, there are still people who can refuse.

The Wei family.

Even such a high position is nothing compared to this family. However, there has only been one such person in thousands of years in the entire world. Zong Shen is just a nobody, and he can easily take him down with just a little effort.