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Since the Sum Emperor ascended the throne, he had been plotting, constantly calculating against those Aristocratic Families, sowing discord among them. However, despite all the plotting, those families remained tightly knit, with none being outmaneuvered by him.

For Ancient Families like the Wang Family, without using physical extermination, they simply cannot be eradicated. Any policy suppressing the Aristocratic Families is just a minor annoyance to them; they not only can distort the Emperor’s policies but can also use new policies to seek even more benefits for themselves.

The Sum Emperor had long seen through the tactics of the Aristocratic Families, and he was very clear in his mind that none of the measures were as effective as directly chopping off those people’s heads.

Years of contending with the Aristocratic Families in the imperial court had cemented a notion in the Sum Emperor’s heart, that is, only military force could resolve everything.

As the Crown Prince Lu Shuyun headed to the South, the imperial army also made preparations to move southward. Though it was claimed to be a measure to contain the spread of plague, those Military Generals knew their southward march was certainly not about controlling the epidemic; or perhaps, in the eyes of the Sum Emperor, those Aristocratic Families were the epidemic itself.

After arriving at Sufeng City, with the help of the families of the South, Lu Shuyun quickly took control of the counties in the region.

The South had always been the territory of its local Aristocratic Families. There were no Seigniors appointed by the court in this area, and with surrounding counties all staffed by officials from Aristocratic Families, it was very easy for Lu Shuyun to take control; it hardly required much effort.

Of course, controlling the counties was one thing, but having command over the local troops was the main aspect. Without an army to resist the imperial forces, mere control over the local counties would be futile.

On one hand, Lu Shuyun was integrating the private armies of the local Aristocratic Families in the South, and on the other hand, he sent people to win over those Generals of the court. To launch a rebellion, relying solely on these Aristocratic Families was not enough.

Only with the support of more people, more forces, would they have the possibility of success.

The seventh day of the sixth month.

News of the Crown Prince’s rebellion spread throughout the Great Sum, with Lu Shuyun gathering several hundred thousand troops to march northward, claiming to rid the emperor of “evil” ministers.

Lu Shuyun pointed the finger at Lin Gaoyuan, accusing him of being a treacherous official that had led to the Great Xia Dynasty’s defeat to the Great Wu Dynasty, and was also responsible for the loss of territory and reparations paid by the Great Sum.

The Capital city, Great Sum.

Lin Mansion.

Lin Gaoyuan was in his study, sipping tea while busy writing a letter to Lu Chen, when Lin Xiuming burst in without even knocking, rushing directly into the study, “Father, disaster has struck!!!”

Seeing Lin Xiuming’s agitated state, Lin Gaoyuan furrowed his brows and paused his writing, “You’re an adult, how can you still be so flustered.”

Lin Xiuming ignored Lin Gaoyuan’s reprimand and handed him a sheet of yellow paper, “Father, the Crown Prince has rebelled. He has issued a proclamation to hunt down the traitors, claiming he wants to rid the emperor of ‘evil’ ministers and has named you as the main culprit behind Great Sum’s defeat.”

Upon hearing this, not a trace of surprise appeared on Lin Gaoyuan’s face. Smiling, he stroked his beard and then said, “Just as I thought. I knew the Crown Prince would choose me as their ostensible target.”

Most officials at the court were those that Lu Shuyun could pull to his side, and if Lu Shuyun indeed succeeded in the end, he would still be able to employ those officials.

But Lin Gaoyuan was different. Since Lu Shuyun became the Crown Prince, Lin Gaoyuan had opposed him multiple times. He was clearly not on the same side as Lu Shuyun; most importantly, Lu Shuyun needed to pick an official who was well-known to the common people.

Ordinary officials, people had hardly ever heard of them, even those at the level of high-ranking ministers were almost unrecognizable to the average citizen.

But it was different for the Prime Minister.

Lin Gaoyuan and Zhao Wenhan had been Prime Ministers for so many years that the common people were already familiar with their names.

Moreover, Zhao Wenhan himself leaned towards Lu Shuyun, so it was certain that Lu Shuyun would not choose Zhao Wenhan as the “treacherous official” to denounce; that left only Lin Gaoyuan.

From the moment Lu Shuyun left the Capital city, Lin Gaoyuan had been prepared to be labeled as the “treacherous official” by him.

Seeing Lin Gaoyuan unmoved and even smiling, Lin Xiuming said, “Father, how can you still smile at a time like this? What if the Emperor decides to hand you over later on?”

Lin Gaoyuan chuckled and then said, “Hand me over? I tell you to read more books, but you don’t listen. How could the Emperor possibly hand me over? Just think about it.”

“You can’t possibly believe that the Crown Prince’s so-called campaign to rid the emperor of ‘evil’ ministers truly means to eliminate our Lin Family, do you? The Crown Prince’s intention to purge is directed at the Emperor himself; he’s simply using me as a target.”

“If the Crown Prince claimed to purge the Emperor, wouldn’t that be tantamount to a son rebelling against his father? Even if he succeeded, he would surely be scorned by the people. And if he dared to target the Emperor directly, how could he rally the support of the people at that time?”

Lin Xiuming then said, “Father, of course I know the Crown Prince’s rebellion is not simply about purging the Emperor. I’m just worried that if the imperial army can’t hold on, the Emperor might use our Lin Family to buy time.”