"Tang Li’s achievements were too great; he fought from Jizhou to Moyang, from Hengchong to Nanjiang, even conquering the Aliens north of Dushan and putting them to use."
"The Great Harmony was eradicated and the Seventeen Small Countries banded together to form the Kaman Federation. The Aus Empire had almost no troops to deploy. In that country, the name of Tang Li could stop a child’s cries... Soldiers knew only of Tang, not of Zhong."
"The Monarch wanted the King to ascend the throne and wield thunderbolts, and the only way to do that was to eliminate Tang. If Tang wasn’t eliminated, whose orders would the military follow—the King’s or Tang Li’s?"
"How important is the military? It’s the foundation of everything. When the ruler is the ruler and the subjects are the subjects, but if a subject’s power exceeds that of the Monarch, it gives rise to unwarranted greed and ambition."
"So, Tang Li had to be destroyed, and the Tang Family had to be exterminated...."
The Tang Family was executed for the crime of treason.
Only this charge was fierce and ruthless enough that no matter how they were killed, they wouldn’t gain the sympathy of the people.
Moreover, they would be nailed to the pillar of shame generation after generation, never able to redeem themselves.
If they still could have descendants, that is.
But within the Royal Family, the upper echelons of the Empire, and some insightful individuals knew the real reason behind their extermination.
Too much power overshadowing the ruler!
This was also why Qian Taian dared to discuss the inside story of Tang’s elimination case in front of Zhong Tianque. It wasn’t to rehabilitate the Tang Family, but because he knew that the Eldest Prince understood this as clear as day.
If even he believed that Tang Li’s death was due to treason, then this Crown Prince’s intelligence was questionable, and he himself should quickly seek another patron.
Plain-speaking among wise men; no need for falsehoods.
"The circumstances create the hero. Tang Li was able to reach such heights because at that time, we were fighting the Aus Empire year after year, almost to a point of no return."
"Aus wanted to devour Phoenix, and we also wanted to drive them to the Dead Sea... Tang Li was truly a military genius whose conventional and unconventional strategies forced Aus into retreat..."
Qian Taian noticed Zhong Tianque’s expression and wisely changed the topic, saying, "The current nine major families, though their influence in the military isn’t as strong as the Tang Family’s used to be, their influence in all aspects of life far surpasses that of Tang."
"The Yu Family are relatives of the state, possessing the world’s largest construction conglomerate, responsible for the construction and maintenance of major cities. The Shen Family controls agriculture, water resources, and a large number of troops. These are the basics of people’s lives."
"The Shi Family handles interstellar transport and e-commerce retail. The Dongguo Family owns mineral resources, the Qin Family monopolizes media and information dissemination. Not to mention the Gongshu Family; machinery, military hardware, new energy technologies... Although the Empire is also developing its own machinery companies, all these machinery firms combined aren’t as innovative as a fraction of Gong Shu’s."
"They’re like a huge spider web, intricate and intertwined. Cut one strand, yet the web remains tangled. Your Highness, if you rashly take over the throne, will you not become prey trapped in this large web?"
"Will it be the Zhong Family that’s respected, or the will of the nine major families that prevails? As time goes on, this web will only get larger and its threads stronger..."
"So, the King cannot and dares not wait."
Zhong Tianque’s face was as still as water as he spoke, "I understand my father’s struggles... The nine major families, they must be killed."
"Yes," Qian Taian nodded, saying, "The nine major families must be killed. The previous Emperor utilized the power of these families to eliminate the Tang Family who held military power."
"Now, to purge this new assembly of the nine major families, either by granting favors to win them over, eradicating them completely, or incorporating them for our use... In any case, there can only be one Monarch in the Empire, and that must be the Zhong Family."
"So, with Father Emperor declaring war on the nine major families, what should we do?" Zhong Tianque looked at Qian Taian as he spoke.