: The Funeral of a Noble Family

This battle ultimately ended in the defeat of the powerful families.

After leaving behind over a million corpses, the war between the two sides finally came to an end. Almost all the members of the aristocratic families died on this battlefield, and the survivors all committed suicide, sacrificing themselves for their clans and offering their final tribute to the thousand-year-old aristocratic families.

"Huang Chao, I'm waiting for your decision, hahahahahahaha, I want to see what choice you, Huang Chao, will make at that time."

Before committing suicide, the head of the Wang family of Taiyuan looked at Huang Chao and laughed heartily, as if he had seen something amusing. Even after his suicide, the corners of his mouth were turned up.

Passing over the mountain of corpses, Huang Chao looked at the city gate in front of him.

He seemed to recall the scene of him taking the imperial examination in the past.

At that time, he was still a passionate scholar who wanted to emulate Li Bai. However, due to the fact that the imperial examinations were firmly controlled by powerful families and he had no way to serve his country, Phil chose to write a poem and leave Luoyang.

When autumn comes on September th, when my flowers bloom, a hundred flowers will be killed.

The fragrance of incense fills Chang'an, and the entire city is adorned with golden armor.

Huang Chao couldn't get into Luoyang, a city controlled by powerful families, but now he's taken it in.

As it turns out, sometimes it's easier to capture Luoyang than to pass the imperial examinations.

"Brothers, let's go into town."

At Huang Chao's command, he led his men into the capital city, which represented the center of power in China. This ancient city had weathered countless storms, and today, he witnessed another moment of great historical significance.

The aristocratic family system, which evolved from the military aristocracy of the pre-Qin period, was completely destroyed from then on.

Previously, regardless of dynastic changes, imperial power was always subject to the control of aristocratic families. The power, culture, and wealth of the world were always monopolized by the gentry. The co-rule of the world by the imperial power and the aristocratic families was an unchanging pattern for thousands of years in the Middle Ages. However, Huang Chao's massacre of the five surnames and seven noble families in Luoyang completely severed the foundation of the aristocratic family's inheritance. There were no longer any top aristocratic families in the world that could check the imperial power and monopolize the world.

The era of social hierarchy that lasted for hundreds of years came to a complete end, and Chinese history officially bid farewell to the medieval era of powerful clans, entering a new chaotic world without aristocratic families or powerful clans.

In recent years, countless children from impoverished families, nurtured by schools, have begun to take over the roles of children from aristocratic families and step onto a new stage of history.

After the news spread, it quickly reached all corners of the land, and Huang Chao gained the support of the people, his prestige soaring to unprecedented heights, unmatched by anyone.

Huang Chao seized the opportunity to ascend the throne and became emperor. He did not choose to find a successor from the Li Tang imperial family and abdicate the throne to him.

There was no hypocritical drama of him declining the throne three times; he ascended the throne directly under the overwhelming public opinion and established the Great Qi Dynasty.

He proclaimed himself Emperor Taizu of Qi, established the reign title, and granted a general amnesty.

After ascending the throne, the image of the dying Wang family head of Taiyuan laughing loudly resurfaced in his mind, and a bitter smile appeared on his lips.

So that's what was waiting for him; the boomerang finally pierced his own body.

He had so many brothers around him who risked their lives and fought bloody battles with him, ultimately helping him establish the Great Qi. They made great contributions, so how could he not reward them for their merits?

According to custom, these brothers were to be granted official titles and ranks, and to share the fate of the nation.

Since they share the fate of the nation, they should naturally be hereditary and passed down from generation to generation.

He swept away the old aristocratic families, which inspired the world. The people had finally seen a chance to rise above their circumstances. Did he intend to create new aristocratic families and become the new mountain hanging over their heads?

Do not!

Absolutely not!

You absolutely must not do that!

But what will the brothers think? The country is beset by internal and external troubles, and millions of troops from various countries are pressing on the border, urgently needing support.

He still needs these brothers to help him conquer the land and reclaim the territory of China, excluding the ancient Nine Provinces.

Appreciation will foster new aristocratic families.

If we don't reward them, our brothers will be disheartened and become disloyal, which will be detrimental to our external campaigns.

dilemma.

Don't spout nonsense like everyone started out to overthrow established families. People are selfish, and no one would betray their own class.

What lies before them now is the position of Duke, a life of shared prosperity with the nation, and generations of wealth and honor for their descendants. Who could refuse? Who could remain unmoved?

Everyone rose up together to overthrow the Tang Dynasty. Why should Huang Chao be able to enjoy the glory and wealth of the entire world as a member of the royal family and emperors for generations?

But we can only enjoy wealth and honor for a lifetime, unable to bring blessings to our descendants?

Just as Huang Chao was feeling melancholy, someone suddenly came to report that someone had delivered a letter.

Huang Chao took the letter, and the familiar handwriting brought tears to his eyes.

"Master!"

This letter was written by Wei Chuan, and it contains only four characters: "Never forget your original intention."

After reading it, Huang Chao suddenly understood what Wei Chuan meant.

His wish was to eliminate all powerful clans and allow ordinary people to stand up.

Then we absolutely cannot support a new powerful family group, even if it means another bloodbath.

However, if it could be resolved peacefully, he still hoped for a peaceful resolution. Huang Chao's eyes gleamed, as if he had realized something.

The next day, he invited a group of his old brothers who had fought alongside him to a banquet at the palace.

After several rounds of drinks, Huang Chao sighed.

Immediately, someone chimed in with a joke, "Why does Your Majesty sigh?"

"Gentlemen, what do you think caused the fall of the Tang Dynasty?"

Huang Chao pulled open his robe and lay down on the ground, showing no signs of being an emperor.

His appearance reminded others of the past, and someone boldly replied, "This is because of the powerful clans. The powerful clans ruin the country, they seize power, and talented people have no way out, while incompetent people from the powerful clans can occupy high positions. How could the Tang Dynasty not perish?"

"Fortunately, Your Majesty took up your three-foot sword, raised an army of rebels, swept across the land, and eradicated this greatest cancer. Your achievements surpass those of the Three Sovereigns and your virtue exceeds that of the Five Emperors. Even if the First Emperor were to be reborn, Emperor Wu would be reincarnated, or Emperor Wen were to be reborn, they could not match you."

Huang Chao smiled after hearing this: "Whether the Tang Dynasty falls or not has nothing to do with the aristocratic families or the common people."

"It's nothing more than the aristocratic families taking control of the court, imposing exorbitant taxes, establishing military governors to divide imperial power, and keeping the emperor in their own hands, leaving no way for the common people to rise in society. Naturally, the Tang Dynasty was doomed to perish."

"If the Tang Dynasty was like this, what about the Qi Dynasty?!"

Huang Chao sighed again, seemingly worried about the future of the Great Qi.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, now that the powerful clans have been eliminated, the Great Qi will surely be able to last for ten thousand years."

Someone stepped forward to flatter him.

Huang Chao nodded. "Although the powerful clans have been eliminated, new powerful clans may emerge in the future. Will they, like these clans, manipulate the emperor of Great Qi, treating him as a puppet, a ruthless seal-stamper?!"

The civil officials at the banquet were terrified. The old aristocratic families had been eliminated. Who would become the new aristocratic families?

Of course, it was the ministers who followed Huang Chao in conquering the country who, as nobles of the new dynasty, shared the fate of the nation and naturally formed powerful families.

His Majesty's attitude toward aristocratic families is self-evident. Those aristocratic families who were executed along with their entire families, who were so cruel that even earthworms were split upright and egg yolks were shaken apart, have the most say in this matter.

They intend to form a new powerful family, and the current emperor will certainly not be lenient towards them.