Like his previous ceremonial killing weapon, the Faction was a convenient label; as long as the Emperor wished, he could use it to charge his ministers with crimes. However, the brilliance of Emperor Tiande was that he did not punish Yu Ci, nor did he directly deal with his Faction members. Instead, he deflected the conflict, letting Yu Ci, the Faction leader, punish his own followers.
If Yu Ci acted, their Aristocratic Families' Faction would become alienated and demoralized, inevitably collapsing.
But if he did not act, he would be admitting to forming a Faction. Then, his words of loyalty, with the Faction's backing, would become "words of forcing the palace."
With Emperor Tiande's prestige, it would not be difficult to kill all the ministers in the hall. But such reckless behavior would be tantamount to destroying the political ecology of Fengxi Country, with endless disastrous consequences.
