But ultimately, this upheaval was quelled by the Xiao Family's Three Siblings.
Or rather, it was suppressed.
The Xiao Clan from outside Long, already on the verge of splitting apart, saw Xiao Hang still retaining control over the family's ancestral lands. However, some members of the Xiao Clan had left Longwai far behind to establish their own independent branches.
Just as the Ye Clan and Lin Clan had each historically split into two, the world now witnessed the emergence of two Xiao branches. However, the Xiao Clan, already in steep decline, became even more fragile in both its resulting factions after this internal strife and division. The once dominant force in the northwest of the Great Tang visibly struggled to reclaim its past glory.
The Great Tang's Five Surnames and Seven Noble Families were, henceforth, no longer true to their name; perhaps they should now be called the Four Surnames and Six Noble Families.
