Lady Liang said, "Didn't you just say that when water overflows, it spills over."
"In the previous dynasty and during the Chen Dynasty, after a prosperous era came decline. However, it didn't completely collapse because a ruler who revitalized the regime emerged, allowing the dynasty to continue for several decades, or even a century. But in the end, it still perished. Why is that?"
Lady Liang's first reaction was that the emperors following the revitalizing ruler lacked talent. She felt it was unlikely to be the reason. After careful thought, she said, "At that time, the problems within the court were increasing, and the last emperor couldn't solve them."
"Mother, you've only seen the surface."
"The surface, then what is the real reason?" As soon as Liang Zhaoyi finished speaking, she thought of a reason, "The noble families?"
"The noble families are the surface reason."
