A Single Tie Of Long Hair Seals A Lifelong Commitment - Chapter 54.2

Being granted an official post and a residence was, in reality, a form of hostage-taking.

Xie Wenjun’s revealed smile clearly had nothing to do with Qiu Renshan’s report. The focus was on the letter. She stood up, walked out from behind the desk, and handed the letter to Chen Liangyu. The signature on it was Du Peixun.

“In the past, the number of petitions sent by the Ministry of Agriculture to Yongdu from Chongan was the lowest. This time, when my third brother raised military funds, officials big and small across the Southeast were all scrambling to find ways to send money. Only he stubbornly resisted, insisting that the court issue tax receipts and that the Central Secretariat and Chancellery issue official documents stamped by the court. Otherwise, the people of Chongan would refuse to pay taxes without a proper name.”

Chen Liangyu briefly read the content of the letter. Du Peixun refused to apportion miscellaneous taxes to the people of Chongan for fundraising for the Northern Expedition army. His stance was strong, and some of the language in the letter was sharp and harsh, almost bordering on condemnation.

Whence came this joy?

Xie Wenjun raised an eyebrow. “This Du Peixun doesn’t seem all that boring.”

Chen Liangyu glanced at her expression and understood: Xie Wenjun likely intended to keep Du Peixun for her own use.

“There’s movement in Yongdu,” Xie Wenjun said.

Chen Liangyu asked, “Is that confirmed?”

Xie Wenjun nodded. “Confirmed without a doubt!”

Yan Baizhang had used the Flying Gadfly to learn that Prince Qi was forcing Emperor Xuanyuan to abdicate. However, Jiang Bojin hadn’t died, had appeared briefly, and then disappeared. Unsure of what the man intended, Yan Baizhang dared not fully trust the Flying Gadfly. After arriving at the Zhen Prince’s Manor in Linxia, Rong Jun expended considerable effort and finally managed to mobilize the Investigator Department again, and now they had news.

Rong Jun said, “His Majesty has abdicated, and Prince Qi has ascended the throne.”

Prince Qi still lost his head.

Although Chen Linjun in the Northern Territories was entangled by Beiyong and Dongyin and posed no immediate threat, Xie Yuan and Chen Liangyu were raising troops and establishing defenses, sealing off the Southeast and refusing to come out. In his panic, Prince Qi took the worst possible step.

If Emperor Xuanyuan had not abdicated, Prince Qi would still have had room for maneuver. Now, he no longer held the sole means to restrain Xie Yuan and Chen Liangyu—the “Emperor’s decree”—and the Imperial Seal had been taken out of the palace by Xie Wenjun. Who held the legitimate authority was no longer up to him to decide.

Gao Guan’s mouth was faster than his brain. “With His Majesty’s abdication, there’s no need to worry about the rules of sovereign and subject. We don’t have to fear that fighting will lead to an imperial edict branding everyone here as rebels. Dealing only with Prince Qi should be a piece of cake.”

Chen Liangyu said, “It’s not that easy. The aristocratic families support Prince Qi. Various large and small aristocratic families each occupy a territory, supplying Prince Qi with provisions and manpower. They shouldn’t be underestimated. If Prince Qi didn’t have that backing, he wouldn’t have recklessly forced the abdication.”

Chen Luan asked, “Minister Gao, what is the situation in the main camp?”

Gao Guan paused, looking at each face in the flower hall, finally settling on Chen Liangyu.

“No outsiders. Tell the truth.”

Gao Guan nodded and said, “Military Advisor Yan asked me to spread the news of His Majesty’s abdication in the Linxia main camp and instructed me to make a great show of it. Yongdu claims that the Zhen Prince refuses the decree and harbors rebellious intentions, and the new Emperor has dispatched a large army toward Linxia to suppress the traitors. Several main generals of the Linxia defense army cornered His Highness in the main camp last night, urging him to declare himself Emperor, with everyone willing to follow His Highness to attack Yongdu. It didn’t happen. The Zhen Prince was furious and subjected several people to military flogging. I say, why are none of you in a hurry?”

Chen Liangyu asked, “What is there to rush?”

Gao Guan broke out in a sweat. “It has come to this! If the Zhen Prince doesn’t ascend the throne, everyone in this room, plus the soldiers and officers of the Linxia army and the generals who have come to pledge allegiance, will all face a dead end!”

Chen Liangyu said, “Can’t the Zhen Prince consider what you can think of?”

Gao Guan stood rooted to the spot, dazed. Only after a while did the hairs that had stood up on his arms lie flat. “Is this a play? You knew this wouldn’t happen? No wonder you slipped away so quickly yesterday! But there’s no one else in the main camp. Who are you putting on this show for?”

“For all the people under heaven.”

Changing a dynasty and shifting power is never easy. If they don’t display virtue and humility at this moment, it will give others an excuse. Obvious ambition makes it difficult to win over the masses.

Gao Guan had an epiphany and then said something extremely thought-provoking. “It is not what I desire, but for the sake of the people under heaven! Why didn’t I think of that!”

“What should not be said, keep it rotten in your belly.”

“My mistake! My mistake!”

Jiang Bojin swept in like a gust of wind, appearing by the long window of the flower hall at some unknown time, having poked a hole through the paper covering the window.

Chen Liangyu felt a little tired of his disregard for the occasion and ordered outside, “Drag him out!”

“Don’t you want to know why the Crown Prince died in their hands?” Jiang Bojin let the guards take hold of his armpits and drag him away, neither dodging nor struggling.

He was sure someone would call him back.

Chen Liangyu hadn’t intended to kill him again, thinking of him as a student of He Niangong and a fellow disciple of Chen Yuanqing—like an old object left by a relative. She had planned to find him a safe place to live out his remaining years once the situation was resolved.

Yet, in this moment, the murderous intent stirred within her again.

She had only viewed Jiang Bojin as a physically disabled man. His only value was the Flying Gadfly technique, and she had temporarily forgotten that this person had once manipulated the winds of change, and how much bloodshed during the Yinggui era was caused by him. In the brief instant he looked into the flower hall through the paper hole, he had precisely identified the person with the most authority in the conversation, striking straight at the heart of the matter.

Xie Wenjun’s eyes indeed turned cold, and she ordered him to be brought back.

The Xuan Blade from Lan Cang plunged into his chest. Jiang Bojin’s eyes widened. If the tip of the sword went in another half-inch, he would now be a corpse.

The half-inch grace was not due to Chen Liangyu showing mercy at the last moment.

Gu Xie was desperately gripping the Lan Cang, her palm nearly broken. Blood ran down the blade, dripping pat-pat.

The pain made her bend over.

“General Chen, if you must kill, please allow Sir and the Princess to finish speaking first.”

Jiang Bojin sighed. “You girl! She’s just trying to scare me. Do you think the Lan Cang sword is an ordinary weapon that your flesh and blood can withstand?” He glared at the chillingly expressionless Chen Liangyu, then raised his chin toward Xie Wenjun. “Why are you so nervous? I’m talking to her; it has nothing to do with you.”

Gu Xie curled up on the bamboo chair, gripping her palm. Xie Wenjun looked at her injury and summoned Ying Rong. “Call a doctor.”

Chen Liangyu twisted the hilt inward, and the sudden sharp pain left Jiang Bojin speechless.

“A-Li, let him speak.”

Xie Wenjun placed her hand on Chen Liangyu’s raised, veined hand, pressing down on the sword. She said to Jiang Bojin, “We are eager to hear your insights!”

Chen Liangyu abruptly pulled out the sword. Jiang Bojin, clutching his wound, slumped to the ground, slowly catching his breath for a good while.

“Although today’s aristocratic families are not as arrogant as the old prominent clans, which family doesn’t have a few key figures in the court? Where aren’t their people? Those who raise warhorses in the South have planted their distant junior relatives, too. If you follow the bloodlines and marriage ties, it’s deeply complicated! One aristocratic family is like this, so how many are there in Da Lin? Have you counted? They are all twisted into one rope! The Crown Prince wanted to curb land annexation. He was doing something that cut off people’s livelihoods. Hitting head-on would only lead to mutual destruction! To deal with these people, you have to make them fight each other. Throw out a piece of fat, let them fight and grab, let them battle to the death. When they are all exhausted, then you step in to clean up the mess.”

“Let me ask you, what do today’s aristocratic families, especially families like Heng Jinan in the Southern Territories with hereditary marquis titles, value the most?”

Gu Xie said, “Naturally, it is the noble title and official prestige.”

“Fame, official titles, and salary are important, but I’m asking you: what does an entire large family value the most internally?”

Jiang Bojin asked and then answered himself.

“The primary versus the secondary (legitimate vs. illegitimate)!”

Xie Wenjun remained silent, deep in thought.

“It’s customary for the family title and salary to be inherited by the legitimate son. Even if the illegitimate son is several times more capable than the legitimate son, he can only be seen as inferior. They are all children of the same father. After a long time, who won’t harbor resentment?”

Jiang Bojin’s chest pulsed with pain. He glared fiercely at the instigator.

“Chen Chongming and Yan Baizhang didn’t even teach you this? Then what did they teach you? How to be loyal to the country? Let me tell you, Yan Baizhang’s method of impartiality is too fake and useless in a time of chaos! To defeat an opponent following the rules, while still adhering to orthodox principles and not overstepping boundaries—you focus on these things, but the other side doesn’t! All they need is a justified casus bello. If they don’t have one, they’ll create one.”