Chapter 338 Lian Family Storm
So Xu Zhenying had no choice but to leave. Feng'er frowned and said, "Your Highness, I thought Madam Zhou would choose to live in anonymity with the children. I didn't expect she would have the courage to stay in Bianjing City!"
Zhou Houfang often stayed in the inner palace, so she could see through the intricate thoughts of the women in the harem. She said, "She doesn't believe that His Highness would let her go so easily and leave herself a backup plan. She's afraid that if she hides her identity, His Highness will still find her and even send someone to kill them silently. But if she stays with His Highness, it will be different. At least she can walk in the open air, and His Highness will be more cautious in his actions."
Xu Zhenying smiled, "That's right. Ultimately, she still thinks I'll wipe out the entire family. I can't blame her for thinking that way. After all, throughout history, kings who lost their country never had a good end. It's understandable that she has concerns."
Feng Er immediately offered a flattering compliment: "In which dynasty in history could there be such a wise ruler as your Highness? Even the former emperor was able to survive. This will surely be a significant event in the history books."
Xu Zhenying laughed and scolded, "You've been wandering around for many years, so you've become good at this, and you've also become good at flattering people."
"I'm not flattering you, I'm sincere! I dare to ask which emperor in history could be as tolerant as Your Highness?"
Zhou Houfang smiled and said, "This isn't tolerance; it's your highness's confidence. The common people are now wholeheartedly following your highness, with no attachment to the old dynasty. Naturally, your highness isn't afraid of anything."
Xu Zhenying said to the people behind him, "You have contributed to this as well. When the Jinzhou army arrives, I will reward you based on your performance. It will be worth it for you to risk your lives to fight me!"
There is no better news than this!
Everyone's face lit up with joy.
I have followed His Highness for so many years, working tirelessly day and night without slacking off for a moment, isn't it just to be granted a title of nobility and appointed as a prime minister and change my family's status after the rebellion is successful?
Although Xu Zhenying had never mentioned this matter, the people in Jinzhou Prefecture were reluctant to bring it up, so they were secretly speculating about how His Majesty would reward them when they arrived in Bian Jing. Now that they had received Xu Zhenying's confirmation, they were all excited and their faces flushed.
Not to mention others, even Zhou Houfang, Qian Zhenniang and others who were the most expressionless around Xu Zhenying all had happy expressions on their faces.
"Secretary Zhou, you must take Madam Zhou's affairs to heart and satisfy her as best you can. It's not easy for them, orphans and widows, so you must do your best to teach them how to fish and how to survive."
Zhou Houfang quickly agreed.
"Also, after today's court session, what is the attitude of the officials?"
Ming Xiaoshuang said with a grin, "Your Highness just touched their cake right after you came here, so they are naturally panicked and at a loss. Of course, there will be no shortage of private abuse."
Xu Zhenying also laughed: "It's nothing more than calling me a woman who is overbearing and overconfident. I've heard it all these years, and my ears are getting calluses. The scolding is the right thing to do, because it proves that it hits their sore spot. It keeps them idle all day long, and they still want to control me. I find something to do for them, so they don't have to do bad things to me all day long."
Ming Xiaoshuang said, "That's right. I don't think anyone seems to be paying attention to Han Xiang's affairs anymore. But Your Highness, Han Xiang... is quite talented. Do you really not want to use such a person?"
Xu Zhenying shook his head. "Although they are talented, they are not very obedient and have many thoughts, making them difficult to control. Besides, aren't there many talented people in Jinzhou Prefecture? When my fourth sister arrives with the Jinzhou Prefecture's large army, there will be no place for these court officials to use their talents. For now, we still need them to sit in their positions. After all, these court officials have been in charge for many years and have deep roots. If we suddenly change them, it will not be conducive to our future handover work."
After hearing what Xu Zhenying said, everyone realized that Xu Zhenying really did not intend to use these old ministers.
But it is also true that more than a dozen states under Jinzhou Prefecture were thriving before, which shows that the Taoist tradition of the Great Zhou Dynasty was already outdated.
This means that there is no reason for these troublemaking court officials to exist.
But for them, it is a blessing.
After all, there are only so many places in Bianjing City. Wouldn’t it be better to leave them to the people of Jinzhou Prefecture?
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And tonight is destined to be a sleepless night.
When Lian Dehai returned home and took off his court robes, the maidservant beside Mrs. Lian came to report that the third and fourth young ladies had returned and were waiting in the front hall.
Lian Dehai's mind was as clear as a mirror.
Over the years, the eldest and second sons were sent to rural areas, and the fourth daughter married out. Only the third daughter and the second son's family remained in Bianjing City.
Lian Qiuzhi is the fifth child.
Both girls married into prominent families and were somewhat related to the Lian family. Currently, the Lian family members kept a low profile and lived their lives in a low profile, wishing that Xu Zhenying would never remember them.
Therefore, he sent these two back to gather intelligence.
Lian Dehai changed out of his official uniform and, knowing that his two daughters were anxious, he hurried to the lobby. Sure enough, everyone in the room, young and old, men, women, and children, were looking at him.
Although the old lady was calm and composed, she was also a little anxious at this moment: "Master, will you be able to see His Royal Highness Prince Zhao today?"
"I saw it." Lian Dehai nodded, then recalled Xu Zhenying's tactics in the court, and couldn't help but be horrified. "This woman is extraordinary. Even ten members of the Xu family combined wouldn't be a match for her. No wonder... she was able to rise from nothing and reach Bianjing in just a few years."
Old Madam Lian said, "The Xu family is truly blessed. They watched as the entire family was exiled, yet they never imagined they would return in glory."
Lian Dehai swept his stern eyes over everyone in the room, "You haven't been disrespectful to His Royal Highness Prince Zhao before, have you?"
The women in the room all looked a little flustered, as if they were all trying to recall something.
It was the Third Miss who started to complain, "Dad, that was all many years ago. We only interacted with Fifth Sister, and we were just casual acquaintances with the Third Branch of the Xu Family. I don't even remember Xu Qingying, so how could we possibly have offended them?"
"You've always been overconfident. Perhaps you've already offended others without even realizing it!"
The Third Miss cried out in injustice, and the Old Madam Lian said, "What's the point in bringing up old scores now? Think back to the time when the Third Branch of the Xu family lived at the mercy of the Second Branch. Even if we accidentally offended them, it wasn't just one person's fault. Aside from the Third Miss, did everyone else treat her with such respect? Who could have known back then that a little girl could have such a promising future, even holding that position..."
Even the Second Master's wife said, "Yes, father-in-law, if His Highness really wants to seek revenge on those who bullied her, who in our Bianjing City can escape? The most urgent task is to find out the whereabouts of Fifth Sister's family—"
When talking about Lian Qiuzhi, everyone had different expressions.
After all, when Lian Qiuzhi left, the actions of everyone in this room were not glorious.
Especially the old lady's mood was even more complicated at the moment.
On the one hand, she hoped that Lian Qiuzhi would live a good life so that she could help the whole family.
But she was afraid and jealous of her good life. After all, even the old lady couldn't guarantee that she had treated this illegitimate girl equally.
Especially on the eve of exile, she hinted to her servants to ask Lian to divorce. If Lian knew it was her idea, she would probably turn against her.
Old Madam Lian only hoped that Mrs. Lian didn't know about all this yet, and at least maintained the scene of loving mother and filial son, that would be enough.
Lian Dehai was probably the only person in the room who truly wished well for Lian Qiuzhi and his three granddaughters, so a smile finally appeared on his stern face. "I heard from people in Jinzhou Prefecture that Qiuzhi has already reached the position of Minister. Yinxi is even more promising, having served as the magistrate of Lan County and the prefect of Qianzhou. He is currently the director of the Secretariat, a truly important official to the Emperor."
Everyone was a little dazed, and then their expressions changed.
It was the wife of the Second Master Lian who asked, "Father, the county magistrate and the prefect's daughter-in-law understand, but what is the position of the director of the secretariat?"
Lian Dehai stroked his beard lightly, a smile in his eyes, as if he was honored. "The official system in Jinzhou Prefecture is different from our Bianjing City, but the position of Director of the Secretary's Office is roughly equivalent to Han Zongyun's position."
"Prime Minister?!" Everyone in the room was shocked this time, especially the older girl brought by the Third Miss, who asked in disbelief, "But my cousin is about the same age as me, how could she have held such a high and powerful position?"
Lian Dehai glanced at her and said calmly, "Don't forget, how old is the current princess this year? The talented people around her are all young and promising young talents. Now that the Great Zhou has just changed, don't talk about age and gender, so as not to let the rumors reach the ears of the princess!"
The old lady gave a few instructions: "That's right. His Highness is only nineteen years old this year, but he has already taken on great power. This shows how extraordinary he is. This fifth girl is also lucky to have climbed up the social ladder."
The old lady gnashed her teeth as she spoke, "When they come back, we should take the initiative and visit more often. We are all family, so even if we break bones, we still have tendons. They have been away from Bianjing for a long time, and I am afraid they are no longer familiar with the city. I will allocate 5,000 taels from the public treasury to help them make arrangements in advance-"
"House prices in Bianjing are skyrocketing these days. What kind of house can you buy with five thousand taels? Why not give a little more and make ten thousand taels so they can come back happy."
With a wave of his hand, Mr. Lian emptied out one third of the entire Lian family.
Even the old lady was unable to refute it, so she could only grit her teeth and pretend to agree happily.
Who made Xu Yinxi and Lian Qiuzhi so popular?
I'm afraid that others will not be able to get in even if they try.
And Miss Lian San's expression was obviously not very good.
As the legitimate daughter of the Lian family, she only received a subsidy of 3,000 taels when she got married.
Now her father was quite generous and gave out ten thousand taels of silver with a wave of his hand. Thinking of the quarrels and resentments between the sisters in the past, even the third girl felt heartbroken.
"But speaking of it, Fifth Sister has a miserable life too. She's almost forty years old and still childless, without a single son. With all the glory she has now, what will she do in the future?"
"If we don't have a son, a daughter like Yinxi is enough." Lian Dehai seemed completely oblivious to the women's bitter thoughts. He even thought about it seriously for a moment, "If all else fails, we can adopt a daughter from the Xu family's side branch."
The old lady's smile was stiff, "Master is right."
"By the way, raise Yue Niang's allowance as well. She lives in Baoyue Pavilion, which faces east, and it's probably colder in the winter than anywhere else. Move her to the east wing, where there's plenty of sunlight and it's warmer. Fifth Girl is an official of the imperial court now, so don't let her concubine live too poorly, or we'll get gossiped about."
The old lady had no choice but to agree.
Lian Dehai gave them a few more instructions, simply asking them to take the matter of the second branch of the Xu family to heart.
After Lian Dehai left, Miss Lian San snorted coldly, "Fifth sister is so lucky! She was almost exiled to Qianzhou. She was supposed to live like this for the rest of her life, but now she's become an official! Who could have thought that in this world with all its downfalls, even a woman could become an official! Besides, I heard that the minister was at least a minister, which is even higher than father's official position! No wonder father is so fond of fifth sister!"
Old Madam Lian had a worried look on her face, especially when she thought about what she had done on the eve of her exile. She felt guilty and now she just hoped that Lian Qiuzhi knew nothing.
His heart was in turmoil, so naturally his words were a bit perfunctory. "What's the point of saying all this now! Now that Qiuzhi has returned home in glory, that bitch Yue Niang will probably wake up laughing in her dreams."
After all, Mr. Lian's wife is his sister-in-law, and she is not clear about the grievances and hatreds between the aunts of the Lian family. In addition, she remembered that when Lian Qiuzhi was around, his family treated the fifth aunt very kindly, and she thought that Lian Qiuzhi would remember their kindness.
Therefore, the Second Lady sat still like an old monk, determined not to get involved in their disputes.
After all this talk, the Third Miss Lian's anger gradually turned into fear. "Mom, do you think Fifth Sister still holds a grudge against us for what we did back then?"
"What have we done? Don't panic!" The old lady was already feeling guilty, and after being provoked by her daughter, she became even more flustered. "It's just some quarrels between girls in the boudoir."
"Mother, have you forgotten that you withheld Aunt Yue's share and nearly caused her to die of illness?"
Old Madam Lian frowned tightly and glared at Miss Lian Wu fiercely.
Second Madam Lian was quick to smooth things over: "Fifth sister is no longer the same as she was before. She's already a powerful figure, so she shouldn't dwell on the past. Even if you take a step back, you're still the legitimate mother, so you won't be put down. Instead of worrying and panicking here, it's better to go back and train the girls. I heard that His Royal Highness Prince Zhao likes to employ women. The youngest official in Jinzhou Prefecture can take the exam if he's thirteen years old or above, regardless of whether he's married or not. This is a huge opportunity for us!"
The others looked at Mrs. Lian Er in shock.
No one expected that Second Madam Lian would actually want to go out and work.
Madam Lian blushed slightly. "Actually, this is what my husband meant. She said that since the Empress is now in power, we should also make timely changes to show our support. There are many talented women in Bianjing City. If our Lian family can be the first one, His Highness will naturally look upon us with special regard."
When the old lady heard that it was her son's idea, her expression naturally eased a little. She secretly hated His Royal Highness Prince Zhao for corrupting the morals of Bianjing City and forcing women to show their faces in public to do things.
But in the end I didn't dare say it out loud.
Mrs. Lian Er naturally knew that her mother-in-law was unhappy, so she said, "Even if we don't go out to work, the younger generation, like Yuzhu and Yuanying, are only fourteen or fifteen years old. If they can become female officials and have a position, it will be easier to find a marriage in the future."
The old lady's expression eased slightly, "That's true."
When Miss Lian San heard this, she also came to her senses. She had a son, but she also had a little daughter who was about to get married. She was just fourteen years old and had not yet been engaged.
"Second sister-in-law is right. Now that we have the opportunity, we must fight for it. With an official title, I'm afraid I can marry into a marquisate."
Lian Dehai did not say much about official affairs, so they did not know that at least half of the officials in Bianjing City would be persuaded to resign.
Otherwise, they probably wouldn't pin their hopes on marriage.
Madam Lian Er, always a shrewd person, lowered her voice and said, "If you really have an idea, you'll have to act quickly. Jinzhou Prefecture's textbooks were sold out a while ago. Now, a single textbook is being sold for ten taels of silver. Even at this price, supply can't keep up with demand, let alone teachers who know pinyin and mathematics! We'll have to snatch them up!"
Several people were startled and began to panic, "How could it be so popular?"
"Those female officials in Jinzhou Prefecture all hold real power, just like the men! The daughters of officials would have their daughters access the Jinzhou Prefecture's monthly bulletin early on, and some would even secretly help their daughters familiarize themselves with government affairs. They were definitely training their daughters to become officials."
The third lady was extremely anxious, especially when she thought about how Xu Yinxi was already in a high position and had great power, while her own daughter still knew nothing. She felt as uncomfortable as if she were being scratched by a cat.
She and Lian Qiuzhi had been fighting for most of their lives, and she had always been the one to step on Lian Qiuzhi's head. Especially since Lian Qiuzhi didn't marry as well as she did and didn't have a son, it really made her feel proud for a long time.
But I never thought that Lian Qiuzhi would come back in such glory.
Not only did she come back, but Xu Yinxi also became a female official!
"What a bunch of damn fence-sitters! My Great Zhou Dynasty hadn't even fallen yet, yet they were already secretly colluding with the Jinzhou Prefecture!"
Mrs. Lian Er ignored the sourness of Aunt Lian San and said, "I'm just reminding everyone in the family. If anyone wants to find a way out for their children, they need to act quickly. Otherwise, if you're slow, you'll be late for the rest of your life!"
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