Chapter 161 Exposed
Xu Zhenying thought for a moment, "I'll write to Feng'er and ask her to bribe a few bandits to set up their own faction and raise the banner of rebellion. The same goes for you. The war in Qianzhou is the perfect breeding ground for rebellion. Send some people to gather the refugees, and you too will raise the banner of rebellion. That way, the rebellion will flourish everywhere, and we'll be less conspicuous among them, which will also buy us some time to develop."
Jiang Yongkang nodded, "We can also train the bandits we have gathered, and when the time is right, we can bring them back to Lan County to strengthen our army."
Jiang Yongkang couldn't help but smile bitterly after he finished speaking, "I've gone from being a rebel leader to a bandit leader."
Xu Zhenying also smiled. She patted Jiang Yongkang comfortingly, but her tone was as intimate as that of an old friend. "Come on, I'm a girl after all. You should know how I feel when people call me a mountain king. We're in the early stages of starting a business, and everyone has to do multiple things. Look at Fang Xun. I asked him to raise pigs, and he's doing very well."
Jiang Yongkang could only smile bitterly, but could only nod, "Of course. No one works as hard as the City Lord, and I'm willing to be his vanguard. But I'll be running back and forth for a long time, and I don't trust Mo Jinchun, who's skilled, Da Zhuang has already accompanied the eldest son south, and Ming Xiaoshuang can only make do, but his strength is still not enough. So who should I leave the task of guarding the City Lord?"
Xu Zhenying was about to speak when Jiang Yongkang said without question, "City Lord, your safety is of paramount importance, and a gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall, so please stop talking about not wanting protection. We still have important things to do to change the world, and your life is more important than mine!"
Xu Zhenying was stunned. He knew what Jiang Yongkang said was reasonable, so he had to give in. "Why not pick a few politically strong men from the military?"
Jiang Yongkang did not answer, but seemed to be thinking about the candidate, "I must give the city lord a reply before I leave."
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The next day, Xu Zhenying specially set aside half a day to visit Mr. Fang with a lot of bags.
Unexpectedly, as soon as I walked into the Fang family's yard, I saw the Fang family members packing their luggage. The yard was empty, and even the orchids at the door had been given away. There were pots, pans, books, clothes, etc. in the yard, which showed that they were about to make a long journey.
Everyone in the Fang family was busy running back and forth. The first one to see her was Fang Si Niang. She eagerly called out to everyone, "The City Lord is here!"
Xu Zhenying walked into the house and looked at the luggage piled in the middle of the yard. He couldn't help but ask, "Are you leaving?"
Fang Xun and Fang Ningmo were already walking over quickly, their expressions looking uneasy. Before Xu Zhenying could even open his mouth to ask, Old Master Fang had already come out, "Sixth girl is here?"
Old Master Fang never seemed to call her the City Lord. He either called her by her name or called her the Sixth Girl.
Xu Zhenying pretended not to notice the luggage in the courtyard. He only responded with a "Forgive me, old man. I should have come to visit you last night, but I chatted with the doctors in the city for a long time. When I came back, I found that you were already asleep, so I didn't want to disturb you."
"Doctors?" Old Master Fang stroked his beard. "But what about your plan to build a medical school?"
Xu Zhenying subconsciously glanced at Fang Xun.
Old Master Fang smiled and said, "Don't blame our kid for letting the cat out of the bag. I was wandering around Lan County when I saw you had left a piece of land vacant, so I asked a few more questions."
Xu Zhenying said, "That's exactly it."
"The completion of this medical building is a great thing." Old Master Fang said a few polite words, and ignoring Fang Xun's pleading, he waved to Xu Zhenying, "Come here, girl. Let's go to the study and talk. Fang Xun and Ning Mo, come too."
"Why."
Xu Zhenying agreed and then followed Mr. Fang into the house.
She even pulled Fang Ningmo aside and asked, "Why don't you see Fang Ruyu?"
Fang Ningmo then said, "Grandfather was furious when he found out that my sister had run away. He ordered her to stay indoors and copy books for a month before she could come out."
Xu Zhenying was puzzled: "Hasn't it been a month?"
Fang Ningmo sighed, "My sister is very proud and arrogant. She has never been punished so severely by the elders in her life. She feels ashamed and stays in her room all day, refusing to show herself to anyone."
Xu Zhenying shook his head and sighed: "Why bother with this?"
When the group walked into the house, Fang Ningmo first poured tea for Xu Zhenying, and then said, "Our home is simple, the city lord will take care of it."
It's not simple.
Xu Zhenying looked around and saw that almost the entire Fang family had been cleared out. It was obvious that they were planning to leave Lan County.
Old Master Fang sat in the main seat at the head of the table. Seeing Xu Zhenying looking around, he knew he couldn't hide it from her, so he simply opened up and spoke frankly, "Sixth girl, my son and daughter are both shy and embarrassed to speak up. I'm not afraid, so I'm telling you today. Because of Prince Ming's matter, I've thought about it and feel that we can't stay here to avoid getting everyone in trouble. Now that our household registration has been re-established and we're no longer lowly, we're ready to pack up and find a place to settle down. I asked them to inform you in advance, but I'm afraid they didn't mention it to you?"
Fang Xun and Fang Ningmo showed a trace of guilt on their faces, but also a hint of unwillingness.
Xu Zhenying had already expected the Fang family to have this idea, but he didn't expect Mr. Fang to act so quickly.
Naturally, she was unwilling to let the Fang family leave.
Fang Xun and Fang Ningmo are now her right-hand men, and she even wants to bring Old Man Fang into the fold.
Old Master Fang has lived through three generations of the Zhou Dynasty and has extensive experience in officialdom. If Old Master Fang is willing to help, she is afraid that she will be able to achieve twice the result with half the effort.
But she also knew in her heart that even if Prince Ming wanted to kill the Fang family, it would not shake Old Man Fang's loyalty to the emperor and patriotism.
The ancients were loyal to their emperor, and Mr. Fang would rather die than betray his country.
But now that the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty is dead, she really wants to try to pry open the corner and see if she can shake the big Buddha like Mr. Fang.
Xu Zhenying had no choice but to say, "Why are you so anxious, Mr. Fang? Even though the weather is getting warmer and the ice and snow are melting, the bandits on the road haven't been eliminated yet. How can you, a whole family, travel such a long distance across mountains and rivers?"
"Xu Liu, of course, don't worry. I've already found a few skilled young men in Lan County to escort us. Once we leave Jinzhou Prefecture, the journey will be much safer."
Xu Zhenying shook his head and sighed, wanting to say something but stopping himself. "Mr. Fang, let me be honest. Even if you leave Jinzhou Prefecture, I'm afraid it will be difficult for you to travel far."
"What do you mean?"
"Lan County is remote and isolated. I only heard the news last night." Xu Zhenying was a little unsure. She was still a little worried that the old man could not bear the news, but she had to say, "Something happened in the court!"
Old Master Fang looked at Xu Zhenying's serious face, and his heart beat faster. Ever since he knew that Zhu Ci sent a letter asking for help to the princes and led the princes to come to Beijing, Old Master Fang had always felt a vague uneasiness in his heart. At this moment, this uneasiness instantly reached its peak!
"Mr. Fang, you..."
Seeing Xu Zhenying hesitating, Old Master Fang became extremely anxious and slammed the table. "What happened? Tell me now! Is there another rebellion? Or has Prince Ming invaded Bianjing?"
"Don't worry. I'm sure you had a premonition that the arrival of the princes in Beijing would cause a big disturbance."
"Just say it directly." Old Master Fang clutched his chest, his face pale. "I can handle it. To be honest, I had a premonition a long time ago. I just didn't know how far they would go."
"That's good. Prince Duan arrived in Bianjing first, bringing with him witnesses and evidence proving that the emperor was not the late emperor's biological son, but the product of an affair between the empress and a guard. Now Zhu Ci has been beheaded, the empress has been executed, and the young emperor's palace was completely burned down by a fire from the sky. Later, the palace servants only found a body. Now the court is in a fierce battle over who will be the crown prince."
"grandfather!"
Fang Ningmo screamed. It turned out that Old Master Fang almost couldn't breathe after hearing this and almost fainted.
Xu Zhenying felt deeply guilty and rushed to help. Old Master Fang grabbed her wrist with all his strength and asked word by word, "Are you serious?"
Xu Zhenying nodded. "The person I sent out to investigate reported back to me that the news has spread throughout Jinzhou Prefecture. It should be true."
"This is God's will to destroy our Great Zhou——"
Old Master Fang was crying and sobbing, like the last cry of a dying man.
Fang Xun supported Old Man Fang, but his face was full of joy that he could not hide. He had followed Xu Zhenying for a few months, which broadened his horizons and made him more open-minded. He was no longer the fool who only read books of sages. Although he admired his grandfather, he felt that his grandfather's loyalty was more like foolish loyalty.
Fang Xun couldn't help but think in his heart at this moment, "Grandfather, why are you so sad for the Zhou family? The Zhou family is full of heartless people. They are pressing us step by step, and they even want to kill us and use our corpses to rebel, making our Fang family bear the guilt of bringing disaster to the country and the people. Take Zhou Heng for example, he always says that he wants to avenge his cousin, but has he ever thought that doing so will only make our Fang family a laughing stock! Our Fang family has been loyal for generations, but in the end, we have to be the fuse of this chaotic world. In the future, everyone in our Fang family will be infamous in history books, and the descendants of the Fang family will never be able to raise their heads! Grandfather, you are loyal to the Zhou family, but the Zhou family wants to kill you all and even use your corpses——"
Old Master Fang was heartbroken. He raised his head to the sky and howled, his voice mournful and sad, "If the king wants his subject to die, then he must die!"
Fang Ningmo said, "Grandfather, I don't want to die!"
Fang Xun said, "Grandfather, we don't want to die. I'm still so young. I've finally come to this world. I haven't accomplished anything yet, I haven't realized my personal value, I haven't..."
Fang Xun said this with a hint of uncontrollable resentment in his voice, "I want to see how those pigs I raise can grow to 200 kilograms in half a year. When spring comes, I will help the people of Lan County with compost and farming. I also want to wait for the chickens in the chicken coop to lay eggs so that all the children in Lan County can eat an egg every day. Grandfather, I just realized that my life has a little value, but you want us to die. How can you be so cruel——"
Fang Ningmo also started to cry.
Old Master Fang was completely despairing and just stared at Fang Ningmo. "What about you? Do you think so too?"
"Grandfather..." Fang Ningmo sobbed, "My granddaughter doesn't want to leave Lan County either. If I leave here, I'll spend my whole life locked up in my room, embroidering and reading, waiting for you to find me a husband of my dreams, trapped day after day in the small, square world of the backyard. I don't want to live that way. I've just seen the vast world and don't want to be stuck in one place for the rest of my life... Here, I can walk around like a man, handle government affairs like a man, and walk around without being judged. Grandfather, my grades in the intermediate literacy class have always been among the best, better than many men. I want to prove that women are no worse than men. I... I won't accept this!"
"Okay... okay... all of you..." Old Master Fang turned and looked at Xu Zhenying, his eyes filled with resentment. "Xu Zhenying, you are so cunning. You use your power to corrupt my family and hold them firmly in your hands, using them for your own purposes..."
Xu Zhenying sighed, "Mr. Fang, this is serious. Who in this world doesn't love power? Power is the best aphrodisiac. No matter whether you are a man or a woman, once you get a taste of it, you will become addicted. It's not just them, aren't you too?"
Old Master Fang never expected Xu Zhenying to speak so bluntly, and his face turned black with anger.
"Besides, I never gave them any power. I'm just a small-time bandit, where does the power come from?"
Old Master Fang smiled coldly, his eyes sharp, as if he wanted to see through Xu Zhenying. "Do you dare to tell them in front of them why you did these things?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Occupy the city...Educate the whole nation...Store food and raise troops...Open up trade routes..."
Xu Zhenying was actually a little nervous. When he met those weather-beaten eyes, he felt that all his arrangements and deployments were seen through by Mr. Fang in an instant, and he felt that he had nowhere to hide.
Fang Xun and Fang Ningmo both looked at her.
Xu Zhenying sighed and said to the two of them, "You two should go out first. I want to talk to Mr. Fang alone."
Fang Xun and Fang Ningmo looked at each other. Although they were confused, they still listened to Xu Zhenying. They retreated, leaving only Xu Zhenying and Old Man Fang in the room.
Old Master Fang was staring at Xu Zhenying at this moment, as if he was staring at a foreign enemy invading his country. At this moment, his face was full of vigilance. "Xu Zhenying, others can't see your ambition, but I can see a little bit. You don't need to hide it anymore... You just want to rebel, don't you?"
Xu Zhenying nodded, and she sat down, looking at Old Man Yu Fang at eye level.
The girl's eyes were as calm as water, with only a hint of shock just now, and no other expression.
This girl has such a calm mind!
Mr. Fang had to re-examine Xu Zhenying as a political enemy.
Mr. Fang has been in politics for many years, so he naturally has an extraordinary bearing. When he raises his eyes or raises his hand, everyone around him trembles.
But Xu Zhenying was not in a hurry. Even after he exposed her ambition, her expression did not change at all.
It has to be said that if Xu Zhenying were a man, this rebellion might have caused some waves.
It's a pity that she is a woman.
This change is destined to be a small-scale one.
"I admit it, I am. But I would like to ask you, old man, where did I give myself away?"
Old Master Fang snorted coldly, "I've read all your textbooks for the intermediate literacy class. That book on common sense explains the principles behind phenomena like the earth dragon turning over, the earth's rotation, and the heavenly dog swallowing the moon. I've discovered that you have absolutely no reverence for either the Way of Heaven or the emperor."
Xu Zhenying held his forehead with his hand. "Ah, so that's why. If I had known, I wouldn't have written so much detail."
"Let me ask you, where did you learn these heretical theories?"
Xu Zhenying savored these words carefully.
Old Master Fang did not ask him whether it was true or not. Instead, he asked her how she knew it. Does it mean that he actually believed in her fallacies and heresies?
"No, I ask you again, who are you?!" Old Master Fang's eyes were sharp, and his tone was not afraid at all. "At first, I also thought those were heresies, but my eldest brother has personally verified your math textbooks one by one, and they are all correct. Your math textbook far exceeds the current level of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and the secrets contained in it are beyond human comprehension. If your math is true, then your common sense is also true. Why don't you just tell me directly, are you a human or a ghost, a demon or a god?"
Xu Zhenying sighed.
It seems that I can’t hide it anymore——
"I'm a staunch atheist. I don't believe in ghosts and gods. That is, I don't believe there are other intelligent beings besides humans in this world. The reason there are religions...oh, that's what you call sects, whether it's Buddhism, Taoism, the White Lotus Sect, or something like that, is because you don't understand the world enough. Humans are naturally afraid of forces beyond their ken, and even worship them. This leads us to personify certain forces in nature, revering them as if they were gods. Then there's the human desire for spiritual sustenance and comfort, especially when we're in pain. Hence the birth of religion. But that doesn't mean there are demons and monsters in this world."
Mr. Fang listened quietly, but he keenly noticed that Xu Zhenying kept saying "you guys".
Since it's you, then who is she and us?
"So, you are human?"
"I'm human. But I don't know what brought me here. I've lived in another world for the past thirty years. How should I put it..." This was the first time Xu Zhenying had seriously explained her origins to someone. She scratched her hair in frustration, looking a little childish. "I'm not sure if you can understand what I'm saying. You're here now, and I'm in a world two thousand years from now. And then suddenly one day, I don't know what happened, but I ended up here inexplicably."
Old Master Fang was horrified and stared at Xu Zhenying, unable to speak for a long time.
"I can't say I've returned to a world from two thousand years ago, because our history clearly developed differently. Your dynasty doesn't appear in my history books. Yet, your language, writing, clothing, mountains, rivers, and topography are very similar to ours."
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