"Relinquish all fame and fortune."
"He will be executed in the autumn."
The imperial verdict still echoed in his ears, yet Xu Mo felt as if he were in a dream.
Everything around is so unrealistic; people walking around could take off on bubbles at any time, soaring up and down.
The most deceitful one was Fang Yuan, that high and mighty young master who fell from grace and couldn't even save his life.
But he was so arrogant, and the Fang family was so unapproachable.
They once made six siblings flee in disarray with just one finger.
They also downplayed the situation, smoothing over all the flaws in the court.
"A noble family that even the imperial family gives some face, why can they cut off the head of their eldest son today?" Xu Mo murmured in disbelief.
Ultimately, he still didn't believe that his siblings' efforts could cause harm to the Fang family.
Even though this involved some of Consort Ju's influence.
"The ground beneath a person's feet is like a mountain; the lower the ground, the more solid it is, and the higher the peak, the more dangerous it is." The Prefect of Fengtian had somehow broken away from the group and was slowly pacing.
He still looked like a kind-faced old man, with a sparse goat beard on his chin and a perpetually smiling expression in his eyes.
He seemed to see through Xu Mo's manipulation, but he didn't mind. He was still willing to come over when this outstanding young man was confused and offer some guidance with a few words.
"I don't understand," Xu Mo said, bewildered. "The Fang family is important to the imperial family, so they are given some face. Now that the direct descendant's arm has been cut off, it seems that they are not important. But if they are really not important, why not completely eliminate them all?"
As the saying goes, cheating in the imperial examinations was tantamount to treason.
Fang Yuan, the son, was sentenced to beheading, while Fang Huai Ren, the father, remained untouched by officialdom.
On what grounds? Why? What's the reason?
"Given the Fang family's long-standing presence in the court and their numerous official positions, if the Fang family were to be implicated and beheaded, where would they be promoted to fill the vacant positions?" The Prefect of Fengtian stroked his beard and said, "It is also due to General Fang's illustrious military achievements and the blood and lives the Fang family has shed to protect the country."
"Don't say that there is a conflict between the first and second branches of the family. The two Fang families are not the same. Moreover, the glory of the Fang family is not only the general of the first branch, but also the glory of countless ancestors."
Fang Heng's grandfather was also Fang Yuan's grandfather.
All the aristocratic families that built their fortunes on merit had foundations that were unimaginably solid. They held a high position in the hearts of the people, their businesses spanned the entire capital, and their people were placed throughout the court.
A hasty attempt to destroy it would either cause unrest among the people if successful, or cause the powerful families to become wary if it failed.
The world is not black and white. Even the Jiang family, after seeing the Fang family collapse, wouldn't they worry and be stunned, wondering if the Jiang family would follow in the Fang family's footsteps one day?
“In this way, the aristocratic families will no longer be diligent and hardworking, and they will all harbor their own selfish thoughts.” Xu Mo was not stupid and quickly saw through the fog.
The Prefect of Fengtian nodded in satisfaction, "This young man is teachable, indeed."
As the two were talking, they had already reached the gate of the imperial city.
Hundreds or even thousands of students, beaming with joy as if they had won a battle, were dispersing in small groups.
His younger siblings peeked out on tiptoe, their eyes filled with worry.
Xu Mo felt a warmth in his heart and was about to clasp his hands in thanks.
The Prefect of Fengtian waved his hand, "But these are not the most important things. If the eldest son of the Fang family makes a mistake, even if the head of the Fang family is cut off as soon as possible, he will still be implicated. The Tian family must have its own reasons for keeping the Fang family. When you think about things, don't look at things from your own perspective, but from the perspective of the person who made the decision."
"Finally," he said meaningfully before turning away, "do not underestimate Consort Ju."
Leaving those words behind, the carriage from Fengtian Prefecture sped away.
Xu Mo stood there, unable to recover for a long time.
"Big brother!" Jiang Sheng and Zheng Ruqian rushed over. "Big brother, what happened? What's wrong?"
"Things went very well, very smoothly." Xu Mo was stunned. "However, only Fang Yuan was punished, while the Fang family was completely unharmed."
I thought my younger siblings would be angry, annoyed, or even curse me, but to my surprise, they both breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.
"Thank goodness!" Jiang Sheng patted his chest. "I was terrified when I heard that cheating in the imperial examinations was a crime equivalent to treason, punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family. If that were the case, wouldn't my third brother be among them?"
“That’s right. We, Fang Laosan, won’t get any benefits, so why should we be implicated with them?” Zheng Ruqian said angrily. “It would be best to just kill the bastards from the second branch of the family and let them oppose us all the time.”
Xu Mo chuckled, his previously heavy mood lightening and his thoughts clearing up.
He seemed to know something.
As victims of the imperial examination fraud, even bystanders wished they could put the Fang family to death, ideally annihilating everyone except Fang Heng, or at least stripping the head of the Fang family of his official position.
But would the imperial family be willing?
The Jiang family and the Dou family are showing signs of joining forces, and the Yao family is firmly following them. The He family and the Sun family remain neutral, leaving only the Fang family and the Zhu family to support the other half of the sky.
If the Fang family falls, the Zhu family head alone cannot withstand the combined forces of the Jiang, Dou, and Yao families.
In the end, will the imperial court belong to the Zhu family or these three families?
The way of a ruler is to maintain balance.
Even if the imperial family dislikes the Fang family, it is necessary to ensure that both voices exist simultaneously.
The more the ministers argued, the more at ease the emperor felt.
"Perhaps this also means that if we want to defeat the Fang family, we must support a new Fang family." Xu Mo's vision suddenly brightened, as if he had found a broad road ahead.
Jiang Sheng and Zheng Ruqian exchanged glances. They didn't understand politics, but they could clearly see that their elder brother was radiating golden light, exuding confidence and certainty.
“Yes, that must be it. Only by cultivating a new Fang family to rival the Jiang family can the Tian family annihilate the Fang family in one fell swoop.” He murmured in a very low voice, “The Jiang family and the Dou family cannot be at peace either, at least not in the eyes of the Tian family.”
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