Chapter 68 Sincere Feelings
Guan Zhiwei appointed Zhifang as Zhechong Duwei, who was in charge of the "Zhechong Prefecture" and responsible for stationing troops in the city, training and managing the prefecture's soldiers.
With this imperial appointment, he was no longer an unorthodox individual.
Speaking of which, when Gao Yang was appointed Grand Commandant, it is unclear whether he was completely indifferent to the imperial appointment or did it intentionally, but he did not request official positions from the court for his subordinates.
Zhi Fang and his son knelt to receive the imperial decree, and Zhi Junyuan also received the title of captain.
The Jiang family head and Zhi Fang's father and son were at odds, and he tried every means to lure the imperial officials into the city. He never expected this outcome. He gritted his teeth and said, "Grand Tutor Guan, aren't you afraid of raising a tiger that will eventually become your own enemy?"
From a normal perspective, Guan Zhiwei cannot tolerate Zhi Fang and his son, and Zhi Fang and his son will definitely gather strength to counterattack.
But Guan Zhiwei is not normal.
"How can a tiger be a source of worry? Tigers are great, they have thick skin, your example is inappropriate."
"The tiger that Grand Tutor Guan killed with his own hands was extremely fierce. Today, I would like to take advantage of this opportunity to ask you for the tiger skin to give to Uncle Zhi and Junyuan. Is this acceptable?" Gao Huan asked respectfully.
Guan Zhiwei nodded: "I'm not a stingy person. How could I let the father and son share a single skin? I also have a lot of bear and wolf skins. Send them over as well."
"yes."
Why did Xiang Yu dare to set up the Feast at Hongmen? Because he was strong enough to lift a tripod.
Guan Zhiwei dared to promote Zhifang because she could kill Gao Yang in the midst of a hundred troops, and Gao Yang could be replaced by anyone else.
I can kill you as soon as I see you.
She looked at Zhi Fang from top to bottom, her calm demeanor radiating pressure.
“I originally intended to kill you both, but the powerful families are too much of a nuisance to me. They are choosing between us, and I can’t let them get away with it. I won’t let them get away with it just because you get away with it.”
Gao Huan, without changing his expression, said, "Uncle Zhi, Junyuan, the Grand Tutor has always admired you two very much. He often tells me that if he knew Zhifang and his son, he would cherish them like treasures."
Zhi Fang felt a chill run down his spine, but outwardly he remained expressionless. "Thank you for the Grand Tutor's reward. I will certainly serve the court faithfully."
"Thank you, Grand Tutor, thank you, Fourth Brother." Zhi Junyuan suppressed the urge to look up.
This was their third meeting.
The first time, he was a young general, and she was a vengeful ghost beneath his horse.
The second time, he was the one who fell from grace, and she was the assassin who bypassed him.
The third time, she sat there while he knelt on the ground, not daring to raise his head.
He wasn't the only one who dared not look up.
The members of the prominent families present were all terrified; they had already become the targets of being divided up while they were still here.
Their small group held a very serious meeting.
"She's actually your daughter, Guan Da, you've got some nerve!" The Jiang family head gritted his teeth.
Lord Guan said he was angry, but also somewhat bewildered: "I never expected that she was the one who killed Gao Yang to avenge her father... Wait, if she avenged her father, then who am I?"
He recounted the entire story of Guan Zhiwei.
Prefect Liang pondered, "Could it be a setup?"
Lord Guan shook his head: "A mere village woman, after being subjected to several severe tortures, only wanted to die quickly and vomited everything out. This matter is shameful, and I did not intend to spread it. If she were not my daughter, she would not have come to my door. I have not even been looking for my daughter."
Prefect Liang sighed softly, "This is the will of Heaven."
As fate would have it, Guan Zhiwei entered the city intending to kill Zhi Fang and his son, but Sui Ying suddenly appeared, drawing their hatred and ultimately leading to her own death.
Guan Zhiwei changed her mind and shook hands with Zhi Fang to make peace. In the end, the whole thing was ruined by the Sui family, but unfortunately, they were all dead.
Oh dear, that Grand Tutor Guan is really ruthless; he left them with no one to complain to.
They kept sighing and complaining.
Lord Guan was unwilling to give up, saying, "There may still be room for reversal in this matter. After all, I am his father."
The Jiang family head said coolly, "Didn't they say that once you're expelled from the family, there will be a different price if you're recognized again?"
Lord Guan raised his voice: "You dare to mock me? What right do you have to mock me! Wasn't it you who led them in!"
"This Zhi Fang is cold-hearted and ruthless. He is definitely not one to submit to anyone. Unless you can conquer him with the bravery of Gao Yang, I can't control him. You will have to use your brains. I've told you a hundred times: when dealing with that kind of general, if you raise him well, he'll be a dog; if you don't, he'll be a wolf and will eat you sooner or later!"
"Stop arguing," Prefect Liang said slowly. "Let's assess the situation first. If all else fails, there's always the Yuan family, isn't there?"
The three remained silent. If the Yuan family was a good choice, they wouldn't have recruited Zhifang into the city in the first place.
The Yuan family was different from these brutes. They came from a proper aristocratic family and were once renowned. When a military general like Gao Yang killed an aristocratic family, it caused a huge uproar and ruined his reputation. But if it were the Yuan family, their actions would be justified, based on evidence, and backed by their reputation. They, on the other hand, were killed and still had their reputation ruined.
To put it bluntly, Guan Zhiwei is the same kind of person as Gao Yang, Zhi Fang, and the Yan clan; Guan Zhiwei easily defeated them. Conversely, the same applies to the aristocratic families and the Yuan clan of Yong'an City.
For a moment, they were all undecided.
While they held repeated small meetings, Guan Zhiwei had already leisurely led her troops into the city.
Her five thousand men also entered the city.
Her main purpose in coming to Yong'an City was not to reunite with relatives or to kill anyone, but to secure grain supplies. She wanted to establish a connection with Yong'an City so that they could receive grain every year.
Guan Zhiwei urgently drafted a law specifically targeting these aristocratic and wealthy families, imposing taxes on them.
They said that the people were starving due to the famine and had no food.
However, the marriage proposal stated that they were extremely wealthy.
Squads of soldiers kicked open the door and stuck the marriage proposal letter right in front of their eyes.
"No money, no food? What does this say? Are you deceiving and toying with Grand Tutor Guan's sincere feelings?"
She had evidence, and she also had a knife, so most people reluctantly handed over their evidence.
However, some slipped through the net, such as Prefect Liang, whose family had no eligible sons, so no one came to propose marriage.
That's okay.
Guan Zhiwei specially summoned Prefect Liang over and looked him up and down. Prefect Liang had narrow eyes, a thin face, and an air of nobility. In his youth, he was like an orchid and a famous handsome man.
She gave people the creeps, then said with a smile, "Last time, Prefect Liang said he admired me, didn't he?"
Prefect Liang remained calm: "My family has no sons of marriageable age, so it is a pity that I cannot arrange a marriage between us with Grand Tutor Guan."
"It's alright, it's alright. I see you're a middle-aged man, but you still have your charm. Why don't you divorce your wife and come to me to propose marriage?"
Guan Zhiwei handed him a calligraphy brush: "Take this back and use it to write your marriage proposal."
Prefect Liang never expected such shamelessness. His usually impassive face, which had remained calm even in the face of a collapsing mountain, finally broke down. He said in a panic, "I'm over fifty years old. I'm the same age as your father. I'm your elder!"
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