Chapter 495 Finale
Return to her ancestral home? How could her ancestral home even be one ten-thousandth as prosperous as the capital? Old Lady Zhou was absolutely unwilling to do so.
Zhou Hansheng said calmly, "Are you sure you don't agree, old lady? If you harm our people, I will take revenge on them one by one. If something unexpected happens, it's hard to say."
Old Mrs. Zhou trembled all over: "You, you dare to kill someone!"
Zhou Hansheng was amused. He stared at her and said quietly, "If the old lady dares to do it, why shouldn't I?"
Zhao Liya also smiled, but she said something slowly that made Old Lady Zhou even angrier: "Old Lady, we may not be able to do something like killing someone, but it doesn't matter. Sometimes it's better to make someone live a life worse than death. Do you really want to try it?"
"You, you guys—"
"Old lady, please don't think we're guilty of heinous crimes. Ask yourself, why don't you first think about what you've done? After you've done so many unforgivable things, why do you think we should let bygones be bygones? If you were us, would you do the same?"
“.”
Old Mrs. Zhou was speechless.
She can be stubborn and refuse to admit it no matter what.
However, what was the use? Everyone in the first house knew what they had done. The poison in the tea and the two useless people in the second and third houses passed the message through Mrs. Qu were all established facts.
You can't get away with it.
Admit it or not, it's useless.
The eldest wife is already domineering and arrogant, and this time, she will naturally not let them go.
And they are the head of the family, and now they have made great contributions. The emperor trusts them. Is there anyone in the capital who is more powerful than them?
Then, wouldn't it be easy for them to do something? No matter what they did, who in the capital would speak up for them?
No.
No one would cause such trouble! No one would offend the Duke of Liguo and his son, who were at the peak of their careers.
After taking a look at Zhao Liya and Zhou Hansheng, Old Lady Zhou couldn't help but feel a chill all over her body. These two people really wanted to settle the score with them!
Old Mrs. Zhou gritted her teeth and tried to struggle: "We can split up, we'll move out, and we'll have nothing to do with you anymore!"
Zhou Hansheng sneered, "How can that be? After all, you're the elder, and it's not your turn to move out even if the family is divided. You should just go back to your ancestral home. It's normal for people of your age to want to return to their roots. No one can persuade them, so Second Uncle, Third Uncle, and the others have no choice but to follow suit and fulfill their filial duties. It's only natural."
"." Old Mrs. Zhou glared at Zhou Hansheng angrily.
What nonsense! What about fallen leaves returning to their roots? What about persuasion? How dare he say that! How could she not know this before? This man is so shameless.
Old Mrs. Zhou moved her lips, but in the end she couldn't say anything.
Faced with the overwhelming advantage, she was completely useless and had no power to resist.
Zhou Hansheng and Zhao Liya left Heyuan satisfied.
Soon, Old Lady Zhou took her second and third wives and left the capital to return to her ancestral home.
Zhao Liya, Zhou Hansheng, and the others naturally didn't let them off easily either. The master couldn't handle those wicked accomplices and trusted servants, and none of them met a good end; some were imprisoned, some were sentenced to hard labor, and all were dealt with.
They weren't given much in the way of wealth, just enough to get by. Dare you make a scene? Dare you complain or say bad things outside? Then give it a try!
Facts have proven that the second and third wives, including Old Madam Zhou, are all bullies who only care about the weak and fear the strong. At this point, they dare not do anything at all.
The Duke of Liguo's mansion had once again achieved great success, and for a time it was in the limelight, becoming extremely popular. With more people fawning over them, there were naturally more people who were jealous.
When Old Lady Zhou and the second and third wives left the capital, rumors of "unfilial piety and unfriendliness" spread, and even censors impeached them. However, the emperor made the final decision, clearly favoring the Duke of Liguo's mansion.
The censor who spoke nonsense was dismissed from office.
For a moment, the court was shocked and no one dared to talk nonsense anymore.
However, Zhao Liya and Zhou Hansheng found it quite boring.
Duke Liguo, on the other hand, took it very lightly. "Our family is indeed a bit too prominent, so it's normal to attract jealousy. But those people are a bit too impatient!"
Anyone with a bit of common sense would have figured out what kind of person the emperor was, right? The Zhou family was his in-laws, so even if he had any ideas, he wouldn't just cross the river and burn the bridge now. Besides, he didn't have any.
But this does show from another perspective that the Zhou family is indeed very enviable.
Zhou Hansheng and Zhao Liya were increasingly eager to leave Beijing. A month later, Zhou Hansheng formally requested the mission.
The request of the eldest son of Duke Liguo to be exiled to Lingnan caused a great sensation in the court.
Everyone was stunned. This prince was really willing to give up.
Zhou Hansheng had already discussed this matter with the emperor in private, and bringing it up in the court was just a formality. The emperor persuaded him a few times, but Zhou Hansheng insisted, so he finally agreed.
The Emperor was truly reluctant to let him go, so he naturally wouldn't let Zhou Hansheng down. He simply appointed him the General of Lingnan and granted him the power to control the three provinces of Lingnan.
In other words, not only did he have the final say in military affairs in the three Lingnan provinces, he also had the right to participate in and express his views on government affairs. This was completely different from the previous Zhong Jing!
Zhou Hansheng was overjoyed and thanked him for accepting the order.
Zhou Hansheng was going to Lingnan, so Zhao Liya naturally had to go too.
After receiving the order, the two began to prepare and planned to set off in half a month.
Zhao Xiang and Deng were very reluctant to part with Zhao Liya, especially Deng, who almost cried.
Zhao Liya smiled and advised, "Don't be sad, mother. The prince and I will go there first. When everything is settled there, why don't you take me there to stay for a while? From now on, running between the capital and Lingnan won't be a big deal! Just think of it as me going out for a stroll."
This made Qu Guafu and the others laugh.
Widow Qu couldn't help but feel excited. She sighed and said, "Before, I dreamed of leaving Yancun. Now I miss it a little! Lingnan is actually quite good!"
Mrs. Deng couldn't help but sigh and nodded: "That's right!"
Zhao Liya blinked. "Lingnan is already very good. The prince and I will make it even better if we go there! In the future, transportation will be much more convenient than it is now, and the journey will be much shorter. Mother, what I said is true. In the future, traveling between the two places will definitely be extremely convenient."
Mrs. Deng thought she was just trying to comfort herself, so she smiled happily and nodded, "Well, that's great."
It was actually a wise choice for the Crown Prince to take the initiative to request to be sent away. Although Deng did not understand the affairs of the court, it did not mean that she could not see anything clearly.
At least, this is the statement made by the Duke of Liguo and the Crown Prince, showing that they are not greedy for power and express their loyalty.
Although the Emperor treated the Duke's Mansion very well and had absolutely no suspicion or jealousy, the monarch and his subjects were monarchs and their subjects. It was the monarch's wish that the monarch not be suspicious, but the subjects also had to maintain their own stance and resolve.
Not for the present, but for the future.
In the blink of an eye, it was the day to leave.
After a brief farewell, the carriage team set off. In the carriage, Zhou Hansheng comforted Zhao Liya for a while. The two talked and laughed, and their mood gradually improved.
They had discussed this many times before. Going to Lingnan, where the emperor is far away, they would have power, money, and connections. Now, they could show their skills!
Lingnan has countless delicious fruits, double-ripe or even triple-ripe rice, potatoes, dried persimmons, canned food, white sugar, papermaking, and various famous medicinal materials. More importantly, there are ports that can connect to the south of the Yangtze River and the ocean!
That's where they can show their talents!
By then, all of these would be developed, and a wide, smooth road would be built to better connect Lingnan with the capital. From then on, Lingnan would no longer be a barren, desolate place where criminals were exiled, but a land of wealth and gold.
Zhou Hansheng smiled and said, "I told the emperor that when we go to Lingnan, we will definitely earn him a lot of silver and fill the treasury. The emperor just laughed and said that we can return to the capital when we have enough fun and can come back anytime we want. Ha, who are you looking down on!"
Zhao Liya's words also aroused her desire to win. She raised her eyebrows and smiled, "That's right, who are you looking down on? We're going to blind their eyes! Make those ministers who are waiting to see us laugh at us envious!"
You can make money for the emperor, for your family, and leave your name in history. Why not do it?
Zhou Hansheng hugged her and laughed: "My lady is right!"
The two looked at each other and smiled, with great passion surging in their hearts.
When you face the sea, watch the spring flowers bloom!
(End of full text)
(End of this chapter)
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