Maintaining the prestige of a noble family requires more than just wealth; it also requires the deterrence of force.
Their arrogant and unscrupulous actions have caused great harm to many people, and the Cui family, who are the leaders, are particularly ruthless.
They forcibly seized fertile land, forcibly bought shops, forcibly purchased secret recipes, and even forcibly took innocent girls as concubines. Their crimes were numerous and difficult to list, but they were all suppressed and kept secret.
In the back room, Ji Xuan and Han Yi were also discussing this issue.
“These aristocratic families have become increasingly reckless in their actions over the years. Even without this incident, they wouldn’t have gone far.”
"Your Majesty," Han Yi said, his brows furrowed, "I believe that we should not have given them so many privileges in the first place. They are used to being above others, so they naturally feel superior and will not care about ordinary people when they do things."
Han Yi had dealt with many scions of prominent families.
Regardless of their abilities, they all share one common flaw: arrogance.
They always act superior, never placing themselves among ordinary people, and never caring about the lives or deaths of ordinary people.
The only people who could possibly catch their attention were high-ranking officials of the court and the current emperor.
Although Han Yi did not show it, he did not take it seriously at all.
A family's centuries-old heritage is something to be proud of, but there's no need to be arrogant. A family background may certainly earn you respect, but that's about it.
Family background is certainly an advantage, but it cannot be relied upon entirely. Otherwise, if the family fortune collapses, what will become of you?
Unfortunately, the pampered scions of wealthy families rarely understand this principle; many are complacent and drift along, while few are truly clear-headed.
These few clear-headed individuals, because of this, are even more ruthless in their efforts to maintain the family's dignity and glory.
Upon hearing this, Ji Xuan fell silent for a long time before finally speaking, "In my eyes, there is no difference between aristocratic families and ordinary people."
No, aristocratic families are worse off than ordinary people.
Treat the common people well, and they will genuinely support you; on the other hand, no matter how much you give to powerful families, you can never be satisfied.
If they sense an opportunity, they will pounce on us like hungry wolves, just like now.
"That's because His Majesty is in a high position and can see clearly," Han Yi couldn't help but shake his head. "Ordinary people wouldn't dare to do that. Aristocratic families can easily ruin a family with just a few tricks."
Just like today, if His Majesty hadn't intervened in time, even if he could have managed to get by, he would have inevitably incurred various favors. But with just one word from His Majesty, he could completely resolve the matter.
Money is a good thing, but sometimes, power is more important than money.
“That’s true,” Ji Xuan nodded. “Different locations offer different views.”
"That's why there's the saying 'climb high and look far.'" Han Yi replied, then fell silent.
Even though Ji Xuan was unpretentious, he still dared not be too presumptuous in front of the current emperor.
Even though Ji Xuan acted harmlessly from beginning to end, he always kept in mind the saying that serving a ruler is like serving a tiger.
Upon hearing this, Ji Xuan raised an eyebrow. "Han Yi, would you like to see the view from up there?"
"It would be a lie to say I don't want to," Han Yi said with a wry smile. "However, a gentleman has things he will do and things he will not do, and he can't benefit himself at the expense of others."
Han Yi still feels heartbroken every time he thinks about what happened last time.
What a great opportunity! If I agree, I can change my allegiance and never have to bow and scrape to those powerful and wealthy people again.
However, once it's missed, it's missed, and regret won't change anything.
Moreover, the compensation he received far outweighed what he lost.
"It's good that you have the intention," Ji Xuan said with a smile. "I have always known about your talent. It is indeed a bit of a waste for you to only run a restaurant."
"Your Majesty flatters me. I am unworthy of such praise."
“Young Master Han,” Qi Yong said meaningfully, “as the old saying goes, ‘no pain, no gain.’ If you can get through this difficult period, the good days are yet to come.”
"Thank you for your reminder, Eunuch Qi. I will keep it in mind."
Han Yi didn't show it on his face, but he was secretly wondering about it.
It's not that I don't understand the deeper meaning behind those words, but rather that I feel the timing isn't quite right.
I always felt that there was more to what the master and servant were saying than met with a straight answer, but no matter how hard I racked my brains, I couldn't figure out what they were trying to do.
Ji Xuan didn't explain. After saying these words, she exchanged pleasantries for a while before leaving.
After leaving the restaurant, Qi Yong said indignantly, "The Cui family is getting more and more arrogant. They dare to be so arrogant in front of you, who knows how rampant they are behind your back."
What angered him even more was that he was particularly blind.
Although his master was dressed plainly, he had a dignified bearing and did not look like a eunuch at all.
“They won’t be able to run rampant for long,” Ji Xuan’s voice turned cold. “Sooner or later, I will make them reap what they sow.”
"Fortunately, we came to Juquanlou today, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to find such a big handle. With the trouble Cui Peng caused today, the entire Cui family will not be able to escape."
Thinking of Cui Peng's boastful words, Qi Yong couldn't help but suspect that Cui Peng was a spy planted by an enemy in the Cui family.
On the surface, the powerful families have indeed gained a slight advantage recently, but no matter how arrogant they are, they are still subjects.
Regardless of success or failure, in the end everyone must submit to the Emperor, even if it's just an act.
Even if the master makes a mistake, it would be easy to teach a disobedient and insolent Cui Peng a lesson.
"Let's go see how Liu An's preparations are going. If there are no problems, we'll make our move tonight."
"I can't wait any longer after enduring this for so long," Qi Yong said, his eyes flashing with a cold light. "The noble families have been praised for so long that they have long forgotten their own limitations. This time, let them know for sure what they really are."
In Qi Yong's eyes, there are only two kinds of people in the world: enemies and non-enemies.
The standard for judgment is very simple: it all depends on how your master sees it.
He may not like what his master likes, but he can patiently get along with him; however, he will inevitably be an enemy of what his master dislikes.
The aristocratic families were an exception; they were Qi Yong's enemies in his subjective opinion, regardless of Ji Xuan's views.
Qi Yong's reputation for being ruthless and a eunuch who brought disaster to the country was largely due to the machinations of powerful families. For a time, he was even forced to retreat to the palace by their combined suppression.
He had long wanted revenge, but the powerful families were deeply entrenched and protected one another, making it impossible to deal with them one by one.
But he knew that such arrogant families would eventually get themselves into trouble.
Sure enough, the opportunity finally arrived.
"Han Yi is right. These aristocratic families should not have been given special privileges in the first place," Ji Xuan said with great emotion. "If the Holy Ancestor had not overly promoted these people, they would not have gradually forgotten their place."
"Your Majesty is wise," Qi Yong quickly echoed. "The phrase 'taking an inch and then a mile' applies to anyone. Knowing that they are special and superior, they will naturally act differently from ordinary people. Then, step by step, they will elevate themselves higher and higher."
He paused for a moment, then carefully began, "The same goes for the Lady Protector of the Nation. She is indeed very capable, and it's not impossible for the master to promote her, but he must be careful not to end up like these aristocratic families."
Qi Yong was not hostile to the Huang family and acknowledged their character, but he would not blindly trust them.
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