Wen Zhixuan was brewing medicine when he heard Jiang Shuman's voice coming from not far away.
"The rebellions in various places have been quelled. Yin Yunheng was quite fierce; knowing he had been defeated, he drew his sword and committed suicide. As for that Lord Fang, he was very brave."
The sound faded into the distance.
Wen Zhixuan turned around and saw two figures walking side by side, seemingly heading in the direction of Jiang Zhixu.
Fang Zhi was indeed a talented general. It was thanks to his decisive action in killing the military commander who was related to the Yin family that he was able to quell the rebellion first, thus buying time for Jiang Zhixu and his men.
He has rendered a great service this time, and Emperor Hongde will surely reward him.
With Shen Jiming already holding the position of head of the family and his brother-in-law being so capable, he was naturally riding high.
After shedding her facade of weakness and timidity, Shen Qinghe's methods were indeed clean and efficient.
But that's more like a human being.
Joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness; good and evil go hand in hand.
The plague was not completely eradicated until the beginning of spring in March.
Seeing the people's grateful and tearful faces, Jiang Shuman's opinion of Wen Zhixuan changed somewhat.
In the past few months, Wen Zhixuan personally went to the disaster area and worked tirelessly with medical officers to develop epidemic prevention measures.
Although he may have performed meritorious service, a gentleman judges by his actions, not his intentions.
As my sister also expressed in her heart, this person is vengeful and ruthless towards his enemies, but he is compassionate towards the common people.
Those who cultivate the Tao ultimately have their own bottom line.
But why does he harbor such malice towards the Jiang family? After all, I once saved his life.
If it were Jiang Shumiao, she would definitely tell her.
When Wen Zhixuan first transmigrated to this world, the greatest malice he encountered came from the Jiang clan. Coupled with the humiliation he suffered at the hands of Gu Jinchuan, this instilled in him a deep-seated hatred for all those high-ranking officials who treated others' lives as worthless.
"In the past, all I saw in the capital was wealth and luxury. Only after witnessing the battlefield did I realize the devastation beneath the surface of a peaceful and prosperous world. We, living in noble families and enjoying worldly honors, are already extremely fortunate. Why are there still people so dissatisfied?"
Wen Zhixuan turned his head upon hearing this.
“The princess has a heart of benevolence towards all people, which is a blessing to the people. But human nature is inherently greedy. When poor, people want wealth and status; when wealthy, they want power and influence. And those who possess these things are afraid of having them taken away, so they naturally hold on tightly. Therefore, powerful families prosper while ordinary people suffer.”
Although Gu Jinchuan had some prejudice against Wen Zhixuan, he agreed with this statement.
He had witnessed human suffering and understood His Majesty's desire to weaken the powerful families.
The Gu family ancestors were also of humble origins, fighting on the battlefield generation after generation to achieve their current glory.
My grandfather was strict in managing the family, and fearing that he might cause trouble for his aunts in the palace, he strictly forbade any members of the clan from abusing their power to do evil.
Most of the sons of the Gu family died on the battlefield, and they can say with a clear conscience that they have no regrets.
But in this vast country, with powerful families entrenched in power, every family and every surname will always have a few parasites.
It's hard to guarantee they won't abuse their family connections for evil.
"The Yin family is probably just the beginning."
Wen Zhixuan glanced at him. This aloof young master actually had such a heart for the country and its people.
That's truly a miracle.
Jiang Shuman said, "The land system needs to be reformed."
All powerful families held great power from the central government to the local level, possessed vast tracts of land, and had their own private armies and retinues.
It will become a malignant tumor sooner or later.
Gu Jinchuan remained silent for a long time before saying, "I plan to stay in the Northwest."
Jiang Shuman asked in surprise, "Why?"
Gu Jinchuan said in a deep voice, "The Yin family cannot be considered a top-tier clan, yet they dare to act so recklessly simply because they occupy a certain area. In just three years, the Great Yan has experienced internal and external turmoil. The national treasury has been greatly depleted. If the powerful families cause trouble again, foreign tribes will surely invade the border regions. The Gu family receives the emperor's salary, and we should also guard the country's gates."
Jiang Zhixu walked over and happened to hear this. He laughed and said, "Well done, you are indeed a tiger cub from a military family. You have not disgraced your Gu family ancestors."
Jiang Shuman tilted her head and smiled.
“Since Father says so, then I will stay.”
Wen Zhixuan frowned.
Jiang Zhixu immediately objected, "No way!"
Why not?
Gu Jinchuan couldn't help but say, "How can a princess of noble birth be stationed in this bitterly cold place..."
He was interrupted by Jiang Shuman before he could finish speaking.
“The Jiang family has been generals for generations. Although I am a woman, I have aspired to be a general since I was a child. I have enjoyed wealth and honor, and now I should fulfill my duty.”
Wen Zhixuan saw that her gaze was firm and her spirit was high, and the spirit of a daughter of a military family was fully embodied in her.
Jiang Zhixu was speechless for a moment. He looked at Gu Jinchuan and could only say, "I am very pleased that you have such great ambitions. But as the saying goes, one should settle down and start a career first. You two should come back to the capital with me and get married first. After that, I will not care what happens to you."
Jiang Shuman: "..."
Gu Jinchuan: "..."
The two subconsciously looked at each other, then quickly looked away, neither of them uttering a word of objection.
Jiang Zhixu smiled knowingly upon seeing this.
Anyway, my daughter is all grown up and will eventually get married. Gu Jia is alright.
Only Wen Zhixuan's eyes were clear and cold, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
Jiang Shumiao didn't get to see her father and sister return to celebrate her birthday because Gu Jinchuan fell off a cliff on his way back to the capital, and his fate is unknown.
Jiang Zhixu, Jiang Shuman, and the others naturally had to stop and search.
Fuqu asked in surprise, "High God, aren't you able to monitor their movements remotely? Even if there is danger, you can save them in time, so how could Gu Jinchuan still fall off the cliff?"
Jiang Shumiao shook her head. "I told you before, I only sense when my blood relatives are in trouble. He hasn't married my sister yet, so he's not considered a member of the Jiang family. Don't worry, I did a divination for him before I left and gave him a life-saving charm. He won't die."
Her sister's true love must not be allowed to have any problems.
Gu Jinchuan is indeed not dead.
When he fell off the cliff, he only felt a burning sensation in his chest. He didn't suffer any internal injuries after landing, only some abrasions on his arms and cheeks. When he reached into his pocket again, the talisman that Jiang Shumiao had given him had turned to ash.
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