Marquis Yongning never expected that his concubine, who had been dead for several years, would be brought up again. Although it was a result of the agreement of several parties when Zhu Shen entered the mansion as a concubine, because of Zhu Shen, he could not recognize his father and mother, and had to treat an unrelated person as his legitimate daughter. Not only that, but he also had to help her devise strategies. He felt both resentful and aggrieved. Most importantly, he might never be able to tell anyone about this matter until his death.
Xu Di had not mentioned any of these matters to the Marquis. He had been staying in the Miaozhou, Luzhou, and Wuzhou areas and had no time to return to the capital. Such confidential matters could not be easily sent back by letter. Therefore, when Emperor Liang Cheng told the Marquis of Yongning this, Emperor Liang Cheng was terrified and broke out in a cold sweat.
The story continues with the appearance of An Muyuan, followed by the valley that Xu Di accidentally discovered and the people in the valley.
Emperor Liang Cheng said, "Although they are remnants of the previous dynasty, they are now subjects of my Great Liang. Marquis Xu, my intention is to bring these people out, give them legal status, and let them live a good life in the territory of Great Liang like ordinary subjects."
Marquis Yongning said with some concern, "Your Majesty, will these people be able to live their lives wholeheartedly? Furthermore, will they continue to try to restore the previous dynasty?"
Emperor Liang Cheng said confidently, "I have that much confidence. Lord Xu, after much consideration, I think you are the most suitable person to handle this matter in Wuzhou."
Marquis Yongning never expected to be given such a task. In fact, he didn't want to go, but he was bound by the imperial decree and the emperor had already spoken, so he had no choice but to carry it out. Most importantly, Xu Di was still there. After careful consideration, he realized that he was indeed the most suitable candidate.
Emperor Liang Cheng said, "Lord Xu, what I mean is that this matter should not be carried out in a big way, but should be handled discreetly. I sent you there for two reasons, one is that Xu Di is currently in Wuzhou, and the other is that, Lord Xu, the situation in the court seems calm on the surface, but it is actually turbulent inside. The eldest and third princes have lost power, but there are still the second, sixth, and seventh princes. These people are eager for something to happen so that they can fish in troubled waters. Lord Xu, do you understand what I mean?"
After pondering for a long time, Marquis Yongning said, "Your Majesty, I understand. You sent me to let the people in the valley know that our Great Liang is now peaceful and prosperous, and that this matter should be kept within a certain scope so that it cannot be used by those with ulterior motives. But Your Majesty, where should I place these people?"
Emperor Liang Cheng pondered for a long time before saying, "I will transfer a group of people from the Inner Guard. Marquis Xu will take them with him to Wuzhou. We will find a place near Wuzhou and build a village to settle these people. After they are settled, they will not be allowed to move around freely. They will be guarded by the Inner Guard. As for when they can move around like the people of our Great Liang, that will depend on them."
Marquis Yongning admired Emperor Liang Cheng for being a kind and benevolent man. If it were those cruel monarchs, wouldn't they have slaughtered all these people long ago? Why go through all this trouble, with the court spending money to build a village, imprisoning these people, and even sending imperial guards to watch over them?
Emperor Liang Cheng continued, "We will establish household registration for these people in our Great Liang. Their third generation can participate in the imperial examinations. Lord Xu, this matter is of great importance, and I will have to ask you to take good care of it."
Marquis Yongning stood up, bowed deeply to Emperor Liang Cheng, and said, "I will certainly live up to Your Majesty's expectations."
After leaving the palace, Marquis Yongning began to ponder on his way home who to take to Wuzhou and who to leave in the capital. The Marquis's residence in the capital needed someone to support it, and the person he took to Wuzhou had to be trustworthy.
Most importantly, this matter must be kept secret from the people in the capital.
When Marquis Yongning returned home, he asked his attendants and learned that Xu Rao had returned from the government office, so he sent someone to invite Xu Rao over.
Xu Rao was already used to Emperor Liang Cheng inviting the Marquis of Yongning to the palace for a talk, so he didn't pay attention to why the Marquis of Yongning was going to the palace. But when he entered the Marquis of Yongning's study and saw the Marquis sitting at his desk with a serious expression, his heart began to rise.
Xu Rao called out "Father," and the Marquis of Yongning pointed to the chair in front of the desk and said, "Sit down and talk."
Xu Rao's heart was pounding, but her mind was racing. She thought about Xu Di, Xu Zhi, and Xu Bai, but she still couldn't figure out why the Marquis of Yongning had asked her to come.
After the Marquis of Yongning recounted what had happened, Xu Rao was so surprised that he couldn't speak for a long time.
Marquis Yongning said with great trouble, "This matter is not difficult to handle, but it cannot be known by the people in the capital. If it is known, it will cause trouble. Third brother, I need you to help your father think of a way."
Xu Rao thought of those people who lived as if they were in a paradise, and they had lived like that for more than a hundred years. At first, it was fine, with someone helping them buy their daily necessities. But in the years that followed, he wondered how these people who needed to be served by others managed to grow their own land and support themselves.
Xu Rao thought for a long time before saying, "Father, the most urgent task is to choose a suitable place that is neither too deep in the mountains nor too easy to be discovered. His Majesty also said that the third generation of the family can participate in the imperial examinations. This means that we also need to help them build a school and hire teachers. Father, you can start by hiring teachers."
Marquis Yongning asked with great interest, "Oh? What do you mean by that?"
Xu Rao, a professor specializing in ideology, was unafraid to lecture others. He started by talking about ideology and its influence on people, and strongly suggested that Marquis Yongning should bring several teachers who could vigorously promote the benefits of Daliang. They should not only lecture the children, but also brainwash the old guard and their descendants, so that they would identify with Daliang ideologically and prove through their actions that they would be an inseparable part of Daliang in the future.
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