Chapter 117 By What Right?
The sandalwood incense in the burner rose gently, casting a flowing purple halo under the afternoon sun.
Wang Jingya slowly put down her teacup. "When I returned from the border that year, I did indeed listen to you and looked after several well-to-do young men from prominent families. My parents were quite satisfied with them."
Her gaze drifted to the few half-opened red plum trees outside the window, as if she were seeing the snowstorm of more than twenty years ago.
"But before I could even nod, I heard the news from passing caravans."
The area where your troops are stationed has experienced an unusually early winter; blizzards have blocked the mountains and all transportation routes.
The imperial court's winter clothing supplies were already insufficient, and the soldiers trapped in the mountains couldn't even gather enough coarse cloth for warmth, let alone have enough to eat and wear.
At this point, a bright look of heartache appeared in her eyes, but she could only helplessly say because she couldn't help: "Those aristocratic families look glamorous and wealthy, but who doesn't know the ins and outs of their families?"
The clan's members, eager to secure their future, had already planned to spend all their money on bribes and maintaining a facade of respectability. Where would they find the surplus funds to fill the government's financial hole?
Even if they wanted to, they couldn't spare such a large sum of money to provide winter clothing and provisions for a group of soldiers stationed far away on the border who might not even be able to bring any real benefit.
Xie Ji clenched his fists, his Adam's apple bobbing as if he wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Wang Jingya's next words.
“It’s different for merchants.” She turned her head, her eyes brightening.
"Although the Xu family did not hold the position of the richest family in Daliang back then, they were still quite wealthy."
Merchants are profit-driven, but they do have much more surplus money than aristocratic families. They don't have to bother managing so many clan relationships, nor do they have to maintain the airs of an aristocratic family. Their money comes directly and they can use it flexibly.
More importantly, for them, being able to climb the social ladder by marrying into a powerful family, or even establish connections within the military, was an honor they couldn't obtain even if they went bankrupt. They were willing to spend any amount of money to achieve this.
Wang Jingya's lips curled into a faint smile: "It just so happened that Xu Fengyan brought a batch of southern goods to the capital to manage his business at that time, so I chose him."
Pei Zhiwei's heart skipped a beat as she grasped the key point in the words.
"So, you chose Xu Fengyan on your own initiative?"
Xu Fengyan is a remarkable person. Although the Xu family was not as well off as it is now more than 20 years ago, it was not far behind.
No matter which aristocratic family it is, they would never give up this money bag, so naturally many concubines or less favored legitimate wives would be placed in front of them.
But he didn't choose any of them, probably because he was afraid of being completely devoured by powerful families or becoming their puppet.
However, he still married Wang Jingya, which shows that Wang Jingya had put in a lot of effort to win Xu Fengyan over.
Moreover, the two had been married for over twenty years, and Xu Fengyan had indeed treated her with utmost respect, never interfering in matters of the inner quarters. Therefore, the entire Xu household was practically under Wang Jingya's control.
Xie Ji looked at her, and a feeling of guilt that was hard to explain suddenly welled up in his heart.
He scratched his head, his tone a little unnatural: "Then...then your parents agreed?"
"Wouldn't it be gossip-worthy for the eldest daughter of the Wang family to marry a merchant in those days?"
Wang Jingya scoffed, "Agree? Of course I disagreed at first."
They were determined to marry me off to a respectable family of equal standing, paving the way for my good brother Wang Jingzong's future. How could they possibly allow me to marry a merchant and bring shame upon the Wang family?
She picked up her teacup, took a sip, but the warmth of the tea seemed to do little to dispel the chill in her eyes.
"But I told them that what the Wang family lacks most right now is not the empty prestige brought by marriage alliances, but real money."
As long as I marry Xu Fengyan, the Xu family's money will have another outlet. The Wang family needs money for everything: to get things done, to bribe officials, and to support their clansmen.
"I can bring a steady stream of money to the Wang family, so they will naturally look at our branch of the family more favorably. In the future, when good positions or opportunities arise, they will think of Wang Jingzong."
"Guess what?" Wang Jingya put down her teacup and raised an eyebrow at everyone.
"After hearing this, they immediately changed their tune, no longer mentioning the importance of matching social status or saying it would be a disgrace to the family. Instead, they urged me to quickly finalize the marriage, fearing that Xu Fengyan might change his mind."
Cui Yanwu looked at her, his eyes filled with complex emotions, and after a long while, he slowly spoke: "So, you not only manipulated Xu Fengyan, but also asked your family for those industries that they looked down on, but which were essential for military supplies, as your dowry?"
Wang Jingya nodded, her face expressionless: "Brother Cui has indeed investigated."
Those industries were considered petty profits by established families; they wouldn't make big money and would only cause a lot of trouble, so the Wang family was naturally happy to give them to me.
Cui Yanwu sighed, his voice heavy: "I only found out after asking the shop assistants in your store."
The standard for winter clothing issued by the imperial court was that a cotton-padded robe was filled with ten taels of silk floss, a cotton-padded jacket with eight taels of silk floss, and cotton-padded trousers with six taels of silk floss.
However, the quality of those silk flosses was really not good; some even contained loose fibers, which were completely ineffective against the cold.
The ones you send are always filled with the finest silk floss, both windproof and warm, far superior to what the imperial court uses.
“That’s not all,” Cui Yanwu added.
"I also discovered that the supplies you sent were never distributed according to rank; every soldier received a share, even the new recruits, who were able to wear warm winter clothes and have enough to eat."
“What’s so strange about that?” Wang Jingya said matter-of-factly.
"If the soldiers are well-clothed and well-fed while fighting on the front lines, they will have the strength to train and the confidence to fight. Naturally, the safety of you generals will also be more guaranteed."
Her words were so powerful that they silenced everyone in the room.
Pei Zhiwei looked at her, and her admiration for this woman grew even stronger. She seemed ruthless, but she cared deeply for the soldiers on the frontier.
Her initial intention was to express her deep affection for Cui Yanwu, but what she practiced was the greater good of the country and its people. She has made silent contributions for more than 20 years without ever publicizing them. Such magnanimity is truly rare.
After a moment of silence, Cui Yanwu took a deep breath, looked intently at Wang Jingya, and asked the most crucial question: "You and Wang Jingzong have lived peacefully together for so many years, why did you suddenly decide to kill him?"
The moment Wang Jingzong was mentioned, the calm on Wang Jingya's face vanished instantly, replaced by intense hatred, a hatred like a volcano that had been dormant for over twenty years, finally finding an outlet to erupt.
"Because he was too greedy and too stupid!"
He actually wants to use my scheme, and exploit your two acts of kindness in saving the Xu family, to bring down your Cui family!
Cui Yanwu frowned, his eyes darkening: "Was it really your plan to save Xu Li, and to save you at the governor's mansion last time?"
"That's right, I designed it," Wang Jingya readily admitted.
"However, there was indeed an accident when they saved me."
My original intention was for you to save Xu Fengyan, but I didn't expect that idiot Zhang Xuren to smash that vicious dog, causing it to turn around and pounce on me.
Fortunately, the outcome is the same: you saved the Xu family, and that debt of gratitude is now settled.
She calmed herself down and continued, "I'm not young anymore, and Xu Fengyan is over fifty, and his health is deteriorating day by day."
I'm afraid that after we die, the next head of the Xu family will be a stranger to you and won't be willing to give you money and supplies anymore.
That's why I devised a plan to have you save Xu Li. He is the eldest son of the Xu family and the future head of the family.
You saved him, and given your personality, you certainly wouldn't expect anything in return.
This will only earn him more respect, and he will continue to deliver supplies on time and without delay.
"But despite all my careful planning, I still overlooked something." Wang Jingya's tone was full of frustration and anger.
"I underestimated the Wang family's ambitions, and I underestimated their audacity to extend their reach into the double-edged sword of canal transport."
I overlooked Xu Fengyan. He's gotten old and insatiable, wanting to unite the Wang and Zhang families to split the profits of the entire canal transport operation!
Cui Yanwu looked at her. "So, you didn't know Wang Jingzong would come to Yangzhou?"
“I really don’t know.” Wang Jingya shook her head, her eyes full of disdain.
"I never imagined he would be so stupid as to think the Xu family was already his for the taking."
He actually planned to use the ledgers of supplies I'd given to the army over the years, along with the forged private letters he claimed you'd used to coerce me, on the day of Xu Fengyan's funeral to falsely accuse the Cui family of using you to control the canal transport and plot a rebellion!
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yunzhan couldn't help but laugh: "His self-righteousness hasn't changed at all over the years."
Back then, you were certain you could bring down the Crown Prince, and now you're equally certain that once Xu Fengyan dies, you'll hand over the Xu family with open arms.
You've been sending supplies for so many years, His Majesty couldn't possibly be unaware of it.
Lord Cui was completely unaware that not only had His Majesty never mentioned it to him, but even the person in charge of military supplies had never told him.
This means that His Majesty tacitly approved it, that he instructed others not to bring it up, or that you had already agreed to it beforehand.
So even with those things, it's impossible to bring down the Cui family.
"That's true, but we can't stop the gossip." Wang Jingya's tone became serious.
Even if His Majesty knows the inside story, he still has to give an explanation to the people.
Even if it's just for show, Brother Cui will have to step down from his current position, and he certainly won't be able to hold an important post for at least a year or two.
During this time, the Wang and Zhang families will submit all the evidence, both true and false, that they have accumulated over the years. If they are lucky, they can bring the Cui family to their knees.
Even if they're unlucky, the Cui family could remain dormant for several years, giving them a perfect opportunity to seize power.
She slammed her hand on the table, her voice rising abruptly: "Why?"
Brother Cui has served the country loyally for so many years, risking his life on the border to protect the territory of Daliang. Why should he bear these baseless accusations for the sake of these petty villains?
I absolutely will not allow it!
Therefore, I must kill Wang Jingzong. I want the Wang family to know that the Xu family is not something they can easily manipulate!
Xu Li is currently in prison, still unconscious from poisoning. The Xu family's collateral branches have no access to the core businesses. Without me, they won't get a single penny from the Xu family in the future!
Upon hearing this, Pei Zhiwei suddenly had a flash of inspiration and looked up at Wang Jingya with shock in her eyes.
"So, whether we find out or not that you killed Wang Jingzong, it doesn't hurt you. In fact, you'd be more happy if we found out the truth, right?"
Wang Jingya raised an eyebrow, signaling her to continue.
"The handkerchief used to wipe the murder weapon clearly shows the pattern of the dagger; it's no accident," Pei Zhiwei said rapidly.
"You left it there on purpose!"
You know that with our investigative capabilities, we'll eventually discover the hidden compartment in the coffin, and sooner or later, the investigation will lead back to you.
After the authorities found you to be the real culprit, instead of imprisoning you, they simply placed you under house arrest and reported the matter directly to the imperial court.
Finally, His Majesty decreed that you were safe and sound.
The Wang family would be even more certain that you have some kind of tacit understanding with His Majesty, and might even believe that the Xu family originally belonged to His Majesty, and that you are also His Majesty's person.
In this way, they no longer dared to have any improper thoughts.
Wang Jingya looked at Pei Zhiwei with genuine admiration on his face, and nodded with a smile: "Young lady, you have such a clever mind, you understand so quickly."
Xiao Yunzhan: "After saying all this, where is the evidence you promised us back then?"
Wang Jingya's smile remained unchanged as she calmly said, "The evidence is all in Xu's Pawnshop in the capital."
He will only hand over all the evidence if Brother Cui goes in person.
She then explained in detail: "Among those pieces of evidence are records of corruption by all the officials in Yangdu over the years."
How did the Zhang family, a prominent family in Jiangnan, gradually control the Grand Canal and collude with the Silla people to smuggle people and contraband?
They also provided detailed plans for robbing Uyghur caravans and a list of witnesses.
Oh, by the way, you'll also meet the owner of Liu's Pharmacy. He's been involved in a lot of shady dealings, but I've protected him, so he can serve as a witness to testify against the Zhang family and the Silla people for their crimes.
Pei Zhiwei frowned and asked in confusion, "You have so much crucial evidence in your hands, why didn't you hand it over to the court sooner? Why wait until now to hand it all over to us?"
“Because I didn’t originally intend to bring down the Zhang and Wang families. I only obtained this evidence so that I could better control them.” Wang Jingya’s eyes deepened.
"What I want now is to establish in the hearts of the Wang family and all those who covet the Grand Canal that I am His Majesty's man."
This led them to believe that His Majesty had been inactive all these years, merely gathering evidence against them and waiting for the right opportunity to wipe them out in one fell swoop.
In this way, even if they fail to completely bring down all those involved this time, they will be wary and dare not cause trouble again, and the grain transport in Daliang will be stable for a while.
They didn't have the time to use those dirty tricks on Brother Cui anymore.
Xiao Yunzhan's face darkened, and his tone was tinged with anger: "Aren't you afraid that the Wang family will be driven to desperation and do something detrimental to His Majesty?"
The fact that they dared to covet the canal transport shows they have considerable ambition; when driven to a corner, they're capable of anything!
Wang Jingya smiled sweetly, "That's something Your Majesty should worry about."
I'm just a woman, tending to the Xu family's little plot of land, protecting the people I want to protect. I've done my best to get to where I am now.
The power struggles in the imperial court, the emperor's weighing of options—I can't control them, and I don't need to.
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