"Of course I don't want to." Xie Jian said lightly. If it were him, he would not be willing to do so either. This was not just a small contribution. Including the soldiers of General Sun, it was the rations and military supplies for more than 100,000 soldiers.
"Do they want to see their country destroyed and their families ruined?" Shen Heng was confused.
"Tell me, how could your brain be so simple?" Xie Jian was very curious.
Chen Heng: “…” It’s indeed not as complicated as his.
"These are not things we should worry about. You, on the other hand, should make money well, and I, on the other hand, should do my job diligently as the Minister of Personnel." Xie Jian continued to look at the case files. As for other things, he would let things take their own course.
Chen Heng nodded, as if this was the only way.
On New Year's Day, the common people were discussing how much effort the noble families would contribute. However, the noble families were all waiting for the four major families of Dacong to contribute.
After six hundred years of the Great Cong Dynasty, it was finally controlled by a few aristocratic families.
"Imperial power does not extend below the county level. Below the county level, only clans exist, and all clans are self-governing."
Shen Heng only now understood that the power of the clan was so great, far beyond her imagination. She also understood why her sister-in-law had been so humble in front of the Xie clan members.
Even Min'er's enthusiasm for setting off firecrackers together during the New Year has been greatly reduced.
On the second day of the New Year, it was nowhere near as lively as in previous years.
Each of the noble families showed their appreciation to the royal family, but everyone could see that it was all a show.
On the third day of the first lunar month, just one hour before the crown prince was to lead the army in person, news came from the imperial capital that the Si family of Yuezhou had transported 10,000 tons of grain to the Wanzhou military camp.
The people were instantly excited.
Among the four major families in Dacong, the Si family ranked third. As soon as this move was made, the people's favorability towards the Si family instantly soared.
Once the Si family took action, the other three families would not be willing to lag behind. At the same time, the aristocratic families also began to contribute.
At night, Chen Heng, Xia Shi, and Nanny were talking about this while roasting sweet potatoes.
The nanny was a little worried: "A clan's prestige has caught up with the royal family. This is not a good thing."
"Why?" Xia was surprised. "The Si family played such a great role in this war. It would be such an honor to be granted an official title in the future. Congratulations to the eldest daughter."
Nanny Feng sighed: "Although they don't hold important positions in the court, everyone in the court is their people, so it doesn't mean much to confer official titles on them." It is not known whether it is a blessing or a curse for the legitimate daughter to marry into the Si family.
Chen Heng was thinking about something else. The Si family was usually quite low-key, so why were they suddenly so high-profile? What was their motive?
When Xie Jian came back in the evening, Chen Heng asked about the doubts in her heart.
Xie Jian looked at Ah Heng who was thinking hard and couldn't help but sigh that his Ah Heng was really smart sometimes.
"The four major families all have ambitions to replace the emperor." Xie Jian spoke as casually as if he were saying how nice the weather was today. "But no one wants to expose this idea. Now that the Si family has stepped forward, they naturally can't sit still."
Chen Heng suddenly understood why the clan began to decline. If one of the families succeeded in changing the dynasty, the first thing he would do was to weaken the clan so that it would become a mere decoration in the end.
"If the Si family takes such a stand, won't the royal family be the first to take action?" Chen Heng asked.
"In a few days, the Emperor will issue an order for rewards. The Si clan will also submit a declaration of loyalty. This battle led by the Crown Prince will be a turning point," Xie Jian said. Seeing Ah Heng's attentive listening, so interested? He then analyzed the situation: "If the Crown Prince wins, the Si clan will be in danger. If he loses, the clan will truly be able to dominate the royal family."
Chen Heng hadn't expected it to be so complicated: "So, in this battle, do you think the Crown Prince will win or lose?"
Xie Jian thought for a moment and said, "It's hard to say. It will be difficult for sure." In this battle, the resistance does not only come from the enemy.
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