This repeated succession made the people of Pingcheng much wealthier than those in other places, and Pingcheng's reputation grew ever stronger.
The sweet and clear water of Pingcheng is the best for brewing wine and tea. No other place in the world can compare to Pingcheng's sweet spring water.
Someone of Ji Feng's status would never have been able to obtain the sweet spring water that Pingcheng sent to the State of Jin; it's only possible that he bought it himself.
Lu Qingyan smacked her lips. "He truly lives up to his reputation as a wealthy man! The title of 'Dark Emperor of Jin' is well-deserved."
Lu Qingyan smiled and asked, "Mr. Ji, how much silver did you spend on this sweet spring water?"
Ji Feng waved his hand: "It didn't cost much money; it was a gift from a friend."
Lu Qingyan wisely refrained from asking any further questions.
"Since we have nothing to do, Mr. Ji, why don't you tell me about the state of Jin?" Lu Qingyan tilted her head and looked at Ji Feng.
Ji Feng laughed and said, "Why do I have to tell you all this? Didn't A-Xing say anything to you?"
Lu Qingyan cracked her knuckles and said meaningfully, "There are some things he can't say, but Mr. Ji might be able to."
Ji Feng paused for a moment, then laughed heartily: "There's nothing shameful about these things, so why hide them? It's probably just that A-Xing is too lazy to talk about it!"
“Currently, the capital of Jin is controlled by three factions.” Ji Feng naturally discussed the current situation with Lu Qingyan, and regardless of whether she could understand, he laid out the facts one by one: “One faction is led by Prime Minister Li, who supports the Emperor; another faction is led by General Ling, who supports the Prince of Chu; and the third faction is a neutral faction led by Prince Ming. So far, I haven’t seen them favor any one side. However, I do know that there are a few people among them who are very optimistic about A-Xing, but they have never said it outright.”
Lu Qingyan raised an eyebrow: "If things were really made clear, it would probably be much more lively in the capital than it is now."
Ji Feng smiled and continued, "The two major families in the capital are the Xie family and the Ling family. The Xie family mainly produces civil officials, while the Ling family mainly produces military officials. There are also many intermarriages between the families. The Ling family rose to prominence relatively late, only starting to develop twenty years ago. They pushed the original Yu family out of the ranks of the major families and gained more say at the top. The Yu family is quite pitiful; now they rely on selling their daughters to make a living." Ji Feng sighed.
Whether it was her imagination or not, Lu Qingyan felt that Ji Feng seemed to be mocking himself for a moment.
But soon, he regained his nonchalant demeanor.
"Their three daughters are: the Princess Consort of Prince Xiao'an, the new Imperial Consort Ling, and the wife of the second son of the Xie family."
Princess Xiao'an, Lu Qingyan was stunned. Wasn't this Sima Xing's biological mother?
“Even though the Yu family has fallen on hard times, they still have a strong foundation built over many years. After nearly ten years of hard work, the clansmen have recovered about 50-60% of their former strength. Although they can't compare to the Xie and Ling families now, they are still a force to be reckoned with.” Ji Feng sighed softly. “Prime Minister Li’s wife is a concubine’s daughter from a branch of the Xie family. Although she is a concubine’s daughter, they are closer to the main branch. In addition, that branch only has one daughter, who has been pampered since childhood. General Ling and Prince Chu served in the military camp together in his early years and have a close relationship. His younger sister fell in love with Prince Chu at first sight and insisted on marrying him. Outsiders don’t know much about this, but many people are aware of it.”
Ji Feng's meaningful gaze fell on Lu Qingyan, who couldn't help but turn her head away awkwardly, her hands clenching tightly in her sleeves.
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