"Rules? You're talking to me about rules now? How come I didn't know that our Minister Shen, Lord Shen, was such a person who upheld justice?"
Shen Jintang's sarcastic words caused Shen Huaixu's expression to change several times, but in the end he did not react.
Then Shen Jintang said, "Ha! Upholding the righteous path, huh? What is the righteous path in Yanzhou? Is it layer upon layer of exploitation, lining one's own pocket, or colluding with others to do evil?"
"So this is the righteous path that our Minister Shen upholds!"
"you!"
Shen Huaixu was rendered speechless by the interrogation, but could only flick his sleeves and sit sullenly to the side.
Shen Jintang didn't give him a chance to escape. She stood up, grabbed Shen Huaixu by the collar, and said angrily, "You want to do this cleanly and without getting your hands dirty? There's no such thing as a free lunch."
"Now that you've come to Yanzhou, you should know the situation here. The officials are all corrupt, and the people are driven to desperation. I'm doing this to help the people survive, to clean up this mess. Or do you have a better idea?"
Her eyes were fixed on Shen Huaixu, waiting for his answer.
Shen Huaixu was stunned by Shen Jintang's actions and stood there dumbfounded.
How could he not know that Shen Jintang's words were not without reason?
However, her methods were indeed too drastic; it was all or nothing, far too extreme.
There may be even better ways, better ways to minimize the risks.
"I just feel that the risk is too high. If we are not careful in any way and the truth comes out, the consequences will be unimaginable," Shen Huaixu explained.
Moreover, this matter carries even greater risks.
It's not something that can be hidden just because the Yellow River issue has been forgotten over this period of time.
In the decades that followed, the more people used this incident to their advantage, the greater the impact became.
At that time, no one will care what he and Shen Jintang did for what, or what compelling reasons they had. All they will criticize is that they deceived their superiors and covered up the truth!
"risk?"
Shen Jintang released her grip on Shen Huaixu's collar and sneered, "I have never been afraid of risks."
Which step she took was risk-free?
Having come this far, is she still afraid of risks?
“This isn’t like you,” Shen Huaixu suddenly said.
In his memory, Shen Jintang was not such a selfless person; at the very least, she would never disregard her own interests for the sake of the people.
If she could truly be selfless, she would have put aside her grudges and helped him investigate the matter when Grand Tutor Shen crashed into the Imperial Study two months ago.
If that were the case, this matter wouldn't have dragged on to its current state.
"What is your purpose?" Shen Huaixu suddenly stood up, looked at Shen Jintang, and asked.
He finally realized what was wrong: Shen Jintang himself was strange, and the things he did were even stranger!
How could someone as selfish as her possibly be wholeheartedly concerned for the people from the very beginning, constantly claiming to be doing it for the people?
What she said and did resonated deeply with him; it was exactly what he wanted to say and do.
No!
In other words, Shen Jintang had grasped his psychology from the very beginning, and her words and actions were entirely in line with his wishes, trying to get him to join her side.
What exactly is her purpose?
Shen Jintang's eyes flickered for a moment, but she quickly returned to normal, smiled, and said frankly, "Of course, I would never be so kind."
"To put it nicely, I did this so that the people would not suffer; to put it bluntly, it was purely for my own sake, after all, I don't want to stay in Yanzhou for the rest of my life."
She still has many things to do, and if she stays in Yanzhou for too long, it may delay the progress.
Shen Huaixu glanced at Shen Jintang, his expression somewhat complicated.
This reason is much more believable.
By helping him, Shen Jintang was also helping herself.
Only when the issues of the Yellow River and the refugees are resolved will Shen Jintang have a chance to return.
Shen Huaixu gradually dispelled his doubts, but his brows remained furrowed.
While he was still thinking, Shen Jintang had already walked past him and chosen a comfortable spot to sit down.
"You are presented with two paths: either continue to adhere to your outdated set of rules and watch helplessly as people die one by one before your eyes, or join me in using my methods. I am giving you the choice."
Shen Jintang's voice rang in his ears.
"You know I don't have much patience."
Shen Huaixu remained silent; there were still some things he couldn't understand.
Shen Jintang raised an eyebrow, her eyes darkening slightly. She softened her tone and explained to Shen Huaixu in a gentle voice, "Cousin, rules are rigid, but people are flexible. Sometimes, rules need to be adapted. If we blindly adhere to the rules, what's the difference between us and those corrupt officials?"
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing and I won't let things get out of control. The situation in Yanzhou is critical now, and we must take decisive measures, otherwise, even more people will die."
"By then, if you regret it, there will really be no way to change it."
Shen Jintang placed her hand on the table, her slender fingers lightly tapping the surface.
She knew that Shen Huaixu would definitely agree.
He couldn't bear to leave those refugees behind; otherwise, he wouldn't have requested permission to come here.
She's different; she's more like a politician, and everything can become her pawn.
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