Chapter 869: It seems like they all died in vain [Seeking monthly votes]
The old man stroked his white beard, his eyelids drooping, his shoulders hunched as if he were deep in thought: "Brother, judging from the current situation, your students have ill intentions."
The old man with the cane, who had just left, suddenly became angry again.
But this time it wasn't because of Shen Tang or Lin Feng, but because of a few students who had asked him to come out and take charge. Before he could think about whether the students had plotted against the Lin family, he heard his great-granddaughter say, "There are no able-bodied men in the household, and Great-Grandfather is already old. It seems that the Lord has not issued any official document to recruit them. Why is the Lin family involved in this turmoil? For the sake of the Lin family's safety, I implore Great-Grandfather to speak frankly."
The two brothers exchanged a glance and remained silent.
Seeing Lin Feng's posture, with his elbows sticking out, they knew they had to answer this question. The old man with the cane didn't want to start, so the elder spoke first. The old man seemed somewhat powerless: "Jiaojiao, before, Uncle Zeng asked you if you truly felt your lord was worth following. Now I ask you, even if she wanted to overthrow the entire aristocratic family, would you still follow her?"
Lin was somewhat caught off guard by this problem.
This question is somewhat malicious and too sensitive.
She did not answer directly: "Why did you say that, Grandfather?"
The old man, however, thought Lin Feng was avoiding the main issue and asked with slight annoyance, "My great-uncle asked you, did your lord, upon taking office as the river magistrate, eradicate all local power? Did he confiscate their property and exterminate their entire clan?"
Lin Feng nodded: "That is indeed true, but that was because—"
The old man forcefully interrupted her: "Then let me ask you again, after your lord was transferred to Longwu County, did you also wipe out the powerful clans that had been operating within Longwu County for many years? Eight or nine out of ten were wiped out?"
Lin Feng nodded again: "That is indeed the case."
This time, however, there was no rush to explain.
She had a premonition that her great-uncle's questioning was not over yet.
The old man asked a third question: "After your lord entered Sibao County, did he confiscate the land owned by the noble families within the territory?"
After Uncle Zeng finished asking his question, Lin Feng waited a few moments.
She met the man's still vigorous eyes and asked softly and politely, "Hmm, has Great-Uncle finished asking all the questions?"
A seemingly ordinary sentence, but to the old man it sounded strangely sarcastic, even though Lin Feng himself had no such intention.
She wanted to get angry, but Lin Feng was not only their junior, but also a subordinate of Shen Youli and the main person in charge of Lin's operations. Getting angry at her would easily escalate the conflict out of control. The old woman swallowed her anger.
He said expressionlessly, "Yes, I'm done asking."
Lin Feng nodded obediently and calmly explained, "During the time of the River Governor, our lord was penniless. The local powerful forces had seized most of the land, leaving the common people with no land to cultivate. They also concealed the population, causing the River Governor's office to be in dire financial straits. Their underlings treated human life with contempt, and the people of the River Governor's office suffered terribly; their crimes were countless. After our lord took office, they took advantage of his youth and attempted to seize control of the office and render him powerless. Great-uncle, shouldn't they have died? They crossed the line first, which is why our lord had the heart to deal with them."
She continued slowly, listing the details: "There's even less to say about what happened in Longwu County. The local powerful clans, for their own profit, colluded with the Shiwu bandits, secretly providing them with grain and supplies, and tacitly allowing the Shiwu bandits to plunder, burn, and kill within their territory, harming countless innocent people. This alone is enough to wipe out three clans, not even needing to mention other things like seizing the common people's fertile land and murdering them for profit. Confiscating their property, exterminating their clans, and slaughtering them—this is the good fortune they deserve for this generation."
As for the affairs of Sibao County...
Lin Feng wanted to speak up for his lord and say a fair word: "After conquering Qiu Wenyan, our lord took control of Sibao County. Not long after, he led his troops to participate in the Dragon Slaying Campaign. The matters mentioned by my great-uncle were all handled by Registrar Qi. You two should know that Sibao County has been ravaged by war and is already riddled with holes and in ruins. The original powerful clans either moved away or fled, leaving only a few old servants to guard it. Most of the old servants also disappeared during the war. What, should the land of Sibao County be kept safe for those powerful clans?"
The two elderly people listened to the first two paragraphs with serious faces, but the last sentence of the third paragraph took an unexpected turn, startling them so much that they almost choked on their saliva, and their expressions became strange.
The old man with the cane couldn't hold back any longer and snapped, "Jiaojiao, how can you, a young woman, speak so recklessly?"
Lin Feng blinked, a hint of mischief in his eyes.
“Great-grandfather, Jiaojiao will be of marriageable age in a few months.” She is old enough to get married, and she is not a young lady who has lived in seclusion and is ignorant of the world. “As far as your grandson is concerned, as long as she does not slander your master and teacher, she can speak without restraint.”
The old man with the cane and the old man's expressions contorted for a moment.
Taking a deep breath, she silently told herself that the Lin Feng before her was not the Jiao Jiao of yesteryear, and the two should not be confused. It took her a long time to mentally prepare herself before the old woman said earnestly, "Indeed, those insects died without cause, and your lord's response was reasonable. But Jiao Jiao, have you ever considered—in this world, how many families are truly clean?"
"First it was He Yin, then Long Wu, and then Si Bao. The reasons for sending troops were all similar. Those with dirty hands, one by one, can be wiped out even if they raise the same banner!" The old man almost spat out these words through clenched teeth. "How can Shen Youli's actions not make everyone feel insecure?"
Lin Feng's gentle expression finally changed, and he angrily said, "My lord never intended to do that! Wasn't the previous recruitment a gesture of goodwill towards various families? Due to the war, 60% of the government offices in Yan and Gan prefectures were shut down, and they were short-handed, which is why we recruited talented people! They were the ones who refused! Now they're accusing my lord? These people aren't satisfied with just turning the tables; they're also spreading rumors about my lord everywhere, saying that she's a man reincarnated as a woman, that she has homosexual tendencies and a penchant for mirror polishing, and that she recruited talented people to fill her harem, and that she refused all the recruitments. My lord is a dignified woman, yet various families still don't acknowledge her female identity. What are their true intentions?"
"Great-grandfather, great-uncle, you haven't seen the lord, but haven't you seen your grandson? You watched me grow up from infancy! Is your grandson also a so-called male soul reincarnated as a female? How arrogant and foolish these great clans are!"
"Such a great humiliation deserves to be met with a bloodbath! Now, all we ask is for some ill-gotten gains, and for both sides to back down. But what have they done? They've plotted, used honey traps, and are trying to start another war while our lord's position is still unstable!"
My own family has been dragged into this too!
I didn't understand it at first, but now I do.
After my great-grandfather retired and returned to his hometown, he taught many students, most of whom were scions of prominent families from the local area or other places who had come to learn from him. If they could persuade my great-grandfather to step forward, they could use his name to persuade others to join them—their intentions are truly despicable!
Lin Feng was burning with anger, but his tone remained restrained.
She was slightly out of breath, and after a while, she didn't hear a response from the two elders. Worried that she had angered them too much, she looked up.
Good news: the two elders didn't faint from anger.
Bad news. The two elders had very strange expressions.
At this moment, the great-grandfather, who had been silent all along, finally spoke up: "Jiaojiao, I've heard those rumors you mentioned. But the reason why people are not being recruited is not because of these rumors."
Lin Feng said, "That's certainly not the whole reason."
My great-grandfather added, "That's not the main reason either."
As long as people are well-informed, everyone knows who is more powerful between Shen Tang and Wu Xian. The two prefectures of Yan and Gan are basically in Shen Tang's hands. The local powerful families can escape, but they can't escape their land and ancestral property. They won't leave easily unless absolutely necessary.
The great-grandfather continued, “Because your lord has a long criminal record and has done things that are unprecedented. She even dug up people’s ancestral graves. How can you not be afraid that she will slaughter the whole clan? Land is the foundation of every family, and many of the properties there have shady origins. Some people even took advantage of the war to hide tenants, which is why local government offices have been running deficits year after year. Your lord will definitely target this area!”
Lin Feng nodded: "Of course!"
The land is all in the hands of local bullies. If their own lord has no land to distribute to the common people, how can they collect taxes to maintain the operation of the local government? No matter how skilled a warrior is at clearing land, he can't create land out of nothing. Even if all arable land is cleared, there still isn't enough. The newly reclaimed land lacks fertility; where can you find a field with a higher yield? Land is definitely always better the more it has.
The local bully swallows what he should spit out!
My great-grandfather continued, “According to the tacit agreement, when a piece of land changes hands, each family will hand over a certain amount of land based on the situation within their territory. Generally, the government is guaranteed 70%, and each family 30%, occasionally 40%, but that’s rare. In contrast, your lord’s behavior in places like Heyin, Longwu, and Sibao clearly shows that she has not followed this tacit agreement. She wants 100%, how can each family not be afraid?”
Even aristocratic families aren't truly fearless and invincible.
People are willing to give up their land and tenants in exchange for peace, but the proportion needs to be negotiated and compromised by both parties.
Shen Tang's performance made them very worried about their future.
In addition, she also assaulted and betrayed her allies...
Lin Feng explained, "There was no backstabbing."
Great-grandfather pursed his lips: "So the beating was real."
Lin Feng: "..."
"Given your lord's actions, once she gains a foothold, won't the executioner's blade fall? She hasn't made any statement yet, and the fact that all the families have refused to be recruited is just to force her to make a decision. Either way, we're going to die, so we might as well give it a try."
As for that rumor...
Rumors always seem to have longer legs than the truth.
The great-grandfather said, "She currently has no children. If both sides truly reach an agreement, each family will be generous in sending someone to her side. Having some in-law ties will give her peace of mind. And what if one of them is capable enough to give your lord a child of the same bloodline..."
Who could resist a low-risk, high-return opportunity?
They don't object to Shen Jun's womanizing ways, as long as it doesn't affect the heirs or heads of various families, everything else is negotiable.
Lin Feng: "..."
The great-grandfather looked at Lin Feng and sighed: "But her attitude is very firm, she won't back down an inch... Those who are relatively clean and have smaller households are naturally willing to spend money to avoid trouble. The fields they swallowed and the people they hid are not many. Compared with the lives of the entire clan, they can grit their teeth and give them up. When she settles accounts with them in the future, she will see that they know what's good for them and won't kill them all."
Lin Feng: "..."
The great-grandfather continued to sigh: "But other clans are different. They have many members and high expenses. If they are wiped out, not even the proper clan land will be left, and the entire clan will starve to death."
When you're cornered and facing certain death anyway, you might as well take a gamble!
Lin Feng: "..."
Thus, the chart-topping faction and the beauty faction emerged?
The great-grandfather shook his head with a wry smile: "In the end, it was your lord who was more cunning. She saw through everyone's actions and was just waiting for the final move. After what happened last night, I'm afraid everyone was sleepless."
What's more terrifying than death is counting down the days until you die.
"In the end, it was a miscalculation!"
Lin Feng finally came to his senses and tried to join the chat.
“Great-grandfather, great-uncle, Jiaojiao did not lie.”
The two elders: "..."
"Our lord truly didn't know why the various families refused the invitations. She only learned the reason for their rejections by chance from a scion of a prominent family, which enraged her. However, unwilling to swallow her anger, she used the pretext of donating money to pressure the families and clear their names. Fearing complications, she monitored their movements, ready to strike if anything went wrong." Our lord's exact words were, "If they don't appreciate our kindness, then we'll tear them off completely!"
By the way, raise the amount you're extorting!
Let's teach those dishonest aristocratic families a lesson, and maybe extort some more money along the way!
The two elders: "..."
The three people looked at each other in the hall.
After a long pause, the old man with the cane finally managed to utter, "Really?"
Lin Feng said, "Why would your grandson lie to you?"
The old man broke down first, his voice suddenly rising: "Is there not a single person under your lord's command who knows about this tacit understanding?"
Because of the rapid changes in state power, one period of turmoil often ends before another begins. Furthermore, aristocratic families are more adept at navigating social unrest than the royal family, and land relinquished to them is quickly returned. Over time, this tacit understanding developed, with each side compromising.
"Others may not know, but the teacher certainly didn't mention it. He was just surprised that various families would refuse to be recruited because of the absurd rumors spread by Tao Shenyu's former subordinates..." The teacher, Chu Yao, originally said, "When did the aristocratic families become so reserved and introverted?"
The unspoken meaning—
Even aristocratic families now value chastity?
The lord's side was even more blunt: "The brothel that was open the day before has joined the crackdown on prostitution and illegal publications the next day."
"The other strategists were unaware as well?"
Lin Feng carefully said, "Most of you gentlemen come from poor backgrounds. Some may be from prominent families, but none of you are from major clans. The rest of you are from other places. It's normal that you don't know about this area, especially such a tacit understanding. I don't know either."
The old man's face contorted in a grimace for a moment.
Such a compromise, which damages the reputation of a noble family, is naturally known to very few. Even if word gets out, people will simply think these families are wise and righteous! In other words, what Lin Feng said is true—
He immediately thought of several families who might have chosen to die rather than live as broken jade. Wouldn't they have died in vain?
Lin Feng also thought of this.
The face added a touch of embarrassment.
He then became serious and said, "Regardless of the circumstances, it is true that they discussed a rebellion. They were ungrateful and their deaths were not entirely unjust."
At most, it was a meaningless death.
Besides, the families that surrounded us last night were all the leaders.
They rushed to the front because they suffered the most losses and had the most shady dealings. If this were back in the time of He Yin and Long Wu, they would all be targets of the lord's wrath. If it weren't for the large number of families involved this time, the lord would have done more than just extort them.
Smash it directly on the head, splitting it in two.
Lin Feng narrowed his eyes, then suddenly thought of something and laughed, "Moreover, each family wants to keep 30%, so their appetite is quite large."
No, it's too big!
|ω`)
It's the 29th, my darlings, do you know what I mean? Shout it out loud—monthly tickets expire if you don't vote now!
(End of this chapter)
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