Chapter 139: Yi Garden (Part 2)
For example, collecting grain.
The imperial court levied taxes on the prefectures and counties, and the prefectures and counties levied taxes on the people. However, vast tracts of land in the world were in the hands of powerful families, who already controlled the local areas. If they refused to pay, the prefectures and counties would be helpless, and the imperial court would be even more helpless.
This is the crux of the problem of the court’s inability to collect grain.
However, although these powerful families were unwilling to hand over the grain to the court, they were willing to trade it.
Therefore, although what Yao Rong said was shocking, it was not impossible as long as there was enough money.
Sun Wei was pondering this when he suddenly heard Sima Jun say, "There's no need to discuss this matter any further. Detain the criminal, Yao, and send Luqiu Changshi back!"
Everyone was surprised.
Lü Qiuyan didn't seem to have expected Sima Jun to be so tough. He quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "Please think twice, my lord!"
Yao Rong said anxiously, "I have shown my full sincerity, please consider it, Your Highness!"
Seeing Deng Lian's men about to kidnap Yao Rong, Sun Wei cursed her inwardly, calling her a stubborn donkey, and quickly stood up to persuade Sima Jun, "Prince, calm down! We should consider everything carefully and not damage the harmony between the two families of Jingzhou and Jiangzhou!"
Sima Jun cast a sharp gaze at him.
After a moment, the anger in his eyes seemed to subside slightly.
He seemed to be persuaded by Sun Wei, and ordered Deng Lian to take Lu Qiuyan and others down to rest.
Only Sun Wei and Sima Jun were left in the pavilion.
"Madam, do you want to persuade me?" Sima Jun asked while sitting at the table.
Sun Wei said, "I know that the Crown Prince hates treacherous people, but now is not the time to act rashly. Yao Rong's conditions can indeed alleviate the urgent needs of the Three Wus. I hope the Crown Prince will agree to them."
Sima Jun said coldly: "Leaving this person here will cause endless troubles."
Sun Wei knew that Jiangzhou was Sima Jun's back, and he couldn't afford to make any mistakes. This rebellion had truly touched Sima Jun's sore spot.
"I have been staying in Xunyang Palace the entire time. I am also guilty of neglecting to observe this turmoil, Your Highness..."
"I'm talking about the future troubles for Madam," Sima Jun said. "Madam almost died at her hands. If it happened the first time, there's no guarantee there won't be a second time."
Sun Wei was surprised.
Sima Jun stared at her, his dark pupils reflecting the light of the sky, and he looked very serious.
A trace of throbbing arose in my heart.
"I am the prince's military advisor." After a while, she said, "They know my abilities, so it's reasonable for them to want to get rid of me."
Sima Jun still looked at her without answering.
"Sir, do you still remember what you said to me yesterday?" Sun Wei asked, "Your Highness said that even if one Lu Qiuyan was killed, there would always be a second and a third. The same is true for me. You killed one Yao Rong, but won't there be a second and a third Yao Rong to kill me? Since you've weighed the pros and cons and decided not to give the letter to Huan Yi, then it wouldn't be a bad idea to reconsider and consider Yao Rong's conditions. What do you think?"
Sima Jun remained silent.
The cold wind passed through the abandoned garden, swept over the tops of the nearby trees, and blew the tea smoke from the tea stove into a erratic pattern.
After a while, Sima Jun finally looked away.
"Madam, you are right."
Sun Wei secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Sima Jun continued, "Madam, you were indeed negligent in this matter. First, you should have assigned the search of Yao Rong's residence to the relevant officials, rather than personally conducting the search. Second, knowing that Yao Rong was implicated in many cases and having been in danger in her residence before, you should have realized that there was a murderous intent lurking within Xunyang City. At that time, you should have withdrawn from Xunyang and left the aftermath to me. However, you lingered in the city, almost getting stuck. You call yourself a military advisor, yet you constantly put yourself in danger. If it weren't for your good luck, why would you be sitting here arguing with me today?"
Didn’t I escape later?
Sun Wei secretly complained.
But looking at Sima Jun's eyes, Sun Wei knew that if he was stubborn, he would only come up with more excuses.
"Your Highness is absolutely right," she said reluctantly, "I was wrong. I won't do it again."
This doesn't sound sincere.
Sima Jun didn't seem to quite believe it, but he finally stopped talking nonsense.
He called Deng Lian over and said, "Please ask Lüqiu Changshi to come over. Bring Yao along."
Deng Lian agreed.
Then, Sima Jun looked at Sun Wei and said, "After they arrive, I will be the only one who speaks. Madam, please do not interrupt."
——
Lu Qiuyan and Yao Rong arrived soon.
"Madam, you are willing to provide me with food to help me, which is very heartwarming." Sima Jun said, "I agree to this."
Yao Rong said nothing, just bowed.
Lu Qiuyan smiled and said, "Your Highness is wise. I wonder what that letter is..."
"Put the letter aside for now. Once Madam Yao has delivered all the food to Kuaiji, I will deliver the letter back."
Upon hearing this, Yao couldn't help but ask, "How do I know that the letter won't accidentally fall into the hands of others?"
Sima Jun glanced at her and said, "If Madam doesn't trust me, I won't force you."
"No need to force it." Lu Qiuyan said immediately, "Just do as the prince says."
Sima Jun looked at Yao Rong.
Yao bit her lip and bowed to Sima Jun: "Thank you, my lord."
Sima Jun continued, "There's one more thing I want to remind you two. When I say I won't pursue the matter this time, it doesn't mean I won't pursue it next time. Under my rule, if I see you two reaching out again, there will be no peace."
Both of them agreed.
Lu Qiuyan said, "Your Highness is wise. I came to see you today for one more matter. I want to inquire about someone."
"Who?"
"Cui Pan," Lu Qiuyan said, "I heard that this person has fallen into the hands of the Crown Prince."
His straightforwardness surprised Sun Wei again.
She was about to speak, but suddenly met Sima Jun's gaze and swallowed her words back.
"The Chief Secretary is always well-informed." Sima Jun's expression remained unchanged. "Cui Pan is indeed in my hands."
"I wonder how the prince plans to deal with this?" Lu Qiuyan asked.
Sima Jun said leisurely, "This man is a wanted criminal with a large reward. I will send him back to the capital."
Lu Qiuyan smiled.
"Your Highness is such a joke. How about I give the bounty to you, and you give Cui Pan to me?"
Sima Jun raised his eyebrows slightly.
"The Chief Secretary's ability to joke is just as good as mine," he said. "Giving Cui Pan to the Chief Secretary is not a bad idea. I now know Cui Pan is the Chief Secretary's man. If he gets into trouble again, I'll go to the Chief Secretary. But what does the Chief Secretary intend to offer in exchange for Cui Pan?"
Lu Qiuyan's eyes fixed, obviously understanding that there was a way to solve this matter.
"The prince is indeed straightforward." He said kindly, "I wonder what the prince wants?"
"Lend me 20,000 soldiers and horses to help me conquer the Three Wus."
Lu Qiuyan was stunned for a moment and chuckled.
"Twenty thousand soldiers? Jingzhou only has fifty thousand soldiers in total. Borrowing twenty thousand would be like cutting off an arm. I'm afraid it's not appropriate. Besides, you overestimate me. Jingzhou's military power is in the hands of the Duke of Nanjun. I'm just a small military officer. I can't lend you soldiers."
"The Chief Secretary always has plenty of ways. As long as he's willing, persuading the Duke of Nanjun will be no problem."
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