Chapter 93 Abandoned Pawn
It is said that to quell external threats, one must first secure internal stability, but the power of aristocratic families has been built up over centuries.
They possessed vast amounts of wealth, military strength, and land, enabling them to protect themselves in chaotic times.
The mutual support and cooperation among these aristocratic families made them an unbreakable united front.
A single move can have far-reaching consequences; swift and decisive measures are not necessarily unacceptable.
But it was only the people of Jin who suffered!
These powerful families hoarded land, and countless tenant farmers depended on them for their livelihood.
Furthermore, if internal strife breaks out, the State of Chu will have the opportunity to invade.
There will definitely be corpses floating everywhere.
There are tigers and leopards outside, and jackals and wolves inside.
Therefore, the Zhenbei Army must be a united front!
No mistakes are allowed.
If anything goes wrong, the situation in the State of Jin will instantly fall apart!
It is a popular saying that the Zhenbei Army only recognizes Qin, not Xiao.
Actually, you're not wrong!
Only in this way can we resist foreign enemies and at the same time keep the imperial court in check!
The Prince of Zhenbei's Mansion and the royal family were completely intertwined.
The powerful families were well aware of the royal family's weaknesses, and the royal family was equally aware of the powerful families' vulnerabilities.
If the state of Jin were to truly undergo a national upheaval, the situation would be unavoidable.
The million-strong Zhenbei Army could easily crush the powerful families.
When she was a child, Qin Jinzhi made a list of aristocratic families, planning to go and kill them one by one according to the list when she grew up. What trouble would they have if they were dead?
But that would also mean the country would never be the same again.
Qin Ye's four adopted sons, Li Muli was the most valiant, but Xue Huaiyi's military skills and strategies were perhaps unmatched by the other three combined.
After Qin Ziyi's death in battle, Xue Huaiyi quickly rallied the hearts and minds of the four men.
At that time, none of Qin Ye's second and third sons died for their country.
Therefore, Xue Huaiyi was sent back to the capital.
The reason he has remained relatively law-abiding over the years is that, the moment Qin Ye gave the order, he knew he was no longer destined for that position.
Qin Jinzhi seemed to have become quite interested, "Do you know why Xue Huaiyi never calls his grandfather or godfather in front of outsiders, even though he clearly seems to be the most favored one!"
Liu Yiyi had a premonition that she was about to hear some family secrets.
She said warily, "You're not going to kill me to silence me after you've finished speaking, are you?"
Ignoring her, Qin Jinzhi continued, "Because he understood that the four of them existed solely for my father; they were his capable henchmen, his loyal followers, his pawns, and his discarded pieces."
Liu Yiyi's mind raced. "Then why did the old prince still let him come back to take care of you? Isn't he afraid that he'll harbor resentment and harm you?"
Qin Jinzhi smiled and said, "Holding a grudge? Grandfather spared his life. As long as he stays in the Prince's Mansion, although he may not have a future, he will have no worries about wealth and honor. Unlike his three sworn brothers, who will all die for the Qin family in the future."
Liu Yiyi shuddered as she recalled Qin Ye's kind face.
She had previously suspected that Qin Jinzhi had suddenly become incredibly cunning and vicious.
I never expected it to be a family heirloom!
Indeed, how could benevolence appear in the renowned Prince Zhenbei, the founding father of the Jin Kingdom?
She said, "Those who play tricks are all wicked!"
Yun Que gestured with some concern, "The princess has always disregarded them, so why did she suddenly break off relations with them today?"
Qin Jinzhi looked at the moon, "Because I don't like dogs that wag their tails too high; their smug look annoys me."
The moon in the sky was dazzling, but if you looked closely, you could see scattered stars appearing around it. There weren't many, but they chased away the loneliness.
Qin Jinzhi returned to her usual lazy demeanor, "Shen Cha's injuries should be healed by now."
Liu Yiyi said, "Then I'll make some medicine powder for Yun Que tomorrow and add it to her drinking water. She should be better in about seven days."
Qin Jinzhi nodded. "Seven days should be enough for Pei Jinnian to return."
...
Pei Jinnian lost five horses on his way back to the capital, not only because of the urgent disaster situation, but also because of the numerous assassins pursuing him.
Most of the guards brought by the Pei family and the imperial guards dispatched by His Majesty have been killed or wounded.
He nearly lost his life several times, but was saved by Qin Jinzhi's men.
He had never encountered such a dangerous situation before, and he was in a completely embarrassing situation like never before.
However, once he arrived in Jiangnan, Pei Jinnian immediately understood why his uncle, despite coming from a prominent family, wanted to sever the family's influence.
The floods were devastating, leaving corpses floating everywhere, and everywhere they went, there was only wailing and lamentation!
The first place he visited was the residence of Shen Changqing, the military governor of Jiangnan.
But we didn't even see anyone.
The officials below were all passing the buck, and it seemed that no one was aware of the severity of the disaster.
Pei Jinnian ordered the granaries to be opened to distribute grain to the disaster victims, but all his orders were rejected!
Either there is no grain in the granary, or the granary cannot be opened without the governor's order!
Pei Jinnian watched helplessly as many disaster victims starved to death on the roadside!
But these officials turned a blind eye behind closed doors!
Only when he invoked his status as the Pacification Commissioner personally appointed by His Majesty did he truly understand what it meant to be far from the emperor and have no authority to obey orders when one is in the field.
The entire Jiangnan region belongs to the Shen family!
Without Shen Changqing speaking, he couldn't command any of the officials!
It won't save the disaster victims either.
He suddenly understood the significance of Qin Jinzhi's intention to target these aristocratic families.
Human life is as insignificant as an ant in their eyes.
They only care about their own interests, as long as it can bring the family to a higher level.
Even if all the people in these sixteen prefectures were to die, it would probably be a trivial matter in their eyes.
So, this was the first time he killed someone!
They killed a prefect and forcibly opened the granaries to provide disaster relief.
When the sword pierced the official's heart, blood splattered all over his face.
He almost threw up his stomach!
It was because of this that he almost died in Jiangnan!
There was no point in continuing this charade, so Pei Jinnian immediately decided to return to the capital.
Report the disaster situation in Jiangnan truthfully.
The moment the horse stepped into the capital, Pei Jinnian felt as if he had survived a catastrophe.
He sent a letter to the palace and then went to the Prince of Zhenbei's residence.
Pei Jinnian didn't even have time to change his clothes.
Because he messed everything up!
Not only did he fail to provide relief to the disaster victims, he also nearly lost his life in Jiangnan.
When Qin Jinzhi saw him, she raised an eyebrow. Where did this beggar come from?
Pei Jinnian said somewhat awkwardly, "Princess, I have failed your trust. I couldn't do anything during the trip to Jiangnan. I messed it up."
He lowered his head dejectedly. Not long ago, he had been full of confidence and ready to step into the imperial court, but everything was not as he had imagined.
Just then, he heard Qin Jinzhi say, "It's good that you're back."
Pei Jinnian looked at Qin Jinzhi with some strangeness, thinking that Qin Jinzhi would scold him!
Just as he was about to be moved, Qin Jinzhi punched Pei Jinnian in the eye.
He turned black in the eye.
Pei Jinnian covered her eyes, on the verge of tears. She hadn't scolded him; she had hit him!
Unexpectedly, Qin Jinzhi said, "As long as you appear before His Majesty in this state, your mission will be accomplished."
Pei Jinnian suddenly realized!
This was Qin Jinzhi's true purpose; the fact that the pacification envoy personally dispatched by His Majesty was being hunted down all the way already spoke volumes!
Just as he was about to feel happy, he heard Qin Jinzhi say, "It still doesn't look miserable enough, give us another punch over here!"
!
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