Chapter 92 No Offspring
Dongshi County, a border town in the northeast.
It's almost April, and spring has arrived in the capital, but Dongshi County is still covered in layers of snow.
The prefect stationed here was named Wang Zhiyang, a member of a branch of the Langya Wang clan. He was nearly forty years old and wore a thick fur coat over his official robes. He led his subordinates to welcome the delegation from the capital outside Dongshi Town.
A long procession of more than a dozen horse-drawn carriages and over a hundred people traveled along the pipeline.
Judging from his appearance, Tang Yi, the Prefectural Magistrate, was about the same age as Wang Zhiyang. He was the son of a wealthy merchant in the area and could be considered a local gentry.
He was a big, burly man who looked more like a military general than a civil official.
"My lord, I've heard that the official in charge this time is a young woman. Are we really going to obey her orders?" Tang Yi squinted at the approaching procession in the distance.
Wang Zhiyang considers himself a member of the Wang family and is always very particular about his demeanor.
He said calmly, "A higher-ranking official can crush you; we have no choice but to fawn over them."
"But that woman hasn't even officially entered officialdom yet; she's only been given the temporary title of imperial envoy..."
"Alright," Wang Zhiyang interrupted him. "We'll just do our duty and take good care of these people. We'll get our share of the benefits."
Tang Yi then fell silent.
If trade routes with the Jurchens were truly opened, they, as local officials, would reap even greater benefits; the tax revenue alone would be enough to make a fortune.
In addition, merchants traveling between the two places would certainly give them gifts in order to gain some convenience.
This was something Wang Zhiyang had discussed with everyone after receiving news from the imperial court, so their task was to fully cooperate with the delegation from the capital.
As the procession drew near, Wang Zhiyang and Tang Yi immediately put on polite smiles, stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Welcome, Your Excellency."
The prefect and the assistant prefect are also high-ranking officials in their respective regions, but the current officials from the capital are all of high rank.
Tan Yuzhu received a temporary imperial envoy appointment and a second-rank official title. Not to mention the local officials, even the two assistant ministers who came from the capital had to fully cooperate with Tan Yuzhu.
Their demeanor was respectful, showing no sign of disdain for the woman.
Tan Yuzhu did not get out of the carriage, but only instructed the maid accompanying her to lift the curtain from inside the carriage.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and Tang Yi glanced inside subconsciously, only to be startled.
The woman in the car had a cold expression. She wore a dark brocade robe with a matching cloak, and her long hair was simply tied up in a bun. Although she still looked young, she already had a domineering aura.
Tang Yi quickly lowered his eyes.
Tan Yuzhu wasn't like this from the beginning; rather, as she grew up, she had to manage everything, and gradually developed the aura of someone in a superior position.
"Greetings, Your Excellency the Imperial Envoy!" Wang Zhiyang and Tang Yi, along with a group of officials behind them, bowed in unison.
"No need for formalities." Tan Yuzhu nodded.
Wang Zhiyang immediately said, "Gentlemen, you have had a long journey. I have prepared wine and food, and lodging has also been arranged. Please come into the city with me."
Tan Yuzhu replied, "Thank you for your trouble."
"I dare not." Wang Zhiyang turned around, mounted his horse, and led the troops from the capital into the city, accompanied by his subordinates.
Since there were many people from the capital, and they would need to communicate with several leaders of the Jurchen tribes from time to time, Wang Zhiyang arranged for Tan Yuzhu and the others to stay in a residence closest to the official residence.
This mansion was his own private property, but it had been uninhabited before. Now that he was using it to entertain these officials from the capital, it didn't seem shabby at all.
The group checked into the mansion, and Tan Yuzhu naturally moved into the main courtyard.
Wang Zhiyang thoughtfully arranged for a group of maids to serve him in the courtyard, and did not deliberately make things difficult for Tan Yuzhu.
Water for washing up had been prepared in advance, and Tan Yuzhu quickly washed up before heading to the main hall.
Before long, Wang Zhiyang and Tang Yi arrived. They were slightly surprised to find that she had already finished washing up.
In their minds, women's washing up is a slow process.
However, they didn't show anything, greeted each other with smiles, and then sat down.
Tan Yuzhu also calmed down and chatted with the two for a while. After a while, Cai Peng and Wang Wenyao also came after washing up.
After exchanging pleasantries, the group began discussing their upcoming negotiations with the Jurchens.
The Jurchen tribes are not yet unified, but they have already formed five large tribes, each with its own leader, and there is currently no sign of civil war.
Wang Zhiyang replied, "Your Excellency, after receiving the message from the court, I sent someone to invite several leaders. They should all arrive by noon tomorrow."
Once the people arrive, a welcoming banquet will be held to show the court's level of attention, and formal negotiations can begin the day after tomorrow.
Tan Yuzhu nodded, thinking that this Prefect Wang was a good person, unlike Wang Wenyao, who had the airs of a spoiled young master.
Along the way, he had more problems than anyone else. Sometimes the food wasn't to his liking, sometimes the accommodations were uncomfortable, sometimes the car rides were unpleasant, and sometimes he even fell ill, which almost slowed down the process.
After chatting for a while and deciding on what to do next, everyone had a meal together.
In the evening, Wang Zhiyang went to Wang Wenyao's courtyard alone again.
During the day, the meetings were business-like and filled with pleasantries. But when he came to see Wang Wenyao again, it was as a member of the Wang family, to meet with the young master of the main family.
Wang Wenyao glanced at him and said with a smirk, "I thought the Prefect looked down on me, a mere fourth-rank official."
Wang Zhiyang's eyelids twitched, and he quickly smiled and said, "Young master is joking. We are all family. I would never look down on you, let alone anyone else."
Wang Wenyao then said, "Please sit down."
"Yes." Wang Zhiyang sat down in the lower seat and, as a member of the family, asked him gently if the journey had been arduous.
In terms of official rank, he was higher than Wang Wenyao, but in terms of status within the Wang family, Wang Wenyao, the young master of the main family, was certainly higher than him, a minor figure from a collateral branch.
Fortunately, Wang Wenyao saw that his attitude was mild and did not act as aggressively as before.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Wang Wenyao took out a secret letter from his pocket and placed it on the table beside him, saying, "A letter from the patriarch to you."
Wang Zhiyang didn't show it on his face, but he sighed inwardly.
When he learned that Wang Huanzhi's son was also in the group, he knew that the other party would definitely give him some instructions.
Although he was far away in the northeastern border city, he still knew a thing or two about the situation in the capital.
The Wang family is embroiled in fierce internal strife, and its relationship with the imperial court is ambiguous. This time, it remains to be seen what the Wang family will order him to do.
To be honest, he really didn't want to get involved. He just wanted to stay quietly in this border town, where he could live a carefree life as a local "emperor" with no worries about food or drink.
But the letter had already arrived, so he naturally wanted to take a look. If it wasn't anything difficult, he would do it without hesitation.
He got up, walked to the table, took the letter, and then returned to his seat before opening it.
The letter was short; he finished reading it in a short time, and his expression changed repeatedly.
Wang Wenyao took a sip of tea and, noticing his unpleasant expression, asked, "Is something wrong?"
Wang Zhiyang quickly composed himself, put away the letter, and smiled, "There's nothing wrong with it. I've taken the patriarch's words to heart."
He stayed for a while longer before returning to his own residence.
Before he could rest for long, his subordinate came to report: "Sir, there's a secret letter from the capital."
Wang Zhiyang's eyelids twitched again; this time it must be a letter from the young master.
The patriarch and the young master are irreconcilable enemies, always going against each other. Just now, the patriarch wrote a letter instructing him to cooperate with Wang Wenyao and reach a cooperation agreement with the Jurchen tribe.
But the discussion wasn't about how to trade; instead, it was about persuading them to cooperate with the royal family.
When the Wang family needs it, the Jurchen tribes will cooperate in attacking the Northeast.
When the time comes, Wang Zhiyang, as the prefect of this region, will open the door wide and the Jurchen tribes will be able to enter smoothly.
At that time, the imperial court will definitely send troops to the Northeast.
With the imperial army dispersed, the defenses of the capital became weak.
Wang Zhiyang only needed to think about it briefly to figure out the general idea, and he knew that the family head's lineage must have cooperated with those vassal kings to overthrow the court.
It's just unknown what the young master wants him to do in his letter.
Wang Zhiyang actually had no connection with the main branch of the Wang family. He only got to his position because of his relationship with Minister Wang Zhiyuan.
Therefore, for him, neither the head of a family nor the young master could compare to the kindness of Wang Zhiyuan in helping him.
In other words, he will turn towards whomever the other person is turning towards.
According to the information he had received, Wang Zhiyuan had recommended Wang Wenyao for an official position and secured this opportunity for him, which was definitely in favor of the family head's lineage. Therefore, although he was unwilling, he was prepared to help Wang Wenyao.
But as soon as he took the letter and opened it, he suddenly stood up.
He knew it was written by the Minister without even looking at the signature.
Over the years, he only dared to write to the Minister during festivals and holidays, asking the caravan to deliver some New Year's gifts.
He would carefully keep any replies he occasionally received from adults.
After his initial excitement, he quickly began to examine the text closely.
By the end, the worry on his face had vanished without him even noticing, and he even laughed a few times, stroking his beard.
As expected of a high-ranking official, his vision is beyond that of ordinary people.
And the other party was still the same as the one he had met when he was young—a kind, righteous, and tolerant elder.
In this turbulent era, the other party indeed chose the path that was best for their family and the people of Daning.
Tan Yuzhu sat in the main hall drinking tea.
The maid stood beside her and said, "My lady, it's getting late. We have official business to attend to tomorrow, so why don't you rest early?"
"Wait a little longer," Tan Yuzhu said.
"What are we waiting for?" the maid asked curiously.
Just then, a maid from outside announced that Prefect Wang had arrived.
Tan Yuzhu smiled and said, "You're here."
Before she left, the Grand Tutor told her that once she arrived at her destination, Prefect Wang would most likely cooperate with her, depending on whether he would take the initiative to seek her out.
Now that the person has arrived, it's clear that the Grand Tutor's prediction has come true.
With the cooperation of the local prefect, it became much easier for her to do anything else.
That night, the palace doors were open, and no one knows what the two talked about inside.
==
April 20th.
Beijing.
After everyone had finished washing up and gone to bed at night, Qin Chaoyang sent over the latest secret message from the Northeast.
Qin Xiao went out to meet him, and after telling Qin Chaoyang to go back and rest, he took the letter and went into the bedroom.
Before he had even washed up, he handed the letter to Chu Jiubian and then turned around to go out and wash himself.
Chu Jiubian sat up and opened the letter.
In the letter, Tan Yuzhu said that she had reached a preliminary cooperation agreement with the Jurchen tribe, but the details still needed to be discussed in detail, and it would probably take another half month to finalize the agreement.
However, agreeing on the details is not the end.
Tan Yuzhu also needs to establish a local chamber of commerce, find suitable people to manage it, and set up a commodity and tax inspection agency, etc., which is estimated to take several months.
However, the important thing in this letter is not these things, but the things that Wang Huanzhi asked Wang Wenyao to do.
Chu Jiubian guessed that the other party was restless, and he also thought that those restless vassal kings might take this opportunity to cooperate with the Jurchen tribes. However, he did not expect that these people would act so recklessly, just like the previous Dingbei King, preparing to "invite the wolf into the house" again.
How ridiculous it is to let foreign tribes in for the sake of internal strife!
Qin Xiao walked in, his clothes damp with sweat, and saw Chu Jiubian with a cold expression.
"What's wrong?" He walked to the bedside and sat down.
Chu Jiubian handed him the letter.
Qin Xiao quickly glanced at it, and upon seeing the last part, he couldn't help but scoff: "Stupid and vicious."
It seems that Wang Huanzhi was guided by the King of Huguang and others to have Wang Wenyao secretly negotiate with the Jurchen leaders, urging them to launch an invasion of the Northeast when necessary, thereby diverting the imperial forces.
The price was that Wang Wenyao would tamper with Tan Yuzhu's contract, adding "ironware" to the list of products for trade between the two parties.
Ironware was sold to the Jurchen tribes under the guise of "farm tools".
But everyone knows that these iron tools were not meant to be farm implements; they were clearly designed to be weapons, and were turned against the people of Daning.
However, the Jurchen leaders were not stupid. They were not even unified internally, so how could they dare to invade Daming at will?
They might even think this is a conspiracy by Da Ning, deliberately luring them in so they can then seize the moral high ground and retaliate against them.
At that time, how could they possibly be a match for the Da Ning army?
Even the Northeast Army wouldn't dare to confront them. If the imperial court or other local troops were added, they would be even more powerless to fight back.
Therefore, it would be better to stick to peaceful trade with Da Ning than to engage in any of these things.
However, Tan Yuzhu had met with them privately and offered them some benefits, asking them to cooperate in a charade, pretending to cooperate with Wang Wenyao and the forces behind him, and to act as double agents.
The Jurchens, unaware of the intricacies within the Great Ning, saw an opportunity for profit and readily agreed.
Therefore, Wang Wenyao must be very pleased with himself now.
The forces behind him will undoubtedly prepare other methods based on this.
Chu Jiubian and the others only need to wait and see.
Qin Xiao got up to burn the letter, then turned off the light and went to bed.
Chu Jiubian also lay down, and the two lay side by side without touching each other.
"What did the Northeast Army say?" Chu Jiubian asked.
He was really unfamiliar with that place, and if the Northeast Army were to submit to those feudal lords, the imperial court would face considerable trouble.
“Mr. Nie is straightforward,” Qin Xiao said, “but my grandfather was kind to him.”
Nie Xian was the commander of the Northeast Army and had reached the age of fifty.
At the beginning, he was just a captain in the Qin family army.
At that time, the Northeast Army's garrison and the Northern Army's garrison were not too far apart, and both were border armies. Therefore, Qin Taiwei, the commander-in-chief of the two armies, had a fairly good relationship with Wu Zheng, the commander-in-chief of the Northeast Army at the time.
When Wu Zheng was young, he fell into an ice hole and suffered serious injuries. He never had children and was worried about having no one to carry on his family line in his old age.
At that time, Grand Commandant Qin recognized Nie Xian's abilities, and the man even bore a resemblance to Wu Zheng.
So Qin Taiwei intentionally took Wu Zheng to see Nie Xian train his troops. When Nie Xian saw that the young man had a talent for martial arts and looked somewhat similar to him, he naturally took a liking to him.
What followed was a natural progression: Nie Xian recognized Wu Zheng as his godfather and bid farewell to Grand Commandant Qin before heading to the Northeast Army.
Afterwards, Nie Xian made many military achievements and was soon promoted to deputy general. Later, when Wu Zheng passed away, Qin Taiwei wrote to Emperor Chengzong and managed to keep Nie Xian in the position of commander of the Northeast Army.
The Qin family army had too many talented people; if Nie Xianruo had been in the northern desert at that time, he would have had no chance to stand out.
Therefore, it can be said that his achievements today are largely due to the kindness and support of Grand Commandant Qin. He was indeed very close to and loved Grand Commandant Qin and the Qin family.
He's just straightforward and doesn't want to get involved in those complicated things.
When Grand Commandant Qin was alive, Nie Xian was already close to fifty years old, and the younger generation in his family were able to shoulder the heavy responsibility of the Northeast Army.
At that time, Grand Commandant Qin had considered transferring Nie Xian to the capital.
The other party has military merits and is more than qualified to be a marquis in the capital. This would allow him to enjoy his old age in the capital and also give the Qin family some say in the court.
However, the other party felt uncomfortable with the intrigue and power struggles, and even more so with the constraints imposed upon them in the capital. So they continued to guard the frontier.
At that time, Emperor Yingzong was on the throne, and Nie Xian felt that the Qin family was safe and did not need him to do anything in the capital, so he did not take any action. Little did he know that Emperor Yingzong would be an ungrateful villain.
When news of Qin Jingzhao and his wife's deaths spread, Nie Xian wrote to Grand Commandant Qin, saying that if they wanted to rebel, their Northeast Army would not hesitate to join them.
However, Grand Commandant Qin reassured him and told him not to move.
Afterwards, everything seemed calm and peaceful. After Qin Taiwei passed away, the other party sent another letter to Qin Xiao, telling him that the Northeast Army was also behind the Qin family.
He probably never imagined that the Qin siblings would be able to eliminate Emperor Yingzong and put Baili Hong on the throne.
Chu Jiubian turned his head to look at Qin Xiao.
All they had to say was that the Northeast Army was also one of theirs, but Qin Xiao went into such detail.
Chu Jiubian had actually noticed long ago that Qin Xiao would unconsciously become more talkative when he was in front of him.
However, besides him, Qin Xiao had no one else to talk to.
"Don't others know about these past events?" Chu Jiu asked.
If they knew that the other party had this kind of relationship with Qin Xiao, neither the Wang family nor those vassal kings would have extended their reach to the Northeast.
"Hmm," Qin Xiao said, "Nie Xian does look like General Wu. Everyone thought he was General Wu's adopted son from the clan, but they didn't know that the old general had long since fallen out with the clan, and they didn't know that Nie Xian was originally a member of the Qin family army."
Why did they fall out?
"It seems they were forcing him to marry a woman from the clan, but he refused. Then something else happened, and the news that General Wu had suffered a serious injury was spread by people from the clan."
Otherwise, General Wu would have kept this secret well hidden, but it was still exposed by someone.
"I see." Chu Jiubian suddenly realized. It was no wonder that they would fall out over something that concerned his reputation and face.
However, when the topic turned to offspring, he couldn't help but ask Qin Xiao, "What about you?"
"What?" Qin Xiao rolled over and lay facing him.
It's cloudy tonight, and the moonlight is dim.
Chu Jiubian couldn't make out the man's face clearly, only a blurry outline.
"Don't you need children?"
There are only two people in the main Qin family, him and Qin Chuan. Qin Chuan is still hiding in the shadows. When he shows his face in the future, people will definitely suspect his identity.
Qin Xiao is different; he is a legitimate direct descendant of the Qin family.
If he doesn't get married, won't the direct bloodline of the Qin family be cut off?
People in ancient times placed great importance on bloodlines, and the Qin family was a large clan, so the elders in the family would definitely want Qin Xiao to get married.
In fact, the news about Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian is spreading like wildfire right now. Logically, the elders should be restless, but they have not reacted. This is not because they accept Qin Xiao being with a man.
Nowadays, people think that finding a man is fine, it's just a novelty, and people still need to get married and have children.
If you really like men, then take a few male concubines.
The Prince of Dingbei, Baili Yu, was like this. Although he preferred men, his principal wife in the inner quarters was still a girl from a prominent local family, and he also had several concubines and many children.
In other people's minds, Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian were just people who amused each other, and they would definitely get married and have children in the future.
But Chu Jiubian knew very well that with his personality, he would never be able to marry and have children.
He feared he would become like his father, harming his wife and children.
He never thought about getting married. Even in the previous world, he never had intimate contact with anyone, and he would never let outsiders see the scars on his body.
So, in truth, Qin Xiao was the only one who had seen the scars on his body.
But the other party didn't see it completely; they only glanced at the part on the chest.
Chu Jiubian was lost in thought when he suddenly felt a tightness around his waist, and then he was easily pulled into the man's arms.
As the familiar scent enveloped him, Chu Jiubian's eyelashes trembled, and his nose accidentally brushed against Qin Xiao's Adam's apple.
Qin Xiao swallowed hard, then flipped over and pinned the person beneath him.
"Offspring?" Qin Xiao's voice was a little hoarse. He knelt on the bed and slowly probed the young man's legs with his palm.
Chu Jiubian bit his lip, trying not to make a sound.
The man looked down at him, his hands restless, and said with a smile, "Help me have one."
Chu Jiubian: "?"
He raised his foot to kick the man's waist, but the man grabbed his ankle and lifted it up, landing it on his shoulder.
Qin Xiao tilted his head and kissed his protruding ankle bone, then slowly moved upwards...
After an unknown amount of time, Qin Xiao stroked the young man's cheek and said softly, "I don't want offspring, I don't want anyone else."
"And you?" he asked.
Chu Jiubian's vision was somewhat unfocused, and his mind was a complete mess. He seemed to hear himself say, "I don't want to."
"Then do you want me?" The man gently pecked his lips.
Tears welled up in Chu Jiubian's eyes. He closed his eyes and scratched the man's back hard with his fingernails, leaving a trail of red marks.
Qin Xiao paused, then kissed him more deeply, tightening his arms around him.
Chu Jiubian felt a slight pain in his shoulder from being gripped, but it also gave him an indescribable sense of relaxation and security.
He liked it very much.
She liked Qin Xiao, but he caused her pain.
==
While the capital was recruiting soldiers, the national treasury was not so short of silver.
Because the female students of the Imperial Academy, under the guidance of the two embroiderers in the Imperial Clothing Bureau who had been individually assessed by Chu Jiubian, had already begun working in the embroidery workshop.
They collaborated with silk shops in southern Xinjiang, using the finest fabrics to embroider fashionable and exquisite designs for sale.
Its exquisite craftsmanship was on a completely different level from that of embroiderers in other embroidery shops, so it naturally sold exceptionally well, which in turn led to even more fabric being sold by the Southern Xinjiang Silk Shop.
Fortunately, Si Tu Zhaoling's dyeing workshop and silk workshop were large enough, and there were enough workers.
She and Wang Qichen also became frequent visitors to the Divine Realm, spending more time there than Chu Jiubian did.
The money earned by the Imperial Academy went into the national treasury, and most of the money from the silk shop and Wang Qichen's paper sales also flowed into the national treasury through Chu Jiubian's hands, so naturally there was no shortage of money.
Furthermore, Qi Zhili, who had set off before the Lunar New Year to oversee the affairs of the canal transport section, has also returned.
He became thinner and darker, but also more energetic. After returning to the capital, he didn't rest at all. After a simple wash, he entered the palace looking radiant.
Along with his men, dozens of boxes of gold and silver jewelry were also brought into the palace.
These silver coins were obtained in installments, and the merchants and local officials gave them gifts in batches in order to gain some convenience and good jobs.
However, Qi Zhili refused all of the calligraphy and paintings that needed to be converted into cash.
When others saw that he would accept gold and silver jewelry, they all started giving him those as gifts.
So, after all this, he had accumulated so much "embezzled money," which he then handed over to the imperial court.
"Please rest assured, Your Excellencies, the merchants and local officials who accepted the silver are all honest businessmen and officials. Those truly corrupt officials and merchants with ulterior motives don't even have the chance to see me," Qi Zhili said.
He was a somewhat rigid censor, but after a few months away, he returned much more worldly and tactful.
Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao were both very satisfied. Baili Hong even personally wrote an imperial edict, confirming his position as the second-rank Grand Canal Transport Commissioner. It was no longer a temporary post, but a real one that oversaw the canal transport.
After that, he was put in charge of everything related to the canal transport.
He also took a box of the silver he brought back with him.
Qi bowed and expressed his gratitude, then accepted the imperial edict.
He added, "There have been some recent changes in the canal transport along the Suzhou-Hangzhou section."
Previously, the canal transport from Yangzhou to Suzhou and Hangzhou was managed by the Qiu family, but now that Prince Baili Yan of Zui Liang has returned to his fiefdom and received instructions from the imperial court, he is naturally free to take charge of the canal transport.
As a vassal king, Baili Yan's influence in the region was self-evident.
Previously, the Qiu family was able to live peacefully because he did not interfere. Now that the other party has shown its strength, the Qiu family has no choice but to make concessions, but they still want to struggle a little more, which has led to a very unpleasant situation.
"Understood," Qin Xiao said. "You must be tired from your journey. Take a few days to rest before going to court."
Seeing that neither he nor Chu Jiubian reacted, Qi Zhili knew that the matter was related to these two, so he stopped thinking about it, bowed, and took his leave.
"It seems the Qiu family is about to make a move," Chu Jiubian said.
Qin Xiao's eyes were deep and dark as he lightly tapped his fingertips on the table.
Now is not the time to start a war, but the vassal kings have begun to recruit soldiers in secret. Even the Southern Frontier King and the Western King, who were unwilling to participate in the struggle, have not been idle.
Although they did not want to participate, if the war really started, they would have to strengthen themselves in order to protect the people in their fiefdoms.
These powerful families in the capital are also making some significant moves.
Leaving aside the Wang family, the Qiu family was relatively well-behaved before, but now that the Grand Canal incident has happened, they will surely realize that the imperial court cannot tolerate them.
Therefore, even though the Qiu family was previously wavering, they are now more inclined to side with the vassal kings who promised them more benefits.
However, this was exactly what Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao wanted to achieve; they wanted to eliminate not only the vassal kings but also the powerful clans.
The Xiao and Lu families have been at odds with the imperial court from the very beginning, and now the Qiu family is also courting death.
Chu Jiubian and his group were able to keep the Wang family alive, but only under certain conditions.
Although these conditions were not specifically discussed, Minister Wang Zhiyuan himself was well aware of them.
To protect the Wang family, he must retire gracefully at the right time and return the court, which has been controlled by powerful families, to the people.
In this way, the Wang family under Wang Qichen could survive peacefully simply by acting as the mouthpiece of the imperial court.
"There's another piece of news," Qin Xiao said, looking at Chu Jiubian. "They've also been recruiting soldiers in the northern desert recently."
Chu Jiubian looked up and met his gaze.
"Why do you think he recruited soldiers?" Qin Xiao stared intently at Chu Jiubian.
"Perhaps it's for self-preservation." Chu Jiubian's gaze was unwavering. "Didn't you say before that Jiang Shuoye could subdue the old Qin family army and that his character and abilities were trustworthy?"
Qin Xiao said, "Once the war really begins, many forces will no longer be right or wrong. There will only be positions."
Once you're truly affected, there's no way to trace who's right and who's wrong; everyone's just fighting for what they believe in.
"Moreover, Jiang Shuoye is quite ambitious," Qin Xiao said.
That's true.
The fact that Jiang Shuoye was willing to take the initiative to fight the Tatars, and even wanted to annihilate them, proves that he had great ambitions.
But whether it's a good thing or not if Qin Xiao sees through such ambition is debatable.
Chu Jiubian felt that now was not the time; he should not reveal his relationship with Jiang Shuoye and the High Priest to Qin Xiao.
But for some reason, looking at Qin Xiao's clenched hands, he blurted out, "He is very trustworthy."
Qin Xiao's pupils trembled slightly.
"who is he?"
He stared intently at Chu Jiubian: "Is it Jiang Shuoye, or... the High Priest?"
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