This person truly is from the breed that "commands the wind and rain"; he cannot be asured by ordinary standards.
Xu Qing’s fundantal intention was not to exterminate them completely, but to assert dominance.
Scholar Hu deeply understood that if Xu Qing opted for total annihilation, the order in Jiangning Prefecture would soon be in chaos, which would be counterproductive.
The problem is, Xu Qing was certain they would not dare to defy him to the death.
Subsidizing the field asurents was just for tax purposes after all; to defy would an to disregard their own lives. Which carries more weight?
They are old eels, not the tough mud-legged folk.
Those with mud legs have nothing, thus only their toughness remains.
In fact, Scholar Hu had a good reputation in the village. On regular days, if he "encountered" soone without land or a coffin for their parents’ burial, he would generously help, buying them a modest wooden coffin and a burial plot.
There were certainly elents of show, but these were real acts.
Sotis, when he saw the people he helped being grateful to him, he also felt a warm satisfaction. It was a different kind of feeling.
"Xu Gongming talks about ’Returning to the Good,’ does this count as ’Good’?" Scholar Hu vaguely thought it did.
The more he understood Xu Gongming, the less he could bring himself to hate him.
"The theories of the Recovery Society are indeed sinister, always giving excuses for people’s actions, no wonder ordinary people are easily deceived," Scholar Hu secretly lanted.
Doctrines that easily deceive people’s hearts always have a great impact.
To keep up with the tis, Scholar Hu was determined to thoroughly study their tricks.
Being a noble in the village was not easy. It required keeping up with the tis so one wouldn’t beco obsolete. Should Xu Qing rise to power smoothly, inevitably the teachings of the Recovery Society would beco influential.
As a human, once there is hope, one can’t help but look far into the future.
He now found himself sincerely hoping for Xu Qing to succeed.
Especially since those nobles and old friends in the Capital this ti were too heartless. It was unbelievable that they could have the Grand Secretary issue such an imperial decree against the nobles in Jiangning Prefecture.
...
...
As the news of Mr. Liang leading the imperial decree from the Capital spread, similarly, intense strategizing and struggles continued unfolding for the "field asurent" policy in the Capital.
At this ti, Jiangning Prefecture, being the trigger, sowhat faded from the high-level contention’s sight.
After all, they could see that whenever this matter was brought up, the Grand Secretary would side with the moral high ground of deceiving the emperor; bringing up this matter was just making the Grand Secretary an easy target.
So they could only pretend to be blind.
Even more so, they harboured resentnt towards the nobles of Jiangning Prefecture.
If these nobles had fought to the death, the high-ranking officials in the Capital opposing the field asurents would have had a righteous cause; they could even have avenged them, and eliminated Xu Qing.
Such shortsighted rats in Jiangning!
This was their true judgnt of Scholar Hu and the others.
On the other hand, the sea vessel carrying Mr. Liang arrived at the harbor in Wuzhong County.
Regrettably, Mr. Liang was "sick" and had been unable to disembark all this ti.
The County Magistrate of Wuzhong County visited the ship daily, inquiring about his health, catching whispers that it was the Magistrate of Jinyang Prefecture who had sent a pair of twins to Mr. Liang.
With Mr. Liang’s old age and declining energy, a minor incident occurred requiring so rest.
Thus, the matters in Jiangning Prefecture had to be temporarily shelved.
Following an elaborate interior arrangent, the sea vessel was discreetly luxurious.
After being tended to by Nong Ying and Nong Yue, Mr. Liang, completely relaxed, lay on the fragrant soft bed.
Shortly after, a confidant visited to inquire.
"Elder, it’s said that many nobles from Jiangning Prefecture have gone to Yingtian Prefecture to apologize to Xu Jieyuan; what shall we do next?"
Mr. Liang stroked his beard: "No rush, let’s wait a bit more. After all, the imperial decree didn’t specify a deadline for finding out the truth."
The affair in Jiangning Prefecture wasn’t important at all.
When results ca out from the Capital, only then would the matter in Jiangning Prefecture be settled.
However, from this, he could also see that Xu Qing’s influence in Jiangning Prefecture was incredibly terrifying.
These nobles had no doubt at all that once Xu Qing received the imperial decree, he could effortlessly take them down.
This showed how much deeper Xu Qing’s foundational power in Jiangning Prefecture was than what he understood from the Capital.
Now, rather than waiting for the Capital to co up with results, it was more about giving Xu Qing ti to buffer, to create a result that would allow him to report back satisfactorily.
His presence already represented the implentation of the imperial decree.
That was enough.
Getting more involved would an attracting trouble.
"Ah, Xiao Wu’s hospitality was too good, it would be inappropriate not to return the favor." After recognizing Xu Qing’s influence in Jiangning Prefecture, Mr. Liang decided to carry on this favorable connection downstream.
He took out a letter from Inspector Wu from his possession, handed it to one of his confidants, and instructed him to personally deliver it to Xu Qing in Yingtian Prefecture.
He was rely transferring a letter for soone, nothing more.
After Mr. Liang’s instructions and seeing his confidant off, a wave of relief washed over him.
Then he called for Nong Ying and Nong Yue, and started humming a little tune,
"Looking ahead, it’s pitch-black, let rush forward and cleanse them completely..."
This was from a military drama he watched at the welco banquet in Jinyang Prefecture, inspired, he heard, by an inspiration Wu Magistrate gained from Xu Gongming, inviting a master of opera to adapt it from a story in the Legend of Yue Fei.
"Wonderful, slick..."
Gently gathering, slowly twisting, erasing... stretching...
Mr. Liang quickly grasped the ancient refined and spirited use of words.
Soon, Nong Yue was babbling away like a rapid rain, Nong Ying murmured like whispers...
Mr. Liang, who also read Cantong Qi, now fully understood the Chapter "Charming Maiden Yellow Bud," the so-called "The man arises while the woman leans back..." with greater appreciation.
...
...
"Bathing reaches all limbs, the complexion is pleasing and moist,
White hair turns black, teeth regrow in old spots,
Old n beco robust again, elderly won turn into charming young ladies."
In Jiangning Prefecture, within a boudoir at Heavenly Fragrance Courtyard, soone recited leisurely.
Then, addressing a stern-looking Households Military Officer outside the door:
"Sir, you are a descendant of the Laoshan Shangqing Palace, may I ask if you could enlighten further on the profound principles of Cantong Qi?"
As the words fell, the sky above Heavenly Fragrance Courtyard suddenly darkened, and a strong wind blew.
At that mont, a streak of golden light broke through the clouds.
"Great Mighty Dragon!" The person in the boudoir exclaid in shock.
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