Mythic version of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 7309 Differences Between People

Chapter 7309 Differences Between People

So from that moment on, Chen Xi knew that those powerful families would eventually cross his line, and at that time he would have to show them the power to make them realize his mistake.

Reciting scriptures is useless; only physical power is useful!

In essence, foreseeing the future of iron and blood is also a way for Chen Xi to save people. However, he is not saving those aristocratic families who have crossed the line, but saving the vast majority of those who have the same idea but have not yet put it into practice. However, as long as Chen Xi relaxes his guard, they will naturally decline. Therefore, the Chen family and the Zhao family are definitely beyond saving.

“To learn from past mistakes and prevent future ones, and to cure the disease and save lives, just as Marquis Chen said back then, he did not kill for the sake of killing, but chose to kill in order to save more people.” Liu Yi sighed. “And the best way to warn other families is to exterminate the Chen family and Zhao family, who crossed the line this time, along with their entire clan.”

Yuan Shu and Liu Zhang were taken aback by what they heard, as this was completely different from what they had previously known.

“The punishment is unknowable, and the power is unpredictable. This is a practice, a practice that has always been in place. But Lord Chen is different. Lord Chen has clearly explained everything. However, everything that those born before Lord Chen learned and the concepts they formed conflict with the concepts established by Lord Chen. This kind of transformation is almost impossible. This is not something that can be accepted just because you have clearly stated it.” Liu Yi said with a sense of melancholy, “The strength of aristocratic families, in essence, comes from this kind of inheritance and interpretation of the classics.”

Liu Yi was very capable; if he really wanted to be an official, he could have become a governor like Wang Xiong. However, his ambitions lay elsewhere. But precisely because his ambitions lay elsewhere, he was able to view Chen Xi and the aristocratic families from an outsider's perspective.

"It's hard to say whose laws are correct, but it's clear that Lord Chen is more powerful now. Rules should give way to the strong; this is the core of all legal principles. Lord Chen's laws cannot change those elders who lived before him. Their knowledge and the environment they lived in have already solidified them." Liu Yi looked at Yuan Shu and Liu Zhang with a complicated expression as he said this.

Chen Xi did not actually like Yuan Shu and Liu Zhang's style, but he always regarded them as important backbone members. To put it bluntly, it was because although their views were different from Chen Xi's, they could be compatible with Chen Xi's laws and regulations.

A person is a person, regardless of their birth status or social standing. This is Chen Xi's principle.

"Acting as the shepherd of Heaven, the people are cattle and sheep, and I am a dog!" This was the law of Yuan Shu and Liu Zhang.

Chen Xi really couldn't say anything about this. It wasn't a good law, but it was usable because it didn't discriminate; it just treated people equally without treating them as human beings! Okay.

Therefore, Yuan Shu and Liu Zhang were chosen to be Chen Xi's dogs and his blades.

“No matter what the aristocratic families study or learn, there’s no need to consider how rigid they are, or even whether they are intelligent. As long as they are still human, no, even if they are animals, respecting the strong is the foundation.” Liu Yi said softly. “And the blood of Xuzhou, in essence, is Chen Hou’s display of his strength to warn everyone.”

“From now on, as long as Marquis Chen is alive, no noble family will dare to cross the line in this matter,” Liu Yi said in a deep voice.

"Bang, bang, bang." Just as Yuan Shu and Liu Zhang were deep in thought, a series of urgent knocks came from the door. The two looked at each other and were both taken aback.

What's going on? This is Yuan Shu's private residence in Xiapi. Although it's not very big, it's still a three-courtyard house, which is over a thousand square meters. What kind of knocking sound could travel that far?

"Chang'an Secret Guard, open the door and investigate!" Before Yuan Shu and Liu Zhang could even curse, they heard a muffled voice outside the door. Even though there were two doors and a screen wall between them, the voice seemed to be right next to their ears.

The two gasped and hurried toward the door. Before they could get close, a flash of light pierced the hardwood bolt, which was thicker than Yuan Shu's arm, and the guards in black armor rushed in.

After the two teams of secret guards entered, one of them came out carrying a round wooden tray. He held up the Yuanfeng Sword with both hands to show it off, then picked up a copy of the imperial edict from the side and read it aloud on the spot.

"...Their entire clan, regardless of gender, age, social status, kinship, age, disability, status (whether officials, farmers, artisans, merchants, or laypeople), shall be arrested and imprisoned, their names verified, and executed according to the law. No one shall be spared. All collateral relatives, in-laws, associates, loyal followers, and traitors under their command shall be investigated and dealt with strictly without any leniency or pardon..." After the guard finished reading, he placed the edict on the wooden tray.

"Take them all away, and execute anyone who resists on the spot!" The head of the secret guards said with a touch of coldness after reading the imperial edict.

At this moment, Yuan Shu and Liu Zhang were both stunned. The Chen family of Xiapi was just eight streets away, right next door!

“We are not members of the Chen clan of Xiapi,” Liu Yi quickly said.

"This residence belongs to the Chen family of Xiapi. All the residents are relatives and associates. Take them all away!" The secret guard, whose only eyes were visible, said with a hint of coldness.

Unlike the approach taken in Central Asia, where arrests are not made of collateral relatives, in-laws, cronies, loyal followers, or traitors, such as married daughters, sons born into the family, in-laws, cronies, guests, or private soldiers, as long as they are not involved in the case, they are not specifically targeted.

After all, this was the execution of nine generations of a powerful family. If all of them were counted, it wouldn't be a joke if the execution eventually reached Chen Xi. Therefore, since ancient times, there has always been a range for the execution of nine generations of a family. Those within five degrees of kinship would definitely die, but collateral relatives, in-laws, loyal followers, and traitorous guests would not be executed directly. Instead, they would be identified and dealt with severely.

Although they were to be dealt with severely, the probability of them all being executed was very small.

Of course, Chen Xi did not follow the normal method of exterminating nine generations of relatives in Central Asia. If he had followed that method, all the Zhao clan members of the Changling Zhao clan in Jingzhao would have been considered traitors, and the people under the rule of the Zhao clan in Central Asia would have been considered guests of the Zhao clan. That would have required the punishment of nearly 300,000 people!

Therefore, in Central Asia, Chen Xi's order was to have the secret guards take away all members of the Zhao family of Xuzhou according to their family genealogy, without counting those who had defected or had cliques or guests.

But things are different on the mainland. Everyone connected to the Chen and Zhao families will be arrested. They won't be executed, but at the very least, they will be sentenced to hard labor.

The secret guards who came to Xuzhou fully understood Chen Xi's intentions. So they came not to investigate the case, but to exterminate the entire family. At the main residence of the Chen family, anyone who resisted was executed on the spot, regardless of gender or age. As for other private residences belonging to Chen and Zhao, even if the residents were not from the Chen or Zhao families, they were all arrested as traitors. This was a clear order issued by Marquis Chen.

Investigating a case? Investigate my ass!

Chen Xi mobilized the Secret Guard to investigate the case? Chen Xi sent the Secret Guard to wipe out the entire family. They've already mobilized the Secret Guard, and you still don't understand what's going on!

Yuan Shu and Liu Zhang exchanged a glance. To be honest, with the things they carried and their mounts, they could have easily broken through if they wanted to, but after just one look, they gave up the idea and instead took out their seals to prove their identities.

"Marquis Yangcheng and Marquis Xuancheng." After reviewing the seals of the two men, the secret guard who came to deliver the decree became more polite, but still did not let them leave. "I apologize, this is a secret order from Marquis Chen. All private residences of the Chen and Zhao families are under control, and all guests have been apprehended pending verification. Please leave now!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shu and Liu Zhang's expressions both darkened, but they did not make things difficult for the secret guards. The secret guards, of course, did not put shackles on the two men, but instead sent someone to escort them to the Xiapi government office, where Lu Yu, who had brought troops, had taken over. This time, Lu Yu was the one who was truly here to investigate the case, but now it was no longer of much use to check the case files. What they really needed to investigate was how the rice made from the essence of heaven and earth came about.

“Lu Zhizhong, I think checking the case files now is pointless. Let’s be realistic and go directly to his door.” Li Fu looked at Lu Yu, who was much younger than him, without any envy or jealousy. After all, it was already quite absurd for someone his age to become the governor of Nanyang.

Moreover, Lu Yu came to him with a transfer order and brought him to investigate such a major case in Xuzhou, which actually meant that he might be promoted along with Lu Yu. To be honest, for a guy who was not even from a poor family but came from a farming family, to be able to reach the position of deputy governor around the age of forty, Li Fu himself felt that his ancestors' graves were emitting auspicious smoke, because it was just too outrageous.

Compared to others who all have some kind of backing, Li Fu truly has no backing. He doesn't even have any cronies; he's purely a playboy with exceptional abilities.

"Should we go directly to the Chen family in Xiapi?" Lu Yu put down the dossier in his hand and said with a heavy tone, "The secret guards there are arresting people, and it's not time for us to interrogate them yet."

“If that’s the case, I think it’s simpler. Lu Zhizhong, where do you think the essence of heaven and earth for rice comes from?” Seeing Lu Yu speak like this, Li Fu stopped talking about the interrogation and changed his approach.

Lu Yu remained silent for a while after hearing this. The essence of heaven and earth in the world, especially in such a large quantity, could only come from two directions: Yangzhou and Fusang. Unless it was Cang Hou himself who took action, it was impossible for anyone else to produce such a large quantity.

"It seems you guessed it too," Li Fu said calmly.

“Yes, there are only two answers.” Lu Yu nodded. “But if there are only two answers, some things could be really life-threatening.”

“It’s not that I’m afraid of losing my life.” Li Fu shook his head and said, “The summer grain crop failed. Seedlings sprouted in the ground, but they were wiped out by pests and diseases. It was a complete crop failure. Lu Zhizhong, you come from a wealthy family, so you may not understand what a crop failure means. As for me, I come from a real farming family. In my poorest days, I survived on wild leeks from the graveyard.”

When he said this, Li Fu showed no shame or jealousy towards Lu Yu, because to be honest, he had really relied on his own abilities to get to this level, and was now not much worse than Lu Yu.

Therefore, Li Fu remained calm and wouldn't lose his composure just because he saw someone like Lu Yu. This was because he had truly witnessed the old era and knew what it was like back then. To stand out? What a joke! He had absolutely no chance of standing out back then!

But now, it's not just a matter of him standing out anymore. If we're being honest, he's already one of those people Emperor Xuan mentioned back then, the kind of people who share the world with me, those with salaries of two thousand shi (a unit of grain).

He was the Prefect of Nanyang, a major city in the country, a trading center, and one of the most populous prefectures. In terms of status, he was only slightly inferior to the Governor. He was truly a man with a bright future. More importantly, Li Fu knew perfectly well why he was able to sit in this position. It wasn't because of any connections or background, but simply because of a bit of luck, coupled with his extraordinary ability to truly serve the people.

As someone who came from a farming family and was no different from a stray dog ​​on the roadside during his poorest days, Li Fu knew very well what he needed, which was also what the common people needed. Then some things would be much easier to solve. What I once needed, I have the opportunity to make available to ordinary people. So the direction must be right!

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu slowly nodded, "Then I would like to ask Prefect Li to accompany me to the Langya region. There are some things I do need to investigate."

"Of course, of course." Li Fu nodded, then handed Lu Yu the things he had gathered from visiting local areas after arriving in Xuzhou. Although he was also investigating a case, Li Fu was a complete country bumpkin. But it was precisely because he was a country bumpkin that he could blend into the crowd of ordinary people very naturally.

When Lu Yu went to the countryside, he couldn't call an old woman "Auntie," but Li Fu could easily chat with the group of people. As the saying goes, Li Fu didn't believe that there were any secrets in the world. Some things that ordinary people saw might not be understood, but if you say they didn't see them, then you are underestimating the eyes that are everywhere in the world.

Moreover, the fact that such a major event as the crop failure in Xuzhou did not cause a major upheaval is not due to the skill of the Xuzhou officials, but rather the effectiveness of Chen Xi's stabilization granaries over the years. Even though most people will not go berserk because of the efforts of the Xuzhou officials in recent years, after all, they still have some surplus grain at home and have not yet reached the point of turning against each other.

Just like when Li Fu was in Wei County, even if there was a complete crop failure, considering the good weather and abundant harvests over the years, there would still be some surplus grain in the family, enough to last for a month or two. Therefore, a short-term uprising was unlikely. In addition, after the actual crop failure, the officials in Xuzhou, regardless of their motives, would do the same thing as Li Fu back then: choose to provide disaster relief immediately.

So the people of Xuzhou don't seem to have any serious resentment, but to say they really don't is definitely not true. This was a total crop failure; they really didn't harvest a single grain, not just a few bushels per mu.

Lu Yu might not understand this, but Li Fu was perfectly clear that the people of Xuzhou simply didn't show that kind of anger. Because of the government's credibility over the past ten years, coupled with the decisive release of grain from the granaries after the incident, it was enough for the people of Xuzhou to suppress their anger. But it was suppressed, not that it didn't exist.

"What are these?" Lu Yu looked at the things Li Fu handed over, quickly flipped through them a few times, and then his expression became much more serious.

“Although it has been confirmed that it was a man-made disaster, these are enough to serve as corroborating evidence,” Li Fu said calmly. “There are quite a few officials in Xuzhou who are involved in this matter, but there are also officials who are not involved. After all, there are also those who want to do some work, gain some seniority, and then get promoted to bring glory to their families. Everyone has their own needs.”

"And I know who is most eager to work at what stage," Li Fu added to himself, after all, that's how he went through it.

"These corroborating evidences?" Lu Yu's expression turned serious as he looked at them, realizing for the first time just how much of a terrorist the person Jia Xu and others called the "King of Scrolls" truly was.

"This is a very serious matter. It's a complete crop failure. It might seem normal now, but in the past, this place would have experienced far more turmoil than the Yellow Turban Rebellion. During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, even a single acre of land could still yield at least a bushel or two of grain, so we wouldn't have nothing. But now, we truly have nothing." Li Fu's expression became extremely grave. He had experienced it firsthand, so he understood just how important food was to ordinary farmers.

What is happening now may seem insignificant to the wealthy and powerful, but to officials like Li Fu, who truly come from humble backgrounds, it is a matter of driving the people to their deaths, to starve them to death. This is forcing the people to rebel.

However, this era had enough room for maneuver and enough savings to allow the people to continue living. But these things didn't fall from the sky; they were built up by Marquis Chen bit by bit, and then they were just consumed out of thin air.

So saying anything about being deadly is meaningless to Li Fu. He had seen things that were truly deadly twenty years ago, so what he was talking about now was also deadly.

"Zhizhong, even if the Fisheries Bureau along the coast of Xuzhou is full of rebels, what does that matter?" Li Fu said calmly. "I have seen tens of millions of rebels in the whole country back then, and I have seen the true hearts and minds of the people. This level is not worth mentioning at all."

Lu Yu nodded upon hearing this. Li Fu was a bureaucrat who had truly experienced a lot. His experience of climbing from the bottom to this level gave him insights that were completely different from those of other bureaucrats.

“So there’s no need to worry about those irrelevant things.” Li Fu looked at Lu Yu with complete composure. “Just go and investigate. I don’t believe that all the shipyards and fisheries staff along the coast of Xuzhou are traitors. There may be greedy and ambitious people among them, but there won’t be many real traitors.”

“But this case…” Lu Yu sighed upon hearing this.

“Those who deserve to die should be killed.” Li Fu’s eyes were even somewhat cold. “In my opinion, those who set up schemes involving grain deserve to die. As for the situation with the Fisheries Department, I can only wish them good luck. I hope they were mentally prepared when they did it.”

Lying in bed