"Keep an eye on all of them. I'll investigate further." Jiang Pengji said to Fu Wang, "Before that, don't allow any of them to enter or leave the house or receive guests. Don't allow any servants to leave the city gate. If anyone is found to have violated the rules, kill them on the spot. "
Fu Wang said, "I understand."
Jiang Pengji ordered people to keep the boxes and keep an eye on them day and night to prevent any mistakes.
Liu She said, "Lanting, you're being too extreme. I'm worried that the aristocratic families in Chongzhou will act recklessly and start a mutiny."
The aristocratic families that were killed were the bigger ones in Chongzhou. There were other small aristocratic families that were not involved.
If Jiang Pengji made a big move, the small gentry clans would act upon hearing the news and think that they were threatened. Who knew what they would do?
Jiang Pengji thought about it and said, "Father's worries are not unreasonable. That's why I didn't exterminate all of them. I'm just keeping them locked up. When they think it through and spit out what doesn't belong to them, I'll set them free. The aristocratic families in Chongzhou … Heh, we'll have time to settle the score in the future. They can escape today, but they can't escape tomorrow … "
Liu She nodded and said, "It's good that you think that way. It's never too late for a gentleman to take revenge. Only by judging the situation can one last. "
If Jiang Pengji's style of doing things was as fast as lightning, Liu She's style was silent.
It was hard to say which was better. The former was fast and had many hidden dangers. The latter was slow, but it could reduce many twists and turns.
Jiang Pengji seemed to have thought of something and reminded Liu She.
"Father, third brother seems to like extravagant things?"
Liu She's face darkened. He said shamefully, "Maybe he didn't take good care of himself when he was young. He became like this."
It was as if he had never seen a big scene before. He was startled by everything and wished he could hang all the good stuff on him.
Liu Zhao's sword was inlaid with gold and silver and decorated with gems. He looked like a nouveau riche.
Liu She tried to correct him a few times, but Liu Zhao refused to change.
Jiang Pengji laughed and said, "Third brother is still young. There's plenty of time to train him. I mentioned him because I wanted to tell Father to stay in the mansion for the next few days and not run around, so as to avoid being targeted by those villains who are desperate to take risks … "
Her actions had offended all the aristocratic families in Chongzhou.
They had no way of retaliating against her. They couldn't touch Liu She, but it was hard to guarantee that they wouldn't target Liu Zhao.
"I will be careful." Liu She nodded and added, "You be careful too."
After leaving the main hall, Jiang Pengji heaved a sigh of relief.
She was about to look for Feng Zhen and the others to discuss what to do next when she caught a glimpse of a head popping out from the corner of her eye.
"Zhao 'er," she called.
Liu Zhao had changed into a new set of clothes. His style was just as noble and gorgeous, and he looked like a rich young man who had walked out of a painting.
"Sister!"
Having been caught red-handed by Jiang Pengji, Liu Zhao was feeling guilty. When he heard how Jiang Pengji addressed him, his eyes lit up again.
"What are you doing there?"
"Of course I'm waiting for sister. There are some things that I'm not very clear about."
Jiang Pengji asked, "What is it?"
Liu Zhao hemmed and hawed for a while, his face almost turning red.
"They … Did they really do such a disgraceful thing?"
Liu Zhao's eyes drifted and he asked very softly.
Although he was the son of a concubine, he was from the Liu family of Hejian. His body was branded with the mark of the aristocratic families.
Liu Zhao was proud of his family background. He had never thought that the aristocratic families were so glamorous on the surface, but they had done such dirty deeds behind the scenes.
"Of course it's true. Zhao 'er, you're not young anymore. Look for me in the future and let me bring you to see the outside world. If you really can't, look for the housekeeper and let him tell you what the real world is like. You're always in the backyard. What kind of knowledge can you have? "
Liu Zhao's cheeks turned red. His eyes were filled with shame.
Jiang Pengji continued, "The scandals that the aristocratic families in Chongzhou have done are far more than what I've revealed. Explain the facts one by one. "
Jiang Pengji added that they had colluded with the enemy and sold their country, but what was the difference between what they had done and colluded with the enemy and sold their country?
Jiang Pengji's words could not be considered as wronging them.
Liu Zhao laughed bitterly. He stammered, "Sister … Is our family … like this too?"
If that was the case, Liu Zhao really could not enjoy everything with a clear conscience.
Jiang Pengji said, "Your family has a big business. Why would they need to do such immoral things? Only those who are greedy and have shallow knowledge will use all their energy to exploit and amass wealth. The people are like water. Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. Such a simple principle, yet no one understands it. "
Liu Zhao heaved a sigh of relief. He thought of the scene he had just seen. His heart was filled with indignation and anger.
"Sister, you've only locked them up. Is there a next step? From what I see, their crimes can be exterminated. "
Although Liu Zhao was born bashful, his bones were tough. He even had a hint of abhorrence for evil.
Jiang Pengji said, "There's no rush. We have to prioritize when we do things. If we want to settle accounts with them, we can do so at any time. "
Liu Zhao heard another meaning. Sister, was she planning to deal with them gently?
She smiled and said, "The most important thing now is to take back the land in their hands, resettle the people of Chongzhou, and let them live in peace. One person's energy is limited. I can only take care of the people first. When the situation is completely stabilized, I will have the energy to deal with these vermin. If we only care about competing with them, the longer it drags on, the more the people will suffer … "
For Jiang Pengji, she could deal with the aristocratic families of Chongzhou at any time, but she could not let the suffering people continue to suffer.
Liu Zhao was silent for a while. He did not expect Jiang Pengji to give such a reason.
Two flowers bloomed, one on each side.
What happened in the prefecture government quickly spread throughout Chongzhou. Just as Liu She predicted, the small gentry families were trembling with fear and unease.
However, Jiang Pengji caused such a huge commotion. In the end, she only locked them up and did not take any further actions.
This action made people scratching their heads in confusion.
At this critical juncture where everyone was in danger, the Cui family welcomed a special guest.
"I am a servant of the Liu prefecture magistrate. I have been ordered to send the young Langjun back to his ancestral home."
Feng Zhen was dressed in a neat and tidy scholarly robe. He wore a headpiece and restrained his frivolous expression. When he was serious, he looked rather noble.
When the leader of the Cui family heard Feng Zhen's invitation, he hurriedly went out to welcome him.
Jiang Pengji had told him early on that his wife had given birth to a son for him during the earthquake. The son did not die and was brought to Wanzhou's Xiangyang district by two loyal servants to be raised for two years. Ever since he received the news, he had been looking forward to it day and night. He was already burning with anxiety.
He and Feng Zhen greeted each other and looked anxiously at the horse carriage behind Feng Zhen.
The curtain of the carriage was lifted, revealing a small head.
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