Reality had proven that opportunities were only given to those who were prepared and those who were extremely lucky.
If one did not have European blood, then it was better to be prepared. Who knew when the opportunity would come.
The incident with the Cui's quickly spread among the circle of friends of the gentry in Chongzhou. There were many who were envious and jealous.
The group of people who were originally trembling with fear were now scratching their heads and thinking about how to get a share of the spoils.
They did not ask for the same treatment as the Cui's, but they should at least get a share of the spoils!
The gentry were used to reading people's minds.
Jiang Pengji did not need to say it clearly. She only needed to let out some news and they would follow the scent.
Because of the exploitation of the fields and the slave trade, she relied on the fact that she had a strong army in her hands and ruthlessly attacked the aristocratic families of Chongzhou.
Now that the Cui's were rushing to deliver the fields, she was all smiles and praised the Cui's greatly. She even had the intention to support the Cui's rise to power.
What did this mean?
It meant that Jiang Pengji wanted to take back the fields that belonged to the people. If they did not give it to her, she would keep them locked up and see who could outlast the other.
If Jiang Pengji was strong, the gentry would definitely stick together under the pressure of survival and work together to fight against her.
However, the Cui's chose to rely on Jiang Pengji. Because of this, they gained huge benefits that far exceeded what they had invested.
As a result, the gentry began to mutter in their hearts.
Instead of killing 1,000 enemies and sacrificing 800 of their own, it would be better to fight for a win-win situation.
Of course, those who had such thoughts were mostly from mediocre families. As for the gentry who flaunted their nobility, they would rather break than bend.
Want them to give in?
Sure, let Jiang Pengji personally visit them. Even if it was not three visits, she had to make two trips to give them face. Otherwise, there would be no discussion. With such thoughts in mind, different voices emerged in the circle of friends of the gentry in Chongzhou. Naturally, they could not stick together.
"Build virtue with kindness, build authority with strictness, reward for merit, and punish for mistakes. This is the way to govern." Qiguan Rang finished his work and leisurely brewed tea for himself. Hearing the report from his subordinate, he smiled and said to Jiang Pengji, "My lord's tactics are becoming more and more sophisticated."
Jiang Pengji snorted. Although she did not say anything, the curl of her lips revealed her feelings.
Qiguan Rang knew that his lord was in a good mood.
Her expression was just like his daughter's when she was praised by her parents.
Jiang Pengji felt that her subordinates seemed to have misunderstood her. She tried to clear her name. "It's better to be straight than to do things. Your lord isn't the kind of stubborn person who won't turn back until she hits a brick wall. If being flexible can reduce trouble, I won't disdain to do it. "
Qiguan Rang smiled but said nothing.
He had known Jiang Pengji for more than six years. It could even be said that he had watched her grow up. How could he not know the changes in her?
Jiang Pengji was not anxious at all. She sat on the fishing platform calmly and smiled as she watched the group of fishes fighting for their own interests.
The aristocratic families that she had placed under house arrest earlier were also dumbfounded.
In their script, Jiang Pengji should be boycotted by the aristocratic families of Chongzhou. They should exert pressure on her and force her to submit.
When Jiang Pengji could not take it anymore, she would release them from house arrest. They could then take the opportunity to guide public opinion and clear their names once and for all.
Who could tell them what was going on?
Why was reality so different from the script they had read?
A loud bang broke the sorrowful atmosphere.
The people who were sobbing softly were so frightened that they did not dare to make a sound.
The gloomy and heavy mourning hall was hung with white banners and white silk. A coffin made of gold-threaded nanmu was placed in the middle.
Because the entire clan was placed under house arrest on the clan land, not only could they not hold a grand funeral, they could not even bury the coffin.
After some inquiries, they found out that the aristocratic families of Chongzhou were wavering in their stance. The hot-tempered clan elder exploded on the spot and threw his cup in anger.
"Son of the Liu family! You've gone too far! "
The white-haired clan elder was so angry that he was about to have a heart attack. The muscles on his face twitched strangely.
"Clan elder, what should we do now? Liu Xi obviously doesn't want to let us off easily. Are we supposed to keep him under house arrest and prevent the old master from being able to rest in peace? It has been dragged on for more than 20 days. If it continues to drag on, I'm afraid it will be difficult for the deceased husband's resentment to dissipate … "
The widow wore mourning clothes and mourning clothes. Her eyes were filled with tears, and her delicate and pitiful demeanor added to her charm.
The clan elder said fiercely, "Even if the resentment is difficult to dissipate, it's still seeking revenge on Liu Xi. Why are you panicking? Women just don't have any experience. Shut your mouth! Liu Xi knows that if he wants to snatch it by force, once he gives in, the consequences will be unimaginable! Can you bear such a huge responsibility? "
The woman had never had her own views. Her husband favored his concubine and neglected his wife. She did not dare to fight for anything for herself.
Now that her husband had passed away and she had no children, she was even more helpless. As the wife of the royal family, she was scolded and insulted by the clan elder in public.
In a daze, she looked at the coffin in the hall and cried even more miserably.
She was not crying for losing her husband. She was crying for her dark and unknown future.
She had no children, her husband was dead, and the direct line of descent was lost. She was no longer the wife of the royal family.
Similar scenes played out in the various clans. One by one, they scolded Jiang Pengji. They held onto the land in their hands and refused to let go.
Jiang Pengji did not care much. With the Cui's pledge of allegiance, she received many more "pledges of allegiance" over the next few days.
The land that she obtained was not considered fertile, but it was more than enough to train the troops, build a military camp, and set up a papermaking workshop.
As for farming, she brought her people to investigate the field.
She studied the situation at the borders and the geography of various places. She chose four key districts for farming.
Because a few of the aristocratic families in Chongzhou were placed under house arrest, many places had vacancies. After Jiang Pengji picked and chose, she either threw the positions to the small aristocratic families that sought refuge with her and let them have a taste of the sweetness. Or, she placed the people she had groomed in the positions and let them practice.
After a round of beating and bestowing favors, the atmosphere in Chongzhou changed.
Anyone who thought that they had nine lives could come and see if she would kill them or not.
Without this as a backing, who would give in to her?
Jiang Pengji ruthlessly reorganized the forces in Chongzhou. She pulled in one group and beat another. Then, she cultivated her own forces. She was having a lot of fun.
"Based on this situation, the aristocratic families in Chongzhou will suffer a great loss."
Wei Ci received the news and was not surprised.
Tsk … Thinking about Hu County in his previous life, she was even more ruthless.
She surrounded them at night and massacred the aristocratic families.
It was a huge case that shocked the court.
At that time, the prestige of the court was at rock bottom. The officials and the military pushed the blame to each other. Instead, she took advantage of the situation.
She caused such a huge commotion. There were countless people who condemned her, but nothing happened in the end.
In comparison, Chongzhou only lost a few leading aristocratic families. That was a blessing to their ancestors.
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