Feng Zhen smiled bitterly. This was indeed his lord's unique style of doing things.
Killing was just a matter of nodding to the ground. The most troublesome part was dealing with the aftermath.
Seeing Feng Zhen's expression, Jiang Pengji furrowed her brows and asked him, "Zi Shi doesn't agree?"
Feng Zhen shook his head. It wasn't that he didn't agree, he was just worried. The aristocratic families in Chongzhou weren't big, but the relationships between them were very complicated. If the lord chose to cut them all off, it would cause more trouble. But if she didn't do anything about it, where would the lord's dignity be?
"Why don't we … just kill the bandit leaders?" Feng Zhen suggested against his will. He had been with Jiang Pengji for a long time, and his preferences had changed. Compared to intricate schemes, he preferred simple and violent methods. But as a strategist, he couldn't act on impulse. He had to prioritize the lord's interests.
"There's no need. Just kill them all." Jiang Pengji's eyes shone with a cold glint. "Letting a tiger return to the mountains will lead to endless trouble. In a place like Chongzhou, the temple is small, but the wind is strong. The relationships between them are complicated. If we only kill the bandit leaders, it's the same as letting them preserve their strength. As long as they are alive, they can make a comeback if they seize the opportunity. Rather than that, we might as well kill them all. "
If we only kill the bandit leaders, the remaining people will still cause trouble.
If that's the case, we might as well uproot them and not leave any future troubles.
"These families are a lesson to be learned from. Punish them harshly and let others see what happens when they betray the country!"
Since Jiang Pengji had said so, Feng Zhen naturally wouldn't object.
He narrowed his eyes slyly and his lips curled into a scheming smile.
In the days when Jiang Pengji wasn't around, he had suffered many grievances. Now that he could get back at her, how could he not be happy?
Feng Zhen obeyed her orders and went to make arrangements. Only Jiang Pengji and the silent Qiguan Rang were left.
"Are you alright? Does your wound still hurt? "Jiang Pengji asked softly.
Qiguan Rang's stiff lips twitched. He said, "This time … I really suffered an unexpected disaster."
Jiang Pengji understood the meaning behind his words. She restrained the smile on her lips and resumed her cold expression.
"Do you think the people who assassinated you were the aristocrats of Chongzhou or …" Jiang Pengji asked Qiguan Rang in a low voice.
Qiguan Rang thought for a while, his brows furrowed, and he said in a low voice, "I'm afraid it's a borrowed knife to kill. On the surface, it's the aristocratic families of Chongzhou who have lost their minds and sent assassins, but in the dark, there's another master. That person is extremely cautious. If I didn't take precautions in advance, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to find any clues. "
Jiang Pengji took a deep breath and suppressed the restlessness and anger in her heart.
Qiguan Rang continued, "Even so, that person did not leave behind any evidence. Rang is only … suspicious."
Jiang Pengji furrowed her brows. Her eyes seemed to be surging with a thick and frightening fierceness.
"Your Highness, you must not let your guard down." Qiguan Rang clenched the feather fan in his hand and used it to knock on the table. It made a crisp sound and interrupted Jiang Pengji's train of thought. "A little impatience will spoil a great plan. Let me think that the other party doesn't really want to take my life. It's most likely a test."
Jiang Pengji raised her eyes and looked at Qiguan Rang.
"You also think that person is testing us?"
What was there to test?
To test whether Jiang Pengji had already discovered the other party's existence.
If she was discovered, the conflict between the two would definitely surface. The other party could change his plan as soon as possible.
If after the test, he discovered that Jiang Pengji was still ignorant, the other party could be at ease and continue to lurk behind the scenes.
"I'm at least 70% sure." Qiguan Rang waved his feather fan and lowered his eyes. "Your Highness, you must be careful. Don't let the cat out of the bag."
Jiang Pengji said, "I will pretend that nothing happened … Let's see who can't hold back their anger first."
Recently, the atmosphere in Chongzhou was treacherous. It was as if it was shrouded in a layer of low pressure that made it hard for people to breathe.
When everyone received the news of Jiang Pengji's return to Chongzhou, another piece of news spread.
"How dare she!!!"
When they first heard that Jiang Pengji wanted to wipe out the aristocratic families of Chongzhou who participated in the rebellion, the entire aristocratic circle boiled over.
They had more or less heard about the few families, but they never thought that Liu Xi would be so ruthless as to wipe out their entire families.
"Why wouldn't she dare? Those few idiots were arrogant. While Liu Xi was not in Chongzhou, they secretly contacted the northern borderline. Now that Dongqing is no longer a country, they only did it for their own future. There is nothing wrong with it. Of all the things he should not have done, he should not have been discovered by Liu Xi. Now that the evidence is in his hands, do you think Liu Xi will be merciful and let them go? "
Some were furious, while others looked on coldly from the sidelines.
The former were filled with righteous indignation and felt sympathetic for the loss of their own kind. The latter were ultimately outsiders, calmly watching the situation in Chongzhou change.
"But … How can we be in cahoots with such a ruthless person who massacred the aristocratic families?"
Do not punish the officials, do not punish the commoners.
The original meaning of this sentence should be that the scholar-officials should not receive preferential treatment in sentencing, and the commoners should not be excluded from etiquette.
But as the times changed, this sentence became the golden medal and privilege of the aristocratic class.
Now, it was twisted to mean that the scholar-officials had the privilege of not being punished, and the commoners did not have the right to be treated with courtesy.
Although the aristocratic families in Chongzhou were nouveau riches in the aristocratic circle, they were still above the commoners.
Jiang Pengji wanted the lives of their entire clan because of the crime of "secretly contacting the northern borderline." It was unreasonable.
According to their thinking, a heavy punishment would suffice. Why would there be a need to resort to violence?
"Based on this, this woman will definitely lose the hearts of the people. Sooner or later, she will die without a burial."
Faced with such a statement, the clear-headed people smiled bitterly.
They were very clear that as long as Liu Xi held the military power in his hands, the aristocratic families in Chongzhou would not be able to hurt her.
A few scholars found Jiang Pengji together and advised her. They talked loudly, and the core meaning was that she was in the wrong.
If it was a commoner who had colluded with the enemy and committed treason, they deserved to die.
However, the person who had secretly contacted the northern borderline was an aristocratic family. They only needed to be taught a harsh lesson, fined, and punished. There was no need to take their lives.
Dongqing had a law. The aristocratic families could use enough money to exempt them from the death penalty.
Even if it was a crime like secretly contacting the northern borderline, as long as they could afford it, they could be acquitted according to the law.
Jiang Pengji looked at them coldly for a long time.
After an hour …
"Are you all thirsty?"
The scholars echoed each other. They were eloquent, but unfortunately, there was a hole in their brains.
The scholars bowed to Jiang Pengji and stood proudly on the spot. They said, "Magistrate Liu, please reconsider."
Jiang Pengji said coldly, "Looks like you're not thirsty. That's fine. I don't want to throw you into the well in the backyard and dirty my water. Someone, throw out these fellows who have an undeserved reputation. From now on, if they dare to come to our door again, break their legs! "
After the scholars heard this, their faces turned ashen.
Jiang Pengji narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Throw them out!"
The scholars wanted to say something, but when they saw the guards in armor and brandishing their blades, they were as quiet as chickens, not daring to make a sound.
It was at this moment that Fu Wang and Li Yun stepped in with a bloody aura.
The scholars saw them and felt uneasy.
"Is it done?" Jiang Pengji asked.
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