Chapter 178

The courtyard that Tian Binfei lived in was opposite to the courtyard that Tian Miaowen lived in. The door was not locked and there were no guards patrolling the courtyard, but no one dared to cross the line. In reality, there were many people in the Tian family who did not know what it was like inside the house that was adjacent to the ancestral shrine.

Every member of the Tian family had paid their respects to the ancestral shrine, but not every member of the Tian family had the opportunity to enter the eldest branch's mansion. This place was like the White Tiger Hall that mobilized troops, but it was also like the central cabinet that gave out orders. Even the naughty children of the Tian family who were still ignorant of the world, would consciously avoid this place when climbing trees to dig bird nests or crawling through dog holes to hide from cats. Their family's warnings made them understand from a young age that this was the place where the Tian family was supreme.

Ever since Tian Binfei passed away, it was like an invisible lock had been placed on this place. No one had ever entered again. The servants that originally lived in the house had also moved out. Tian Miaowen pushed open the door and walked into the courtyard. She saw the yellow leaves on the ground. As the door opened and the wind flowed, the leaves gently rolled on the ground. It was like a sleeping soul had suddenly awakened them.

That day had passed a long time ago, but when Tian Miaowen stepped into this courtyard, she still felt an uncontrollable sadness. She stood quietly in the courtyard for a long time, standing alone in the middle of the courtyard. She let the yellow leaves rustle under her skirt.

After a long time, she lightly moved her feet and walked towards Tian Binfei's study room. It had been a long time, but under Tian Miaowen's orders, no one dared to enter without permission. Therefore, there were fewer people in the study room. Every day, it was cleaned and cleaned, but the room still looked spotless.

There were priceless treasures on the antique shelves. There were priceless ancient paintings on the walls. There was a table, a chair, a table and a stool. They were all ancient. This set of furniture had been used by the previous masters of the Tian Clan. It had been passed down for nearly a thousand years. When the Tian family moved out of the old house, they moved here. They built the study room according to the original style and placed it in the original style.

Tian Miaowen knelt down in front of the lacquered wooden table that Tian Binfei usually used to deal with affairs. She gently stroked the protruding wooden patterns on the edge of the table. After a moment of reminiscence, she sighed and touched the bead in the mouth of a strange little beast on the table. She slowly rolled it.

The table was carved with an ancient beast pattern. There were four strange beasts on each corner. They either had wings on their backs or had claws like dragons. They all had a wooden bead in their mouths. This wooden bead was hollow and could be moved.

Tian Miaowen didn't touch it randomly. Three circles to the left, two circles to the right, and one circle to the left. Every time, she chose a wooden pattern on the wooden bead and the wooden pattern on the table. When the four wooden beads were all plucked in this manner, the four flying bear-shaped legs that supported the table made a 'cha' sound, each spitting out a palm-sized piece of wood from its mouth.

Tian Miaowen took out the two pieces of wood and put them on the table. They looked like two ordinary pieces of wood. When Tian Miaowen casually picked up the bronze candlestick on the side and gently pushed it in the middle of the two pieces of wood, a miracle happened. A cylinder was pushed out from the middle of the two pieces of wood.

Tian Miaowen gently pulled out the two cylinders. Her hands dexterously pulled, bent and twisted. Every time she moved, the pieces of wood in her hands changed. They weren't two complete pieces of wood. They were pieced together with a mortise and rivet structure. With Tian Miaowen's movements, they were constantly disassembled and turned into a pile of strangely shaped wood.

After the two pieces of wood were dismantled, there was a pile of unknown strange wood on the table. Tian Miaowen began to assemble them one by one. She had learned two ways to assemble this set of wood, but she didn't have many opportunities to use it before, so she was still unfamiliar with it.

After a long time, the pile of wood was assembled into a key in her hands. It was a wooden key with a strange shape. She picked up the key and walked to the front of the antique shelf. Taking a deep breath, she inserted the key into an irregular hole on the shelf that seemed to be used for decoration.

Turning it three times, a heavy sound of rails came from the wall. The wall was like a barrier door, slowly moving to the side. From the thickness of the wall, there was a heavy iron door inside the wooden planks. There was a row of secret compartments in the iron door, and in each compartment was a box.

These boxes were moved to the table by Tian Miaowen. When they were opened, there was a choking smell. Each box contained insect and mosquito repellent medicine. Tian Miaowen took out a stack of documents from the box and placed them on the table.

The Tian family's spy system, business system, secretly purchased land in the Central Plains, and the mines in the southwest that were secretly controlled by the Tian family …

The Tian family's foundation was actually much greater than the power that was exposed on the surface. It was like a giant tree that had been sawed in half. There was only a stump the size of a millstone left on the ground, but there was still a huge root system underground.

Tian Miaowen did not open the last box because that box could only be controlled by the head of the family. That box contained connections. It was a huge network that the Tian family used money and favors to build up from generation to generation.

Only when that person died, everything related to that person hidden in the box would be destroyed. Otherwise, whoever had these secrets could make those people work for him to the best of their ability.

Tian Miaowen didn't notice that the lacquer on this box was cleaner than the other boxes, because the secret compartment was very clean to begin with, so it was hard to notice the slight difference.

She gently touched everything on the table. These were the accumulation of the Tian family's hard work for generations. They were the ultimate power of the Tian family. The edict of Emperor Yongle had become an insurmountable moat for the revival of the Tian Clan. But the Tian family was not disappointed. It had been accumulating power.

The test for Tian Jiaxin had reached its final stage. With Tian Miaowen's wisdom, she already knew the only result. The process might be a little bumpy, but the result was already decided. After this test, there were no more obstacles on the path of Tian Jiaxin to the throne of the family. She could hand over the power with peace of mind.

"It's time to hand them over to Shigurō …"

Tian Miaowen sighed softly. Her heart was empty. Her brother, whom she depended on for survival, was no longer in this world. The goal she had fought for since she was young was finally going to be given up with her marriage. It was inevitable that she felt a little disappointed …

…

Guiyang had two government offices of local officials. Note that these were not private properties set up by local officials in Guiyang. They were government offices that had the right to know, discuss, and make decisions on Guizhou's government affairs. They were recognized by the imperial court.

One of the two local officials' offices was called Zhai Ji. It belonged to the An family, the first chieftain in Shuixi. The other was called Bei Ya. It belonged to the Song family, the first chieftain in Shuidong. The two families had been in power since the first year of Hongwu. They were in charge of Guizhou's affairs.

What was more coincidental was that when the Shuixi Consolation Commissioner passed away, his son was still young. At that time, his wife, She Xiang, was in charge. The Shuidong Consolation Commissioner, Song Qin, also passed away in the first year of Hongwu. Because his son was still young, his wife, Liu Shuzhen, was in charge.

These two women became the highest rulers of Guizhou's local government at that time. Female rulers were more rational and had a gentler way of ruling. Perhaps it was because of this that the local rulers of Guizhou got along well with the strong-willed Hongwu the Great.

Since then, the relationship between the Song family and the imperial court had been very harmonious until today. This was because the current family head of the Song family was a hero who was soft on the outside but hard on the inside. The governor appointed by the imperial court, Ye Mengxiong, was also a hero who was soft on the outside but hard on the inside. After tearing apart the surface layer of softness, the collision between the two was unusually fierce.

In the Bei Ya, the atmosphere was very tense. The first thing the family head, Song Yingming, did when he returned from the Futai yamen was to announce that he would be relieved of his position as the family head and pass it to his son, Song Tiandao. He would also be expelled from the family. This caused the Song Clan's men and horses in Guiyang City to be quite frightened.

Song Tiandao saw his father's ashen face and his anger. He was also frightened and led the people to kneel on the ground to beg. Song Yingming steeled his heart and did not change his words. He said to his son coldly, "From today onwards, the Shuidong, Guizhu, and the other ten Changzhan under the jurisdiction of the Twelve Horse Leaders of Hongbian will all be handed over to you. Take good care of the family business. Don't let me down! "

How could Song Tiandao not understand his father's intentions? He anxiously kowtowed and said, "Father, I understand your intentions. With me here, how can I let you take such a risk? I will ask to be removed from the family register. Let me handle the matter of saving my sister! "

Song Yingming slapped the table and said, "Bastard! Death is so easy! I am already so old. How many more years can I live? If you don't take on that heavy responsibility, do you want me to? "

As he said this, a servant came to report that Song Jiaxin, the Fourteenth Wang of the Liangsi Tian Clan, was asking to see him. With Song Jiaxin's status, it was still difficult for him to see Song Tiandao. He was not qualified to see Song Yingming. However, Song Tiandao was eager for someone to break this deadlock. His eyes lit up and he said, "Quick, invite him in! No, I will go welcome him personally! "

Tian Jiaxin had thought it through along the way. The suggestion he made was the best solution to ease the dispute between the Song family and Futai. It did not affect the interests of the Song family much. As long as he knew the pros and cons, it would be a convenient way out. Song Yingming would certainly agree.

In addition, he had already seen Ye Mengxiong before and had experienced the sea. His mentality was better adjusted. When he walked into Shilu Hall and saw Song Yingming, his expression was much calmer. As soon as Tian Jiaxin saw Song Yingming, he bowed deeply and said, "Nephew Tian Jiaxin greets Uncle Song!"

Song Yingming said lightly, "The Fourteenth Wang of the Tian family? What business do you have to see me for? "

Tian Jiaxin said, "The Song family's little sister was imprisoned for my Dalang. The entire Tian family is ashamed. I came here today to thank the Song family and the Song family's little sister for their care and concern for the Tian family. Secondly, I want to do my part in rescuing the little sister from prison! "

Song Yingming's gaze froze. "The Fourteenth Wang is already the master of the Tian Clan of this generation?"

Tian Jiaxin straightened his back and said in a neither servile nor overbearing manner, "Yes!"

Of course, he had not officially become the master of the Tian Clan. Although Tian Miaowen's attitude was very clear, as long as he did not sit firmly in his position, he would not dare to call himself so. However, after the negotiation with Ye Xiaotian, he also became enlightened. If you can't make the decision, why should others talk to you? If one wanted to make a decision, one had to have the qualifications. Sometimes, a well-intentioned lie was unavoidable.

Although Tian Jiaxin's seniority was low, since he had become the master of the Tian Clan, then he had the same status as Song Yingming. Song Yingming glanced at him in surprise and said, "Virtuous nephew, please sit!"

Song Yingming invited Tian Jiaxin to sit at the head of the guests. In a deep voice, he said, "My daughter has been locked up in prison by that old man Ye Mengxiong. I have personally negotiated, but that old man is still not willing to relent. Virtuous nephew, how dare you speak of a plan to have that old man release her?"

Tian Jiaxin smiled bitterly and said, "How can this nephew's face be as big as uncle's? It's just that uncle is concerned about his beloved daughter and was a bit anxious. Speaking of which, the Song family's little sister killed people in the streets of Guiyang. Futai daren has no intention of making things difficult for you, uncle. It's just that his newly established prestige has been provoked and is rather embarrassed.

My Tian family's eldest son was killed by Wei Ye. The Tian family is the victim. When the victim comes forward, no matter how heartless Futai daren is, he will have to consider it. After this nephew's repeated mediation, Futai daren is also afraid of angering you, the fierce tiger of Shuidong, so he decided to take a step back. Therefore, this nephew has volunteered to be the mediator between you and the two elders. "

"Old man Ye is willing to take a step back?"

If it wasn't for the fact that he had no other choice, Song Yingming wouldn't be willing to fight to the death. Hearing this, he couldn't help but ask, "He is no longer using the cane on my daughter? What conditions does he want? "

Tian Jiaxin said, "Ye Futai will no longer raise any excessive demands and is willing to release the Song family's little sister immediately. But the imperial court's dignity cannot be disregarded. He agreed that as long as uncle is willing to change tributes to taxes and use the merit of naturalization to redeem the Song family's little sister's crime of murder, it will be fine. "

"Changing tributes to taxes?"

Song Yingming was slightly moved. Tian Jiaxin quickly said, "Uncle, our Guizhou is barren and does not rely on farming. The income from farming is very little and to any chieftain, it is not heavy enough. This is the first reason. The imperial court knows the situation of our Guizhou and pays taxes according to the mu. The tax has always been less than half of the Central Plains, so the burden is very small. This is the second reason.

Guizhou's climate is changeable, wind and rain are endless, the harvest from the fields is limited. Once we change tributes to grain, I'm afraid we won't be able to get a few stones of grain. Because of disasters, we still need the imperial court to provide aid from time to time. Why not? This nephew is young and inexperienced, I don't know if this knowledge is right or wrong. What does uncle think? "

"Mmm …"

Song Yingming stroked his beard and pondered. If they changed tributes to taxes, in terms of money, the imperial court might not get much and would have to supplement. But the imperial court's control over Guizhou will become more flexible and their control over Guizhou will become stronger.

He was very clear about this point, but this was not something that could be done in a short period of time. In the long run, there are too many variables. Some of the plans made today will change with time. It is difficult to say what will happen in the future. If it were such a condition, could he agree to it?

Song Tiandao was not someone who was willing to suffer losses. But today, his father was about to leave the family and fight to the death. Now that there was a solution, he naturally hoped that his father could accept this mediation suggestion and give up the idea of fighting to the death. He immediately said in agreement, "Father, this method does not harm the Song family. I believe the clan members will not have any objections. Why don't you agree to it?"

Tian Jiaxin could not be the master of the Tian family yet, but if the mediation today was successful, he would become the master without a doubt. Seeing that Song Yingming was still hesitating, he steeled his heart and made the decision ahead of time. He said, "The Song family's little sister has acted righteously on behalf of the Tian family's eldest son. The Tian family has no reason to sit idly by. The Tian family currently has 600 mu of land. We are willing to offer it to you as a place to pay taxes."

Song Yingming glanced at him and slowly exhaled. He said, "The Tian family is no longer what it used to be. As one of the four major surnames, I have seen the situation of the Tian family and feel sorry for them. Saving my daughter today is my own business. If you are willing to run errands, then your intentions are there. If you plot for your Tian family's land, wouldn't I be ridiculed by others? "

Song Yingming slapped the armrest of his chair heavily and said, "Fine! Then I will agree to him. Tomorrow, I will submit a petition to the imperial court and ask to pay taxes. Old Man Ye, you can't push your luck and ask for more! "

Tian Jiaxin was overjoyed and said, "Of course! Since that is the case, I will go to the Fu yamen to pick up your daughter and send her home respectfully! "

Even though Song Yingming's petition had not been written, what was his status? Since he had already agreed, there was no reason for him to go back on his word. Ye Mengxiong would not wait to see his petition before letting her go.

Song Yingming nodded and glanced at his son. Song Tiandao understood and hurriedly said, "I will go with Brother Tian!"

Tian Jiaxin and Song Tiandao hurried to the Fu yamen. When Ye Mengxiong heard that the stubborn bull was finally willing to take a step back, he secretly let out a sigh of relief. He immediately wrote a handwritten edict and had the two take it to the prison to get the girl. Tian Jiaxin and Song Tiandao rushed to the prison and brought Song Xiaoyu out. They sent her back to the North Yamen. By the time they took their leave, it was already dusk.

The sunset filled the sky and was as gorgeous as fire. Tian Jiaxin had finally accomplished this important matter and was overjoyed. He whipped his horse like it was flying and hurried back to the Tian family manor. He was about to report the good news to the son-in-law and First Miss when he saw First Miss accompanying the son-in-law hurrying out of the courtyard with a few guards beside them.

Seeing that Ye Xiaotian was dressed as if he was going to travel far, Tian Jiaxin was startled. He rushed closer and saw that Ye Xiaotian's eyes were red and swollen with tear stains. He couldn't help but jump in fright. The son-in-law was able to intervene in the contest between Song Yingming and Ye Mengxiong, a pair of giants, with ease. What kind of important matter could make an extraordinary person like the son-in-law cry?

Tian Jiaxin was shocked and said, "Son-in-law, what happened?"