OBS Chapter 404 Good intentions
Chapter 404 Good intentions
"Calculating the time, it's impossible for me to return to Shangjing right after arriving in Northern Xinjiang."
"The Zhenbei Marquisate has been established in Yunli for a hundred years and values its reputation above all else. If I were to show up in Shangjing now and help Jiaojiao quell the rebellion, it would surely give those who seek to dethrone Jiaojiao from her position of regent an excuse."
"Let them take this opportunity to exploit this issue and say that the Queen has ulterior motives and is favoring relatives by marriage in an attempt to overthrow Yun Li's regime."
"Then my wisdom in this life will become worthless in the mouths of these people."
"Three people make a tiger. If this kind of rumor is spread too many times, it will naturally confuse people and make everyone believe it."
"By then, I won't be able to explain myself even if I have a mouth full of words."
Originally, the Marquis of Zhenbei didn't care about reputation or dishonor. He only knew that he couldn't let anyone bully his daughter.
But now it’s different. Shen Tianjiao is not only the queen regent, but may also become Yunli’s first empress in the future.
The Marquis of Zhenbei took to heart the words that Li Xian said before his death.
This also forces him to consider any issue from the perspective of the overall situation.
When his daughter ascends the throne and becomes the first empress of Yunli, the resistance she will face will be great enough.
If you can avoid more trouble for your daughter now, then do so, so that others won’t use it as a reason to attack her in the future.
The words of the Marquis of Zhenbei awakened Shen Tingzhi, who was still angry about not being able to participate.
For more than a hundred years, the most important thing for the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion has been its reputation.
His father, Marquis Zhenbei, is the Grand Marshal who commands all the troops in Yunlitian. His reputation and prestige are of vital importance to him.
If someone takes the opportunity to slander him and he loses his reputation and prestige, how will the Marquis of Zhenbei rely on to control Yunli's troops in the future?
Just as the Marquis of Zhenbei said just now, if you tell a lie too many times and too many people hear it, they will naturally believe it, and it will be too late to make any amends.
Instead of getting involved in this matter on impulse, it is better to stay away from this dispute and not give those evil people any handles or excuses to destroy and attack you.
Thinking of this, Shen Tingzhi felt relieved. His sister was now the queen regent, and her vision and planning were different from before.
"And the reason why you can't participate is very simple. Besides the reason of your in-laws, there is another more important reason, which is your official career."
"You have already decided to assist Mu'er in the future. As the emperor's uncle, you should avoid suspicion in this matter, lest it become evidence for others to attack you and become an indelible slander for you."
"You need to be a wise minister assisting the emperor, not a powerful relative of the emperor as others say. Do you understand?"
"I understand. It was my son's fault. I will follow my father's teachings in the future, remember my identity, and never overstep the line."
Shen Tingzhi understood that his identity had changed from today on. He was not only Shen Tianjiao's brother, but also the queen's brother and the uncle of Yun Li, the future emperor.
He is also Yunli's minister, shouldering the important task of assisting the emperor and helping the emperor govern Yunli. He can no longer do whatever he wants.
"And you, don't hold a grudge. Why are you angry? It's not your turn to take action yet. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to take action in the future. Don't worry about this short period of time."
The Marquis of Zhenbei looked at Wang Zongyuan, sighed, and said, "I know you're frustrated in the capital and want to go back to the northern border."
"Originally, I thought about asking Jiao'er for mercy on your behalf and letting you return to Northern Frontier, but now the situation has changed. You probably can't return to Northern Frontier and will have to stay with me in Shangjing."
Wang Zongyuan was originally feeling very aggrieved, but after hearing what the Marquis of Zhenbei had just said, his anger disappeared.
Now when he heard Marquis Zhenbei say that the situation had changed and he needed to stay in Shangjing, he lost all his temper.
"My Lord, what's going to happen?"
After calming down, Wang Zongyuan became the extremely curious person again, wanting to know the reason behind everything.
The Marquis of Zhenbei glared at him unhappily and said, "When it's time for you to know, I'll let you know. When it's not time for you to know, don't ask so many questions."
"Oh." Wang Zongyuan was as obedient as a child in front of the Marquis of Zhenbei. He would not ask questions that the Marquis of Zhenbei did not allow him to ask.
"Alright, Tingzhi, you need to go prepare for Xirong now. Jiaojiao has already chosen the person to go to Xirong, and they can leave today."
"Before that, you must confirm the itinerary and other matters with those people."
"We must ensure that this matter is foolproof."
"This concerns my future, Yun Li. We must not be careless."
What the Marquis of Zhenbei is most worried about now is going to Xirong. No matter how nice the three uncles and nephews say, once they go to Xirong, they will be on someone else's territory.
If we fail to take full precautions against many things, we will be controlled by others and it will be difficult to deal with them.
"Son, I know."
Shen Tingzhi nodded. Wasn't he worried too?
Whether or not we can take down Xirong in one fell swoop and solve this big problem for Yun Li depends on how this matter develops.
Success or failure depends on this one move. If he fails this time, Yun Li will have to go through a lot of trouble to get rid of Xirong, which will cost a lot of money and manpower and will affect the foundation.
"Son, I'll let Yu Sheng go with me this time. He's been by my side for so many years and has gained a lot of experience. He can handle many things."
Shen Tingzhi had no choice but to let Yu Sheng go with him to Xirong. After all, going to Xirong was too important, and he couldn't get away now. If he didn't find someone he trusted to go, Shen Tingzhi would really be worried.
"What will you do if Yu Sheng is gone and there's no one to take care of you? The situation in Shangjing will only be more severe than in Xirong. Without anyone trustworthy and capable around you, who will protect you if something happens?"
Marquis Zhenbei knew very well that no matter whether his daughter would ascend the throne and become the first empress of Yunli, the world of Yunli would change.
After eliminating Yunli's rebellious ministers and traitors, Yunli will definitely have to re-establish a new order, which will usher in another turmoil.
"Father, don't worry. I'm in the capital, and I'm protected by secret guards. I don't need Yu Sheng either."
"Xirong's affairs are more important. If I don't let him keep an eye on them, I won't be able to rest easy."
How could Shen Tingzhi not know that after Li Chaohui's incident was settled, there would definitely be a shocking change in the capital.
This is not only because the remaining forces of Li Chaohui need to be eliminated, but also because there will be a major change in Yun Li's court.
Those who have connections with Li Chaohui and stand on the united front are all from powerful aristocratic families, and these people cannot be easily shaken.
Since ancient times, the relationships among aristocratic families have been complicated. If one part is affected, the whole body will be affected. If not handled properly, a major riot that will change the dynasty will immediately occur.
By then, Yun Li will inevitably be in dire straits. Not to mention stable development, it will be difficult to even maintain the status quo.
Also, after resolving the issue of Li Chaohui, Shen Tianjiao, as the regent queen, will inevitably carry out a reform of Yun Li.
She would not let Yun Li continue to be so depressed and follow the rules.
If Yunli wants to prosper, it must carry out reforms and change some of the existing things. Among the things that need to be changed, the first one is the land reform, which is detrimental to the interests of the aristocratic families and beneficial to the people of the world.
Now, almost all of Yunli’s arable land and farmland are in the hands of aristocratic families and royal nobles.
It is harder than climbing to the sky for ordinary people to own their own land.
But if the people do not have land to cultivate, it will be difficult to solve the problem of food and clothing. If they cannot even solve the problem of food and clothing, how can Yunli talk about development?
However, if we want to distribute the land to the people, it will inevitably arouse opposition from the current land owners, and who knows what kind of storm it will cause.
But even if the road ahead is bumpy and full of storms, we still have to keep going.
The rise of an empire is always accompanied by countless controversies, oppositions, and even bloodshed.
But we must not stop moving forward because of this. If we stop moving forward because of fear, Yunli will soon decline and perish.
After listening for a long time, although he still didn't quite understand what Zhenbei Hou and Shen Tingzhi were talking about, he understood at least one thing.
That is, Shen Tingzhi needs a very reliable person to go to Xirong with the three people from the Huguo Temple, to monitor and urge them to complete the rebellion and cause chaos in Xirong.
Wang Zongyuan could ignore other matters and not actively participate, but when it came to dealing with the Western Rong people, he had to put in a hundred times more enthusiasm and had to get involved.
"Tingzhi, the Marquis is right. You can't be without Yusheng by your side. Although you have many secret guards around you, none of them is as strong as Yusheng."
"It's not necessary for Yu Sheng to go to Xirong. Others can do it too."
"Let Yu Sheng stay by your side to protect and take care of you. The situation in Shangjing is complicated and severe right now. It is very necessary for you to have someone to follow you and protect you at all times."
Marquis Zhenbei raised his eyes and glanced at Wang Zongyuan. As soon as Wang Zongyuan opened his mouth, Marquis Zhenbei knew what he was going to do.
"Okay, tell me, who do you want to recommend?"
As soon as the Marquis of Zhenbei opened his mouth, the emotions that Wang Zongyuan had been brewing for half a day disappeared instantly. It was really impossible to pretend between acquaintances.
Wang Zongyuan, whose thoughts were exposed by the Marquis of Zhenbei, sighed helplessly and said, "I do have a suitable candidate here, that is Song Haonan who came back with me that year."
"Song Haonan?" The Marquis of Zhenbei narrowed his eyes, thought for a moment, and said, "You're not talking about the Song Haonan who beat to death the son of Qingzhou Governor Xue Jiang in the street, are you?"
Wang Zongyuan swallowed his saliva, lowered his head guiltily and said, "My Lord, you have a really good memory. After all these years, you still remember that incident. Yes, that's right, it was Song Haonan."
"Wang Zongyuan, you're really getting more and more confused the older you get. What are you thinking? Let him go to Xirong?"
"Why did you send him to Xirong? To kill someone if he's not satisfied, or to mess things up for me?"
"If you hadn't been so shameless back then and begged me desperately to find a way to save his life, he would have been reincarnated by now."
It was rare to see the Marquis of Zhenbei so angry that he actually called Wang Zongyuan by his full name.
In fact, it’s no wonder that Marquis Zhenbei was angry. It was just that Wang Zongyuan’s proposal was too outrageous.
It would be one thing to send a murderer to Xirong, but to send a murderer who has a bad temper, is impulsive, and easily angered, and who responds to violence with violence at every turn, the Marquis of Zhenbei wanted to pick Wang Zongyuan's brain open to see if he had any brains at all.
"My Lord, don't be angry, don't be angry." Seeing that the Marquis of Zhenbei was angry, Wang Zongyuan quickly put on a smile.
"My Lord, although Song Haonan was impulsive back then, it was Xue Mingsong who was ultimately at fault."
"Marriage is a matter of mutual consent. Miss Li didn't want to marry him, but he insisted on forcing her to marry him. He even arrested her parents and forced her to submit."
"You said that chivalrous man didn't want to help after seeing his behavior."
"Back then, Song Haonan was young and impulsive, but it was an accidental killing. He didn't really mean to kill Xue Mingsong. It was Xue Mingsong's bad luck that he ended up on the edge of the knife and split his own head open."
"Just shut up, don't you think I don't know what you're saying?"
"If I didn't know this, how could I have taken such a big risk and gone through so much trouble to rescue him?"
"Wang Zongyuan, listen carefully. You are now an official appointed by the imperial court, a first-rank general. You are no longer the bandit leader who became a bandit."
"You should consider your own identity clearly in the future. Don't always use your bandit tricks. If you dare to do it again, I will punish you."
The Marquis of Zhenbei now looked at Wang Zongyuan with displeasure. It was true that it was difficult to change one's nature.
Seeing that the Marquis of Zhenbei was getting angry, Wang Zongyuan also backed off. He lowered his head and smiled and said, "My Lord, everyone changes sometimes. You are not a stubborn person."
"This Song Haonan, oh, no, he has changed his name to Song Ning now."
"Song Ning has been by my side all these years, and I've seen all the changes in him. The young, hot-blooded kid back then has now become a calm and composed person."
"Everyone makes mistakes in life, and making mistakes is a great way to improve. Isn't that what you told me back then?"
"This kid is a talented person. I've buried him by my side. If the Marquis is willing to give him this opportunity and let him gain some experience, it would be considered as making the best use of his talent."