noveltune Chapter 5462 You are shameless, you are despicable
Chapter 5462 You are shameless, you are despicable
Chapter 5462 You are shameless, you are despicable
Inside the Songmo Governor's Mansion.
Mr. Zhao remained calm and composed as he analyzed the current situation: "Among the entire Khitan people, who can compare to the achievements of our late chieftain in the Tang Dynasty? Although Emperor Taizong is no longer here, His Majesty cannot ignore this fact. Therefore, Fang Jun, who has a long-standing feud with Zhou Daowu, was sent ostensibly to investigate whether Zhou Daowu had any private dealings in supporting Abugu, but in reality, to correct the mistakes Zhou Daowu has made."
Li Kucao was puzzled: "If that's the case, who would dare disobey His Majesty's edict? Why bother with all this secrecy?"
Mr. Zhao explained: "Back then, the former chieftain led the Khitan to surrender to the Tang Dynasty. He once decided to manage the Khitan with a policy of indirect control. The meaning of this policy was that the Tang Dynasty could conscript Khitan to participate in wars, but could not interfere in the internal affairs of the Khitan. The jurisdiction of the Songmo Governor was naturally a matter of internal affairs for the Khitan, and the court naturally had to avoid suspicion of such a situation."
Li Jinzhong was extremely excited and shouted, "So, the imperial court has tacitly approved our reclaiming of the position of Governor of Songmo?"
Mr. Zhao laughed and said, "That's one way to put it, but the court won't admit it, and neither will Fang Jun. After all, sitting idly by while the Khitan are in turmoil is tantamount to interfering in Khitan affairs, which would put the court in a very passive position. Since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, there have been more than ten or eight non-Han peoples who have submitted to or surrendered. The court has to take into account the thoughts of the other non-Han peoples."
Once he said that, everyone understood.
The court recognized that Zhou Daowu had made a mistake, but could not openly correct it. Therefore, Fang Jun was sent to Liuzhou to guard the city, imprison Zhou Daowu, restrain the Tang army, ignore the situation of the Khitan, and watch as the Li brothers swept away the other tribes and became the leaders of the Khitan again.
Li Kucao still retained some rationality, but frowned and said suspiciously, "But this will inevitably lead to a great war, and the Khitan will suffer a great loss of strength. We are all of the same bloodline, of the same origin..."
"Pooh!"
Li Jinzhong spat and cursed: "When Abugu came to seize the position of Governor of Songmo, why didn't he mention his bloodline? When the Daji, Hebian, and Duhuo tribes joined forces to 'suppress internal traitors and eliminate internal strife,' why didn't he mention their shared roots and race? The law of the jungle has always been the way of survival, both externally and internally!"
Even the entire Khitan tribe developed from nothing by gradually devouring other weaker tribes. This is the way of survival on the grasslands beyond the Great Wall.
Being soft-hearted and lenient will only backfire.
Li Kucaoli was persuaded and nodded with a serious face.
Mr. Zhao said, "Hesitation will only lead to more trouble. The death of the former clan chief has already weakened the prestige of the Dahe clan. Now, eliminating Abugu will further weaken their power. If we cannot take this opportunity to unify the tribes, the consequences will be dire."
Li Jinzhong suddenly stood up and shouted to the leaders of the Fenwen, Tubian, and Ruixi tribes, "Let's join forces and cross the Huangshui River to attack the Daji, Hebian, and Duhuo tribes. I will lead the charge, and you will follow. Let's defeat these rebels in one fell swoop, and we will divide the grasslands of the three tribes equally!"
"it is good!"
"Give us the order, young general, and we will follow you to the death!"
"We will obey the young general's orders without any disloyalty!"
The leaders of all departments were greatly encouraged.
Whether it was the Khitan, the Turks, or even the Xi and Mohe tribes in Liaodong today, every step of their history has been stained with the bloodstains of annexation and plunder. They were like herds of beasts on the grasslands, attacking everywhere, either uniting to devour the flesh and bones of others or splitting apart to suck the blood of their own people.
Everything is for profit; everything is for survival.
Slaughter and plunder permeated his very blood.
……
News of Li Jinzhong's efforts to gather troops and cross the Huangshui River quickly reached Liuzhou City. The fact that things were progressing smoothly according to plan made Fang Jun breathe a slight sigh of relief. After all, man proposes, God disposes, and even the most perfect plan can be subject to unpredictable changes.
He only needs to sit in Liuzhou and let the various Khitan tribes fight and kill each other until they are on the verge of collapse, then he can forcibly intervene and clean up the mess.
A weakened Khitan and a stable Liaodong were in the empire's best interest.
The rear residence of the Governor's Mansion.
Zhou Daowu was sitting opposite Princess Linchuan, drinking tea while listening to the news sent back by the Songmo Governor's Office.
Although Fang Jun had completely taken over the governor's office and even the entire city, he did not restrict Zhou Daowu's personal freedom. He even allowed Zhou to sell off his assets in various parts of the city and then gather all the money and silk, waiting for the right time to leave Liuzhou and return to Chang'an.
With the matter settled, Zhou Daowu felt relieved and much more relaxed.
Princess Linchuan, on the other hand, had her brows furrowed and looked worried.
After hearing the report, Zhou Daowu waved his hand to dismiss his family guards and sighed, "The Li brothers are truly foolish beyond measure. While the court may not openly interfere in Khitan affairs, how could it sit idly by and watch the Khitan's internal strife disrupt the entire Liaodong region? Especially given the huge resources invested in developing Liaodong! Li Kuge was a hero of his time, yet he has such two wicked grandsons born to a tiger father and dog sons... The Dahe clan is finished."
He was merely the one who bore the official responsibility for the internal strife within the Khitan, while the Li brothers were the true culprits who instigated the internal strife within the Khitan. Given Fang Jun's character, methods, and attitude towards the Hu people, the fate of the Li brothers was already sealed.
Princess Linchuan simply gave a faint "hmm," took a small sip of tea, and seemed somewhat lost in thought.
Zhou Daowu asked curiously, "Does Your Highness have something on your mind?"
Princess Linchuan glared at him, her tone indignant: "How can you not have worries? You've lost your position as Governor of Yingzhou, your years of hard work have been destroyed, your future is bleak, and you don't even know if you can keep your title... You're quite broad-minded and easygoing."
The Zhou family also holds the title of "Duke of Qiao," inherited from Zhou Daowu's father, Zhou Shaofan. This time, Zhou Daowu has committed a serious crime and may lose this title.
Zhou Daowu smiled bitterly and said, "What can I do even if I am full of worries and anxieties? Things have come to this point and cannot be changed. I might as well put these troubles aside, properly manage the properties here, take the money and silk back to Chang'an, and then I will have the confidence to make some money and at least become a wealthy man."
With His Majesty's edict and Fang Jun's personal presence, who in the world can change this?
Fortunately, he is still in his prime. Instead of worrying and getting anxious here, he should think about how to operate after returning to Chang'an.
Princess Linchuan replied, "It's not necessarily impossible to change."
Zhou Daowu asked, puzzled, "What do you mean by that, Your Highness?"
Princess Linchuan glanced at the doorway and, seeing no one nearby, whispered, "Although His Majesty has issued an edict, Liuzhou is a thousand miles away from Chang'an. His Majesty cannot attend to matters nearby and must consider that the situation may change. He will surely grant Fang Jun the authority to make decisions on the spot."
Zhou Daowu nodded: "Your Highness is right, but so what? Fang Jun will definitely pick someone to take the blame for the internal strife of the Khitan. I have a long-standing feud with him, so how could he let go of me, the most suitable candidate? He has already shown leniency by not going to kill me outright, and there is absolutely no way he will let me go."
These were indeed his heartfelt words. If he were in Fang Junzhi's shoes, he probably wouldn't have had Fang Junzhi's magnanimity. He would have immediately imprisoned Fang Junzhi's freedom, confiscated his property, and crushed him so that he could never recover.
Fang Jun's actions were already unexpected; how could one possibly hope that he would completely let go of the matter?
Princess Linchuan bit her lip, her face slightly flushed, and hesitated to speak.
Zhou Daowu frowned: "Hmm?"
Perhaps having made some kind of decision, Princess Linchuan looked at Zhou Daowu and said softly, "How about... I go and beg him?"
Zhou Daowu chuckled, thinking it was completely useless.
The relationship between the two families was extremely bad. Fang Jun was not only not close to Princess Linchuan, but had always been distant from her. It would not be an exaggeration to say that they were hostile. It would be useless for him to try to ask for her help by relying on their kinship.
However, he quickly understood Princess Linchuan's meaning, raising an eyebrow in surprise: "Your Highness, do you mean...?"
It was useless to rely on kinship to beg Fang Jun, but Fang Jun had a famous flaw: he was a "good princess"!
This fellow seemed to have a particular fondness for Emperor Taizong's princesses. He not only married Princess Gaoyang, but also had Princess Changle bear him a child. Furthermore, he had a secret affair with Princess Baling, and even caused Princess Jinyang to fall deeply in love with him...
If Princess Linchuan were to offer herself up, would that man show her any leniency?
He glanced at Princess Linchuan. Although she was over thirty, she was well-maintained and had excellent skin. She was at the age when a woman should be charming, graceful, and alluring. Given Fang Jun's tastes, it seemed that he might not be able to resist her...
wrong!
What am I thinking?
While Zhou Daowu never considered himself a gentleman, he could not possibly have done such a shameful thing!
However, before he could speak, Princess Linchuan raised her eyebrows and her eyes flashed with cold light. She slammed her hand on the table with a loud bang, gritted her teeth and cursed, "You, Zhou Daowu, I was just testing you, and you've already shown your true colors?"
Zhou Daowu was taken aback: "Your Highness, please let me explain..."
"Pooh!"
Princess Linchuan spat: "What else do you have to explain? You, Zhou Daowu, a tall and handsome man, actually have such a despicable thought as selling your wife for personal gain. You are utterly despicable, shameless, and despicable!"
Zhou Daowu was sweating profusely, feeling utterly wronged: "Your Highness, why are you acting like this? It was you who took the initiative to suggest going to Fang Jun, not me!"
Princess Linchuan ignored her and scolded in a delicate voice, "I offered my services for the sake of your Zhou family's fortune and title. It was a sacrifice! But you, Zhou Daowu, a man of dignity, should never have such despicable thoughts. In your eyes, am I, Li Mengjiang, a lowly servant who can be thrown out at any time to be violated for profit? I have shared your bed for more than ten years and borne three sons and two daughters for your Zhou family to carry on the bloodline, but I never knew that I was so lowly in your heart!"
Zhou Daowu was completely numb, unable to defend himself or even cry.
You were the one who brought this up, and I only hesitated for a moment. How did that become my fault?
This was even more frustrating for him than when he unknowingly jumped into Fang Jun's trap!