Chapter 899 – Northern Overlord (Thirty-Six)
It turned out that opportunities only come to those who are prepared and the lucky Empress of the Mountain Spirit.
If you don’t have European blood, you’d better settle down and get ready; maybe one day luck will come knocking.
The news regarding the Cui Family quickly spread among the noble circles in Chongzhou, where envy and jealousy were rampant.
Originally a group wracked with fear, they were now scratching their heads, pondering how they could snag a piece of the action.
They weren’t aiming for the sort of treatment the Cui Family received, but at least they wanted a taste of the scraps!
Nobles are masters at reading minds.
Jiang Pengji didn’t need to spell it out; just a little hint from her was enough for them to come sniffing around.
Taking advantage of land exploitation and slave trading, she wielded her strong military might with a ruthless hand against the big shots of Chongzhou’s families.
Now that the Cui Family was voluntarily offering land, she was grinning from ear to ear, generously rewarding them and even showing intention to support their rise.
What did this mean?
It meant Jiang Pengji was determined to reclaim the lands that rightfully belonged to the Common People. If they didn’t cooperate, she’d keep holding them hostage and see who would last longer.
If Jiang Pengji remained overly aggressive, the nobles, pressured by survival instincts, would surely band together and confront her head-on.
However, the Cui Family chose to ally with Jiang Pengji, thus reaping enormous benefits that far exceeded their sacrifices.
This led to whispers among the nobles.
Rather than inflict mutual damage—killing a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred themselves—it was better to strive for a win-win situation.
Of course, those with mid-tier family backgrounds mostly held such views, while those who prided themselves on their noble identities would never bend.
How could one make them soften up?
Simple! Have Jiang Pengji come personally for an invitation. Not necessarily a triple visit to a thatched hut, but she ought to make at least a couple rounds to give them face. Otherwise, it was hopeless. With this mindset, the tone among the Chongzhou nobles began to shift, and they were unable to unite.
“Establish virtue through kindness, maintain power through severity, reward achievements, and punish offenses; this is the way to govern,” Qi Guanrang finished his official business, leisurely brewing himself some tea. Hearing reports from below, he smiled at Jiang Pengji and said, “My Lord’s methods are becoming increasingly sophisticated.”
Jiang Pengji snorted but said nothing; still, the upward curve of her lips revealed her mood.
Qi Guanrang knew that his Lord was in a good mood.
That expression was reminiscent of his daughter basking in parental praise.
Jiang Pengji felt that her subordinates misunderstood her a bit, and she explained herself, “One should be straightforward in character, but flexible in actions. Your Lord is not the stubborn type who won’t look back until he runs into a wall. If changing my ways can reduce complications, I wouldn’t disdain to do so.”
Qi Guanrang smiled without speaking.
Having known Jiang Pengji for over six years, he had practically watched her grow; how could he not see her changes?
Now, Jiang Pengji was not one bit anxious, comfortably fishing while watching the little fish below bicker over benefits.
The once-held noble families she had kept under house arrest were at a loss.
In their script, Jiang Pengji was supposed to be united against by the Chongzhou nobles, pressured to bend to their will.
Once Jiang Pengji couldn’t hold out any longer, she would lift their house arrest, allowing them to guide public opinion and clear their names in one fell swoop.
Who could tell them what the situation was now?
Why did reality deviate so completely from their expectations?
A loud crash shattered the somber atmosphere.
The previously sobbing crowd dared not make a sound.
The dimly lit mourning hall was adorned with white banners and mourning silks, with a coffin made of golden silk nanmu at its center.
Because the entire clan was under house arrest, they couldn’t hold extravagant white festivities, nor could they even bury the deceased properly.
After some inquiries, upon learning the waffling position of the Chongzhou nobles, the irritable Elder of the Clan erupted on the spot, throwing his cup in anger.
“The Liu Family’s scoundrels! Too much is too much!”
The elder, whose hair and beard had gone gray, was infuriated to the point where he nearly suffered a heart attack, his facial muscles twitching bizarrely.
“Elder, what should we do now? Liu Xi is clearly not planning to let us off easily. Should we just let her keep us under house arrest, preventing the master from resting in peace? We’re already stuck here for over twenty days; if we continue this way, the late husband will surely be annoyed—”
The widow, dressed in mourning garments, with a tragic beauty enhanced by her tearful eyes, added to her allure threefold.
The elder growled, “Even if the resentment lingers, that’s for you to seek vengeance against Liu Xi. What are you panicking for? A woman’s perspective lacks insight; shut your mouth! Liu Xi knows exactly the strength she has; if she softens up, the consequences would be unthinkable! You can bear such a major affair?”
The widow, who usually lacked opinions, was unable to fight for herself after her husband favored his concubine over her.
Now, with her husband gone and no children to inherit, she was adrift and helpless, publicly scolded and humiliated by the elder.
In confusion, she cast a glance at the coffin in the hall, weeping even more pitifully.
She wasn’t crying for the loss of her husband; she was lamenting her dark, uncertain future.
With no children, a dead husband, and losing her noble status, this matriarch was no longer a matriarch.
Similar scenes played out in every household, each one cursing Jiang Pengji for trying to cling tightly to the land they held dear.
Jiang Pengji didn’t care much; with the Cui Family’s loyalty secured, she received an abundance of “loyalty tokens” in the following days.
The lands obtained weren’t necessarily fertile but were more than enough for practicing troops, establishing military camps, and building paper mills.
As for the garrisoning, she brought her people for on-site inspections.
Considering the border situation and the geography of various places, she selected four key counties for garrison focus.
Due to detaining several prominent Chongzhou families, numerous positions became vacant; after careful selection, Jiang Pengji either handed them to smaller allied families to let them taste sweetness or inserted her trained personnel to let them gain experience.
After a series of coercing and rewarding, Chongzhou underwent a drastic transformation.
Those who defy could die; anyone thinking they had nine lives could come on over and test if she would indeed kill.
Without such backing, who would pay her any heed?
Jiang Pengji took fierce measures to manage the powers within Chongzhou, striking down one group after another, while fostering her own force, thoroughly enjoying the process.
“At this rate, the Chongzhou nobles are going to be significantly weakened.”
Wei Ci received the news and felt no surprise whatsoever.
Tsk—thinking back to her past life in Hujun, she had gone even harsher.
Under the cover of night, she’d surround and bloodily wipe out the nobles.
A single case that shocked the court and the people.
At that time, the court’s credibility had plunged to an all-time low, with officials squabbling amongst themselves, allowing her to profit instead.
Creating such a big ruckus, countless people denounced her, but in the end, it was all for naught.
In comparison, only a few noble leaders had died in Chongzhou, which was akin to a blessing from their ancestors.
“Sigh, such conduct is indeed…” Shao Guang sighed, leaning on a bamboo scroll, then suddenly lowered his voice, “But it’s quite refreshing!”
