Chapter 546 Zhao Xu's Anger
The news came back faster than expected. After Yu Wenxuan and his son went to Chengdu Mansion for a banquet and returned home, the housekeeper of the mansion hurried to the bamboo building in the back hall in the evening of the next day.
"Master, Master, something terrible has happened!"
"The men the master sent out last night have returned. They say that at midnight yesterday, rebel soldiers broke into the ancestral homes of the Wang and Fan families. Hundreds of servants and masters of the two families were killed or injured. Fortunately, the soldiers from the Guanjun Hou camp in the city came to their rescue in time, and the heads of the Wang and Fan families, Wang Hui and Fan Zhize, were able to survive."
"The remaining members of these two families were escorted by the Marquis of Guanjun's troops to the main camp for temporary residence. The houses of both families were temporarily sealed off."
Crash!
The chess pieces in Yuwen Shao's hand fell to the ground, his face filled with horror. Yuwen Xuan, on the other hand, remained calm! He had known this would be the outcome yesterday, and now it was simply confirmed.
"How dare he! How dare he!" Yuwen Shao exclaimed in shock. "The Wang and Fan families are also powerful families with a heritage of two or three hundred years. Although they are not in their heyday, they are connected to many civil and military officials. How can he be so bold? Isn't he afraid of being reported and criticized? Isn't he afraid of being feared and excluded by other families?"
"When encountering a big thing, you should stay calm and sit down! It's not a good thing to be in a panic!" Yu Wenxuan scolded lightly.
"Now, do you understand why your father did this? Do you think that this Champion Marquis dared to attack the Wang and Fan families because he was afraid of the Yuwen family? Without our help, it would be difficult for him to maintain stability in Shu, but that's just trouble! As for whether he dares? He's the first-class Champion Marquis of Daqian. Do you think he's just one of those so-called prefects and governors?"
"There are quite a few people who have connections with the Wang and Fan families, but how many of them would speak up for a few dead people? In fact, these are the people who most hope that the Wang and Fan families will perish."
"Furthermore, this Champion Marquis is not only a close official of the royal family, but also a descendant of the Eight Dukes and Twelve Marquises. Do you think he would care about being ostracized by a few so-called local clans?"
Yuwen Shao took a few deep breaths before calming himself down from his panic.
"Father, we've dealt with these two families before, quite a bit. I've also met the heads of both families. They're domineering, but they're also smart. Isn't it possible that no one has considered what you're saying?"
Yuwen Xuan smiled softly, "Of course someone has thought of this. Wang Hui and Fan Zhize are indeed smart people! However, they are different from my Yuwen clan. My Yuwen clan seems to have paid a lot, but it has not been seriously damaged. If these two families want to get through this, even if they go to the banquet with us, they will have to pay twice as much as my Yuwen clan."
"Huh? Twice as much?"
"Some things just can't be done, and if they are, there's a price to pay. They want to make things happen with a wave of their hands, but ultimately they overestimate themselves and underestimate the champion. They think they're the masters of the game, but in reality, they're just pawns that can be discarded at will."
…
Chengdu Prefecture, Prince Nan'an's Mansion!
The main hall was in chaos. Zhao Xu smashed a green-glazed vase with pierced ears on the table to the ground. " What bastard! How dare he do this to a mere champion marquis!"
Jia Cong's leading the troops to rescue Chengdu Prefecture was a great favor to the Nan'an Palace. After all, this not only saved the Zhao family's ass, but also saved the family's wealth and lives. However, Zhao Xu did not show any gratitude towards Jia Cong , and even held great hostility towards him!
After Jia Cong entered the city, he immediately gathered all the soldiers and horses in the city, and took all the silver and grain from the treasury and the official warehouses to the army. He did not take this Prince's Mansion seriously at all! And now, he actually dared to directly attack the Wang and Fan families?
The Zhao family and the Wang and Fan families had a close relationship. Although they couldn't be said to share prosperity and adversity, they did interact frequently in various aspects. Of course, if that were the only reason, Zhao Xu wouldn't be so furious. The real reason was that the two families held leverage over the Zhao family, leverage that could lead to the confiscation of the Zhao family's assets and extermination of the entire clan.
After venting his anger, Zhao Xu finally calmed down.
"Go, call Zhao Zhong over!"
The servant at the door hurried away, and soon a strong man in well-dressed clothes entered the hall.
"master!"
Rubbing his brows, Zhao Xu pondered for a moment and said, "If I want to kill all the remaining people from the Wang and Fan families, is it possible to do it?"
Zhao Zhong thought for a long time and then shook his head.
"Master, the remaining people from the two families are all in the camp! Right now, the camp is full of soldiers from the Shenjing camp, and the guards are very strict. Our people can't get close at all."
"Waste!" Zhao Xu scolded.
"Any news on the investigation into Jia Cong?"
Zhao Zhong still shook his head. "Master, even if Jia Cong leaves the camp, he will be surrounded by at least hundreds of personal guards and followers. Moreover, there are soldiers patrolling the city right now. It will only take a quarter of an hour to gather at least a thousand men!"
"If we want to attack Jia Cong, we won't be able to get close to him if we have too few people, and it will be difficult to avoid the patrols if we have too many people!"
After hesitating for a moment, Zhao Zhong whispered, "Besides, Master... Jia Cong is an extraordinary person. Not only is he favored by the royal family, he is also the commander of hundreds of thousands of troops. If something really happens..."
"Now, there's no time to worry about all these!" Zhao Xu waved his hands irritably!
"My Zhao family has been in charge of Chengdu Prefecture for over a hundred years. We have spies and assassins everywhere. Are we just going to sit there and wait for death? Go... bring me all the information related to Jia Cong. I don't believe we can't find any of his omissions."
…
It must be said that the Jia family had an extremely busy New Year holiday. Although the Jia family had a lonely time due to the "asking for names" and the greetings, they were still very busy. Then, there was another thing, which was the imperial examinations of Jia Lan and Qin Zhong.
The two of them returned home after taking a break before the New Year. However, because of the upcoming imperial examination, they rarely attended even the grand banquets at the mansion. Qin Zhong, apart from delivering a New Year gift to Keqing at the mansion, studied hard at home all day long.
Naturally, Jia Zheng helped to arrange all matters. One was his own grandson, and the other was also a relative of the East Palace, so they were all considered his own people.
On the 19th day of the first lunar month, just after the hour of Yin, a horse-drawn carriage left the Rongguo Mansion and headed towards the Qin family.
The lights were bright in Li Wan's courtyard. Even though Jia Lan had left for a while, Li Wan was still standing at the door. There was worry, relief and longing in her eyes. She had been waiting for so many years, and now her son was finally going to take the imperial examination. If he could pass all the tests and get his name on the list of successful candidates, then her son would have a career and she would have someone to rely on.
"Aunt, it's so cold, please go back to your room!" Keqing said from the side.
