" Chen Qing is courting his own destruction!!"
In the Hundred Herbs Hall) on North Street, a disheveled scholar, reeking of a foul stench, stood on a table, excitedly explaining his views to a group of people below.
The group below were representatives of the Nanming Prefecture's elite who had come with the merchant surnamed Feng, but upon seeing the other party's appearance, their expressions were utterly bewildered!
The man standing there was Gu Beiquan. It was hard to imagine that the top scholar in the imperial examination had arrived in Nanming Prefecture in high spirits. When the provincial governor personally received him, these wealthy men had gone together to congratulate him. They remembered that he was a young man who had gained power, a top scholar in his early twenties. With such talent, although he was not a magician or official, he was very likely to reach the Third Rank and stand in the central position of the court, becoming a top civil official among ordinary people.
How could he be like this now, emaciated, with a crazed expression, eyes that glow green like a wolf's, and a face like a demon!
If it weren't for the fact that the other side had the information they wanted, they would have retreated long ago!
"That Chen Qing, having gained power overnight, has become incredibly arrogant, daring to invite several parties to an alliance. He is truly a frog in a well, utterly laughable. I can already foresee his fate. Gentlemen, this is precisely the time for us to make our mark!"
Everyone: "."
Several wealthy men looked at an old wealthy man with a bitter expression, their faces showing confusion.
The old master could only manage a wry smile.
A few days ago, Yuchi Feihu pretended to participate, but unexpectedly he later planned to kill people to cover it up. At that time, most of the gentry in Liuzhou were killed by that warrior with his bare hands!
It was then that they realized Chen Qing had known about everything they had planned all along.
They didn't even take them seriously, and left with Yuchi Feihu without even saying goodbye.
The group was so frightened that they fled home in a panic. Several days passed without anyone coming to cause trouble. They cautiously went to the Hundred Herbs Hall, only to find out that the bodies of those who had been killed had not even been disposed of.
It was only through their own efforts that they managed to pay for and hire laborers to give the burial.
Less than half a day later, news came that the imperial army had been defeated and Yuchi Peng had been captured!
Upon hearing this news, Gu Beiquan, who was already somewhat eccentric, completely broke down. He ranted and cursed Chen Qing in the street like a madman, and was then beaten up by a group of Liuzhou people.
Now I don't even dare to go and collect the free meat porridge.
The other surviving wealthy men, seeing that Chen Qing hadn't pursued the matter, didn't dare to try anything further and even distanced themselves from Gu Beiquan. Only he remained, having once received favors from the Gu Family family and occasionally sending them some food. He hadn't expected to arrive at such an inopportune time.
"Um, Landowner An, right?" the leading master asked cautiously in a low voice, "Has Brother Gu encountered some trouble?"
This is a really big deal!!
The wealthy man surnamed An rolled his eyes and could only sigh, "He's had some kind of shock and his mind isn't quite right right now. Don't upset him."
Everyone immediately gave a wry smile. With that devilish appearance, who would dare to provoke them? They were afraid that the other party would suddenly rush up and bite them!
"If that's the case, is the information you provided, Brother Gu, true?"
"What he said doesn't really count as intelligence," Landowner An said somewhat coldly. "Everyone knows that Lord Chen has convened a meeting of all parties. Merchants in Liuzhou who are well-informed have already spread the news. He just heard it from others on the street."
Everyone: "."
"But if that's the case, then Brother Gu is right; that Chen Qing is truly courting death!"
Upon hearing Landowner An looked at the other party with some curiosity. "Why do you all want Chen Qing to fall so badly?"
"Is that even a question?" a fat, wealthy man exclaimed excitedly. "Of course it's because Chen Qing has acted against the natural order! Look at what he's driven us scholars to!"
"But he's also offering many opportunities," Landowner An frowned. "He's given us endless business opportunities. The advantages of the upper class haven't completely disappeared. We're educated and have connections throughout the Central Plains—advantages that ordinary people don't have. These new goods here, as long as we have a good eye, can be sold outside and, with our connections, be extremely profitable!"
Everyone fell silent. Of course they knew what was going on; otherwise, they wouldn't have been following that businessman surnamed Feng around for so long.
Under normal circumstances, how could a mere merchant be qualified to sit at the same table with them?
"You know that," Landowner An nodded, "You just want more."
"We deserve this treatment all along!" the leading gentry said. "All along, it has been us scholars who have helped the court manage these commoners. Otherwise, the world would have been in chaos long ago. Chen Qing's land distribution system is digging up the roots of us scholars. What good are the business opportunities he has? We have connections and channels, and we have some advantages, but those commoners, if they work hard, can also find their own channels. In time, won't they eventually climb over us?"
"Brother Ning, what you say is true." Landowner An sighed, "With such a great advantage, how could we be overtaken by commoners? How mediocre must the person in charge of the household be?"
"There will always be mediocre sons!" Landowner Ning exclaimed excitedly. "Are we just going to stand by and watch our family decline?"
"Is that so?" Landowner An took a deep breath. "I never knew that you, Brother Ning, desired prosperity for your descendants for generations to come."
Landowner Ning: "."
"I wonder if everyone thinks the same way?" Landowner An said with a smile. "I won't go into those reasons with you. Do you all think that just because the imperial army has wiped out Chen Qing, everything in Jiangnan will be yours?"
"Brother An, what you say is true. We know ourselves well, and we would never have thought of taking everything for ourselves. But we only care about securing even a small share of the benefits in Jiangnan."
"What makes you think you can claim even a small share?" Landowner An interrupted them directly, "You know the importance of Jiangnan, yet you think that after Chen Qing is gone, you can possibly gain any share in the hands of those powerful families from Jiangnan capital?"
Landowner An looked at the group of people as if they were idiots. "What are you thinking? Just because you live in Jiangnan?"
"If you yourselves are unwilling to let ordinary people catch up with you, why would those ancient and powerful families, with centuries or even millennia of history, be willing to give you that same opportunity?"
"You have the channels and the connections. Aren't you a greater threat to them by leveraging the huge business opportunities in Jiangnan? You're not willing to share even a drop of the pie with your subordinates, so why do you think those powerful families would be willing to give you a piece of the spoils?"
Everyone: "."
"Let me tell you what will happen to Chen Qing after his downfall!" Landowner An said coldly. "Those aristocratic families are half-demons; they've never considered us as their own. Once Chen Qing is no longer protecting this lucrative Jiangnan, do you really think you can get a share? What right do you have? You call Chen Qing a frog in a well, then what are you?"
Without waiting for anyone's reply, he turned and left!
The group of people, their faces alternating between pale and flushed, stood frozen in place for a long time, no one speaking.
In fact, many people vaguely understand this principle, but some simply cannot accept it. Furthermore, greater greed causes them to subconsciously forget this crucial point.
" Chen Qing is courting death. He will surely be devoured by the four forces, leaving not even a trace of bone. How laughable is this ant, daring to dream of becoming a hegemon in the Spring and Autumn Period! He should take a good look at himself in the mirror!"
Gu Beiquan's voice rang out again. Everyone looked over and saw the already deranged Gu Beiquan standing on the table, laughing loudly and talking eloquently, spitting everywhere. His tone was as arrogant as could be, and his appearance was as comical as could be.
The group of people looked at it as if they were looking in a mirror, and for a moment they all felt an urge to leave.
They had already roughly learned yesterday at the academy that once the powerful families of the capital flooded in, they would be completely exploited, leaving nothing for them.
They understood this principle, but now that Landowner An has completely stripped them bare, they can no longer even deceive themselves.
Looking at Gu Beiquan, who resembled a clown on the table, a mix of emotions welled up inside me.
Meanwhile, after two days of preparation, the Eldest Princess and Fifth Master Shen, along with their five hundred most elite family members, arrived in Jiangnan by boat.
On the appointed day, they met with the Duke of Wei outside the gates of Jiangnan.
At the entrance, they spotted an unexpected figure!
He was an extremely thin scholar, with a pale face, a withered and emaciated appearance, and outstretched hands that looked like skin and bones; he appeared frail and weak.
But the mere presence of that person on the deck made the Princess and Fifth Master Shen extremely nervous!
Seeing this, the Duke of Wei looked over curiously. After only one glance, he let out a muffled groan, as if he had been punched, and took two steps back, with two streams of blood flowing from his nose.
"Father!" The Duke of Wei's two sons rushed forward to support him.
"It's alright." The Duke of Wei waved his hand, glanced at the other party again with great apprehension, and then looked at the Princess and asked, "Your Highness, who is that?"
"Yes," the princess nodded, "That's the guy who destroyed the seventy kingdoms of the West Sea!"
"Oh?" The Duke of Wei gasped. " Chen Qing, you really did bring this monster here!"
The Duke of Wei sensed that even His Majesty himself might not be a match for this monster before him. How dare Chen Qing provoke it?
Now that all the major powers have gathered here, he became increasingly curious about how Chen Qing planned to pacify the four sides.