Seeing Lu Yuan’s poor complexion, Zhou Yu could not help but step forward to inquire, “What happened?”
Lu Yuan put away the letter and said in a heavy voice, “Three days ago, Yuan Li publicly executed Lu Jing. A popular uprising nearly occurred.”
Zhou Yu was surprised, “Popular uprising? Would people in Wuxing Commandery stage an uprising for Lu Jing?”
Lu Yuan: “…It was to fight over Lu Jing’s remains. Yuan Li sent people to retrieve the corpse.”
Zhou Yu instantly did not know how to comfort him, his mouth opening and closing.
Seeing his expression of speechlessness, Lu Yuan waved to interrupt what he was about to say, “No need to feel awkward. Just shut up.”
Lu Yuan sighed deeply, “So he had completely lost popular support in Wuxing Commandery to this degree.”
Zhou Yu was usually a dignified person who generally did not mock others, but at this moment he could not help himself, “I thought the Lu clan knew everything. After all, his reputation had deteriorated to the point that even people in Luoyang had heard of it. Prince Langya tried three times to replace Lu Jing, and your Lu clan protected him with all your might each time.”
Lu Yuan: …Zhou Yu was really annoying.
Wang Dao, standing in the distance, saw the atmosphere between them was not good and finally could not help but step forward, finding a topic, “The boat has been waiting for a long time. Shall we board?”
The Lu family members had just come on this boat. Now that the passengers and cargo on the boat had all disembarked, those wanting to cross the river were boarding successively.
Wang Dao used his gaze to question Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu did not hide anything for the Lu clan, directly telling him about Lu Jing’s execution, “It must have used the thousand-mile transmission you mentioned. Only then could Yuan Li execute him so quickly. The General is truly decisive in killing.”
This move to intimidate people was used well. Didn’t you see Lu Yuan’s face had turned pale?
Wang Dao lowered his eyes in thought, then raised his head to say to Lu Yuan, “Brother Lu, General Zhao is a person who keeps her word and cares for the people. Since she said bygones are bygones, then bygones are bygones. It’s just that from now on, the court will monitor Jiangnan’s people’s livelihood and laws very closely. Your Lu clan does not lack that bit of wealth anyway. Why not loosen your grip and yield benefits to the common people?”
Lu Yuan sneered, “Master Wang is not a clan head, so naturally you don’t know how great the expenses are for firewood, rice, oil, and salt. In a clan, there are the wealthy and the impoverished. Don’t they need money and grain to support them?”
Wang Dao was choked.
Zhou Yu did not have Wang Dao’s good temper. He directly mocked, “They are impoverished, yet I haven’t seen Clan Head Lu drink one less bowl of wine or use one less bushel of pearls. Moreover, if Lu clan members are impoverished, what does that have to do with ordinary common people? By what right should the burden of taxes be pushed onto them?”
Lu Yuan was already anxious and uneasy, with nowhere to vent his inner rage. Hearing this, he flared up, “Zhou Yu, don’t forget what you promised me in Luoyang. What, now that you’ve left Luoyang, you don’t acknowledge it?”
“I’m not denying it. But don’t you forget—above me is the Governor, above the Governor is the General, and above the General are the laws. I can tolerate you, Maohong is lenient, but General Zhao may not tolerate it. She can execute Lu Jing today, so naturally tomorrow she can kill you.” Zhou Yu sneered coldly, “If your Lu clan doesn’t reform those bad habits, the disaster of clan extermination is just a matter of her raising a finger.”
Zhou Yu looked at Wang Dao, “Isn’t that right, Governor Wang? I heard that the General’s trusted confidant Yuan Li became a guest of honor in the Wang family last year. Shadow Department forces are spread throughout Jiangnan. They have the treasure of thousand-mile transmission. If I eat a bowl of noodles on the street in the morning, the General far away in Luoyang can know about it by noon.”
Wang Dao: …
Under Zhou Yu and Lu Yuan’s gaze, he nodded, “Yes.”
So, did Lu Yuan think he could hide what the Lu clan did in Jiangnan from anyone?
Lu Yuan literally shuddered.
Seeing fear arise in Lu Yuan’s eyes, Wang Dao’s mind involuntarily flashed back to the day before leaving the capital when he was secretly invited to the General’s Mansion to see Zhao Hanzhang.
At that time, Zhao Hanzhang wore casual clothes, sitting and making tea, saying quite casually, “Of the nine provinces under heaven, Yangzhou is still most suitable for growing tea. Whether red tea, green tea, yellow tea, white tea, or black tea, all can be planted in Jiangnan. Such tolerant land, and the common people’s endurance is also very high.”
“But we cannot ignore their suffering and treat them unfairly just because the common people can endure.” Zhao Hanzhang said, “Among Jiangnan’s several great gentry clans, the Lu clan is not the only one mistreating common people, but they do it most blatantly and most odiously.”
Wang Dao could only say, “When I return to Yangzhou, I will certainly have detailed discussions with the Lu clan, restraining them and no longer permitting them to exploit the common people.”
Zhao Hanzhang poured him a cup of the tea she had brewed, smiling lightly, “If they listen, fine. If not, naturally there are ways to handle those who don’t listen. I am not Prince Langya, my entire fortune resting on Jiangnan, so I must endure their lawbreaking and criminality, then turn around and be wary of talented people.”
Prince Langya could not get rid of the Lu clan, yet because Jiangnan’s several great clans were united, he turned around to suppress the more upright Zhou Yu—typical cherry-picking of soft targets.
Zhao Hanzhang said, “I prefer to handle matters as they come. Whoever commits a crime, arrest that person. No implicating the innocent.”
Wang Dao: “The General’s meaning is…”
“The meaning is you should be tougher, directly arrest the ringleaders. No need to avoid the important and dwell on the trivial like before, only arresting a few subordinates to intimidate people. Yangzhou is just one province of the Great Jin. And you are the Yangzhou Governor. You can let go and work freely. If the sky falls, I’m here to hold it up.”
This was a promise Wang Dao had never heard even when exhausting his mental energy for Prince Langya. Wang Dao looked at the confident and resolute Zhao Hanzhang, moved yet conflicted.
And today, looking at Lu Yuan whose body trembled slightly, Wang Dao’s feelings deepened. She was right—she indeed had the ability to make them deeply afraid, make them know shame and loyalty, know righteousness and benevolence, follow the laws, know self-restraint.
People were just this strange. Kind words and gentle persuasion did not work, but when thunderous methods were used, they could actually listen.
Wang Dao shook his head, turning to board the boat. He had to reconsider how to interact with these old friends and how to govern Jiangnan.
The war was about to end, wasn’t it?
Wang Dun should be defeated, shouldn’t he?
Wang Dao’s heart grew more complex. He both hoped Wang Dun would surrender and be escorted to the capital, so he could plead with Zhao Hanzhang to at least preserve his life.
Yet he also hoped he would die in battle, so that with death all debts would be canceled, minimizing the impact on the Wang clan.
Wang Dao’s guess was correct. Wang Dun indeed could not hold out. He had just reached Jiankang when news from the front arrived—Wang Dun was soundly defeated. Not only his personal guard army, but the main force that had detoured south was also surrounded and annihilated.
Yuan Li joined forces with Zhao Shi, and together with Zhao Shen who had penetrated through, they attacked from north and south, encircling Wang Dun’s main force. In the end, most surrendered, with only some scattered troops escaping.
On the other side, the Wang Xuan and Wang Siniang siblings, together with Zu Ti’s main force, soundly defeated the army Wang Dun personally led. In the end, Wang Dun escaped with about a hundred men, breaking through the encirclement.
After Zuo Min pacified the chaos on the battlefield, he wanted to lead men in pursuit, but was stopped by Zu Ti, “Governor Wang and General Wang Xuan went long ago.”
Zuo Min: “Although they have grievances, Wang Dun is their uncle after all. What if they act out of personal interest…”
Zu Ti: “That direction is Mi Ce’s defensive line. He cannot escape. Besides, even if he escapes, so what? He has already been expelled from the Wang clan. Now his reputation is extremely poor. Jiangnan common people hate him to the bone. He no longer has a foundation to cause trouble again.”
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