The weak scholar in the end of ancient times

Chapter 129 Lingchi (death by a thousand cuts)!

There's been no other news in the city these past two days, but such a big commotion in the central area and on the main road is definitely a hot topic.

While the fighting was still going on, the quick-footed idlers had already spread the word to their respective patrons.

The heads of two powerful families were arguing and fighting in the street!
The first reaction of everyone who received the news was disbelief; they only started to think about it after confirming that it was true.

Old Zhuo had been lying sickly for so long, how did he suddenly get better?
Are you going to play our part?!

The officials were even more shocked.

This morning, when I heard that Young Master Zhuo had asked for leave, I thought that Prime Minister Zhuo was not going to make it. Not long after, I heard that the two heads of the He and Zhuo families, both in their fifties, met on a narrow road and fought each other in the street!

"That's strange, how come we didn't hear a thing beforehand?"

"The Zhuo family is really tight-lipped!"

As for reviewing the past?

Now that this story has spread, how many people still care about revisiting the past?

Apart from a few people who knew the inside story and were suspicious, most of the attention was focused on the conflict between the Zhuo and He families.

A wealthy family.

The wealthy-looking old man had just finished dressing and was about to go out.

According to his original plan for the day, he was supposed to go see a play. He had already received word that Lao He was up to something today, and he wanted to go and see what the fuss was about.

The situation outside the city is becoming increasingly tense and fraught with danger. Staying at home is boring, and there's nowhere to relax.

They didn't have to go out to fight, and they didn't have to worry about food and drink at home, so they could only find more ways to have fun.

When they came to Xinzhou, the "protection fees" they paid were not paid for nothing!

Otherwise, where would the Zhao family get the provisions to support their army?

As long as things don't get too out of hand, there's no need to worry about the Zhao family taking their anger out on them. It's just a bit of fun, stirring things up and making a fuss; what can the Zhao family say?
I slept in late today and got up a bit late. I don't know if I'll make it in time.

Just as I was about to go out, a servant rushed in:
"Master! Master! A fight has broken out over there!!"

The portly old man's spirits lifted: "The He family is fighting with Wen Gu?"

Before the servant could catch his breath, he replied, "No...no! It's the He family and the Zhuo family that are fighting!"

The portly old man didn't react for a moment: "The Zhuo family?"

The servant reminded him: "It's the Zhuo family, the one that Prime Minister Zhuo recently arrived in Xinzhou."

The portly old man was shocked: "Prime Minister Zhuo? Old Zhuo? Isn't he going to die soon?!"

Wasn't it supposed to be over soon? It actually stood up?!

He wasn't in a hurry to go out. He paced back and forth for a moment, then made a decision and whispered the instructions:
"No matter who comes looking for me later, just say I caught a cold and am bedridden! Go ahead and light a stove to brew the medicine!"

The servant hurried off to make arrangements, checked the wind direction, and personally carried the stove to the vicinity of the courtyard gate to brew the medicine.

Before long, a steward from the He family came running over, sweating profusely, seeking help.

Then they were told that the helper had fallen ill.

The steward of the He family smelled the medicine in the air. Although he was suspicious, who would give themselves such an unlucky excuse?

Even if it were just an excuse, given his position as manager, it wouldn't be appropriate for him to barge in and look for the person directly.

Without further delay, he hurried to the next shop to find help.

The servant returned to the courtyard to report only after the steward of the He family had gone far away.

"Sir, that person has already left."

"Hmm. Don't put the medicine stove away yet, leave it for another two days." The wealthy old man pondered.

Another attendant asked, "Master, are you really not going out today?"

The portly old man's expression rarely showed any bitterness: "Our family is related to both sides, so it's not appropriate for us to get involved."

He secretly thought to himself: If you're going to take down Wen Gu, I can lend a hand. Even if you clash with the Shen family, I can secretly get involved.

But if you go to war with Lao Zhuo... then we'll have to stay out of it and keep our distance as far as possible!

The He family and the Zhuo family...

One is the granting of titles to maternal relatives, and the connection between them through nepotism. The former maternal relatives.

One was from a family of officials, a family renowned for its scholarship and refinement. The former prime minister.

Even setting aside the heads and core members of the two families, the Zhuo family has far more disciples and former officials.

In terms of prestige and influence, the He family is far inferior!

Besides, Lao Zhuo has been holding back for so long, so his aggression must be extremely high. If we go there, we'll only get flamed, and we don't want to suffer like that!
He instructed the servant who had delivered the message: "Keep an eye on their movements, and report back as soon as you can!"

After the servants left, the wealthy old man held his teacup and pondered deeply.

Old He is definitely doomed this time; he's being used by Old Zhuo to boost his reputation.

Did the two bump into each other by chance?
Is Lao He really unlucky?
Not necessarily.

"Let's review this person..."

He omitted what he was about to say and smiled.

In short, Lao He vividly demonstrated to everyone what it means to "know this trick, but it's useless when you use it!"
Old He himself used to be a relative of the emperor, and having been trampled on so many times, he felt he had plenty of practical experience. He thought, "Why don't I do it too?" So he came to Xinzhou to try the same tricks?
They've been taught a lesson yet!
Some tricks may work for others, but they may not work for him.

"I wonder if Lao He will gain some insights after getting a beating."

Tsk.

The portly old man asked his attendant, "Are there any vacant shops on that street in Jingxingfang that the Zhao family built?"

The attendant respectfully replied, "Those shops were all booked by passing caravans before construction even began."

The portly gentleman casually remarked, "Let's see which caravan is willing to resell it, and then we'll buy one."

The attendant's thoughts automatically translated: Let's see which caravan is easiest to handle, and then we'll take them down.

As the host family, when buying things, they don't care about the order of purchase, but only about the value of the goods.

The attendant responded, "Yes!"

However, the portly old man raised his hand and said, "Wait!"

He suddenly thought of those living fathers in Jingxingfang, like Zhao, Shen, Wen...

He whispered, "They're all tough to deal with."

Some risks should be avoided if possible, and it's best to avoid trouble. For safety's sake, let's follow the proper procedures.

"Forget it. I heard that the Zhao family members in Chaohuifang have tasted the benefits and want to build another batch. Go and ask if it's true. If it is, we'll order one too."

Even if you don't need it yourself, your relatives and friends can.

……

the other side.

On the road leading to the city center, He Zhuo's street battles were still ongoing.

However, it's clear to anyone with eyes that the He family is already showing signs of decline.

Master He was trembling from the scolding. If you can't handle it, find help!

He knew more than half of the upper-class nobles and wealthy families in Xinzhou, and many of them were related by blood.

The manager hurriedly left with the orders.

...No one was called in.

Master He was so angry that he felt dizzy and lightheaded again.

"Master! Master, what's wrong?"

"Stop! The master has fainted!"

On the carriage not far away, Wen Gu looked at the fallen Master He in front of him.

Whether it was a genuine collapse or a feigned one, the timing was perfect, allowing them to save face.

If they stubbornly persist, they definitely won't be able to defeat Lao Zhuo. If things get to that point, the situation will become even worse, and the He family's predicament will be even more dire.

The fighting at the front has been suspended.

Cheng Zhi's feverish mind gradually cooled down, but his intelligence had not yet returned to normal, and he seemed out of sorts.

Tao San, who had been observing the situation from among the onlookers, seized an opportunity and darted over to the carriage.

"Chief, Master He has fainted!" He lowered his voice. "There are servants from the He family over there, and they're all hiding him. We can't tell if it's real or not. Chief, should I go over and check again?"

Wen Gu said, "No need, truth or falsehood is not important."

Tao San glanced ahead again, then continued in a low voice, asking:
"Chief, the He family actually did try to find help. My friend knows one of their managers, and he said that manager went out to find people, but he couldn't bring back a single one!"

Tao San asked curiously, "Then the steward went to other families. Why didn't he bring over any other members of the He family?"

The He family is a large family, and many of them survived. When the He family's caravan first arrived in Xinzhou, their carriages lined up one after another for a very long time!
Why not bring your own family members over to help?
Looking at the servants and attendants who were shielding Master He from view, Wen Gu said, "It's a game we're bound to lose, why drag our family members into this humiliation?"

Tao San understood.

The others aren't stupid either, so none of them came.

then……

Master He fainted.

The timing was so perfect, it's probably all an act.

At the gathering point of the crowd ahead, the servants of the He family helped their master into a sedan chair and carried him away.

After the He family left, the Zhuo family also left quickly.

Zhuo Xiang continued to lead his men around the city, exchanging greetings and pleasantries with people he knew or didn't know, and occasionally asking and answering a few questions.

Young Master Zhuo was sent back to work by his father. Although he was reluctant, he no longer wore a long face.

Wen Gu's carriage continued towards the Zhao residence.

There was not much communication between Wen and Zhuo, and it would be difficult for people who did not know the truth to connect Wen Gu with the Zhuo family.

The congested roads were cleared, and the news spread quickly among pedestrians.

"I heard that the former Prime Minister, Old Master Zhuo, had just recovered from a serious illness and wanted to take a good look around Xinzhou City. While he was strolling around, he ran into the patriarch of the He family blocking his way, and the upright Prime Minister Zhuo immediately became furious!"

"I heard that Prime Minister Zhuo couldn't stand it and spoke out, but he was beaten and humiliated in the street!"

Lying at home, Mr. He was so angry he almost vomited blood: "It wasn't me! I didn't! I was the one who was brutally beaten and humiliated! It wasn't him!"
There are also rumors circulating among the people—

"I heard that Old Master Zhuo, despite his frail health, single-handedly fought off dozens of members of the He family with just a sword!"

Mr. He, who was lying at home: Ha... Bah! Nonsense!

I only brought a dozen or so people!

And what about those strong men standing behind Old Man Zhuo? You didn't mention a single word about them!
After returning home, Mr. He thought about it for a long time and finally understood.

"Those surnamed Zhuo and those surnamed Wen, they planned this all along!"

The more Master He thought about it, the angrier he became. Back in the capital, those scholars used him to boost their reputation, and decades later, in a completely different place, they still used him for that purpose!

"The minds of intellectuals are poisonous!"

There are also rumors circulating among the people—

"I heard that the patriarch of the He family failed to beat someone up and was instead knocked unconscious by Prime Minister Zhuo's sword!"

"I heard that back in the capital, Master He was treated like a mouse before a cat. The Prime Minister is the Prime Minister after all; even if he falls seriously ill somewhere else, he can still deal with you!"

"I heard that after the patriarch of the He family was carried back, he hid at home and cried like a baby!"

As rumors began to circulate, those absurd statements that severely distorted the facts infuriated Master He to the point that he lost all composure.

When you spread rumors yourself—

It's just idle gossip among ordinary people, why take it so seriously? You're such a boring person, you can't take a joke.

When you are the one being slandered—

"Lingchi! The rumor-mongers will be lingchi!!"

In contrast to the distraught Master He, who was lying at home, Prime Minister Zhuo was in high spirits and returned to his residence after taking a stroll with his men.

After a street brawl, his energy and vitality were visibly stronger.

Back then, the capital fell, the court collapsed, plague raged, and the land was devastated. The news we received through various channels was more devastating than the last.

Don't dwell on the difficulties during this period; what you need to consider right now is the future you can secure for your family.

He already had a plan in mind when he decided to use the He family to boost his reputation.

On the way back to the house, he encountered some clansmen who greeted him. Regardless of whether they were young or old, women or children, Zhuo Xiang responded warmly to them.

Seeing that Prime Minister Zhuo was indeed in better spirits, the Zhuo family members, as well as those who relied on the Zhuo family, all became more cheerful.

Like a large ship that has been through stormy seas and has no destination, it finally welcomes back its supreme commander.

Laughter and cheerful voices filled the high-walled compound.

Zhuo Xiang did not immediately return to his house, but instead went to the ancestral hall.

I burned incense and stayed inside quietly for a long time.

Many people perished at the beginning of the chaotic era, and they lost even more during this northward journey.

However, as the head of the family and the clan leader, Zhuo Xiang was still very confident that the surviving members of his family were no less capable than those of other families!
Upon arriving in the north, the original plan was indeed to observe first and play it safe.

But now that the opportunity has arrived, why wait any longer?

They were already a step too late; they could no longer squeeze into the important towns and cities of Xinzhou for those key positions.

However, he has his own sources of information.

It was no secret that the defense post station was located in the upper echelons of Xinzhou; Wen Gu and the others had chatted about it briefly when he came over that day.

What Wen Gu couldn't say, he didn't say, but what Zhuo Xiang most wanted to know, Wen Gu sincerely shared.

As the originator of the defense post station system, Wen Gu is very confident in it.

During their brief conversation that day, Zhuo Xiang also confirmed this with Wen Gu. Although he hadn't seen it with his own eyes and didn't know what the post station was like or whether it could withstand the crisis as expected, what Wen Gu said was indeed something to look forward to.

The weather is gradually getting warmer, and whether what I said before is correct will soon be verified.

Once the defensive post system proves feasible, its deployment in Xinzhou will inevitably lead to a new round of management personnel adjustments!

The chaos of today is not the ordinary natural disasters and wars recorded in history books; they have to face countless plague demons and elusive evil spirits.

In times of disaster and chaos, the administrators of important locations certainly cannot be those who only know how to fight. The main forces of the six major powers in the North are all former border troops.

I acknowledge that the border troops are capable of fighting.

However, when it comes to governance and administration, they may not be good at it, so they should find professionals.

Now is the time to use people. The Zhuo family doesn't have much time left, and they must make preparations as soon as possible.

As for the He family? They're all in the past.

Presumably, the He family will behave themselves for a while. If Old He continues to cause trouble, he wouldn't mind kicking them while they're down.

The incense has burned out.

Zhuo Xiang's sharp glint subsided, and he rose and walked out of the ancestral hall.

So what if we've encountered numerous setbacks in recent years?

I still made it through!

There's a saying that's quite true—

Fifty years old is the perfect age to strive for progress!
(End of this chapter)