The prince is more stable

Chapter 945 Good words are hard to persuade
It's hard for a person to lower their head if they maintain a superior posture for too long.

The Xiang family is a typical example.

Although the Song Dynasty learned from the lessons of previous dynasties and limited the interference of maternal relatives in politics, maternal relatives still wielded immense power among the common people.

Local officials dared not be disrespectful to the Empress Dowager's relatives and could only treat them with great respect.

Although these relatives of the emperor did not interfere in politics, they had developed a condescending attitude. Asking them to hand over their land at this time would be tantamount to cutting off their lifeline.

No one was willing to agree. When it came to matters that affected their interests, even if the other party was the emperor, they couldn't help but resist.

Inside the Qingshou Hall, Empress Dowager Xiang's earnest persuasion failed, and she finally got into a quarrel with her clansmen.

The argument went very badly.

The elders insisted on their reasoning: the land was acquired through generations of hard work, with money honestly spent. It was legally obtained, without theft or robbery. Why should it be handed over to the imperial court?
That's right. The case went all the way to the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review, and the relatives of the emperor were in a position of confidence, so they could not possibly agree to such an unreasonable demand.

Empress Dowager Xiang was so angry that tears streamed down her face.

These idiots, is this the time to reason with the government?

They spoke so confidently about the 120,000 hectares of land under the names of their family members. If the officials were to investigate seriously, could such a vast amount of land withstand scrutiny?

Throughout history, any assets or land that have reached a certain scale can never be completely clean.

So, where did these idiots get their audacity from?

Xiang Taihou took a deep breath, trying to keep her tone calm so as not to be disrespectful in front of her elders.

"This emperor is a capable ruler. He cannot tolerate any wrongdoing and his methods are much more ruthless than those of previous emperors. I am not exaggerating, but the emperor has already set his sights on our Xiang family. If our clansmen are sensible and hand over their land, perhaps the emperor will not pursue the matter."

"If you think you are right and insist on defying the Emperor to the end, then don't say I didn't warn you. When the Emperor runs out of patience and takes action against the Xiang family, it will be a matter of life and death!"

Everyone present was taken aback, and their expressions finally revealed a hint of fear.

Some of the old men, ultimately afraid of death, no longer dared to be so domineering.

"Your Majesty, is this Emperor truly unreasonable? Although I own a considerable amount of land, it is the accumulation of several generations, intended for my descendants. The Emperor wants to take it all away with a single word. Isn't that taking our lives?" an old man said tremblingly.

Empress Dowager Xiang gave a cold laugh: "Reason? Whose side is the reason?"

"Regardless of whether the Xiang family's land holdings are clean or not, the mere fact that they own '120,000 hectares' is enough to incite public outrage. At that point, who in the world would still listen to reason with the Xiang family?"

"The Emperor is refraining from taking action against the Xiang family because he is leaving me with the last shred of dignity. If you all abandon even that last shred of dignity, then we will have no choice but to break off all relations. When the swords and axes are at our feet, it will be too late for regrets!"

After the Empress Dowager finished speaking, the Qingshou Hall fell into a deathly silence.

The expressions of the elderly men finally changed; they lost their arrogant and domineering air and became fearful and respectful.

Even the Empress Dowager had to yield to the Emperor, so what were these clansmen compared to her?
To say "like a mantis trying to stop a chariot" is to overstate the extent of the mantis's power.

A gloomy and depressed atmosphere permeated the air.

After a long while, an elderly man from the Xiang family sighed deeply, tears streaming down his face, heartbroken.

"I am willing to hand over my land to the imperial court! Waaah!"

With someone taking the lead, and considering the potentially serious consequences, the other elderly men finally dared not resist.

Before imperial power, everyone is equal.

Kneel down as equals.

"I'll pay mine too!"

"I'll pay too..."

"So be it, so be it, it's fate!"

Seeing that most of the clan elders had submitted, Empress Dowager Xiang secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Finally, we can give the officials an explanation.

Compared to her awe of Zhao Xiaoqian, Empress Dowager Xiang was actually more afraid of Zhao Hao.

A few days ago, Zhao Hao, with a ferocious expression, forcefully choked her neck. The feeling of suffocation and near death still lingers in Empress Dowager Xiang's mind from time to time. Every time she thinks of that day, Empress Dowager Xiang can't help but feel horrified and genuinely terrified.

No matter how powerful a woman is, even if she is as noble as an empress dowager, if she has no bargaining chips or power, she will eventually have to bow her head in this male-dominated world.

Empress Dowager Xiang knew very well that Zhao Xiaoqian might spare her a last shred of dignity, but Zhao Hao would never be so kind to her. This old, fat madman was someone he would truly dare to kill if she did not please him.

With Empress Dowager Xiang's persuasive words and reasoned arguments, she finally convinced most of her relatives and in-laws to hand over their land and property.

However, this refers to "most" of the population, not all of them.

Undeniably, there are indeed people in the world who value money over life. These people aren't truly reckless; they simply don't believe in superstition.

I don't believe the Emperor would dare to harm the Empress Dowager's family, and I don't believe the Emperor would be so unreasonable as to seize my land without any justification.

They still harbored a gambler's mentality of taking a chance, thinking, "If I just hold on a little longer, maybe I can pull through..." "I won't agree! I'd rather die than agree!" An old man who didn't believe in evil stood up and roared.

"That's right! If you want the land under my name, you might as well kill me. You dare to kill the Empress Dowager's relatives. I want to see how the world will judge the Emperor's actions!"

The Empress Dowager and the others looked in the direction of the sound and saw two relatives of the Empress Dowager with resentment on their faces and expressions that hinted at madness.

Empress Dowager Xiang's expression changed several times, and she continued to persuade her earnestly, "My two uncles..."

Before they could finish speaking, the two men waved their hands decisively: "Your Majesty, there's no need for further words. We will remain here in the mansion and await the arrival of the imperial officials!"

“The land under my name is to be left to my descendants. If I live my whole life in vain and end up with nothing, how can I face my descendants to offer incense and sacrifices after I die? How can I face my ancestors in the afterlife?”

"Rather than that, let the officials step over my dead body and seize all the land under my name. Even in death, I will have no shame before my ancestors or future generations!"

Seeing the resolute expressions of the two men, with no intention of compromise, Empress Dowager Xiang knew that they were determined not to back down.

Then, a hint of sympathy appeared in the Empress Dowager's eyes, and she sighed sadly.

"Enough. I have done all I can. All the elders here are my witnesses. In the future, whether my two uncles live or die, don't blame me for not trying to persuade them." Empress Dowager Xiang said coldly, hardening her heart.

Everyone in the hall remained silent.

…………

Inside the Funing Palace.

Zhao Xiaoqian and Empress Dowager Xiang sat facing each other, chatting and laughing. Empress Dowager Xiang even affectionately hugged the mischievous Zhao Hao, who was running around everywhere, and kissed him happily again and again.

It was a strange sight. Zhao Xiaoqian and Empress Dowager Xiang had already publicly broken off relations, but just a few days later, the two were able to sit together and chat and laugh without any resentment, as if the previous unpleasantness had never happened.

However, Empress Dowager Xiang is now very careful about her words when chatting with Zhao Xiaoqian.

The despairing feeling of being choked by Zhao Hao was still vivid in her memory. When Empress Dowager Xiang chatted with Zhao Xiaoqian, she tactfully avoided discussing state affairs.

Having learned from her previous experience, Empress Dowager Xiang now dares not mention state affairs at all, only talking about trivial matters in the palace and topics such as how to teach and raise children.

Therefore, Zhao Xiaoqian found it very pleasant to chat with Empress Dowager Xiang today. For some reason, the more he talked with the Empress Dowager, the more compatible they became, and in the end, he regarded her as a confidante and wished he could become sworn brothers with her.

What stepmother and stepson could have such a harmonious relationship, more like family than family members?

Of course, Zhao Xiaoqian completely forgot that the reason he was able to chat so congenially with Empress Dowager Xiang today was entirely due to his father's choking; this woman had learned her lesson.

After chatting about trivial matters, Empress Dowager Xiang finally got down to business. She took out a thick stack of land deeds from her bosom, placed them on the table, and gently pushed them forward with her slender fingers.

Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at it, his eyes narrowed slightly, a smile on his face, but he didn't say anything.

Empress Dowager Xiang said with a serious expression: "I know that His Majesty has recently implemented the Fangtian Equal Tax Law. Although the inner palace is not allowed to interfere in the affairs of the court, I am willing to support His Majesty's new policy. My relatives and in-laws are also willing to take the lead in setting an example to show that our imperial family has a great sense of justice and is committed to serving the people."

"These land deeds belong to the land owned by me and my relatives, totaling over 100,000 hectares..."

At this point, Empress Dowager Xiang deliberately paused for a moment, seeing that Zhao Xiaoqian was still smiling and silent.

Empress Dowager Xiang immediately understood his meaning, sighed sadly in her heart, and finally said: "I'm afraid the remaining 20,000 hectares will have to be taken by Your Majesty in person. There are many clansmen, and their thoughts are different. Even I cannot control them. I am really sorry."

Zhao Xiaoqian finally laughed heartily, and as he laughed, he reached out and unceremoniously took the land deed from the table.

"I am deeply grateful that the Empress Dowager has taken the initiative to share my burdens. Facts have proved that the imperial family is harmonious and united, upholds righteousness, and all have a compassionate heart for the common people. On behalf of the farmers who have lost their land, I thank the Empress Dowager."

Empress Dowager Xiang watched as Zhao Xiaoqian put away the land deed, her heart aching with pain, but she still forced a smile and said, "Your Majesty is implementing new policies and has heavy responsibilities. I am just doing my bit to help out. It's nothing."

The land deed was stuffed into Zhao Xiaoqian's arms, and Empress Dowager Xiang's body trembled slightly. The light in her eyes dimmed considerably, as if Zhao Xiaoqian had taken away half of her life.

Of the 120,000 hectares of land, only 100,000 hectares were recovered. Logically, Zhao Xiaoqian should have stopped while he was ahead and hadn't gone so far as to exterminate the Empress Dowager's family.

However, the Fangtian Equal Tax Law is about to be implemented. If these 20,000 hectares are let go, the whole world will see it, and perhaps everyone will take a chance, thinking that if they grit their teeth and bear it, they might be able to get through it.

This is a dangerous precedent. It's no longer a matter of whether or not to reclaim the land. Zhao Xiaoqian must recover these 20,000 hectares of land so that the powerful landlords and tycoons of the land will see this and feel utterly hopeless.

Empress Dowager Xiang was smiling, and Zhao Xiaoqian was smiling too.

But Zhao Xiaoqian's smile seemed to hide a knife.

After a long silence, the Emperor cautiously asked the Empress Dowager, "The remaining 20,000 hectares of land are in the hands of my two uncles. Could Your Majesty spare their lives?"

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed and said, "Empress Dowager, I gave you enough opportunities and enough time, didn't I?"

"Your Majesty has lived up to my expectations, but the remaining 20,000 hectares are beyond your control. You should leave them to me."

"I am seizing these properties to establish my authority. Does the Empress Dowager understand my meaning?"

"To establish authority, killing is necessary. If they don't die, how can the Fangtian Equal Tax Law deter the powerful and wealthy throughout the land?"

Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Xiang's heart sank. Looking at Zhao Xiaoqian's still smiling face, she felt a chill run down her spine and her whole body went cold.

(End of this chapter)