The incense merchants were still in a state of shock, watching the drastic changes in the Wen family. Then, they saw Wen Zhuo turn his gaze towards them.
In that instant, the heart rates and blood pressures of the incense merchants soared. Some of the older ones almost died of fright right on the stage.
Wen Zhuo was quite satisfied with their fear. A faint smile appeared on his lips. "I've been watching most of the incense fair from below the stage. I've noticed that the Jing, Qi, Bai, and Chen families have won many bids this time and reaped quite a rich harvest."
The patriarchs of these four families felt their blood pressure shoot up even higher. Their vision went black repeatedly.
Wen Zhuo continued, "Now, the Wen family is willing to donate all its wealth to relieve the victims of the disaster. You are all well - respected gentry and clans in Mianzhou. Will you just stand by and look on, caring only about yourselves?"
These people were usually so arrogant. If the court sent an imperial envoy to sincerely invite them to make donations, they would surely have countless ways to stall and prevaricate.
But now, since Wen Zhuo had taken the lead by sacrificing his own family, if they didn't follow suit, their end might be even worse than that of the Wen family.
However, if they really had to donate most of their family fortunes, it would be extremely painful for them.
They looked at each other, looking embarrassed for a moment. Beads of cold sweat oozed from their foreheads.
Shen Zheng saw that all the incense merchants were silenced by Wen Zhuo's imposing manner. He knew that the matter was mostly settled. In fact, the court couldn't force all these incense merchants to the point of ruin. After all, Mianzhou was a major tax - paying area. Without the support of these incense merchants, who would fill the national treasury and sustain the operation of the country?
So, he slowly got up and walked to the center of the stage, playing the role of "kindness" in the strategy of combining kindness and severity.
"All of you are smart people and should understand the principle of killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. If the people of Mianzhou die because of the disaster, who will plant the Styrax trees for you next year? By then, the production of spices will drop sharply. But the court's taxes and tributes are still calculated based on this year's figures. Your lives in the future will probably be a hundred times more difficult than now."
"Er..." Hearing this, the incense merchants were all stunned and didn't know how to respond for a moment.
Shen Zheng didn't give them much time to think and continued, "Director Wen holds a high position. If he wanted to protect the Wen family from making donations, it wouldn't be difficult. But he didn't. On the contrary, he is the strictest with his own family. I know you are all worried about your family fortunes, and I don't force you too much. You just need to donate all the proceeds from today's incense fair. As the people of the Great Qian Dynasty, you should at least have the courage to share the country's troubles."
As soon as these words were spoken, the heavy burden in the hearts of the incense merchants immediately lifted a little.
Although the cost and profit of today's spices were still an astronomical figure, compared with the Wen family having to donate all their property, it was more acceptable. Moreover, the Fifth Prince had appealed to their emotions and reason and given them enough face. If they still tried to deceive at this time, they would really be ignorant of the current situation.
So, they all expressed their willingness one after another, "Your humble subjects are willing to donate all the proceeds from today to relieve the victims of the disaster and protect the prosperity and peace of the Great Qian Dynasty!"
"Good. I believe in all of you." Shen Zheng raised his hand. "Get up."
The incense merchants kowtowed to express their gratitude and quickly got up. Turning their heads, they saw Wen Yingjing and his son still kneeling stiffly on the ground, their faces ashen. For some reason, they didn't seem to have the intention of getting up. They couldn't help but gasp in surprise.
It was not until Wen Zhuo casually lifted his chin and said indifferently, "You can also get up. I still have important matters to deal with. You should go back home as soon as possible to count your wealth. I haven't been back to the Wen family for many years, so I have no idea how much wealth the family has accumulated. Just remember my words. If the porridge shelters are not all over Mianzhou City within seven days, I will definitely fulfill the promise I made to the people!"
With this permission, Wen Yingjing endured his humiliation and slowly supported himself up from the ground.
The wind blew the hem of his gray Taoist robe. At first glance, he looked quite elegant and otherworldly. But in his sagging old eyes, there was a deep and ineradicable gloom.
"Your humble subject has something to ask the director." Wen Yingjing suddenly spoke, even with a bit of confidence.
"Father..." Wen Ze called out softly, and hope suddenly lit up in his eyes.
He knew that his father would never sit back and wait for death. There must be a way to deal with this!
Wen Zhuo said calmly, "Speak."
He had endured for ten years, and he didn't mind waiting a little longer. At this moment, he needed to give the Wen family a glimmer of hope so that they would obediently take out their silver. Otherwise, a cornered man would do something desperate.
Wen Yingjing drooped his eyelids, hiding his shrewdness. "If the Wen family takes out all its property as required, but in the end, you, Director Wen, can't buy the grain and still demand lives from the Wen family, it may not only spoil your good reputation of loving the people like a son but also earn you the name of a cruel and unjust man."
Hearing this, Wen Zhuo suddenly let out a low laugh. "You just prepare the silver. I have my own arrangements for buying the grain."
"With your words, I'm relieved." Wen Yingjing replied in a deep voice. Suddenly, his tone changed, and a sneer appeared on his face. "Your mother has missed you a lot over the years. If you have time, Director Wen, you might as well go to Liangping County to see her. She's living a relatively peaceful life. But now that you're being so harsh on the Wen family, I'm afraid she'll have a hard time in the future."
These words were well - thought - out but contained a blatant threat.
In the Great Qian Dynasty, the clan's rituals and laws were very strict, and the restrictions on concubines were extremely harsh. Even though Wen Zhuo held a high position, he couldn't really protect his biological mother. During her lifetime, his mother had to depend on the legal wife, and even after her death, she didn't have the qualification to be buried in the ancestral temple with her husband.
There was once an official who reached a high position and wanted to fight for a title for his mother. He had to carry the coffin to the ancestral temple gate himself and kneel there for a long time before the clan was moved and allowed his mother's spiritual tablet to enter the temple.
Wen Yingjing was just targeting this point.
Although he couldn't do anything to a high - ranking court official, he could easily control that woman.
He was gambling, gambling that Wen Zhuo couldn't bear it, that he still had a soft heart, and that he was bound by the filial piety engraved in the hearts of the people of the Great Qian Dynasty.
Wen Zhuo really wanted to sneer.
They actually thought that he still cared about that long - gone motherly love.
"If the people can survive this locust plague smoothly, I won't make things difficult for the Wen family." Wen Zhuo's eyelashes trembled slightly, pretending to be in a daze.
Wen Yingjing keenly caught this momentary hesitation and couldn't help but be overjoyed!
This young man was indeed inexperienced. He had really grabbed his weakness! With Wen Zhuo's biological mother in his hand from now on, he was sure that this young man wouldn't dare to drive the Wen family to a dead end!
Just as Wen Yingjing had just straightened his back and regained some confidence, he saw the head of the Jing clan smiling and approaching. First, he bowed deeply to Wen Zhuo and said flatteringly with a beaming face, "Director Wen, to be honest, when I heard that you had come to Mianzhou, I was really worried at first. I thought you would secretly favor the Wen family. Who would have thought that you would be so noble - minded and set an example by donating your family property? Your broad - mindedness and magnanimity really make me admire you!"
Wen Yingjing twitched the corner of his mouth. "..."
You old bastard! It's me who is donating the family property!
As if he didn't notice Wen Yingjing's expression, the head of the Jing clan then said, "Thanks to the kindness of the Fifth Prince, we only need to donate the proceeds from today's incense fair. It's really a pity. But Brother Wen has painstakingly managed his family business for decades, and now he can disperse it all at once. This act of being generous and sharing the country's troubles will surely become a good story in the mouths of the people of Mianzhou in the future!"
Wen Yingjing clenched his fists so tightly that they creaked. "..."
You old villain who kicks someone when they're down!
The head of the Jing clan still wasn't satisfied. He patted Wen Yingjing on the arm and tremulously "encouraged" him, saying, "However, the Wen family has always shown great bearing. I'm sure you have the confidence to start all over again! When Brother Wen rebuilds his spice business in the future, I'll definitely lead the clan members to support you!"
Wen Yingjing felt a breath stuck in his chest and could only utter, "...".
The head of the Jing clan pretended to be dizzy and said, "I won't disturb Brother Wen and Director Wen's father - son reunion then."
Wen Zhuo calmly accepted this gesture of submission.
Sure enough, no one in business is a fool. Those on the stage must have noticed the discord between him and Wen Yingjing long ago. So, after assessing the situation, they quickly came over to take advantage.
Wen Zhuo flicked his robe sleeves, too lazy to look at Wen Yingjing's hypocritical face any longer. He walked to the edge of the colorful stage and ordered, "Liu Qiying, you stay and count the donation amounts. Make sure to record the details of each spice merchant's donation clearly. Jiang Mannü, you take Six Monkeys and a team of officers and go quickly to Dongyaizi to pick up the children. Remember to bring a doctor with you."
Shen Zheng stepped forward and added, "Have someone squeeze the lemons into juice. If there's no time, vinegar can also be used. Give each of those children a large bowl to drink first."
Wen Zhuo tilted his head and asked, "Why do you want them to drink these sour things?"
Shen Zheng really wanted to explain to him what chemistry and double - decomposition reactions were, but it was still too advanced for this ancient "little cat".
He paused for a moment. Immediately, Wen Zhuo squinted his eyes and asked, "Did Your Highness read another book in Nanping's tomb?"
"… No," Shen Zheng touched the tip of his nose. "Does 'Qian Jin Fang' mention that vinegar can regulate the stomach?"
Wen Zhuo thought for a moment and said, "It seems there is indeed a record that 'drinking three liters of good vinegar can treat cholera and abdominal distension'."
Shen Zheng quickly nodded in agreement and said seriously, "That's right! I vaguely remember seeing this statement somewhere. Those children must have eaten something bad and have a stomachache. Drinking something sour can soothe the stomach and do no harm."
Hearing that there was a remedy, Jiang Mannü replied obediently, "I understand. I'll take the vinegar there right away!"
Wen Zhuo sized up Shen Zheng, with a meaningful look in his eyes, but finally said nothing.
Just then, a sudden and rapid sound of horseshoes came from the main street outside the courtyard, approaching from afar like thunder. The onlookers were startled and quickly made way. The Suhefang also fell silent instantly.
Then, a loud cry penetrated the red - painted door and passed through the crowds, reaching the inner courtyard directly:
"An imperial edict is here! Lou Changsui, the prefect of Mianzhou, come to receive the edict!"
In the capital, it was extremely cold. The city walls were a pale blue - white color, making the dogs curl up their necks and the horses snort.
In the Duke's Mansion, high - quality red silk charcoal specially bestowed by Emperor Shunyuan was burning. The charcoal fire was warm and mellow, and a faint fragrant warmth filled the room, but it couldn't dispel the sadness in the air.
Liu Yuanqing fell ill.
That day, he returned from the court in a daze. As soon as he got home, he couldn't get up.
The Duchess was so frightened that her soul flew away. She hurriedly went to check the wound on his forehead and asked what had happened. But Liu Yuanqing just shook his head blankly and then fell into a coma, unconscious.
By the grace of the emperor, a royal doctor was sent to the mansion for treatment. Unfortunately, this was a mental illness, and no medicine could cure it.
After more than twenty days in a daze, Liu Yuanqing finally woke up slowly, but his body was so weak that he could barely speak.
He slightly opened his chapped lips and twitched the gray - white beard under his chin.
Although he didn't make a sound, his wife understood his thoughts immediately. She covered her face and cried, "My lord, the imperial edict has already been sent away..."
Liu Yuanqing closed his eyes, and a tear rolled down from the corner of his eye.
His eldest son, Liu Kangchen, who had been paralyzed, was carried into the room by the butler. He had been lying in bed for years, and his lower limbs were so weak and soft that they were just skin and bones.
But he still struggled to rush to the bedside and tightly held Liu Yuanqing's hand. His eyes were filled with an almost stubborn determination as he said, "Father, you must cheer up. You still have your son..."
Liu Yuanqing tremblingly held his eldest son's hand back, but his eyes were dull and stared blankly at the beam of the house as he murmured, "How... how many days has it been?"
Liu Kangchen pressed his forehead against his father's rough hand and tried hard to hold back the sobs in his throat. "It's been twenty - five days!"
Liu Yuanqing's reaction was extremely slow. After a long silence, he slowly said, "Then Kangren... should be gone, right?"
The Duchess couldn't hold back any longer. She hugged the bedpost and cried loudly, "My lord, I don't believe it! Kangren has been kind - hearted since childhood. He wouldn't even step on a small insect. You always scolded him for being weak and unable to take on the responsibility of leading troops. How could he steal the official warehouse's grain and cause those innocent people to suffer?"
Liu Kangchen tightly held his father's hand, which had become stiff and deformed due to years of war, and said word by word, "Father, we can't give up. Little brother is waiting for us to seek justice for him!"
But Liu Yuanqing seemed not to hear and just murmured to himself, "... When Kangren was a child, he loved music. I thought he was being idle and broke his jade flute in front of him."
"Father!" Liu Kangchen called out to him anxiously.
But Liu Yuanqing seemed not to notice and continued, "He was timid and weak - bodied since he was born. He was afraid of blood and didn't dare to kill. I actually dragged him into the slaughterhouse and forced him to watch the butcher kill and divide the pigs."
"My lord, stop talking!"
"He wasn't as intelligent as Kangyi. I was so disappointed in him and always scolded and beat him, nitpicking at every little thing... But he was sensible. No matter how wronged he was, he never disobeyed me even once."
The Duchess was already sobbing uncontrollably.
Liu Yuanqing's vision completely blurred. The patterns on the beam of the house became a mess in his eyes. He didn't even have the strength to raise his hand to wipe away his tears and just murmured, "Later, when Kangyi passed away, he voluntarily took on the responsibility of the Liu family. He worked harder than before and never complained no matter how hard he worked. But I always compared him with Kangyi and never praised him once..."
The charcoal fire in the room was still burning, and the cold wind outside howled, hitting the doors and windows.
But Liu Yuanqing seemed to hear Liu Kangren's voice. He struggled to turn his head and said to the deep - black window paper, "I shouldn't have forced you... I'm sorry for you... Kangren, don't be my son in the next life..."
