kingnovel Chapter 1155 How to Deal with Rebellious Families
Chapter 1155 How to Deal with Rebellious Families
In June, Jiangdong was already unbearably hot and humid. The Jiangdong regime had undergone a complete reshuffle. In just two months, those powerful families that had once controlled the region were either completely eliminated or fled in panic when they saw the situation was not good. They had long lost their former arrogance.
To say that all of this was due to Ma Chao's skill is not entirely true. The iron cavalry he brought from Xiliang this time numbered only ten thousand. What truly had a deterrent effect was the prestige he had accumulated over many years of warfare and his monarchical aura.
In terms of ability, Zhou Yu was both a scholar and a warrior, and his naval warfare skills were unparalleled in Jiangdong, making him a truly exceptional talent. However, he was ultimately a commander, skilled in defeating the enemy in battle and devising tactics; while Ma Chao had long since grown into a regional ruler. He could make Zhou Yu set aside his concerns, suppress the restless local forces, and stabilize the situation with swift and decisive measures at crucial moments. This is the difference between a commander and a ruler.
No matter how strong Zhou Yu was, he still needed Ma Chao to support him, to stabilize the hearts of those who were uneasy due to the turmoil, so that he could focus on dealing with the threat from the powerful clans without worrying about external conflicts. It was this "stability" that enabled the change of regime in Jiangdong within two months.
A humid, sweltering breeze swept through the streets and alleys, making the stone-paved roads of Moling City scorching hot. A grand procession was heading towards the Sun residence. Leading the procession on a tall horse was naturally Ma Chao. In Ma Chao's arms, Sun Shao, dressed in a well-fitting brocade robe, stood ramrod straight. Although his face was still childish, he already possessed some of the heroic spirit of Sun Ce in his youth. Beside him on horseback, Zhou Yu was steadily protecting a chubby-cheeked child—Ma Chao's son, Ma Yue. This tireless fellow was clinging to Zhou Yu's shoulder, curiously observing the street scene.
As the procession reached the gates of the Sun residence, the old lady, who had been waiting there, saw that familiar small figure. Her smiling face instantly flushed red, her eyes welled up with tears, and she took two steps forward, her hands trembling slightly, while holding onto her maid's hand.
"Shao'er!"
Sun Shao had already spotted the old lady in the crowd from his horse. Hearing the call, he immediately leaned out, but was first drawn to the figure on the other side—Sun Shangxiang, standing next to the old lady, was smiling and waving at him.
"Auntie! Auntie!" he called out in a clear voice, his little body twisting and turning on the horse's back.
Ma Chao dismounted and gently lifted Sun Shao down. The little guy's feet had barely touched the ground when he broke free and ran like the wind towards Sun Shangxiang. Sun Shangxiang smiled, squatted down, and hugged him tightly, ruffling his hair: "Run slowly, be careful not to fall. Come, Shao'er, greet your grandmother."
Sun Shao then turned around and bowed respectfully to the old lady, his voice, though childish, was solemn: "Shao'er greets Grandmother."
"Oh, good child, good child..." the old lady hurriedly responded, stepping forward and gently stroking Sun Shao's cheek with trembling hands. His face and features resembled Sun Ce's so closely, especially that stubborn expression; for a moment, she even thought she was seeing her son in his youth. The pent-up emotions of joy and sorrow surged up at this moment, and she could no longer hold back; tears streamed down her wrinkled face, dripping onto Sun Shao's clothes.
Zhou Yu carefully lifted Ma Yue off the horse. The little boy's feet touched the ground, and he skipped over to Ma Chao, reaching out to grab his father's robe. At this moment, the carriages at the back of the procession came to a stop one after another. The curtains were lifted, and Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao stepped down hand in hand. The two ladies were dressed elegantly, their brows bearing the calm of someone who had weathered many storms. Following closely behind, Dong Bai, Zhang Fubao, Zhen Mi, and Gongsun Rou also appeared one after another from different carriages. Some were gentle and graceful, others were dashing and spirited. Although their expressions varied, they all exuded an aura of stability.
The old lady's gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on Ma Chao's face. Seeing the complex emotions in his expression, she felt ashamed and sighed softly. She turned to Zhou Yu, about to bow in respect. "Gongjin," her voice trembled slightly, "this old woman wants to apologize to you today. If it weren't for your tireless efforts in supporting Jiangdong and protecting the Sun family all these years, we would probably be a disorganized mess by now... I was foolish to trust the wrong person, and you have suffered so much injustice."
Zhou Yu was greatly alarmed and quickly stepped forward to steady the old lady, speaking earnestly, "Auntie, you are making me feel terrible! Bo Fu and I are like brothers, and guarding Jiangdong is simply our duty. I understand the many difficulties you face, and I absolutely cannot accept such a gesture from you." He looked at the white hair at the old lady's temples, recalling the days when Sun Ce was alive, and his heart was filled with mixed emotions. "We have all been working for the Sun family and for Jiangdong, without ever being distracted."
"Yes," the old lady wiped her eyes, her gaze towards Zhou Yu full of reliance, "In the future, Jiangdong will be even more dependent on your careful care, Gongjin."
Ma Chao stepped forward at the opportune moment, took the old lady's other arm, and said gently, "Aunt, the sun is blazing outside. Let's go inside and talk things over. Everyone must be tired from the journey. Let's rest first."
The old lady nodded and was ushered into the mansion by the crowd. Sun Shao was being pulled along by Sun Shangxiang, chattering about the interesting things that had happened on the way; Ma Yue followed behind Ma Chao like a little tail, occasionally glancing curiously at the magnificent mansion. Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao walked side by side, talking quietly about everyday matters; Dong Bai and the others also slowed their pace, instructing the maids on the trivial matters of arranging their luggage.
Inside the council hall, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood. The old lady sat in the main seat, her gaze sweeping over Zhou Yu and Ma Chao in front of her, as well as Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, and Han Dang on either side—all veterans who had fought alongside Sun Ce all the way. At this moment, their faces were solemn.
“Those powerful families who sided with the rebels have Bo Fu’s blood on their hands and must not be allowed to live.” Ma Chao clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white. “Back then, I spared them from killing them because of our shared Jiangdong family ties. And what happened? They turned around and colluded with outsiders to deliver a fatal blow to Bo Fu.”
Zhou Yu nodded in agreement, his tone calm yet ruthless: "To cut the weeds, we must remove the roots. But the powerful families are deeply entrenched, and pulling one hair can affect the whole situation. The mastermind who sided with the rebels must be killed, but their collateral branches and servants, if they were merely coerced, can be dealt with leniently to avoid inciting even greater turmoil."
Cheng Pu stroked his beard and said in a deep voice, "Gongjin is right. We are killing the ringleaders, not trying to drive all the powerful families of Jiangdong to the opposite side." Huang Gai and Han Dang nodded in agreement, clearly acknowledging this point.
The old lady pondered for a moment, just as she was about to speak, when a servant's voice suddenly came from outside the door, tinged with hesitation: "Old lady, General Zhou, there is a young man kneeling outside the gate, saying he has important matters to discuss with Prince Liang (Ma Chao) and General Zhou, and he refuses to get up."
Ma Chao frowned: "What young man? Did you give your name?"
The servant bowed his head and replied, "He said he was a member of the Lu family, named Lu Xun. He also said that Your Majesty's actions are truly unsettling for the people of the land."
The air in the council chamber seemed to freeze, the sandalwood smoke lingering in the air. Ma Chao's fingers, gripping the cloth tightly, turned white from the force. Upon hearing the name "Lu Xun," his eyes flashed with even more ferocity, and his gaze swept over Cheng Pu and Huang Gai with a questioning look: "Are there still remnants of the Lu family who have escaped the net?"
Cheng Pu's face flushed red. He stood up, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said with a guilty voice, "It was my dereliction of duty! During the search, we did find that Lu Jun had a son named Lu Xun, but we couldn't find him anywhere. We assumed he had died in the chaos of war... We never expected that he had hidden himself."
Huang Gai also said in a deep voice, "This brat is quite patient, waiting until now to show his face, and even dares to accuse the king of acting unjustly. His heart is despicable!"
"Arrest them all!" Ma Chao sneered, about to give the order, but was stopped by Zhou Yu.
"Brother, please calm down." Zhou Yu stepped forward, his gaze steady. "The city has just been pacified, and the people are already uneasy. Since Lu Xun dared to speak frankly outside the mansion, he must have come prepared. If he is imprisoned directly, it will only confirm the accusation of 'unfair treatment,' and if word gets out, it will only cause more panic among the people."
He paused, then looked at Ma Chao: "Why don't we let him in and hear what he has to say? If what he says makes sense, we can clarify it in public; if it's just a publicity stunt, we can use this opportunity to convince him and let the people see that we are not indiscriminate killers."
Ma Chao remained silent for a moment, his chest heaving until it calmed down. He knew Zhou Yu was right, but the weight of the Lu family debt weighed on his mind, making it difficult for him to remain calm. Finally, he coldly snorted, "Fine, let him in! I want to see what kind of nonsense this remnant of the Lu family can spout!"
The servants withdrew as ordered, and a moment later, a young man dressed in a plain long robe walked in with his head held high. Although his face was still childish, his back was straight, and there was no fear between his brows. His gaze swept over everyone in the hall, finally landing on Ma Chao. He cupped his hands in greeting and said in a clear voice, "Lu Xun greets all the generals."
His eyes were open and honest, without pleading or flattery, which left Ma Chao, who was holding back his anger, momentarily at a loss for how to vent his frustration.
Zhou Yu spoke first, his tone calm: "Lu Xun, you say the King's actions are unfair, do you have any evidence?"
Lu Xun raised his eyes and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Back then, the head of the Lu family sided with the rebels and deserved his punishment, which Lu Xun dared not refute. However, many aristocratic families in the city were merely forced to comply with the situation and did not actually participate in the rebellion, yet they were also implicated and purged... Isn't such a wide-ranging implication unjust?"
Before he could finish speaking, Cheng Pu angrily retorted, "You brat! If these powerful families hadn't wavered back then, how could the rebels have been so rampant!"
Lu Xun, however, remained unfazed and met Cheng Pu's gaze, saying, "General, please calm down. In chaotic times, survival is not easy. If we relentlessly pursue extermination, we will only force more people to the opposite side."
Silence fell once more in the council chamber. Lu Xun's words were like a stone thrown into water, stirring ripples in everyone's hearts. Ma Chao pursed his lips, remaining silent, clearly having taken his words to heart.
Zhou Yu looked at Ma Chao, his eyes signaling – this was an opportunity to clarify boundaries and appease people.
Ma Chao took a deep breath and slowly spoke, his voice slightly gentler than before: "What do you want?"
Lu Xun said loudly, "I am willing to use the remaining assets of the Lu family to provide relief to the people in the city, and to help the generals identify the families involved in the case, punishing only the ringleaders and pardoning those who were coerced. In this way, we can comfort General Sun's spirit in heaven and also put the minds of the people at ease."
Ma Chao frowned, his hand on the sword at his waist, and said in a deep voice, "How can we distinguish them? Remnants of the rebels are lurking in the shadows; the slightest carelessness could sow the seeds of disaster. Must we dissect and meticulously investigate each of these deeply entrenched aristocratic families?"
Lu Xun stepped forward, his robes fluttering with the movement. His gaze swept over the crowd in the hall, his voice clear yet carrying an undeniable certainty: "A court can be set up in the city center square, the list of the involved families can be made public, and the people can be invited to attend. If there is concrete evidence proving their involvement in treason, they will naturally be punished according to the law; even if there was no prior act of treason, if any citizen submits a petition in court accusing them of past crimes of harming their neighbors and oppressing the people, they can be confronted in court, and after verification, they will all be dealt with."
He paused, his gaze falling on Ma Chao's tense profile, his tone softening slightly: "In this way, it will not only demonstrate our fairness but also allow the people to witness the clarity of the law. However..." Lu Xun's tone shifted, his brow furrowing slightly, "If, in a public trial, there is neither concrete evidence of treason nor testimonies from the people regarding their misdeeds, how should these people be dealt with? We cannot convict them based solely on speculation."