Liu Zhi'an gently fiddled with the tea foam with the tea lid in his hand. He was silent for a while when he heard Liu Mingzhi's somewhat confused question: "Why do you ask this? Do I look like someone who is colluding with the White Lotus Sect bandits?"
"Isn't it different? Isn't Uncle Ling the best proof?
He became the leader of the White Lotus Sect by chance, and he is your sworn brother. With the combination of each other, it is not particularly unbelievable that you and the White Lotus Sect have some entanglements. "
"Just because of this? I don't deny that I have a deep friendship with your third uncle, but just because of this, is it too arbitrary to think that I am involved with the White Lotus Sect?
Don't you forget? Many years ago, the White Lotus Sect caused chaos in Jiangnan several times, and the business of our Liu family's major trading houses also suffered a big impact!
If I had something to do with the White Lotus Sect, how could I just watch them harm our own business?
Damage the foundation of our family? "
Looking at Liu Zhi'an's strange expression, Liu Mingzhi rubbed his temples and stood up, pacing gently in front of the desk with his eyes slightly narrowed behind his hands.
Liu Zhi'an sipped the tea and looked at Young Master Liu with interest. He was extremely curious about what kind of wisdom the eldest son could say.
I don't know how long it took, but Liu Mingzhi stopped, frowning slightly and looking at the calm old man sitting on a chair sipping tea.
"Although there is no direct evidence to prove that you are involved with the White Lotus Sect, some things happened by coincidence and are also a bit unbelievable."
"What coincidence? Is there anything more incredible?"
"I used to be a white person, so naturally I didn't think deeply about the White Lotus Sect.
After entering the temple over the years, and getting to where I am today, with a little thought, I can feel that something is wrong with the White Lotus Sect's rebellion.
As you said, every time the White Lotus Sect rebels, it will disrupt the business of our Liu family firm.
But not only our Liu family, the businesses of many trading houses were also looted, and a lot of killings were left in other people's trading houses.
But if you think about it carefully, our Liu family is the only one who has lost a little money and goods.
Not one of the shopkeepers, waiters, servants, and guards of the trading company was attacked by the White Lotus Sect.
Once is a coincidence, twice is a coincidence, and even three times can be a coincidence.
However, the White Lotus Sect has caused chaos dozens of times, and as far as I know, our Liu Family Trading Company has not harmed anyone.
On the contrary, other people's businesses were brutally slaughtered.
Let's just say that the White Lotus Rebellion occurred in March of the 26th year of Xuande's reign. At that time, I happened to go to Dangyang Academy to study. I accidentally learned about the White Lotus Rebellion from Yun'er.
After meeting my father at Dangyang Academy, I received a letter from you asking me to return home to discuss my marriage to Yun'er.
Our business was attacked by bandits from the White Lotus Sect. It was impossible for me not to pay attention to this matter at all.
According to what I learned at the time, the Chai family silk shop was not only looted, but also the entire family was wiped out by the White Lotus sect bandits. Although the Shen family cloth shop suffered slightly smaller losses, it was also far away from Jinling, and I don’t know where it went in the end. at.
The Zhou family, the Gu family, the Feng family, the Ding family...all the major business houses suffered losses.
However, although the Shen and Chai families were engaged in the cloth business, they were slightly inferior to the Zheng Family Trading Company.
The Zheng Family Silk Trading Company, which held more gold and silver jewelry and was located in a prosperous location, was safe and sound. The Shen Family and Chai Family's two trading firms, which were less prosperous and located in a slightly remote location, were attacked by the White Lotus Sect.
It's a little unreasonable both emotionally and rationally.
The Zhou family and the Gu family run the jewelry business, but the largest jeweler in Jinling is our Liu family, followed by the Ge family.
The Ge family business was safe and sound, but the Zhou family and the Gu family were attacked.
Old man, do you think this is a coincidence? Or is the purpose of the White Lotus Sect's rebellion actually intentional?
The families I just mentioned who were attacked by the White Lotus Sect all have one thing in common.
They have not been stationed in Jiangnan territory for more than three years.
In this comparison, let’s extend it a little bit.
You said they were attacked by the White Lotus Sect bandits. Is it possible that they were punished for crossing the border? "
Liu Zhi'an looked at Mr. Liu's shining eyes staring at him after he finished speaking, and raised a specious smile at the corner of his mouth.
"In March of the 26th year of Xuande's reign, the White Lotus Sect launched a rebellion. It not only attacked commercial banks in major prefectures and counties in Jinling, but also attacked the government offices in various places. How do you explain it?
After all, this matter caused quite a stir at the time, and your father-in-law, Governor Qi Runqi, was quite troubled!
As for why they attacked the trading company, the White Lotus Sect was carrying out rebellion and rebellion under the guise that the dragon should die and White Lotus should rise.
It makes perfect sense to raid trading houses to accumulate gold, silver and jewels in preparation for recruiting troops.
And you should understand why they attack relatively small and remote trading houses. Persimmons only pick out the weak ones! "
Liu Mingzhi put his hands on the table and looked at the old man quietly.
"Then my Liu family is a soft persimmon?"
Liu Zhi'an frowned slightly and shook his head noncommittally: "Go on! Go on!"
"Old man, you just said that the White Lotus Sect bandits not only attacked trading houses to accumulate wealth, but also attacked the government.
But at that time, they attacked the government and retreated with one blow. No matter how you look at it, they are trying to deceive people and confuse the public.
Its original intention is to cover up the White Lotus Sect's attacks on major commercial banks in order to achieve the real purpose of eliminating dissidents!
The Liu Family Trading Company was also attacked, and its purpose was naturally self-evident.
It's nothing more than to confuse the public. "
Looking at Liu Zhi'an who was tapping the table gently and looking a little weird, Liu Mingzhi smacked his lips and sat on the chair, picking up the tea and gargling the smell of cigarette in his mouth.
"Furthermore, after I wiped out the White Lotus Sect and learned that my third uncle was still alive, we, the old man, must still remember the past meeting with my third uncle in a separate courtyard in Jinling City!"
"nature!"
"It's good to have an impression. After Third Uncle explained to you that day, I told you the truth about why Third Uncle is still alive.
He was rescued by the original White Lotus Sect and escaped the disaster of being beheaded in public.
But why did the White Lotus Sect help the third uncle escape the fate of being beheaded in public?
You say there is a lack of counselors.
However, the White Lotus Sect wanted to recruit some experienced counselors to advise them, whether it was through coercion or inducement.
It's not difficult for them.
Why take the risk of being exterminated by the imperial court to rescue an imperial prisoner who was beheaded in public by his father, Emperor Li Zheng?
Is it just because the third uncle was a well-educated scholar who passed the imperial examination?
Back then, the third brother Li Yunlong, the King of Shu, rebelled. His aide Lu Gongwang also failed repeatedly, but his overall view and strategy should not be underestimated.
He was just not good at imperial examinations, but he was talented in other aspects.
There is no shortage of educated people among the people.
The only difference lies in whether one has passed the imperial examination or not.
Based on the reputation of Third Uncle at the time, it was really not worth the risk of death for the White Lotus leader to encounter the imperial sword.
Although Emperor Weihe was obsessed with alchemy at that time, he left a mess for his father.
However, it was not the White Lotus Sect at that time who dared to engage in a head-on confrontation.
Anyone with a little bit of brains knows how to choose between the pros and cons.
However, the White Lotus Sect unexpectedly rescued the third uncle.
In this case, there is only one possibility! "
Liu Zhi'an spit out the tea foam in his mouth: "What's possible?"
"The White Lotus Sect has a reason to save Third Uncle.
Is there any reason why the White Lotus Sect has to save the third uncle from dying young?
What do you say, old man? "
"Ba Chi...Ba Chi...Ba Chi...Ba Chi..."
Liu Zhi'an smacked his lips and looked at Young Master Liu with an inexplicable look in his ears and eyes.
"Any more?"
