"What?"
In the Cabinet Office, Su Chengye, the eldest son of Su Wencheng, jumped up from his chair in shock when he heard the news.
"Uncle Zhou, what should we do now?"
Su Chengye asked an older man next to him.
His name is Zhou Chong, and he is the steward of the Su family.
In charge of all matters of the Su family.
Without Su Wencheng, he was the highest-ranking person in charge of the Su family.
But the old man was very smart and knew that these were extraordinary times and he could not make the decision easily, so he gave up the throne to Su Chengye, Su Wencheng's eldest son.
After all, Su Chengye is no longer a child, he is already in his thirties.
And his own children.
Another official, able to act independently.
Su Chengye is in charge of the Su family with just one word - stability.
He only inquires about what is going on outside, but does not participate.
Like many family guards, the housekeepers united to intercept and kill Zhao Ping.
Su Chengye knew it.
At that time, someone in the Su family suggested that he send someone to follow those people.
Kill Zhao Ping and everything will be fine.
But it was rejected by Su Chengye.
In his opinion, the reason why Zhao Ping captured so many officials was nothing more than two things.
First, when the prince ascends the throne and proclaims himself emperor, he is rebelling.
Zhao Ping arrested those people because he wanted to find out the truth, find those who instigated the prince, and bring them to justice so that they could be worthy of the Shang Fang sword in his hand.
Second, shock Xiaoxiao.
After all, not all officials went to witness the crown prince's enthronement.
There were still many officials outside the palace that day.
The purpose of arresting all of Zhao Ping is to make those who are hiding in the dark fearful and not dare to act rashly, so as to reduce the obstacles to what Zhao Ping is planning.
As long as the Su family doesn't help the prince, Zhao Ping won't do anything to the Su family.
But things are different now.
As far as Su Chengye knew, Liu Lai had never instigated the prince.
He didn't even have any interaction with the prince.
He is a truly loyal minister. Such a person should not be targeted by Zhao Ping.
But what's the result?
Zhao Ping, no, it was Liu Dingbei, who actually wiped out the entire Liu family.
Who does Liu Dingbei listen to?
Of course it is Your Majesty.
His Majesty is not in the capital now.
Zhao Ping holds Shang Fang's sword in his hand, which can represent His Majesty.
His decision is now an imperial edict.
So the Liu family was massacred, which is what Zhao Ping meant.
Su Chengye couldn't help but not be frightened.
If things continue like this, their cabinet, the Grand Scholar's Office, may also be massacred.
Su Chengye did not dare to make rash decisions anymore and looked at the butler Zhou Chong sitting next to him as if asking for help.
"Still use your method and strive for victory steadily."
Zhou Chong thought for a moment and said.
"What should we do if Zhao Ping comes to search our Cabinet Grand Scholar's Office?"
Su Chengye frowned and said: "Liu Lai is the Minister of Household Affairs and a loyal minister, but Zhao Ping has wiped out his whole family."
"Although my father's official position is higher than that of Liu Lai, it is only higher. He still cannot stop the Shangfang sword in Zhao Ping's hand."
"Haven't you heard?"
Zhou Chong said: "The Liu family was destroyed because Liu Lai rebelled."
"He's plotting for the throne."
"There is another important reason: he collaborated with the enemy and betrayed the country."
"He was the one who took the lead in the destruction of the Flying Eagle Army six years ago."
"Such a person should be killed."
"Even if Zhao Ping doesn't kill them, once conclusive evidence is revealed, our Majesty will never forgive them."
"Even the subjects of the whole world will kill him."
"And what about us?"
"My husband is an upright official, and he has never betrayed the country or collaborated with the enemy, nor has he ever assassinated the Flying Eagle Army. What reason does he, Zhao Ping, have for destroying the Cabinet Grand Scholar's Office?"
"Then we just wait?"
Su Chengye asked weakly.
There was some curiosity in my heart.
Is my father an honest official?
Butler Zhou, didn’t you blush when you said this?
Let’s not talk about the far ones, let’s talk about the near ones.
A plague broke out in Xiping Village. His Majesty ordered three bachelors to prepare money and food for disaster relief and transport them to Xiping Village to alleviate the crisis there.
The results of it?
The money and food were sent out, but they did not arrive at Xiping Village.
When His Majesty recalled him, he was robbed by bandits.
How could such a coincidence happen?
Besides, the bandits knew that it was money and food specially approved by the emperor for disaster relief. Do they have the guts to intercept it?
It is self-evident whose pocket these things end up in.
As for collaboration with the enemy and treason.
Su Chengye didn't have any evidence on this point, but he could make a rough guess.
For example, Liu Lai, the Minister of Household Affairs, and Tong Sihai, the housekeeper, controlled cloth villages in many places, which was a considerable source of gold and silver.
For example, Shangshu Ling Xu Chun was in charge of the sales rights of salt in some states and counties, and also benefited a lot.
There is also the Crown Prince Mu Chen, who owns a Pinxiang Restaurant, some brothels, etc. He is also a chicken that lays golden eggs.
What does the Su family have?
Overall, it has everything.
Such as iron, salt, cloth shop, tea, restaurant, etc., all have some.
But compared to other places, it's pitiful.
Moreover, no one in the Su family knows how to be a merchant. Those properties in their hands can only earn the expenses of the whole family.
But is the Su family short of money?
In Su Chengye's view, not only was the Su family not short of money, but it was also possible that they could be as rich as the country.
At least he can get thousands of taels of silver from his family as pocket money every month.
Where does the money come from?
The Dawei Dynasty could not make money internally, but could only make money from outside.
Like the Xiongnu, Xianbei people, etc., they are in cold places and cannot grow food, so they need to buy it.
There are many officials in the Su family.
The first to bear the brunt was Su Wencheng, the cabinet scholar, and others also occupied important positions in the Dawei Dynasty.
Of course, the Su family has more civilian officials and lacks military generals.
It is precisely because of these civil servants that we can do business with the Xiongnu, Xianbei, and Goguryeo and make money.
Is this considered collaboration with the enemy and treason?
Su Chengye wasn't sure.
So I followed the advice of housekeeper Zhou Chong and continued to be steady.
Still only asking about things, not discussing or participating.
…
At the same time, Shangshu Lingfu.
Xu Yang, the eldest son of Xu Chun, the minister ordered, also received a report from his servants.
But he didn't have a meeting.
Unlike other families, the direct lineage of the Shangshu Ling Mansion is in charge.
The head of the family, Xu Chun, was away, and the person in charge fell to his eldest son, Xu Yang.
And it’s all in one word.
However, others can only implement what the person in charge decides and cannot resist.
Anyone who dares to resist will be stripped out of the Xu family's inner circle. When the money is divided in the future, you will also be the one closest to the side.
Therefore, people in the Xu family are very obedient.
Xu Yang ordered them to stay at home and wait, and they really stayed at home and waited, without even going out.
At this time, Xu Yang frowned when he heard the news from Liu Mansion.
"Everyone in the family was beheaded. Is Zhao Ping so cruel?"
Xu Yang murmured silently, "What should the Xu family do?"
"There are three ways."
"First, escape."
"Although my father did not collaborate with the enemy or betray the country, nor did he assassinate the Flying Eagle Army, he embezzled a lot of money."
"This alone is enough to make you lose your head."
"It is even very likely that the Xu family will be implicated and the Xu family will be destroyed."
"So, running away at this time is the best thing to do."
"With the financial, manpower, and material resources of the Xu family, we should be able to escape while Zhao Ping is searching other families."
"Then find a place where no one knows you, stay anonymous, and you can be rich for several lifetimes."
"Second, peace talks."
"When Zhao Ping comes, take the initiative to confess everything that the Xu family has done, and take the initiative to admit his mistakes, and hand over the money that was stolen."
"Get closer to Zhao Ping and ask him to plead with His Majesty and forgive the Xu family's mistakes."
"This is the middle strategy."
"If you succeed, everything will be fine. At most, my father's official position will be cancelled, so that everyone in the family will not be executed."
"It won't be anonymity."
"As long as there are no particularly prodigal people in the Xu family, it won't be a problem to support several generations."
"Once we fail, we may end up like the Liu family."
"Third, resist."
"Gather the manpower of the Xu family and lay an ambush. When Zhao Ping comes in, give him a head-on blow. It's best to kill him directly."
As soon as he muttered this, Xu Yang shook his head again.
"No, there are so many experts around Zhao Ping."
"Don't you see, the stewards, guards, and even the servants from other families joined together, more than a thousand people, to ambush Zhao Ping, and besieged Zhao Ping in a cloth village, but they couldn't kill Zhao Ping."
"On the contrary, Zhao Ping almost killed them all, and the rest were all captured alive."
"I heard that Zhao Ping only lost a dozen people."
"The Xu family cannot compare to this kind of fighting power."
"If you really fight hard, I'm afraid the Xu Mansion will be completely wiped out before Zhao Ping can search it."
"So, I choose a strategy."
