sjar Chapter 1060 The Qiu Family's Response
Chapter 1060 The Qiu Family's Response
Inside the hall, after Du Qingcheng and the others left, the weariness in Li Che's eyes vanished instantly.
Given his physical condition, it's impossible for him to become weak so quickly.
Moreover, since his tour, he had been seeking advice from Xu Jiezi on the art of health preservation.
Xu Jiezi also shared his knowledge without reservation, passing on the health preservation techniques of the Guigu School one by one.
Li Che practiced it for a while and felt that it did have some effect; at least it wasn't the kind of evil technique that involved consuming heavy metal pills.
"Come out," Li Che said softly.
From inside the back room, Qiu Bai's figure flashed out, his face gloomy.
Li Che glanced at him and said helplessly, "Don't keep looking so gloomy. I brought you here so that you can avenge the grudges of the past and find peace of mind."
"Look at yourself like this. Don't let yourself get sick instead of getting revenge."
Qiu Bai took a deep breath, cupped his hands, and said, "Your subordinate understands."
Li Che then said, "Regarding the Qiu family, I have only found two problems: one is iron, and the other is land."
The Qiu family was ultimately a small family, and Li Che hadn't focused much attention on them before. The booklet left by Wang Yuanshan contained records of the Qiu family's dirty deeds from a hundred years ago.
Using the events of the previous dynasty to judge the crimes of the present is still a bit far-fetched.
As for the injustice Qiu Bai suffered, even if he were to point it out, the other party could simply deny it.
Ultimately, this is a family matter of the Qiu family. Even if Li Che used his status as emperor to force the Qiu family to acknowledge him, it would still be illegitimate and lack legitimacy.
"I gave them a good talking-to today, and no one will dare to interfere in the affairs of the Qiu family anymore."
Li Che looked at Qiu Bai: "What to do next is up to you. What price you want the Qiu family to pay is entirely up to you."
Qiu Bai was deeply moved: "Your Majesty...this subordinate..."
"Alright." Li Che glared at him. "Stop making such a fuss over nothing. Don't be like Zhuge Zhe, who keeps scattering pearls for no reason."
"Go, find a way to make the Qiu family suffer and make Qiu Hong fear, only then can you seek justice for your father."
"After you've done all this, go to your father's grave and kowtow a few times."
Qiu Bai wiped away his tears and said in a trembling voice, "This subordinate understands."
. . . . . .
Qiu Mansion, the council hall next to the ancestral hall.
Qiu Hong sat in the main seat with a gloomy expression, while the heads of each department sat below him, all with furrowed brows.
When Qiu Hong picked up the car last night, he felt something was wrong and was still in shock.
This morning, a clerk who had some connections with the Qiu family quietly passed on a message, briefly mentioning that His Majesty had shown concern for the Qiu family's assets several times while reviewing the account books.
This made Qiu Hong even more certain that the visitors had ill intentions.
"His Majesty has named all the fields and workshops," Qiu Hong said in a hoarse voice. "Although he didn't investigate further, Prefect Du and the others came out with pale faces."
"Now that we can't rely on the Prefect's Office, and His Majesty has made such a move, I'm afraid no one will dare to help us anymore."
The third son wiped his face, annoyed, and said, "This is clearly a warning! Throughout His Majesty's southern tour, anyone who received such concern from him ended up suffering greatly."
"The Sun family of Chuzhou, the Liu family of Huangzhou... how can our Qiu family withstand such turmoil in our current state?"
"Shedding a layer of skin? It's more like a serious injury!" An elder stroked his beard and shook his head with a sigh. "Now the family business is declining, cash is scarce, and managers in various places are all complaining."
"If His Majesty really orders a punishment, how will we pay for it? Are we really going to sell our ancestral property?"
"Those assets were painstakingly accumulated by our ancestors! Why should the emperor take them away with a single word? Our Qiu family hasn't committed any heinous crimes!"
"Shut up! Watch your words!" Qiu Hong shouted sternly, glancing warily at the tightly closed doors and windows. "How dare you utter such treasonous words? Do you think the family isn't declining fast enough?!"
The elder was speechless and could only lower his head and sulk.
Qiu Hong took a breath, suppressed his anger, and said in a deep voice, "The question now is how we should deal with this."
The three men gave a wry smile: "Master, how much usable cash do we have left? The small amount of private funds held by each branch of the family combined probably wouldn't even be enough to catch His Majesty's eye, unless..."
He hesitated.
"Unless what?" Qiu Hong stared at him.
The third wife lowered her voice: "Unless we have to use those 'old guard'."
Silence fell over the hall.
All aristocratic families are the same; they are terrified that their descendants will be unworthy and squander the family fortune, so they desperately try to accumulate wealth.
This private stash accumulated over generations was kept in the hands of the family head, and naturally, no one else had the opportunity to know about it.
Using the family's secret reserves is tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst, but at the moment it seems there is no other choice.
The fourth branch, which had been mostly silent, sighed softly: "If Second Brother Mingyuan were still alive, with his abilities back then, the family would never have fallen to such a state, with not even a sliver of hope left."
"Hongli!" Qiu Hong slammed his hand on the table, his face flushed and his eyes bloodshot. "How many times have I told you! Don't mention that name again!"
"Qiu Mingyuan's method? His method is to raise a tiger to cause trouble, which killed my wife and children and almost ruined the Qiu family's century-old reputation!"
"Now that the family is in trouble, instead of working together, you are remembering sinners. What are your intentions?!"
Qiu Hongli trembled at his shout, lowered his head and remained silent, but his eyes were full of disdain.
Qiu Hong wasn't the only one causing trouble in the Qiu family; at least the fourth branch of the family didn't get along with him.
When Qiu Bai got into trouble, it was one of his uncles who helped him, preventing him from being subjected to private torture by the family and instead sending him to a criminal camp.
This uncle of Qiu Bai was from the fourth branch of the family and was Qiu Hongli's father.
Later, Qiu Hongli's father suddenly died, reportedly from falling into the water after drinking.
But Qiu Hongli didn't believe it. His father had always had a high alcohol tolerance and never overindulged in alcohol, so how could he have died from it?
But now that Qiu Hong is in power, the rest of the families combined cannot compete with him, so he can only endure it and occasionally trip him up behind his back, not daring to really confront Qiu Hong.
Seeing Qiu Hong's outburst of anger, the others also fell silent, but the expressions in their eyes did not necessarily show complete disbelief.
The situation is difficult, and people are yearning for change. Dissatisfaction with Qiu Hong is growing unseen.
Qiu Hong was panting heavily, knowing that this was not the time to vent his old grievances.
Forcing himself to calm down, he gritted his teeth and said, "We can't touch all the treasures, but we can pick one or two less important ones and take some valuable gold and jade items to prepare."
"I will personally go to see Prefect Du to inquire about His Majesty's intentions. If I can avert disaster by paying a fine, that would be best; if not..."
His gaze swept over the crowd, carrying a warning: "Now is a critical moment for the Qiu family's survival. Each branch must set aside personal interests and work together to overcome this difficult time!"
"Anyone who dares to outwardly comply but inwardly defy, or spread rumors, should not blame my family for being ruthless!"
Everyone nodded in agreement, but as they left, their thoughts were all different.
The Qiu family's dilapidated ship was creaking and cracks were beginning to appear.
. . . . . .
Outside the palace, during a break in the imperial guards' patrol.
A middle-aged man dressed in the uniform of a low-ranking military officer was inspecting the hay and water troughs in the stable.
He was a captain in the palace guards, surnamed Zhao, and a local from Jingzhou.
He used to work as a guard in the Qiu family in his early years. Because of his good skills, he was recommended to join the palace guards. Now he is in charge of the security of the outer perimeter of the palace.
Soldiers of this background could almost be considered members of the Qiu family, a fact the prefect knew but would pretend not to know.
This is the pervasive influence of powerful clans, which are all-pervasive and control every aspect of a region.
A figure appeared silently beside the stable, the iron mask gleaming coldly in the dim light.
"Zhao Ji?"
Team Leader Zhao paused slightly, then continued his work without looking up, and asked in a low voice, "What are your orders, General?"
The Iron-Faced General didn't speak, but simply handed over something.
It was an ordinary jade ring, its color dull and lacking luster, but it was an item that Qiu Bai's birth mother had once worn.
“You are…” Zhao Ji’s eyes were full of astonishment.
The Iron-Faced General silently removed his mask, revealing a face that was both strange and familiar to him.
When he worked as a guard in the Qiu family, he had received many favors from the Second Master and had also seen Qiu Bai, who was still a quiet young man at the time.
Zhao Ji was silent for a moment before speaking, "You came back because of Second Master?"
Qiu Bai nodded, then shook his head: "For my father, and for my mother."
Zhao Ji couldn't help but say, "You're already a big shot. If you want to deal with Qiu Hong, isn't it just a matter of saying a word?"
Qiu Bai shook his head: "I want to seek justice for my parents."
Zhao Ji sighed, then said, "Please ask."
Qiu Bai's voice, deep and even, came through the mask: "Qifeng Manor, the newly silted land of the Xiang River, how did the Qiu family acquire it?"
"Also, how did the fourth branch of the family's uncle accidentally fall into the water three years ago?"
Team Leader Zhao's hand, which was scooping water, remained steady, and his voice was even lower: "They forced the purchase and seized the property, using some shady methods, which implicated the previous clerk of the Household Department. That person later died suddenly from an illness."
"Uncle Lao didn't fall by accident. He was knocked unconscious and thrown into the river at night because he saw the village head and his men carrying away a batch of old armor from the village in the middle of the night."
"Old armor?"
"Yes, it must have been earlier, when one of the family members was serving in the army and took it over, hiding it in the cellar of the manor."
"Later, those items were quietly moved, but I don't know exactly where they went."
"But the head of the estate later let slip a word while drinking, saying, 'The stuff is under the master's manhood, it's safe and sound.'"
Qiu Bai was silent for a moment, then asked, "Who is Qiu Hong's most useful person right now?"
"He is the brother-in-law of his second wife, named Hu Kui. He manages two pawnshops and a carriage shop in the city. He is very slick and dishonest, but he keeps his mouth shut and has handled many private matters for the family."
"Furthermore, Uncle Fu, who guards the ancestral hall, is an old man. He served under Second Master when he was young, but in recent years he has been sent to guard the ancestral hall. However, I feel that he knows something and seems to have some resentment towards the head of the family."
"Understood." Qiu Bai said, then quietly retreated.
After hesitating for a moment, Captain Zhao said, "Young Master."
Qiu Bai stopped and looked at him silently.
Zhao Ji hesitated for a moment before speaking, "That Mid-Autumn Festival, I saw how they treated you. I was afraid of dying, so I didn't dare to speak..."
Qiu Bai remained silent for a moment, then said calmly, "I know."