Chapter 494: Memorial to Abolish Rongguo Title

Datong, Sun Zhanying's mansion.

During this period, outsiders did not notice, but inside the Sun mansion, many changes occurred quietly. Even the number of people coming and going daily decreased unknowingly.

Since Sun Zhanying received the letter from the Love Shenjing, with his gloomy and cunning mind, and the sophistication of being in the officialdom for many years, he had already sensed that the situation was critical.

These days, he began to organize the family's floating wealth, take stock of the materials and flowing silver of the Sun family's shops in the city, and made proper preparations for vehicle and horse transportation.

Even the women of the Sun family and the underage relatives left Datong in batches without anyone noticing these two days. As for where they went, outsiders had no way of knowing.

The Sun family had been entrenched in Datong for three generations. Sun Zhanying was even better than his ancestors. He only used ten years to raise the Sun family to be one of the few local noble families, and his means were very powerful.

A person like him, handling major events, always considers defeat before victory.

Secretly making all preparations to withdraw, the father and son had no worries, and they went to the office and entered the camp daily, looking exactly the same.

And they had been standing still, which also minimized the suspicion of others. Sun Zhanying was waiting for the final opportunity. Even if there was a glimmer of life, he would not easily give up the Sun family's foundation in Datong.

This day, when the moon fell and the stars sank, Sun Zhanying returned from the banquet and saw his eldest son Sun Shaorong waiting in the study, looking anxious.

Seeing Sun Zhanying, he said: "Father, you are finally back. Sun Dacheng of the Third Branch, under Father's order, led thirty confidant elite cavalry to go 50 miles out of the city to investigate news."

"Last night, at the Hongfeng Town official post 80 miles from Datong, he discovered more than fifty Embroidered Uniform Guard personal soldiers, some of whom were carrying yellow silk packages on their backs."

"Sun Dacheng sent people to investigate the official post and determined that this batch of Embroidered Uniform Guards came from the Love Shenjing Commander's office, rushing to Datong to convey the imperial decree, and there were two officials from the Five Armies Governor's Office accompanying them."

Sun Zhanying heard this, his face became severe, saying: "The Embroidered Uniform Guard from the Love Shenjing conveys the decree, and there are officials from the Five Armies Governor's Office accompanying them. The person receiving the decree must be a general in the army!"

Sun Shaorong looked worried and said: "Could it be that the letter from the Love Shenjing was unfortunately correct, that the salt and iron business of those three noble families has been confirmed to be related to the Sun family, and the imperial court is going to issue a decree to attack Father!"

Sun Zhanying shook his head and said: "The Sun family's hereditary command is only Grade 5. If the imperial court wants to take me, the Embroidered Uniform Guard can convey the decree. There is no reason for the Five Armies Governor's Office to come together."

"In the Datong army, only the Second-Class Regional Commander Qian Shaoyang of Datong would have such a scene."

Sun Shaorong asked: "Could it be that they are not taking the Sun family, but actually dealing with Qian Shaoyang? He is the Datong Regional Commander, commanding 20,000 Datong border troops. The imperial court is actually attacking him?"

Sun Zhanying said: "The current Emperor promotes the method of firearms, uses the power of firearms to pacify the Jurchens in Liaodong, and creates the Five Armies Shenji Camp. His power and strength in the army are no longer what they used to be."

"The Nine Borders are related to the peace of Da Zhou's northwest. Since the Emperor has the strength and confidence, his bottom line of tolerance for border generals will naturally rise."

"These years, Qian Shaoyang has taken care of the Sun family, and has eaten how many benefits from our Sun family. Although these things are secret, they are not airtight as long as they are investigated carefully."

"I think it must be that after those three noble families were imprisoned, they confessed, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard followed the vine to find Qian Shaoyang's shortcomings. Once Qian Shaoyang is taken by the imperial court, my Sun family will have nowhere to hide."

……

The father and son were discussing when the Sun mansion's steward entered and said: "Master, an official from the government office outside the door is asking to see Master, saying there is urgent official business to find Master."

Sun Zhanying inherited the family's hereditary command. Command and Regional Military Commissioner are only one word apart, but the size of the official power is very different.

Sun Zhanying's hereditary command title, after his many maneuvers and operations, finally obtained the real power of managing the military equipment of the Datong border army, not having to charge into battle to kill the enemy, but it was a real power fat errand.

Sun Zhanying left the study and entered the main hall of the mansion. The visitor was a General Flag Officer of the Datong border army military equipment division.

"Master, the military equipment division just received an official document forwarded by the Liaodong Regional Commander's office. Assistant Regional Commander Deng Hui of the Liaodong Army Firearms Camp, under the order of the Ministry of War and the Five Armies Governor's Office, will arrive in Datong to change defense in two days."

"Now the military equipment division needs to prepare tents and grain for the soldiers changing defense in advance. The little one specially came to report to Master."

Sun Zhanying heard the news, his face changed, and he asked: "Why is there a sudden change of defense from the Liaodong army? Does the Regional Commander's office, Qian Master, know about it?"

The General Flag Officer replied: "The official document was forwarded by the Datong Regional Commander's office. I heard that Qian Master also just received the news, and the Regional Commander's office is now in a mess."

Sun Zhanying's face was solemn, saying: "I know. Open the military equipment arsenal, count and prepare materials according to the number of people changing defense, and handle everything according to the rules."

After the General Flag Officer of the military equipment division left, Sun Shaorong came out from behind the hall and asked: "There is no military situation outside the pass, why is there a sudden change of defense from Liaodong?"

Sun Zhanying's face was gloomy, saying: "The Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Five Armies Governor's Office are about to arrive in Datong to announce the decree. The Ministry of War suddenly transferred troops from Liaodong to change defense. The two times are connected seamlessly, and there must be a plan!" "Although I have never witnessed the power of the firearm army, I have heard many rumors about this in the military equipment division. Beyond fifty steps, two thousand firearm soldiers confront six thousand sword and spear soldiers, and still have spare power."

"The situation is already obvious. The Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Five Armies Governor's Office are going north this time, and they must be targeting Qian Shaoyang. Two thousand firearm soldiers are the imperial court's precaution to suppress the Datong border army."

"The edge is pointing directly at Qian Shaoyang, and my Sun family is also hard to escape. Datong is going to change the sky. Shaorong, this is not a place to stay for long. Once two thousand firearm soldiers enter the city, it will be difficult to leave."

"When is the time for the goods to go out of the pass that you agreed with the Assistant Regional Commander Zhang Tianlin of the pass?"

Sun Shaorong felt a chill in his heart, knowing that the Sun family had finally reached the end in Datong, and now only the path north remained.

He replied in a low voice: "The time for the goods to go out of the pass is tomorrow at sunset. I have already paid the one percent profit to Zhang Tianlin in advance."

"The family's wealth and materials have been loaded into vehicles, and more than half have been transported to various places to hide. The remaining part can go out of the pass with the goods tomorrow."

"Various matters outside the pass, the second brother has already gone out of the pass to handle it four days ago, I think everything has been handled by today……."

……

Ningrong Street, Count's Prefecture, Jia Cong's courtyard.

The courtyard was sunny, Qingwen and Lingguan were playing with shuttlecocks, Douguan was counting on the side, the beautiful shadows were jumping and jumping, and the laughter was silver and lingering.

In the study, Zhen Ying Lian helped Jia Cong tidy up the study. Seeing the memorial he wrote was still on the table, she carefully put it away and put it into the storage drawer on the table, so as not to be contaminated by the pen, ink, and tea on the table.

Zhen Ying Lian has always had a talent for literary pursuits. For the past two years, she has been in charge of Jia Cong's study, reading and writing with him daily, and has already cultivated a heart full of literary grace.

That Romance of the Western Chamber borrowed from Lingguan, Zhen Ying Lian was originally quite fascinated by it. The lingering and moving singing lyrics and poems in it made her feel that every sentence was precise, and she felt fragrant after reading it.

That day in Fengjie's courtyard, many people heard the words of Wang Xifeng and Grandmother. It didn't take a day for it to spread throughout the Western Prefecture.

Early the next morning, the Eastern Prefecture also heard the wind, and in the words of Grandmother and Wang Xifeng, Zhen Ying Lian's name was also mentioned.

Early in the morning, Juan'er went to the water well in the garden to fetch water, met Yingchun's maid Xiuju, and talked about the incident that day.

Zhen Ying Lian has a soft temperament and is very popular in Jia Cong's courtyard. Everyone loves to be close to her. Juan'er came back and naturally told her everything.

Zhen Ying Lian heard this news, and it brought out a full heart of worries. That Romance of the Western Chamber, which she loved, was thrown aside by her, only feeling that the stories in the book were all coaxing people. The study was quiet, and she was the only one there. She sat at the desk somewhat bored, in a daze.

Suddenly she heard someone speaking behind her: "What are you doing alone? Why are you in a daze?"

Zhen Ying Lian turned her head and saw Jia Cong walking into the room, blushing involuntarily.

She said: "Young Master's memorial is in the drawer. Since it's written, why not send it to the palace?"

Jia Cong smiled: "Yesterday was not the time to send it. They are playing shuttlecock in the courtyard, why don't you go? You don't need to guard here, go play."

Jia Cong saw Zhen Ying Lian was still not moving, and after half a quarter of an hour, she said with a red face: "Young Master, I am thirteen this year, and I am only one year younger than Young Master……."

Jia Cong looked at Zhen Ying Lian curiously, and was surprised by her sudden strange sentence, and the

Yesterday, when Yingchun returned to the East Prefecture, she naturally told him everything that happened in Fengjie's courtyard, point by point.

Thinking of Zhen Ying Lian's abrupt remark about "not being small," he guessed the meaning behind it to some extent; it must be that the events in Fengjie's courtyard yesterday had reached Zhen Ying Lian's ears, and Jia Mu's comment that "Zhen Ying Lian is still young, let's wait a few years" had hurt the young girl's pride.

Jia Cong suppressed a smile in his heart and gently took Zhen Ying Lian's small hand, which felt warm, soft, and smooth to the touch, and said: "Let others say what they want to say."

Zhen Ying Lian asked: "The Old Matriarch has said it several times; does that not count?"

Jia Cong smiled and said: "In our East Prefecture, what I say is what counts."

Zhen Ying Lian's bright eyes flickered; she glanced at the *Romance of the Western Chamber* on the table, blushed, and remained silent.

Jia Cong looked at her carefully; Zhen Ying Lian had been in the mansion for more than two years.

Nowadays, her life of eating and sleeping is stable, and the young girl has reached the age of growing tall; she seems somewhat precocious, having shed the childishness of those years, and has grown into a graceful, slender, and quite moving young woman.

Jia Cong adjusted the gold collar she was wearing and smiled: "Don't take the words from outside to heart; I remember your merits, and besides, how are you small?"

He turned back, took the memorial out of the drawer again, read it through once, made a few changes to it, and said: "Don't just stand there in a daze; go find them and play."

Thinking of Jia Cong's words, "I remember your merits," Zhen Ying Lian felt a wave of peace and joy in her heart. She beamed, picked up the *Romance of the Western Chamber* from the table, held it in her arms, and left the study.

By the time Zhen Ying Lian joined the shuttlecock game and the few of them had played for a while, they saw Jia Cong come out of the study, having changed into formal attire, holding the memorial in his hand as he left the courtyard...

The Great Zhou Imperial Palace, Qianyang Palace.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao sat on the throne, browsing the interrogation confessions of Xie Jing, Qi Jianhui, and Qiu Liang.

Standing before the imperial desk were also Guo Youchang, Minister of Rites, and the Prince of Zhongshun, the Grand Patriarch of the Imperial Clan Court.

The confession in the Emperor's hand, recorded by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, cross-examined and investigated by the Court of Judicial Review, and signed and confessed by these three men, was already ironclad evidence.

The confession recorded that since last year, these three had colluded with the third young master of the Sun family of Datong, through various southern goods shops opened in the Love Shenjing, to trade in prohibited tea, salt, and iron across the Nine Frontiers, reaping huge, exorbitant profits.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's face turned gloomy as he read the confession; these three families not only started trading in prohibited goods earlier than Jia She, but the flow of silver involved was also several times greater, which was truly a crime that could not be pardoned.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao threw the confession in his hand onto the imperial desk and asked: "My two ministers, this major case of prohibited salt and iron trafficking in Datong involves four hereditary noble families in the Love Shenjing. This matter is of great importance and damages the dignity of the state.

How should they be judged and punished? Do you have any strategies or countermeasures?"

The Prince of Zhongshun spoke first: "Reporting to Your Majesty, Xie Jing, Qi Jianhui, and Qiu Liang are all descendants of the founding nobility, bathed in imperial grace for generations, enjoying all the glory and wealth.

Yet these three do not know how to be grateful for the royal favor; instead, they colluded with border military commanders to sell prohibited salt and iron goods on a large scale, which cannot escape the suspicion of aiding the enemy.

Now, according to the law, the Imperial Clan Court and the Ministry of Rites have already stripped these three of their titles in accordance with the regulations and rituals of the state.

In my opinion, I request that the hereditary noble titles of these three families be removed, their entire households confiscated, and their descendants for three generations be barred from appointment, so as to warn others and clear the reputation of the Imperial Clan!"

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao listened to the Prince of Zhongshun's words and remained silent.

The Minister of Rites gasped after hearing the Prince of Zhongshun's words; it was said that this Grand Patriarch had always despised the dissolute descendants of the old nobility, and seeing it today, it was indeed true.

Xie Jing, Qi Jianhui, and Qiu Liang had already been stripped of their titles due to their crimes, and this Grand Patriarch still wanted to strip their families of their titles, confiscate their property, and even impose the cruel law of barring their descendants for three generations from appointment.

This was not only to kill them all but also to ruin the future of their descendants for several generations; the methods were indeed too vicious.

Guo Youchang saw that Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao did not make a judgment after hearing these words; although it could not be considered tacit approval, this attitude was too thought-provoking.

He thought that the current Emperor had always held estrangement and disdain for the old nobility of the Four Kings and Eight Dukes, which seemed to be exactly the same as this Grand Patriarch, the Prince of Zhongshun.

It was just that the Emperor acted with deep deliberation and left no traces, unlike this Grand Patriarch who had no scruples at all.

Perhaps only a person like the Prince of Zhongshun was suitable to be the Grand Patriarch the Emperor wanted, saying what he could not say, manifesting what he could not express, and planning and acting to achieve what he sought.

The Prince of Zhongshun continued: "In recent years, the nobility of the state has become increasingly extravagant and corrupt. The Ning and Rong branches of the Jia family received the grace of the Taizu Emperor; having two Dukes in one family is unique since the founding of the state.

As the leading family of the Eight Dukes, the behavior of their descendants has made the world look askance. In those years, the father and son of the Ningguo Prefecture committed evil deeds and harmed the people, which is too numerous to record.

Although Your Majesty stripped them of their titles and confiscated their property, you still bestowed the grace of leniency, allowing the Ningguo descendants to restore their titles if they achieved military merit within three years.

Yet the Jia family of the Love Shenjing does not know how to repay Your Majesty's great grace. Jia Lian of the Rongguo Prefecture, as the heir, actually committed the same crime of trafficking in prohibited salt and iron, and his crime is on par with Xie Jing, Qi Jianhui, and Qiu Liang.

I request Your Majesty to remove the Rongguo title, confiscate the imperially-built Rongguo Prefecture, to rectify the state law and manifest the will of the people!"

The Prince of Zhongshun's words were aggressive, startling both Guo Youchang, who was present, and Guo Lin, who was by the Emperor's side.

In the past, when Jia Zhen and his son of the Ningguo Prefecture committed major crimes, although the Emperor stripped them of their titles and confiscated their property, causing a great commotion, even so, he still cared about public opinion and issued an edict for a three-year title suspension to act as a buffer.

One must know that although there is only a one-word difference between stripping a title and removing a title, the former allows for inheritance by lowering the rank, while the latter is a permanent removal of the title; the two are worlds apart.

Now, the heir of Rongguo is involved in a crime, and the Prince of Zhongshun actually asked the Emperor to remove the Rongguo title and confiscate the Rongguo Prefecture; was he trying to risk universal condemnation?

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao, behind the imperial desk, listened to the Prince of Zhongshun's words, pondered in silence, his eyes flickering, making it impossible to tell whether he was pleased, angry, or in agreement. (End of chapter)