Chapter 51: Far-Reaching Consequences

After the Zhou family hastily raised their rebel flag, other families followed suit, amassing tens of thousands of rebels in a short time.

Leveraging their local influence, many prefectures and counties surrendered without resistance; within a short span, five county seats fell, and the Two Huai region seemed to have plunged into chaos overnight.

Yangzhou City.

Since news of the seven families’ rebellion reached the city, the literati and scholars detained by the Five City Military Command were thrown into panic.

This was utterly treacherous!

They truly were preparing to rebel—and yet we had been defending the salt merchants’ grievances.

Now it’s too late to regret; they’re already entangled. To run errands and plead for the rebels—just thinking of it is terrifying.

Before the brutal reality, any explanation became powerless.

The weapons and armor appearing on the battlefield, the five swiftly captured county seats—all proved these men had long planned their rebellion.

The gentry we knew were respected elders and moral leaders; they could never possibly raise private armies or hoard weapons—such heinous acts.

The most pitiful were the scholar-gentry who had once married into the seven families; they had done nothing, yet were involuntarily branded as members of the rebel faction.

The truth proved: marriage alliances must be approached with caution.

When your in-laws commit a crime punishable by nine familial exterminations, your own family cannot escape.

Throughout history, dynasties have always followed the principle: better to kill by mistake than to let one go.

Those near the rebels grumbled but joined their ranks anyway.

Those far from the rebels fared worse.

They were pure scholar-gentry, at most keeping a few household retainers for security—no more combat-effective than yamen runners.

They lacked the strength to raise an army and rebel.

All they could do was mobilize their connections to lobby the authorities and minimize their exposure, while sending their descendants away to seek safety.

“My lord, the gifts on the left were sent by the Wang family of Xicheng, those in the center by the Liu family of Dongcheng, those on the right by the Wei family, and behind them are more from the Hu family of Xicheng…”

I have inspected them—all gifts carry considerable value.

The Wang family’s gift was the heaviest: besides antiques and calligraphy, there was a chest of silver ingots, totaling roughly twenty thousand taels of silver.

The total value of gifts sent by Yangzhou’s gentry exceeds one hundred fifty thousand taels.”

Lan Linjie said, his voice trembling.

The numbers were staggering.

At his salary level, even if he served Li Mu his entire life, he could never earn so much.

“I’ve long heard Yangzhou is the richest city under heaven; now seeing the gentry’s generosity, the rumors are true indeed!

No merit, no reward—what do they want in return for such lavish gifts?”

Li Mu asked with a smile.

He had thought he was stuck with a miserable post, never imagining money would come knocking on his door.

Yet the gifts were too heavy—too troublesome.

If each family had offered a few hundred taels, he could have accepted them outright.

It’s an old saying: troops passing through are like combs—Li Mu had kept his soldiers disciplined, and gentry paying for safety was perfectly acceptable.

But since every family sent such lavish gifts, they must all have demands.

If the matter could be resolved, accepting them would be fine.

After all, this southern campaign was meant for profit; his colleagues interrogating salt merchants were all getting rich—adding one more wouldn’t stand out.

But if the matter was too dangerous, no amount of money would make him take the hot potato.

“My lord, the seven families are deeply rooted in the Two Huai region and have extensive ties with Yangzhou’s gentry.

Now that the rebellion has erupted, every family is in panic.

They’re desperate to extricate themselves, so they’re seeking your connection to reach Marquis WuYang.”

Lan Linjie replied.

Networks are divided into circles; Yangzhou’s gentry had ties only within the civil official faction.

They normally ignored figures like Marquis WuYang—imperial in-laws.

But this situation is exceptional: the Five City Military Command now controls Yangzhou.

The ones who now hold their fates are the nobles and imperial relatives.

No matter how broad their court connections, they’re now out of reach.

Even Marquis WuYang—or Li Mu, the battalion commander responsible for city order—could easily destroy a family.

Once branded as traitor collaborators, their homes would be seized and their clans exterminated.

Even the Grand Secretary couldn’t overturn their fate faster than the Five City Military Command’s blades.

With the sword hanging over their heads, Yangzhou’s families couldn’t sleep—they rushed to establish contact with the Five City Military Command.

Though the Daxu bureaucracy was corrupt, it didn’t accept just any bribe; without an intermediary, the gifts couldn’t even reach the door.

These gifts reached Li Mu’s desk only because Lan Linjie’s classmate arranged the connection.

“Tell them: matters involving rebels are difficult to handle.

If their involvement is minor, I can grant them a favor.

But Marquis WuYang’s threshold is high—especially in treason cases—I cannot guarantee he will intervene.”

Li Mu feigned difficulty.

Chinese tradition demands not to speak in absolutes.

Even for a simple word, one must show hardship—so the patron feels his money was well spent.

Deep inside, he was already overjoyed.

When luck comes, nothing can stop it.

In the capital, he had once acted as a middleman; now, in Yangzhou, fortune struck again.

The court needs stability; exterminating the seven families aims to reform the salt monopoly.

The salt merchant interest group has rebelled, and the number of gentry dragged into it is rapidly growing.

To swiftly quell the rebellion, the court cannot drive all Two Huai gentry into the rebel camp.

In handling treason cases, it must treat lightly those with minor ties, to win the loyalty of local scholars.

Against this backdrop, acting as a middleman carries zero risk.

“My lord, to be frank:

One of my close classmates comes from the Wang family of Xicheng; two years ago, they married into the Zhou family—but they knew nothing of the Zhou’s rebellion.

Out of friendship, I…”

Lan Linjie spoke with gritted teeth.

Had the Five City Military Command not taken over Yangzhou and still been unclear about each family’s ties to the rebels, the Wang family would already have been seized.

“Mr. Lan, your loyalty is admirable—I understand.

But rebellion is a crime punishable by nine familial exterminations; as kin to traitors, your classmate’s family will appear on the rebel list.

To clear their name, merely having the Five City Military Command turn a blind eye isn’t enough—you must also negotiate with the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

You may even have to go all the way to the Left Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

This matter is extremely difficult!”

Hearing “extremely difficult,” Lan Linjie exhaled in relief.

Though he had served Li Mu only briefly, he knew his master held low rank but had remarkably wide connections.

Even the previous factional case had been resolved through backchannels.

If this matter left an opening, Li Mu must have some confidence.

“My lord, rest assured—the Wang family has thrived for over two hundred years; they still have substantial wealth and will not make you suffer!”

Lan Linjie immediately pledged.

After all, the money wasn’t his own—if he could get the path open, he’d have honored his classmate.

Such a life-or-death matter? Outside, no one would take it—even for money.

(End of Chapter)