Chapter 456: The Fu Family Pulls Strings and Bridges Gaps

A Jiangnan strongman representative hesitated and began: "Lord Cui's words are spot on. Yet… given the current situation, if we don't plan early, I fear both jade and stone will be burned together!"

Jiang Jinshi's methods are too ruthless; Huang Yan's knife… is forged especially for us.

If we wait for the Beijiang army to breach the city, we… will likely not even have the right to negotiate terms.

"Negotiate terms?"

Cui Yan chuckled wryly and shook his head, "What can we bargain with? Land? Money and grain? Those things, Jiang Jinshi can seize from Luoyang just the same."

"What he wants is to change heaven and earth! To shatter the rules that have guided us for centuries!"

The secret chamber fell silent again; aligning with them is a dead end, and not aligning seems likewise a dead end.

"We can't wait any longer!"

Lu Wenchang finally could not hold back, his voice trembling with suppressed fear.

"Once Tongguan falls, Luoyang becomes an isolated fortress! Han Xiao's troops could press the siege at any moment! When the city finally falls, you and I will be fish on a cutting board, at the mercy of Jiang Jinshi! He is not Wei Wenlie, who would cling to old sentiments!"

Another powerful representative interjected, his voice even lower: "Lord Lu's words are absolutely correct. The new Beijiang policies spill blood with every sword, clearing lands and abolishing patronage… they aim to uproot our roots!"

"But now… survival is paramount! As long as we live, the family bloodline continues, and there will always be a day to rise again."

"If people… are all gone, what then is there to discuss about land or patronage?"

Cui Yan closed his eyes, his expression deeply conflicted, as if he had aged ten years overnight.

"How could he not know this is drinking poison to quench thirst?"

Aligning with Beijiang means handing over a century's worth of the family's power, lands, and connections into Jiang Jinshi's command.

"But as Lu Wenchang said, not aligning is a dead end."

"Surrender… also requires a channel."

Cui Yan finally opened his eyes, watching the Cui Family march to death; he too could not act, so it might be better to first test Jiang Jinshi's attitude.

"Jiang Jinshi hates me to the bone; if he sends people directly, it's like throwing a meat bun at a dog—no return, no coming back."

"Fu Family!"

Lu Wenchang finally voiced his thoughts: "Third Uncle Fu! His daughter Fu Ruyan is highly valued in Beijiang, and is said to hold a significant position in the New Moon Chamber of Commerce."

"If we can persuade Third Uncle Fu to act as a go‑between, perhaps… there will be a way out?"

Cui Yan paused, then slowly nodded: "It can only be done this way! Prepare one generous gift—no, two gifts!"

One for Third Uncle Fu, the other… to have him forward to Beijiang.

"The demeanor must be humble, the words sincere, stating that the Cui, Lu, and Wang families… are willing to devote the entire clan's strength to help the Ming King stabilize Jiangnan, only asking… only asking for a living path, for the family's survival."

His voice was hoarse, tinged with humiliation, yet it was a helpless move… the situation now is unlike before.

Meanwhile, deep within the Fu Residence, in a seemingly ordinary study.

Third Uncle Fu, Fu Mingyuan, was leisurely sipping tea, opposite him sat his trusted steward Fu Zhong.

"Lord, the Cui, Lu, Wang families, and several others have sent envoys, asking you… to recommend them to Beijiang, expressing their intent to surrender."

Fu Zhong's voice was pressed down to a very low tone, with a barely perceptible hint of sarcasm, "The gift lists are already very generous."

Fu Mingyuan set down his teacup, a knowing smile curling his lips: "As expected. When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter—human nature. Tell them I've received their intentions, but this matter is no small affair; it must be handled cautiously."

"Let them wait with peace of mind; my Fu Family will surely find a way for them."

"Understood."

Fu Zhong replied, then hesitated a moment, "Lord, should we ourselves… also need to…?"

Fu Mingyuan gave him a glance, the look sending a chill through Fu Zhong, who fell silent immediately.

"Us?"

Fu Mingyuan chuckled lightly, proudly, "Why would the Fu Family need to surrender?"

The steward Fu Zhong understood instantly.

"Indeed, the Fu Family is the nail driven deep into Jiangnan by Beijiang!"

From the moment Fu Ruyan headed north to Yangguangzhai, the Fu Family had already wagered the entire clan's fate on Jiang Jinshi.

"They are not starving dogs begging for a way out, but… meritorious officials!"

"Now the grand situation will settle; they only need to wait calmly for Wang's forces to enter the city, to be rewarded for their merits."

"Of course, this strategy was not conceived by Third Uncle Fu; his wisdom alone was insufficient to reach such a plan."

"The one who decided to stake the entire Fu Family was the Fu Family patriarch!"

"When he first proposed splitting the family, he already had a plan; he knew the Fu Family lacked significant advantage compared to other clans, and even aligning with Xiliang would not earn them respect."

"But Jiang Jinshi's terms were excessively harsh, causing the Fu patriarch to waver; ultimately he secretly traveled north to meet Jiang Jinshi, and after their discussion the matter was fully implemented."

"The Fu patriarch observed Beijiang's strict military discipline and the people's endless praise for the Ming Army."

"He fully understood what that meant, whereas under Xiliang the situation differed, so in his view the Ming Army had a greater chance of victory."

"At first, everyone was quite puzzled by the patriarch's strategy, and many elders even rose to oppose it."

"Yet the Fu patriarch calmly analyzed: 'If we align with Beijiang and Xiliang wins, we will simply be suppressed, but at least we will still have a way out.'"

"However, if we align with Xiliang and Beijiang wins, the Fu Family will be dead!!"

"These words effectively shut the murmurs of the crowd; even those elders who wanted to argue were silenced by a single sentence: 'Now is not a time for peace; preserving the Fu Family is paramount.'"

"Yet everyone felt a bit resentful; in their eyes this was a prime opportunity to expand the clan, how could they be so timid?!"

"The Fu patriarch also sensed their thoughts, and thus revealed a breathtaking plan."

"The entire Fu Family would collectively 'align with' Xiliang, while secretly aiding Beijiang's unification."

"This scheme, once unveiled, faced no opposition within the Fu Family, because they grasped a deeper insight."

"If in the war between Xiliang and Beijiang, Beijiang gains the upper hand, the Fu Family will merely feign surrender; but if Xiliang gains the upper hand… they can cut off all ties with Beijiang, as the Fu have always been Xiliang's people."

"This is akin to being a fence‑sitter, yet more daring than the Jiangnan strongmen of Luoyang."

"This move not only safeguards the Fu Family, but also securely ensures its continuation."

Even if Jiang Jinshi's new policies are somewhat harsh, those lowborn pose only a limited threat to them.

Tian Mu gave it, and that's that; it is merely a modest sum of money, and their family's great enterprise can afford a huge loss.

And the reform of the imperial examinations is actually not that difficult; they have deeper foundations and culture, and those lowborn are only just beginning to learn now, so catching up with them will still require considerable time.

No one can predict the future situation; if Jiang Jinshi's new policies continue indefinitely, then as long as the Fu family has even one generation of incompetent descendants, it will basically be the end.

But for now, who can say for sure how long this "new policy" will last?