Though his words sounded boastful, Zhu Changwang had to admit it was true.
Since coming to Yunbei, their father had been constrained by his position and unable to act freely. He himself was bedridden, spending more time unconscious than awake. It was Zhu Changle who, unrestrained, had made a name for herself along with her friends.
Poking the still-bobbing head, Zhu Changwang teased, "Is everyone here? Are we still waiting for someone?"
"Huh? Everyone's here." Zhu Changle completely missed her brother's implication and proceeded to share in detail the information she had gathered in Gu'an.
Zhu Maonian, who had initially been surprised that she had gone to Gu'an, had his expression tighten completely by the time he heard everything. "So, you're saying the situation in Yunbei is man-made."
"Before it was just a suspicion, now it's confirmed."
Zhu Maonian couldn't sit still anymore and stood up to pace around the room. Zhu Changle quietly lay on the edge of her brother's bed, not disturbing her father.
"In just a few days, our family has been imperceptibly caged," Zhu Maonian sat down again. "From what your mother says, all our household shopping is led by the Assistant Magistrate's servants. The Assistant Magistrate's wife has even sent over many things we urgently need. It's the same at the government office. Whether it's the gatekeepers, guards, or runners, everyone around me has been arranged by Luo Ding. The two attendants I brought with me always have someone approach them whenever they leave my side. They haven't been able to walk alone even once."
Zhu Maonian shook his head with a wry smile, "Everything I know is only what they want me to know. If previous magistrates were all confined like this, it's no wonder they didn't know the true situation in Yunbei."
"According to custom, magistrates don't bring their families when taking up a post, and their attendants are limited. It would be even easier to keep them in the dark," Zhu Changwang smiled. "Our family's situation is different. Even without counting those who haven't arrived yet, we have over twenty people. Yet they've managed such coordinated control from top to bottom. This person is certainly not to be underestimated."
"This Luo Ding," Zhu Maonian pondered, "Judging by his appearance, he doesn't seem to be a treacherous person."
"He has his own agenda, but it's not necessarily malicious," Zhu Changwang lowered his gaze. "When we were in the capital, we didn't know Yunbei was in this state. I investigated in the wrong direction. Initially, Yunbei was plagued by water bandits. As a wealthy county, there were plenty of people willing to come here. At that time, Yunbei certainly wasn't controlled so tightly by Gu'an, nor were they so united. They couldn't have confined the magistrate as they do now. So, what about those magistrates? They might not have fully understood Yunbei's situation, but they certainly weren't completely ignorant. Father, have you ever heard any news about Yunbei?"
Zhu Changwang looked at his father, "Are they still alive?"
Zhu Maonian couldn't answer. He considered himself a capable official, but he too had been blindfolded and his ears covered by his subordinates. Everything he knew about the people's lives came from the reports submitted to him. If no one reported, he didn't know, the Emperor didn't know, and unless it affected their interests, no one in the court knew.
But those unreported matters might be the true lives of the common people.
They might be living in dire straits, or in a state worse than death, or they might have gone from disappointment to despair, no longer holding any hope for the Great Xuan Dynasty.
Just thinking about this made Zhu Maonian's heart race, wishing he could send a memorial directly to the Emperor.
But the time wasn't right yet.
Zhu Maonian let out a long sigh, "Tell Ziming to be careful. Changle, you too. Don't be careless just because you know martial arts. They might have skilled bodyguards we don't know about."
"I understand, Father," Zhu Changle responded seriously. Then, remembering something, she added, "Did you know there's a black market at the border of the two counties in a couple of days?"
"I didn't know," Zhu Maonian looked at his eldest son. Seeing him shake his head too, he asked, "Where did you get this information? Is it reliable?"
"Qiuli told me," Zhu Changle blinked. "Is this very secretive?"
Zhu Changwang smiled, "I haven't received even a hint of this information. What do you think?"
His brother's network primarily focused on gathering information. If even his people couldn't get any news about this, it must be extremely secretive. So how did Qiuli seem to obtain this information so easily?
"It means this isn't an ordinary black market," Zhu Changwang looked at his little sister. "Are you going?"
"I had already decided to go, and now that you say it's not an ordinary black market, I definitely have to go," Zhu Changle grinned. "Oh my, I'm so busy! I still have to lead their training early tomorrow morning!"
Zhu Maonian stroked his beard, "When the runner reported this matter, we were in the middle of a discussion. The expressions of the Assistant Magistrate and Chief Clerk were quite... interesting. They seemed pleased, yet surprised, and quite taken aback. It's enough to show that this was a big shock to them too. Luo Ding even said: 'Miss Zhu has helped our Yunbei vent some frustration.'"
"A bunch of grown men nearly cried. You can imagine how badly they've been bullied," Zhu Changle still felt uneasy remembering that scene.
"How many years did it take you to reach this level? Will they be able to beat the people from Gu'an after just a bit of training?"
"Brother, are you overestimating the people from Gu'an that much?" Zhu Changle glared. "I only need to use a hair's worth of my skill to beat them! Do you think just anyone can learn to be like me?"
Realizing he had stepped on a sore spot, Zhu Changwang quickly smoothed things over, "What I meant was that it took you so many years to learn your skills. Even learning one or two moves might not be easy for them. But you can't stay here for long, do you have a plan?"
"Oh, that's what you meant," Zhu Changle waved her hand casually. "They all have some strength. I'll teach them a few basic techniques and show them how to use their strength effectively. If they're relying on brute force, we'll counter with agility and cunning."
"Our Changle is indeed impressive."
"My brain might not be as good as yours, but if I couldn't even beat you in strength, wouldn't that be embarrassing?"
"You have a point."
Zhu Maonian watched the siblings praising each other with amusement. He suddenly thought of his second son, who hadn't been in the family's good graces lately. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Tomorrow, take your second brother with you. Let him assist you."
Zhu Changle immediately became wary, "Father, have you thought this through? With that wooden head of his, he's going to get beaten by me! You'll end up being the culprit behind our sibling discord!"
"A few beatings might do him good. It might even open up his mind," Zhu Maonian smiled. Desperate times called for desperate measures. With Chang Ning's stubborn personality, most people couldn't handle him. But Zhu Changle wasn't most people. If he was unreasonable, she would be more unreasonable. If he shouted, she would jump up and beat him. If he insisted on opposing her, she could think of a hundred ways to deal with him. And Chang Ning was no match for her in any aspect. Being ground down by Changle like this might actually shape him up a bit.
Zhu Changwang thought for a moment and nodded, "This is a good idea."
Zhu Changle hadn't expected her eldest brother to agree as well. She looked from her brother to her father and emphasized, "If he provokes me, I really will beat him."
"Go ahead and beat him. It's not like you haven't before. Tomorrow, take grandmother's walking stick with you. That will be your imperial sword."
Seeing that her father and eldest brother had made up their minds, Zhu Changle didn't object further. She could somewhat understand her father and brother's intentions. Her second brother was too much of a bookworm, his head full of nothing but the classics. If he couldn't transform the teachings of the sages into his own understanding, all that reading would have been in vain.
She was better than him in that regard, Zhu Changle thought secretly.
