Chapter 1538 - 482: Pacification, Prefectural Governor’s Whereabouts, Ji Hong’s Instructions, Gaining Trust
Chapter 1538: Chapter 482: Pacification, Prefectural Governor’s Whereabouts, Ji Hong’s Instructions, Gaining Trust
Chen Cang Year 291, December 5
It was the tenth day after Ji Hong reported the strange happenings at the Jiang Mansion to Chen Tianhong.
On the top floor of the Jiang Mansion’s main building, Xia Hong looked at Ji Hong, whom he hadn’t seen for a month, and after hearing his explanation, smiled and asked, "So you’re taking the risk to spy on my situation under the orders of Chu Xuanfeng?"
Ji Hong immediately nodded upon hearing this and said softly, "Ten days ago, Chen Tianhong seemed to be frightened by the Lord and hurried back to the mansion, then promptly took me and Vice Director Jiang together to the Governor Mansion to meet the Eldest Prince, Chu Xuanfeng..."
No need for Ji Hong to explain further, Xia Hong could analyze the situation based on the increasingly frequent presence of Xianyang Level aura around the Jiang Mansion in recent times.
Evidently, the Governor Mansion was convinced that his identity was problematic.
After Ji Hong finished speaking, Xia Hong raised his eyebrows and asked, "Chu Tianxu is not around, so is the Governor Mansion now run by the Eldest Prince, Chu Xuanfeng?"
Seeing Ji Hong nod, Xia Hong’s face showed no signs of surprise.
Tribulation Body Realm experts usually do not stay in one place for long, especially in crowded areas. They are even less likely to linger.
He lived in Cai Qiu Lin Chu County Governor Mansion for almost half a year without ever seeing Governor Cai Qiuyang’s face. In Lin Chu County, the Governor Mansion is usually run by the Eldest Prince, Cai Yunlan.
Clearly, the situation at Yanling County Governor Mansion is the same.
However, Ji Hong hadn’t nodded for long before he seemed to recall something, shook his head, and slightly furrowed his brow, asking, "But not necessarily. On the fifth of last month, the Lord happened to meet Grand Master Chen Cang Xue Zijing at the Worldly Noble Tavern; you should remember, right?"
Xia Hong immediately nodded, knowing Jiang Xinfan’s investigation into Xue Zijing’s identity likely came through Ji Hong, so it’s not surprising Ji Hong knew about it.
"Xue Zijing stayed at the Governor Mansion for a month and formally stationed at Yanling Department at the beginning of this month, where he began presiding over the Six Ministries, initiating comprehensive reforms..."
Upon hearing Ji Hong mention the reforms, Xia Hong’s eyes suddenly flashed with a gleam.
[Treat Yanling as a pilot for reforms over a ten-year period. Once the reforms prove viable and can strengthen Chen Cang’s power, they will be promoted throughout the territory after ten years.]
The news of the reforms was already conveyed to Xia Hong by Ji Hong through Jiang Xinfan on November 30, so Xia Hong was aware.
Ji Hong’s mention at this moment was clearly to lay the groundwork for the following words.
"At the end of October, during the rebellion in Lu River Valley, all of the Hundred Li Grain Field was burned, and nearly four thousand soldiers died at Lu River Camp; this year’s rice harvest was also mostly looted in the chaos by rebel army from the sixteen Slave Villages, with only 140,000 out of the expected 310,000 pounds remaining, less than half.
In light of everything, the Governor and the Six Departments’ Chief were naturally furious. Starting at the beginning of last month, the Six Departments have been sending people to the Lu River Valley area to thoroughly investigate the rebellion. By the end of last month, they had killed nearly two thousand people and successfully identified four Branch Leaders, with the investigation continuing tirelessly until all rebels are uncovered..."
The matter of Lu River Valley was bound to come to light.
Xia Hong had long anticipated it, so he wasn’t surprised. Still, hearing about nearly two thousand people killed and only four Branch Leaders uncovered left a slightly unexpected expression on his face.
"Not all twelve Branch Leaders were revealed, and though the Slave Village people are not strong, they still have some degree of courage!"
Xia Hong had largely witnessed the entire Lu River Valley rebellion; as for Qingwu Village, the sixteen leading Branch Leaders, whether they stayed in the village or fled afterward, avoiding the pursuit by the Six Departments of the County City seemed to him extremely unlikely.
The Frost Ash Association’s branch congregations often numbered in the thousands or even tens of thousands; as long as the upper echelon slightly divided and incited them, it wouldn’t be too difficult to elicit some names and trace the masterminds.
But a month had passed, and only four Branch Leaders were uncovered; this situation was truly beyond Xia Hong’s expectations.
"Not surprising, Slave Village people have long been oppressed and exploited; most of them harbor more hatred than fear towards the Six Departments of the County City. The uprising at the end of October likely gave them hope for resistance, so they indeed showed no small amount of courage when facing the Six Departments’ investigation.
However, what I want to discuss isn’t about them..."
Having laid the groundwork, Ji Hong paused, his expression suddenly turning more solemn, then continued, "On the first of this month, Xue Zijing’s first action upon stationing at Yanling Department was to halt the Six Departments’ thorough investigation into the Lu River Valley rebellion. Moreover, he called back all personnel sent by the Six Departments and pardoned the four uncovered Branch Leaders, appointing them as Subordinate Department Chief of their respective villages."
It seems pacification policies are being adopted for those Slave Villages!
Xia Hong’s gaze slightly sharpened as he continued to look at Ji Hong, waiting for his further explanation.
"After the four Branch Leaders became Subordinate Department Chief, they immediately turned against the association, identifying over thirty thousand congregants. Along with six Slave Village Branch Leaders who also flipped, initiating self-surrender to the Ministry of Justice, subtracting the two escaped Branch Leaders, only four branches remain in the Lu River Valley, all of which are precarious. It was only through my proactive investment that those four branches could be retained from Yanling Headquarters’s abandonment."
Granting of Subordinate Department Chief positions, offered by the County City, was enough to elevate these Branch Leaders swiftly, inevitably leading to Frost Ash Association’s disintegration, which was to be expected.