Tianliangyuan

Chapter 423 The Kingdom Was Destroyed?

Kobayashi's words were rather harsh.

Fortunately, it was just the two of them, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, here.

The old lady's brows furrowed, and she scolded in a low voice, "What do you know? Our Xie family is already wealthy enough, and our children and grandchildren can establish themselves in the court on their own. Why do we need to rely on marriage alliances to solidify our position?"

What the old lady didn't say was that Xie Zheng marrying a daughter of a marquis was already quite conspicuous, comparable to the marriages of three or four other younger generations.

Besides, given the Xie family's current status, it might not be a good thing if they were to become related to the royal family or nobles.

“Mother, if it were up to me back then, I should have agreed to Xie Yun’s marriage to Prince An. Look at how Prince An is now favored by the Emperor, and Princess An is very pleased with herself.”

These were the things the old lady was most impatient to hear.

They are surrounded by wealth and luxury, completely unaware of the harsh realities of extravagance, and even less aware of what lies beneath the surface of this splendor.

"Shut up!"

Kobayashi realized she had said the wrong thing and immediately fell silent, then carefully admitted her mistake.

“Mother, your daughter-in-law didn’t mean anything by it. She just wanted to give our Xie family more support. Look at the two girls Xu Zhaozhao chose for them. Neither of them are true noblemen.”

"so what?"

The number of noble families in the Daxing Dynasty was far less than in the previous dynasty.

Moreover, the old lady was a learned person, and naturally knew how many noble families had suffered in the previous dynasty, with some being exterminated and others having their property confiscated. The situation in the court today was very different.

The imperial examination system has now been fully implemented, and the imperial court is making every effort to establish official schools in all places.

This alone reveals the superiors' aversion and disgust towards aristocratic families.

At this point, anyone who still considers themselves a member of a prestigious family is simply courting death!

Nowadays, most aristocratic families are just figureheads; none of the truly powerful and influential ones actually come from such families.

For example, the Xu family, the Xie family, the Li family, etc., strictly speaking, none of these families have been wealthy for more than a hundred years.

Perhaps this is why these people have gained His Majesty's trust.

Especially in the last decade, His Majesty has shown a greater preference for generals who have risen through the ranks based on their military achievements, such as Xie Zheng, Xu Junfeng, and Fang Liang.

Fang Liang's father, Fang Dazhuang, came from a humble background. It is said that he didn't even have enough to eat when he was young. If it weren't for Xu Han's appreciation of him and his willingness to teach him step by step, Fang Dazhuang would just be an ordinary soldier now.

The old lady had a long-term vision. Since both Xu Zhaozhao and Xie Zheng favored Zheng Tuo, it could only mean that Zheng Tuo was destined for a bright future as a military general.

He distinguished himself in the last northern expedition, and he will surely be promoted again this time.

"Mother, do you really think Li Shun and Zheng Tuo are both ideal husbands?"

"Whether it is or not, it's none of your business. After I pass away, this family will be divided. When you move out of the Duke of Huguo's mansion, what will become of the eldest branch will be none of your concern. So why can't you see that clearly?"

These words really hit Kobayashi right where it hurts.

For so many years, she had always considered herself the mistress of the Duke of Huguo's mansion, but in reality, her husband's rank was not even as high as Xie Zheng's.

Moreover, strictly speaking, she should have paid her respects to Princess Xu Zhaozhao.

Now that the old lady is still alive, the three brothers live together and can still maintain some familial affection.

If the old lady were to pass away, this family would be doomed.

In the future, the Duke of Huguo's mansion would only have the eldest son's lineage, and naturally, it would have no relation to the second and fourth sons' lines.

The old lady could tell from her expression that she was still unwilling to give up.

“Dividing the family property is the right thing to do. Back then, the third and fifth branches of the family were separated by the old master as soon as they got married. Isn’t it the same?”

It is quite normal for illegitimate sons to be separated from their families in many large families.

After all, the inheritance that illegitimate sons could receive was not much, mainly because of their humble origins.

The third and fifth branches of the Xie family were separated from their original households, and each branch had its own residence, land, and some fixed properties.

To put it bluntly, it's about separating them out early to prevent them from becoming too demanding and to keep them out of sight. They only come to pay their respects during holidays, so we can treat them like normal relatives.

Mrs. Kobayashi bit her lip, knowing that she couldn't reason with the old lady, and finally had to leave empty-handed.

The old lady could tell from her expression that she hadn't given up.

Xie Qiao is indeed the legitimate daughter of the fourth branch of the family, but she is only the niece of the Duke of Huguo. No matter how Xie Juan is born out of wedlock, she is still the eldest son's own daughter. How can Madam Lin not understand this point?

Because Xie Xiaolin had to guard the palace gates and there had been a disturbance caused by the Hu people, he simply packed his belongings and took them with him. His servants from the Duke of Huguo's mansion delivered his three meals a day.

Actually, Xie Xiaolin wasn't picky; he ate whatever was available.

However, Xu Zhaozhao couldn't really ignore her father-in-law, and she had to send him clean clothes every few days.

When Emperor Yong'an learned that Xie Xiaolin was actually staying in the guardhouse at the palace gate, he felt both gratified and somewhat guilty.

Never mind, Xie Xiaolin is sensible, so he will naturally treat the Xie family well.

Time flies, and good news from the border keeps coming one after another.

Until the beginning of the twelfth lunar month, another battle report was sent to the capital.

The Shiwei were wiped out!

Emperor Yong'an was completely dumbfounded.

What is this thing called?

Lu Jin hadn't expected Xu Han to be so fierce and ruthless in battle.

Xie Zheng is something else, doesn't he know how to advise her?

I know you guys are good at fighting, but could you please consider that Daxing should maintain good neighborly relations with the smaller countries around it?

They wiped out the Shiwei right away. It is said that the Mohe kingdom has been reduced to a small town. How are people supposed to survive?

After reading the battle report, Qu Shiji also felt that Xu Han was too fierce in battle.

"Your Majesty, according to what's written here, it's estimated that those prisoners will be escorted to the capital after the New Year. Isn't that too many?"

Emperor Yong'an also had a headache.

There are indeed too many.

Xu Han, that blockhead, it's one thing for his spoils to be gold and silver jewelry, but why did he also bring back so many slaves?

What should be done with these people?

"Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, these people should be dispersed and not allowed to live in groups. In addition, we can select the able-bodied men and send them directly to the east to build fortifications."

Gu Dongyang truly lives up to his title as Minister of Revenue; his accounts are meticulously calculated.

Using these prisoners to build fortifications is so convenient; all you need to do is feed them, and it doesn't cost a penny!

Saves money and works well!

Cui Xuanming nodded in agreement: "Minister Gu is right. As for these women, it's easy to deal with them. Just marry them off to some poor people so they can have more children. That would be a contribution to Daxing!"