Chapter 928 Killing two birds with one stone

"From now on, the four prefectures in Shangjing will no longer be independent, nor will they live in seclusion outside the Great Wall. They will temporarily form an alliance, named 'Xilu Wuzong', and officially prepare to enter the Central Plains Wulin. Shao Qin Wang will be the 'master', in charge of the overall situation. Liu Xunyi will be the 'deputy master', in charge of all matters of Xilu Wuzong in the Central Plains. 'Shangjing Four Prefectures' will be renamed 'Zhongyuan Four Branches', and the four heads of the families will temporarily take over the position of 'branch masters'. But everyone can rest assured that from now on, Shao Qin Wang's support for the four branches will only increase. The only difference is that the dispatch and allocation of all applicable items such as money, food, men, weapons, rewards and punishments for the four branches will no longer be negotiated one by one, but will be decided by the deputy master. All of you present today are the core figures of the four prefectures in Shangjing. I hope you can put aside your prejudices and stick together with Deputy Master Liu Xunyi in the future. "

"what?"

When Xunzhen said this, everyone present was shocked, including Liu Xunyi.

Looking at the four family heads, Yuan Xiao, Yan Shun, Hong Si and Lei Zhen, they were so shocked that their faces turned pale and looked extremely ugly.

"Are you joking, Miss?"

While Yuan Xiao was silent and thoughtful, and Yan Shun and Hong Si were watching the situation, the hot-tempered Lei Zhen could not help but start the fight: "What alliance? What 'Western Law Wuzong'? What about settling in the Central Plains? Excuse me, Miss, you have violated the iron rule set by the Young King Qin by arbitrarily mobilizing the troops of the four prefectures in Shangjing. Now you want us to change the name to 'the four branches of the Central Plains' and accept an outsider as the deputy leader. This is simply... nonsense."

Having said that, Lei Zhen took a deep look at Liu Xunyi, who was in a state of confusion, and said perfunctorily: "Brother Liu, please don't blame me. I have no intention of humiliating you. I am just discussing the matter at hand."

Facing Lei Zhen's quick words, Xunzhen remained expressionless and said nothing. Liu Xunyi was even more embarrassed and didn't know what to say.

"Miss, although we country folk don't have much education, we know a little about the ways of the world." Hong Si pondered for a while and said hesitantly, "We don't know whether the 'Xilu Wuzong' you mentioned can accomplish anything, but you said that the young Qin Wang will be the patriarch to lead the overall situation... Does the implication mean that it is a 'nominal' title? If it is a nominal title, most of them are just empty names and do not hold real power. In other words, the person who will truly control the power of life and death in the four prefectures of Shangjing in the future is... Miss, this matter is of great importance, please think twice before acting!"

"Miss, Brother Lei's words may be emotional, but his heart is sincere. As for what Brother Hong said, it was even more sincere." Yan Shun pondered, "Back then, when the Young King of Qin used the four of us without any restrictions and supported us in establishing the four prefectures in Shangjing, his fundamental purpose was..."

Yan Shun wanted to say "gather strength and restore the Liao Dynasty", but due to the presence of outsiders such as Liu Xunyi and Tang Afu, he dared not say some things clearly, so he changed the subject and said: "Now, the eldest lady has ordered the four prefectures of Shangjing to become the 'Western Law Martial Sect', and to set foot in the Central Plains martial arts world in a big way. This... doesn't it go against the original intention of the young Qin King and the original intention of the establishment of the four prefectures of Shangjing?"

"Brother Yuan, this matter concerns every brother in the four prefectures of Shangjing. Don't play dumb. Stand up and speak a fair word for everyone." Lei Zhen saw that Yuan Xiao was keeping silent and trying to protect himself. He immediately became angry and shouted, "You are the head of the four prefectures of Shangjing. Your words carry more weight than ours."

"That's right!" Yan Shun quickly agreed, "I wonder what Brother Yuan thinks about this matter?"

Hong Si urged sarcastically, "That's right! Brother Yuan, don't always repeat what others say. Stand up for your brothers once in a while."

Seeing Lei Zhen and the other two pointing their spearheads at him in unison, Yuan Xiao was like a dumb person eating bitter herbs, unable to speak out his bitterness. For a moment, his brows were furrowed, and he was thinking rapidly in his mind, hesitantly saying: "This matter... sounds fine, but it may be a bit too hasty. I think we should take a long-term view."

"Brother Yuan, you are playing dumb again..."

"Everyone, I have just said that this was not my own decision. I was acting in compliance with the orders of Prince Shao Qin." Xunzhen seemed very impatient with the noise made by Yuan Xiao and the other three.

"Young Prince Qin has always been wise, how could he make such a stupid decision?" Lei Zhen said angrily, "It's fine for Xilu Wuzong, but to let an unknown outsider serve as deputy leader and shit on our heads... This is unacceptable in any way."

As soon as this was said, everyone immediately echoed it. At the same time, everyone cast their indignant eyes at Liu Xunyi, looking at him as if he was in the wrong position to speak or not to speak, feeling very depressed.

"you……"

"Xunzhen, can you please spare me a moment to talk?"

Before Xunzhen could speak, the confused Liu Xunyi suddenly grabbed her sleeve and showed no intention of letting go.

Seeing this, Xunzhen hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly to Abaolu, signaling him to greet everyone. He followed Liu Xunyi to the side hall.

"It's a critical moment, why did you drag me in?"

"Didn't you see the look in their eyes? It was as if I had taken their jobs, and they wanted to eat me alive, skin me alive and pull out my tendons." Facing Xunzhen's displeasure, Liu Xunyi was both distressed and confused, "What's going on? What is the 'Xilu Wuzong'? Why did I suddenly become the deputy sect leader? These things... How come I didn't know anything about them beforehand?"

"You don't know?" Xunzhen pretended to be surprised and doubtful, "You clearly promised me."

"I promise you?" Liu Xunyi became more and more confused the more he listened. "What did I promise you?"

"Agree to join forces with us. We will help you clear your name, and you will help Xie Xuan overthrow Qingfeng and his daughter." Xunzhen frowned slightly and said angrily, "Liu Xunyi, do you want to go back on your word?" "I..." Liu Xunyi was stunned and said in astonishment, "I did agree to join forces with you, but the matter of Xilu Wuzong and the deputy lord..."

"Xilu Wuzong is the Four Prefectures of Shangjing, just with a different name." Xunzhen curled his lips and said, "When I introduced Master Yuan to you, I explained it to you clearly. You also know the relationship between the Four Prefectures of Shangjing and the Young Prince of Qin, so why are you pretending to be confused today?"

"How could I pretend to be confused?" Liu Xunyi made things worse and the more he explained, the more confused he became. "I just..."

"You agreed to accept my help and agreed that I would use the 'Four Prefectures of Shangjing' to help you gather power. These were all discussed in the Tiger's Den and Dragon's Lair. You won't go back on your word, right?"

"A man of honor should keep his word. How can I go back on my word?" Liu Xunyi said intermittently, "But I originally thought... you just wanted me to be friends with Master Yuan and the others, and that we would take care of each other in the future. But I never expected that the 'help' you always talked about would be... what it is today."

"Isn't that good?" Looking at the tangled Liu Xunyi, Xunzhen couldn't help but chuckle, "Not only are you now friends, but your relationship is even closer."

"This……"

"Liu Xunyi, you just saw that Yuan Xiao and his men played the good cop, the bad cop, complained, and acted arrogantly. They used all kinds of tricks, and each one was more complicated than the other. They are not as easy to control as we thought." Xunzhen's smile gradually faded, and he said seriously, "If we only introduce you to make friends, they will forget about you completely. How can we 'take care' of you? Only by holding their weak points can you control them as easily as if they were your own arms and fingers, and get rid of them at will."

"The vital point?"

"The support that the young Qin King provides to the four prefectures in Shangjing every year is their biggest lifeline."

"This……"

Looking at Xunzhen who spared no effort to give him advice, Liu Xunyi felt a little confused.

Logically speaking, Xunzhen, Yuan Xiao and the other four were all trusted followers of the Young King of Qin, and they were truly his family members. As for Liu Xunyi, he was an outsider no matter how you looked at him.

If that’s the case, why would Xunzhen help an outsider to plot against his own family?

More importantly, as the trusted forces of the Young Qin Prince, how could the four prefectures in Shangjing easily hand over the power of life and death to Liu Xunyi? If someone hands over power without authorization, he is likely to be sidelined. Did the Young Qin Prince and Xunzhen not notice this at all?

Everyone knows that people's hearts are hidden, so one should be cautious when speaking. It is against the law to meddle in other people's business, and it is even more taboo to occupy the magpie's nest.

The four prefectures in Shangjing were the fruits of the painstaking efforts of Prince Shaoqin for more than twenty years. Suddenly, they were allowed to be directed by an outsider. Not to mention that Yuan Xiao and others were suspicious and dissatisfied, even Liu Xunyi himself... felt extremely uneasy.

Thinking about it this way, it’s no wonder that people look at him coldly and full of hostility.

"From what you said... it seems that you don't trust Master Yuan and the others?" Liu Xunyi asked suspiciously, "But I clearly remember you saying that they are all loyal and righteous heroes..."

"It's true that they are heroes, but they are also human beings, and everyone has selfish desires." Xunzhen seemed to see through Liu Xunyi's heart knot and said frankly, "Today's big drama, on the surface, is to make things difficult for you, but in fact it is all directed at me. Even... the Young King of Qin has become an excuse for them to be closed and stubborn and do whatever they want."

"Aren't they the confidants of the Young Qin King? Why are they going after you? And why are they using the Young Qin King as an excuse?" Liu Xunyi asked in surprise, "What good will it do them to go through all this trouble?"

"At me, because I disrupted their comfortable life and made them suffer. You Han people have a saying, 'The emperor is far away from the mountains', and another saying, 'A general is not subject to the emperor's orders when he is away from home'." Xunzhen smiled bitterly, "The four prefectures in Shangjing are thousands of miles away from the young Qin Wang. They only receive the emperor's salary all year round without any restrictions, let alone supervision. Yuan Xiao and the other four have their backs on the mountain, and they do whatever they want. They get whatever they want in the northeast, and live in luxury all day long. Over time, it is inevitable that they develop some bad habits. For example... they are content with the status quo and do not make progress. When they are assigned some tasks, these people cry and scream, and try to shirk their responsibilities. As for the instructions and rules of the young Qin Wang, they all become excuses for them to be sneaky. Anyway, the young Qin Wang is not here, so they can arrange it at will. Haha, I didn't point it out to them in public just now, which does not mean that I can't see their thoughts. I just gave them some face to avoid embarrassing everyone."

"This……"

"Don't be surprised. Times have changed, people's minds have changed, and I'm used to such things. Especially in the past few years, the strength of the four mansions in Shangjing has gradually increased, and the age of the four heads of the family has gradually increased. They are no longer the passionate young people of the past. They have become more and more greedy for pleasure, more and more mature and smooth, more and more self-righteous, and more and more undisciplined." Xunzhen's eyes flickered, as if thinking about the future, and as if recalling the past, "Therefore, merging the 'Four Mansions in Shangjing' into 'West Law Wuzong' is not only to help you, but also to spur them, and even more to consolidate the power of the Young Qin King. After all, the Four Mansions in Shangjing are the family business of the Young Qin King, and Yuan Xiao and others are just the Young Qin King's servants. But now, there is a sense of being unable to get in, and this matter is for the Young Qin King... It will do more harm than good."

……

(End of this chapter)