Chapter 310
After Zhan Feiyu left, Zhu Zhengrong gave a look, and a maidservant waiting nearby immediately went to the door. At this moment, footsteps came from the inner room.
"Father." Zhu Zhengrong stood up and bowed respectfully.
As the heir of the Zhenbian Marquisate, Zhu Xiao, who was over fifty years old, was clearly a military man. His tiger-like eyes were as sharp as a gleam of light. He sat down on the chair with his saber across his lap and said, "Sit down and talk."
Zhu Zhengrong picked up the teapot nearby, poured a cup of tea, and handed it over before sitting down below Zhu Xiao. "Zhan Feiyu is difficult to win over."
Although it was only a brief conversation, less than half an hour in total, Zhu Zhengrong had already made a judgment. Despite Zhan Feiyu's young age, being accepted as a disciple by Scholar Gu proved she was indeed extraordinary.
"If the people do not fear death, how can they be intimidated by it? Moreover, our Zhenbian Marquisate would never dare to lay a hand on Zhan Feiyu." Zhu Xiao's voice was loud, his sharp gaze fixed on his son sitting below.
"Zhengrong, you must understand that not everyone in this world cares about fame and fortune. Some people are born with unyielding integrity, and threats and temptations are useless against them."
Zhu Zhengrong was stunned for a moment. While outsiders saw the Zhenbian Marquisate as immensely glorious over the years, Zhu Zhengrong knew that the Marquisate was far from as glorious as people imagined. Although Old General Yang was accused of colluding with the enemy and treason, the Emperor showed leniency and did not completely eradicate the Yang family, only revoking their military power.
However, most of the military power in Longyou Dao was controlled by the Emperor, and a small portion by the Zhenbian Marquis. The Emperor reaped the benefits, but the generals in the army turned their hatred towards the Zhenbian Marquisate, believing that the Zhenbian Marquis had framed Old General Yang. It was a blessing if they didn't defect or pledge loyalty, let alone not cause trouble behind the scenes.
Not to mention that the former subordinates of the Yang family had scattered and gone into hiding after the incident at the General's mansion. They had been in hiding for eight years, only resurfacing when the Yang family was about to be reinstated.
Zhu Zhengrong picked up his teacup and took a sip of the hot tea, calming his agitated emotions. It was bad enough that the external situation was unstable, but the internal affairs of the Marquisate were also filled with internal strife.
His father held the position of heir steadily, and although his uncles dared not voice any objections openly, they were constantly making small moves in private, each wanting to govern themselves and seek advantages and benefits for their own branches, guarding against being at a disadvantage after the family division.
With such shallow foresight, Zhu Zhengrong couldn't be bothered to say anything. When the nest is overturned, how can any egg remain intact? They were not ignorant of such simple and straightforward reasoning, but they still focused on the present.
As for his cousins of the same generation, they were like fighting cocks, only wanting to bring him down. They did not dare to offend his father, so all their attacks were directed at him. Thinking about it now, Zhu Zhengrong couldn't help but envy Yang Xu and Zhan Feiyu.
The former was the only son of the Yang family. Yang Shoucheng had only this one son, which avoided the situation of fratricidal strife. Moreover, Yang Xu, at the tender age of eight, was secretly sent to the army by Yang Shoucheng for training. This was the benefit of being an only son.
As for Zhan Feiyu, Zhu Zhengrong had never seen such a lucky young girl. She was merely a village girl. Logically speaking, she would barely recognize a few characters in her life, marry a rural farmer, and spend her days with disheveled hair working in the fields, doing laundry, cooking, and raising chickens and ducks at home.
But Zhan Feiyu went to a private school, was even accepted as a disciple by Scholar Gu, and was highly regarded by the current Emperor. Otherwise, where would she have obtained the Jinlong Guard token? It was fortunate that Zhan Feiyu was a young girl. If she were a boy, her rise to prominence would be within reach.
Seeing Zhu Zhengrong lost in thought, Zhu Xiao did not blame him. "Your cousins are always trying to compete with you. It's normal for your vision to be limited."
"Father?" Zhu Zhengrong, having withdrawn his thoughts, was a little confused. Was his father implying that his vision was short-sighted? Had he made a mistake in trying to win over Zhan Feiyu?
"Zhan Feiyu is not an ambitious person. She is willing to send over a hundred thousand taels of silver annually to the border as military pay. At least she does not covet wealth." Even Zhu Xiao admired this point.
As the heir of the Zhenbian Marquisate, he had been on the battlefield since he was eighteen. Now, at over fifty, he still led troops in battle. For every successful general, countless soldiers died. The most difficult were the soldiers at the grassroots level. Zhan Feiyu took out so much silver to reward those injured soldiers who returned home, seeking neither fame nor profit. This showed she had a sincere heart.
Zhu Xiao narrowed his eyes, recalling all the intelligence he had seen about Zhan Feiyu before. "The credit for movable type printing belongs to the court and the Emperor, but Zhan Feiyu is the true inventor of this method. Zhengrong, if it were you, would you be willing to give it up?"
"I..." Zhu Zhengrong was proficient in both civil and military arts. Although Longyou Dao was located at the border, and its literary atmosphere was not as prosperous as Jiangnan, whenever movable type printing was mentioned, scholars praised it, especially those from humble families. In the past, to buy a book, they had to save for months by scrimping and saving. But now, with a little frugter, they could buy a book for seventy or eighty wen.
Zhu Zhengrong could imagine that if movable type printing were his invention, the good name and reputation would definitely be recorded in history.
As for the more than one hundred thousand taels of silver earned by Meizhuang every year, Zhu Zhengrong, despite being from a marquisate, was reluctant to part with it. This was not a few thousand or tens of thousands, but ten thousand taels donated every year. The Meizhuang shops spread across various prefectures and counties of Daqing Dynasty were equivalent to being opened for the soldiers at the grassroots level of the border. This money was spent on them.
"Therefore, it is impossible for you to win over a smart person like Zhan Feiyu, who is indifferent to fame and fortune, even if you try your best. Your trip will only be in vain, and it will even make outsiders think that the Zhenbian Marquisate is at its wit's end, accelerating the Marquisate's decline and demise." Zhu Xiao's tone was more solemn and serious than ever before.
Under the prevailing trend, no matter how much the Zhenbian Marquisate did, it was merely a dying struggle. Zhu Xiao saw the situation clearly. Unfortunately, his eldest son still held hope for the Marquisate, which was why he had come to Xiangwu County to see Zhan Feiyu.
His face rapidly turned pale, and Zhu Zhengrong's hands, which were resting on his knees, suddenly clenched into fists. "Father, I was wrong."
"Why do you think your uncles agreed to your coming to Xiangwu County?" Mentioning the brothers in the Marquisate, Zhu Xiao sneered, his expression filled with disdain and contempt. "This is Xiangwu County, the territory of the Yang family. If you come here, you will never return!"
... Valley
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Chapter 310
After Zhan Feiyu left, Zhu Zhengrong gave a look, and a maidservant waiting nearby immediately went to the door. At this moment, footsteps came from the inner room.
"Father." Zhu Zhengrong stood up and bowed respectfully.
As the heir of the Zhenbian Marquisate, Zhu Xiao, who was over fifty years old, was clearly a military man. His tiger-like eyes were as sharp as a gleam of light. He sat down on the chair with his saber across his lap and said, "Sit down and talk."
Zhu Zhengrong picked up the teapot nearby, poured a cup of tea, and handed it over before sitting down below Zhu Xiao. "Zhan Feiyu is difficult to win over."
Although it was only a brief conversation, less than half an hour in total, Zhu Zhengrong had already made a judgment. Despite Zhan Feiyu's young age, being accepted as a disciple by Scholar Gu proved she was indeed extraordinary.
"If the people do not fear death, how can they be intimidated by it? Moreover, our Zhenbian Marquisate would never dare to lay a hand on Zhan Feiyu." Zhu Xiao's voice was loud, his sharp gaze fixed on his son sitting below.
"Zhengrong, you must understand that not everyone in this world cares about fame and fortune. Some people are born with unyielding integrity, and threats and temptations are useless against them."
Zhu Zhengrong was stunned for a moment. While outsiders saw the Zhenbian Marquisate as immensely glorious over the years, Zhu Zhengrong knew that the Marquisate was far from as glorious as people imagined. Although Old General Yang was accused of colluding with the enemy and treason, the Emperor showed leniency and did not completely eradicate the Yang family, only revoking their military power.
However, most of the military power in Longyou Dao was controlled by the Emperor, and a small portion by the Zhenbian Marquis. The Emperor reaped the benefits, but the generals in the army turned their hatred towards the Zhenbian Marquisate, believing that the Zhenbian Marquis had framed Old General Yang. It was a blessing if they didn't defect or pledge loyalty,
Not to mention that the former subordinates of the Yang family had scattered and gone into hiding after the incident at the General's mansion. They had been in hiding for eight years, only resurfacing when the Yang family was about to be reinstated.
Zhu Zhengrong picked up his teacup and took a sip of the hot tea, calming his agitated emotions. It was bad enough that the external situation was unstable, but the internal affairs of the Marquisate were also filled with internal strife.
His father held the position of heir steadily, and although his uncles dared not voice any objections openly, they were constantly making small moves in private, each wanting to govern themselves and seek advantages and benefits for their own branches, guarding against being at a disadvantage after the family division.
With such shallow foresight, Zhu Zhengrong couldn't be bothered to say anything. When the nest is overturned, how can any egg remain intact? They were not ignorant of such simple and straightforward reasoning, but they still focused on the present.
As for his cousins of the same generation, they were like fighting cocks, only wanting to bring him down. They did not dare to offend his father, so all their attacks were directed at him. Thinking about it now, Zhu Zhengrong couldn't help but envy Yang Xu and Zhan Feiyu.
The former was the only son of the Yang family. Yang Shoucheng had only this one son, which avoided the situation of fratricidal strife. Moreover, Yang Xu, at the tender age of eight, was secretly sent to the army by Yang Shoucheng for training. This was the benefit of being an only son.
As for Zhan Feiyu, Zhu Zhengrong had never seen such a lucky young girl. She was merely a village girl. Logically speaking, she would barely recognize a few characters in her life, marry a rural farmer, and spend her days with disheveled hair working in the fields, doing laundry, cooking, and raising chickens and ducks at home.
But Zhan Feiyu went to a private school, was even accepted as a disciple by Scholar Gu, and was highly regarded by the current Emperor. Otherwise, where would she have obtained the Jinlong Guard token? It was fortunate that Zhan Feiyu was a young girl. If she were a boy, her rise to prominence would be within reach.
Seeing Zhu Zhengrong lost in thought, Zhu Xiao did not blame him. "Your cousins are always trying to compete with you. It's normal for your vision to be limited."
"Father?" Zhu Zhengrong, having withdrawn his thoughts, was a little confused. Was his father implying that his vision was short-sighted? Had he made a mistake in trying to win over Zhan Feiyu?
"Zhan Feiyu is not an ambitious person. She is willing to send over a hundred thousand taels of silver annually to the border as military pay. At least she does not covet wealth." Even Zhu Xiao admired this point.
As the heir of the Zhenbian Marquisate, he had been on the battlefield since he was eighteen. Now, at over fifty, he still led troops in battle. For every successful general, countless soldiers died. The most difficult were the soldiers at the grassroots level. Zhan Feiyu took out so much silver to reward those injured soldiers who returned home, seeking neither fame nor profit. This showed she had a sincere heart.
Zhu Xiao narrowed his eyes, recalling all the intelligence he had seen about Zhan Feiyu before. "The credit for movable type printing belongs to the court and the Emperor, but Zhan Feiyu is the true inventor of this method. Zhengrong, if it were you, would you be willing to give it up?"
"I..." Zhu Zhengrong was proficient in both civil and military arts. Although Longyou Dao was located at the border, and its literary atmosphere was not as prosperous as Jiangnan, whenever movable type printing was mentioned, scholars praised it, especially those from humble families. In the past, to buy a book, they had to save for months by scrimping and saving. But now, with a little frugter, they could buy a book for seventy or eighty wen.
Zhu Zhengrong could imagine that if movable type printing were his invention, the good name and reputation would definitely be recorded in history.
As for the more than one hundred thousand taels of silver earned by Meizhuang every year, Zhu Zhengrong, despite being from a marquisate, was reluctant to part with it. This was not a few thousand or tens of thousands, but ten thousand taels donated every year. The Meizhuang shops spread across various prefectures and counties of Daqing Dynasty were equivalent to being opened for the soldiers at the grassroots level of the border. This money was spent on them.
"Therefore, it is impossible for you to win over a smart person like Zhan Feiyu, who is indifferent to fame and fortune, even if you try your best. Your trip will only be in vain, and it will even make outsiders think that the Zhenbian Marquisate is at its wit's end, accelerating the Marquisate's decline and demise." Zhu Xiao's tone was more solemn and serious than ever before.
Under the prevailing trend, no matter how much the Zhenbian Marquisate did, it was merely a dying struggle. Zhu Xiao saw the situation clearly. Unfortunately, his eldest son still held hope for the Marquisate, which was why he had come to Xiangwu County to see Zhan Feiyu.