Unlimited estates for rural beauty-Chapter 721 Grand Finale (25)
Bai Pengju’s complexion wasn’t faring any better. His primary wife was Nangong Shaoyuan’s cousin, and his mind was wholly occupied with the thought of divorcing her as soon as he returned.
"It’s not that I, Xiu Aotian, am unwilling to help, but my Xiu Family has already pledged allegiance to His Majesty. Now, we are merely subordinates of His Majesty and have no right to question His Majesty’s affairs, let alone those that involve the crime of rebellion," Xiu Aotian said with difficulty as he looked at them, finally letting out a long sigh.
Bai Pengju stared at him but his mind was racing—this cunning old man had pledged his loyalty to the enchanting king, the current emperor, long ago. Now, as he faced the annihilation of his family and his own beheading, he contemplated his life’s worth compared to worldly possessions and ultimately valued his life more. With resolve, he crushed a silver tooth.
"Brother Xiu, my Bai Family also wishes to serve the Emperor as his subjects, but alas, since His Majesty’s ascension, he has never met with families like ours. Even if we wished to, we are powerless. Look, could you perhaps make an exception and pass on a message?"
Xue Zhi glanced at Bai Pengju and then at Xiu Aotian, whose smile was ambiguous. Suddenly, his thoughts shifted, and he chimed in, "Indeed, our Xue Family holds the same desire, but we simply cannot meet with His Majesty in person. It’s truly like trying to worship Buddha without finding the temple door."
Zhao Hongchang saw them all defecting, and even if he wanted to continue resisting, he had to consider whether his own head would allow it. Ultimately, he plainly joined their camp as well.
At this time, Xiu Aotian looked at them, saw that they had come to their senses, and smiled slightly, "In that case, I will go to the palace now, seek an audience with His Majesty, and convey your words to Him exactly as you’ve said. As for the Emperor’s decision, that’s not something we can anticipate."
"Good, very good. With Brother Xiu’s word, I can rest assured. Then... should I just wait at home for Brother Xiu’s good news?" Xue Zhi, jostling his beard, asked cheerfully.
Xiu Aotian nodded, "Right, you all go home and wait. After I return from the palace, I’ll send someone to inform you of the result."
"Then we shall be in your debt." The men left one by one, slowly, unlike the haste they had arrived with.
Once they were all gone, Xiu Aotian stood up, straightened out his clothes, and took a carriage to the Imperial Palace.
Dugu Chen and Feng Xuxu, after hearing about this matter, were astonished but also found it amusing. These people, who were stingy during the grain levy, were now eagerly sending silver to the palace, evidently out of fear for their lives.
Dugu Chen turned and asked his wife with a smile, "Consort, what do you think of this?"
Seeing the curve of his lips, Feng Xuxu rolled her eyes at him, "You’ve already made a decision, so why ask me?"
Dugu Chen remained silent and smiling as he looked at his consort, then shifted his gaze to Xiu Aotian on the ground, "You go back and tell them, as long as they did not partake in the rebellion, I can choose not to pursue the matter. As for their wish to become my subjects, I find it unnecessary for now. Currently, seven gardens are lacking butlers. I wonder what they think of that."
Xiu Aotian, with his head bowed, rolled his eyes in thought and hesitated, not making any demonstration, "Your Majesty, I believe they would not refuse."
"Good, rise," said Dugu Chen, pulling up his consort’s hand and walking away together.
Xiu Aotian watched the Emperor and Empress leave before wiping his sweat, standing up, and leaving the palace. Back in his residence, he distributed a letter to each one of them. The content of the letters remained consistent, and in the end, Bai Pengju expressed his willingness to become a butler for one of the gardens, while Xue Zhi and Zhao Hongchang felt it was a raw deal and made no commitment.
A month after the incident, Zhao Hongchang was implicated in a murder case and His Majesty, in a rage, ordered Dali Temple to investigate thoroughly. Unexpectedly, this led to a series of associated murders and bribery among officials in various provinces. Once the Emperor learned about this, he decreed their families be eradicated, and from that point on, the Zhao family disappeared forever from Capital City, with the remaining Zhaos relocating far away.
