Chapter 1297 - 1260: Scared to Death
Xun Fan silently gazed at the bowl of noodles in front of him. "You have such feelings staying by my side; how much more so would be the common people?"
"In recent times, I went down to the townships to prevent disasters. The people I met, even if not tens of thousands, were still several thousands. Among them were local aristocrats, wealthy merchants, ordinary and poor families, and solitary widows. Regardless of their status, they all have only admiration when they speak of the Great General," Xun Fan said softly. "When they hear someone say that this calamity is due to the Great General’s autocratic trickery, they angrily rebut and may even bring the person to the county government. Before rumors even arise, they often die out."
"I thought the student officials would be furious and would severely punish those spreading rumors. They merely reprimanded the individuals, imposed ten days of forced labor, and released them, saying the Great General had ordered that if someone curses her, the reasons must be examined. If there’s a reason, it should be reported to her; if not, there should not be any personal retaliation, and the maximum punishment is fifteen days of labor."
"With such light punishment, I believed rumors could not be stopped. After all, at most fifteen days of labor could be worth attempting if offered enough money. However, few rumors actually spread among the public. Conversely, prevalent stories claim the Great General had heavenly insight, foreshadowing the disaster and saving the populace from peril. Some even say this divine favor implies the Great General is chosen by heaven to be emperor, for otherwise throughout history we’ve never heard of a great disaster being preceded by a solar eclipse warning, allowing the citizens over a month to prepare."
Upon hearing this, Feng Bi looked worriedly at Xun Fan, "Master..."
Xun Fan waved his hand at him, saying, "I have mentally prepared for this outcome; I just didn’t expect her to have such renown among the people. Even when Wang Mang usurped the throne, it was no more than this. I worry whether she can sustain this. If she fails in her endeavors like Wang Mang, wouldn’t it harm the citizens of the land?"
Feng Bi: ...So you have already adopted the Great General’s perspective for contemplating the future?
Feng Bi worriedly said, "Master, the third brother remains reluctant to relinquish..."
Mentioning that bothersome brother, Xun Fan immediately lost all desire to think further. He picked up a mouthful of noodles with a blank expression, saying, "Ignore him. Fortunately, the Great General dislikes implicating others in such matters."
Thus, since he cannot be persuaded, just let him go his own way, as long as it doesn’t bring trouble to the family.
Feng Bi replied with resignation.
When Xun Fan said to summon Yuan Li, he didn’t intend to scare Yu Hong; after finishing the noodles, he immediately wrote a letter, planning to have it delivered to Yuan Li the next day.
In the courtyard two places away, Yu Hong was once hesitating. If he ruthlessly killed Xun Fan, would this matter be buried for good?
However, considering many people saw Xun Fan today, it would be unlikely to convincingly claim he suddenly died of illness. Although he is the Prefectural Governor, he became Prefectural Governor because this city was first taken by the Xiongnu. As he fled with the city’s soldiers and citizens, he encountered the Zhao Family Army, who recaptured the city. Since he knew the area well and had decent official conduct, Zhao Hanzhang appointed him as Prefectural Governor.
But under his command, some County Magistrates died in battle or fled. Zhao Hanzhang then reappointed them, and now seventy percent of the County Magistrates are newly appointed, only thirty percent are the old ones.
Regardless of old or new, his prestige was limited, particularly with the student County Magistrates who posed significant challenges and lacked respect for him. If Xun Fan suddenly died, they would certainly suspect.
Conscious of the consequences if Xun Fan’s death were investigated, Yu Hong suppressed his murderous intent and started considering other ways to handle the aftermath.
How could he summon Yuan Li?
Unfair in victory, unfair in victory!
If there were a vote for the person that State Governors, Prefectural Governors, and County Magistrates least wanted to meet, Yuan Li would undoubtedly win with the highest votes.
Even someone as upright as Zu Ti disliked Yuan Li inspecting his governed territory.
Yuan Li is too assertive, he has his rhythm in governing the area, and his arrival would disrupt it.
Just because something is right doesn’t guarantee success.
And when right and wrong clash, one side will surely lose. Yu Hong couldn’t calculate himself as the victor, leading to despair.
Zheng Zhi couldn’t empathize with his brother-in-law’s feelings. After initial fear, he arrogantly said to Yu Hong, "What is there to fear? This place is at least under our control. Worst case, kill Yuan Li too, dispose of the bodies in the Yellow River, and claim they drowned while inspecting the riverbanks during a dam collapse, and their bodies couldn’t be retrieved."
"Nonsense, do you think Yuan Li is like Xun Fan—a mere scholar without a finger’s resistance? He has two hundred bodyguards. How would you kill him?"