thedancenovel Chapter 531 - 268: When Did You Become Like This? (Part 2)
Chapter 531 - 268: When Did You Become Like This? (Part 2)
Those matters did not involve favoritism or corrupt practices, nor did they involve abusing power to harm others, so it wasn’t considered excessive. That’s why Yun Zheng was willing to help.
It wasn’t originally a big deal, but who would have thought the Shang Family would seize the opportunity to manipulate the situation.
Thus, Yun Zheng’s letter became a tool for them to boast about everywhere.
They brandished those letters, heavily promoting Duke Ning’s affection for his sister and his regard for their family, using this to win over officials eager to attach themselves to Duke Ning.
Under their deft maneuvers, they indeed swayed quite a few people, among whom was Lord Prefect.
The Prefect was a subordinate of the Lord Governor, wielding great power in the Nanzhou Prefecture, almost akin to a local tyrant.
He coveted Duke Ning, who backed the Shang Family, and proactively befriended the Shang Family, accepting their overtures, subsequently assisting them with many shameful deeds in secret.
Those acts of exterminating entire families, seizing others’ secret formulas, imprisoning those who opposed the Shang Family under fabricated charges, and shielding the Shang Family’s bullying and oppression — it was almost all his doing.
If the Shang Family got into trouble, he would be the one to smooth things over.
Of course, merely attaching themselves to Duke Ning could hardly justify such actions.
In fact, over these years, he had obtained far too many benefits from the Shang Family.
At regular intervals, the Shang Family would discreetly deliver large amounts of silver and treasures to him, entangling money and power in a nefarious alliance.
The original intention of attaching themselves to Duke Ning had long been corrupted in each and every transaction.
Together they grew strong, and the Prefect used wealth to bribe and win over numerous officials, thoroughly sidelining Lord Governor.
The entire Nanzhou Prefecture became a one-man show under him.
But even the Prefect’s control couldn’t silence the voices of the masses.
The populace privately cursed and condemned them, spreading word of their wrongdoings.
And Yun Chuchu, married for eight years, living day by day in Nanzhou Prefecture, Lady Yun didn’t believe she hadn’t heard a whisper of it.
Yet now, she was actually saying such things.
"Are the Xu Family not innocent? Is the Sun Family not innocent? Are all these people persecuted by the Shang Family not innocent?"
"What were you doing when they were being persecuted by the Shang Family? Did you ever speak up for them against injustice?"
"Yun Chuchu, when did you become like this?"
Listening to Lady Yun’s angry questioning, Yun Chuchu unconsciously clenched her hands, her thin face showing traces of embarrassment.
Those matters, she certainly knew.
But aren’t struggles between merchants always like this?
You compete by seeing who has the stronger backing; who among them is truly clean and pure?
An innocent man with a treasured hoard becomes a criminal, in this world, simplicity and weakness are original sins.
A family that is clean and pure, without any methods, will sooner or later be annexed. How could they possibly have a foothold?
For instance, the Xu Family and the Sun Family.
All the Shang Family did was to strengthen themselves. Perhaps their methods were dirty and improper, perhaps they were wrong, but this is also a way of survival.
Yun Chuchu murmured, "Sister-in-law, the Shang Family has reached this day, isn’t big brother also an accomplice? Is big brother not guilty?"
"Setting aside this matter, are there fewer lives stained with blood by big brother and Ah Zhan? How many Aristocratic Families perished at their hands, allowing the Yun Family to reach its current position?"
After gaining military merit and nobility, Yun Zheng betrayed the Aristocratic Families and became the knife in the late Emperor’s hand.
To purge the court and protect the Imperial authority, who knows how many families he eradicated, and after the late Emperor died, with the Crown Prince’s power waning, to support the new Emperor’s ascendancy, he carved a bloody path through the court.
Among them, how many innocent people were there?
So, really, what justice is there in this world? Only power is justice.
To those in high positions, wrong is right; and to those below, one misstep leads to hell.
Lady Yun: "..."
The Yun Family indeed isn’t clean, but it hasn’t committed so many atrocious deeds for personal gain.
She didn’t dare claim Yun Zheng was an entirely upright person, but he protected the country, maintained the Imperial orthodoxy, safeguarded the land and its people, and achieved countless merits benefiting the country and the people.
And the Shang Family?
Everything evil they did was for the benefit of their family.
The laughable thing is, Yun Chuchu dared to compare the Shang Family with Yun Zheng, speaking of her affectionate brother in defense of a family that nearly caused her demise.
In an instant, Lady Yun was utterly disappointed.
She let out a cold laugh, her words inevitably sharp, leaving no room for face.
"Yes, you’re right. The biggest mistake your big brother made in his life was in not severing your ties with Shang Yu, and in helping the Shang Family with a letter to make your life a bit better."