You can't go back on your promise to me.
Only the Empress has the title of Phoenix!
Si Xitong called out to her, "Lanzhi."
Xie Lanzhi continued, "You must seize the opportunity when it arises. This is just a hurdle; you will face more challenges later."
"And what about you?" Si Xitong finally spoke her mind: "In these chaotic times, is stability all you seek?"
Si Xitong knew that she was not the original Xie Ying. During their time together, she also realized that she was a soft-hearted person, but she also had her own set of standards and did not allow anyone to disobey her.
She is not the only one with the world in her heart.
When both of them were preoccupied with their own thoughts, they faced each other and simultaneously spoke their hearts: "I chose you from the very beginning."
"I'll choose you first from the start of the plan."
Si Xitong and Xie Lanzhi said in unison, "If you put righteousness before family and uphold justice to quell chaos and save the world from peril, why should we worry about unrest in the world!"
"I serve you as my master, encompassing the four seas and devouring the eight wastelands."
The two overlapped, and both looked at each other with a hint of surprise.
The thought that the Empress also wanted to assist her in becoming Empress made Xie Lanzhi suddenly happy: "Fu Feng, perhaps this is where our tacit understanding was born. Unconsciously, we have come to regard each other as partners."
"Lanzhi, I'm very serious." After Si Xitong adjusted her emotions, although she was less serious than before and the atmosphere had eased, she still insisted.
Since entering Tianjing, everything that has happened has become intertwined, from killing Huang Mang to avenge his father to the secrets of the Western City Emperor's legacy.
"I'm very serious too," Xie Lanzhi said. "It seems we can't reach an agreement today, so let's put this matter aside for now."
Si Xitong pursed her lips: "It's not that it's impossible, but that you have the advantage first!"
Xie Lanzhi vaguely sensed the hidden meaning in her words. Her eyes darted around and she said, "I was ahead of you in the Southern Region, I married you before you, and I entered the capital before you." As she spoke, she held up three fingers in a slightly smug way, "Three steps in total."
As soon as she finished speaking, Si Xitong bit her lip, her eyes blazing with fighting spirit.
Is the little girl... being provoked by her competitive spirit?
"Then Lanzhi, do not be careless. I am fond of laying down my pieces and setting up my plans." Si Xitong immediately turned her head, her steps quick and her figure as graceful as a swallow entering a pavilion, as if she had been provoked and stopped talking to her.
Xie Lanzhi was slightly taken aback; it seemed that she had truly been aroused.
The temperature in Tianjing at night was no longer as cold as the day before.
They no longer need to suffer from the ravages of war. Now, with over 100,000 Xie clan members stationed in Tianjing, it has become a safe fortress.
The civil officials under his jurisdiction also began to promote the operation of the imperial court.
Among them, the Duke of Zheng and the Duke of Luan Sibo made the greatest contributions.
The civil service surprisingly united in their support for Xie Lanzhi, who was upholding the Jin system. As a result, the rumors that Si Bogong would become the ruler of Tianjing were completely forgotten. Si Bogong himself was eager to avoid mentioning it.
The Xie family generals all moved into the vacant palace. Many of the direct descendants of the imperial family had died, so there were many empty courtyards.
The courtyards were also allocated according to military merits.
Xie Guang even brazenly moved into Prince Dun's mansion. Prince Dun was Si Xitong's deceased uncle.
No one dared to question the Xie family's advantage. Since Tianjing was captured by a Xie family marshal, their clansmen naturally received preferential treatment.
Xie Lanzhi no longer interfered with the allocation of courtyards; her subordinates would handle it themselves. If something went wrong, they would be the ones who suffered. Because of this, the Xie family's roughnecks distributed the spoils with remarkable harmony.
That evening, while Si Xitong was still bathing in the adjacent bathhouse, Xie Lanzhi had already gone to bed. Dressed in a white nightgown, she leaned against a jade pillow, listening to the sound of water from next door. Suddenly, a palace maid knelt down on the bed with a thud, looking as if she were going to her death. She bowed her head and held up a memorial in front of her.
"We beg the Marshal to uphold justice for Hai Yun, Lord Hai!"
"Haiyun?"
Xie Lanzhi sat up and saw that this palace maid was the one who had been protecting Si Xitong the most during the day. She gave her some face and accepted the memorial.
It turned out to be an impeachment letter. The case involved Xie Yongxin, a garrison commander, who forcibly seized the wife and daughters of Hai Yun, a magistrate of Shuntian Prefecture.
Xie Yongxin defiled someone else's wife and daughters. He even turned around and accused the victim, driving her to the brink of suicide.
It is a case of rape and murder.
Her gaze sharpened slightly: "It seems there's always someone causing me trouble."
Si Xitong had just finished washing up when she entered the hall, walking around the jade landscape screen. She was wearing a white bathrobe, the same kind of wife's attire as Xie Lanzhi's. There was a faint white aura on her body, and her delicate face was flushed from the bath. A faint fragrance wafted into her nostrils.
Xie Lanzhi's heart stirred, and she waved to dismiss the palace maid.
Si Xitong saw Xiao Xiu's eyes were red as she left.
Lanzhi was still reading the memorial, and the candlelight in the room was somewhat dim.
She took off her headscarf and sat on the edge of the bed: "It's late, be careful not to hurt your eyes."
Xie Lanzhi placed the memorial beside her pillow, rubbed her eyes, and asked, "Hai Yun from the Tianjing Prefecture, do you know him?"
Si Xitong quickly guessed that it was related to the memorial.
She said, "The Tianjing Prefecture is in charge of criminal cases in the capital. It has always been fair and just. Even after the fall of Tianjing, it continued to enforce the law impartially under the protection of the Duke of Zheng."
"Therefore, he enjoyed a high reputation among the people both inside and outside Tianjing."
Xie Lanzhi sighed, "He used to be an honest official. He always stood up for justice for others. Now that no one is standing up for him, I feel uneasy."
"Those who carry firewood for others should not be left to freeze to death," Si Xitong said.
She knew very well that someone had to take the lead in handling this matter before rules could be established.
Xie Lanzhi's recapture of Tianjing earned her a good reputation, but this meager reputation may now be affected by a criminal.
The next morning.
Xie Lanzhi transferred Xie Ji to handle Xie Yongxin's case.
Xie Ji initially thought it was a minor matter, but upon hearing that it was a member of the clan who had committed the offense, and that he was a general who had made contributions on the battlefield, he subtly reminded him: "Marshal, I think this matter can be settled privately. If we hold a public hearing, it will diminish the prestige of the Xie clan. Who in Tianjing will still obey the Xie clan in the future?"
"Xie Ji, I'm asking you, what kind of obedience does the Xie family want?" Forceful suppression does not necessarily yield genuine submission.
While drastic measures may be effective, they only address the symptoms, not the root cause.
Xie Ji said with great ambition, "Naturally, the whole world will be under one rule, and all will fear his power and submit to him as his subjects."
Xie Lanzhi couldn't help but facepalm. He called himself a scholar-general, yet he didn't even understand the principle of winning the hearts of the people and gaining lasting power.
Xie Lanzhi personally explained to him: "My expansion of territory is to defend the Southern Region, because that is the Xie family, and it is our last line of defense. Therefore, I will stop at nothing to kill any traitors with disloyal intentions."
"If Huang Mang is like this, then the future Shiguo Prefecture, the Northern Region, and the Hun people will be even more so. We have so many powerful enemies."
"How many fools like Huang Mang would there be in this chaotic world? If everyone were like Huang Mang, I could sweep across the land in less than three years. Are the Xie family members only fit to charge into battle?"
Xie Lanzhi pointed out to him: "The Xie family needs to change."
Upon hearing this, Xie Ji realized his shortsightedness and understood Xie Lanzhi's meaning. He immediately felt ashamed and said, "The Grand Marshal is right. Without rules, there can be no order. Although my Xie family comes from a powerful clan, we still have patriarchal laws to protect our family traditions. Not to mention that there are many aristocratic families in Tianjing. My Xie family... is not from an aristocratic family after all."
"Therefore, you need to set a standard, first of all, using the Jin system as a framework, to formally transform the Xie family into a noble family, or even a royal family! So that the noble families of the previous dynasty and the people of the world will no longer think that the Xie family is just a bunch of brutes who know how to fight."
Seeing that he had explained everything, Xie Lanzhi nodded: "Xie Ji, the reason why I have high hopes for you and Wu Qiu is because when the Xie family made their move, you were among the best performers. That's why I'm having you take the lead."
"Thank you for your appreciation, Grand Marshal!" Xie Ji knelt down on the spot, his emotions running high. To him, no merit could compare to a word of praise from the Grand Marshal. This was an honor that belonged to him.
Xie Lanzhi said, "No matter whose name you use, you should handle this case properly."
"To prove to everyone that the Xie family dares to bravely go to the battlefield and also dares to emulate Judge Bao in judging cases!"
Xie Ji clasped his hands and said, "This humble general will certainly not fail the Grand Marshal's high expectations."
A note from the author:
The next chapter will be divided into chapters, and will be released one chapter at a time.
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 17:33:00 on November 19, 2021 and 18:56:25 on November 22, 2021!
Thank you to the little angels who threw landmines: Cancer (2); Ten Years of Long White, Three False Fires, Xiao Mo Qing An, VOIT, and Sunshine Just Right (1 each);
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Weizhizi (50 bottles); Xiaomoqingan (10 bottles); Xuanjing, Yangguangzheng, and Lurenjia, Yibingding, and Wuxu (5 bottles each); 48045917 (3 bottles); and 44873919 (1 bottle).
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 23 Madam Xie steps out of retirement to solve the case
Xie Yongxin's matter was a private affair in the eyes of the Xie family, but it was a serious crime in Tianjing.
The officers and soldiers made several unsuccessful attempts to arrest people, and even the servants in Xie Yongxin's mansion dared to drive the officers and soldiers out of the mansion.
When the Shuntian Prefecture failed to apprehend the suspect, they reported the matter directly to Xieji.
Xie Ji sent troops to arrest Xie Yongxin and bring him to Shuntian Prefecture. As a result, Xie Yongxin's mother asked her retainers for a plan. Using the Jin law as an excuse, she claimed that the parties involved could not personally handle the case, lest they be biased, thus preventing Hai Yun from personally trying the criminals who had defiled his wife and daughters.
Xie Yongxin was even bailed out and brought home that same day.
The thought of that beast enjoying a life of luxury at home, fearless and undaunted, is unbearable.
Unable to seek justice, Haiyun, in a fit of anger, attempted suicide by hanging himself in his study that night. Fortunately, a servant saved him from death.
The news spread throughout half of Tianjing, but the officials dared not intervene. Only the people who had previously benefited from Hai Yunhui beat the drum in court to appeal for justice, and at one point, a thousand people gathered to petition for him.
Xie Ji hadn't expected the case to be so tricky; he had assured the Grand Marshal that he would handle it well.
Reality proved them wrong!
"Give me some advice quickly."
Wu Qiu reminded him: "General, even an upright official finds it difficult to settle family disputes. The court is not a battlefield where killing is the quickest option; it is about judging people and evidence."
"Furthermore, the longer this case drags on, the more disadvantageous it will be for you."
Xie Jidun's skin crawled: "I have long called myself a scholar-general, and the Grand Marshal has placed high hopes on me. How can I let her down?"
"Besides, I have already guaranteed that what I said can never be taken back."
Wu Qiu said, "General, in my opinion, why don't you retreat as a way to advance?"
"Retreat to advance? I bet there are plenty of people who want to laugh at me. Retreating now will only throw me into disarray," Xie Ji said, shaking his head.
This case also concerns his reputation, and he doesn't want Xie Guang to have a chance to make fun of him.
Wu Qiu offered a suggestion: "I've heard that Hai Yun's wife is the son of a former close friend. Surely the descendant of an old friend wouldn't stand by and watch someone die."
Xie Ji said, "Although the Great Jin Dynasty was short-lived, if we talk about the late Empress..." Perhaps guessing who it was, his face darkened: "This general would rather the Fourth Prince wake up and help me. I would not ask... Madam for help unless absolutely necessary."