Chapter 514: Chapter 514

Moreover, the Family Head of An and Xu Qing became increasingly friendly in conversation, as if helping the court to quell the rebellion was something predetermined by him and Xu Qing.

Various detailed ideas came to mind fluently.

Xu Qing felt as if he had punched cotton when he saw how the An family understood the situation.

The old fox truly leaves no loose ends.

Yet under the current grand scheme, the An family is a necessary target for unity, and because they are so aware of the situation, Xu Qing has no opportunity to continue pressing them.

After all, even if he forcibly crushed the An family, the result would be no better than it is now, and it could provoke more unnecessary resistance.

Qian Nan Province doesn’t just have the four major Tusi; defeating the An family would lead to the rise of more small and hard-to-handle Tusi.

On the contrary, with the An family around, order could be roughly maintained among these small Tusi.

Actually, these present-day Tusi are essentially no different from the feudal states of ancient times. The process of cultural assimilation is extremely long, and the conflicts between the Tusi and the Han people cannot be resolved in just one or two decades.

The existence of the An and Yang families also serves to accelerate cultural assimilation.

Because, comparatively speaking, the Han assimilation progress of these two major Tusi is much faster than that of the smaller ones.

The key point is that the cost of developing Qian Nan Province is too high, and for the court, the income far undercuts the expenditures, something which even Xu Qing cannot change.

Even the Southeastern Land nowadays cannot compare to the Central Plains before the Middle Ages. Simply conquering the territory is not enough; developing and integrating resources is the key.

This requires the efforts of generations.

With the Family Head of An making a statement, the banquet that followed was very smooth. As an official inn, Long Chang Inn prepared the local official cuisine of Qian Nan Province, focusing on the regional specialty of sour and spicy flavors.

Xu Qing, being a native of Shu in his past life, was accustomed to such flavors.

At the banquet, Su Lianqing savored the Wujing Tofu Fish and Huajiang Dog Meat with relish, while the highlight was the Qingyan Scholar’s Trotter, prepared especially for Xu Liushou.

After a hearty meal, everyone’s hunger and thirst were satisfied.

Afterwards, the Family Head of An gifted two young An girls to Xu Qing for companionship, both at the tender age of budding beauty, and meticulously cleaned.

These were all tools for cementing ties between the two parties, and it would be inappropriate not to accept them.

The next day, the Family Head of An personally escorted Xu Qing down the road of the Three Pavilions, bidding farewell with lingering emotions. Additionally, the third son of the An family followed Xu Qing back to Juzhou City, essentially being held as a hostage.

The third son of the An family was well-behaved in his conduct while with Xu Qing.

He was even educated, having the title of Scholar.

However, this title of Scholar was something forcibly granted by the court, and An Laosan merely went through the motions.

After seeing off Xu Qing, the Family Head of An, to preserve their dignity, claimed that all of this was guided by an ancestral dream of Madam Shexiang, saying Xu Liushou was a celestial being, and that accompanying Xu Liushou would ensure the eternal prosperity of the Shuixi An family.

As the words went on, the Family Head of An himself began to believe them.

In Juzhou City, Mr. Zhou was overjoyed upon receiving a letter back from his niece’s husband, and circulated it among the civil and military officials of Juzhou City, saying: "The fierce tiger of the An family has been captured by Xu Gongming, and furthermore, the An family has agreed for Gongming to persuade the Song family. With the assistance of the two major Tusi, Yang’s rebellion can be quelled."

The civil and military officials couldn’t help but heave a sigh of relief.

Indeed, it was Xu Liushou.

Having spent a long time in the frontier lands of the Southwest, although they had heard of Xu Qing’s great reputation, they suspected that many of Xu Qing’s achievements were exaggerated.

A usual practice of the country.

Unexpectedly, the man indeed hadn’t achieved his fame by mere exaggeration.

He took a few tea merchants and shopkeepers over there and managed to persuade the An family with reason.

Even if some suspected that the An family realized the greater good on their own, merely having such courage is something others lack.

Mr. Zhou felt extremely comfortable, grateful that ultimately family can be relied upon.

Moreover, Xu Gongming remained the same Xu Gongming, only engaging in offensives and tackling tough challenges.

He now understood the experiences of his brother-in-law and the old Wu, as well as He Canzheng, realizing that it was easy to gain political achievements by following Xu Gongming.

Before long, Xu Qing, along with An Laosan, transported the resources sent by the An family into the city. Since Xu Liushou had cleared the roads beforehand, coupled with it being An family’s resources, the journey was peaceful.

Even though An Laosan held the noble status of the third son of the An family, it was his first time witnessing such peace on the official road of Qian Nan Province.

Xu Qing understood in his heart that this was merely temporary. It wouldn’t be long before new bandits and demons occupied the perilous mountain paths.

Bandits were visible issues, but the real root cause was the theft of hearts.

With the An family’s resources, everyone in Juzhou City felt much more assured.

Because while the resources weren’t abundant, they symbolized the support of the Shuixi An family.

Once returned to the city, Xu Qing visited his uncle, and before he had settled down, Scholar Yang came to find him.

"Ming Gong, the peace of Qian Nan is within your grasp, but this student wishes to know your plans moving forward."

"What guidance does Teacher Yang have for me?" Xu Qing asked Scholar Yang for advice.

Scholar Yang: "Ming Gong’s name resonates far and wide, and subduing the An family was natural. However, the fact that the An family relented so quickly may not necessarily be a good thing. In the long term, the threat posed by the An family is no less than that of the Yang family."

Xu Qing: "This time, the An family has contributed significantly. The court not only cannot hold them accountable but must also grant additional rewards. It must be said, the Family Head of An can indeed adapt to circumstances. I am occupied with grand matters, making it troublesome to get tangled in minor details. Since Teacher Yang has resided in Qian Nan for long, familiar with its customs and people, my uncle will need to rely heavily on you for governance."

Scholar Yang: "Ming Gong’s entrusted task will not be shirked by a student. This student is here to present a plan for Ming Gong."

Xu Qing: "Please speak plainly, Teacher Yang."

Scholar Yang then proposed three strategies.

First, to exploit the conflicts between the major Tusi, causing division.

Second, to use the tea and horse trade to sell luxury goods to the Tusi elites.

Third, to employ both suppression and appeasement.

Scholar Yang pointed out the crux of the problem, which lies in the fact that the Great Yu Dynasty currently lacks robust military training in the Southwest. The barbarians fear force but do not admire virtues. Thus, only by strengthening the army can the government effectively enforce its commands.

Upon hearing this, Xu Qing took out a memorial to show Scholar Yang.

After perusing it, Scholar Yang found that many of the opinions aligned with his own and included many supplementary points, such as surveying the land, organizing the population, encouraging immigration to the Southwest to cultivate wastelands, promoting the Central Plains farming techniques, deepening cultural assimilation, and strictly controlling key military points.

These actions laid the groundwork for gradually abolishing the hereditary system of Tusi and transitioning to an appointed official system.

The sequence is key and each step’s difficulty is clearly evident.

"This is a centennial plan. Ming Gong’s talent is truly unmatched..." Scholar Yang was filled with admiration.

Xu Qing laughed: "It’s just paper talk, nothing much. The key lies in execution, which requires both you, Teacher Yang, and my subordinates in the Recovery Society and the Red Flower Society to pool our wisdom and efforts, all under my uncle’s support, to implement these actions. However, these are matters for after quelling the Yang family’s unrest. Although we have the help of the An family, the real focus of this rebellion’s suppression is whether the official army of Juzhou City can establish momentum."

Scholar Yang: "Although the Juzhou army has been heavily renovated recently, its combat ability still lags behind the barbarian forces of the Yang family."

Xu Qing nodded: "This time, I will personally lead the charge, breaking through with force."

His words were understated yet greatly shocked Scholar Yang.

But considering Xu Liushou’s strength, this was indeed the most correct resolution for this battle.

One should know that the official army of the Great Yu Dynasty can indeed exhibit impressive fighting strength in favorable battles.

As long as Xu Liushou is involved, any battle will be a favorable one, and there’s no losing.

This is the reputation Xu Liushou established among all.

Moreover, Xu Qing didn’t hide his connections with the Red Flower Society from Scholar Yang, because ultimately, he valued Scholar Yang’s bold and decisive approach in handling affairs.

Mr. Zhou is a traditional scholar-bureaucrat, and without ruthless support, it is very difficult to establish a foothold in Qian Nan Province.

On the other hand, Scholar Yang had a deep understanding of many matters in Qian Nan Province, having studied the interests and relationships of families extensively, and even Xu Qing learned many details from him.

The success or failure of things often lies in the details.

The open transport of the An family’s resources into Juzhou City quickly reached the ears of the Yang family, pressing them greatly.

However, the head of the Yang family remained composed, saying: "No need to panic. Whether it’s the An family or the Song family, they will have no time to deal with us next."

He played a killer move, implicating a Miao rebellion.

These Miao people, residing in Song’s territory, would not only preoccupy the Song family but also give the An family an excuse to help the Song family quell the Miao rebellion, thus avoiding direct confrontation with the Yang family.

They are all old foxes, knowing exactly how to proceed once this move is made.