When he heard Li Xiang's cold snort, this guy knew his plan was shattered, because Li Xiang was also a smart man. He really wanted to use this to trick Li Xiang. If he could solve the chieftain, would Li Xiang still kill him? If he killed him, his son-in-law would definitely continue to rebel, and the problem here would still not be solved. So if Li Xiang followed his strategy, it would be like buying him an insurance policy.
"Your brain is indeed spinning fast, and you've found a trick to save your life. But I can tell you clearly that if you can really make this happen, the position of Tusi will definitely be your son-in-law. However, Tusi will definitely not have that much power in the future. It must form a check and balance with the imperial court. As for your life, I may not take it directly, but I can spare you the death penalty, but you can't escape the punishment of living..."
When hearing what Li Xiang said before, he thought his life was about to end, so Zhang Jiuli kowtowed repeatedly and even broke his head. People have a great fear of death, and it is impossible to empathize with it if you have not experienced such a thing.
When this guy smelled the blood on the street, he always felt that he might be beheaded by Li Xiang. Now, after hearing Li Xiang's promise, he was so moved that he burst into tears. As long as he did this job well, he would live a good life even if he had to become a slave.
"Your family property will definitely be lost. Don't even think about moving it for the time being. Once this matter is resolved, all will be confiscated by the state treasury. Of your three brothers, one will be exiled to Gaochang, two to Western Turkestan, and your two sons to Xueyantuo. You will serve as an advisor to Old Master Xiao. If you do a good job, I promise to allow them to return and reunite with you in ten years."
Since you want people to work, just tell them the future rewards clearly. Although the whole family will be exiled to the frontier, for Zhang Jiuli, this is a result he can't even ask for. Thinking about those who have already lost their heads, our result is already relatively good.
Zhang Jiuli felt grateful in his heart. Fortunately, he met someone like Li Xiang, who could tell him everything about the future clearly. If he had met that kind of insidious and cunning person, he would not tell him these words in the end. After he had done all the things, he would be abandoned.
Don't think that there are few such people. They can be said to be the majority. There are not many people who speak as clearly as Li Xiang. At this time, Zhang Jiuli was really kowtowed, even if it meant smashing his head.
Xiao Yu nodded as he watched. Who on earth had this young person learned this from? How could he possibly have mastered the art of controlling people to this degree? Even if Xiao Yu were to handle this matter today, he probably wouldn't be able to handle it so well. It seemed he would have to behave himself from now on. As Third Master Cui had said, many people are born with divine power, and this person before him was one of them.
No matter what we do in the future, we will follow Li Xiang closely and we will definitely not suffer any loss. It was because the old fellow Cui Sanye did this that when other aristocratic families were suffering losses, Cui Sanye was thriving instead.
"Alright, alright. I don't think you can finish this meal. Go down and take care of your wounds. Think carefully about what to do in the next two days and come up with an actionable plan. I'll leave this matter to you. As for whether you want to live or die, that's up to you."
Li Xiang saw the blood all over the floor, but he had no intention of eating it at this time. He had almost finished eating anyway. After this guy left, Li Xiang asked someone to bring him a pot of tea and some dried fruits and snacks in the pavilion. He couldn't stay here any longer. He had messed up such a good place, with blood all over the floor.
"Your Highness has truly opened my eyes today. I originally thought Your Highness was only good at using force, but I didn't expect you to be so skilled in manipulating people's hearts. I've heard that Your Highness was also like this in Tibet, but I didn't expect you to be able to replicate this here, and you don't even need to use your brain. The people below have done it for you. You're truly amazing."
After arriving at the pavilion, Xiao Yu told the truth. Originally, Xiao Yu thought that his children were very outstanding, at least better than the young masters in Chang'an City, and their future achievements would definitely be much higher than theirs. Even when comparing them with Li Xiang in private, he still felt that his grandson was better. What Li Xiang had was nothing more than a status bonus.
But after seeing how Li Xiang handled the situation today, Xiao Yu completely abandoned his thoughts. The fact that Li Xiang could reach where he is today and manipulate the world at his fingertips was definitely not just a status bonus. Even if other people were in the position of the Crown Prince, they probably couldn't do this, let alone come close.
"Sir, please don't praise me so much. I feel a little uncomfortable. Of course, please help me think carefully about this matter. Is there anything I need to add? After all, there are some things I can't think of so comprehensively."
Li Xiang was telling the truth. It's impossible for one person to think of everything. If you truly possessed that ability, why would you need so many counselors around you? The reason they brought Xiao Yu here was, on the one hand, to get him familiar with the area so he could help with logistics, and on the other hand, he was a highly qualified counselor, prime minister material. Now that he was providing us with advice, wouldn't that be a piece of cake?
"There's only one thing we need to do throughout this whole process, and that's to keep an eye on Jin Jiuli. In particular, we need to find someone smart to keep an eye on him. He's very cunning, but all his family members are in our care. I believe he won't do anything too outrageous, but I'm afraid some small actions will affect us."
Xiao Yu thought it over carefully. If there was a weakness in the whole thing, Zhang Jiuli was definitely one. Even though he kowtowed so vigorously just now, maybe he was just acting. For years, he'd been playing a trick on Li Shimin, making him think that this place wasn't poor, but at least manageable. But what was the real situation? This place was almost a living hell, almost becoming the weak point for a rebellion in the Tang Dynasty...