Hot flashes

In the darkness, I couldn't see his face, only his bright eyes.

"My coming here was an accident."

Xiao Jue's hand landed on the side of his face, his thumb gently stroking it.

"It wasn't an accident," he said.

Zhou Heng was stunned for a moment.

Xiao Jue looked at him.

"It was a gift from God."

Zhou Heng opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't say anything.

Xiao Jue pulled him into his arms and held him tightly.

"Aheng," he said, "you are my blessing."

Zhou Heng pressed his face against his chest, listening to his heartbeat, steady and strong.

After a long silence, he finally spoke.

"Xiao Jue".

"Um?"

Zhou Heng remained silent.

He simply reached out, hugged him, and buried himself in his arms.

Xiao Jue lowered his head and placed a kiss on the top of his head.

Outside the window, the snow is still falling.

On the seventh day after the Xie family's property was confiscated, a secret meeting took place in the mountains outside Jiangling City.

There weren't many people, only seven or eight.

They sat in a secluded courtyard, with the doors and windows tightly closed and a charcoal fire burning brightly.

A middle-aged man spoke first. His name was Cui Yin, courtesy name Mingyuan. His ancestors for three generations had all served as prefects, and he was a highly respected family in Jiangbei.

"The Xie family is finished. That guy was ruthless."

A man surnamed Lu standing nearby snorted coldly. This man was named Lu Jing, courtesy name Wenyuan. He was from a branch of the Xingyang Lu clan and served as the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. He usually kept a low profile, but everyone knew who was behind him.

"Ruthless? That's madness."

Cui Yin looked at him.

"Whether he's crazy or not, he's dead anyway. Compared to the Xie family, who among us is stronger?"

Lu Jing remained silent.

Another man surnamed Zheng spoke up. This man was named Zheng Lun, courtesy name Zhongxuan, and was Zheng Mingyi's cousin. With the Xie family in ruins, his face was more grim than anyone else's.

"That person acted too quickly. From the time the Xie family was involved to the time their property was raided, it was only ten days. Our people didn't even have time to react before they were all finished."

Cui Yin nodded.

The room fell silent for a moment.

Zheng Lun said, "Don't you know that person's temperament? He's been suppressing aristocratic families for a long time. Zhou Heng's school, supposedly for poor students, is actually digging up our roots. The Xie family blocked our way, and the Xie family is gone. What about us?"

Lu Jing asked, "What do you suggest we do?"

Zheng Lun did not answer, but looked at Cui Yin.

Cui Yin remained silent for a while.

Then he spoke.

"We're not without our trump cards."

The others looked at him.

Cui Yin said, "That man has soldiers, and we have men too. The people each family has been supporting in the local areas over the years aren't just sitting around doing nothing. It's just that the Xie family acted too quickly that time. Now, if they want to do it again, it won't be so easy. Besides, we still have..."

He paused at this point.

Zheng Lun said, "You mean...?"

Cui Yin did not respond.

He simply looked at a person in the corner who hadn't spoken a word.

The person sat in the shadows, their expression obscured. But everyone knew they were from the Shen family.

Shen Yu's nephew, Shen Ji, courtesy name Shiyu.

Cui Yin asked, "Brother Shen?"

Shen Ji's gaze shifted slightly.

He raised his head, revealing a thin face and a pair of unfathomable eyes.

He didn't speak, but glanced at the others present before lowering his head again.

Zheng Lun was about to say something when Cui Yin raised his hand to stop him.

Cui Yin said, "Let's call it a day. Let's get together again another day."

The crowd got up and left one after another.

Shen Ji sat there until everyone had left before slowly standing up.

He walked to the window and opened it.

The snow outside had stopped, and the moonlight shone brightly on the snow.

Then he turned and walked into the night.

---

After that night, Zhou Heng seemed like a different person. Or perhaps he had figured something out.

Qianqing Palace.

Xiao Jue stood in front of the map, and upon hearing footsteps, turned around.

Zhou Heng walked in, his face bearing an expression he had never seen before. It was something very bright, shining from the depths of his eyes.

Xiao Jue looked at him.

Zhou Heng walked up to him and stopped.

"I have a few ideas," he said.

Xiao Jue's lips curved slightly.

"explain."

Zhou Heng took out a folded book from his pocket and unfolded it.

"The aristocratic families must be divided."

Xiao Jue's gaze shifted slightly.

Zhou Heng said, "What is the foundation of a powerful family? It is land, population, and those intricate relationships. Why has the Xie family been able to occupy Jiangling for so long? Because the entire Jiangling, from top to bottom, is inhabited by their people. A single move can affect the whole situation."

He paused.

"But what if the Xie family isn't part of the Xie family?"

Xiao Jue looked at him.

Zhou Heng continued speaking.

"No matter how powerful a family is, it's not monolithic. The direct line and the collateral branches are always outwardly friendly but inwardly at odds. The direct line gets the best, while the collateral branches only get scraps. If the collateral branches knew they had a chance to get a share, what would they do?"

Xiao Jue remained silent.

Zhou Heng said, "Give them honorary positions and small fiefdoms, and let them compete with the direct descendants. The direct descendants will want to protect what they have, while the collateral branches will want to seize what the direct descendants have. When the two sides start fighting, they won't be able to care about the court."

He paused.

"Once they've fought each other to a standstill, the imperial court will then intervene. What needs to be taken over will be taken over, what needs to be merged will be merged. We'll gradually weed them out."

Xiao Jue looked at him, something churning in his eyes.

After a long silence, he spoke.

"Is there anything else?"

Zhou Heng nodded.

"The matter of official schools should also be handled as soon as possible."

Zhou Heng said, "The foundation of aristocratic families is not land, not money, but culture. They monopolize books, teachers, and the means for ordinary people to access education. Children from poor families who want to rise in society can only rely on them. Once they rely on them, they become their people. This continues generation after generation, ensuring that aristocratic families never fall."

His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear.

"Official schools were run by the county, prefecture, and even the capital. Graduates could directly take the exams to become officials, bypassing the path of aristocratic families."

He paused.

"Ten years from now, half of those standing in the imperial court will be graduates of official schools. What will aristocratic families be then?"

After he finished speaking, he closed the folding book and placed it in front of Xiao Jue.

The Qianqing Palace remained quiet for a long time.