After the whole family was swept away, I lay down flat

Chapter 406 Chapter Accepting fate
In the study, Zhou Shigong was also talking to Hai Jiao about the news he had learned.

"It is said that the Sun family was very happy at the time, thinking that they had found a way to attack our Zhou family. With the crime committed by my stepmother alone, the entire Zhou family could be dragged down. But after careful inspection, they found that things were not what they thought. It’s that simple.”

Although Mrs. Ma had obtained directions to Beijing and documents for exiting customs for caravans and merchants of unknown origin more than once, she did not find anyone from the Zhou family to handle this matter. At that time, she was looking for acquaintances in the government. Some were the husbands, grandchildren, or relatives of the daughter-in-law she had become friends with. Some were the former subordinates of the old man from the third bedroom, and there were also children of the Ma family from her "natal family". Anyway, none of them had the surname Zhou and no official position. A taller person.

Even if the Sun family traces the Hu traitor's Lu Yin back to the officials who handle Lu Yin, there is no way to involve important members of the Zhou family. At most, they will get rid of a few petty officials and a Ma. Just an old lady. The latter may implicate the third brother of the Zhou family, but if you want to rely on this incident alone to prove that the entire Zhou family, who have guarded the border for decades, is collaborating with the enemy and treason, it is obviously impossible to convince the public. At that time, the old man of the third house had retired and no longer interfered with the affairs of the northwest frontier army. His wife has never been involved in military affairs. The Sun family only sued the third member of the Zhou family, and it would not affect the military power of Zhen Guogong. It would not even bring a slightly greater shock to the northwest frontier army. So what was the use?
At that time, the Sun family had not succeeded in sending Sun Yonglu to the northwest frontier army, but there were still generals in the court who could command troops, and they had a bad relationship with Mr. Sun Ge. Relying on just a few testimonies and a road guide from the Hu spies, they would at most cause some trouble for the third branch of the Zhou family, but they would have little impact on the direct branch of the Zhou family. Even if the emperor really uses this as an excuse to forcibly take back military power in the northwest, it is very likely that it will give others an advantage and it will not be the Sun family's turn to get involved. And once this military power falls into the hands of another general, it will not be that easy to get them to hand it over.

The Sun family thought it was not worthwhile, so they kept the evidence and handed over the Hu spies to Sun Yongbai and gave them to the Jin Yiwei in exchange for merit rewards, but they did not attack the third room of the Zhou family.

Now, the Sun family wants to secretly kill the Yingchuan Hou Crown Prince, and plans to use Zhou Shuyi's knife to blame the third room of the Zhou family, and even the entire Zhou family. In order to ensure that things would not go wrong, they handed Mrs. Ma's dark history and related physical evidence into the hands of Du Boqin. Once Mrs. Ma discovers the truth of the matter and refuses to follow the Sun family's arrangements and kills Prince Yingchuan, or if she refuses to keep it secret afterwards and reveals the Sun family's true role in the whole matter, Then Du Boqin would use that evidence to publicize Mrs. Ma's crime of collaborating with the enemy within the northwest frontier army, so that she could not stand up completely. He could also take the opportunity to sow discord between the Zhou family and other generals, and reap the benefits.

However, this conspiracy was shattered before it could be carried out. Mrs. Ma and Zhou Shuyi were also put under house arrest respectively. The handle in Du Boqin's hands was useless, and he could not protect himself. Naturally, the Sun family's original plan could no longer be implemented. .

Zhou Shigong whispered: "Du Boqin confessed that after receiving the letter from the Sun family, he tried to find a way to go to the government office to check the document archives. From there, he could indeed find out the names of the officials who handled it at that time. However, the stepmother always looked for it several times. Different people handle things. Some of those officials have died of old age, some have been transferred to other places and have never returned to Chang'an. There is also one... who is Du Boqin's connection and has done some shady things for him. If he really When something happened, the third room of the Zhou family might not be able to get into trouble, but he would be in trouble first. Therefore, he put the things away without even thinking about using them to threaten his stepmother..."

Du Boqin was still very careful and checked everything. He even found two government clerks who had witnessed the incident and could come forward as witnesses at any time if necessary. But after weighing it again and again, he still chose to give up. Although the Sun family had plans, he had to consider his own interests first.

If Tu Rong hadn't asked him for information this time, he racked his brains but couldn't satisfy Tu Rong, and he wouldn't have thought of using this information as a bargaining chip. After all, Mrs. Ma, even if she adds a third wife to the Zhou family, is far less important to the Zhou family than the Sun brothers' status in the family.

Fortunately, the chips he brought out this time really impressed Tu Rong. Tu Rong temporarily shelved his sentence and moved him to a single cell with better conditions. The three meals provided were also raised by two levels. However, it was impossible to release him. What will happen to him depends on the will of the Holy Spirit. Tu Rong had already written down the news in secret and ordered his close men to send him back to the capital. He kept it secret and did not go through official channels, obviously to keep it secret.

Zhou Shigong sighed: "Although Tu Tongzhi is from Beijing, he acts fairly and has no ill intentions towards our Zhou family. Du Boqin also told the news that was unfavorable to the Sun family and our Zhou family. Tu Tongzhi was impartial and reported everything." We went up there without any concealment. What will happen to our family next depends on the will of His Majesty. If His Majesty is willing to remember the merits of my late ancestor and father during his lifetime and allow us to retain a trace of dignity, then the lineage of my second son will... Maybe there is still a glimmer of hope. They have been away from home for a long time and have been guarding Ningxia Zhongwei. They have little contact with the family and have no knowledge of my stepmother. If the Holy Spirit has mercy, it is possible to let them go. "

Of course, if the emperor ignores his old feelings and insists on taking the opportunity to kill the Zhou family, then no one in the third room can escape. Collaboration with the enemy and the country is not a crime that can be easily washed away. After Zhou Shigong said these words, he raised his head and looked at Haijiao: "Good boy, although you are young, you are smart. You must also understand the situation our third room is in right now. This is not something you can get involved in, or else. You'd better ask again. Go back to your grandmother's and sister's house and don't come here again. If one day our family goes to the execution ground and the clan despises our family for being a traitorous traitor and refuses to collect our bodies, if you are willing to take care of it, After our family’s death, it would be a great kindness to buy us some plain clothes and some thin coffins for burial! Even if I die, I will still be grateful to your family!"

Hai Jiao sighed: "Uncle, is it too early to accept your fate? You and my aunt's family clearly have no knowledge and are completely innocent. Why should you be implicated by Mrs. Ma and be willing to die?!"

"What can we do if we are not willing to give in?" Zhou Shigong said frustratedly, "The Holy One holds the handle of our family. Whether our family lives or dies depends on his thoughts. If he refuses to obey his orders honestly, he will become angry and take it out on the Zhou family. The entire clan is responsible for the death of me! Now that the border is peaceful and there is no war, the Holy Lord may have long wanted to replace the Zhou family. Our third room gave the Holy Lord a ready-made excuse. If you don’t have the face to face your clan members, how can you still have the face to go to such trouble?”

Looking at his self-defeating look, Hai Jiao couldn't help but feel a little irritated.

Now that you know that something big has happened to your family, you haven't been locked up immediately, and you still have the energy and connections to investigate the authenticity of various news, haven't you considered doing more?

Even if Mrs. Ma is used to investigate the Hu people's intelligence network, she will be punished and meritorious!
If you don't do anything and just accept your fate, you won't hurt other people, right?

How naive is this idea? !

No wonder my great-uncle is the only person in the Zhou family who has obtained the title of Juren or above, but he still has to rely on family power to become an official in the northwest. This is not a person who can achieve anything at all!

Hai Jiao sighed, endured his patience, and continued to persuade Zhou Shigong: "Even if we have to wait for the imperial edict to come down, my great-uncle can try to make meritorious deeds and fight for a way out for his children and grandchildren..."

(End of this chapter)