Li Qinzai and Gu Chengzhang knew very well that the civil uprising could not be easily overturned.
The civil uprising has subsided, but the matter is not over yet.
The court must be able to investigate, and there will definitely be many heads thrown to the ground. Those who want to be killed are not ordinary people, but the mastermind behind all this.
The civil uprising had just been put down today, and Li Sujie and Xue Rengui led the army back to the camp. Although Li Qinzai said nothing, Gu Chengzhang knew very well that the Gu family in Wu County would not be able to clean up this matter. In other words, the Gu family was about to face a disaster.
That's why Gu Chengzhang came to the commander's tent in the middle of the night and unscrupulously pushed a member of the clan to take the blame.
Li Qinzai was amazed by Gu Chengzhang's integrity. People could be so shameless. Compared with him, Li Qinzai felt that he was simply a saint with high moral standards.
After rejecting Gu Chengzhang in an indifferent tone, there was another long silence outside the handsome tent.
Just when Li Qinzai thought that the other party had left in despair, Feng Su quietly walked into the commander's tent, stood in front of him and whispered: "Fifth Young Master, the head of the Gu family doesn't want to leave, and he is still kneeling in the tent.
outside."
Li Qinzai was stunned for a moment, then curled his lips: "Kneeling outside the tent?"
"Yes, the head of the Gu family has been kneeling outside the handsome tent. He was also kneeling when he was talking to you across the curtain just now."
Li Qinzai said leisurely: "It seems that the head of the family is already very scared."
The Zhu family of Wu County was wiped out by Li Qinzai after he made a small mistake, not to mention that the Gu family secretly instigated the rebellion behind the scenes. Comparing the two, it is reasonable and legal for the Gu family to be executed. No wonder Gu Chengzhang was so scared tonight.
After Feng Su finished speaking, he stood in the tent and waited quietly for Li Qinzai's instructions.
Li Qinzai pondered for a long time, and finally got up and walked outside the handsome tent.
There were several torches standing at the door outside the tent. Under the dim light, Gu Chengzhang's body was stooped, and his knees were kneeling upright facing the handsome tent.
Seeing Li Qinzai finally come out, Gu Chengzhang was overjoyed and hurriedly touched his head to the ground and said in a trembling voice: "The unscrupulous sons of the Gu family are confused for a moment, but the Gu family is innocent. Please don't get involved, Lord Li."
Li Qinzai stared at him quietly for a long time, then walked to Gu Chengzhang and squatted down, looking level with his eyes.
"Master Gu, you should know better than me what the nature of inciting civil unrest is. This matter is too serious and cannot be solved by introducing one or two scapegoats."
Of course, Gu Chengzhang knew very well the nature of inciting civil unrest. Just like rebellion, it was a charge of execution.
When Gu Chengzhang dared to instigate a civil uprising, it was because he knew that as long as he attacked Li Qinzai's weaknesses, the prominent families in Jiangnan could avoid this disaster.
If everything had gone according to Chengzhang's plan, Li Qinzai would have been recalled to Chang'an, and the blame for the civil uprising would have been placed squarely on Li Qinzai's head.
However, Li Sujie quelled the civil uprising too quickly, and Xue Rengui led his troops to encircle them too quickly. More importantly, the connections of Jiangnan prominent families in the Chang'an court had been mobilized for a long time. Numerous impeachment memorials had been submitted, and the court was in trouble.
It has to be uproarious.
But until today, the emperor has not recalled Li Qinzai. This shows that something must have happened in Chang'an City, which caused Gu Chengzhang's original plan to deviate from the planned direction.
To put it simply, the winner is the king and the loser is the enemy, that's all.
So tonight, at this moment, the desperate Gu Chengzhang knelt outside the commander's tent as a loser. He knew what the Gu family in Wu County was going to face next. As the head of the family, he could only make his last effort to save the fate of his people.
"Mr. Li clearly knows that the Gu family of Wu County is willing to give up 300,000 acres of land under her name to the court for confiscation unconditionally. From now on, the Gu family of Wu County will only follow the emperor's lead and help Duke Li clean up the farmland in the south of the Yangtze River. The emperor and the court cannot do anything.
If it is inconvenient to do, Gu is willing to do the hard work of a dog or horse."
"In addition, the Gu family is willing to donate all the family's treasures to Duke Li."
"Gu will swear to God that the Gu family will never rebel against the Tang Dynasty for generations to come, and will send ten of the eldest son's legitimate sons and grandsons to Chang'an as hostages. If the Gu family breaks the oath, the emperor can kill the Gu family's legitimate sons!"
"Mr. Li, it is more advantageous to leave the Gu family a way of survival than to kill the entire Gu family."
Gu Chengzhang made conditions again.
Li Qinzai was silent and stared at him deeply.
It has to be said that the conditions were harsh enough, and it was almost like trying to survive with a broken arm.
For the survival of his family, he is able to decisively and ruthlessly pay a heavy price. As the head of a prominent family, Gu Chengzhang is undoubtedly qualified.
However, these conditions were useless in front of Li Qinzai.
At the moment when the civil uprising in Jiangning occurred, no one could save the Gu family of Wu County, not even Li Zhi.
"Master Gu, it's a cold night, please come back." Li Qinzai sighed.
Gu Chengzhang trembled all over, his eyes completely despairing.
He understood the meaning of Li Qinzai's words.
Looking up at the dark sky, Gu Chengzhang grinned miserably.
Having lived to this age, of course, you have already learned to pay for your actions.
The lives of the entire clan were put on the gambling table by him. Unfortunately, Gu made the wrong bet this time and lost.
"Many... many thanks to Duke Li, Gu understands."
In an instant, Gu Chengzhang seemed to have aged dozens of years. He stood up, hunched over, and left in despair.
Li Qinzai watched him leave, the determination in his eyes never changing.
He had no sympathy for this failed old man.
Think about the farmers in the south of the Yangtze River who lost their land and became homeless serfs without enough money to eat. The military system of the government was almost collapsed due to the disasters of the noble families...
The family's selfish desires are hard to satisfy, but they quietly hollow out the corners of the country. What is there to sympathize with?
Half an hour later, a rapid sound of gongs suddenly came from the camp.
The sleeping soldiers in the camp got up, put on their armor, grabbed their weapons and rushed out of the camp.
But I heard from the soldiers patrolling at night that Gu Chengzhang, the head of the Gu family in Wu County, had just jumped into Taihu Lake. The soldiers patrolling outside the camp heard the sound of water and hurriedly checked, but could not find any trace for a long time. It was not until half an hour later that Gu Chengzhang's body was found.
Only then did he surface and was fished out by the soldiers.
The remaining family heads who came out were shocked and rushed to the Taihu Lake outside the camp. Only after seeing Gu Chengzhang's body with their own eyes did the family heads dare to believe it.
After whispering for a few words, the family heads inadvertently turned their heads and suddenly discovered that the crowd was not far away. Li Qinzai was standing expressionless. After a long time, he left silently under the escort of Bu Qu.
The family heads were silent for a while, and their expressions suddenly became less shocked.
Everyone knew who was responsible for the Jiangning civil uprising, and the family heads knew better what the attitude of Duke Li and the imperial court towards the civil uprising.
In such a situation, the Gu family in Wu County had absolutely no physiology, so it was reasonable for Gu Chengzhang to jump into the lake and commit suicide.
If anyone were in such a desperate situation, what else could they do except die?
Early the next morning.
The heads of the six prominent families gathered in the commander's tent, but only Prince Teng was in charge of the negotiations in the commander's tent, and Li Qinzai was nowhere to be seen.
While the six prominent families were negotiating with the court, Xue Rengui and his five thousand troops suddenly left the camp.
In the afternoon, an unexpected news reached the camp.
The Gu family of Wu County instigated a civil uprising in Jiangning. The evidence is conclusive. The crime is unpardonable and everyone in the family must be punished.