The Liu family steward was even more aghast. "My lord, please reconsider! This old servant's life is cheap and can be lost, but if you were to perish in the flames, how would you know what that incompetent ruler intends to do?"
At the steward's words, the wealthy philanthropist Liu couldn't help but glare at his steward, scolding him with disappointment. "You've grown up with me since childhood, how can you not see through this matter?"
"It is true that we are sending Master Qian, Master Li, and Master Zhang on their way, but how could we possibly perish in the flames as a genuine plan? If you don't value your life, I certainly do!"
The Liu steward chuckled sheepishly. "After all, it concerns you, my lord. This old servant was merely worried and flustered. Then, shall this old servant make arrangements later?"
The wealthy philanthropist Liu hummed and instructed, "Not later, but immediately. Whether it's the young masters going overseas, sending those three masters on their way, or our feigned death in the flames, all of it must be arranged at once."
After the steward bowed and acknowledged the order, the wealthy philanthropist Liu continued, "Oh, right. Your two sons are not young anymore, are they? Have them accompany the young masters on their voyage."
The steward bowed. "Yes, this old servant thanks my lord for his grace."
The wealthy philanthropist Liu then hummed and dismissed him. "Very well, you may go."
However, when the steward returned to his own courtyard and explained the situation to his two sons, the sons were unwilling. The younger son, spoiled by favor, directly retorted, "Why? Why must our family be servants to the Liu family for generations?"
"These troubles were all caused by the Liu family themselves. Now that the Liu family is preparing to flee overseas, why should we be taken along?"
"Father, I think you've become senile. Don't you even consider if the Ottoman Empire and that so-called Holy Roman Empire are reliable?"
"Given the Liu family's consistent behavior, it's more likely they've already ruined the Holy Roman Empire and the Ottomans. Do you still expect them to prop up the Holy Roman Empire and the Ottomans to a point where they can contend with the Great Ming?"
The elder son also chimed in, "Precisely. If we remain in the Great Ming now, even if the authorities come to settle accounts, they must do so according to the laws of the Great Ming. These current troubles were stirred up by the Liu family themselves, and our family merely acted as messengers and errand runners. In any case, our crimes do not warrant death."
"But if we were to flee to the Ottoman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire, it would be equivalent to voluntarily abandoning our Great Ming household registration. Not to mention how precious the Great Ming household registration is, which even those barbarians fight tooth and nail to obtain. Even setting that aside, without the Great Ming household registration, do you think the Great Ming would still deal with us according to its laws?"
"If it truly comes to that point, what awaits our family is the destruction of our entire lineage, complete annihilation!"
The steward's expression flickered with uncertainty. After a long pause, he sighed, "This father knows that my lord's actions are not right, but the Liu family... the Liu family has treated our family well!"
"From the time of our grandfather, our family has always followed the Liu family. It is thanks to the nod of the Liu family's elder grandfather that you two can read and write. If we abandon the Liu family at this time, wouldn't we be ungrateful villains?"
Speaking to this point, the steward gritted his teeth and said, "This father had thought that if you two sons successfully send off the eldest and second young masters overseas and settle them, it would be considered fulfilling the master-servant duty. Even if we were to return to the Great Ming and surrender ourselves in the future?"
The steward's second son suddenly asked, "Master-servant duty? If I recall correctly, my grandfather once said that our family originally owned land, but due to a year of famine, we sold it to the Liu family."
The steward nodded. "That's right. It was the Liu family who bought our land back then, which is why your grandfather and the others barely survived."
The second son sneered, "Throughout the dynasties, whenever there was a famine, the government would provide relief to the people. Why did this not happen during the Qing Dynasty?"
"I've recently read some books in the city's library and flipped through some county records. Do you know what I discovered?"
Before the steward could answer, the second son continued on his own, "During the famine that our family encountered, the Jianyi court had originally allocated some silver for famine relief, but five-tenths of it was skimmed off when it left the national treasury. After reaching the province, another two-tenths was skimmed, and then another one-tenth at the prefecture. After passing through the county, the amount truly used for disaster relief by then was less than half of the original. The relief funds that could have been used to purchase coarse rice and barely sustain the people eventually became insufficient even for coarse rice, and even the money to mix bran was considered difficult, leading to the addition of sand to the bran."
"Coincidentally, that year, the Liu family's assets suddenly increased, and they seized much land, thus transforming from a rural local landlord into a widely known philanthropist in the surrounding ten villages."
The steward's face changed, and he demanded, "Where did you learn this!"
The steward's second son sneered, "If you don't want anyone to know, then don't do it. The Liu family thought they acted without anyone knowing, but they didn't expect there to be traces left in the county records."
"If the Great Qing dynasty still ruled, it would be fine, as ordinary people would not see county records. But now it is the Great Ming dynasty, and these county records are placed in the library for anyone who wishes to see them!"
"At this point, do you still believe the Liu family has shown kindness to our family?"
The steward slumped into the chair, muttering, "Impossible, impossible. The Liu family has always been benevolent. Our family is also indebted to the Liu family; otherwise, your great-grandfather and grandfather would have starved to death long ago. You are spouting nonsense, nonsense..."
The steward's second son snorted but did not argue. Instead, he continued on his own, "Furthermore, we are originally subjects of the Han dynasty. It was only after the Jianyi entered the pass that we were forced to shave our heads and change our clothes. Unbeknownst to many Han subjects who longed to overthrow the Qing and restore the Ming, your Liu family was completely loyal to the Jianyi, even going so far as to offer their own daughters for the Jianyi to play with."
"But, Father, haven't you heard of Datong, Jinan, Guangzhou, Sichuan, Jiangyin, Yangzhou... Jiading?"
A series of place names were uttered from the steward's second son's mouth: "In all of Datong, only five survivors remained. The entire Sichuan was massacred. Such a blood feud, even if we commoners do not remember it, does the Liu family not remember it?"
The steward was furious. "Blasphemy! Zhang Xianzhong massacred Sichuan, what does the Great Qing have to do with it?"
The steward's second son said, "Fine, since Father is willing to believe that Zhang Xianzhong massacred Sichuan, then this son would like to ask you, how many people did Zhang Xianzhong massacre in Sichuan?"
The steward said, "Six hundred million!"
The steward's second son burst into laughter and retorted, "Six hundred million? The Great Qing has always spoken of the prosperous Kang-Qian era, but under this so-called prosperous era, the population was only around three hundred million. Where did Sichuan, during the Chongzhen era, get six hundred million people?"
The steward was immediately choked—if the entire Sichuan had six hundred million people, how many people would the entire Great Ming have at that time? Sixty billion?
If there were truly sixty billion people, the Jianyi would not have been able to enter the pass; even if each person spat once, they would have drowned the Jianyi in Liaodong!
The steward's second son continued, "Also, Zhang Xianzhong rebelled against the Qing army in Sichuan. How foolish would he have to be to massacre the entire Sichuan? It would have been much better to keep the people of Sichuan, forcibly conscript them, have them fight against the Qing army, collect taxes from them, and seize their grain, rather than massacring the entire Sichuan? If it were you, what would you do?"
"Furthermore, the Jianyi claim Zhang Xianzhong massacred Sichuan, but there are many temples of Zhang Xianzhong in Sichuan. How should this be explained? Also, the Jianyi claim Zhang Xianzhong left behind the 'Seven Killings Stele,' but according to what I've read in books, the inscription left by Zhang Xianzhong clearly states: 'Heaven gives birth to all things for man, but man possesses nothing from Heaven. Ghosts and gods are clear; reflect and measure yourselves.'
"Also, the Jianyi claim Emperor Chongzhen wrongfully executed Yuan Chonghuan. However, after flipping through the books in the library, I found that Yuan Chonghuan deceived the emperor with his 'five-year plan to pacify Liaodong,' preemptively and arbitrarily executed Mao Wenlong, the commander of the Dongjiang Garrison, and on several occasions secretly colluded with the Jianyi and supplied them with grain, causing the Jianyi to bypass Xifeng Pass and knock on the gates of the capital. Was Emperor Chongzhen wrong to kill him?"
"If you don't believe me, you can go to the library yourself. Whether it's historical materials from the Great Ming, historical materials from the Great Qing, or the 'History of Ming' compiled by the Great Qing, all are available in the library. You can compare them with each other."
"Then, you will discover how laughable the 'History of Ming' is."
The steward wished to argue, but ultimately, he only opened his mouth and then remained silent.
The steward's elder son also advised, "Your loyalty to the Liu family is not false, and it wouldn't matter if my younger brother and I sacrificed our lives to accompany you. But you must think of your grandson. He is only a little over one year old, has just learned to walk, and has just learned to call out 'Grandpa.' Can you bear to let him die with us?"
The steward's second son added, "If Father wants to speak of loyalty and righteousness to me, then I must ask Father, to be loyal to the court and to the Liu family, which is more important? Which is heavier?"
Persuaded by his two sons, the steward became confused.
If what the second son said was true, then the Liu family did not show kindness to their family but rather enmity. Even more ridiculously, he had been faithfully considering their way out for the enemy.
In a turn of thought, the steward also recalled his grandson, who was still unsteady on his feet, toddling towards him while calling out "Grandpa"...
After a long period of silence, the steward gritted his teeth and said, "Then, according to what you two intend, we are not leaving?"
The steward's two sons exchanged glances. The elder son frankly said, "Why should we leave? We are living as proper people, why must we follow the Liu family to go overseas and continue to be their dogs?"
The second son also said, "Of course, we cannot leave. Not only will we not leave, but we will also actively report ourselves to the authorities. This son is willing to bear all the responsibility himself. You, Father, can live out your old age peacefully, and Eldest Brother can take good care of the children at home. After this son is released, we will reunite as a family."
The elder son coldly snorted. "Nonsense! How old are you? What can you possibly bear? Even if someone has to bear it, it should be this elder brother, not you little brat!"
Seeing his two sons vying to take responsibility for each other, the steward felt quite gratified, yet also a bit heartbroken.
"Both of you, be quiet!"
The steward reprimanded, "If we are to be held accountable together, then you will not escape. Have you both thought it through?"
The steward's two sons exchanged glances again, then replied in unison, "We have!"
The second son, being impatient, immediately said, "This son would rather stay in the Great Ming, even if it means losing his head, than to continue being a dog overseas with the Liu family!"
The elder son was more steady. "Although the Great Ming still has the system of collective punishment, our family's affairs are not enough to warrant collective punishment, and the court may not take us seriously."
"The worst outcome would be that the three of us father and sons would depart together, but Niang and Zhenniang, along with the children at home, would not be implicated. Even if we cannot pursue official careers through the imperial examinations or join the army, the land that should be distributed will not be less, and the homestead that should be there will not be less. In any case, we will still be able to study."
"These benefits alone are already more than many barbarians could ever hope for. Why should we ask for more?"
Hearing his two sons express themselves in this manner, the steward nodded and said, "Alright. Since both of you brothers have decided not to leave, then we will not leave."
"However, this responsibility is not something you can simply choose to bear. After all, how much do you two know? If responsibility is to be borne, it should be proposed by this father. If you two brothers are not implicated, then take good care of the family. If you are implicated, then accept your fate."
Upon hearing the steward's words, the steward's two sons immediately became excited. The second son even whispered, "Indeed, my father has not truly become senile; he is a man of mettle!"
The steward's face darkened, and just as he was about to discipline this unfilial son, a wave of reluctance suddenly washed over him.
After all, they had come this far. The three of them, father and sons, might depart together any day. At this point, to discipline him...
With a sigh, the steward looked at his two sons and said, "My lord also instructed me today to arrange for some of the household's born servants to get rid of Master Qian, Master Li, and Master Zhang. Now..."
The steward's elder son coldly snorted. "Why should we still do these dirty deeds for the Liu family? Isn't this just causing trouble for ourselves?"
"As the saying goes, he who strikes first prevails, and he who strikes later suffers. Since we have already decided to stay in the Great Ming, why not proactively report to the authorities and, at the same time, inform Master Qian, Master Li, and Master Zhang, so that they can also be prepared and avoid suffering the malicious intent of the Liu family?"