Secret Records of the Leader of the Beichen Sword Sect-Chapter 1044 - 531: Widow

After being swayed by Chen Xuantian and shown a clear path, Pan Zhang no longer felt like wandering the streets. He arranged to attend a feast at the Nangong Family in the evening and bid farewell to Chen Xuantian. He probably planned to hurry home to gather his gold and silver accessories, preparing to flee at any moment.

Chen Xuantian, noticing it was still early, decided to stroll to the Wharf Tower Ship Market. The Nangong Family had rented a boat for a banquet, intending to entertain all the leaders, commanders, and Family Heads of Li Jiang, and officially announce the promotion of the Young Master to the position of General Zhen Nan, offering promises and pulling hearts together.

Chen Xuantian wandered through the Tower Boat Street Market, looking around. By the time he reached a Liu Family pawnshop, he had already transformed from a fat, big-bellied monk into a cultured young noble. In a new fur coat and with a scented pouch, he sneezed upon entering, full of playboy airs.

"Customer, please have a seat, enjoy some good tea!"

The Shopkeeper was adept at judging appearances. Looking at him, he knew this person was from the north, a noble family’s son with no eye power yet plentiful money, here to spend it on useless items and came here as a ripe sheep.

Chen Xuantian didn’t hold back, sitting down with his legs crossed, yawning, sniffing the tea, then taking a sip and spitting it out,

"Which Liu Family do you belong to?"

The Shopkeeper flattered him,

"Responding to the customer, it’s the Liu Family of the Northern Land."

"Northern Land? Suwei Family?"

"Yes, customer. The owner’s ancestors have served as governors in Northern Land and Yanmen, as the General of Conquest. Back then, they followed the Great General during the southern expedition, granted land at Li Country, thus moved the family here..."

Chen Xuantian chuckled,

"Oh~ turns out it’s disciples and old officials of the Wang Family. Yet when even General Zhen Nan had his family exterminated, head hanging at the city gate, without support from the court, how can you continue your business?"

The Shopkeeper continued to smile,

"The owner’s matters aren’t for someone like me to worry about. Cash transactions will never undervalue the customer’s interests."

Chen Xuantian chuckled,

"But I’m afraid your family’s scale can’t handle what I plan to pawn. You can’t make decisions, so why not let your owner come out for a chat?"

The Shopkeeper maintained his composure,

"I beg the customer’s pardon; our house is managed by the Lady now and it’s inconvenient for her to see outside guests. Let me handle it, please."

Chen Xuantian coldly snorted, placing the teacup down, handing over the elixir box,

"What’s up with this place? Why are women in charge all over... huh, take it and have a look!"

The Shopkeeper took the elixir box, glanced at the Demon Blood Pill, and frowned.

Chen Xuantian chuckled,

"Can’t recognize it, right? Quickly take it to show your Lady."

"Please wait, customer."

The Shopkeeper smiled, took the elixir box and went inside. After a while, he returned to invite him in.

Chen Xuantian swaggered into the backyard with him. As he stepped in, he was struck down with a stick, then several strong men rushed in to tie him up efficiently, stuffed him in a sack, carried him onto a small boat, quickly speeding through the reeds to a cargo ship hidden at the sandbar shore.

"The owner asks, who are you, where did you get this elixir, what are your schemes, if you don’t speak, you’ll be chopped up to feed the fish."

In the ship’s cabin, a group of Death Soldiers, clad in heavy armor and wielding swords, surrounded the blindfolded Chen Xuantian, pressing a blade against his neck, interrogating him.

Chen Xuantian didn’t mind the treatment, calmly said,

"Li Jiang yields, the Nangong Family seized three-tenths. With these, they could recruit, nurture twelve fierce tigers, even offer tribute for a Divinity Transformation to stand against the Three Constellations, and still have spare money to fake a general, to bind military loyalty and feed so many mouths.

Lu, Cui, Zheng, Liu, these Four Great Families accounted for two-tenths, while another thirty or so families took two-tenths, but unlike the Nangong, they couldn’t enjoy it independently because essentially, these families are branches of the Gate Valve Clan, serving as errand-running lackeys for the officials in the Three Constellations.

Thus, accounting for seven-tenths taken away mostly by the top-tier aristocratic family clans, the remaining three-tenths are split with one-tenth going to the local Domain Army and Palace Guards, another tenth divided among landlords and local gentry, which are immobile.

Only the last fraction under one-tenth reaches the thousands of common folk in Li Country, distributed among Southern Border’s over ninety percent population; this fractional portion forms the court’s tax base.

In recent years, chaos in Central Plains, the Three Constellations’s constant Northern Expeditions imposed varied taxes repeatedly drawn from this fraction. When they opened Southern Border, they promised four for the public, six for the people, now at least doubled, leaving barely a third after annual toil. To squeeze more out of them, even to death by starvation, wouldn’t gain additional funds.

Thus, even if the Assistant General accepts this mess, what he could grasp is merely three-tenths and three parts, all of which still needs splitting with Lu, Cui, Zheng, Liu families and their backing Gate Valve clans; rewarding the tens of thousands in the new Langya army, calming and persuading the Domain Army and Palace Guards, landlords, powerful figures, and smaller factions of thirty or forty mountain forces, are certainly insufficient.

Now the Nangong Family faces extermination precisely because these years’ poor yields among the whole Southern Border Hunting Team made all rely on reserves. As the reserves run dry, without enough to spend, scattered hearts lead to family demise. The Nangong, being the prime target, naturally became the ripe meat.

Therefore, even if Assistant General swiftly conquers, leveling the Nangong Family, unless seizing their remaining wealth to lavishly reward and buy military loyalty, this Li Jiang is equally unstable to hold.