Jiang Yuanshu's expression was stern. Don't even mention Zong Ruoan, she thought, even I, the main person in charge of this cleansing plan, only just found out about it.
Because this was a sudden idea from their direct superior, who only took ten minutes to convince the Emperor and obtain an Imperial Edict. The effect was surprisingly good.
But she wouldn't tell Zong Ruoan these inside details.
Clearly, Zong Ruoan's considerations were different from theirs.
Jiang Yuanshu said blandly, "The Fan Family has committed numerous crimes and has been rooted in Guiyuan Star for nearly a thousand years. If we don't act with swift and decisive force to remove the main branch, are we supposed to stay and slowly grind them down? Director Zong, do you have that kind of time or energy?"
Zong Ruoan said, "You can't put it that way. Of course I know about the Fan Family's crimes, but is this the right way to deal with them?"
"Fan Chengcai deserves to die, but what about Fan Chengqi? Even if our Special Security Bureau investigates, we haven't found any evidence of his misdeeds. Why is he also implicated?"
"If we do this, how many truly innocent people are left in this world? What we should be doing is Scraping Poison from the Bones, learning from past mistakes to prevent future ones, not wiping them all out and directly expelling them."
"So, Director Zong, are you saying that we only need to punish Fan Chengcai, and Fan Bowei and Fan Chengqi are all subjects who can be rehabilitated?" Jiang Yuanshu asked with interest.
Zong Ruoan pursed his lips. "Even if Fan Bowei and Fan Chengqi also have problems, their crimes don't warrant death, let alone the deprivation of their titles."
"Heh, Director Zong, that's not something you or I can control." Jiang Yuanshu tapped the table with her finger, saying casually, "His Majesty the Emperor has already issued an Imperial Edict. Do you want His Majesty to retract his decree?"
Zong Ruoan suddenly laughed, saying slowly, "It's not impossible. Don't forget, we are now a Constitutional Monarchy. The Emperor's power is no longer absolute. The Senate and the Cabinet, working together, can make His Majesty retract his decree."
Jiang Yuanshu said, "But according to the constitution, His Majesty has the sole power to decide on the titles of the Nobles."
Zong Ruoan instantly thought of Quan Yuxun. Besides controlling Quan's Mining, the Quan Family also had considerable influence in the Cabinet and the Senate.
Especially in legal matters.
More than five hundred years ago, the Cabinet, the military, and the Senate joined forces to play against the Royal Family, forcing the Emperor at the time to agree to a Constitutional Monarchy, successfully seizing much power from the Royal Family.
Now, could they sit idly by and watch the Emperor reach out for the power that had been distributed? The Quan Family should be his greatest help in this matter, but upon closer inspection, he found it very difficult to pull the Quan Family into an alliance this time.
Because the one who had the accident was Quan Caiwei, the only daughter of the Quan Family's current generation.
Putting himself in their shoes, if his Zong Family's daughter was humiliated by the Fan Family, even if he didn't kick them when they were down, he would never help the Fan Family.
Not to mention Quan Yuxun, the Quan Family's Chief Executive, who was known for his "Kindly Smile".
That true ruthlessness was probably only matched by Inspector Huo Yushen of their Special Security Bureau.
Zong Ruoan instantly went through seventeen or eighteen thoughts, but none of them could turn the tide.
He didn't get stuck in a dead end and instantly understood the layout.
He could only take a deep breath and endure it.
He said, "Alright, I concede this round. I was not thorough enough. I should have taken Fan Chengcai into custody at the Special Security Bureau earlier, and it wouldn't have caused such a mess."
If Fan Chengcai had been taken away and detained by him earlier, Fan Chengcai wouldn't have had any ideas, nor would he have had the opportunity to break into Quan Caiwei's bedroom at night.
And he wouldn't have been shot dead by the Quan Family's Hidden Guard, giving others a reason to attack the entire Fan Family…
In other words, the biggest handle in this round was handed out by Zong Ruoan himself.
Jiang Yuanshu didn't speak. She gave Zong Ruoan a meaningful look, thinking that this Director Zong was still one step short.
So they were all just pawns, and the Fan Family didn't even count as pawns, they could only be considered the chessboard.
The people who were really playing chess on it had taken into account not only the Quan Family, the Cabinet, the military, and the major Noble forces, but even the Emperor's reaction.
Did he not have a clue who was in charge? …
Zong Ruoan came out of Jiang Yuanshu's Owl-Class Fighter, standing under a large tree on the lawn in front of the small building, watching the Quan Family's large Flying Vehicle soar into the sky, about to leave Guiyuan Star.
The Quan Family's Private Starship was already quietly docked in the Skyport of Guiyuan Star's interstellar Terminal, waiting to take this large Flying Vehicle away with it.
Xia Chujian walked past him and returned to her Team's Flying Vehicle.
The group happily watched Quan Caiwei leave.
Was this a Noble Lady?
This was clearly a Walking Beichen Coin! Xia Chujian now had an extremely good impression of Quan Caiwei.
She said to her teammates happily, "...Caiwei said that from now on, if we need to kill someone, we can look for them, and she will pay double the price!"
Team members: "..."
It sounded like something was off, but they were quite happy to hear about the double premium.
Ye Shijie's lips twitched, and he said, "Alright, let's go back to Mulan City. Today is New Year's Eve, we can still make it home for the holiday."
Song Mingqian immediately said, "Shall we go to the Exotic Beast Forest outside Mulan City first, and get some Black Truffle Wild Rhino Pig meat, and Unicorn Cattle meat? Didn't we agree to spend New Year's Eve at Xia Gugu's house?"
He had been craving Wild Rhino Pig meat buns for a long time.
Ping Qiong reluctantly withdrew her gaze from the Quan Family's large Flying Vehicle, and almost drooled when she heard about the Black Truffle Wild Rhino Pig.
"That's right! I don't even need to explain to my family! I told them I was on a business trip and wouldn't be home until tomorrow!"
Ye Shijie also nodded: "It just so happens that this Flying Vehicle is fast, we can make a trip to the Exotic Beast Forest."
Then the four of them looked at Li Fu together.
Li Fu said with a stiff neck, "Why are you looking at me? Did I say I wasn't going?"
"...You didn't say you were going either..." Song Mingqian bluntly exposed him.
Li Fu said sullenly, "It's almost afternoon now, where else is there time to go? Of course, we're going together!"
Xia Chujian said with a Kindly Smile, "Fu Ye, we're celebrating the New Year, what matters is being willing. If you have something to do, you can go ahead... we don't mind helping you eat a few more Wild Rhino Pig meat buns!"
Li Fu immediately said, "No need for you to do it for me, I can do it myself!"
The group chatted and laughed, and soon left Da Fu Prefecture.
After the Flying Vehicle took off and became invisible again, Xia Chujian looked down at the lush green grass, the blooming flowers, and the various detached villas scattered around the Fan Family's territory, thinking that this place would soon no longer be surnamed Fan...
Of course, this was not something she needed to think about.
What she needed to think about now was to have Aunt Chen and Zhu Yingying hide first.
Xia Chujian sat in her seat, playing games on her Quantum Optical Brain, and sent a message to San Zong's Smart Bracelet.
[Female Sire]: We're coming to the Exotic Beast Forest in five hours to get something, tell Aunt Chen and Yingying to hide first.
San Zong replied instantly.
[San Zong]: Female Sire, don't worry! San Zong will tell them! Aunt Chen and Yingying are in the kitchen preparing today's New Year's Eve Dinner!
Xia Chujian suddenly felt very guilty.
They were happily preparing to celebrate New Year's Eve, but she was asking them to hide, why should they?
But she didn't want her teammates to know about Aunt Chen and Yingying.
Even if she thought her teammates wouldn't betray them, she didn't want to test them with such things.
And more often than not, it might not be intentional betrayal, just an accidental slip of the tongue...
But she didn't want to embarrass Aunt Chen and Yingying even more...
Xia Chujian's eyes darted around, and she immediately changed her mind.
She continued to send a message to San Zong.
[Female Sire]: San Zong, I've changed my mind, don't tell Aunt Chen and Yingying to hide. Instead, prepare a ten-pound bag of Black Rhino Pig meat, a ten-pound bag of Unicorn Cattle meat, a ten-pound bag of Tantai Royal Field Rice, and ten pounds of Su Nv Flour, and ask Aunt Chen to help deliver them to my house immediately. I won't go to the Exotic Beast Forest.
San Zong looked at the message for a long time, and seemed to understand something.
He cautiously replied.
[San Zong]: Okay! San Zong hasn't told Aunt Chen yet! San Zong will pack the things and ask Aunt Chen to help deliver them to Female Sire!
After a while, he sent another emoticon.
It was a pink and round pig's head, perched on a cute Small Dog's head.
The pig's head and the Small Dog opened their mouths together, and the words "Happy New Year" appeared on the screen.
Xia Chujian couldn't stop smiling.
She waited for a while.
Half an hour later, Zhu Yingying sent her a message.
[Zhu Yingying]: Chujian, Happy New Year! My mom has already sent the New Year's stuff to Xia Gugu's place!
[Xia Chujian]: Thank you, Yingying! Thank you, Aunt Chen! Happy New Year to you too! By the way, tomorrow, have Aunt Chen pick me and my aunt up to see you?
[Zhu Yingying]: "Okay, okay! My mom even said she wanted to thank you properly!"
The two chatted privately for a while until Aunt Chen called Zhu Yingying to the kitchen to help, as she wanted to teach her how to make some special foods.
Only then did Xia Chujian end the private chat, casually saying to her teammates, "No need to go to the Exotic Beast Forest outside Mulan City. I just asked my aunt, and she had someone help her get some New Year's goods from San Zong a few days ago. We'll go straight to my house."
The four teammates exchanged glances, all thinking that Xia Chujian's aunt was truly remarkable.
Being able to find someone to retrieve things from the Exotic Beast Forest at this time was no ordinary feat.
Now that the items had already been retrieved, they didn't need to make an extra trip.
To be honest, apart from Xia Chujian, the other teammates didn't have much affection for that place.
Moreover, they all assumed it was Xia Chujian's territory and didn't really want to go.
Before, for the sake of food, everyone didn't mind making an extra trip.
Now that the food had arrived home, of course, everyone was happy.
So the five of them cheerfully drove the Flying Vehicle directly back to the branch base in Mulan City.
There, they received their rewards, returned the Flying Vehicle borrowed from the Association, and then drove their team's exclusive Flying Vehicle straight to Xia Chujian's house.
Xia Chujian's neighborhood was a very old one, with very small gaps between the buildings, sometimes with alleys so narrow that it was difficult for even one person to pass through.
Not to mention parking such a Flying Vehicle.
But fortunately, Xia Chujian lived on the top floor, so they could park the Flying Vehicle on the roof and then go down the stairs from the roof.
However, as the Flying Vehicle circled on the roof, Xia Chujian was shocked to discover that at least half of the previously bare roof, where clothes could be dried, had been enclosed and a transparent glass roof added! Underneath the glass roof, they could see the furnishings inside, like a rooftop sky garden.
Inside were tall green plants, colorful flowers, gurgling blue water, and a constructed gray rockery!
Between the green plants, flowers, water, and rockery, there were also two comfortable and novel white lounge chairs...
Song Mingqian said with a hint of envy, "Who is so generous? Add a sun to the roof, and it's like Langya Sea beach in winter..."
Li Fu shook his head and said, "Still missing something. Add some fine golden sand, and it's complete!"
Ping Qiong also widened her eyes, surprised, and said, "Xia Chujian, are you adding another floor on your roof to rent out?"
...
This is the second update. There will be a new update at 0:05 tonight.
I am getting happier and happier as I write this story, but the results are simply unspeakable...
Now it's really generating electricity for love. It's not true love to write long articles when the results are not good, what is it? o(╥﹏╥)o. Therefore, I hope everyone will read the original version, so that my bleak results can also bloom a beautiful flower!
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