"Six of them had poison in their mouths and committed suicide. The remaining eleven are still under interrogation!" Gu Hai reported truthfully. "The coroner has already examined the bodies. Gongyang Long was not subjected to any physical coercion, and the poison he ingested was the same as that of the six. It might have been hidden in his mouth beforehand, or perhaps bestowed by the Grand Tutor, but there is no evidence to prove it..."
Liang Xiao immediately summoned a Tianshan swordsman and a guard from the Liang mansion, entrusting them to assist Gu Hai in interrogating the remaining eleven, using the "Tie Jia Guan" torture if necessary.
Gongyang Long's suicide was not something Liang Xiao could prevent at all times.
After all, Gongyang He held the prestigious position of Grand Tutor, and it would be unreasonable to refuse him a visit to his son.
Even if he could block Gongyang He, the latter would undoubtedly find a way to infiltrate the prison, bribe the guards to deliver food and drink, and hide poison within it.
However, the suicide of the Grand Tutor's son, who was colluding with the Huichun Sect, was enough to shock the entire nation!
The citizens of Jinling were greatly astonished upon hearing the news.
Even Zhuo Zifang was taken aback, never expecting Liang Xiao to unearth such a significant figure!
Zuo Wushang and others, who were hiding in Zhuo's mansion, were ecstatic: "Retribution! With this, Gongyang He cannot escape responsibility either!"
Now, Zuo Wushang only felt fortunate that he had surrendered early!
Had he not surrendered, Liang Xiao would not have been certain of the Gongyang clan's collusion with the Huichun Sect, and would have never dared to order a search of the Grand Tutor's mansion!
Within a day, a notice was posted at the Grand Tutor's mansion, stating that Grand Tutor Gongyang He, blaming himself for his inadequate discipline and for failing the Emperor's grace, had already dispatched envoys to seek the Emperor's forgiveness.
Liang Xiao, of course, was not idle either. He drafted a memorial and sent it to the capital.
The interrogation of the eleven individuals concluded, and they all confessed.
Two of them were discovered to be members of the Gongyang clan, and another was a disciple of Gongyang Teng!
Three Huichun Sect followers were found to be connected to the Gongyang clan, causing a stir throughout the city!
Liang Xiao, naturally, was pleased to go with the flow. He ordered officials throughout Jiangnan to place the entire Gongyang clan under surveillance, preventing any further collusion with Huichun Sect believers to sow chaos.
Gongyang He again posted a notice of self-blame and expelled the two individuals from the clan registry, severing ties with them.
However, the enraged populace, after the incident with Gongyang Long, refused to believe him. The Gongyang clan became the target of public outrage.
A large number of aristocratic youths distanced themselves from the Gongyang clan, eager to avoid any association!
Liang Xiao, arranging for the talented scholars he had previously selected from various regions to replace the Gongyang clan in their official positions throughout the country, made the transition seamless.
For this reason, the officials and common people of Jiangnan even praised Xiao Qing and Liang Xiao for their foresight, further strengthening their support for Liang Xiao's talent selection!
Zhuo Zifang was overjoyed in his mansion.
A single Gongyang Long had nearly destroyed the Gongyang clan!
The last time the Gongyang clan was nearly destroyed was by Gongyang He's eldest son, Gongyang Qiu...
After this upheaval, the Gongyang clan in Jiangnan, if not uprooted, would be severely weakened. Even if the Emperor wished to protect them, he would be unable to.
Moreover, the Gongyang clan was one of the aristocratic families the Emperor had intended to weaken...
Liang Xiao and the Jinling garrison dispatched messengers, who rode at breakneck speed to Luzhou, Suzhou, and Qiantang, notifying the garrisons to proceed with the encirclement and suppression.
The three small bases of the Huichun Sect hidden in the mountains were all eliminated, with dozens of individuals captured. After investigation, it was also discovered that members of the Gongyang clan were involved!
One person in Luzhou, two in Suzhou, and one in Qiantang!
A few days later, the news reached Jinling. The entire city was furious, and the crowds stormed the Grand Tutor's mansion.
The surroundings of the Grand Tutor's mansion were piled high with rotten eggs, decaying vegetables, and mud...
It was no longer the opulent grandeur of the past!
Grand Tutor Gongyang He hid in his mansion, his face pale, but his eyes held an unprecedented determination, as if he had understood what he needed to do.
He knew that the Gongyang clan was destined to lose power!
With this, there would be no more aristocratic families in Jiangnan to contend with Liang Xiao. Those aristocratic families that had relied on the Gongyang clan now also showed goodwill towards Liang Xiao!
Now, the Gongyang clan was merely awaiting a verdict!
The news, sent with extreme urgency, reached the capital, shocking the entire city!
Even the members of the Dugu, Ouyang, and He families of the capital were shocked and dismayed!
In today's world, where the Great Gan Kingdom and the Huichun Sect were locked in a life-or-death struggle after the Battle of Luzhou, the discovery of collusion with the Huichun Sect was unimaginable...
The three major aristocratic families dared not offer any guarantees, leaving the decision to Xiao Qing and Wang Canghai.
"Grand Tutor Gongyang He, for his inadequate supervision and repeating past mistakes, in consideration of his self-reproach and voluntary request for demotion, shall be shown clemency beyond the law! His position as Grand Tutor is stripped, and he is demoted to Grand Master of the Imperial Court, serving as a warning to others!"
"His Imperial Majesty orders the Minister of Personnel, Lord Liang Xiao, to arrange for officials in various parts of Jiangnan to rigorously investigate the Gongyang clan's descendants and dismiss any holding official ranks of the eighth rank or higher!"
"Gongyang He has voluntarily requested for his clan to relocate to Jiaozhou. This request shall be granted only after the Gongyang clan's investigation is concluded!"
As the imperial decree was issued, the members of the three major aristocratic families were filled with trepidation and could not rest or sleep.
The Grand Tutor, demoted to a purely ceremonial fourth-rank civil official of the Great Gan, was disgraced along with the Gongyang clan...
Jiangnan's greatest pillar of support had crumbled!
Dugu Qun summoned Ouyang Ji, He Wanli, and others for an urgent discussion.
"What are we to do now? Even the Grand Tutor has fallen into Liang Xiao's hands, utterly defenseless..."
The crowd was now like ants on a hot pan.
Dugu Liang narrowed his eyes and sneered, "It seems our internal strength is far from enough. We need to leverage external forces! The Barbarian Lands, the Guishuang Dynasty, the Peacock Dynasty, the Great Liang Kingdom, even the Izumo Kingdom, contact them all! Cooperate with the Southern King, the Huichun Sect, and the Sun Moon Army to jointly destroy the Great Gan Kingdom!"
Ouyang Ji sighed helplessly, "The barbarians are willing but unable. The Guishuang Dynasty is blocked at the western border, the Peacock Dynasty at the southwest, the Great Liang Kingdom is preoccupied, and the Izumo Kingdom is far across the sea..."
"Should we not strive for a change of heaven, and instead allow them to defeat us one by one??" Dugu Qun's expression grew increasingly grim, and he angrily asked, "How many more of your bookstores has Liang Xiao destroyed? It must be over twelve million taels by now!"
Ouyang Ji nodded silently, sighing helplessly, "This beast, how much money does he have..."
Not only the Ouyang family, but also the Dugu family, the Gongyang clan, the He family of the capital, and the Duanmu family had invested. After so much money was lost in bookstores across the land, Liang Xiao's bookstores were still holding on!
He Wanli said in a deep voice, "He Jingyun, that scoundrel, has certainly provided considerable assistance to Liang Xiao. His ancestors were expelled from the He family by us back then, and he must harbor resentment..."
Dugu Liang said with a wry smile, "What's the point of dwelling on that now? We still have considerable influence in the Great Gan Kingdom, and the Xichuan region as our base. If all families unite and agree on a date with the various kingdoms, and if we, along with the Southern King and the Huichun Sect, stage an uprising, I refuse to believe that Liang Xiao and the foolish Emperor can withstand an attack from both within and without!!"
The three major aristocratic families, rallying other loyal minor aristocratic families, deliberated on countermeasures day and night.
In the West Palace Villa, Xiao Qing, disguised as Princess Ning Shuang, sat at a table, cradling her face and giggling as she gazed at Liang Xiao's memorial.
In just over four months, her beloved had truly managed to bring order to the south!
Four months, including over a month of travel, meaning he had only spent two to three months on official business in Jiangnan!
At this moment, Ning Xuejun was also overjoyed, praising Liang Xiao incessantly, which made Xiao Qing giggle.
"He should be returning for their wedding... right?" Xiao Qing's face blushed slightly as she counted the days on her fingers, murmuring, "Smelly Big Brother, will he make it back for Shuang'er's birthday..."
Ning Xuejun reminded her, "That's right! My Lord, the Emperor of Great Liang has invited Second Young Master Liang to be an envoy to Great Liang in the future. What should we do?"