Mythical Three Kingdoms

Chen Ji nodded silently upon hearing Xun Shuang’s words, and had a general understanding that Xun Shuang had a more accurate number in mind.

”About a rough estimate.” Chen Ji spoke after a while.

”Your number is not wrong.” Xun Shuang smiled, knowing Li Ru well enough to estimate that he probably killed five times that number, including the private soldiers of the Great Aristocratic Families and loyal servants who had been with them for three generations or more, rather than incorporating them into the household registry as Li Youu claimed.

As for other private slaves who had been there for a shorter time, the other party probably directly incorporated them into the household registry, turning them into common people.

As for the investigation, how to investigate? The private slaves and loyal servants of the aristocratic families were not registered in the household registry, nor were the aristocratic families themselves registered. The Great Aristocratic Families could only rely on the information they possessed to estimate, and all the messages they received were manipulated by Li Youu.

Having experienced the upheaval in Luoyang and Chang’an, Xun Shuang knew well that Li Youu never left loose ends. Once he decided to act, he would absolutely follow through. Those forty families, beside the main family, definitely had their loyal servants and accompanying miscellaneous servants wiped out as well.

”Oh, that’s good then.” Chen Ji felt relieved seeing Xun Shuang’s expression. He was worried that if Li Youu killed over a hundred thousand, he’d inform other families that forty-four families were wiped out and thirty thousand were killed, which would be quite embarrassing.

”Relax, even if there’s a discrepancy, it won’t be too large.” Xun Shuang chuckled, speaking the truth. Most aristocratic families can’t even be sure of their allies’ foundational numbers without fighting for a century or more.

Like the Chen family and Xun family, having been in the same county for more than four hundred years, Xun Shuang could guarantee that the Chen family couldn’t absolutely determine what they had. That’s the most awkward part; without a registry, with manipulated information, all guesses are way off. The estimates each aristocratic family holds are definitely far off.

In fact, after Li Youu confiscated the aristocratic genealogy and private slave registers, the remaining families besides cursing Li Youu for being dishonest were exchanging information estimating how many people Li Youu killed. It was similar to what Xun Shuang estimated; they couldn’t be sure how many Li Youu killed.

On one hand, during this era, information circulation was difficult, and the Great Aristocratic Families weren’t like the Chen-Xun alliance, sitting in a single county. The truly elite families had another term: County Prestige.

Simply put, under normal circumstances, one county would have one elite family, and a county during the Han Dynasty was even larger than a city now. Although there might be an estimate about the influential family’s situation in the neighboring county, truly speaking, it was merely based on experience.

The Great Aristocratic Families weren’t meddlesome enough to research the influential families next door, only knowing them generally. Even with such good relations between the Sima family and the Chen family from having a common ancestor, many couldn’t recognize Sima Lang while at the Chen family, leading to highly variable estimates.

”By the way, Wen Ye, how many do you think Li Wenru killed? The information I received mentions forty-two families with their main branches and some of their branch lineages wiped out.” Shen Wen said, feeling a bit troubled.

”Why did I hear only forty-one families?” Deng Lun grinned, there was an agreed forty-some families, but truly confirming the number, without exchanging information between families, they couldn’t be sure.

Truly, not many aristocratic family members could confirm how many elite families the Han Dynasty had. Even if the criteria differ, statistics were difficult to compile. The Han Dynasty was vast, with only a few truly famous across the Central Plains, while others were at most notable within one province.

”Probably due to the Deng Family of Nanyang’s involvement; they had three lineages wiped out. Some counted them, and some didn’t, or counted the three Dengs as three families.” Zheng Tai scratched his head.

”Oh, in that case, Li Wenru was somewhat ruthless, yet not excessively so. He just killed those guilty among the aristocratic clans, not exterminating families.” Shen Wen remarked nonchalantly, thinking it irrelevant as their family was unaffected, only recording casually how many were killed.

”Likely around twenty thousand killed.” Deng Lun pondered, while Zheng Tai remained expressionless, coldly mocking internally, knowing Li Ru with his blade promised to change his surname to Li if the deaths were under a hundred thousand.

After the initial fear subsided, the Great Aristocratic Families began estimating how many were killed once Li Youu took what he wanted because Li Youu’s execution was overly proficient, leaving no traces, yet deliberately obscured.

Leading to an estimated number by the families and actual number Li Ru killed being vastly different. Li Youu, however, adamantly claimed he killed fourteen thousand.

”Wen Ru, how many did you kill?” As Li Youu returned on horseback, Jia Xu also came back, and upon meeting, Jia Xu immediately questioned. Though rumors claimed Li Youu killed thirty thousand, Jia Xu scoffed at such low numbers; only thirty thousand would be unlike Li Wenru!

Li Youu silently gestured with two fingers, but perhaps thinking it excessive, bent a finger, then gestured with four fingers. Fourteen thousand? What a jest. Li Youu intended to adjust the estimate for Jia Xu, having killed one hundred forty thousand!

”And you, how many did you kill?” Li Youu asked Jia Xu expressionlessly.

”Three thousand.” Jia Xu also kept a deadpan expression, tacit in understanding.

”That’s seventeen thousand.” Li Youu suddenly smiled and said, nodding at Jia Xu, ”How about we add the remaining private slaves and tenant farmers to the household registry?”

”Alright, I’ll help you.” Jia Xu nodded, understanding that Li Youu intended to make this matter a closed case, impossible to investigate.

”I’ve heard that some aristocratic families you exterminated have had their branches inherit the family?” Jia Xu continued asking.

”Yes, I didn’t completely destroy them, just eradicated the main lineage, leaving the incense burning.” Li Youu’s expression was indifferent, while Jia Xu snorted internally. Who knows where Li Youu got his method of swapping things without a trace.

”Can you gather them?” Jia Xu raised an eyebrow in inquiry.

”At least for three generations, there’s no problem.” Li Youu’s lips curled, Xun Shuang and Chen Ji’s thoughts were right indeed. Once you leave the country’s borders, the saddle will soon break, then the household registry will be difficult to manage, and aristocratic families will become untamed, but surely Li Youu was prepared.

Since the major aristocratic families don’t have household registries, then who Li Youu killed or how many he killed is just a matter of a word. But exterminating entire families and obtaining genealogies, what to add above is just a matter of a word for Li Youu as well. He’s a lifelong expert in forgery!

Wipe out whole families, then add small prepared aristocratic families into the genealogy of the family already exterminated, then let them inherit the aristocratic family, moving northwards. Who knows who, after all, the placement of each aristocratic family to the northeast still needs to be handled, right?

By then, the newly inherited ”branch” of this aristocratic family avoids the local aristocratic families, which keeps them stable. As for other different county aristocratic families, if you can find out, Li Youu says he’ll change his name and follow your family’s surname!

As for why Li Youu didn’t completely wipe out families, leaving each with branches—frankly, it is to deceive. At least some courtesy was left, although most were wiped out, the inheritance wasn’t cut off; what more do you want?

With this trick, though the major aristocratic families bear resentment, Li Youu’s book which is an inch and a half thick wasn’t just for show, he plans to make it public. After committing so much, he didn’t wipe out your whole family, that counted as giving you face, and spent these years cultivating restraint.

As for suspicion, surely there is, but no doubt remains. All leftover doubts were crafted by Li Ru, following that clue, the result was that the newly inherited aristocratic families aligning with aristocratic family prestige were merely branch lineages of the main family.

At such times, just having a branch is enough, moreover, there’s a fighting machine like the Deng Family of Nanyang amongst aristocratic families. This family has produced twenty-nine marquises, fifty provincial governors, while Li Youu cut down three branches of their family. Given what this family has done, Li Youu’s routine should have been wiping out complete families.

Not completely destroying them was to prove that he was still considerate, cutting three branches; now it still hasn’t thoroughly moved south and split into six branches, only one branch remains. Look, look, how reasonable I am.

With the Deng Family standing at the forefront, the major aristocratic families though suspicious, didn’t actually believe Li Youu truly wiped out families. All assumed Li Youu cut the main lineage, or those branches that were guilty of heinous crimes, leaving branches lying around.

In fact, Li Ru completely wiped them out, the branches are fabricated insiders.

In doing so, these aristocratic families inheriting aristocratic pedigree fundamentally became the main means of control and mixing in for future government—yes, indeed you established a country, but having done so, we also mix in sand, even mixing in until you can’t bear it and lean towards the Central Plains government.

Over the thirteen provinces of Great Han, more than a hundred aristocratic families, a third of them were faked by Li Youu. In such a situation, within three generations, if the major aristocratic families can still break free, then Li Youu admits he also has no way out.

”That will do, descendants have their own fortune; three generations is already enough buffer, by then the new situation might have formed. Having occupied Central Plains as the basic backdrop, controlling both sides, there will be those who lean towards us. If still lost, then only the descendants are too weak.” Jia Xu nodded in satisfaction.

”Yes, Zichuan is coming to welcome us.” Li Youu pointed ahead at Chen Xi.

”You’re overthinking, he probably wants to strangle you now.” Jia Xu glanced in Chen Xi’s direction and grimaced.

”Same here, your three thousand men are just as bad.” Li Youu responded indiscriminately, huh, three thousand men, Jia Wenhe, you have the nerve to mention this.

”It doesn’t matter, he surely can’t defeat us, just run. There’s no chance he’ll hold a grudge over the dead, only seventeen thousand died altogether.” Jia Xu spoke nonchalantly. ”I refuse to believe he can guess how many truly died.”

”Rest assured, without a household registry, I left no clues behind. His mind is too pure to deduce it.” Li Youu sneered, ”I only killed fourteen thousand, what do you want to say? You say I killed thirty thousand, do you have evidence?”