Chapter 107
By evening, Xu Ming had finished helping Fang Ling with the farm work.
The elder invited Xu Ming to his home for dinner, and Xu Ming, unable to decline, accepted the invitation.
Madam Fang slaughtered an old hen and made a pot of soup for Xu Ming, adding wild mushrooms from the mountains, resulting in a rich and savory flavor. She also collected a few fresh eggs from the coop, frying them in lard to make sunny-side-up eggs, which she then stir-fried with chili peppers, creating a dish that was both appetizing and aromatic. Accompanied by a plate of garland chrysanthemum and a dish of braised pork, the dinner was exceptionally sumptuous.
After dinner, Fang Ling invited Xu Ming to play chess. As they played, they chatted casually.
“Xu Ming,” Fang Ling began, “the issue of powerful clans and aristocratic families is the most difficult to address. You know that Wu Kingdom was founded on martial strength. Back then, there were over a dozen forces in this region. The allegiance of aristocratic families was critical.
“Every time a faction pledged loyalty, did you have to offer them benefits? And that was how the unchecked power of these families began to take root.
“Thankfully, we adopted Qi Kingdom’s imperial examination system, which provided opportunities for the children of commoners and ordinary families. Combined with the reforms of several previous monarchs, the influence of these clans has been significantly curtailed.
“However, in many places—especially in remote towns like this one—the influence of powerful clans remains overwhelming. On one hand, the court doesn’t pay much attention to these areas. On the other, these small towns are weak in governance, while nearby sects have entrenched themselves for centuries. When a family sends one of its members to become a disciple of a sect, the family uses the sect’s influence to expand its power rapidly.
“The sects often tolerate or even encourage this behavior because it benefits them as well.