This was just a test.
But to Xu Mo, it was enough to make him furious and his smile vanish.
Something that had been bottled up in Xiao Wu's heart for a whole month was brought to light.
If it were anyone else, Xu Mo would have already given them a cold shoulder and reprimanded them. But this was Xiao Wu, his clever yet naive younger brother. He could only sigh helplessly, "Why are you so smart?"
Chang Yan's face was full of purity and kindness.
"Xiao Wu, I won't hurt my younger siblings," Xu Mo said softly. "I just want to seek justice for our parents."
From the moment I saw Zhu Zhi, the hatred in my heart surged like a turbulent sea, never calming down.
Back then, he wasn't even a scholar; he was just a commoner, yet he dared to complain to Lord Dou, willing to endure fifty strokes of the cane to seek justice for his parents.
In the blink of an eye, he became a successful candidate in the provincial examinations, and even the top scholar in the provincial examinations. He could even refuse to kneel before officials, but he dared not go to the government office to beat the grievance drum, let alone appeal to the Fengtian Prefecture.
Was he scared?
Was he a coward?
No, none of that. He knew perfectly well that the power of aristocratic families was not something ordinary people could shake. Trying to force his way in would only be like throwing an egg against a rock, resulting in utter destruction.
Xu Mo is not afraid of death, but he does not want to die in vain.
He has a long life ahead of him, great ambitions, younger siblings to take care of, a responsible and dependable elder brother, and a desire to bring blessings to all people and become a benevolent and just ruler.
Therefore, we can only outsmart them.
After sensing Zhu Zhi's subtle jealousy towards Fang Yuan, the eldest son of the Fang family, Xu Mo formed a bold and dangerous plan in his mind.
He believed that his appearance had changed in the past two years, and perhaps he could use an alias to get close to Zhu Zhi, then find a way to arouse Zhu Zhi's resentment towards the Fang family, and use the Fang family's power to force the Zhu family to give up on Zhu Zhi.
Without the protection of a powerful family, Zhu Zhi was nothing more than a middle-aged man with no strength to even kill a chicken.
Unfortunately, imagination is beautiful, but reality is cruel.
Putting aside whether Zhu Zhi actually remembers his face and appearance, just considering Xu Mo's personality, it would be extremely difficult for him to deliberately approach someone and then instigate them.
A month has passed, and they have only brushed past each other twice without exchanging a single word.
So when Chang Yan asked, "Brother, how far have you progressed?" a brief blush appeared on his usually serene face.
Jiang Sheng hopped out like a little rabbit, saw the blush on her eldest brother's face, and looked him up and down suspiciously. "Fifth Brother, did you bully Big Brother?"
Chang Yan was both amused and exasperated. "No, how could I dare?"
Jiang Sheng thought it made sense. The eldest brother was the most authoritative person in the family. Even the third brother didn't dare to act recklessly in front of the eldest brother. Who would bully him?
Then, humming a song, she skipped and hopped to the kitchen, determined to watch how the braised pork knuckle was stewed until tender.
The courtyard fell silent once more.
Chang Yan took a deep breath, his gaze sincere and earnest. "Brother, you shouldn't have kept this from us. You can want to take revenge on Zhu Zhi, or scheme against him and harm him, but you should at least tell us."
Xu Mo remained silent.
The siblings have always helped each other, worked together, and never backed down.
But that was in Anshui County, where the greatest danger was only assassination by the county magistrate's wife, and Fang Heng was there to protect her.
In Fengjing today, there are not only vast and complex family lineages, but also countless high-ranking officials and nobles. Even if there are two upright officials like the two prefects of Anshui County in Fengtian Prefecture, they cannot forcibly protect people.
After a long silence, Xu Mo spoke, "The situation in Fengjing is complicated. I am seeking revenge for personal reasons and do not want to implicate you."
Chang Yan almost laughed out of anger.
I never expected my usually clear-headed older brother to make such a mistake. It's true what they say, those involved are often blinded by their own perspective.
“Brother, we live under the same roof and are like brothers. If something really happens to you, do you think the nobles of Fengjing will care about killing a few more people and shedding more blood?” Changyan said firmly. “Or if something happens to you, will your brothers and sisters still be alive?”
They promised they wouldn't separate.
When Fang Heng went to the Northern Frontier, Jiang Sheng cried so much, unwilling to let go, because she was afraid that swords and spears would have no eyes and she would lose a brother.
If she knew that coming to Fengjing might mean losing another brother, she probably would rather die than come.
It has been three years since the six siblings met. This number may seem insignificant, but you should know that Xiao Jiang Sheng is only ten years old now. These three years have already occupied nearly a third of her life and are the happiest and most unforgettable time for her.
Without Xu Mo, she will never be happy again for the rest of her life.
When she thought of her brother, tears welled up in her eyes instead of a smile.
The thought of this scene made Xu Mo's heart tremble. He suddenly doubted whether he was being too stubborn in seeking revenge for his parents, and whether he should give up his hatred for Zhu Zhi for the sake of his younger siblings.
“Brother, bad guys should be punished.” Changyan turned around and walked to the opposite side of Xu Mo. “Whether it’s the Fang family or the Zhu family, they will become our enemies sooner or later. But you shouldn’t plot revenge on your own. You should tell us, at least tell me.”
Xu Mo looked up and his gaze met Chang Yan's deep, unfathomable eyes.
There is no doubt about the fifth brother's intelligence.
Most importantly, he already knew that there was no point in hiding it any longer.
"Okay, then I'll only tell you." Xu Mo still didn't want her younger siblings to worry, so she emphasized that.
Chang Yan didn't speak, but simply took two steps back.
Xu Mo sensed something was wrong and turned around in confusion.
Then, he saw Jiang Sheng holding a braised pork knuckle, Zheng Ruqian with a face full of anger, and Wen Zhiyun looking extremely aggrieved.
"Big brother, why did you keep this from us?" Jiang Sheng shouted.
"Maybe we're not worthy to know," Zheng Ruqian said sarcastically. "It's because we're not as smart as Xiao Wu."
"Big brother, am I really not as smart as fifth brother?" Wen Zhiyun's eyes welled up with tears.
Xu Mo couldn't answer, and was completely stumped.
He felt he needed help, so he glanced around and finally fixed his gaze on Xiao Wu Changyan, his only savior.
However, Xiao Changyan, who only reached his shoulder, pursed his lips and took two steps back, choosing to protect himself.
Xu Mo felt a mix of emotions.
Turning my head to look, I saw that my three younger siblings had different expressions, but the grievances and anger in their eyes were exactly the same.
He lowered his head and smiled bitterly.
Even though I didn't move any stones, I still managed to shoot myself in the foot.
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