While it's true that they're vying for power, it's a good thing; it gives them more say in the situation.
This can also force the opponent to reveal their back hand and hidden cards more quickly.
In the crowd, Changyan noticed that the Fang family patriarch had a shifty look in his eyes and was glancing towards the imperial city gate several times. A question arose in his mind: "Is this... his trump card?"
The Fang family faction isn't stupid. The reason they were able to retake the imperial examination was because half of the people in the court supported Xu Mo. Now that it's Fang Heng's turn, at least half of them will stand up for him.
Rather than waiting for the ministers to kneel down like harvesting leeks, it would be better to bring out the key figures sooner.
The key figures are those who can influence the decisions of the imperial family.
The head of the Fang family seemed to have made up his mind. He deliberately raised his hand to stroke his temple and said loudly, "This humble servant is heartbroken. I have worked diligently for the years to manage the family and the business left by my elder brother, but I have to be insulted like this by my nephew. We are both descendants of the Fang family, so why is my life so bitter?"
The emperor frowned slightly, seemingly disliking this mournful expression.
Just as he was about to speak, the imperial city gates behind him opened.
People who can walk out of the imperial city...
Chang Yan's heart sank to the bottom. His androgynous face was drained of color, leaving only his thin lips trembling slightly, filled with disbelief.
"Father." The newcomer was tall and slender, about sixteen or seventeen years old, with a clean and handsome face. He was none other than the eldest prince of the dynasty, Zhu Changhong.
In an environment where primogeniture is prioritized, if there is a legitimate heir, then the legitimate heir takes precedence; if there is no legitimate heir, then the eldest son takes precedence.
This is true for aristocratic families, and even more so for royalty.
Although the emperor was in his prime, only in his thirties, his overly timid nature caused the aristocratic families to become complacent. The Fang family, in particular, became so arrogant that they began to gamble on the next emperor.
The merit of following the dragon... What a wild heart, what great courage.
The people were abuzz with speculation about the relationship between the eldest prince and the Fang family. Jiang Sheng and her brother also lost their composure and didn't know what to do.
The expert analyzed, "The royal family has always established the eldest son as the heir. The imperial family does have a legitimate son, but he is too weak and was raised in another place. There has been no news of him for the past few years, and we don't know if he has died. Of the remaining sons, only the eldest prince is exceptionally talented. The Fang family does have some discernment in him."
Outstanding princes always attract some favor from the imperial family.
"Father," Zhu Changhong bowed respectfully, "I was just about to leave when I overheard something behind the door. I shouldn't interfere in my subjects' affairs, but I have to speak my mind now."
First, explain that you didn't come specifically to help, but rather that you met by chance.
Then he expressed his own opinion, "It is said that the family succession is passed on to the eldest son, and General Fang's might is unmatched by ordinary people. However, after his death, his orphans are still young. Lord Fang is also the eldest son and the second eldest son. How can he not shoulder the responsibility of the Fang family?"
"To put it another way, Lord Fang has done his best to govern the Fang family over the years, even if he has not made any great contributions. To rashly strip him of everything would be no different from killing a donkey after it has served its purpose."
"Of course, I am not saying that General Fang's orphan should suffer. I believe that it is most appropriate for the two families to separate at this time, based on the principles of fairness and justice."
Separation?
This gave the conflicted imperial family a clear direction. His expression softened, and his eyes became more loving. "Hong'er, please continue."
"Father, after the two brothers got married, they should have separated. The eldest son's family is one family, and the second son's family is another. Since I am not satisfied with my uncle managing the household, why don't I take over the assets of the eldest son's family myself, and let the two families develop independently?" Zhu Changhong said sincerely. "These are just my humble opinions. What do you think, Father?"
Judging from the emperor's expression, he must be very satisfied.
The struggle between the two branches of the Fang family was not about property, but about lives, hatred, and a fight to the death.
This eldest prince has a silver tongue; he can turn black into white and neutral situations into advantages.
On the surface, it seems that the head of the Fang family has lost a lot of money, but how much assets the Fang family has in total, and how much the eldest branch of the Fang family can get, are all decided by the head of the family.
Fang Heng was filled with anger, but he forcibly suppressed it and glanced at the crowd out of the corner of his eye.
There stood Xu Mo, stiff and expressionless; Zheng Ruqian, dazed and confused; Wen Zhiyun, bewildered and lost; and Chang Yan, pale-faced.
Things have taken an unexpected turn. The Fang family has more cards up their sleeve than they ever suspected. What should they do next?
What should I do?
Jiang Sheng received Fang Heng's plea for help, and seeing that Fifth Brother didn't respond, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and directly elbow him.
"Hiss." Chang Yan's soul returned to his body, and he gasped twice. "Be gentle, be gentle."
Other girls use their elbows to be cute, but our girl's elbows can kill.
However, the advantage was that she woke up very quickly. Chang Yan didn't have time to think about anything else. She gave Fang Heng a wink and then mouthed, "Dowry."
Yes, dowry.
The head of the Fang family could swallow up the ancestral property, but he could not swallow up his mother Wang's dowry.
"Your Majesty, I dare not take any of the Fang family's money, much less fight with my second uncle for ancestral property." Fang Heng thought of his fourth brother's crying face and tried to suppress his sobs. "I only ask that the Fang family return my mother's dowry, and I also ask my second uncle to return my mother's dowry."
Large families, capable of swallowing gold and silver, and even the heavens and the earth, dare not take away a woman's dowry.
Because dowry is a woman's possession, it is usually handed over to her children before or after her death, and has little to do with her husband's family, so it is considered property that she can dispose of at will.
With the eldest prince's words preceding it and the imperial family's approval following, the head of the Fang family had to return each item on the dowry list provided by the Wang family.
The dowry can also be compared – the general's assets from twenty years of fighting cannot be less than the dowry of the royal family.
Although this attempt failed to bring down the Fang family, it did uncover their biggest backer and recover some assets, which can be considered a fair return to Fang Heng's dozen or so superiors.
But this powerful backer is so immense that it's truly astonishing.
With the imperial verdict handed down, neither side raised any objections. The crowd dispersed at the gates of the imperial city. The head of the He family gave Fang Heng a deep look before quickly turning away.
The injured boy got up from the ground, his forehead covered in bright red blood, and returned to his siblings.
"I..." He had barely opened his mouth when Jiang Sheng glared at him fiercely.
"What do you mean, 'you'? How can you be so stupid?" the little girl muttered, pulling out the softest handkerchief from her bosom.
Fang Heng obediently bent down, letting her gently wipe him, while complaining incessantly.
Wen Zhiyun silently poured out wound medicine and fetched clean water to bandage his wound.
Although his forehead injury was very painful, and although the Fang family had powerful backing, at this moment, Fang Heng suddenly felt less afraid.
"Big brother, second brother, fifth brother," he said in a low voice, "with a prince as a trump card, the Fang family might ruin your ranking in the palace examination again."
After decades of diligent study, he progressed from a student to a scholar, then to a successful candidate in the provincial examination, and finally to a tribute student.
The final and most important test was the palace examination.
If one can successfully obtain a spot, especially if one is among the top three, their future career will be smooth sailing and their official career will be prosperous.
Conversely, one could also obtain the title of Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), but one's future prospects would be drastically reduced, and one might even lead a mediocre life.
This is unfair to Xu Mo, and also unfair to his talent in the imperial examinations twice.
They cannot allow this situation to continue.
The imperial examination was a selection process personally chosen by the emperor, and even aristocratic families had no right to interfere; only members of the royal family could whisper in their ears.
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