"Why can't the head of the Fang family use the cultivation of an illegitimate son as a smokescreen, while actually being an insider?" Jiang Sheng asked, resting her chin on her hand.
Of course, it's because the heir's status is extraordinary.
The so-called inheritance refers to the training of the next head of the family, which not only requires the support of the legitimate heir, but also involves access to the core power and social interactions of the entire family.
Even if Fang Yuan wanted to fake his death to escape, he could not allow the Fang family to cultivate a new heir to compete with him for power.
“Even if this heir is a fake, as long as he has the status of the legitimate heir and can figure out the Fang family’s connections, he will still pose a threat to Fang Yuan,” Xu Mo commented.
Jiang Sheng nodded beside him, indicating that she roughly understood.
“It’s not that complicated. It’s just the inherent weakness of men.” Zheng Ruqian grumbled from the side. “Women only have one child, but men have countless choices, so offspring seem unimportant.”
If the eldest doesn't work, try the second; if the second doesn't work, try the third; if the third doesn't work, have another one.
How much genuine affection can someone who is willing to sacrifice their offspring truly possess?
Jiang Sheng looked melancholy. Thinking of the years when she was all alone and helpless, and then of how her father and grandmother suddenly stopped caring for her, her expression fell. "If I were Fang Yuan, I would be really sad."
Those who have not obtained something are not afraid of losing it.
To have something and then lose it is the most painful punishment in the world.
"So he's plotting for himself, and he's hiding it from the Fang family." Xu Mo hesitated, lost in thought.
Fang Yuan's desire to survive was not wrong, but was his decision to betray the Fang family truly due to disappointment in his father? Or was it for other reasons?
"If only we had known this would happen, we wouldn't have done it in the first place," Jiang Sheng sighed. "Why did we have to cheat on the imperial examinations and commit such a crime that would lead to the extermination of nine generations of our families?"
To exterminate nine generations of one's family is a grave offense.
Xu Mo's thoughts were instantly cleared, and he was so excited that his hands trembled. "I know why now. It's because Fang Yuan was sentenced to death by the Emperor's decree. If he escapes, it would be considered deceiving the Emperor, which is more serious than cheating in the imperial examinations."
If Fang Yuan tries to escape, it would be considered deceiving the emperor, which could very well implicate the entire Fang family.
Fang Huai-ren disagreed, preferring to sacrifice his eldest son to preserve the Fang family, even if it meant changing the heir.
Originally, the father and son worked together, but they disagreed on the issue of sacrifice. Fang Yuan simply abandoned the Fang family and secretly made his own plans.
"If the Fang family head finds out that Fang Yuan wants to escape, he might even stab his own son for the sake of the Fang family." Xu Mo finally figured everything out and breathed a sigh of relief.
Zheng Ruqian stared wide-eyed from the side, "Then tell him quickly, we can't let that bastard escape, what if he does something bad again?"
“Yes, yes, yes.” Jiang Sheng nodded in agreement.
Fang Yuan is cunning and scheming, and if he really escapes, who knows how he will deal with them.
By borrowing the Fang family head's knife, we can both eliminate future troubles and avoid getting involved in any scandalous affairs.
But Xu Mo didn't think so.
"Do you remember what I said before?" The young man took a deep breath, his eyes gleaming. "As long as a force emerges in the court to replace the Fang family, and the Fang family commits a serious mistake, the imperial family will eliminate this family."
Fang Yuan's fatal mistake was plotting his escape behind the back of the Fang family head's back, under the guise of the emperor's decree.
The crime of deceiving the emperor is enough to wipe out the Fang family.
Xu Mo became more and more excited as he thought about it, wishing he could write a letter to Fang Heng himself, telling him that his deep-seated hatred was about to be avenged.
Thinking that the letter wasn't well-thought-out enough, he forced himself to put it down.
Jiang Sheng and Zheng Ruqian were left dumbfounded, amazed by their elder brother's quick wit.
It's unclear whether it was the power of time that allowed them to grow to the point where they could rival powerful families, or whether truly intelligent people are always able to climb to the top and then defeat their enemies.
The once towering and unapproachable Fang family is now being described so casually by Xu Mo.
Those "what will happen in the future" statements sound inspiring, but when you're actually in the situation, how many of them can truly grasp them accurately?
Xu Mo quickly wrote the message and sent it to the Wu family in the safest way possible. After passing it on to Wen Zhiyun, it was then delivered to Changyan Palace.
Even the Fifth Prince, who was well-versed in court politics, couldn't help but admire and marvel at it, saying, "Big Brother is getting smarter and more capable. This is indeed a good opportunity."
The only thing to consider is the next aristocratic family that can replace the Fang family.
They must appear to have no connection on the surface, but secretly exchange pleasantries in private.
It is known that there are four prominent families in the current dynasty: the Jiang family, the Sun family, the Dou family, and the Fang family. First-class families include the Yao family, the He family, the Ju family, the Zhu family, the Tao family, the Min family, and the Chu family.
Ignoring second- and third-rate aristocratic families, the Sun family is absolutely neutral. Grand Secretary Sun has held the position of Grand Secretary for many years, preferring to be infamous rather than step down, as if he is maintaining his last bit of glory.
The Jiang and Dou families appeared to be neutral, but in reality, they made several simultaneous moves, suggesting a possible alliance.
Needless to say, the Yao family is related by marriage.
The Fang family, along with the Zhu and Tao families, is a force to be reckoned with. However, they are now likely to be divided by the conflict between the father and son. The Zhu and Tao families are closer and more willing to befriend Fang Yuan.
The Min family was the maternal family of the third princess, and they were in a state of complete isolation.
The Chu family is the maternal family of the fourth prince, and while they have good relations with other families, they are not intimate.
The Ju family strongly supports the eldest prince and maintains close ties with many small and medium-sized aristocratic families, attracting talented individuals.
Chang Yan wrote down the names of all the aristocratic families in Fengjing on a piece of paper, then drew ink circles according to their factions, finally pausing on a few aristocratic families whose surnames did not show a clear bias.
Consort Min was of noble status and was favored by two ranks even more than the Crown Princess. The Third Princess, as the only beloved daughter of the Emperor, was also quite popular with the imperial family.
But she was just a girl after all. She could neither become a queen and divide up land, nor could she ascend to the throne. As a result, the Min family also became ascetic and only wanted to avoid offending anyone.
Regardless of who ascends the throne in the future, the Third Princess will always be the Grand Princess, the Emperor's own sister.
They have no reason to, and will not, help anyone, much less offend the Fang family.
The Chu family is the most enigmatic of all the aristocratic families. They lack the integrity of the Min family and the ambition of the Ju family, yet they manage to be popular with everyone and have an excellent reputation.
It's like they're preparing for something, but they're not being proactive at all, like a thick fog that's impossible to understand.
The remaining family is the He family...
“I know this He family. I heard they have a grudge against the Fang family and they even helped the Third Young Master. They must be our allies.” The guard pointed to the large “He” character with great interest.
Chang Yan put down his wolf-hair brush and looked thoughtfully at the guard, "You've been with me for so long, how come you're still so stupid?"
The guard was both shocked and aggrieved, and stammered, unable to speak.
“If the He family truly has a relationship with Third Brother, why don’t they step forward to help directly, instead of offering assistance in secret?” He analyzed calmly. “In the imperial court, the most taboo thing is to casually make allies. Even if the other party extends a helping hand, it may just be bait or a spy.”
You happily make allies, only to have them turn around and ruin everything.
If simply helping someone could form an alliance, why would powerful families need to use marriage to solidify their power?
Don't be so naive.
"Understood, sir." The guard's face still showed embarrassment, but his eyes were full of determination. "I will learn to discern in the future, but if the He family is unsuitable, are we supposed to choose the Min family instead?"
Among the top-tier aristocratic families, these are the only ones that remain neutral and have no connection whatsoever.
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