Chapter 72 Eagerly Awaiting an Extra Chapter
Guan Zhiwei wrinkled her nose. There were too many people, it was stuffy and smelly, and the mixed smell of spices was pungent.
Apart from Lord Guan, all other members of the Guan clan were present, and the family genealogy had already been brought out.
Feeling confident, he slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "You wretched creature..."
"His Majesty's personally appointed Grand Tutor is here. Please pay your respects first," Guan Zhiwei interrupted, raising his voice slightly, a half-smile on his face.
Yong'an City is, after all, the Yong'an of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and these aristocratic families will eventually have to serve in the government. The imperial power is currently weak, but it will eventually rise again. Who wants to be labeled as disloyal and unfilial?
Even if a new emperor or dynasty were to be established in the future, they would still not want to employ someone who is disloyal and unfilial.
Not wanting to give anyone cause for gossip, everyone present bowed.
This scene is utterly lacking in grandeur.
Lord Guan refused to perform the ceremony, stubbornly saying, "You and I are father and daughter, and we haven't severed our ties yet."
He thought to himself, if this relationship is severed, he will still have to bow to people in the future. How will he face Guan Zhiwei then?
"The proper order of ruler and subject, father and son, comes first; then father and son." Guan Zhi smiled and said, "Even when Emperor Gaozu of Han became emperor, Liu Taigong still had to bow to his son."
"..."
Lord Guan swallowed his anger and said, "It would be better to cancel each other out, since we are both ruler and subject, father and son."
“Okay.” Guan Zhiwei readily agreed. She was an easy person to talk to, and said eagerly, “When are you going to sever your father-daughter relationship? I’m waiting.”
"You've actually been looking forward to this!" Lord Guan said angrily, flicking his sleeve.
"Is that not okay?" If Lord Guan can't stand her current attitude, then after severing his father-daughter relationship, he might end up crying and hanging himself.
Lord Guan felt infuriated. This show of force was stuck in his throat, he couldn't swallow it or spit it out, it was really uncomfortable.
He hated Guan Zhiwei intensely. His family had finally produced a capable person, but she messed things up and offended all the powerful families in Yong'an City. These people held a grudge against him, forcing him to come out and deal with the situation.
If it's a choice between the two, the Yong'an City aristocratic families would naturally take precedence.
It should be noted that both Grand Tutor Yuwen and Grand Commandant Gao held high positions of power, yet their influence was fleeting and their fates were tragic. How could Grand Tutor Guan Zhiwei be any different?
He thought he would bring up the matter of being expelled from the family to scare Guan Zhiwei. If she took the opportunity to admit her mistake and repent, he would give her a severe scolding and then reconcile with her, which would be an explanation to the noble families.
Before they could even put up a show of force, the other side turned the tables on them.
"Of course I want to sever our father-daughter relationship, but I want to make it clear why I want to sever our father-daughter relationship."
He revealed a sorrowful expression and said in a heavy but steady voice: "Of all the virtues a gentleman should uphold, sincerity and filial piety are the most important. There are three kinds of filial piety: the greatest is to honor one's parents, the next is not to disgrace them, and the lowest is to provide for them. A filial son who has deep love will have a gentle demeanor; a gentle demeanor will have a pleasant countenance; a pleasant countenance will have a kind countenance."
Guan Zhiwei sighed. Just like those men who need to nourish their stomachs, the foreplay is really long.
"...Today, those who have been expelled from the clan and removed from the genealogy are being punished for seriously violating the family tradition. Do you know your mistake?!"
Lord Guan questioned her sternly. He wanted to rebuke her, humiliate her, and make her a disgrace in front of everyone.
Guan Zhiwei snapped out of her drowsiness and was about to speak when she suddenly heard a sound outside.
“The Guan family of Jiangbei has come from afar to pay a special visit—” someone kept calling out from outside the gate.
This sound attracted attention, and Lord Guan had no choice but to wave his hand and tell his servants to invite the person in.
Chen Jia Dalang walked in with a strange man.
The stranger, covered in sweat and looking travel-worn, bowed to everyone as he entered and said, "I am Guan Zhang from the Guan family of Jiangbei."
This clan is quite famous; in Jiangbei and Yong'an City, it is as well-known as the Guan clan.
Guan Zhang, in particular, is renowned for his calligraphy and knows several of the people present; they had studied together during their travels.
Everyone returned the greeting.
Lord Guan, suspicious, asked calmly, "Brother Guan, you've come from afar, what brings you here?"
"I'm here to see Grand Tutor Guan." Guan Zhang wasn't sure who he was, so he looked around.
Guan Zhiwei raised her hand: "It's me."
Guan Zhang immediately burst into tears: "My dear niece! I'm your uncle!"
"ha?"
Without saying a word, Guan Zhang directly pulled out a long family genealogy from the servant's backpack.
"Our Guan clan reveres Guan Yu, the Marquis of Hanshou and General of the Former Han Dynasty, as our illustrious ancestor who gave us our surname..."
“My father had three sons and four daughters. His second son, Guan Yan, was gentle and loyal, and he loved his wife dearly. His wife died young in childbirth, and he never remarried. He only had one daughter, named Guan Zhiwei, who was lost during the turmoil. Last year, my brother passed away, and he missed his daughter dearly. I searched for her many times, but I could not find her. Later, I heard that the Grand Tutor’s name was unknown, so I came here to recognize her.”
Guan Zhang kept wiping away her tears, "My dear niece, it's so good that you're safe and sound. I've done right by your late parents!"
This person's behavior profoundly illustrates what it means to say, "If you don't want it, plenty of others will."
He even thoughtfully found someone who was an orphan, so Guan Zhiwei didn't have to worry at all.
She hissed, "Uncle?"
"My dear niece."
The two were almost in tears. Although they didn't actually break down in tears, Guan Zhang cried very sadly on her own.
Chen Jia Dalang watched from the side, utterly dejected.
He had chatted with Gao Huan, who claimed to be from the Guan family of Jiangbei. It was just a casual remark, but Gao Huan took it to heart.
He quickly sent someone to tell the Guan family in Jiangbei, "Your family has produced a very remarkable person. Come and learn more about him and write him up in your family genealogy."
Upon hearing this, the Guan family immediately dug out their family genealogy and searched high and low, but they still couldn't find anyone named Guan Zhiwei.
It's okay if this person doesn't exist; we can make one up.
It just so happens that his second brother died last year, and his second brother had no descendants. What a coincidence.
Guan Zhiwei clenched her fist and slapped her palm, shaking her head regretfully: "What a fool I am, I even went to the wrong family to claim relatives."
A living father and a dead father, isn't it easy to choose?
"It's good that you can come home. A few setbacks are nothing to worry about." Guan Zhang wiped away her tears and smiled kindly.
Guan Zhiwei turned her head and narrowed her eyes: "So you're not my father. In that case, I'll pay the taxes first."
"You—" Lord Guan's heart skipped a beat, "To so casually acknowledge someone as your father, to betray your ancestors, you are despised by both gods and men!"
Guan Zhiwei drew the knife from his waist, stuck it on the table next to him, and picked at his ear: "What are you babbling about? Everyone else pays taxes, but you don't. What kind of special treatment are you getting, Guan, old man!"
Lord Guan had always had an idea.
I'm her father, what can she do to me?
Could someone possibly kill their own father?
She shattered his spine.
To his utter surprise, someone else stepped forward to compete with him for the position of father.
Many aristocratic families looked at him with strange eyes. He felt very stifled, his chest felt tight, and something seemed about to burst out of the ground.
"puff--"
He vomited blood.
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