"Ah Zhen, I... I want to—"
Xie Yuan hesitated. She looked at Xie Zhen, who seemed like a little adult, and swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
Xie Zhen's eyes widened. "Sister, what do you want to do? Is this difficult?" (She was looking at the book in disarray.)
Xie Zhen ran over to Xie Yuan, took her hand, and her innocent face was full of trust. "Don't be hesitant! If you think it's right, then do it!"
"What if my ideas would harm your interests or the Xie family's interests?"
Xie Yuan held her small hand. Although Xie Zhen was no longer round and plump, she was no longer skin and bones either.
He was a normal-sized, cute little boy.
Their little hands are so soft and tender; it feels wonderful to hold them in your hands.
Xie Yuan's heart felt as if it were about to melt.
"No! I believe in my sister!"
Xie Zhen's eyes were clean and clear.
He is not an adult after all. Although he is precocious, he also has limitations due to his age and experience.
If it were a smart adult, hearing Xie Yuan's words, they would probably have already guessed her purpose.
Xie Zhen couldn't guess it.
But he trusted his older sister, saying, "Even if it might cause me to suffer now, it's definitely for my own good!"
Xie Zhen was so certain of this.
"..."
Looking at his younger brother like this, Xie Yuan felt that his efforts over the past few years had not been in vain.
She was not the original owner of this body, and therefore did not have the same sense of closeness and responsibility towards Xie Zhen that stemmed from blood ties.
However, after spending several years together, and considering the karmic debt she owed the original owner, she truly came to regard Xie Zhen as her own younger brother.
Even children!
She certainly wouldn't harm Xie Zhen.
Thinking of all this, Xie Yuan lost his earlier reluctance and earnestly said to Xie Zhen, "When the Sage revises the Records of Clans, I want to downgrade the Xie clan!"
"Downgraded?"
Xie Zhen was stunned for a moment.
Even though he was young, he knew that his family was a first-class aristocratic family.
Since childhood, Zhao Mama and other loyal servants had been telling him that the Xie family of Chenjun was a family with a thousand-year history.
His family had held high-ranking official positions for generations, ranking among the top class!
In Xie Zhen's subconscious, his family was noble and glorious!
He has always been proud to be a descendant of the Xie family.
but--
"Of course!"
Xie Zhen had been educated for a long time, read many books, and listened to many principles from her teacher and brother-in-law.
"Times have changed! The Xie family hasn't produced a minister of the Nine Ministers or one of the Three Dukes for two generations!"
Xie Zhen is very knowledgeable about her family history.
He had never met his grandfather, but he knew that his grandfather was a man of great talent who was framed by powerful officials and exiled to the northern frontier at a young age.
He was later pardoned and returned to Jiankang, but never entered officialdom again, wasting several decades.
My father, Xie Yuan, was a renowned scholar, but being a renowned scholar does not equate to being a high-ranking official.
The fact that two consecutive generations of patriarchs from a top-tier family have failed to reach the center of power signifies the decline of that family.
Not to mention that the entire direct line of the Xie family had been reduced to just Xie Zhen as the only male descendant.
He's only seven years old!
It will take several more years before one is old enough to enter officialdom.
To become one of the Nine Ministers, it would take at least a decade or more.
Thus, the Xie family has been away from the center of power for more than fifty years.
According to the assessment of the aristocratic families, the Xie family, given its circumstances, is no longer qualified to be ranked first-class.
"I am confident that I can enter the Zhongshu before I am forty years old, but the decline of the Xie family is a foregone conclusion."
Xie Zhen was indeed precocious; she was able to consider these things at such a young age.
A hint of sadness flashed across his tender little face.
As a member of the Xie family, he has always been proud of his family and surname.
Now, however, he has to admit the decline of his family and even offer to be "downgraded".
Yes! Proactive!
Xie Zhen raised her head, her smile radiant. "Elder sister, as a direct descendant of the Xie family, I will personally petition to demote the Xie clan to the lowest rank!"
The little guy's forced smile is definitely not in line with his age.
Xie Yuan felt very sorry for her, "Ah Zhen, she's not necessarily the lowest of the low!"
Downgrading from first class to second class is enough.
Xie Zhen shook her head, "Forget it, let's just lower the price to the bottom!"
"It's better for me to bring it up myself than to be forced to do it by other powerful families."
If someone voluntarily downgrades their grade, they can at least be said to have "become brave after knowing their shame," and at least manage to save some face.
It would be too humiliating to be forced to the lowest rank by others!
"Okay! Let's do it your way."
Seeing that Xie Zhen persisted without the slightest reluctance or grievance, Xie Yuan felt gratified.
She gently patted Xie Zhen's head. "I believe in my Zhen. By personally demoting the Xie family, you can help it rise to the top again in the future!"
Xie Yuan wasn't just making empty promises when he said this.
It is not "self-contradictory".
Weakening powerful clans is not something that can be done overnight.
What an enormous interest group this is!
It would be extremely difficult to completely break the monopoly of aristocratic families within fifty years.
Furthermore, Xie Yuan and Helian Jue only wanted to break the monopoly, not to make the aristocratic families disappear!
Because it can't disappear.
In ancient times, when people lived in clans, the power of the clan was immense.
The patriarchal system and similar practices persisted throughout the entire feudal dynasty.
Unless Xie Yuan takes a single step and directly breaks through the feudal society to a capitalist society or even a higher level, aristocratic families and the like will not completely disappear.
What the late emperor and Helian Jue needed to do was to strengthen imperial power and prevent aristocratic families from using their surnames to override imperial authority.
In the future, the so-called Xie clan of Chenjun may no longer exist, but Xie Zhen can still establish a new family and create unparalleled achievements and glory!
"Have you all forgotten about me?"
Helian Jue looked at the brother and sister, who were becoming more and more tragic as they spoke, and couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing.
Xie Zhen wasn't really the only son left in some impoverished family; he also had a brother-in-law who was the emperor.
Moreover, his brother-in-law raised him from childhood and treated him like his own son.
Emperor Wu was able to personally cultivate a Marquis of Champion and showed him immense trust and doting affection!
How could Helian Jue not be able to?
With him around, even if Xie Zhen were to be demoted or kicked out of the aristocratic families, Helian Jue could still bring Xie Zhen back to the top!
He currently holds the title of Duke Cheng'en.
If he doesn't want to just be a relative of the mother-in-law, Helian Jue will give him a chance to make a name for himself when he grows up.
With military achievements, being immediately granted a title of nobility is not difficult at all.
How did it become so miserable and wretched?
Xie Yuan & Xie Zhen: ...
They were so focused on being sentimental that they completely forgot they had the biggest and thickest golden thigh in the Great Zhou Dynasty!
The matter of Xie's demotion was thus settled.
As for Xie Hong, neither Xie Yuan nor Xie Zhen took it seriously.
It's just a minor branch; even if it seizes the main branch's assets, it can't replace the main branch!
After all, the main lineage did not die out.
In the past, the Xie siblings lived in Lingnan, beyond the reach of the authorities, allowing Xie Hong and others to act recklessly.
Now that the Xie siblings have returned, and in the most glorious way, the head of the Xie family can only be Xie Zhen!
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