Chapter 222 The Wasted Son of an Ancient Family (20)
The atmosphere in the Marquis's residence was somber.
Lord Song Yu was filled with anxiety, and Bai Susu was also very worried.
However, none of these factors affected Evergreen.
He has already left the capital.
Traveling more than 500 kilometers south, we arrived at Hanyang, the ancestral home of the Song family. To be specific, it was a village in the west of Hanyang, but because of the prosperity of the Marquis's mansion, it had become a town with a considerable population.
After the original owner's mother passed away, she was buried in the ancestral mausoleum here.
Changqing naturally went to pay his respects first.
Then he went back to the old house where he lived when he was a child and settled down there.
Jianqiu was somewhat indignant.
"Young Master, how come the entire Song clan is now benefiting from the Marquis's mansion, and you are the eldest son of the Marquis's mansion, yet when you return to your hometown, there isn't even anyone to receive you!"
Yes.
Although some members of the Song clan had moved to the capital, many clansmen still lived here. Every few years, the Marquis's family would return to the capital. Jianqiu still remembered how grand the welcome was; it stretched for miles, if not miles, to greet them. But now...
It's so deserted.
Apart from a few old servants in the old house who greeted him, he didn't see a single person.
Changqing wasn't surprised.
"Human relationships are fickle, that's just how they are, why bother caring?"
Returning to my hometown at this time is less a punishment and more a demotion. What does that mean? Anyone with common sense knows.
He even had the mood to joke.
"Qiu Mei, you must have realized it now. My father has no intention of letting me inherit the Marquis's mansion. If you follow me, you're going to suffer."
Jianqiu chuckled.
"Young master, what nonsense are you talking about? I grew up here, so this is my hometown. What suffering have I endured? Besides—"
She paused, a sly look on her face. "Young master, you've probably forgotten that I know about your picture book business. Your current wealth is probably no less than that declining marquis's mansion, is it? Following you won't mean suffering."
Changqing:...
I'd completely forgotten about that.
Jianqiu said softly, "Young master, now that you're married, don't forget me."
She was practically his personal maid.
Generally speaking, such maids would eventually become the young master's concubines.
Jianqiu was also mentally prepared for this.
In the past, when her son was disappointing, she was both angry and anxious, partly because of this. Now, although her son isn't exactly successful in the conventional sense, she thinks he's already quite good.
More importantly, the young master treated her very well and respected her opinions.
She had heard that many young masters from wealthy families, though seemingly respectable, had maids accompany them to bed early on. Although her own young master didn't have a good reputation outside, he only sent her to classes and treated her with great respect in private, never making any advances towards her.
Changqing smiled as he looked at Jianqiu, whose face was slightly flushed.
"How could I forget you? We grew up together, childhood sweethearts, right? I didn't use the idiom wrong, did I?"
Jianqiu's face turned even redder.
They didn't dare to respond at all.
She stood up, turned around, and ran away.
Changqing settled down in his hometown.
Unbeknownst to him, at the same time he was talking to Jianqiu, some clansmen were also gathered in the Song clan ancestral hall, discussing matters concerning him.
At the head of the table sat the Song clan patriarch, an elderly man with white hair but a sprightly appearance. He was frowning as he listened to the discussion of the people on both sides.
"Clan leader, although Song Changqing is the eldest son of the Marquis's family, he doesn't have a good reputation in the capital. Now that it's almost time to establish an heir, the Marquis has demoted him back to his hometown to guard the tombs. It's obvious that the Marquis doesn't regard him as his successor. We should agree with the Marquis's attitude so that we can truly rely on the Marquis's family in the future."
“Yes, I agree. The Marquis’s mansion has more than one son. What’s the use of befriending the eldest son who has been demoted? The second son is still in the capital and has his mother’s care. It’s obvious that the Marquis has been influenced by his wife. If the second son inherits the Marquis’s mansion in the future, our current attitude will make him unhappy. When his descendants take the imperial examinations and enter the capital, they may not be able to get the Marquis’s support.”
“I heard that the second young master is doing well in his studies and has already passed the preliminary examination. The next step is to take the county-level examination. On the other hand, the eldest young master is quite dissolute in school. This time, the Marquis has arranged for him to go home to guard the mausoleum. It is obvious that this is to cut off his hopes of becoming the heir.”
Most of those present were elderly people, wise and experienced. Although they did not know the whole story, they were able to analyze the affairs of the Marquis's mansion in a very organized manner.
The general consensus was that everyone's attitude was the same.
That is, since the Song family is relying on the Marquis's mansion, they should be in line with the Marquis's attitude. Now that the eldest son is clearly a discarded pawn, the Song family should also show their stance.
After listening to everyone's words, the clan chief nodded.
His gaze swept over the few boys who had been silent in the corner.
"Shaojun, what do you think?"
Song Shaojun, also the clan chief's grand-nephew, is currently the most promising young man in the clan. At the age of twenty, he has already passed the imperial examination and become a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level imperial examination). In three years, he will participate in the provincial examination in the provincial capital. He is the most promising candidate in the Song clan to become a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examination), and can even be said to have the talent to be among the top three.
Upon hearing this, Song Shaojun stood up and bowed.
"Uncle, Shaojun has long admired the second young master of the Marquis's mansion. If he is able to go to the capital in the future, he will naturally pay him a visit and discuss the path of learning with him."
He didn't say it directly, but his attitude was already very clear.
The eldest son is ignorant and incompetent.
It's impossible to discuss academic matters with him, and besides, the second young master is still in the capital. Needless to say, the competition for the heir apparent mainly depends on the Marquis's attitude, and now the Marquis's attitude is already very clear.
There's no need to hesitate when making a choice.
The clan chief nodded in satisfaction.
"If that's the case..."
Before he could finish speaking, a young man stood up from the corner.
"Grandpa Clan Chief, aren't we being a bit too disloyal? Back when Madam Hou was alive, she often brought us snacks..."
As soon as he opened his mouth, everyone laughed.
Song Dabao.
Although he was the grandson of one of the clan elders, he was a hopeless student who couldn't even pass the preliminary imperial examinations. He spent his days practicing martial arts, causing his family no end of headaches.
Hearing everyone laugh, Song Dabao became anxious and looked at Song Shaojun.
"Shaojun, when we were little, we often went to the Lady Hou's place. Have you forgotten?"
Song Shaojun frowned. "What does what happened in my youth have to do with the present?"
Song Dabao hurriedly said, "The eldest son is the only son of the Marquis!"
Song Shaojun smiled and said, "If the second young master wants to inherit the Marquis's mansion, he will be adopted by the Marquis's wife."
"You!" Song Dabao was speechless for a moment.
How can these be the same?
They were four or five years older than Changqing. When Lady Hou was observing mourning in her hometown, he often visited her and always received some delicious snacks. Therefore, he was grateful and felt that now that Lady Hou's son had returned to his hometown, everyone was avoiding him, which was somewhat disloyal.
Unexpectedly, Song Shaojun gave a whole list of reasons.
At this moment, a young man standing next to Song Shaojun stepped forward, smiled, and said, "Song Dabao, haven't you heard the saying that one should choose to associate with virtuous people? However, you yourself have no hope for your studies and are far from achieving fame, which is quite similar to that good-for-nothing young master. If you want to associate with him, go for it yourself. Why drag others into it?"
"You fucking want to get beaten up, don't you?"
Song Dabao got angry and raised his fist to punch someone.
"Shut up, all of you."
At the clan chief's command, the ancestral hall fell silent.
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "That's settled then. The clan should keep their distance from that person, and the elders are not allowed to meet with him. If he visits, you may claim illness or be out, but you must not be rude or reckless. As for you young people, follow your family's arrangements and your own wishes. But I must make it clear that if it affects your future prospects, you will bear the consequences yourself!"
The clan chief made the final decision.
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