Chapter 270 Su Lanzhang Su Lanzhang
I am also a guest from the East, and I love you like a brother. We sleep together in the autumn, and walk hand in hand in the day.
I hear the sound of a cold pestle in the setting sun, clouds gather against the ancient city. I have always chanted the ode to the orange tree, but who will I ask for water shield soup with?
Su Lanzhang always felt that he was lucky in his life. He was the youngest son in the family, but he was also a bastard born to a concubine. The Great Zhou Dynasty attached great importance to the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, and it was not uncommon for legitimate sons to suppress illegitimate sons.
In his memory, he vaguely remembered that his elder brother Zong Zhang, who had passed away long ago, did not like him. He did not deliberately make things difficult for him, but he did turn a blind eye to his feelings. Even his father was the same.
Yes, compared with his two talented brothers, he is really mediocre, far inferior in both intelligence and appearance.
Many years later, when Su Lanzhang thought back to his childhood, he could no longer remember the appearance of his deceased father and elder brother, but he couldn't help but sigh in his heart that if they were still alive, his life might have been completely different.
If asked about the person he is most grateful to and admires in his life, Su Lanzhang would say Su Fengzhang's name without hesitation.
In his eyes, his second brother was a perfect person. He vaguely remembered the time when his father and eldest brother had just passed away. Life was extremely difficult at home, and his mother and aunt could only shed tears.
At that time, the second brother was just a child, but he stood up to protect them from the wind and rain. It was also from that time that the second brother grew up little by little and eventually became a legend of the Great Zhou.
In the eyes of outsiders, Su Fengzhang is Lord Su, who can be resourceful and well-planned, or he can devote himself to the Great Zhou until his death, or even more so, he can be indifferent to fame and wealth, and be a master strategist.
But in his eyes, this second brother is just a good brother who loves his younger brother.
Even when he was busy with official duties, he would always squeeze out time to teach them, whether it was him, Huihui, or Liu Neng, he was always impartial and taught with all his heart.
He could be strict sometimes, but more often than not he would teach him earnestly and guide him step by step, and would never force him to follow his own ideas.
Su Lanzhang knew in her heart that Huihui was more in line with her second brother's preferences than herself. She always understood what her second brother was thinking. Many years later, Su Huihui did achieve some success as a woman.
Su Lanzhang is different. He has never had any big ambitions since he was a child. Although he admires his brother and wants to become a person like his second brother, he is always powerless. As time goes by, he even gives up on himself.
Because he knew in his heart that no matter how hard he tried, he would never be as good as his second brother, or even his own sister.
Passing the imperial examination had already cost him a great deal of effort, and he had repeatedly encountered obstacles in entering the officialdom. His colleagues secretly laughed at him, saying, "They are all Su family members, how come this Lord Su is so different from that Lord Su?"
"You probably don't know that our Lord Su is only a concubine's son and is not considered a biological brother at all."
"Is this true? I've never heard of this before. Lord Su loves him so much, but he's actually his illegitimate brother?"
"I heard that Master Su died early, and Su Lanzhang was raised by Master Su, so the eldest brother is like a father."
"Hey, I heard that a Master Su was assigned here before, and I thought he would be very capable, but who knew he was just mediocre."
"Yes, it's very disappointing, but we don't need to offend him, otherwise he will go back and complain, and it will be bad if that Lord Su is upset."
"What are you afraid of? Lord Su is the most fair and just person. Would he show favoritism for my brother?"
"I wouldn't go so far as to show favoritism, but I have to give Lord Su some face anyway."
"That's true. Well, just treat it as supporting an idler."
When hearing these words, Su Lanzhang felt sad in his heart. He had obviously tried very hard to do things, but in the eyes of others, he was always inferior to Su Fengzhang.
Later, when Su Huihui entered the court, people laughed at him, saying that it was bad enough that he was not as good as his brother, but now he was even worse than his own sister.
There are three civil servants in the Su family, and he is the least noticeable one, doing insignificant things for years.
At this moment, someone appeared in front of him, putting on a disgustingly hypocritical look: "Sir Su, why don't you consider what I say."
"I have absolutely no intention of causing trouble for Grand Tutor Su. But look, for all these years, Grand Tutor Su has never promoted you in order to avoid suspicion. Are you willing to waste your time like this?"
"Apart from anything else, Lord Su, even if you haven't made any contributions, you have certainly worked hard. As long as you are willing to cooperate with us, I will find a way to transfer you away from here. When the time comes, the sky will be high enough for birds to fly and the sea will be wide enough for fish to swim."
The words of temptation sounded very tempting, but Su Lanzhang laughed at himself: "Master Min, my second brother once said something about me that I have always thought was very reasonable."
"He said I had no great ambitions or talents, but I had one rare virtue: self-awareness and never overstepping the boundaries. That's why he felt quite confident in me."
"In the final analysis, I am a coward and I know my own limitations."
Lord Min was slightly taken aback and said hurriedly, "Lord Su, you are also from the Su family, how can you be so self-deprecating? Look at Su Huihui, she is just a girl, but now she can work in the Ministry of Revenue. You are her biological brother, the younger brother of Grand Tutor Su, why do you have to live a mediocre life?"
"If you ask me, Grand Tutor Su is a bit too partial. He would rather promote his sister than take care of his brother. Is he afraid that when you become successful, you will compete with him for the family fortune?"
Su Lanzhang's expression turned completely cold. "Master Min, please be mindful of your words."
"Why should you be angry, Lord Su? What I said is the truth." Lord Min thought he was moved and said happily.
Su Lanzhang snorted coldly: "That's right, a person like Lord Min would not understand my second brother's intentions."
"Teaching students in accordance with their aptitude and making good use of them is the policy proposed by my second brother, and he has been implementing it personally over the years. Huihui was able to enter the Ministry of Revenue because she is indeed good at it. But what abilities do I have that are worthy of your attention?"
"Since you don't want to embarrass my second brother, Lord Min's words just now are just a slap in the face, like a fart."
"You, Su Lanzhang, how dare you speak like that!" Lord Min said angrily.
Su Lanzhang sneered, "Why should I be afraid? After all, I'm sure Lord Min wouldn't dare spread a single word of what I said here today. After all, this is suspected of selling official positions, which is a serious crime that could lead to the confiscation of property and extermination of the clan."
Before Lord Min could react, Su Lanzhang stood up and said in a cold voice, "Lord Min, if you want to deal with my second brother, then you've found the wrong person today. Although I, Su Lanzhang, don't have much ability, at least I have a clear mind and know who to rely on."
"But you want to deal with my brother with your brain? You might as well go back to school for another ten years, otherwise it will be a waste of time."
After saying this, Su Lanzhang turned around and left without even looking at the man.
When he walked outside, he saw the Su family's carriage, and the driver was still Su Arong.
Su Arong had already married and had children. Logically speaking, he was actually a cousin of the Su family and should not have been driving a carriage anymore. However, he was worried about Su Fengzhang and felt that he could not do anything else, so he still followed him around every day.
When Su Lanzhang saw Su Arong, he knew that his second brother must be in the carriage. His heart tightened, but he still walked up.
Inside the carriage, the one who was resting with his eyes was Su Fengzhang. Time seemed to have been particularly kind to this man. Now, the relationship between the two brothers seemed to be reversed.
Hearing the noise, Su Fengzhang looked up at him. Su Lanzhang touched his nose and asked bluntly, "Second brother, did you know that Min was going to be a ghost?"
Su Fengzhang laughed and said calmly, "He's just a villain, don't worry about him."
Su Lanzhang sat down beside him, his face still showing the intimacy of his childhood: "Second brother, I don't understand why you allow these people to exist. Why don't you just suppress them directly?"
Su Fengzhang shook his head and smiled: "You, this world is never black and white. Although Lord Min doesn't like me and has some small moves in private, he is still quite honest as an official and can be considered a talented person."
"Knowing people and making good use of them is important, but not suppressing the talented." Su Fengzhang added, "There are thousands of people who hate me. If I were to suppress them all, then I wouldn't have to do anything else."
Su Lanzhang was a little worried: "But second brother, what if in the future they..."
Su Fengzhang guessed his worry and just smiled and said, "Don't worry, I, your second brother, will not die."
After that, she added, "Mother misses you. When you have a few days off, bring your sister-in-law and nephew back for dinner."
Su Lanzhang naturally agreed without hesitation. After he passed the imperial examination and became an official in the court, Su Fengzhang bought him another house. Aunt Bai moved there with her son, and the family was divided into two families.
However, Su Lanzhang and Aunt Bai have a very good relationship with Su Zhaoshi. They have often gone back over the years and their relationship has always been close.
Su Fengzhang walked them all the way to the door before saying, "I won't bother my aunt and sister-in-law today. See you another day."
When Su Lanzhang entered the house, he saw his aunt hurried over. Seeing that he was alone, she complained, "Erlang is already at the door, why don't you invite him in to sit down."
Su Lanzhang knew this and said with a smile, "Second brother is busy. Let's go to the mansion and talk after he has a day off."
Aunt Bai was old now, and upon hearing this, she could only sigh, "Erlang is too busy. Yesterday, I went to see Madam, and she said she hadn't seen him for several days. Now he doesn't have anyone who cares about him."
Hearing this, Su Lanzhang felt her scalp tingle, and she quickly said, "Mom, please don't worry about it. If my second brother doesn't want to get married, then he doesn't have to. I haven't said anything, so why do you keep nagging me?"
Aunt Bai glared at him and said, "I'm just worried, right? I'm just saying it in front of you. I know how to handle things when we're out in public."
Unlike Aunt Bai, Su Lanzhang could vaguely understand what Second Brother was thinking, so she smiled and said, "That's fine, Second Brother knows what's going on, so let's not make things worse."
After admonishing his mother, Su Lanzhang returned to the house and saw his two sons playing wildly. He scolded them like a father and tested their academic performance before letting the two brats go.
Seeing them running out like crazy, Su Lanzhang cursed, "These two brats, every time they see me they act like I'm the King of Hell. I was much more obedient than them when I was little."
Hearing this, his wife, Ding, couldn't help but laugh and jokingly said, "My dear, you can't lie. Both mothers said you were very naughty when you were little. Once, you even destroyed all the paintings in my second brother's study. I was so angry that my aunt beat you with a whip."
Su Lanzhang felt a little embarrassed and touched his nose and said, "This happened so many years ago, and they are still bringing it up."
Mrs. Ding then said, "So, my husband, please be more patient with them and learn from your second brother. Back then, your second brother didn't look down on you, right?"
Su Lanzhang also laughed after hearing this. After a while, he hugged his wife and asked, "Xiaoxiao, do you also think that I am far inferior to my second brother?"
"My dear, you are the best person in my heart." Ding said with a smile.
Su Lanzhang didn't believe it and said, "Don't comfort me. As a son, I can't compare to my second brother. Now my aunt only has the lowest imperial decree, and my mother's side is a super-rank lady. I can't compare to my second brother as an official. I'm afraid I will never be able to catch up with him in this life. I can't compare to him as a brother either. Huihui has never looked down on me."
Mrs. Ding leaned into his arms and said, "But my husband, you are the best husband and the best father. You are willing to spend time with the children, with me, and with the mothers when they go out to play."
"Whenever you have time, you stay home with us and never go out to have fun. You would rather be laughed at as a henpecked woman than glare at me."
"I know that in my husband's heart, whether it's my two mothers, my second brother Huihui, or me and my two children, they are all extremely important. In our eyes, my husband is a man who stands tall and proud."
"My dear husband, you have your own good qualities, which even my second brother cannot compare to."
Su Lanzhang's heart melted. He hugged his wife tightly and said, "Am I that good?"
Mrs. Ding smiled sweetly and said, "Comparisons are the thief of anger. My husband, if you insist on competing with my second brother, how many people in this world can compare to you? Think carefully, can you pick out one person?"
Su Lanzhang thought about it seriously and felt that it was not the case. After all, in his eyes, his second brother was also perfect.
Ding knew this a long time ago. Even though Su Lanzhang was troubled from time to time, this person was just like Su Huihui. If anyone dared to say anything bad about Su Fengzhang, the brother and sister would be the first to jump out and oppose and rebuke them.
Before entering the family, Ding had actually doubted the situation of the Su family. Although people outside said that Su Fengzhang loved his younger siblings, Su Zhao was also tolerant of his illegitimate children and got along with his concubine Bai Yi Niang like sisters.
But Ding had watched her own mother teach the children of concubines since she was a child, and she didn't believe it in her heart.
Who knew that after entering the family, she finally understood that Su Fengzhang really took care of his two younger siblings as his own children, and Su Zhao and Aunt Bai were also as close as sisters. When they first separated, Aunt Bai was even afraid that Su Zhao would be too lonely, so she had the idea of staying there and not living with her son.
Ding knew even more that half of the reason she could live such a comfortable life was thanks to her second brother, and she admired him very much in her heart. Therefore, she was very happy to appease her husband to prevent any conflicts between the two brothers.
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