Chapter 880: A Clean Stream Among Warlords [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
"Xu! Wen! Note!"
As Lady Mi stepped into the corridor outside the study, she heard Wu Xian's suppressed, out-of-control growl. Her son, who was holding her hand, shrank back in fright, clutching her sleeve and refusing to move forward, his eyes filled with fear. Lady Mi gently stroked the back of his head, as if to calm her son down. Mother and son waited in the corridor for the summons. After a while, the study door quietly opened.
The person who came was Wu Xian's personal guard.
The latter whispered a reminder that Wu Xian was in a bad mood and she shouldn't provoke him. Lady Mi nodded slightly and thanked her softly. Wu Xian, who was in the study, noticed the two approaching and softened his demeanor, but the atmosphere was still suffocating.
"Father!"
Lady Mi bowed to Wu Xian.
Compared to her reserved demeanor, her son was much more lively. The child looked at Wu Xian with pure, loving affection and asked in a clear voice, "Mother said I've grown another year older today. Father, do you think I'm taller than yesterday?"
The gloom on Wu Xian's face lessened by three points.
He stroked his son's head and said, "It is indeed a bit too high."
Lady Mi stood to one side, observing cautiously, seemingly helpless: "This child is still thinking about the promise the master made the other day. He started making a fuss before dawn today, and I can't stand being bothered by him."
Wu Xian said expressionlessly, "It's nothing."
Lady Mi, fearing she might step on a landmine, sat for a while before using the excuse of making longevity noodles for her son to leave. Unexpectedly, Wu Xian also got up. Seeing her timid yet flattered appearance, Wu Xian said meaningfully, "Some things are already done, and getting angry won't help."
This matter is clearly related to that phrase "Xu Wenzhu".
Lady Mi and Xu Jie had some connection.
Before entering Wu Xian's backyard, she was a dancer.
Wu Xian bought her at a high price and temporarily placed her in Xu Jie's residence. He even gave her the innocent identity of "a distant relative of the Xu family" as a fig leaf before taking her away. Because of this, she received tributes from the Xu family during festivals over the years. Although she dared not get too close to the Xu family, she was still indebted to them and would occasionally speak well of them.
On the surface, she was close to Madam Xu.
She couldn't remain indifferent to the trouble that had befallen the Xu family this time.
"The Xu family..."
She hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.
"Xu Wenzhu has led the Xu family to completely surrender to Shen Youli, no longer bothering to pretend." This news has already spread throughout Tianhai and is no longer a secret. Those in the know understand that Wu Xian is in a precarious position. "I am very agitated now, and there is no one I can discuss this with."
Lady Mi's heart skipped a beat, but she dared not make a move.
She knew, of course, that Wu Xian wasn't saying these things to discuss things with her; she just needed to listen like a block of wood. This was the right choice. Wu Xian continued, "Various voices are rising, and some are even suggesting that we send troops to attack He Yin right now."
Lady Mi was puzzled: "We can't fight?"
Wu Xian smiled wryly: "Of course we can't fight. As the old saying goes, even when beating a dog, you have to consider its owner. Xu Wenzhu is now under Shen Youli's command, and his attack on He Yin is a move to start a war with Shen Youli. The two sides will fight sooner or later, but definitely not now."
If the war starts now, Wu Xian will undoubtedly lose.
Shen Youli probably hopes he will make the first move.
Lady Mi was puzzled.
"Doesn't Lord Shen treat the young master as his own brother?"
She realized her mistake as soon as she finished speaking.
Wu Xian has even fought with her own brothers. When brothers fight over inheritance, they never care about brotherly affection, let alone the fact that Wu Xian and Shen Tang's relationship is only publicly acknowledged as a deep bond. To more sensitive people, her question would probably sound harsh.
Fortunately, Wu Xian had some feelings for her and didn't pursue the matter.
His current resentment is entirely directed at the Tianhai family and Xu Jie, who tricked him—as the lord, everything within the country theoretically belongs to him, so he doesn't care much about the location of the capital, but the Tianhai family is different. They are arguing that the capital should be located in Tianhai, but because of the River Governor, this proposal is destined to fail. What country has its capital right next to the border of a neighboring country?
Wu Xian's ears were ringing from the noise.
Unfortunately, one bad news after another followed.
"...There hasn't been a moment of peace and quiet these past few days!"
Lady Mi's eyes held a mixture of admiration for Wu Xian and a perfectly timed air of innocent ignorance: "...Didn't the Lord say a while ago that as long as Shangnan is in our hands, He Yin is nothing to fear?"
Wu Xianneng is still laughing now, so he is certainly not an ignorant person.
He led his troops to intimidate Yi Ru and then returned to Tianhai, instead of sending troops to attack He Yin. The reasons were simple: first, the Tianhai family was restless and his home base was unstable, so the priority of the rear was higher than that of He Yin; second, he and his subordinates were too optimistic about Shangnan, thinking that once Shangnan was in hand, He Yin would naturally be theirs, and there was no need to go there to intimidate them.
The result was a complete failure.
“Shen Youli sent people to pick up Gu Ren’s family early in the morning.”
Wu Xian was still furious when the matter was brought up. Shen Youli had kept it a secret for too long—Gu Ren's relatives were all in her hands, and she even pretended to say that Gu Ren's estate should be inherited by his son. Even Wu Xian had to admit that she was being hypocritical.
"Isn't this kidnapping the elderly and infirm to rob them of their property?" Shen Youli can use Gu Ren's relatives as a banner, and so can Wu Xian.
Wu Xian sighed: "How could I not have thought about it?"
Upon receiving the news, someone advised him to start with public opinion, publicly questioning Shen Youli and branding her as a hypocrite who deceives the world. Once her reputation for benevolence was shattered, he could later raise the banner of justice.
I never anticipated this—
"Gu Ren still has brothers alive!" He slammed his fist on the table in anger.
Lady Mi exclaimed in surprise, "There are still people alive?"
Even though she was in the inner courtyard, she heard the news of the deaths of the thirteen Gu brothers. It was said that the battle was so fierce that the sky darkened and the sun and moon were obscured. It was so horrific that very few bodies could be found…
Gu Ren and his sworn brothers faced life and death together.
There's no reason why anyone would choose to live a life of ignominy.
Wu Xian also found it outrageous: "There's more than one alive!"
The one who returned was Chao Lian, also known as Chao Qingzhi, who was ranked twelfth among his brothers. According to intelligence brought back by his scouts, Chao Lian and his two surviving brothers had been rescued on the Central Continent, thousands of miles away. He buried his brothers' remains, recovered from his injuries, and set off back to the Northwest Continent.
Gu Rensheng repeatedly praised his twelve sworn brothers, describing them as virtuous and talented, while saying that his own sons were mediocre in ability and temperament, unfit to uphold the family's honor. He said that if he were to pass away first, his brothers could inherit the family business, as long as they remembered their brotherly bond and looked after his descendants. Honestly, which sworn brother could resist weeping upon hearing such words?
In other words, Chao Lian had a natural right to inherit.
What's even more outrageous is that Gu Ren's wife, children, and even his father-in-law all approve of it!
When Chao Lian returned and heard that Shen Youli had sheltered his sworn brother's orphaned mother and children, he was moved to tears and had no objection to Shen Tang sending troops to take over Shangnan. Outsiders who wanted to criticize Shen Tang for bullying the orphaned mother and children and exploiting the widowed family were simply out of the question! The heir had no objections, the orphaned mother and children had no objections, so why should Wu Xian have any objections?
Lady Mi was speechless.
Gu Ren and his sworn brothers were truly a breath of fresh air among the warlords! They readily relinquished what the worldly elites and powerful coveted, making everyone else look like fools. No wonder Wu Xian hasn't even wanted to mention Shangnan lately.
She silently swallowed the words in her heart.
Despite being outmaneuvered several times by Shen Tang, Wu Xian was unable to retaliate, but that didn't mean he couldn't send a message to inquire. Especially regarding Xu Jie's matter, Shen Tang's actions could be considered blatant robbery.
If Wu Xian doesn't express his opinion, he might not be able to convince the public.
Sibao County, its capital was Xiaocheng.
The weary young martial artist looked up at the city walls, almost untouched by the ravages of war, and felt a pang of emotion. It had been five or six years since he last visited Xiaocheng. Times had changed, and things were no longer the same. He stood there for a long time, lost in thought, before finally gathering his composure.
Upon entering the city, he presented a handwritten letter.
Upon seeing the signature, the guards immediately let him pass. The young man clasped his hands in thanks and went to the Xiaocheng government office to inquire about the whereabouts of his sworn brother's family.
The young martial artist was Chao Lian.
After leaving the Lin residence in Lingzhou, he met with Shen Tang, had a heart-to-heart talk, made a trip to Shangnan, and finally entered Sibao County.
Going to Shangnan was naturally a way of proactively solving Shen Tang's problems.
Yes, Chao Lian took the initiative.
Not only Wu Xian, but Shen Tang also thought this was outrageous.
When she learned of Chao Lian's whereabouts, she was worried that he might become a variable. Gu Ren's relatives were all elderly, weak, women and children. Even if they were given Shang Nan and the remaining old troops of Shang Nan, they would not be able to make a splash. But Chao Lian was different. He was a brave and courageous martial artist.
The former subordinates of Shangnan would definitely be willing to accept Chao Lian's transfer.
If he were to demand Shangnan, Shen Tang would be in a difficult position. She was just worrying about how to trick him, but unexpectedly, Chao Lian turned the tables and caught her completely off guard. He didn't think she was trying to seize Shangnan by taking Gu Ren's relatives away; he was more than grateful!
Shen Tang: [...]
She looked warily at Chao Lian, whose face was full of sincerity.
The prepared draft was never used.
Seeing her like this, Chao Lian comforted her, saying, "Shen Jun, don't worry. Everything I've said today comes from the bottom of my heart; there's no falsehood in it. Actually, my brothers don't have any ambitions. Especially my eldest brother; all he wants in this life is a small place to call his own. Now, of the thirteen brothers, only my sixth brother, my thirteenth brother, and I are left. If we can hold onto Shangnan, that's fine, but if we can't, wouldn't that be detrimental to my sister-in-law and the others?"
Shangnan's fate was sealed. Even if he could disregard the safety of his sister-in-law and nephews and insist on taking Shangnan, he couldn't stand by and watch his elder brother's life's work become a battleground for Shen Jun and Wu Xian. It was better to settle for second best and choose one of them, at least preserving Gu Ren's bloodline. This was the best outcome Chao Lian could think of at the moment. He understood this clearly and accepted it calmly.
Kiyoshi's words, on the contrary, made me feel ashamed.
Since Chao Lian had chosen to entrust Shen Tang to Gu Ren's family, he naturally had to be of one mind with her, take the initiative to resolve the public opinion crisis for her, and cut off Wu Xian's opportunity to launch an attack. After finishing these tasks, he couldn't wait to rush to Xiaocheng to see his sister-in-law.
Because of Gu Ren's special status as a relative, Qi Shan dispatched troops to patrol and guard him day and night to prevent any unfriendly outside interference. To avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, Chao Lian still followed the proper procedures.
The mansion and the government office were right next to each other on the same street.
He stood outside the door for a long time, hesitant to go in, and unsure how to explain to his sister-in-law and the others that he was still alive.
Until someone called out to him hesitantly, "Uncle Chao?"
Chao Lian seemed to have been immobilized, rooted to the spot.
The man stepped forward to confirm, and exclaimed with delight, "It really is Uncle Chao!"
Chao Lian stiffly turned his head, and a familiar face came into view. The young man in front of him was Gu Ren's eldest son with his first wife. As an ordinary person, the latter was not short, but he was rather short compared to the martial arts master: "Nephew."
Although the two are uncle and nephew, they are only a few years apart in age.
Upon hearing his "nephew's" response, the young man confirmed Chao Lian's identity and eagerly pulled him into his home: "I thought I was seeing things, but it really is Uncle Chao. A few days ago, Registrar Qi said that Uncle Chao was still alive, but I didn't believe it."
He couldn't wait to shout as soon as he stepped into the house.
"Mother, look who's back!" Gu Ren had three wives, with whom he had three sons and two daughters. When Qi Shan sent people to meet him, they all came back. His eldest son even got a job at the government office. "It's Uncle Chao! Uncle Chao is back!"
People who heard the commotion rushed over.
Upon seeing his sister-in-law, who appeared to have aged ten years, Chao Lian suddenly knelt down on both knees to beg for forgiveness. The commotion was so great that the stone slab cracked: "Sister-in-law, Qingzhi is incompetent and failed to bring back my elder brother."
The young woman's eyes reddened upon hearing this, and she quickly had her eldest son help Chao Lian up, saying, "Uncle, what are you saying? Ziyi in heaven will be comforted that you've come back alive..."
Chao Lian raised his hand and hastily wiped away his tears.
Seeing that he looked travel-worn, the young woman quickly told her maid to go and prepare a welcoming feast for him. While she was at it, Chao Lian checked on Gu Ren's children, making sure they were all safe and sound before he said, "Sister-in-law, I have something else to tell you..."
This matter is naturally related to Shangnan.
Although Gu Ren said his family business could be inherited by his sworn brothers, Chao Lian felt that his eldest brother's children were the more legitimate heirs. He had made the decision without their permission, so naturally he had to apologize. The young woman, however, showed no surprise.
She said with a sigh of relief, "When the news of Ziyi's death reached Shangnan, Father discussed this matter with me."
With her husband dead, the pillar of her family collapsed.
Orphans and widows, without any military protection, are lambs to the slaughter in chaotic times. Their only option is to use their remaining resources to secure a place to live. Therefore, when Qi Shan secretly contacted them, they decided to join Shen Tang's camp.
The young woman looked ashamed, bowed to Chao Lian, and said, "I should be the one apologizing to my uncle for this."
To protect herself and her children, she relinquished the family business that her husband and his brothers had built up over a decade, a decision she deeply regretted. She was already ashamed that her brother-in-law hadn't questioned her, but to make matters worse, he apologized to her, a gesture she felt unworthy of.
"Mother, please stop talking. If anyone is to blame, it should be your son!" Seeing this situation, Gu Ren's eldest son simply took all the blame upon himself. As his father's only adult eldest son, if he had any talent for cultivation, he wouldn't be unable to support the family. The current situation was also related to his incompetence.
The three argued endlessly, and another wave of sadness washed over them.
It wasn't until Chao Lian spoke up, saying he wanted to stay and take care of the family, that things changed.
The young woman was tempted, but she knew it was wrong; they couldn't use gratitude to bind Chao Lian: "Everything is well in your household."
Chao Lian worriedly said, "But..."
The young woman said, "For Ziyi's sake, Mr. Shen will treat his family well. In addition, your niece and nephew are quite talented and will be able to take charge of the household in a few years."
Although the eldest son lacked talent, the younger son and daughter did.
This is also the hope for the future of the household.
|ω`)
There were no warning signs yesterday, but my wrist started hurting again after I woke up from my afternoon nap. I kept accidentally touching it while typing last night, which was really frustrating.
(End of this chapter)
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