Chapter 231, Trial by Three Courts
After receiving the letter from Daohua, the two Yan brothers Wenxiu returned to the Yan family on the Dragon Boat Festival.
Songheyuan.
All the young and old in the Yan family had arrived. Old Mrs. Yan sat on the step, Yan Zhigao sat in the first seat on the left, Madam Li sat in the first seat on the right, and the rest sat on both sides.
Yan Wenxiu, Yan Wentao, and Yan Wenkai stood in the center with their heads lowered.
Daohua sat next to the old lady and saw that the scene in the room was like a trial, so her face couldn't help but become serious.
Yan Zhigao spoke first: "Wenxiu, you are the eldest brother, can you tell me what happened when you went to Fenxi?"
Yan Wenxiu felt a little nervous at the moment. Although he knew he might be scolded when he decided to follow the young prince to Fenxi, he did not expect his family to make such a big fuss.
"Father, this is what happened."
"In March, the Governor-General wrote to the young prince, saying that he wanted him to go there to gain some experience. In the Governor-General's words, no matter how well you learn in the academy, it won't be as useful as real experience."
"The bandit problem in Fenxi has been largely brought under control, and we're currently working to dismantle the remaining forces. There's no significant danger anymore, so it's perfect for training."
"At the time, the three of us, along with Brother Dong, Hongxin, and Chengye, were all there. None of us had ever experienced such a real-life scene, so we were all very nervous."
"We all gathered together to discuss and decided to follow the young prince to see what he has to offer. After all, he has guards around him, so if we follow him, we won't have to worry too much about our safety."
Yan Wenkai took over the conversation: "That's right, Father, Mother, Grandmother, my third brother and I are martial artists. We will definitely experience these things in the future. The sooner we are exposed to them, the sooner we will be mentally prepared."
"Since there is such an opportunity by the side of the young prince, we naturally cannot miss it."
Looking at her fourth brother who acted as if he was not wrong and was even quite reasonable, Daohua had the urge to cover her face.
Is what we are discussing today a question of right or wrong?
Is it because they didn't tell their families about the problem?
Sure enough, her mother and grandmother both looked unhappy.
At this time, the third brother Yan Wentao spoke up: "Grandma, uncle, aunt, we were wrong for not informing our family immediately. It's our fault."
Yan Wenkai took over the conversation again: "We did this mainly because we were worried about our family's opposition."
"We are mainly worried about the worries at home!"
Yan Wenxiu quickly interrupted his fourth brother. He was really afraid that if he continued talking, his grandmother and mother, who had obviously relaxed a little, would start to hold them back.
"Grandmother, Mother, it's truly safe to be with the young prince. The Governor-General can't let his own nephew be put in danger! Besides, we've gained a lot from this trip."
Yan Zhigao spoke up at this time: "Tell me, what did you gain?"
Yan Wenxiu organized his words: "In the past, when we heard about bandits, we always condemned them as a group of vicious people."
"But this time when we went to Fenxi, the bandits we encountered were all unarmed civilians. They were causing trouble for no other reason than to get something to eat. As long as we gave them food, they would immediately disperse. Their demands were so simple."
"I was also very dissatisfied with the grain being stolen before, but when I saw those people living in dire straits, I suddenly felt relieved. When I can't even fill my own stomach, how can I care about the interests of my country?"
"It's not difficult to govern the people. As long as you can keep them well fed and clothed, they will be grateful. But if they lose their livelihood, these unarmed and honest people will rise up in rebellion."
I have learned these things in books before, but the feelings I had were far less profound and shocking than seeing them with my own eyes.
Yan Zhigao nodded: "You are right, but it is not easy to ensure that the people in a region have enough food and clothing!"
He was very pleased that his eldest son cared about the people. Only by caring about the people could he truly serve the people when he became an official.
Afterwards, Yan Zhigao turned his attention to Yan Wenkai.
To be honest, over the years, with the outstanding eldest son in front and the favored youngest son behind, he didn't pay much attention to the second son in the middle.
The impression he had of his second son was that he was noisy and playful.
But today, he was shocked to find that this second son who had not received much attention from him had grown up. Standing next to his eldest son, he was even taller than him. His sturdy body was quite intimidating when he stood there.
"What about you? What did you gain?"
Yan Wenkai was somewhat surprised by his father's proactive question.
There's no way around it. He's the invisible man in the family. In the past, my parents mostly focused their attention on my eldest brother. They didn't criticize him, but they didn't have any demands on him either. As long as he had enough food and clothing, he was happy and comfortable.
It was only after the eldest sister came back that the two of them started to play and joke around more. In addition, he went to Wangyue Academy and stayed with the little prince, and then the family's attention gradually began to turn to him.
Yan Wenkai continued his usual rough style and said, "The stronger the fist, the more powerful the truth. To deal with those who resist and refuse to obey, we must use absolute force to suppress them and not give them any chance to rise again."
Yan Zhigao frowned, "Relying solely on violence is not the best strategy."
Yan Wenkai said casually: "Beat him first. Once he's convinced, we can sit down and talk things over. And you have to do what I say. Otherwise, you'll have to keep getting beaten!"
Yan Zhigao was speechless: "What if you are the loser?"
Yan Wenkai immediately responded, "So, when I return to the academy, I will redouble my efforts in martial arts training. No matter what, when I fight in the future, I must win, so that I can have the final say."
Before Yan Zhigao could respond, Madam Li stood up, walked over to Yan Wenkai, and pointed her index finger at his forehead. "Fight, fight, fight! Do you love fighting so much?"
Yan Wenkai quickly hid behind Yan Wenxiu and begged for mercy, "Mom, I'm just answering Dad's question. I don't fight all day!"
At this time, Yan Zhigao looked at Yan Wentao again. His expression and tone were much kinder towards his nephew. "Wentao, I know you are an honest child, reserved and not showing off. Your fourth brother is a bit impulsive, so you have to keep a close eye on him."
Yan Wentao immediately replied, "Don't worry, uncle. I will. Actually, Fourth Brother isn't that impulsive. He just likes to play around sometimes. However, the young prince likes Fourth Brother's temperament, and so do Brother Dong and Brother Zhou."
Yan Zhigao: "He's a bit of a jerk, a bit of a fool. He can see through everyone's thoughts at a glance, without even having to use his brain. That's why he's so likable."
Yan Wentao scratched the back of his head. He didn't quite understand why everyone said that his fourth brother was stupid.
Fourth brother is very smart, okay? Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been the first to discover the bandit’s sentry when he went to Fenxi with the little prince this time.
Daohua also leaned on the old lady's shoulder and smiled. In her eyes, her fourth brother was no less capable than her eldest brother. He looked simple on the outside but was actually smart on the inside. He was a bit straightforward, but if she really treated him as an ignorant person, she would definitely suffer in the end.
Old Lady Yan made her final conclusion: "No matter what, you went to Fenxi without telling your family. This is a serious mistake. No matter how reasonable your argument is, you must be punished."
Mrs. Li immediately responded, "Yes."
Old Lady Yan looked at Madam Li and said, "Otherwise, punish them."
Madam Li immediately took over the conversation: "Fine them three months' salary?"
"No, Grandma, Mom, without the monthly allowance, your son will be starving. You can't do this~"
Yan Wenkai immediately started yelling, looking extremely miserable.
Seeing him like this, the old lady smiled with satisfaction: "Okay, I'll fine them three months' salary to teach them a lesson."
Upon hearing this, Yan Wenxiu and Yan Wentao both breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, it’s just three months’ salary, and it will be over if I just bear with it.
(End of this chapter)
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