“Lord, Fourth gongzi is here!”
Just as everyone was speaking, a black-armored Imperial Army expert with a thick spear in his hand walked in and kneeled onto the floor respectfully.
“Oh!”
Hearing those words, everyone’s eyes lit up. The old master also sat slightly more upright:
“Allow him to enter!”
“Little uncle is finally here!”
Standing by the side, when Wang Chong heard those words, his attention was piqued as well. The Wang Clan four siblings consisted of big uncle, big aunt, father, and not to forget, little uncle.
Even though little uncle didn’t live too far away, his condition was the most unique of the four. Little uncle was a commander of the Imperial Army Training Camp, and he shouldered the responsibility of picking out the elites from the various lands and train them at Tianzhu Mountain.
The further studies of the Imperial Army elites fell under his scope of responsibilities as well.
Thus, even though he didn’t live too far from the capital, as a guard of the Imperial Army of the Sage Emperor, his freedom was restricted.
“Hahaha, brother, sister-in-laws, big sister, uncle… You’re all here!”
From the entrance of the Four Quarters Embassy, a light-hearted chuckle sounded. Soon, a thin but powerful-looking, young, tanned general walked in.
“Father, son has returned to offer you blessings!”
Upon walking through the entrance, that young general respectfully bowed to the old master and old lady.
“Hehe, Mi-er, it’s good that you’re back!”
The old lady immediately grew agitated upon seeing the young general. Seeing his tanned skin, she felt her heart ache for him.
Wang Chong’s little uncle was the youngest of the second generation of the Wang Clan, as well as the only spouseless one. This was also the greatest worry of the old lady.
“Come in. You’ve worked hard at the Tianzhu Mountain.”
In contrast to the old lady, the old master was much calmer.
Little uncle nodded and glanced about. Very soon, his gaze fell on Wang Chong, and he secretly winked.
Wang Chong couldn’t help but smile.
Of the elders, Wang Chong was the closest to this little uncle. As his little uncle was the youngest of the second generation, the age gap between him and Wang Chong was the smallest as well.
More importantly, little uncle had a cheerful nature, so he didn’t bear much expectations of the younger generation. In his previous life, when Wang Chong was undergoing his rebellious phase, and all of the elders were disappointed in him and criticized him, only little uncle didn’t put on airs and joked around with him.
Thus, of all the elders in the clan, Wang Chong was the most fond of this little uncle, and he was the closest to him as well.
Little uncle walked over and sat beside Uncle Li Lin.
Little uncle has been busy on Tianzhu Mountain, and it was rare for him to come and visit. The old master asked him about his present condition, and little uncle replied his queries patiently.
“Now, only Yan-er isn’t here!”
Having the offsprings of the Wang Clan gathered here delighted the old master, and the smile on his face was clearly much brighter than before. However, when those words fell into Xing Yuan Chun’s ears, she coldly muttered:
“Hmph, isn’t there another one in the jail?”
Weng!
The moment Wang Chong’s big aunt’s words sounded, the atmosphere in the entire hall turned cold. Everyone fell silently, and their gazes fell onto Xing Yuan Chun.
Zhao Shu Hua felt a sour sensation in her nose, and tears nearly fell from her eyes.
Even Wang Chong turned solemn.
Wang Chong knew that Big Aunt Xing Yuan Chun was talking about his second brother, Wang Bei. Other than his little sister, Wang Chong had two elder brothers.
Big brother has followed father’s footsteps, and he was currently out leading an army. However, second brother’s condition was slightly unique, and he was currently locked up in a cell.
This has always been his mother’s sore spot.
But everyone knew that this wasn’t second brother’s fault.
Everyone in the Wang Clan knew that the issue regarding Wang Chong’s second brother was a taboo.
“Wh-What are you all looking at me for? It’s not like I’ve said anything wrong! …”
Big Aunt Xing Yuan Chun knew that she misspoke, but as the mistress of the main family and before such a huge crowd, she was unwilling to admit her mistake.
“Enough!”
Big Uncle Wang Gen’s complexion was awful.
Despite knowing that the old master didn’t like to hear such words, she intentionally brought this matter up. Wasn’t this an obvious attempt to sully the old master’s mood?
“Can’t my mother even speak of a fact?”
Displeased, Wang Li stood in front of her mother and stared furiously at his father.
Wang Chong ignored them, and instead, he was musing over another matter.
“Thinking about it, it has already been three months!”
Wang Chong thought.
“… I should pay him a visit.”
Among Wang Chong’s siblings and kin, the one whom Wang Chong was the most distant from, as well as the coldest and prideful person of the Wang Clan, wasn’t Cousin Wang Li, but Second Brother Wang Bei.
Cousin Wang Li was so arrogant that he would disregard Wang Chong’s mother, but compared to Second Brother Wang Bei, he was truly a hill before a mountain.
Second Brother Wang Bei was close with no one.
Since young, he has been distant from Wang Chong and the others. He spoke few words, and he didn’t play around with others. Even if it was with Wang Chong and his big brother, he rarely spoke.
However, Wang Chong knew that Second Brother Wang Bei couldn’t be blamed for this. This wasn’t his true personality.
“Enough!”
In the hall, the old master slammed the table. He couldn’t tolerate it anymore.
“All of you, get out!”
The old master’s face was cold as frost. A frightening aura emanated from him, and even Big Uncle Wang Gen couldn’t help but shudder and fall deathly silent.
The old master was both skilled in academics and martial arts, and he was a top-notch expert during his youth. When chaos broke out in the royal court back then, the old master used his own strength to break out from the complicated situation to support the current Sage Emperor to the throne.
Even though it has been many years since then, and a severe wound he sustained during the military campaigns back then has caused his cultivation to deteriorate, he still wasn’t someone that those offsprings of his could compare up to.
The old master never got angry easily, but when he did, he struck fear in the hearts of others. Even Wang Chong couldn’t help but lower his head.
Even though Big Aunt Xing Yuan Chun spoke arrogantly before, before the wrath of the old master, she felt suffocated, and she didn’t dare to speak a single word.
“Old master, calm down. It’s rare that the children have come to meet you. Furthermore, Yuan Chun didn’t mean it.”
The old lady tried to calm the situation.
“Gen-er, Mi-er, and Ru Shuang, why are you all still here!”
Seeing that the old master was truly enraged, how could the rest of them dare to talk back to him? They hurriedly rushed out from the hall.
“Yao-er, you remain here. Grandfather likes you the most, so humor him. Don’t let him remain angry.”
Wang Family’s little sister was about to leap from the embrace of the two elders, but she was stopped by the old lady. There were few ladies in the Wang Clan, and little sister was the youngest of them all. She has an innocent and direct personality, and she has a flair for humoring the old master and old lady as well. At this moment, she was the only one allowed to remain in the hall.
…
“It’s the old master’s seventieth birthday. Must you make everyone unhappy like that?”
Walking out from the Erudite Pavilion, Big Uncle Wang Gen’s complexion was grave. Discipline was strict in the Wang Clan, and the old master and old lady had never quarreled in their entire life.
Thus, taking them as role models, Wang Gen tolerated all that his wife, Xing-shi, did. Furthermore, Xing-shi governed over the finances of the family individually, which was an extremely difficult task given the huge number of guards, maids, nannies, and such in the family.
On top of that, there wasn’t a single person in the Wang Clan who was skilled in management. If not for Xing-shi‘s particular talent in that field which allowed her to manage several businesses in the capital to fund the family, Wang Gen’s meager stipend was far from sufficient to prop up the family.
This was also the reason why Wang Gen was forgiving and tolerant of Xing-shi.
“… Haven’t I told you about Li-er’s matter? If not for Chong-er’s wits to guard against the Yao Clan, the Yao Clan would have exploited him. That child has helped us, so why must you be so against him? Besides, from the carriage, you have been trying to insult Zhao-shi ever since our arrival. In the hall, you intentionally chose to bring up all of the depressing affairs, causing the old master to become unhappy on this joyous occasion. What in the world are you up to?”
Wang Gen rarely lashed out at Xing-shi, but this time, he couldn’t hold himself back.
“What am I up to?”
Hearing Wang Gen’s criticisms, Xing-shi felt wronged and displeased.
“Wang Gen, if you have planned out Li-er’s future properly, do you think that I would have to do all these? In the end, the reason why the Yao Clan got a chance at our Li-er is because of your inept. If you have made arrangements carefully, would such a thing occur? Li-er is the eldest son of our Wang Clan, the eldest son! But look at how he is now!”
“Putting aside how Wang Fu’s position is above his, what about the second son, Wang Bei? Although he is squatting in the cell, the old master is still protecting him! Can’t I at least talk about it?”
“Besides, Wang Gen, don’t you forget. The children of your third brother are Li-er’s biggest competitors. The position and standing of the old master must be inherited by our Li-er. Why should we share anything with Wang Fu and Wang Bei? Other people may be unwilling to fight for him, but as his mother, why shouldn’t I be allowed to help my son?”
Xing-shi‘s eyes reddened, and her entire body trembled in fury. That’s right! She was obnoxious, she disregarded the occasion, and she spoke back to the old master. However, all of this was for her own child!
Wang Gen couldn’t see through the matter, but she could. If Li-er wanted to inherit the old master’s massive influence and wealth, the third brother’s family would be his biggest competitor.
This was an absolute fact!
Initially, Wang Gen was filled with anger. However, hearing Xing-shi‘s words, he fell silent.
At the same time, on the other side of the Four Quarters Embassy, Wang Chong finally found his little uncle.
“You brat, not bad huh! I’ve heard of your affairs while I was at Tianzhu Mountain.”
Wang Chong’s little uncle, Wang Mi, walked over and patted Wang Chong’s shoulders heavily. Perhaps because there was only twenty years of difference between the two of them, little uncle has never put on the airs of an elder before Wang Chong.
“Little uncle, you’re tanned again. If this goes on, you’ll be turning into a black man soon.”
Wang Chong joked. There wasn’t the slightest restraint that one would have when facing their elders.
“Black man?”
Little uncle was confused.
Wang Chong chuckled within. There were no black men in this world, so it was unlikely that little uncle would understand his joke.
Another term to remember :X Woops
-shi -> Surname.
For example, Zhao Shu Hua would be called Zhao-shi (i.e. The person with a surname of Zhao)
Usually, this is how one addresses a person’s wife/ concubines.
–er -> Means child
For example, Wang Chong would be called Chong-er.
This is how one fondly addresses someone younger than them. Usually, this would be how a mother addresses her child.
gongzi -> Gentleman
For example, Yao Feng would be addressed as Yao gongzi.
Usually, this is indicative of one’s affluent/ scholarly background. It is quite a respectful way to address someone.