Green Mountain
Chapter 386 - 312. A Good Show

Chapter 386: 312. A Good Show

The candlelight flickered in the Wendan Hall.

In a family hall, four officials in red robes were gathered. It looked less like a home and more like a government office.

Chen Ji glanced at the hurriedly arriving Chen Lizun, whose forehead was dotted with sweat, evidently having run inside from the gate of the Chen Mansion after getting off the carriage.

Official Chen raised his eyes to look at Chen Lizun, then closed them again to rest. He appeared either too old and weary or unwilling to witness the internal disputes of the family.

Chen Lizhi stood up and explained, "Brother, no one accused anyone while you were in Tanggu. Today, the fifteenth of February, is the designated day for a family meeting."

Chen Wende said softly, "Uncle, it is true that Yao Man, the maid who follows Chen Ji, reported something. Chen Ji, he..."

Chen Lizun interrupted him, turning to Chen Ji: "Did you?"

Chen Ji firmly replied, "No."

Chen Lizun then looked at Chen Wende: "He has already denied it, let us not dwell on this matter."

Chen Wende was taken aback, "Uncle..."

Just then, a rooster’s crow pierced the night sky, tearing apart the distant nighttime shroud.

Amid the crowing, Chen Lizun took initiative.

He ignored Chen Wende and looked outside at Mrs. Liang, then at Chen Liqin: "The third house has failed in upbringing, even teaching a Chen family descendant into a traitorous beast. Not only does he not repent, but he also plays the false victim. Does he no longer think of our clan’s reputation but still wishes to bring up old issues in the Wendan Hall?"

In his gaze, Chen Liqin slightly lowered his head, and the sobbing of Mrs. Liang abruptly stopped.

Chen Lizun sternly asked, "Sister-in-law Liang, let me ask you, do you acknowledge what Chen Wenxiao did in Guyuan?"

Mrs. Liang remained silent.

Chen Lizun turned to face Official Chen and bowed, "Father, I wish to invoke the clan rules to punish the main culprit for tarnishing the family’s reputation."

Official Chen slowly spoke, "Third Son, what is your view?"

Chen Liqin hesitated for a few moments and eventually bowed deeply, "I am willing to accept punishment for my failure in teaching the younger generation that nearly led to a great mistake."

"Very well," Official Chen slowly opened his eyes, "From the moment you began studying at Kuizhang Pavilion, the first book you learned was not the Four Books and Five Classics but the Chen family history. So you all should remember, the ancestors of the Chen family followed the Great Ancestor in raising an army in Haozhou, enduring sixteen years, traveling over ten thousand miles, and surviving nine lives and deaths, before achieving the current Ning Dynasty and Chen family."

Official Chen continued leisurely, "If offspring become hedonists, they may only squander some family wealth, and our Chen family can afford that, as long as they don’t cause trouble. But should there be a traitor, it could shake the foundations of our Chen family. The hard-won success of our ancestors must compel you to take caution and think thrice before acting."

Chen Lizun, Chen Lizhi, and Chen Liqin bowed together and said, "Yes."

Official Chen instructed, "The third house must forfeit six hundred acres of clan land. Mrs. Liang is to be confined in Bamboo Garden for one month and copy ’Women’s Precepts’ three hundred times. Until Chen Wenzong finishes the Imperial Examination, mother and son shall not meet. Are there any objections?"

Mrs. Liang fell to the green bricks outside the Wendan Hall, discontent, yet could only mutter, "I, the humble wife, will reflect behind closed doors and never err again."

Inside the Wendan Hall, Chen Lizhi sighed, "This Chen Wenxiao, after all, is still a legitimate son of our Chen family..."

Before he could finish, Chen Lizun again turned to Official Chen and bowed, "The second house’s Chen Wenren holds an important position in the Yulin Army but lingers excessively in the Eight Great Hutongs. Last year’s incident with the Hu Family, fighting over a singer nearly made a mockery in the government office. Recently, he embarrassed himself in front of Barbarian’s Envoys, almost resulting in dismissal and exile. I wish to invoke clan rules and impose punishment, to prevent further transgressions."

Chen Lizhi’s pupils contracted.

Official Chen looked at Chen Lizhi, "Second Son, what is your view?"

Chen Lizhi hesitated for a moment but ultimately complied respectfully, "I am willing to accept punishment."

Official Chen gave a humph, "The second house forfeits six hundred acres of clan land. Chen Wenren must copy ’To Learn and Do,’ ’On Government,’ and ’Scripture Chapter One’ three hundred times. If he reoffends, he will be removed from the clan register."

Chen Lizhi’s eye twitched, and he bowed, "Yes."

Chen Ji stood motionless, watching Chen Lizun systematically handle the second and third houses without needing to speak again.

Just when he thought it was over, Chen Lizun once again bowed, "Father, Chen Ji achieved great deeds in Guyuan, safeguarding the nation’s foundation. I propose that he be included in the clan register."

Chen Lizhi frowned, "Impossible!"

Chen Lizun turned to him, "Why?"

Chen Lizhi said to Official Chen, "Family head, the clan rules state that a bastard must reach the Sixth Rank to be included in the clan register. The ancestral rules cannot be abolished."

Chen Lizun said gravely, "There are always exceptions. The merits Chen Ji achieved in Guyuan are exceptional enough to warrant breaking the rules."

Chen Lizhi lowered his eyelids, "Brother, the ancestral rules have their reasoning, let us not break them casually. Today it may be a small matter, tomorrow another, with each exception, the clan’s regulations will become meaningless."

Chen Lizun was about to speak further when Official Chen slowly stood up, "Enough, let us follow the clan rules. Since he is a young talent, it should not be long before he advances to the Sixth Rank. You all have government duties to attend to; do not delay your important affairs."

After speaking, he walked among them, and as he was about to step out of the Wendan Hall, a voice suddenly called out, "Family head, wait."

Official Chen turned to look, only to find Chen Ji bowing in the hall, "Family head, my Aunt left behind some properties, including the Gufu Building outside East Gate, Yujing Garden in the Eight Great Hutongs, Chen’s Grain and Oil Store, the silk shop outside the Bell and Drum Tower, and three hundred twenty acres of fine land in Changping. These deeds and titles are in the hands of my legitimate mother. Now that I’ve come of age, I ask for the return of my Aunt’s inheritance."

Official Chen looked Chen Ji up and down, then smiled, "You have a good sense of timing, quite bold."

Chen Ji respectfully replied, "It just came to mind."

Official Chen looked outside towards Mrs. Liang, "Is what Chen Ji said true?"

Mrs. Liang hesitated for a moment: "To the Family Head, what Chen Ji said is true, I indeed kept it for him."

Official Chen nodded: "Then return it all together."

Mrs. Liang bit her lip and said: "To the Family Head, it cannot be returned at this moment."

Official Chen scrutinized her: "Oh?"

Mrs. Liang explained in a low voice: "It’s not that I refuse to return it, but these properties are yet to be transferred, and cannot be handed over in a hurry. It’s just that Chen Ji has already come of age, and I’m currently searching for a suitable marriage for him. Once he marries, these properties, along with the Tianbao Pavilion, Baoxiang Bookstore, and five hundred acres of fertile land in Changping that I hold, will be his dowry. Although Chen Ji is a bastard, as his legitimate mother, I cannot let him be looked down upon in his wife’s family."

Official Chen pondered for a moment: "Very well."

Upon saying this, he mounted the sedan chair prepared outside the Wendan Hall without looking back.

...

...

Inside Wendan Hall, Chen Lizhi did not hurry to leave. Instead, he sat back in his chair, tapping his finger slowly on the armrest, lost in thought.

Chen Lizun looked at Chen Ji and calmly said: "Rest assured, our Chen family is a reasonable place, you will not suffer grievances in vain. If such matters occur again in the future, seek me out in Xiao Ti Garden first thing."

Chen Ji clasped his hands and said: "Thank you, Great Elder."

Chen Lizun smiled and patted his shoulder: "The Family Head has already said that being included in the family register is only a matter of time for you, so there’s no need to address me as ’Great Elder’ as if you’re a servant. Just call me Uncle."

Chen Ji thought for a moment and clasped his hands again: "Thank you, Uncle."

Chen Lizun pondered for a moment and said: "Why don’t you move to Zhuozheng Garden, I..."

Chen Liqin suddenly stepped forward: "Brother, Chen Ji belongs to our Third House, how is there any reason for him to move to Zhuozheng Garden? We still have matters to attend to, we’ll take our leave now."

With that, he pulled Chen Ji away without giving Chen Lizun a chance to speak.

The family meeting of the Chen family finally dispersed.

At this moment, Chen Lizhi, who was on the chair, suddenly lifted his head and feigned curiosity: "Brother, having departed for Tanggu, who called you back?"

Chen Lizun brushed his official robe and replied calmly: "A servant in the family saw an injustice and immediately set out to inform me. What is it, Second Brother, do you want to investigate?"

Chen Lizhi chuckled: "I wouldn’t dare. Brother, you should hurry and set out, otherwise, you might not reach Tanggu tonight."

Chen Lizun turned and left.

Once Wendan Hall was completely empty, Chen Lizhi suddenly burst into laughter: "Damn, the older the ginger, the spicier it is. The old man really got us good."

Chen Wende was puzzled: "Father, what do you mean?"

Chen Lizhi restrained his laughter and gazed slowly outside Wendan Hall: "In this household, which servant would dare casually approach Wendan Hall? It was clearly a well-crafted play by the old man and that useless Chen Lizun. First, alienate Chen Ji from the Third House, then have the eldest step in to win over his heart, and incidentally, diminish the prestige of our Second House and Third House... It seems they are truly intent on having Chen Ji adopted into the Main House, and are going to great lengths to achieve it."

Seeing everyone had left, Chen Wenren also stepped into Wendan Hall: "Father, what are they after? If they want to adopt, couldn’t they just do it directly? Why go through so much trouble?"

Chen Lizhi cast a sidelong glance at him: "Fool, what they want is no ordinary person, but a son who aligns perfectly with their interests, one severed completely from the original family. If all they wanted was a son or grandson, they could easily find someone from a collateral branch to adopt. A hundred adoptions wouldn’t be a problem. But the issue is, no matter who you adopt, the other party won’t completely forget their biological parents."

Chen Lizhi sighed: "Blood bond is the hardest to sever, you must cut slowly with a dull blade. Cut until the pain is unbearable, cut until the thought of familial affection pierces the heart, only then can it be severed."

Chen Wenren questioned: "Wouldn’t finding an orphan solve that?"

Chen Lizhi picked up the tea cup beside him and splashed the remaining tea on his face: "How did I raise such a fool? This sizable Chen family cannot be passed on to just anyone; they need capability, courage, and intelligence. Do you think the old man personally reviewed the reports of Guyuan for no reason? Chen Ji won his approval. If it were three years ago, the old man wouldn’t have let Chen Ji go to Luocheng."

Chen Wenren wiped the tea and leaves off his face, remaining silent.

Chen Wende questioned: "Father, since they’ve decided to adopt Chen Ji, why didn’t they have Mrs. Liang directly return the properties to Chen Ji? Isn’t it just right to take them to the Main House?"

Chen Lizhi looked at his two sons in front of him and sighed deeply: "Those properties are nothing in front of the Chen family; just a few shops and a few hundred acres of good land. Even the crumbs slipping through the fingers from my Second House in a year exceed these. Would the old man care about them? What the old man cares about is, once these properties are given to Chen Ji, Chen Ji would be hard to control. Chen Ji may have money, properties, and power, but they must be provided by the Main House, understood?"

Chen Wende respectfully said: "Understood."

Seeing Chen Wenren silent, Chen Lizhi kicked his calf: "You understand or not?"

Chen Wenren bent over, rubbing his calf: "Understood, understood!"

Chen Lizhi, looking at this younger son, could not suppress his anger: "Such a disgraceful fool, if I hear again that you’ve gone to the Eight Great Hutongs, I’ll break your legs. And that Little Li Hua nonsense, I’ll send someone to buy her today and gift her to Prince Fu, so you better rid yourself of any thoughts."

Chen Wenren hesitated.

Chen Lizhi waved his hand: "Get out!"

Chen Wenren quickly withdrew from Wendan Hall.

Chen Lizhi, sitting in his original place, stroked his beard and muttered to himself: "Strange, I put so much effort into transferring Chen Liqin to Luocheng, who brought him back?"

Chen Wende whispered: "Father, about Chen Ji..."

Chen Lizhi squinted slightly: "Cannot be kept. Today, I finally realized a wolf cub has been raised in the Third House’s sheepfold."