Chapter 82

South of the River, Yangzhou.

The Wang Family manor by the Slender West Lake remained tranquil and beautiful as ever.

When the convoy of Wang You and Wang Ce brothers slowly arrived at the manor gate, the entire Wang Family was stirred.

Third brother Wang Qian, along with the descendants of Uncle Lu Wen and the already grown fourth-generation descendants of the Wang Family, all came out to greet them.

"Eldest brother! Second brother!"

Wang Qian looked at his two brothers, who were travel-worn and now much older, and his eyes instantly reddened.

"You've finally come back."

Wang You and Wang Ce looked at these relatives before them, at this place that held their childhood, a secluded paradise far from the turmoil of the Capital, and their hearts were filled with mixed feelings.

"We're back, we're all back." Wang You patted his younger brother Wang Qian on the shoulder, his voice tinged with emotion.

They ultimately still returned to this starting point.

That evening, the Wang Family held a grand family feast, truly a gathering of three generations under one roof.

Wang You, Wang Ce, and Wang Qian, the three brothers, sat at the place of honor.

Below them were Uncle Lu Wen and his wife; further down were the sons of Wang You and Wang Ce, as well as Lu Wen's son.

Their descendants, raised to adulthood in the Capital, were all sent back to the ancestral home; thereafter, matters such as starting a family were handled only by their mother, the third uncle, and the aunt's husband.

The Wang Family's fourth generation, whether steady, heroic, or refined, all inherited their forebears' excellent genes.

Wang Xiu's consciousness, within Wang You's body, beheld the hall full of descendants, and a warm surge rose in his heart.

Perhaps he could not change history, but he succeeded in preserving the family.

He left the Wang Family its most precious wealth—people.

As long as these little ancestors remain, hope endures.

After three rounds of wine, Wang You rose to his feet.

He gathered everyone inside the Wang Family's ancestral hall.

Inside the ancestral hall were enshrined the spirit tablets of Wang Jin and Wang Hui.

Incense smoke curled, the atmosphere solemn and reverent.

Wang You stood before the spirit tablets, looking down at the descendants kneeling on the floor, and began to speak slowly.

His voice was no longer that of the Minister of War in the court, but that of a family head, a father, an elder.

"Our Wang Family, founded by our ancestor Wen Zhen Gong, has endured three generations and a century of storms. We have known the glory of blazing fires and boiling oil, as well as the peril of treading on thin ice. What has brought us to today's situation?"

He looked around at everyone and asked in a deep voice.

"It rests on the wisdom of our ancestors, the forbearance of our parents, and, more importantly, the Wang Family's house rules etched into our bones!"

He pointed to the plaque at the center of the ancestral hall, personally carved by his father Wang Hui.

"Do not involve oneself in the succession, do not contend for the great treasure!"

"When water overflows, it spills; when the moon is full, it wanes!"

"Never stand at the highest point, for the wind there is too strong!"

"You must engrave these words in your hearts; whoever forgets them is an unworthy descendant of the Wang Family!"

His voice was stern and heavy.

"This time, I and your second uncle made a great mistake, but our ability to retreat unscathed from the political whirlpool of Chang'an relied on our family rules."

"I participated in the Yongzhen reforms, but I never claimed credit, nor did I stand at the forefront, for I know that the tree that stands out in the forest will be blown down, and the protruding rafter rots first."

"Your second uncle holds command of the Imperial Guards, yet he never forms factions nor meddles in politics, for he knows that for a general, the greatest taboo is to grow too close to court officials."

"We withdrew—not because we were afraid, nor because we lost, but because we understood compromise."

"We gave up Chang'an's authority and status, exchanged fleeting glory for the peace of the Wang Family."

He looked at his nieces and nephews, his tone turning earnest and heavy with concern.

"From today onward, Wang Family descendants may study, engage in business, or serve as officials, but there is one Iron Control rule: no one may hold a first-rank official post, enter the Royal Secretariat, or become a premier."

"What the Wang Family ought to do lies not at the pinnacle of the court, but beyond it—in the millions of acres of fertile fields in the South of the River, in the shops spread across the world, and in each of your talents and conduct."

"Do you all understand?"

"Yes! We will dutifully follow the teachings of our uncle (father)!"

The hall full of descendants responded in unison.

Wang You (Wang Xiu) looked at them and nodded with satisfaction.

……

Time flew, years were silent.

Wang You and Wang Ce, after returning to the South of the River, each day either boated on the lake, played chess in the garden, or taught their descendants to read and practice martial arts, completely casting aside the turmoil of the court.

After a few years, the two brothers successively passed away peacefully in their Yangzhou residence.

Their deaths left not too much trace in history.

And in the distant twenty-first century.

Wang Xiu took off the game console on his head and let out a long breath of foul air.

His face showed a trace of fatigue, but more so, a sense of relief.

The life of the third-generation Head of Family Wang You ended.

His life had its glory and its loss; he personally pushed forward a great reform, but also watched it fail helplessly.

But in the end, he still preserved the Wang Family's foundation and fulfilled his mission.

The game interface slowly appeared.

【The third-generation Head of Family Wang You has passed away. His life was devoted selflessly to the stability and transformation of the Wang clan.】

【Calculating the achievements of the third-generation Head of Family...】

Achievement One: Two-Tax Reform (Spearheaded the Two-Tax Law reform, prolonging the Tang Dynasty's mandate).

Achievement Two: Behind-the-Scenes Strategist (During the Yongzhen reforms, successfully laid plans, preserving the family).

Achievement Three: Bold Retreat from the Torrent (At the peak of power, choosing to relinquish, showing great wisdom).

Reward: Mental power limit permanently increased by 40 points. Unlock new function Family Scripture Pavilion, able to store family books for long-term preservation and inheritance.

Wang Xiu gazed at this splendid settlement interface, yet felt little excitement.

He merely felt somewhat tired.

Having manipulated the lives of three generations, enduring nearly two hundred years of vicissitudes, his heart also seemed to have aged greatly.

A new prompt popped up again.

【Third Generation Head of Family Wang You has passed away. Please select the fourth Head of Family to begin a new journey.】

On the interface, more than a dozen avatars appeared.

Those were the sons of Wang You and Wang Ce, the fourth generation of the Wang Family.

There were nine sons and three daughters in total.

Wang Xiu's gaze stopped on a youthful avatar with a heroic visage, resembling Wang Ce by seventy percent.

【Name: Wang Zong】

【Identity: Fourth-generation lineal descendant of the Wang clan, son of Wang Ce】

【Era: Tang Dynasty, fifteenth year of Yuanhe (820 CE)】

【Life story: Born into a military family, practiced martial arts from youth, steady character, inheriting his father's bearing. Currently a Junior Sixth Rank Assistant Commandant, serving in the Divine Strategy Army.】

【Current status: Forbearance】

Wang Xiu looked at his data, then glanced aside at those cousins living affluent scholar-official lives in Jiangnan.

"It's you."

Wang Xiu's consciousness gradually focused on Wang Zong's avatar.

"Choose, Wang Zong."

A new round begins.