[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-am-the-xu-family-s-son":3,"chapter-i-am-the-xu-family-s-son-i-am-the-xu-family-s-son-chapter-52":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","I Am the Xu Family's Son",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2307830,4510,"Chapter 52: Past Events and the One Who Stayed [Requesting Votes, All Kinds of Votes]","i-am-the-xu-family-s-son-chapter-52",52,"\u003Cp>The Qin family’s second daughter had been seeking an opportunity to meet Qingyun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had enlisted the help of a maid’s lover, a former subordinate of the Yin family, to investigate, but found nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yesterday, she heard the Xu family would spend the night at Yuqing Temple, so she came here with her own maid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The adolescent Qingyun had grown into his features; the Qin second daughter took one glance from her carriage and felt he bore a striking resemblance to the person in her memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did she dare approach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young man, do you still remember the Yin family?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qingyun turned around, saw the speaker’s face, and wore only a look of confusion; he bowed and clasped his hands, lowering his head to ask,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Yin family?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you remember your uncle?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have no uncle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, I’ve been too forward—forgive me, young man.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qingyun straightened up, watching the mistress and maid walk away, his eyes narrowing slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before entering the Hou family, Qingyun had suffered greatly from cold, heat, hunger, and thirst in Bianjing; he understood well the saying that trouble comes from careless speech.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially these past years, his uncle had been strict with him—any sign of closeness or affection drew harsh reprimands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recently, the coachman had made it clear to Qingyun: those who destroyed their family were beings even the Yongyi Hou family dared not provoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even now that Yongyi Hou Xu Minghua held real power in the Western Army, and their third son had caught the attention of the Great Zhou emperor,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>those imperial princes were not to be trifled with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The incident stirred up by Lady Wu’s polo match still had people investigating outside, and some had even infiltrated the Hou family posing as Lady Wu’s servants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the coachman’s status in the Xu family was as a youth from Dai Prefecture, wounded in the chaos of war—his appearance was so altered even the Yin family’s old servant could not recognize him, so no one suspected him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, the coachman had been meticulous; he never revealed his horse-identifying skills in public, his superb martial arts were known to few, and when their family traded horses, they always used his elder brother’s name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the Great Zhou possessed only one horse-breeding region—Lingzhou—and all horses were reserved for the imperial cavalry; fine northern steeds were exceedingly scarce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yin family, through their horse trade and noble lineage, still thrived in Bianjing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was during the Yin family’s peak that the coachman met Xu Minghua—a claimant to the Yongyi Hou title, poor and fallen—at a gathering of aristocrats, and also met the eldest son of the Dongchang Hou family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At several poetry gatherings, the second daughter of the Dongchang Hou family became acquainted with the coachman; the Qin family’s eldest son approved and did not interfere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the incident, both families tacitly accepted the match between the Yin family and the Qin second daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, the coachman acquired an unremarkable-looking dragon steed in the north, kept it at home, and showed it to the Qin family’s eldest son, joking it was his betrothal gift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alas, one can know a man’s face but never his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yin family found a richer buyer—the Yongwang Palace—and declined the Jingwang’s offer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he was careful enough not to go directly to Yongwang’s fief but detoured through Haizhou, his trail was still ambushed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had the coachman not pretended his martial skills were merely for garden exercise, he likely could not have withstood those lethal assassins—he was accustomed to swapping identities with his personal servant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was how he escaped death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afterwards, the coachman was too busy evading pursuit to return to Bianjing; he healed his wounds, traveled north, endured hardship and wandering, and by chance reunited with Xu Minghua, who saved his life and brought him into the Hou family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, the Qin family’s eldest son claimed the coachman had been captured by Northern Liao cavalry and taken to the north, promising connections to rescue him—but requiring silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yin family, deceived by the Qin family’s lie, paid silver to rescue the coachman, only to have it vanish into a bottomless pit!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The coachman’s elder brother doted on him deeply and spared no expense, even liquidating the family fortune.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, the Yin family fell, their household shattered, collateral branches exiled, leaving only Qingyun stranded in Bianjing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After returning to the capital, the coachman realized it was likely the Qin family and Jingwang had conspired together—because the Qin eldest son’s later wife was the younger sister of Jingwang’s concubine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, back then, the coachman had merely been seen as easy prey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zaijing knew this—when the coachman told Qingyun these things, he did not avoid Xu Zaijing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He trusted a disciple so disciplined and hardworking would not be talkative or prone to revealing secrets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was also a lesson for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the time, Xu Zaijing had thought: “My master failed this trial of the Daughter Kingdom.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Xu family emerged from Yuqing Temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from Xu Zaijing, everyone’s faces were weary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Qingyun was helping the household servants park the carriage at the entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone boarded the carriage; Qingyun rode up beside Xu Zaijing and whispered, “The Qin family came just now, asking if I remembered the Yin family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ignore them—who knows what scheming they’re up to now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Xu family’s caravan left Yuqing Temple and headed home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before entering the city, wealthy youths frequently galloped past, shouting and racing by.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfailingly, they were drawn to Xu Zaijing’s steed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet few dared provoke Xu Zaijing, for many youths had noticed the greatcloak he had resumed wearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That greatcloak was so rare even the Empress coveted it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A purple lamb-fur greatcloak was uncommon in Bianjing; such attire was not to be trifled with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several days after returning to Bianjing,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>word spread that the Yongyi Hou family had visited Daoist temples and Buddhist monasteries over two days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was that temples and monasteries had turned the visits into gossip among the capital’s ladies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the contrast between the Yongyi Hou family’s past downfall and their current lavish spending was stark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zaijing finished his studies and came with his brothers to Sun Shi’s courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind them followed a small servant girl named Qingcao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three brothers bowed and greeted Wu Da Niangzi, who sat at the head beside their mother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lady Wu, may your beauty endure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Da Niangzi’s maid returned the greeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, good children, no need for such formalities. Sister, your three children look truly fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zai Duan glanced at his mother’s side and asked curiously,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little sister, where’s your sister?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, our sister is shy—she returned to her own courtyard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Someone has taken an interest in your sister.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Da Niangzi smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eldest, Xu Zai Duan, was already betrothed, with the wedding set for after the New Year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the second son of the Xu family, Xu Pingmei’s marriage could now be arranged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These past two years, the Xu family had improved, gradually living up to its name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eldest’s wife came from the Xie family—a collateral branch of the old Wang-Xie clan, with deep roots in the south and many marital ties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clan also had merchants; marrying into the Xu family was a high match, since Xu Zai Duan would inherit the Yongyi Hou title.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marriage was always arranged by parents and matchmakers; younger siblings should not pry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After bowing, they left Sun Shi’s chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qingcao wished to leave with her young master, but was ordered to stay and serve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Da Niangzi looked at Qingcao standing by the door; she knew the girl was Xu Zaijing’s newly chosen maid,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>silently praised Xu Zaijing’s cleverness, then smiled faintly and raised her voice slightly to name the families interested in marriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1307,"2026-06-20T10:32:38.675Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","9518f28a9a7541276be4b234520fc3540533044c987f7edb66f29222f481c9a1","i-am-the-xu-family-s-son-chapter-53","i-am-the-xu-family-s-son-chapter-51",790,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-am-the-xu-family-s-son-cover.jpg"]