Chapter 44

Bystanders see clearly.

Master Du approved Chen Guanlou’s suggestion—it was time to fight for himself. He couldn’t just stay silent and be dismissed by Second Master.

These days, things are easy to say, yet hard to achieve.

In the vast capital, it was extremely difficult to find another job as easy and well-paid as the Hou Fu private tutor position, with no responsibility.

There were too many scholars, and competition was fierce.

He was an old man now and didn’t want to compete with young scholars for a job paying two taels of silver a month—he’d lose face.

If possible, he should preserve his position at Hou Fu.

Even if he couldn’t preserve it, having First Master intervene to secure him another job would be better than nothing.

After forming his plan, Master Du’s mood lightened.

He asked Chen Guanlou:

“Have you never thought of forging kinship ties with Hou Fu? Working in the Tianlaomiao is no long-term solution.”

Chen Guanlou laughed, “Thank you, Master Du, for worrying about me. The Tianlaomiao job is lowly—I knew that from the start. But it does pay well. I need this job now and intend to see it through.”

Master Du looked at him with a complex expression. “If you want to change jobs, you’re not short on money now. You could still leverage Hou Fu connections. I can’t promise much, but with Hou Fu’s backing and your silver, securing you a ninth-rank clerkship would be no problem.”

Chen Guanlou burst out laughing. “Does Hou Fu even notice me? I’m five generations removed. If I show up begging, I’ll be trampled underfoot.”

“A true man knows when to bend. Sometimes playing the grandson isn’t so bad. Besides, they’re your own kin, not outsiders. When you meet the old lady, don’t you kneel and pay your respects?”

Master Du spoke truth. Kneeling to your own family was better than kneeling to strangers. Either way you’re a grandson—better to be one to your own blood than to outsiders.

Chen Guanlou shook his head repeatedly. “No, I’ll stay at the Tianlaomiao—for now, I have no intention of switching offices.”

“Even if you don’t switch offices, you should cultivate ties with Hou Fu,” Master Du advised. “When your family was poor, avoiding Hou Fu was wise. Now that you have money, you should properly rebuild the connection. Don’t ask them to help you—just hope that when trouble comes, others will give you a little leeway because you’re a Hou Fu descendant. Isn’t that reasonable?”

Chen Guanlou nodded—he agreed with Master Du’s logic, but inwardly, he had no desire to comply. In his past life, he’d groveled enough for clients; he didn’t want to do it again.

But he didn’t necessarily have to grovel.

Dealing with Hou Fu stewards only required proper payment—they’d all be brothers. When trouble came, these stewards could serve as his shield.

If the stewards were useless, even begging before the three masters wouldn’t help. The three masters wouldn’t stand up for him—unless he offered a large sum, at least a thousand taels, and even then, they might barely lift a finger.

“Master Du’s words make sense. But Hou Fu is in chaos right now—I don’t even know where to start. If I court the First Branch, the Second and Third will resent me. If I court the Second Branch, the First might hold a grudge. Difficult, difficult, difficult! I hear the stewards are split into several factions.”

Master Du stroked his beard. “I was hired by First Master—I’m locked to his side. As for you, it depends on what you seek. Right now, the Second Branch runs the household. If you don’t think long-term, naturally you should curry favor with the Second Branch. Most of the stewards have chosen the same path.”

“But if you think long-term, the First Branch is the true heir—you should court them early for stability. The old lady is aging, her health declining year by year. One day, she’ll pass. Then Hou Fu will split. No matter how hard the Second Branch fights, they can’t outmatch the First—they’ll eventually be forced to leave.”

Chen Guanlou nodded repeatedly—Master Du’s analysis was sound.

Then he uttered a shocking remark: “If the First Branch has no heir, the Second Branch wins by default.”

Master Du froze, his face paling.

He quickly set down his cup, belched, and hurriedly said, “Don’t speak such nonsense.”

Chen Guanlou picked up a peanut, ate it, and said, “Am I really speaking nonsense? Look at Hou Fu’s recent history, look at the First Branch’s condition—Master Du, do you truly believe it’s fate?”

“What do you mean? Xiao Lou, you can drink freely, but you mustn’t speak recklessly. Words bring disaster—remember, remember!” Master Du grew so anxious he nearly wanted to stuff something in Chen Guanlou’s mouth.

Chen Guanlou chuckled. “The Lady of the First Branch is ill, bedridden, taking medicine daily—I’ll accept she’s truly weak. But the Young Lady is also weak, also taking medicine daily. Both mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are sickly—how convenient! Master Du, you’ve seen many mansions—have you ever seen this in another noble household? First Master trained in martial arts since childhood. Hou Fu was founded on military merit—he had countless retainers, personal guards. Yet when he went hunting, he fell off his horse and broke his leg. Hmph… this family is just cursed. And now the only one left, the Young Master, is always away. Tsk tsk…”

In the dead of winter, Master Du broke into a cold sweat.

“Don’t speak such nonsense. I don’t know the true condition of the two women. But as for First Master’s fall—I know the story. He went hunting with other noble lords, eager for glory, reckless in his advance, unaware his age had weakened him. It was a pure accident!”

“Human intent usually reveals itself in the form of accidents—that’s what I learned in the Tianlaomiao,” Chen Guanlou said with a smile.

“If it were deliberate, First Master would have uncovered it,” Master Du gritted his teeth, speaking with finality.

Chen Guanlou nodded. “Fine, let’s call it an accident. The First Branch is just terribly unlucky—always illness, always disaster. If they die out one day, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“You—you… the Second Branch father and son don’t have such power. Stop speaking nonsense!”

“The Second Branch may lack such power—but the old lady of Hou Fu might not.” Chen Guanlou lifted his cup, took a sip, and smiled. “I’m a Chen. I’ve heard enough about how the old lady rose to power in her youth. It’s no great secret in the clan.”

The current Hou Fu matriarch was a concubine-born daughter. When the old Marquis lost his first wife, he planned to take a new one—he favored the matriarch’s elder sister. But something happened along the way; the elder sister was removed from the match and married far away, never returning to the capital. Her family refused to lose the Hou Fu connection, so they registered the matriarch under her stepmother’s name, making her a legitimate daughter, and sent her to marry the old Marquis as his second wife.

She was only in her teens then, yet she turned the tide, becoming a proper Lady of Hou Fu. What skill did she possess? How many could match her?

Decades later, her methods had grown even more refined—she had reached the level of killing without form. No swordsman, no martial artist, stood a chance against her.