Chapter 1140

"I never imagined that, as a hereditary Dukedom of the State, there would actually be another layer of meaning behind it..."

Lao Zhangtou was somewhat shocked, also somewhat admiring, "Your Chen family, you really keep a low profile. Clearly holding such great power in your hands, yet besides that one military unit, you don't touch the slightest bit of extra power, having remained consistent through generations, truly admirable!"

"We already have such great power, what more power do we need it for? Doing less, isn't that good?" Chen Li asked with a smile.

Lao Zhangtou paused, then couldn't help but smile faintly, "Indeed, cultivating with the state!"

After a moment, he opened his mouth as if to speak, but then didn't ask anything.

Chen Li said: "Ask whatever you want to ask, there's nothing that can't be asked."

"Forget it, I know what you want to ask, I'll just tell you directly. The Chen clan hasn't achieved cultivation with the state, not because we don't wish to, but because of the death edict left by the last Emperor, which is also the last will. The Emperor used his finger as a brush, his blood as ink, we... how could we not obey?"

Lao Zhangtou knew that the last Emperor Chen Li referred to was the final Emperor of the Former Tang, Zhao Lie Emperor, and he himself came from that era, and besides mastering jianghu intelligence, he could say he knew this Emperor's life very clearly.

Speaking of this Emperor, it is somewhat moving.

Zhao Lie Emperor ascended the throne young, and under the bewitching of treacherous ministers, he did many foolish things, but after reaching adulthood he suddenly awakened, governed diligently, and to reverse the nation's perilous state at that time, he made countless attempts, offending nearly everyone in the world who could be offended, besides the common people.

It was precisely because of his efforts that the Tang's decline was accelerated.

The great clans and families holding the world saw their interests being mercilessly divided by the Emperor, rose in rebellion, and after the Yu clan successfully ascended the great throne, they established the court order of sharing the world with the great clans.

And in this, it must be mentioned that the Central Plains were not conquered by the Yu clan, but rather the Zhao Lie Emperor, unable to bear the people dying in war and displacement, issued dozens of edicts forcing the then-frontline Great General Chen Dingbang to abandon the Central Plains.

Chen Dingbang was Chen Wuji's paternal grandfather, and at that time he was the commander of the Three Armies.

Chen Dingbang and the Zhao Lie Emperor debated for months, and finally, according to legend, the Zhao Lie Emperor won.

Afterward, Chen Dingbang committed suicide before the two armies' formations, to fulfill his ambition, and the Yu clan took over the Central Plains.

Chen Li took a deep breath, his voice suddenly choking up, "My Chen clan's people haven't died out completely, the Former Tang shouldn't have perished. If not for the Emperor constantly... constantly persisting, how could the Yu clan's offspring succeed?"

Lao Zhangtou also sighed with emotion, "Zhao Lie Emperor was a good emperor, but the tides of the world, sometimes truly cannot be resisted by human strength."

"I know Zhao Lie Emperor issued forty-six edicts, forcing General Chen to retreat and surrender, but after the Chen general's suicide, the Dukedom's army only retreated then, did not surrender. I never imagined that the Dukedom's army's final surrender was still the Emperor's last will... such an emperor, unique throughout history, probably only Zhao Lie Emperor alone."

Chen Li's eyes seemed to have something moist glistening, he turned his head and wiped it, his expression somewhat desolate, "Zhao Lie Emperor did not wish to see mountains and rivers shattered, common people's bones exposed in the wild, he folded his hands and surrendered his realm, but now not even a hundred years have passed... the world has still become what he most unwilling to see."

"This is the tides of the world, also the world's calamity." Lao Zhangtou sighed with emotion.

Chen Li composed himself, "Now you should understand?"

"Understood, thank you for telling me." Lao Zhangtou clasped his hands.

The Dukedom's army surrendering was naturally to preserve the last foundation of Li Tang and the Chen clan.

A dynasty's foundation concentrated in one surname's family, people's foundation being deep, what's strange about that?

The loss he suffered was truly not unjust at all.

"Your ancestors' affection with the Li Tang imperial house is also rare in history!" Lao Zhangtou exclaimed.

The Chen clan were the founding generals of Li Tang, after Li Tang established the state they became Dukedom of the State, when Li Tang fell, they were still Dukedom of the State, holding half of Li Tang's true foundation in their hands.

This ruler-subject affection, searching through all historical records, you won't find a second.

Chen Li smiled, "It's a pity that Wuji that boy seems more inclined toward Han, the people of Nan Jun now all call themselves Han people, that Tang character... probably can only become past history."

"Inheriting Tang through Han, after all, isn't necessarily a bad thing, as long as this will is inherited, what the state's name is, on the contrary, becomes secondary." Lao Zhangtou said.

"After all, the master of this place now is Wuji, he hasn't experienced what you've gone through, nor does he have that feeling, perhaps he hasn't even deeply considered the Chen clan's hereditary Dukedom of the State."

They naturally spoke of the matter of the state's name, as if Chen Wuji's founding a state and calling himself emperor had already become a settled matter, reasonable and expected. If Chen Wuji were here, he would certainly have to sit down with these two old men and hash it out, things like the eight characters not even having a single stroke, they've already researched the state's name.

Chen Li took a sip of tea, "I've said my piece roughly, now it's your turn, old fellow? I'm easy to talk to here, but some things placed before Wuji, he might not necessarily be easy to talk to. You figure it out, how many times have you deceived this old fellow?"

Lao Zhangtou's expression changed slightly, "I wasn't thinking of taking it step by step... who could have thought, move after move off by one, off by one move, it's heaven and earth apart!"

"That I can't control." Chen Li calmly drank tea, the corner of his mouth slightly hooked.

Lao Zhangtou let out a long sigh, "I will handle the matter of the Deep Abyss Sect clearly, then personally go to explain to Wuji, see if he can give this old face of mine some respect."

"Just that?" Chen Li raised his eyebrows slightly.

"I'm only talking about the present, other matters in the jianghu, I will find a way." Lao Zhangtou said helplessly, "As for Tingfeng Lou, it will certainly be laid out completely. This time, if there is any concealment, this old bone of mine truly can't bear it."

"You know it's good, if you don't come this time, I'm preparing to dig graves for you all." Chen Li said, "The Chen clan never interferes in jianghu affairs, but also never feared this jianghu. If military men are toyed with by a group dancing with blades and spears, that's truly slapping the world down."

Lao Zhangtou had a look of helplessness, his expression strained as if constipated for several months.

These old yin pests of the Chen clan, truly damnably sinister.

Truly damnably good at hiding.

He suddenly remembered, when he first landed in Yunan County, the scene he saw.

Chen Wuji, the upright head of the Chen clan line, actually struggled for livelihood, the other main lines' people live one by one in hardship, almost all are three days hungry nine meals.

To avoid the authorities thinking the Chen clan still harbors ill intentions, one by one they are more honest and simple, the home doesn't even have a book, reading requires sneaking looks late at night.

Who could have imagined that such a family, from beginning to end, hides vast wealth, standing are countless peerless masters of the world.

Now looking at it, their failure to succeed is precisely what's strange.