Chapter 190

The Chen clan, after all, was once a great clan that controlled Beijun, and the ceremony of the family great sacrifice is very elaborate.

Chen Wuji merely listened to the whole process, and his head already felt big.

He is the presider of this great sacrifice, and he has more responsibilities.

"Third Uncle, Ninth Uncle, what exactly is our Chen clan's situation? Shouldn't you tell me now?" In the ancestral hall, Chen Wuji put down the ancient bamboo slip in his hand and asked seriously.

Chen Bushi also spoke solemnly: "Originally we actually planned to tell you soon, but you little brat have a knack for stirring up trouble, and one wave hasn't settled before another arises, so let's put this matter on hold for now."

"Has Chen Xingyuan already told you?" Chen Wuji asked.

Chen Bushi nodded, "Today he specially sent someone to deliver a verbal message to me."

"He should also have told you why, right? This is why I don't want to bring out the frost sugar; it's not that I want to cause trouble, frankly it's just that possessing a jade brings guilt." Chen Wuji said.

Chen Bushi did not deny it, but he also seemed to have other thoughts.

He paused a moment before saying: "Wuji, it's not that I don't want to talk about family matters; it's that if I did, given your nature you'd surely want to do something about it. Let this matter wait for now; you can do whatever you want, and the family will always be your backing."

"Any Chen family member in this Xishan Village will never abandon you; as for Chen family members outside, we have them under watch. Our Chen clan is merely surviving; once we move, some things will become uncontrollable."

Chen Wuji didn't know the specific circumstances of the Chen clan, so naturally he couldn't guess what Chen Bushi was wary of.

Would simply telling him the truth lead to such serious consequences?

However, from Chen Bushi's words, he also sensed some other implications.

His line as family head seems to truly have the authority to control the Chen clan.

Even if the Chen clan reaches the point of exhausted mountains and waters, fleeing in all directions, the clansmen still willingly follow the ancestral system and recognize his line as family head.

On this point, Chen Bushi has almost made it clear.

The hearts of the Chen clan in Xishan Village are united; as for the outside branches, not necessarily, but they will keep an eye on them.

"I think you're biased against me; I originally wanted to leave you two some frost sugar to try, but now there's none." Chen Wuji said teasingly.

Chen Luozi gave a bitter laugh and asked: "Wuji, may I ask you something? If you see members of the Chen clan not having enough to eat, and each year some strong laborers starve to death, what would you do?"

"I now have the ability to help them get through the difficult period." Chen Wuji said seriously.

He now has silver in his hand, and not a little.

As long as the number isn't too exaggerated, it's entirely possible to pull them back from the brink of death.

"But we can't help them." Chen Luozi shook his head.

"Why?"

Chen Bushi took over the conversation and asked: "Given that you know you can't help, can you hold back from helping?"

"Are they someone else's tenant farmers?" Chen Wuji's eyes flashed, and his face instantly grew a bit darker.

We can't help it; only this Chen branch is restricted in freedom for various reasons.

And the most likely are the tenant farmers.

A landlord who can reduce tenant farmers tilling the land to such misery that people starve to death each year—one can imagine how extravagant the exploitation must be; at the very least, it must be harsher than the Yuan family's.

Chen Luozi let out a light sigh: 'You see, you won't be able to hold back.'

Chen Wuji recalled how the Chen family acted in Xishan Village when the Yuan family rose to prominence.

Timid and wary, even their movements are furtive.

Because of past grievances, the Chen family dare not unite or resist, fearing they might be falsely accused of rebellion—Chen Wuji is also aware of this.

Chen Wuji rubbed his cheeks hard: 'I thought you had already let go of these concerns.'

'We have indeed relaxed some concerns, because Yunan officials and the Emperor are at odds; we can be a bit bold, they won't memorialize the throne, and might even consider using us a little.' Chen Bushi said, 'But elsewhere, it's not the same.'

'Those people are those His Majesty the Emperor painstakingly planted across the Lingnan Six Commanderies; they are not there to become officials, but to spy—on the Qiang people, on these local powerful clans, and on us.'

Chen Wuji felt a headache: 'If that's the case, the Imperial City Department seems like the Emperor's more direct eyes and ears. The thing you worry about seems like mere decoration to me. You're worrying about branch lineages, ignoring this pestle right before your eyes?'

This is the consequence of concealment.

Chen Bushi kept it tightly under wraps, yet someone knows their background.

The consequence of this error is countless times worse than concealment; Chen Wuji also doesn't know what those two are thinking.

Chen Bushi gave Chen Wuji a helpless glance: 'Who let us find out so late? Who could have imagined you'd even dare to sleep with a female official of the Imperial City Department? Even if I had ten heads, I wouldn't dare think of such a thing, yet you did it.'

'Now that things have happened, even if I wanted to stop it I lack the ability. Fortunately, that female official seems to care about you. So we temporarily needn't worry about this Imperial City Department presence in Yunan; she should help you conceal some things.'

Chen Wuji looked at Chen Bushi as if he were an idiot: 'Putting your fate in the hands of another's single thought—your idea is somewhat dangerous.'

'It's not that there's no way.' Chen Bushi's expression grew more wistful.

'Before anything major happens, we can temporarily maintain the status quo. But the example Luozi just raised— that county magistrate is watching our Chen family; once there's any stir, he will definitely send a memorial to the capital, telling the Emperor our Chen family shows signs of a dead ash revival.'

'And he is actually trying to provoke our Chen family into rebelling against him, so he'll have leverage!'

'Send that county magistrate to his death!' Chen Wuji said firmly.

'I believe you're hiding something from me, surely there are reasons and difficulties. But my thought is simple: if living under the Dayu Dynasty is worse than a dog, then we shouldn't be that dog; we can completely go to the lands of the Southwest Barbarians to seize food and eat, at least we can live with some dignity.'

'I know our Chen family has this capability; since we have the ability, why cling to this place, watching our kin live in the most miserable state, then die in humiliation?'

Chen Bushi glanced at the ancestral tablets in the hall, piled like a mountain: 'Because our roots are here!'

'Our ancestors poured countless blood on this land; this is where they fought and protected, it is our land. We can live in humiliation, but we absolutely cannot abandon our homeland without dignity.'

'Pedantic!' Chen Wuji shouted sternly.

'Who says this is fleeing? This is clearly opening up new territory!'

Chen Bushi and Chen Luozi suddenly froze.

Can the term 'opening up new territory' be linked with fleeing?

But upon careful thought, it seems indeed…

It seems to have a bit of reason.

Go south, first carve out a small foothold, then come back to kill?