Chapter 245: In this life, I am called Xie Guan

The great cauldron trembled again, seemingly resounding through the ages.

Great music is soundless!

Quiet and unheard!

Lu Chen stared intently as the subtitles on the great cauldron flowed.

【Please choose your identity?】

1. Descendant of a noble family.

2. Commoner.

3. Descendant of a military general.

4. Son of a merchant.

5. Great Demon bloodline.

Starting to choose a role!

Lu Chen looked at the five options above.

The first one he noticed was option 5, Great Demon bloodline.

"Hmm?"

This option was very abrupt, distinct from the other options; if there were a game of elimination, this one could be kicked out immediately.

Why would there be "Great Demon bloodline," a term that only appeared in the cultivation world.

Could it be that cultivation appeared within the "Kunxu Cauldron"!

Lu Chen pondered repeatedly and finally decided to exclude it. After all, as a human, even if he were lucky enough to obtain the rewards of the demon race, he would be completely unable to control this power.

He would also be treated as an alien!

Furthermore, looking at the previous four options, only one option hinted that "Great Demon bloodline" might still be in a disadvantaged position, thus suffering exclusion and suppression, and might even be regarded as a demon.

Exclude it directly!

Let's look at the first four options again.

Whether it was the flames of chaotic times, peaceful years, or a prosperous age, 【Commoners】 were always inevitably swept up by the torrent of history, and the power of choice never seemed to be in their hands.

Even if they fought with all their might, what could they do?

Individual struggle was ultimately difficult to match the efforts of several generations, the connections and resources accumulated.

Exclude it directly!

4. Son of a merchant; although one gets wealth, without power, one is not stable.

An ancient saying goes: "A poor family with a beautiful wife easily attracts the covetousness of lecherous people; without power but possessing great wealth, one easily attracts the covetousness of greedy villains."

Compared to other options, exclude this one.

Now only two options remain.

1. Descendant of a noble family.

3. Son of a military general.

He was a bit conflicted about these two options; both had power.

However, the risks faced by military generals were far greater than those of noble family descendants.

Military generals were often accompanied by weapons and battlefields; without extraordinary ability, it was hard to avoid being injured.

Conversely, noble families, having accumulated over several generations, had connections like weaving and deep foundations, which was undoubtedly the best starting point, like standing on the shoulders of predecessors.

Lu Chen did not hesitate and chose

1. Descendant of a noble family.

The light screen above the great cauldron flowed and slowly settled.

【Fate and luck are heavenly numbers that cannot be changed or chosen; they are being acquired】

【Acquisition complete...】

Fate: 【Early Wisdom】

Talent: 【Divine Pen】

Lu Chen looked at these two words, deep in thought.

This fate seemed much stronger than the 【Late Bloomer】 of the first life.

The first life's talent was 【Insight into People】, and this life's was 【Divine Pen】.

Lu Chen just pondered slightly, and the great cauldron, having spirit, provided an explanation.

【Divine Pen: Possesses superior comprehension of painting and calligraphy; the skill is close to divine. Painting a dragon allows for dotting the eyes; the brush strokes have wind and thunder.】

"The skill is close to divine!"

Lu Chen was a little surprised; this talent seemed a bit terrifying, but unfortunately, it was not martial arts.

【Can add the talent gained from the previous life, "Heart with Quiet Qi"; solidify it?】

Lu Chen directly chose 【Confirm】

【Role has been generated; start Heavenly Human Reincarnation?】

Lu Chen took a deep breath.

"Heavenly Human Reincarnation, start!"

The great cauldron trembled again, rotating slowly, and a Ziwei star upon it quietly fell into the great cauldron.

【Heavenly Human Reincarnation has begun; every choice you make represents a fork in the road of life; please choose carefully.】

【One day in the human world, ten years in the cauldron】

【Location has been refreshed...】

【Kunxu World, Central Land, Qi State.】

【Emperor Chen Chi of Qi ascended the throne; the emperor was intelligent and decisive, but during his reign, relatives of the empress held power, eunuchs caused chaos in the court, and powerful clans in various places carved out territories, treating the Son of Heaven as a puppet.】

【At that time, soldiers were fierce and the years were plagued by famine; demons and monsters wreaked havoc in the world. More than half the population perished from the plague, the void was already severe, and matters were extremely difficult and perilous.】

【The Emperor died of depression three years after ascending the throne.】

【Chen Yan, courtesy name Shisheng, was the eldest son of the Emperor and was established as the Crown Prince. The Emperor passed away. The Crown Prince ascended the throne as Emperor. Amnesty was granted, civil and military ranks were increased by two grades, silk was bestowed upon widowers, widows, orphans, and the elderly, two bolts per person, and Empress Empress Zhuge was honored as Empress Dowager. In the autumn, the ninth month, the Empress Dowager presided over the court and held power.】

【Situ Empress Zhuge Cheng recorded the affairs of the Secretariat, and participated in assisting the government with Lady Gongsun Zhongshu Ling Su Jing. Su Zong, General of Pacifying the Army and Nandun, was made General of the Cavalry, and Su You, General of the Army and Runan, was made General of the Guard.】

【The Emperor was buried in Shangwei Mausoleum.】

【In winter, the eleventh month, there was a solar eclipse, and the Emperor issued a decree of self-reproach.】

【In the second year of Emperor Xianhe, spring, Su Jing promoted Confucianism, taking the Four Books and Five Classics as classics, the Six Arts of the Gentleman as prominent learning, and exclusively honored Confucianism, burning the learning of the hundred schools.】

【After the third year of Emperor Xianhe, Chen Yan focused on cultivating the mysterious, ignoring court affairs.】

【The world had been peaceful for a long time, but a hundred evils had accumulated; the twelve provincial governors often had great demons and evil cults causing trouble, and uprisings occurred everywhere.】

Lu Chen stared at the information before him; as expected, this era really had the scene of demons and monsters causing chaos in the world.

Imperial power had already fallen, relatives of the empress and powerful officials controlled the court, and even the emperor could only spend his remaining years in depression.

In terms of thought, the grand occasion of the hundred schools of thought contending was long gone, and exclusively honoring Confucianism became the mainstream of the era.

However, hidden beneath this seemingly prosperous age were surging undercurrents.

Demons and monsters ran rampant, evil cults were rampant, and uprisings occurred one after another, as if only one opportunity was needed for the world to fall into endless chaotic times.

The text on the great cauldron continued to flow.

【In the seventh year of Emperor Xianhe, August, heavy rain fell on the capital, and you were born.】

【Birthplace has been refreshed...】

【Above Bianjing, Xie Fu.】

【You were born into a prominent family, one of the Five Surnames and Seven Wangs of the Qi State, a true wealthy and noble family.】

【Your uncle Xie Yuan was the grandson of Guanglu Physician Xie Lan, talented and overflowing; at the age of fourteen, he was recognized by Sikong Lang Su Jing, who introduced him as the Eastern Pavilion Libationer, later promoted to Secretary Lang and Crown Prince Attendant.】

【In the past, when Emperor Emperor Xianhe was Crown Prince, he was close to Xie Yuan, often accompanying him, reading classics together, and discussing the changes in the world.】

【At that time, the world was chaotic, the court was unstable, and imperial power was dim.】

【Emperor Emperor Xianhe, as Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace, cherished the grand vision of the Gao Zu, wanting to promote grace to the world with a sincere heart, benefiting the four seas.】

【However, his power was limited by powerful officials in the court, and government decrees were difficult to reach the counties.】

【Xie Yuan then devoted himself to supporting him, talking all night by candlelight; Emperor Emperor Xianhe secretly had the ambition of revival, and the Xie family was like-minded friends.】

【However, good times did not last long; acting too hastily, Emperor Emperor Xianhe had only been on the throne for three years when he tried to unite with the Zhu family, one of the Five Surnames, and the Wang family, which had great power in the military, to plan a palace coup at the banquet table, hoping to turn the tide.】

【During the great change, someone secretly reported it, and the matter was exposed.】

【The Empress Dowager, carrying important officials such as Lady Gongsun Zhongshu Ling Su Jing, General of the Guard Su You, and Divine Strategy Commander Su Gao, as well as forces such as the Qinghe Li family, the Linzhong Zhao family, and the Weiqun Yuan clan, launched a bloody purge against the Wang family and the Xie family deep in the palace. That day, within the capital, blood flowed like a river, and wails were heard everywhere.】

【And the people of the capital could only vaguely hear the wind, knowing nothing about the cruel struggle in the palace.】

【Yet they did not know that this Great Qi had already changed masters.】

【After the third year of Emperor Xianhe, Emperor Chen Yan indulged in the way of mysterious cultivation, court affairs worsened day by day, and state affairs gradually became abandoned.】

【In this catastrophe, the eldest branch of the Xie family was almost entirely implicated.】

【And you were not affected.】

【Because the person who reported the rebellion was your father, Xie Ling.】

【In the third year of Emperor Xianhe, your father Xie Ling was enabled by the court for his meritorious service in reporting, and your eldest sister, who had just reached the age of sixteen, married into the Su family.】

【Your father also had a younger brother, a famous Confucian of the time, who was a classmate and close friend of the Su family's power holder, with deep friendship.】

【In this palace wind and cloud change, he stayed out of it; he was not only not punished, but instead received important use by the court.】

【Facing the increasingly corrupt status quo in the court, he felt disheartened and chose to stay away from the dust, living in seclusion in Qingliang Temple all year round, only returning to Xie Fu at the end of each year to reunite with his family.】

【In your branch, your brothers and sisters gradually became core members of the family, controlling the status and power of the eldest branch.】

【Your father, Xie Ling, once personally led troops, repeatedly quelled uprisings, and suppressed many heretical sects.】

【In the fifth year of Emperor Xianhe, Su Yuan shone brilliantly on the battlefield, defeating the Qin army, beheading 200,000 enemies, casting a Jingguan at Mount Yuanchong, throwing a horse whip into the Yellow River, and his cultivation broke through to the "Xuan Dan Realm," becoming the sixth Martial God in the history of the Qi State.】

【Xie Ling was enfeoffed as a Hou Jue, called Hou Jue Dingyuan.】

【The Xie family's power became increasingly prominent; your brothers, sisters, younger brothers, and cousins often led hundreds of servants, walking unimpeded on the streets, spending thousands of gold in brothels and pavilions, exhausting the possibilities of luxury.】

【The Xie family's power, compared to the past, was even more so.】

【A nursery rhyme circulated on the streets and alleys of Above Bianjing, depicting the prominent status and endless glory of the current nine major surnames:】

【"The silk curtains lightly roll to send the fragrant carriage, the precious fans are held to welcome the magnificent tent."】

【"The jade chariots crisscross through the palace gates, the golden whips arrive at the Su family in succession."】

【"The purple camel hump cooks delicacies in the emerald cauldron, the crystal plate holds dishes of plain scales."】

【These nine major surnames are: Su, Empress Zhuge, Li, Zhao, Yuan, Xie, General Sima, Xue, Zhang.】

【The nine major surnames intermarried first, generations of good friendship, holding the court.】

【The Xie family was thriving, like pouring oil on a raging fire.】

【However, all this has nothing to do with you.】

【You are just an illegitimate child of the Xie family.】

【In the family, children born to the legal wife are called legitimate sons and daughters; they receive the family's careful care and get the official recognition of the clan.】

【Children born to concubines are called illegitimate sons and daughters, with a slightly lower status.】

【As for someone like you, a child born out of wedlock, you can only be called a wild seed, a bastard, or even disparagingly called a child of adultery.】

【Your mother was originally a slave of the Xie family, and it was only because of Xie Ling's drunken chaos that you were conceived.】

【Your arrival did not bring any joy to this family, but instead became an unspeakable shame.】

【Especially in this Great Qi that governs the world with Confucianism and filial piety, you are looked down upon by the world.】

【When you were born, the legitimate son of the Xie family's eldest branch had already reached the age of twenty, and according to ritual law, he was the undisputed heir to the Hou Jue Dingyuan title.】

【At that time, the mistress of the Xie family was the daughter of the Cuihe Li family, one of the Nine Surnames; you and your mother were helpless and had no threat to her.】

【She did not like you and your mother, but she did not persecute you either, fearing to fall into the bad name of a jealous woman and ruin her Li family's clean reputation.】

【You were already one year old, still nameless, and had never seen your father once.】

【Your mother gave birth to an offspring, and the Xie family did not regard her as a "meritorious official"; although they did not treat her as a slave, they did not give her any status, but instead randomly assigned an old nanny who took care of the confinement and a small maid who had just entered the mansion and was still green.】

【Time passed quickly, and it was the next year in a flash.】

【The Xie family mistress added another son, and coincidentally, he was born in the same month and on the same day as you.】

【At the hundred-day banquet, your father even rushed back from the border, dusty and tired; families from all over Above Bianjing arrived, and a grand event, unprecedented in the capital, unfolded noisily.】

【The Qilin son of the Xie family shocked the people of Above Bianjing.】

【Your father named him Xie Yu, implying warmth and nobility like jade.】

【On that day, your mother, a weak woman, held you and walked all the way to the backyard of the Xie family in this full mansion of joy, kneeling on the cold corridor.】

【Requesting your father to bestow a name.】

【An identity that belongs to you.】

【However, your father seemed not to have heard, his gaze never moving from the newborn baby, leaving you and your mother with only indifference and neglect.】

【A lonely woman and a child who could just walk at one year old, facing a wealthy family with white jade halls and gold horses.】

【This scene attracted the attention of many family members.】

【The curiosity of the Xie family's young masters and young ladies, or disdain, or anger on their faces.】

【At the banquet, the guests whispered, their eyes filled with contempt and curiosity; or they sneered, feeling schadenfreude about this sudden storm.】

【Ridicule and mockery were endless.】

【Tomorrow, rumors of the Xie family's illegitimate child will surely circulate on the streets and alleys of the capital, along with the romantic affairs of Hou Jue Dingyuan, which will become the talk of people after tea and dinner.】

【Seeing this, the Xie family mistress was furious, and the jade cup in her hand shattered at the sound.】

【The Li family members who came to the banquet saw this and hurriedly stepped forward, trying to calm the storm, and servants had already come to drive them away.】

【Your mother still knelt and did not get up.】

【And this year you were just one year old; you did not cry or make a scene, just held your mother's hand tightly.】

【The Su, Zhao, Empress Zhuge, and other families were all great Confucian scholars of the time, governing their families with filial piety and rituals, famous far and wide.】

【Several elders among them, witnessing this scene, had to come forward and speak for your mother one after another.】

【However, your father seemed to turn a deaf ear, just glanced coldly, and turned to walk into the back hall.】

【At this time, the old matriarch of the Xie family, this elder in the family, seeing that this matter concerned her son's family affairs and the Xie family's style, came forward to name you on his behalf.】

【She gave you a name in the name of the family.】

【So you had a name.】

【You are called Xie Guan.】

【Your mother kowtowed and did not get up, tears streaming down her face.】

【From then on, your name was written on the Xie family genealogy.】

【In the same year, you and your mother were excluded in the family, and your food and clothing were deducted.】

【You had to move to a remote courtyard of the Xie family, which was originally a place for servants and maids to wash clothes.】

【The nanny who originally served you and your mother abandoned you, leaving only a small maid.】

【This year, you were just two years old.】

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 246 =====