Chapter 1150: We Are Family

Xu Zhao Ming and Gu Dexing felt quite helpless as they watched Elder Xu’s excited face. Just because of a meal at the Yan Family, was it necessary for Grandpa to be so thrilled as to offer incense and inform the ancestors?

Elder Xu, understanding from their expressions what they were thinking, pointed at them and said, "Don’t think that I am a disgrace for getting so excited over a meal at the Yan Family. It’s because you are too young to understand how powerful these noble families truly are."

Those noble families can raise Shadow Guards, could ordinary wealthy households produce such mysterious and elusive things? Even having dozens of Protectors would make one a local tyrant.

Elder Xu didn’t talk too much but lowered his voice and said, "The greatest difference between noble families and ordinary wealthy or official families is that they were once the hidden emperors ruling over the territory."

Elder Xu, having lived long and seen much, had heard some things about the noble families. In the former dynasties, Zhou Dynasty, or even earlier eras, the ones truly in power weren’t the Imperial Family but the alliances of noble families controlling the territory.

Although the former dynasty abolished the recommendation system and replaced it with open examinations, weakening the political control of noble families, and even though Emperor Jingwu of Great Chu found various excuses to kill off a large number of noble families, those that have been around for hundreds or even a thousand years, accumulating wealth over centuries, still maintain an unshakeable position. They are the subjects that ordinary wealthy households need to curry favor with and look up to.

Xu Zhao Ming hurriedly covered Elder Xu’s mouth after hearing this, "Grandpa, are you not afraid for your life? How can you say such things? If people from either side hear of it, our family is doomed!"

Elder Xu slapped away Xu Zhao Ming’s hand and said, "I know, I only talk about these things with you in private."

Xu Zhao Ming said, "Even if it’s in private, you still can’t say it. If someone overhears, we’ll be in trouble."

Gu Dexing nodded his head in agreement, "Grandpa Xu, we understand your kindness to us, but Big Brother is right, we should not discuss these matters even in private."

After saying this, Gu Dexing was still a bit scared and made a gesture of apology to Elder Xu.

Elder Xu helped him up, saying, "We are family, and I am glad you can speak to me like this."

As for Brother Xing, how to put it, his temperament has some flaws, unlike Gu Jin’an who is straightforward and open-minded. Sometimes he keeps things bottled up. A month ago, Gu Dexing might not have said such words to him, but now he considers him as his own grandson, which is why he dares to speak this way.

Elder Xu felt very pleased.

After hearing this, Gu Dexing’s previous fear dissipated, and he smiled at Elder Xu.

Elder Xu finally said, "Our family background can’t compare with the Yan Family, so we need to curry favor with them. There’s no shame in it. If the Yan Family is willing to accept our overtures, it means they don’t look down on us. After all, the Yan Family is also looking for a few helpers for Yan Xiaowu."

Elder Xu truly is an old fox, seeing everything clearly and giving Xu Zhao Ming and Gu Dexing advice on how to interact with Yan Xiaowu: "He’s a noble young master and rather shy. Your status is lower than his, so don’t hold back. When interacting with him, be more proactive, just like with the Yao family’s lad, that’s the way to go."

Gu Dexing and Xu Zhao Ming listened and nodded: ’Yes, Grandpa’s teachings, we will remember.’

Elder Xu saw that they listened and continued to teach them about social interactions, talking late into the night.

Qi Kangming, who hadn’t slept yet, took the quiet of the night to find Gu Jin’an and expressed his concerns, "The issue with Scholar Cao has been resolved, but rumors can be deadly. Who knows what will be said in the city tomorrow? Shouldn’t we do something in advance?"

Gu Jin’an was waiting for Xiao Sui. In the past, he wouldn’t have met with Qi Kangming while waiting for Xiao Sui, but this time he did. He smiled and said, "Cousin Ming need not worry; we have already made arrangements regarding rumors."

"We?" Qi Kangming asked with a frown.

Gu Jin’an replied, "Yes, us. In fact, Master Ouyang, Master You, San Lang, and Xiao Yu all guessed that I’d come to Linhe Prefecture for the college examination. Once I became the top student, the issues with Old Gu Family would definitely be brought up again, so arrangements were made early on."

So Master Ouyang’s help was not unexpected but was fulfilling a promise to Scholar Shang.

Qi Kangming asked, "So even if there are rumors in the city tomorrow, they will be to our advantage?"

"Yes," Gu Jin’an nodded, "Xiao Sui has already gone to make the arrangements; he will be here soon."

"Xiao Sui?" Qi Kangming’s heart leapt with joy, suppressing his excitement, he said, "Are you willing to let me see him?"

Qi Kangming always knew that besides Feng Jin and Qiu Lang, Gu Jin’an and his people had another, even more skilled group working unseen, handling difficult tasks. But they never told him who these people were, and he never asked. He didn’t expect Good Brother An to let him meet them this time.

"Does this mean I’m completely accepted?" Qi Kangming asked.

Gu Jin’an shook his head, "You are our cousin, we share blood ties and are the closest of kin. Before, we didn’t introduce these people to you because they belonged to San Lang. Back then, Xiao Yu and San Lang weren’t formally engaged, so it was not our place to deploy them excessively."

Now that San Lang and Xiao Yu are engaged, and since San Lang sent them over, there’s more flexibility.

Moreover: "Cousin Ming, you have already passed the scholar exams. If you enter officialdom in the future, you will need your own people and should start familiarizing yourself with such figures."

Qi Kangming, being the son of their paternal aunt and a shrewd and perceptive person, will become a valuable ally when he enters officialdom. Thus, Gu Jin’an is happy to spend more time with him, letting him learn more about their resources.

Qi Kangming laughed, "Good Brother An, thank you all, you’ve put in so much effort."

In this day and age, if one wants to become an official, one needs their own personnel. Truth be told, relying solely on oneself, it’s impossible to cultivate a force comparable to a large family, but Good Brother An and the others have managed to do so and are willing to share them for his use.

Gu Jin’an laughed and said, "We are family."

Aside from benefits, blood relations are the strongest bond.

Qi Kangming laughed and after a pause, asked about Elder Gu, "Now that everyone knows where he is, what if someone with ill intentions goes to Da Song Mountain to persuade him to harm us, what should we do?"

Thinking of all the things Elder Gu had done over the decades, Qi Kangming truly wished he could kill him. But he couldn’t, at this moment, Elder Gu must live.

Gu Jin’an also felt disgusted by Elder Gu, but: "Cousin Ming need not worry, he is now Xie Chen, a person of pure practice. If such a person were to re-enter the world and do harm, the one to be rejected eventually would only be him. Moreover, with Master You keeping an eye on him and with Master Ouyang’s article today, the matter with Old Gu Family has come to a complete end, so it won’t be brought up by anyone again as leverage in the future."

Otherwise, it would be disrespecting the Ouyang Family.