Chapter 301: Even My Own Father Won't Do (Requesting Monthly Tickets)

Chapter 301: Even My Father Doesn’t Make It (Seeking Monthly Donations)

When Chen Yunfan first arrived in Shu Zhou, he gave it little thought.

Even though he hadn’t spent three years studying in the Prefecture of Kyoto, being directly promoted to the fourth-ranked chancellor of Shu Zhou, he merely deemed it the Emperor’s favor.

After all, that Emperor had “forced” the winner of the Imperial Examination onto his head, bestowing titles and rewards with irregular generosity—what more could there be?

Yet since his arrival in Shu Zhou, having witnessed certain events and encountered particular people, he began to feel increasingly that something was amiss.

The affairs entrusted to him were always those simple tasks that yielded swift results.

At times, inexplicable achievements would arrive without explanation.

Like when Xiao Dongchen had handed him a matter he’d been busy with himself.

Or the tax collections from villages and towns near the capital, ones requiring little effort or strain.

Or the incriminating evidence of corruption within the Governor’s office, which always reached him in the most “reasonable” manner.

It seemed as though someone had meticulously arranged all this behind the scenes.

Chen Yunfan, though finding it peculiar, accepted the achievements without protest, for they were, after all, accomplishments.

Moreover, he presumed they were the work of Qing Ying and the White Robe Chancellor, and thus paid them little heed.

Yet today, Loyal Uncle Lin Zhong—centuries of service to the Chen family in Jiangnan—brought the corpse of Lü Jiunan before him, making him realize all this must involve far-reaching consequences.

The mastermind was not the White Robe Chancellor… or, more precisely, the one orchestrating this was the White Robe Chancellor and the Chen family themselves.

Yet this Chen family’s eldest nephew, Chen Yunfan, remained kept in the dark.

Lin Zhong gazed at the cold Chen Yunfan, instinctively scratching his head and letting out a dry laugh.

“Young master, you must know, my lord and the second lord’s commands—I have only the duty to obey, dared not inquire into the reasons.”

“Why not write them a letter and ask?”

Chen Yunfan knew he couldn’t dodge the question: “A letter, I’ll write. Let that so-called ‘achievement’ of Lü Jiunan’s go where it came from.”

Lin Zhong’s face sank. “Young master, Lü Jiunan was a bandit under the King of Ran Du, a scoundrel and traitor—whoever obtained his corpse has done a great deed. Why refuse it?”

Chen Yunfan huffed, “No, take it away quickly, lest it soil my carpet.”

Had it been another corpse, he might have accepted it.

But he knew all too well why Lü Jiunan had come to this place.

Not just him.

The entire Shu Zhou knew Lü Jiunan had been slain by the “Dragon Spear” Liu Wu.

If he submitted it to the Governor’s office for reward, the matter of whether it was merit or not—well, let alone that, his colleagues’ strange smiles could be ignored, but Liu Wu?

Or rather, Chen Yi.

When Chen Yi learned of this, he couldn’t help but laugh uproariously.

How wonderful it was!

Chen Yi picked up Lü Jiunan, discarded like a worn-out shoe, and placed him in the register of achievements—then what became of Chen Yunfan?

How could the elder brother stand before his younger brother’s face thereafter?

In short, Chen Yunfan would never take that achievement!

Lin Zhong saw his resolute expression and said, “Since the young master has made up his mind, I’ll return the body.”

Chen Yunfan’s expression eased slightly, waving his hand, “Take it away quickly, it’s unsettling.”

Lin Zhong, unspoken relief, lifted Lü Jiunan’s corpse and prepared to leave, when Chen Yunfan called out, “Wait—when did you arrive in Shu Zhou?”

“This time, for what purpose?”

“To report, young master, after you wrote to my lord, my lord wrote back and also sent a letter to our family.”

Chen Yunfan raised an eyebrow, “My father sent you?”

Lin Zhong nodded, “My lord feared for your safety in Shu Zhou and sent me to stay with you.”

“What else did he say?”

“There was… did you hear about Yi the younger brother’s affairs?”

Chen Yunfan turned his head, feigning ignorance.

Lin Zhong’s heart stirred slightly; the young master, as Qing Ying had said, was indeed very concerned about the younger brother.

“My lord wrote in his letter, reproached the empress, and appointed your four uncles and cousins to temporarily manage family affairs.”

“Reproached… was this a chance for the empress to reflect?”

“It should be… young master, there’s something I’m unsure how to say.”

Chen Yunfan glared, “When did you become so obsequious, Loyal Uncle?”

Lin Zhong chuckled, “I wonder, young master, how do you view the younger brother’s current situation?”

“My view?”

“Nothing in particular.”

“The younger brother has excelled in literature and arts, his name renowned across the nine provinces of Dadi, and has earned the Xiao family’s regard—his days are indeed splendid.”

Chen Yunfan, with a hint of resentment, replied, “To speak of views… he treats me, the elder brother, with such disregard, as though I were nothing—”

“Never mind that.”

Chen Yunfan thought of what he’d heard at the Pure Sound Temple, shaking his head in displeasure, gesturing for Lin Zhong to leave.

“My father has sent you here, so stay and teach Ning Yu and Niu Shan their martial arts.”

“Those two lazybones have barely reached sixth rank in cultivation—urge them on, urge them on.”

Lin Zhong laughed and agreed, bowing deeply, then carried Lü Jiunan’s body out of the study.

Unbeknownst to him, the young master cared far too much for the younger brother, perhaps with a hint of envy.

And what could they possibly compare?

With such thoughts, he left the courtyard, glancing at Ning Yu and Niu Shan nearby, and grinned, “You two are fortunate.”

“The young master has issued commands; henceforth, you’ll follow me to learn martial arts.”

“Ah?”

Ning Yu’s face paled, glancing at Niu Shan, who also shrunk back.

“Ah, what’s this?”

“Back in the Chen family, I’ve never let you two off easy—don’t you know your place?”

No way out.

Ning Yu and Niu Shan could only smile weakly and nod.

Lin Zhong also ignored those two sprightly scamps, gave Chunying a meaningful glance, and swiftly carried the corpse of Lü Jiunan away.

Chunying understood his glance, hesitated for a moment, then instructed Ning Yu and Niushan to continue holding the position, and turned toward the study.

After slightly regaining her composure, she raised her hand and knocked on the door: "My lord."

"Come in."

Chunying pushed the door open and spotted Chen Yunfan bent over writing something at the desk before he turned and closed it.

"My lord, Zhong is looking for you—"

Before she could finish, Chen Yunfan interrupted calmly: "Do you know why he came with Lü Jiunan’s corpse?"

"Chunying, don’t think you’re so clever just because you wear white robes. You’re no different from others in your cunning schemes to interfere in my affairs."

Though his tone was calm, it struck Chunying like a thunderclap.

She had followed Chen Yunfan for years, so she knew his temperament well.

The more composed he became, the greater his inner resentment grew; conversely, if he spoke in reprimands, it meant little real harm.

Thinking this over, Chunying knelt and bowed: "Your servant begs forgiveness, Chunying, Chunying…"

"You also claim to act on orders, pretending ignorance? Not deliberately concealing the truth?"

"Yes…"

Chen Yunfan slightly raised his head, his expression as calm as still water, then lowered it again to continue writing:

"Rise and speak—no need for kneeling here."

When Chunying hesitantly stood, he continued: "Tell me, what schemes have your white-robed sect and the other party concocted?"

"Could it be that they want me to take Yang Ye’s place as the right deputy governor of Shu?"

When Chen Yi first made such a jest, he hadn’t given it a second thought.

Now, considering it, it was quite possible.

Chunying stammered: "My lord, you… you already know?"

Chen Yunfan paused, furrowed his brow slightly, and gestured without looking up: "Continue."

"I, Chunying, cannot fathom the exact schemes between your lord and the head of the white-robed sect, but I have some suspicions."

"The position of right deputy governor—there may be such possibilities."

"Are there other positions?"

"Let me guess."

"The deputy governors of the Circuit of Commands are both young and capable, so no vacancies there."

"The Inspection Commission? Possibly. The current inspector, Tang Zixin, won’t be moving either. As for the deputy—perhaps."

"The magistrate’s office? Liu Si has a sharp tongue and a dual nature; he’ll likely fall out of favor with the higher-ups. There’s a good chance he’ll be replaced."

"As for the rest, none surpass me in rank as a nine-ranked academician—nothing worth mentioning."

When Chen Yunfan finished speaking, he also completed the final character, took the paper on the table, and blew on it:

"I suspect it’s the Circuit of Commands."

Chunying’s face paled at the words. "My lord, how could you possibly guess that?"

Chen Yunfan dried the ink on the paper, folded it neatly, and slipped it into an envelope, then hummed:

"Besides the Circuit of Commands, which office could sway the distant army?"

"The Governor’s Office couldn’t openly interfere in the Three Towns Army’s affairs, let alone the Inspection Commission, which can only offer a mere glance at matters."

He set down the envelope, leaned back in his chair, and regarded Chunying with a detached gaze:

"Was Yi’s arrival at the Xiao family’s home also part of your schemes?"

Chunying blinked, knelt again, and lowered her head, daring not to speak.

Though it was speculation, it wasn’t far from the truth.

She naturally couldn’t say more, lest Chen Yunfan uncover further.

Seeing her silence, Chen Yunfan chuckled dryly: "So it is."

"I always thought Mother, despite her proud Cui family background, treated all of us brothers as equals, sharing a single bowl of water."

"Why would she deliberately target Yi-eldest? It turns out she had already made arrangements with your white-robed sect, Uncle Er, and even the old allies within the clan before Father left for Xiyu."

"We all assumed Yi-eldest had committed some grave offense, angering Mother."

*Slap!*

Chen Yunfan slammed his hand on the table, his eyes icy as he stared at the kneeling Chunying:

"What are you all really plotting?!"

Chunying’s body stiffened, biting her lip in silence: "My lord, forgive me, I—"

"Not knowing? Hah, very well!"

"Very well then!"

Chen Yunfan tugged at his mouth, revealing a strange smile: "Since that’s the case, I won’t make you suffer."

He hadn’t realized his earlier guesses were so close to the truth.

Nor had he expected that both he and Chen Yi had been manipulated from the start.

He’d always felt his circumstances were better than Yi’s, eager to show off in Yi’s presence.

But they were both mere pawns on someone else’s board.

And that someone was his own father!

Chen Yunfan’s face darkened, as if suddenly understanding:

"I must see what my father, Uncle Er, and your white-robed sect have been peddling."

He tossed the letter to Chunying: "This is for my father—deliver it."

"Don’t fuss over timing. I know you’re capable of such things."

Chunying stared at the letter at her knees, hesitated, then reached for it and bowed:

"I’ll deliver it at once."

Chen Yunfan waved dismissively, his voice languid: "Go ahead."

As Chunying bowed and left the study, Chen Yunfan immediately wore a troubled expression, muttering under his breath:

"Has Father grown foolish? How could Yi, with such talent, end up at the Xiao family?"

"For other people, the fourth son… no, that glutton would’ve starved the Xiao family into poverty by now."

"The sixth son… forget it. He spends his days wandering mountains and rivers, becoming a lord like Xiao Jinghong. He’d be flogged and whipped to death!"

"As for the younger sisters, their daughters…"

After mulling it over, Chen Yunfan finally realized that, apart from Chen Yi, there was truly no one else suitable to join the Xiao family.

Only the price for such a move was rather steep.

When he thought of this, the righteous indignation he had once felt earlier now gave way to a strange sense of schadenfreude.

“If only Yi Jing’s martial, medical, and literary arts were all accomplished—imagine how his father would react upon hearing of this…”

“That man would probably just cough and splutter, knowing full well he was in the wrong, yet still refuse to admit it.”

A father is known better than a relative.

Chen Yunfan had a fair understanding of Chen Xuanji as well, knowing full well that the man would never bow his head.

Yet Chen Yunfan still managed a smile.

“My father might forgive mistakes, but Uncle Er, and Grandfather Er, Uncle Si—they won’t.”

“When my father was ill, ha ha…”

Smiling thus, he recalled the rumors he had heard upon first arriving in Shuzhou about Chen Yi, and his smile grew a little more constrained.

“Daring to scheme against our brotherhood…”

“Even if it’s my own father, I’ll beat him bloody!”

……

The next day, the rain had cleared, and the sky was bright.

Yet the atmosphere in the prefecture city remained heavy.

As if after a night of revelry, everyone seemed weighed down with troubles.

Even the voices of those speaking had grown hushed.

“The grain prices in the east and west markets have risen again—rising to fifteen strings of silver per bushel overnight. Is this how they intend to starve the common folk to death?”

“Has something happened?”

“I heard it—heard it—the Tea and Horse Road has been plagued by incidents.”

“The head of the Peacock Flag army has appeared on the Tea and Horse Road, and many caravans have fallen victim to their treachery.”

“And I heard that last night, the bandit Cang, the ‘Wolf,’ kidnapped Xiao Shaojia, all to pressure Lord Xiao into submitting to the Peacock Flag.”

“So, does this mean war is truly inevitable?”

“If not, how could the grain merchants dare raise prices so suddenly?”

“Jeez… the heavens must be punishing us…”

As this news spread, a sense of panic began to seep through the streets of Shuzhou.

There was no reason for them to be afraid.

The great battle five years prior still lingered in many minds.

Especially the elderly.

They remembered well the famine that had plagued Shuzhou during the barbarian invasion.

Though no one had perished from starvation, many had sold their daughters and sons just to secure a bowl of rice.

Thus, when dawn broke, long lines formed outside the grain markets in both the east and west districts.

Even the powerful merchant families, who had once sought to profit from the crisis, now restrained their ambitions, sealing their grain stores for emergencies.

The Xiao family too did the same.

Yet when Xiao Dedao arranged it, his expression was riddled with complexity.

In his heart, he had long despised Chen Yu for his schemes against the Ji state merchants, but he could not accept that these schemes would ensnare the common people.

Not even for a single day would such actions spare the people from suffering.

At the very least, they would lose silver.

Still, Xiao Dedao pondered for a moment, and a smile gradually spread across his face.

“Perhaps I overlooked him… now I see.”

He suddenly recalled what “Chen Yu” had said earlier—that he needed someone to intervene and resolve the matter.

Now was precisely the time for him to step forward.

“Damn it, what a clever boy—if I hadn’t responded in time, he’d have laughed me to death!”

Xiao Dedao quickly summoned the steward Lu Guan and ordered him:

“Send a petition to the Governor’s Office, informing Liu Hong that I have a matter to discuss with him.”

Since he knew the armies beyond the passes were but a ruse, he naturally could not allow those grain merchants to run amok.

Either the Governor’s Office must issue an order to lower prices, or the granaries must be opened to distribute grain and stabilize the market.

In any case, those grain merchants could not continue like this.

After Lu Guan departed, Xiao Dedao rose and stretched his limbs, letting his internal energy circulate.

The sounds around him—guests arriving and departing in the front courtyard, the martial arts training in the central courtyard, and the voices in the rear courtyard—reached his ears clearly.

Xiao Dedao smiled faintly: “Jinghong, you clever girl, it seems you’ve taken my words to heart…”

(The chapter ends here.)