novelden Chapter 137 The Xue Family of Jiangdong
Chapter 137 The Xue Family of Jiangdong
Xue Wen looked up in surprise, but before he could ask a question, Ji Yan continued:
"Don't interrupt me, let me finish speaking, cough cough..."
You were young then and had no idea what a prestigious family the Xue clan of Jiangdong was. Their prominence was almost comparable to that of a local prince. At that time, their glory was so great that even a collateral branch like ours could receive the respect of princes and nobles.
However, forty years ago, the young master Xue Chen—your mother—went to Nanli Kingdom at the invitation of the royal family to give lectures. When she returned, she brought back a dashing young man.
Not long after that, the main branch of the Xue family in Jiangdong unilaterally severed ties with our branch, which we were all indignant about at the time. It wasn't until later, when the main branch of the Xue family was tragically wiped out, that we began to surmise that your mother's actions were to protect us…
Therefore, I will keep you when you come seeking refuge.
Later, you and Nan'er fell in love, but by then the Marquis had passed away, and Nan'er was merely a young lady who had not yet inherited the title. I was truly worried! I worried that those people would return to look for you, which might implicate Nan'er and the Ling family...
Cough cough cough…”
Perhaps due to the excitement he got towards the end, Ji Yan started coughing repeatedly.
Xue Wen also recovered from his shock and quickly poured Ji Yan a full cup of tea. After Ji Yan calmed down a bit from coughing, Xue Wen asked in a tearful voice:
"Does Uncle know who those people are?"
When the Xue family was wiped out, Xue Wen was only six or seven years old. After many years, when he heard about his parents' death again, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow.
Ji Yan shook his head and said in a deep voice, "I don't know. But it must be related to the Southern Li Kingdom, since your father was brought back from the Southern Li Kingdom by your mother."
Perhaps it is true that people speak good words when they are about to die.
Ji Yan not only revealed the whole story of the Xue family's massacre, but also urged Xue Wen and Ling Huanan to get married as soon as possible. He said he could hold on for a few more days. He also heard that Xue Wen and Ling Huanan had a child, so he asked Xue Wen to bring the child over for him to see.
After Xue Wen agreed, he went out, and Ling Huanan escorted him back to his residence.
On the carriage, Xue Wen remained dejected and silent the entire way, his eyes slightly red and swollen. Ling Huanan, thinking Ji Yan had said something, frowned and comforted him:
"But what did Father say? Don't be afraid, I will protect you."
The woman's voice was calm and low, with a hint of coldness, yet it brought a touch of warmth to the spring night.
Xue Wen was originally in a state of turmoil, but after hearing what Ling Huanan said, he immediately calmed down. He leaned against Ling Huanan and repeated what Ji Yan had said.
After listening, Ling Huanan pondered for a moment and said calmly, "Father is right. It is very likely that Nanli was behind it. But why would they risk crossing the border to exterminate the Fengming Kingdom?"
Seeing that Xue Wen's gaze also held doubt, Ling Huanan patted the top of his head and then asked, "Does Awen still remember what your father-in-law's name is? I will immediately send someone to Nanli to investigate?"
"It's been too long, I can't remember my father's name, but I often heard my mother call him Zhu Lang when I was young."
At this moment, Xue Wen was so focused on the Xue family's affairs that he forgot to argue with Ling Huanan about the title of 'father-in-law'.
"Surname Zhu?" Ling Huanan's voice suddenly rose, startling Xue Wen.
"Hmm...yes, what's wrong?" Xue Wen asked, puzzled.
"It's nothing! I was just a little surprised to hear you mention your father-in-law for the first time." Ling Huanan glanced at the other man's bare neck, then chuckled and brushed the matter aside.
Finally, Ling Huanan personally escorted Xue Wen back to the courtyard, and the kite that had never been given away was finally released.
After leaving Xue Wen's courtyard, Ling Huanan immediately instructed a servant from the Lin family to take her to Lin Shu.
The study in the Lin family mansion.
"So what if the surname is Zhu? There are so many people with the surname Zhu in this world."
After listening to Ling Huanan's account, Lin Shu was puzzled as to how he could deduce from her maternal grandfather's surname, Zhu, that the other party was someone of great importance and would make a comeback.
"It's not uncommon to have the surname Zhu, but in the Southern Li Kingdom, it's definitely not unusual to have the surname Zhu."
Ling Huanan slightly lifted his eyelids, looked directly at Lin Shu, and continued calmly, "In the Southern Li Kingdom, only the Wu Clan can use the surname Zhu. It can be said that apart from the Wu Clan, ordinary people cannot even have the character Zhu in their names."
Lin Shu suddenly recalled a passage from an unofficial historical record: "Witches are those who perform rituals invisibly, using dances to invoke spirits." This witch clan was completely different from the Gu witchcraft of the Miao region in later generations.
Ling Huanan nodded, and then said, "That's right. The Wu tribe of Nanli Kingdom claims to be descendants of Zhu Rong, the ancestor of fire in the south, and holds a very high position in Nanli Kingdom."
The current Grand Preceptor of Nanli is none other than Zhu Yao, the current patriarch of the Witch Clan, who is rumored to be over 150 years old!
After listening, Lin Shu fell into deep thought. No wonder she felt strange when Feng Zhao mentioned the Regent of Nanli last time. Nangong Jin was already second only to the emperor, so why didn't he ascend the throne himself? There must be someone holding him back!
"But if they wanted to take my grandfather back, why did they exterminate the Xue family of Jiangdong? Was it to prevent something from being exposed?" Lin Shu thought for a moment and suddenly realized something.
Ling Huanan nodded approvingly: "That's right. Rumor has it that Nanli was in great chaos forty years ago, and it seems that some priceless treasure was lost."
As for what this treasure is, according to the Wu tribe's own legend, it's a stone that the water god Gonggong lost to the fire god Zhurong. However, whether this legend is credible is unknown!
After saying that, Ling Huanan looked at Lin Shu, who was deep in thought, and stood up, leaving her with the words: "In short, if Nanli finds out your identities, they probably won't let it go. Be careful, and I will take care of your father."
After everyone left, Lin Shu took a long time to come to her senses and couldn't help but raise her hand to touch the jade hairpin she always wore in her hair.
The moment the hand touched it, the jade hairpin shimmered slightly, which was enough to prove its extraordinary nature.
Water god? Stone? This 'treasure' can't be what I think it is!
After thinking it over, she immediately summoned Zi Yi and asked him to infiltrate Wushuang Pavilion into Nanli Kingdom as much as possible. Otherwise, if the news was not communicated and things turned out as she thought, she would probably be held back by others.
……
The Regent's Palace in the Southern Kingdom.
"That Zhu Yao! I merely rejected her proposal, and she actually colluded with those old fogies to try and take away my power." Nangong Jin's usually frivolous face was now filled with murderous intent.
His advisor suggested, "Your Highness, you already intervened against Afu Rong last year. Now that the Grand Preceptor is popular, why don't we go along with her wishes and dump those 'drugs' into the other three kingdoms, then we can unify the four kingdoms..."
"Fool! Not to mention that thing harms both herself and others, do you think she'll let me go after she unifies the country?" Nangong Jin interrupted the man sharply before he could finish speaking.
The words etched on Nangong Jin's face also became more ferocious with his expression. Suddenly, as if he had thought of something, he said:
"However, I heard that that 150-year-old woman still has the energy to keep a mistress in the Imperial Preceptor's mansion? Send someone to investigate..."
After everyone had left, Nangong Jin murmured softly:
"I have painstakingly built this up over twenty years; I am not so easily dealt with!"
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