Inside Wendan Hall, the candlelight flickered.

Within a single family hall, four red-robed hall officials were gathered. It felt less like a home and more like a yamen.

Chen Ji looked at Chen Li Zun, who had arrived in a hurry. Sweat beaded on his forehead, suggesting he had dismounted his carriage at the Chen residence gate and run all the way in.

Chen Ge Lao raised his eyes to look at Chen Li Zun, then closed them again to rest. He seemed advanced in age, lacking vigor, and perhaps unwilling to witness the internal clan strife and chaos.

Chen Li Zhi stood up to explain, “Elder brother, nobody is taking advantage of your trip to Tanggu to blame anyone. Today, February 15th, is originally the family hall discussion day!”

Chen Wen De said in a low voice, “Great uncle, Chen Ji privately informed Ah Bin, there is indeed such a matter. Chen Ji, he…”

Chen Li Zun interrupted him, turning his head to look at the young Chen Ji. “Is there or isn’t there?”

Chen Ji said firmly, “No!”

Chen Li Zun looked at Chen Wen De, “He has already said no, don’t dwell on this matter anymore!”

Chen Wen De said, “Great uncle!”

Just then, a rooster’s crow soared into the sky, tearing open the distant night!

Chen Li Zun launched his attack amidst the rooster’s crow!

He no longer paid attention to Chen Wen De but turned back to look at Liang Shi outside the door, then looked at Chen Li Qin, “The third house has failed to teach its children properly, actually raising a beast who would betray the enemy and the country, a descendant of my Chen family! Not only does he not repent, but he also resorts to the wicked person’s first complaint! Without considering the clan’s reputation, you still foolishly bring up old matters in Wendan Hall?”

Chen Li Qin slightly lowered his head under his gaze, and Liang Shi’s crying suddenly stopped!

Chen Li Zun solemnly asked, “Younger sister-in-law Liang Shi, I ask you, do you acknowledge or not what Chen Wen Xiao did in Guyuan?”

Liang Shi closed her mouth and didn’t speak!

Chen Li Zun turned to Chen Ge Lao, cupping his hands, “Father, your son requests the clan rules to punish the main culprit who has disgraced the family!”

Chen Ge Lao slowly opened his mouth, “Old Third, how do you see it?”

Chen Li Qin hesitated for several breaths, finally bowing and gesturing, “Unfilial descendant Chen Li Qin has raised a good-for-nothing under my care, almost causing a major mistake. I am willing to accept punishment!”

“Good,” Chen Ge Lao slowly opened his eyes. “From the moment you entered school, the first book you learned in Kuizhang Ge was not the Four Books and Five Classics, but my Chen family history! So you should remember, the Chen family ancestors followed Tai Zu in raising troops from Haozhou. After sixteen years, overthrowing Fangshi and experiencing nine lives and nine deaths, we have today’s Ning Dynasty and the Chen family!”

Chen Ge Lao continued slowly, “If a fool is produced below, it’s just a loss of some family wealth. My Chen family can afford to lose that, as long as it doesn’t invite disaster! But if a traitor to the enemy and country is produced, I fear it will shake the foundation of my Chen family! It was not easy for my Chen family ancestors to establish this foundation. All of you should live in peace and think of danger, and think three times before acting in all matters!”

Chen Li Zun, Chen Li Zhi, and Chen Li Qin cupped their hands together, “Yes!”

Chen Ge Lao instructed, “The third house is to confiscate six hundred mu of clan fields. Liang Shi is to be confined in Qingzhu Yuan for one month and copy ‘Nü Cheng’ three hundred times. Chen Wen Zong is not allowed to see his mother until the imperial examination ends! Any objections?”

Liang Shi fell onto the green bricks outside Wendan Hall, unwilling in her heart, yet only muttered, “This humble concubine will definitely repent behind closed doors, and absolutely will not commit this again!”

In Wendan Hall, Chen Li Zhi sighed, “This Chen Wen Xiao is after all a direct descendant of my Chen family!”

Before he could finish, Chen Li Zun turned back to Chen Ge Lao, cupping his hands, “The second house’s Chen Wen Ren holds an important position in the Yulin Army, yet he lingers in the Eight Great Alleys and forgets to return! Last year, he fought fiercely with the son of the Hu family over a singer girl, almost becoming a joke in the yamen. Now he has made a fool of himself in front of foreign envoys, almost leading to his dismissal and exile! Your son requests the clan rules to punish him slightly, to prevent this son from reoffending!”

Chen Li Zhi’s pupils shrank!

Chen Ge Lao looked at Chen Li Zhi, “Old Second, how do you see it?”

Chen Li Zhi hesitated for a moment, finally saying respectfully, “I am willing to accept punishment!”

Chen Ge Lao hummed, “The second house is to confiscate six hundred mu of clan fields. Chen Wen Ren is to copy ‘Xue Er Zhang’, ‘Wei Zheng Zhang’, and ‘Jing Yi Zhang’ three hundred times. If he reoffends, he will be removed from the clan genealogy!”

Chen Li Zhi’s eye twitched once, and he bowed, “Yes!”

Chen Ji stood in his original spot, not moving. He watched Chen Li Zun settle the matters of the second house and the third house one by one, with no need for him to speak again!

Just when he thought it was over, Chen Li Zun cupped his hands again, “Father, Chen Ji has achieved extraordinary merit in Guyuan, protecting the country’s foundation from being lost. My Chen family should include him in the clan genealogy!”

Chen Li Zhi frowned, “Cannot.”

Chen Li Zun turned his head to look at him, “Why?”

Chen Li Zhi said to Chen Ge Lao, “Family head, the clan rules state that an illegitimate son can only be included in the clan genealogy when he reaches the proper sixth rank in official position. The ancestors’ law cannot be abolished!”

Chen Li Zun said in a low voice, “There are always exceptions to everything. Chen Ji’s merit in Guyuan is sufficient to break the rules!”

Chen Li Zhi lowered his eyelids, “Elder brother, the ancestors set the clan rules for a reason. It is not good to casually break the rules. If we break the rules for one small matter today, and then again for another matter tomorrow, by constantly breaking them, the clan rules will become an empty shell!”

Chen Li Zun still wanted to say something, but saw Chen Ge Lao slowly stand up, “Alright, handle it according to the clan rules. Since he is a young talent, I don’t think it will take too long to promote him to the proper sixth rank! You all still have to report to the yamen, don’t be late for official duties!”

After saying this, he passed through the crowd. Just as he was about to step out of the threshold of Wendan Hall, he heard a voice suddenly call out, “Family head, wait!”

Chen Ge Lao turned back to look, and it was Chen Ji in the hall, cupping his hands, “Family head, my late aunt once left behind some businesses, including Drum Abdomen Building outside Donghua Gate, Jade Capital Garden in the Eight Great Alleys, Chen’s Grain and Oil Shop, Silk and Satin Shop outside Bell and Drum Tower, and three hundred twenty mu of good fields in Changping. All these land deeds and house deeds are in the hands of my direct mother! Now this junior has also grown up, please ask direct mother to return my aunt’s relics!”

Chen Ge Lao sized up Chen Ji from head to toe and smiled, “You indeed know how to pick your time, good courage!”

Chen Ji said respectfully, “I just happened to remember!”

Chen Ge Lao looked at Liang Shi outside the hall, “What Chen Ji said, is it true?”

Liang Shi hesitated for a moment, “Reporting to the family head, what Chen Ji said is true. This humble concubine once helped him manage them!”

Chen Ge Lao nodded, “Then return them together!”

Liang Shi bit her teeth and said, “Reporting to the family head, I cannot return them right now!”

Chen Ge Lao’s gaze sharpened, “Oh?”

Liang Shi explained in a low voice, “It’s not that this humble concubine is unwilling to return them, but these businesses have not been transferred yet, and cannot be transferred in a hurry! It just so happens that Chen Ji is already an adult, and this humble concubine is just seeking a suitable marriage for him! After he gets married, these businesses, along with Tianbao Ge, Baoxiang Bookstore, and five hundred mu of good fields in Changping in this humble concubine’s hands, will be added as his family property! Although Chen Ji is an illegitimate son, I, as his direct mother, cannot let him fail to hold his head up in his wife’s family!”

Chen Ge Lao thought for a moment, “May!”

After saying this, he got into the sedan chair prepared outside Wendan Hall without looking back!

In Wendan Hall, Chen Li Zhi was not in a hurry to leave. Instead, he plopped back down on a chair, his fingers tapping the armrest one by one, his head lowered in thought!

Chen Li Zun looked at Chen Ji and said slowly, “Just rest assured, my Chen family is a place that speaks reason and will not let you suffer injustice in vain. Afterwards, if this happens again, you can go to Xiaoti Yuan to find me immediately!”

Chen Ji cupped his hands, “Many thanks, great master!”

Chen Li Zun smiled and patted his shoulder, “The family head has already said that your inclusion in the clan genealogy is only a matter of time, no need to call me ‘great master’ like a servant anymore, calling me great uncle is fine!”

Chen Ji thought for a moment, then cupped his hands again, “Many thanks, great uncle!”

Chen Li Zun thought for a moment and said, “Or else you can move to Zhuzheng Garden, I…”

Chen Li Qin suddenly took a step forward, “Elder brother, Chen Ji is a member of my third house, why would he move to Zheng Garden? We still have matters to attend to, so we’ll take our leave first!”

After saying this, he pulled Chen Ji and left, no longer giving Chen Li Zun an opportunity to speak!

This round of Chen family hall discussion finally dispersed!

At this time, Chen Li Zhi, who was sitting on the chair, suddenly raised his head and said in a feigned curious tone, “Elder brother, you had already set off for Tanggu, who called you back?”

Chen Li Zun stroked his official robe calmly and composedly, “Naturally, a servant in the family saw an unfair matter and immediately set off to report to me. What, Second Brother wants to investigate thoroughly?”

Chen Li Zhi smiled, “I wouldn’t dare. Elder brother, hurry and set off, otherwise it will be late, and I fear you won’t arrive in Tanggu tonight!”

Chen Li Zun turned and left!

After everyone had left Wendan Hall, Chen Li Zhi suddenly burst into laughter, “Damn it, ginger is indeed spicier when old! I was actually fiercely schemed against by the old man!”

Chen Wen De was puzzled, “Father, what do you mean by this?”

Chen Li Zhi restrained his smile, looked outside Wendan Hall, and said slowly, “Which servant in the family would dare to approach Wendan Hall casually? This is clearly a good show jointly performed by the old man and that useless fool Chen Li Zun! First, alienate Chen Ji and the third house, then the elder one comes out to win hearts, while also cutting down the prestige of my second house and the third house… It seems they really want to adopt Chen Ji into the main house and are racking their brains for it!”

Chen Wen Ren saw that everyone was gone and also stepped into Wendan Hall, “Father, what are they doing this for? If they want to adopt him, wouldn’t it be good to adopt him directly? Why bother so much?”

Chen Li Zhi glanced at him, “Fool, the person they want is not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry, but a descendant who shares the same heart and virtue as them, a descendant who has completely cut ties with his original family! If they only wanted a son or grandson, they could go to a collateral branch and completely forget their birth parents!”

Chen Li Zhi lamented, “Blood relations are the hardest to break. You must use a dull knife, cutting slowly, one cut at a time! Cut until you are unbearably painful, cut until you feel heartache when you think of this kinship, only then can it be broken!”

Chen Wen Ren was puzzled, “Wouldn’t it be better to find an orphan?”

Chen Li Zhi picked up the teacup by his hand and poured the remaining tea on his face, “How could Father give birth to a fool like you? Can just anyone come and take over this large Chen family? Not only do you need ability and courage, but you also need a brain! Why do you think the old man specifically went through the memorials from Guyuan one by one? This boy Chen Ji has caught his eye! If it were three years ago, the old man would fundamentally not have let Chen Ji go to Luocheng!”

Chen Wen Ren raised his hand to wipe the tea water and tea leaves off his face, his head lowered, not speaking!

Chen Wen De was puzzled, “Father, since they have already decided to adopt Chen Ji, why not let Liang Shi directly return the businesses to Chen Ji? Isn’t that just right to bring them to the main house?”

Chen Li Zhi looked at his two sons before him and sighed, “Those few businesses are nothing in front of the Chen family, just a few shops and a few hundred mu of good fields, even the annual leaks from my second house’s loose fingers are more than this, can the old man even look at them? What the old man cares about is that once these businesses are given to Chen Ji, Chen Ji will not be easy to control. Chen Ji can have money, have businesses, have power, but it must be given by the main house, understand?”

Chen Wen De cupped his hands, “Understand!”

Chen Li Zhi saw that Chen Wen Ren wasn’t speaking, and kicked his calf with one foot, “Father asked you if you understand?”

Chen Wen Ren bent down to rub his calf and said, “Understand, understand.”

Chen Li Zhi looked at this young son, and anger rose from nowhere, “You disgraceful thing, if I hear you go to the Eight Great Alleys again, I’ll break your legs! And that whatever Xiao Lihua, Father sent people to buy her and give her to Fu Wang today, you and your mother should give up the thought early!”

Chen Wen Ren wanted to speak but stopped!

Chen Li Zhi waved his hand, “Get out.”

Chen Wen Ren hurriedly exited Wendan Hall!

Chen Li Zhi sat in his original spot stroking his beard, talking to himself, “Strange, I originally spent so much effort to transfer Chen Li Qin to Luocheng, who transferred him back?”

Chen Wen De asked in a low voice, “Father, that Chen Ji…”

Chen Li Zhi slightly narrowed his eyes, “Cannot be kept! Father just saw it today, in that sheep pen of the third house, a wolf cub has actually been raised!”