Before dawn the next day, Dao Tong, who had changed into a crimson official robe, led the soldiers and officers from Ancha Division and Panyu County, totaling two to three hundred people, and drove to the Chen family, the first local tycoon outside Xiguan, to pick up people.
At sunrise, Tao and his entourage arrived at Chen's house and saw the gate of the house wide open, with an endless stream of Chen family members going out to work and farm.
As soon as they saw these officers and soldiers, surrounded by a high-ranking official in a scarlet robe, they came in a fierce manner. The Chen family members were no longer in a hurry to go out to work. They all retreated to the entrance of the village, wielding poles and sticks, and stopped each other with evil eyes.
"We are coming to Taiwan in a big way, why don't you hurry up and ask your family members to come out to greet us?!" The leader of the class yelled loudly when he saw this.
"..." Buddha relies on gold and people rely on clothes. Daotong's scarlet robe is still very useful. At least the Chen family members don't dare to chase people away immediately.
"Just wait." Someone replied and rushed in to deliver the message.
After the meal, Chen Boyun, the head of the Chen family, came belatedly. When he saw that it was a fellow Taoist, he smiled and cupped his hands and said: "After hearing the report, I was wondering which Taoist priest it was. It turns out that my old parents have been promoted.
congratulations!"
"You're welcome." Daotong said with a smile. After becoming the leader, he became a lot more aloof.
"Please go to Naitai." Chen Boyun hurriedly stepped aside to give way. No matter how powerful he was, he would not dare to offend Naitai of a province easily, not to mention that there was the King of Chu standing behind him.
As Daotong walked into the village gate, he said calmly: "If I am still the county magistrate, I'm afraid I still won't be able to enter the gate of your Chen's house today."
He was talking not only about yesterday, but also the several times he had sent people to Chen's house to pick up people on errands, but they were all rejected.
"I'm joking." Chen Boyun smiled and did not answer, and invited him to have tea in the magnificent Chen's Ancestral Hall.
~~
After serving tea, Chen Boyunfang asked: "I wonder if the great master of Taiwan is here to visit me, why do you want to do so?"
"Yesterday, officials were sent to Chen's house to summon Chen Zongping, Chen Zonggui and other thirty-six people, but none of them were brought back." Daotong did not go around in circles and said straightforwardly: "His Highness is very angry and ordered me to come in person today.
, we must take people back no matter what."
As he spoke, he took out a list of names from his sleeve and pushed it in front of Chen Boyun.
"Please bring these people here."
Chen Boyun took the list and glanced at it. Chen Zongping and Chen Zonggui were his nephews, and there was also his son on the list. Most of the others were direct descendants of the second family of each branch.
In a flourishing clan, there will naturally be several branches, each of which is a clan. Among them, Dafang is the leader and representative of the entire clan and has the final decision-making power. For example, Chen Boyun is the clan leader of Dafang and the entire Chen family.
The leader of the clan.
There are several second-fang clans below the first clan, and each second-fang clan has its own clan leader and members. The second-fang clan leader's status is second only to the first clan clan, and is usually the first clan's assistant, helping him manage the entire clan.
But there are also cases where the second roommate is at odds with the first roommate, making it impossible for him to accomplish anything.
For a wealthy family like the Chen family, there are three or four other families below the second family, and the relationship is complicated. Therefore, every second family member has a strong say, and Chen Boyun is not willing to offend anyone easily.
If he really handed over all the people on the list, he would have offended all the clan leaders of the second family and would be left alone. Not to mention that there was his own son on top...
"Is there something wrong? Our Chen family has strict upbringing and a clean family tradition. How come there are so many children and grandchildren committing crimes?" He shook the list and asked in disbelief.
"Whether they have committed adultery or not can only be determined after going to court." Daotong said solemnly: "But if they don't dare to go to court, it only means that there is something wrong in their hearts and they have not been wronged."
"That's true..." Chen Boyun handed the list to Chen Bojin, the patriarch of the second clan at the side, and gave him a few instructions in a low voice.
Chen Bojin nodded and went out.
Chen Boyun smiled at Dao Tong and said, "Wait a minute on the stage. I asked my brother-in-law to call them all, but some of them must not be at home."
Daotong nodded without comment.
"I believe they were framed." While waiting, Chen Boyun ran out of words and said, "With so many children being accused at the same time, it is clear that someone is taking the opportunity to punish our Chen family. Tai and His Highness have to make the decision for us."
"Don't worry, Your Highness will not wrongly accuse a good person, nor will he let a bad person go." Daotong said calmly: "It's been a quarter of an hour, why haven't I seen anyone? Please ask someone to remind me."
"Okay." Chen Boyun nodded and asked the other second-fang clan leader to call someone, but there was still no news.
After waiting for half an hour, Tao Tong became anxious, put down the tea cup and said: "You are playing tricks on me, right?!"
"No, no, how could it be?" Chen Boyun hurriedly comforted his Taoist colleagues and asked someone to check again. This time he didn't wait long before he replied that he had searched from house to house, but no one was at home.
"Ah, what an unlucky thing?" Chen Boyun said apologetically to his fellow Taoist, "Oh, my trip to Taiwan will be in vain."
"Don't do this!" Dao Tong slapped the table and angrily shouted: "There is a limit to fooling people. None of the thirty-six people are at home. What a fool!"
"Maybe they heard that there was an official official coming yesterday, and they might have gone out to avoid the limelight." Chen Boyun said with an apologetic smile: "But if you are not at home, you are not at home. If you don't believe it in Taiwan, you can search it."
"You have two or three thousand households in Chen's house. The alleys are like a spider's web. If you want to hide a few people, where can I find them?" Daotong sneered, "There's no need to go to such trouble."
"What good ideas do you have in Taiwan?" Chen Boyun asked.
"You come with us. When will the family find them and send them to the government? When will I let you back?" Daotong declared boldly.
"Huh?" Chen Boyun and several second-fang clan leaders were all shocked. They had never heard such an outrageous request in their entire lives.
"What?" Daotong said with a straight face: "The person who tied the bell must also be tied to untie the bell. They were let go by you clan leaders. Isn't it reasonable for you to report to the government for them?"
"How is it reasonable?!" Chen Boyun and others exploded: "How dare you think of arresting all the patriarchs of our Chen family?!"
"If you take us back today, the Chen family will be doomed forever, understand?!" Chen Boyun's brother screamed, as if he wanted to eat people.
"Get out, we don't know any vassal or clan!" The Chen clan members who came outside after hearing the news also shouted in dialect: "The Chen family does not welcome outsiders, and no one can come!"
As he said this, the crowd started to push the officers and soldiers with anger. Those officers and soldiers were all locals from Guangzhou, so how could they dare to conflict with the Chen family? Those in Panyu County government were better, but those in charge of Chasi did not dare to fight back and were pushed around.
