If the head of the family is gone, what will happen next for them?
As early as half a month ago, the imperial envoys and soldiers sent by the imperial court had already set up camp a hundred miles away from Ningyang City. The entire clan had deployed defenses to deal with the situation as explained in the previous letter from the family head.
The imperial court obviously did not dare to rush into the city rashly and sent an envoy to deliver a letter. The letter left some room for error, to the effect that if the Wu family was willing to give a clear answer, they would admit that the empress and the prince's escape from the capital was a matter of permission.
The family was forced to do so, so the court was still willing to believe in the Wu family's loyalty...
Although this rhetoric is full of self-deception and "you won't believe even a ghost", and it is obviously just a means of pretending to appease the court, but at least one thing is certain - the court will never be a direct enemy of the Wu family at this time unless necessary.
.
Just like the Duke of Zhen Guo has captured Linyuan City, the court still wants to make peace.
Anyone with a discerning eye can see that the reason why the imperial court is so "flexible and flexible" and willing to tolerate temporary anger is simply because it wants to try its best to balance the situation and not to let King Yan get too powerful.
At the moment, the imperial court is still waiting for their "reply" from the Wu family——
I thought that everything would be resolved in a clear way after the head of the family returned...
But now, the head of the family will never come back!
The changes in the capital not only caught the imperial court off guard, but also exceeded their expectations. In the eyes of most tribesmen, being so adventurous and impatient is not the family leader's usual style at all——
As for what the family leader’s plan is and how the next plan will be implemented, no one knows!
And the eldest son and grandson who are most likely to know the plan are no longer there. Even the second master and the third master were asked just now. They also know very little about the detailed plan of the family head!
And as soon as the head of the family died, the deepest bond and trust between the Wu family and King Yan also disappeared. Do they... really want to blindly support King Yan without knowing anything about it?
The imperial court cannot be trusted, but without the head of the family in charge, does it mean that King Yan must be trustworthy?
In the Wu family meeting hall, the members of the clan were divided because of this.
"It's better to go with the flow and temporarily comply with the court's wishes to ensure the stability of Ningyang..."
"It's simply ridiculous! The head of the family and his descendants all lost their lives at the hands of the imperial court. They pretended to maintain peace while secretly killing people. They clearly wanted to intimidate us and force the Wu family to give in! If we give in now, wouldn't they be doing what they want?
The evil plot!"
"That's right, the head of the family's body is still cold. If he succumbs to the imperial court at this time, how can the Wu family have any face? How can you and I have the face to meet the head of the family in the future?"
"Don't you want to avenge the master of the family?"
"This grudge must be repaid in the future. The word "compliance" I refer to does not mean that I intend to submit to the imperial court... Make a decision and then act. The matter of supporting King Yan still needs long-term planning. There is no countermeasure at the moment. Do you really want to make a direct enemy of the imperial court?
"
"My uncle's words are also reasonable..." A young man echoed: "The Wu family has a century-old foundation here, so it still has the confidence to remain neutral for a while."
"You also know that it is only a moment! Even if the imperial court is hindered by the overall situation, it is willing to tolerate this moment, but there will be no shortage of accounts to be settled in the future. If the overall situation has been decided by then, the Wu family will undoubtedly fall into a passive situation... Instead of doing this, it would be better
It is better to lend a helping hand to King Yan, which can be regarded as a way to save yourself!"
"Since the head of the family has made up his mind, he must have thought it over carefully. Do you think you have a longer-term vision than the head of the family?"
"But the head of the family is no longer here! The death of the head of the house will definitely affect the overall situation, and it is unknown whether the Xu family will be shaken... The overall situation of the world is changing rapidly. If you and I don't have the wisdom of the head of the house, how can we inherit the ambition of the head of the house?
"
"..."
The hall was full of voices and arguments.
Wu Jingyi was busy dealing with funeral matters and did not show up.
When the quarrel reached a fever pitch, the eyes of all the clansmen were focused on Wu Jinling and Wu Ran.
Most of them are still on Wu Ran - the family attaches great importance to direct line inheritance, Wu Jingling is a commoner, and there is no way to tell the difference at this juncture.
And there was hope in those eyes. They hoped that this boy could bring new hope and direction to the Wu family like his grandfather and elder brother--
But seeing the boy sitting there, who was only eight or nine years old and had just lost many close relatives, looking vaguely at a loss when facing this situation... Soon, all those expectations turned into disappointment.
Even among those many glances, there were also a few subtle looks of contempt, and even a vague look and weigh.
Wu Ran was sitting on pins and needles.
He doesn't know who to listen to and how to choose the right one...
He was afraid of making the wrong decision, he was afraid of letting down the painstaking planning of his grandfather and second brother, and he was also afraid of letting down the Wu clan and the people of Ningyang.
This burden that fell on his shoulders was too heavy and too sudden for him.
Faced with one question after another urging him to express his position, Wu Jinling stood up just when the boy felt that he could no longer hold on.
"This matter is of great importance. You can't rush to a conclusion based on just a few words." Wu Jinling glanced at his nephew and said to everyone: "The imperial court does not dare to act rashly for the time being. This matter is for me, A Zhang and my third brother.
After discussing it with my mother, and then writing to Linyuan to inquire about the Duke’s wishes, it won’t be too late to discuss it with you all——”
After hearing him speak, several older tribesmen, although dissatisfied, did not say anything more.
This matter cannot indeed be decided in a day or two.
"Forget it, at least we need to take care of the family head's posthumous affairs first..." An old man who was well-known in the clan sighed and said.
Mentioning this, the hall fell into sadness again.
Everyone left one after another, and Wu Ran slowly walked out of the meeting hall.
"Second uncle, who should I listen to?" The boy lowered his shoulders and his voice was very soft, but full of confusion.
Wu Jinling walked beside him and said: "Azhang, you must know that all sounds are considered, you only need to listen to your own -"
Wu Ran was a little stunned.
This sentence is not unfamiliar.
In other words, someone around him has always done this to him - his grandfather, his second brother, all of them.
This is the way of a householder.
"Those people in the hall today, although they have different opinions, they all keep claiming that they are doing it for the overall situation, for the Wu family..." Wu Jinling looked forward and said slowly: "But the fact is not necessarily the case. They each have their own interests.
Think about it, there may even be hidden people among them who have dissatisfaction with the Wu family - Zhang, you have to learn to distinguish people's hearts, this is the most difficult thing."
Distinguish people's hearts...
Wu Ran listened carefully: "I have written it all down."
He has a lot to learn.
Fortunately——
"Fortunately, there are still second uncle and third uncle here..." He looked at the tall man beside him, and his tone showed the dependence and weakness that only people who are close to him can have.
When Wu Jinling heard this, he turned his head and said with Wu Ran's eyes that he still couldn't understand: "A Zhang, you don't have to believe your second uncle and third uncle... You have to know that after your grandfather, father, mother and brother left,
, From now on, there will be no one in this world who is worthy of your wholehearted trust, because the rest will all be those who have interests competing with you."
Even though it was cruel to say this, he still hoped that Zhang, his nephew, could grow up as soon as possible...
Only in this way can we be able to face the truth fashionably and sustain ourselves in the future.
After being stunned for a moment, the boy forced back the tears that came out of him when facing someone he could trust, and then nodded.
"Azhang understands what the second uncle said."
After saying that, he stopped at his feet and saluted Wu Jingling.
"Thank you, uncle."
Although he is young, what he has learned since childhood has made him always remember the fickleness of people's hearts - he doesn't know what will happen in the future, but his second uncle gave him a reminder at this time, which is worthy of his gratitude.
And one thing he wanted to explain: "In A Zhang's heart, the second uncle and the third uncle are still trustworthy relatives."
This trust is what his heart desires. Even if something unexpected happens in the future, it is still his choice, not being deceived by others - just as the second uncle said just now, he should listen to himself the most.
When Wu Jingling heard these words, he looked at the boy in front of him who seemed to have lost his sense of confusion in his brows and eyes, and suddenly felt a little dazed.
After a while, Shicai said: "You look a bit like your second brother when he was young..."
After saying that, he turned back and continued walking forward: "Let's go to your third uncle's place."
Wu Ran nodded and looked at the man's profile.
When the second brother was mentioned, the second uncle's eyes turned red.
Yes, even the third uncle once said that the second uncle admires and loves the second brother, even more than the eldest brother who is the second uncle's biological son——
If something happens to the second brother, the second uncle will feel the pain no less than anyone else.
The next few days were busy with funeral arrangements.
At this time, the news of the accident involving the three descendants of King Dingnan had spread throughout Ningyang City.
To the people of Ningyang, this news felt as if the sky above their heads had collapsed in half, making them sad and panic-stricken.
During the day, Wu Ran either arranged various matters with his two uncles and eldest brother, or met alone with several important people in the clan, trying to find out the real feasible strategies from their respective opinions.
But these are all during the day.
At night, when no one was around, the boy would huddle in bed alone and shed tears secretly.
But he didn't dare to cry too much, for fear that others would see it when he got up the next day.
This night, Wu Ran only used half of his usual dinner and put down his chopsticks.
The boy hurriedly said: "Sir, don't you want to eat more?"
Although they are all vegetarian dishes, he specially ordered the kitchen according to the young master's preferences, especially these dishes, five-thread vegetable rolls, Buddha's Hand Guanyin Lotus, Lotus Pond Stir-fried...
The boy was thinking about it in his mind, but suddenly his eyes froze and he almost slapped himself on the forehead!
These preferences of the young master are mostly influenced by the grandson... Isn't he deliberately making the young master feel uncomfortable!
It’s true that there is more than enough success and more than failure!
"..." The boy wanted to say something to comfort his young master, but when he spoke, he was afraid of making the boy sad even more.
"I'm going to my third uncle's place. You don't have to come with me," Wu Ran said.
The boy had to answer "yes".
He saw it with his own eyes. The young master had been changing almost every day in the past few days. He was becoming more and more precise in his words, making people dare not say anything contrary to his words.
Wu Ran lied.
He did not go to look for Wu Jingyi, but first went to his father's and mother's residence. After staying for a while, he walked slowly in the night alone, and finally came to Wu Chao's courtyard.
The owner of the courtyard was gone, and the courtyard became deserted. There was no sign of any servants. Only the lamps were still hanging in the corridor, and they were replaced with plain white paper lanterns. The house, which was usually always lit with lights, was now full of people.
The color of pitch black.
The boy went up the stone steps and came outside the main hall. In the darkness, he seemed to be able to see the figure of the young man who taught him how to play chess in the hall.
His understanding is not as good as that of his second brother, who was able to win over his father when he was as old as him.
Father……
The boy's tears suddenly fell.
The second brother can still play chess with his father, right?
No, since the grandfather is here, it must not be the father’s turn. It must be the second brother and the grandfather, with the father watching from the sidelines...
The boy sat on the threshold, hugged his knees and cried silently.
"Second brother, is today your first day? If so, can you come and see me... I'm not afraid of ghosts at all, really."
The boy's mouth turned into a pimple, with tears streaming down his face. He looked at the dark yard and choked up: "I'm really not afraid anymore. I won't be afraid of you even if you come here every day. Second brother, I think
You..."
As he spoke, he cried for a while and then changed his words: "...There is no need to come every day. If you have a chance to reincarnate, you should hurry up and reincarnate. Reincarnation is a serious matter..."
Then he discussed it seriously: "If you can choose, then we can still be a family in the next life, is that okay?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly felt someone tapping him gently on his left shoulder.
"Ah!" Wu Ran screamed, feeling that all the hair on his body was standing on end, his clothes were standing on end, and he suddenly jumped up at an incredible speed.
"Ouch!" The man whose head was hit by his chin shouted in frustration: "Fourth Young Master, didn't you say you're not afraid anymore?"
"Ah Yuan?" Wu Ran took a long breath after seeing the other person's face clearly.
He really looked like the second brother and showed up.
Of course he's not afraid...he's just not ready yet.
"Did the Fourth Young Master come alone?" A Yuan asked quietly.
——He hid in the dark and paid close attention for a long time, but found no trace of anyone else.
Wu Ran nodded and wiped his tears.
"Young Master, I have something to say to the Fourth Young Master..." A Yuan blinked his eyes, and his voice couldn't be lowered: "You come with me, Young Master."
With that said, he went inside the house.
Wu Ran followed in.
A Yuan is the person that the second brother trusts, and he is also the person he trusts.
The lights were still not lit in the house, so Ah Yuan took Wu Ran to the inner room. The house was so quiet that not even a breath of wind could be heard.
Is A Yuan going to tell him a secret?
Secrets should be told secretly.
Wu Ran even looked at the direction of the bed, and the meaning was self-evident - do you want to cover yourself with a quilt?
A Yuan followed the boy's line of sight and glanced: It's not necessary...
He took the boy and sat down on the couch, while he squatted in front of the boy: "Fourth Young Master, you may be a little surprised when you hear what I say next. Although I have checked carefully, I am still worried that there are ears on the wall.
, so you must not make any loud noise..."
Wu Ran nodded seriously.
Ah Yuan looked down on him too much. How could he be the one making a fuss now?
"The villain believes that the prince, the prince, and the young master must still be alive..." A Yuan whispered.
Wu Ran's eyes suddenly widened like bells, and he lost his voice: "Wha... uh uh--"
A Yuan was well prepared and covered the boy's mouth.
In the darkness, their eyes met for a long time, and then Ah Yuan asked with his eyes - is it almost done?
"..." Wu Ran nodded, his throat already broken in his heart.
