After Wu Ran left the meeting hall, he returned to the courtyard. Without a moment's rest, he entered the study.
In the past, everything had a grandfather, a father, and a second brother.
In the past, when he went to meet his second brother to play chess, the second brother was always unavailable, and he even complained in his heart about this...
In the past two years, he had a little understanding of the hard work and busyness of his second brother, and the complaint disappeared. Now, now, he has personal experience, and finally understands what it feels like to have responsibilities on your shoulders.
"Where did this come from?" Wu Rangang sat down behind the desk and saw a square box of red lacquer placed on the desk in front of him.
"Back to the young master, this was sent by Manager Yin himself earlier. He didn't say what it was. He just said that he would understand it when he saw it." The young man said beside him: "You guys have never opened it without authorization. Now, the young master can
Want to take a look?"
Wu Ran nodded: "Open it."
Manager Yin is an old man who was brought up by his grandfather. He is in charge of all the trivial accounts of the palace, but he has no involvement in the affairs of the Wu clan——
In the past two days, he had a lot of contact with Manager Yin.
The boy responded "yes", opened the wooden box, and held the contents in front of Wu Ran.
When Wu Ran took a look at it at first, he thought it was an account book. However, when he took it into his hand and looked closely, he saw that on the old book cover, which was mottled with time, there were clearly three words "Public Records of Women".
"..." The boy's eyes were full of surprise and surprise, and he could barely suppress the joy in his eyes.
As the second brother said, although his chess skills are a bit poor, in terms of enthusiasm, he can be regarded as a qualified chess fanatic...
As a chess fanatic, he had long heard about this long-lost chess book in rumors, and his second brother had promised three years ago that he would definitely find it for him!
Manager Yin's name was ranked first on the booklet A Yuan gave him!
Therefore, the chess record sent to him today... must be the instruction of the second brother!
This is his birthday gift from his second brother!
The second brother is indeed still there!
Even though A Yuan was very confident in what he said, he believed it, but when he really touched upon matters related to his second brother and saw his arrangements with his own eyes, he had a completely different feeling!
He didn't feel at all that the second brother had arranged for Manager Yin to send this thing at this time - if that was the case, Manager Yin would just say it bluntly, but he would never, and there was no reason to be vague, leaving only one sentence: "
The young master will understand when he sees it'.
Therefore, Manager Yin was also aware of the second brother's fake death, and had secret contacts with the second brother...
Then, the second brother must be aware of everything going on in the family!
What he has done with his second brother's people, what progress and conclusions he has made, he knows, and second brother must also know... This chess book is not only a birthday gift to him, but also a record of what his second brother has done to him recently.
Response to things!
He and his second brother are doing the same thing!
At this point, he can be completely sure of one thing - all this must be the game set by the second brother and the others, and the current situation is definitely under the control of the second brother...
It's even very possible that the second brother is in the city, at home, maybe hiding next to him!
This idea made the boy feel reassured and excited. He looked around subconsciously and even bent slightly to look under the table.
The young man looked a little confused. What is the young master looking for?
Wu Ran personally placed the book of chess records on the innermost side of the bookshelf to calm the fluctuations in his heart.
Since the second brother gave him a response and was not afraid of him revealing his secret, it was obvious that it was time to close the net...
It’s really time to close the net.
If the second brother, grandfather, only wanted to force out those with different intentions, this goal has been achieved now. If it is delayed any longer, I am afraid it will really shake the foundation of the Wu family and damage the foundation of the Wu family.
We can’t let the wrong person continue to make mistakes——
This is also what he has been thinking about most in the past two days.
At this time, there were faint footsteps outside the window. The visitor exchanged a few words in a low voice with the servant standing outside the study, and then there was a knock on the door of the study.
"Come in." Wu Ran turned around from the bookshelf.
"Young Master." The servant saluted and said, "The Second Master sent someone to deliver a message. If the Young Master is not busy, I would like to invite the Young Master to go to Songqingyuan."
Wu Ran slightly flattened the corners of his mouth.
The second uncle took the initiative to see him...
He should also go see his second uncle.
There are some things that he really wants to understand.
"I know, I'll come over right away." The boy responded and before leaving the study, he took out a letter from the secret compartment of the bookshelf and hid it in his sleeve.
He told the boy: "After I leave, I will ask Manager Yin to come over and explain to him that I went to my second uncle's place and ask him to wait for me here. If he doesn't see me back in half an hour, he will
No need to wait any longer.”
The boy said "ah" softly, but he didn't understand the meaning. Manager Yin was also a very busy person, so why did the young master ask someone to wait in vain?
But the young master no longer needs their repeated reminders when doing things.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand, just follow the instructions.
As soon as Wu Ran left, the young man went to invite someone in person - the more he didn't understand something, the more secrets he hid, and he wouldn't trust it if it was easily left to others.
Over the years, the people around the young master have changed one after another. He can always stay by the young master's side and serve him closely because he pays more attention to everything and can think more and never be lazy.
Wu Ran took two servants and headed all the way to Wu Jingling's Songqingyuan.
Halfway through, I met Wu Jingyi.
"Third uncle." Wu Ran stopped and saluted with a respectful tone.
"Where are we going?" Wu Jingyi was followed by two young people from the clan, who had obviously just come back from outside.
"Back to Third Uncle, Second Uncle asked my nephew to come over."
"Oh?" Wu Jingyi asked, "I told you why I invited you over?"
Wu Ran: "I don't know yet."
At such a busy time, I invite you for no reason...
"..." Wu Jingyi flicked his fingers half-hidden in his sleeves at his side, looking at the boy in front of him, as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't say anything.
"My nephew will go over first." Wu Ran saluted.
Wu Jingyi nodded: "Go ahead..."
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the boy passing by him. After taking a few steps, Wu Jingyi suddenly shouted to him again: "A Zhang!"
Wu Ran stopped and turned around when he heard the sound.
Wu Jingyi's fingers on his sleeves clenched and unclenched, and a normally stern person now showed a gentle look on his face: "Third uncle, it suddenly occurred to me that today is your ninth birthday?"
The boy smiled: "Uncle San still remembers."
"I will meet your second uncle later and tell him that our family will go to your grandmother's courtyard to have a meal together in the evening. Then I will call your two older brothers, sisters and several younger brothers..." Wu Jingyi said: "
Although we can’t celebrate, we can just sit together as a family.”
Wu Ran was stunned for a moment and then agreed.
But he wasn't sure...whether there would be such an opportunity again tonight.
After watching the boy disappear, Wu Jingyi left.
When Wu Ran arrived at Songqingyuan, he was invited to Wu Jinling's study.
He and his second brother had often visited his second uncle's study since childhood. In his impression, the fragrance of flowers lingered in his second uncle's study and even in the entire courtyard all year round.
The second uncle loves flowers, and he also likes hairpins on his bun. In other words, the second uncle loves all beautiful things.
Since his grandfather's "accident", he has never seen his second uncle wearing fine clothes, nor has he worn hairpins to incense.
At this time, all the potted plants in the study were also moved out, and the vases made by famous craftsmen that had never been empty also disappeared from the desks and small tables, and were moved to unknown places.
His second uncle was currently sitting in the comb-backed chair next to the small table next to the window.
He was still wearing plain clothes.
Ever since he could remember, he had never seen such a simple and elegant second uncle.
And if you look carefully at this time, you can find that this plainness is not only missing the decoration of fancy clothes and jewelry, but from the inside to the outside -
The lively, casual, casual and romantic attitude that seemed to have been engraved in the bones of the second uncle's body was completely gone.
So much so that when he looked at the person sitting in the chair, he actually felt a bit strange.
Some changes are easier to detect the closer the people are.
What's more, the second uncle seemed to have no intention of concealing this change.
At this moment, there was no need to say or ask anything, Wu Ran thought that he already had the answer in his heart.
"Why doesn't A Zhang speak?" Wu Jinling smiled slightly, raised his hand and said, "Do you want to have a chat with your second uncle?"
Wu Ran's eyes fell on the chessboard placed on the small table and said: "No need, I have never been my second uncle's opponent."
Wu Jingling looked at him and asked jokingly: "Why are you only thinking about winning now? Zhang, this is not like you."
Wu Ran also looked at him: "The person who wants to win seems to be my second uncle."
He has never regarded his second uncle as an opponent, whether on the chessboard or at any other time.
Wu Jingling smiled silently when he heard this, lowered his eyes and gently fiddled with the jar of sunspots with his fingers, and did not speak for a while.
He was sitting by the window, with an expression on his face that made it difficult to see clearly.
Wu Ran had taken out the letter from his sleeve: "Should my second uncle explain the purpose of this secret letter?"
Wu Jingling then raised his head and said in a clear tone: "It turns out that A Zhang really intercepted the letter. I thought it was Jing Yi... That's right. The third brother has always been calm, how could he stop the letter so rashly...
That's why the second uncle invited you here because he wanted to give you a try. I didn't expect that my A Zhang would be so frank and forthright at all times. But as a second uncle, I am too narrow-minded.
"
Wu Ran pursed his lips.
Therefore, the second uncle admitted it.
"Why did the second uncle secretly borrow the family master's seal and make his own opinions and send a message to the imperial envoy outside the city? Is the second uncle so anxious to make peace? Isn't it possible that the vengeance of my grandfather, father, mother, and second brother will not be avenged?"
"Of course I have to take revenge...Second uncle will never let go of the Daqing court..." Wu Jinling seemed to grit his teeth, and then slowly let go: "It's just that it's not the time now. The current situation is unclear, and the hearts of the people in the clan are...
If we are not aligned, it is better to attack than to defend. Making peace with the imperial court is nothing more than an expedient measure."
"But the second uncle sent the message without telling everyone in the clan! Isn't the second uncle afraid that this will completely alienate the clan?"
"Wouldn't it be better if my second uncle can get rid of those stubborn and stupid people for you?" Wu Jinling asked indifferently.
Remove?
Most of those are old people from the supporting clan!
What a light and completely reckless statement!
I don't know if he was more angry or sad, Wu Ran couldn't help but his eyes turned slightly red: "I'm afraid the second uncle just wants to use this to eradicate dissidents!"
This is no longer the second uncle he knew!
Before that, when he got the letter, he had narrowly thought about whether someone deliberately used his second uncle's name to point everything to his second uncle, in order to prevent the matter from being exposed and then make it easier for him to make the mistake.
Put it on the second uncle's head...
Without any evidence, he even narrowly suspected that the third uncle was more!
But from the moment he stepped into the study today, everything became clear in his heart.
Facing his nephew's doubts, Wu Jinling calmly shook his head: "No, I am worried about the stability of the Wu family. Zhang, you are still too young, and you still don't understand some truths."
"Really?" Wu Ran stared at him closely: "The second uncle claimed that it was for the Wu family. The second uncle took advantage of the chaos to replace the people in various places. Yesterday, he even opened the courtyard outside the city with the family owner's seal.
I took away 800,000 taels of cash from the bank's bank, so what's the explanation?"
Even many tribesmen were unaware of the existence of that bank.
The second brother once said that it was brought from home to prepare for emergencies——
But the second uncle took away 800,000 taels without authorization for the first time!
This is completely disregarding the plans and future plans of the elders in the family!
In this case, can it be said that it is for the sake of the stability of the Wu family?
"Do you even know this..." Wu Jinling raised his eyebrows in surprise, "That shouldn't be the case. The people in other courtyards have already been replaced. Who will report it to you? Could it be...that you hid it from me?
With your second uncle, you secretly used the manpower left by your father and your second brother?"
As he said that, he smiled appreciatively: "A Zhang, you are much more useful than my second uncle imagined. To be honest, your qualifications are far inferior to your second brother's... But who asked you to do this since you were a child?
What I have learned is the way of the family master."
Wu Ran frowned.
What is the way of a family leader...
With his father and second brother around, all he learned was the same as his second uncle and third uncle, just how to assist the head of the family.
"...Those things are really what I want to learn." Wu Jinling leaned back in his chair and recalled what happened when he was a child: "In the past, when we were enlightened, the things Mr. Zhen gave to your father and me were different, but every time
, I am better than your father
Both success and achievement must be outstanding... After several times, do you know what Mr. Zhen said? He shook his head and said, he is just a bastard. The way a bastard has learned can only be the way of assisting, and he cannot recognize his own position.
It’s just a delusional attempt to transgress.”
"Trespassing... this word, I have only known it to be used on servants and servants..."
"Oh, by the way, what else did he say when he saw that I refused to change despite repeated admonitions? From my answers, it became clear that I had "bad intentions", so he complained to my father. I was only seven or eight years old at that time.
I still remember that I knelt outside your grandfather's study all night. I admitted that I was wrong and that I should not have listened to Mr. Zhen's discipline. But I knew in my heart that my only mistake was that I was born a bastard..."
At the end of the sentence, he laughed: "From then on, I only did what a common man should do and said what a common man should say... Sure enough, everyone was happy."
