Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5232 The Guo Family's Long-standing Feud

After entering the main hall and taking their seats, Helan Yan struggled out of Fang Jun's arms, landed, and ran to the coffee table. She grabbed a few pieces of dried fruit, held them in her palm, and then ran back to climb onto Fang Jun's knees and snuggled into his arms. She fed the dried fruit to Fang Jun with her little hands, looking at him expectantly, waiting for praise.

Fang Jun chuckled as he chewed on dried fruit, not disappointed. He reached out and pinched Helan Yan's rosy cheek, praising, "Yan'er still cares about me the most!"

Helan Yan then revealed a big smile, and with a touch of shyness, buried her head in Fang Jun's arms.

The little girl is very young, but she is already exquisitely beautiful with delicate features, possessing the exceptional good looks of the Wu family...

Perhaps due to the loss of her father at a young age and the lack of paternal love, Helan Yan has always been extremely close to Fang Jun.

Fang Jun put his arm around Helan Yan, looked at Wu Shunniang, and asked with a smile, "Has your little devil gotten into any trouble lately? That kid is very arrogant. It's fine if he just fools around in the academy, since no one can do anything to him because of my influence. But if he's arrogant and bullying outside, that's not a good thing. You have to keep a close eye on him. If you can't teach him a lesson, hand him over to me. I'll definitely teach him a lesson so he can make something of himself in the future and have someone to rely on."

He Lanminzhi is a rebellious and unruly boy at heart. If he is not properly educated, he will definitely go astray.

Now that he has become Helan Minzhi's "godfather," he naturally has to fulfill the responsibilities of a "godfather." Otherwise, when he causes a great disaster in the future, how will he face the Wu sisters?

When mentioning her worried son, Wu Shunniang was unusually satisfied: "I often send people to the academy to deliver food and clothing. According to the feedback from the academy's instructors, although he doesn't like reading classics and historical texts, he is very fond of military affairs. He has now transferred to the military academy to study in the Wei Gong class and is receiving personal guidance from Wei Gong!"

The once unruly and troublesome spoiled brat has now set his mind on studying hard and unexpectedly become a disciple of the "God of War." How could a mother not be overjoyed?

Helan Yan squirmed in Fang Jun's arms, her clear, bright eyes wide, and said in a childish voice, "Brother is amazing!"

Fang Jun smiled and patted her head, saying to Wu Shunniang, "Minzhi is intelligent and talented. As long as he settles down and studies with Duke Wei, he won't go astray. He will surely achieve something someday. You, as his mother, will have done right by his deceased father."

His words filled Wu Shunniang with both sorrow and embarrassment. She glared at him, her face flushed.

Fang Jun chuckled and then asked Wu Xiuniang softly, "Third Sister, is something the matter? We're all family, so feel free to ask if you need help. We can discuss even the most important things."

Wu Meiniang thoroughly dealt with all the scoundrels in the Wu family, but few of the Wu family's in-laws were any better; the Helan family was one example, as was the Guo family.

Upon hearing Fang Jun's question, Wu Xiuniang raised her head to look at him, her beautiful eyes quickly filling with tears, as if she were about to weep, before she lowered her head again.

Amidst the grievances and misery, there seemed to be a hint of resentment...

Fang Jun: "..."

Why are you looking at me like that?

I haven't done anything irresponsible to you!
He was bewildered and could only look at Wu Shunniang, asking her with his eyes.

Wu Shunniang hurriedly said, "Isn't it that scoundrel Guo Xiaoshen? Nowadays, everyone in and around Chang'an is desperately trying to pull strings to get official positions in the state, but the Guo family, being guilty of crimes, doesn't even have the chance to go to the Ministry of Personnel to wait for selection. So they blame my third sister, making a ruckus all day long, which has made my pregnant sister restless. She can only come here to find peace and quiet."

Although he was extremely angry and his face was flushed, his tone and words were weak and powerless, and had no offensive power.

Wu Zetian was outwardly gentle but inwardly strong and domineering, yet her two sisters were both gentle, weak, and submissive—which was rather strange…

He nodded to indicate that he understood.

Back then, Guo Xiaoke was greedy for merit and made a rash advance, resulting in a defeat in Kucha. He not only died in the chaos of battle but also suffered heavy losses and a major defeat. Although Emperor Taizong characterized it as "dying for the country," his mistakes were unforgivable. Although the family was not punished, it still caused the Guo family to suffer a blow and never recover.

The Guo family of Yangdi was not a prominent clan; their rise to prominence was entirely due to the merits of Guo Xiaoke. Once the family fell into decline, it was as difficult as climbing to heaven to rise again.

Originally, Guo Xiaoke was Fang Jun's brother-in-law, which should have been a huge support for him. However, when Guo Xiaoke was in the Western Regions, he tried to seize Fang Jun's winery, which caused a feud with Fang Jun. He later died in the chaos of war. The Guo family always believed that Fang Jun must have been involved in the mess. Therefore, even though they were brothers-in-law, they were like strangers and had no contact with each other.

Fang Jun raised an eyebrow, and an aura of power emanated from him. He had just been a kind and amiable relative, but people immediately realized that he was a powerful minister who held sway over the court.

He said in a deep voice, "Is Third Sister pregnant? Did Guo Xiaoshen make a move?"

It's understandable to misunderstand him and therefore take it out on Wu Xiuniang, but it's unforgivable to hit someone while Wu Xiuniang is pregnant.

Wu Xiuniang was intimidated by Fang Jun's imposing manner, and her heart trembled. Sensing his anger, she quickly clarified, "I did not lay a hand on him!"

She paused, then explained, "She's just feeling down. At such a young age, she can neither serve her country nor support her family, so she's taking her anger out on me. Originally, I only planned to hide away for a few days until my husband calmed down before returning home, but my eldest sister insisted on going to find my second brother-in-law..."

But the more he spoke, the softer his voice became, and finally he lowered his head.

Fang Jun scratched his eyebrows, somewhat speechless.

Seeing his sister-in-law's pathetic appearance, he wanted to scold her, but she was pregnant and he couldn't be too harsh on her. Besides, that was her nature, so what could he do?
Do you really think a few words will change her personality and allow her to act arrogantly in the Guo family?

He could only sigh softly and say gently, "I am usually too busy with many affairs and have not paid much attention to your family matters. Meiniang is far away in Luoyang and has not been able to take good care of you, which has made us neglect you. But you must remember that since you are my sister-in-law, there are almost no people in the world who can bully you, let alone the Guo family. We will not bully others, but we will not let others bully us either."

Wu Xiuniang lowered her head and gave a soft "hmm," clearly not having heard a word...

Fang Jun was helpless. His sister-in-law was as submissive as dough. If he were to drag her into the house and ravage her now, she probably wouldn't dare to resist.

He looked at Wu Shunniang and asked, "What do you plan to do?"

Since they've come to me seeking a solution, they must have found one.

Wu Shunniang said, "Although Guo Xiaoshen is wicked, he is still passable in general. We can't divorce over something like this, can we? Third Sister is pregnant... I was thinking that you, Erlang, could help Guo Xiaoshen get an official position, whether in Chang'an or in his fiefdom, to ease the tension between husband and wife."

Fang Jun said with difficulty, "You don't know this, but Guo Xiaoke and I had a deep feud back then. Although his defeat and death had nothing to do with me, the grudge between our two families is not small. I can certainly step in, but Guo Xiaoshen may not accept it."

Wu Shunniang said, "He will definitely accept it, otherwise why would he have made such a scene with Third Sister?"

Fang Jun looked at Wu Shunniang with slight surprise. She was usually perceived as "big-breasted and brainless" and "submissive," but he didn't expect her to be so shrewd and intelligent.

Then he asked Wu Xiuniang, "What kind of official position does Third Sister want to arrange for Guo Xiaoshen?"

Wu Xiuniang whispered, "I don't ask for any high-ranking official position. I just want him to have a job so he can use his knowledge. The most important thing is not to make things difficult for my brother-in-law."

She was reluctant to ask Fang Jun for help, but her older sister insisted, so she couldn't refuse.

Fang Jun frowned. He hadn't had much contact with Wu Xiuniang before. This sister-in-law was probably a "homebody" who rarely visited other people's homes or relatives. So, although he knew that she was a bit timid, he hadn't found her to be so shy, reserved, and submissive.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "Tomorrow I will go to the Ministry of Personnel myself to see if there are any suitable official positions. You can have Guo Xiaoshen go to the Ministry of Personnel to find me at the beginning of the fourth hour of the morning."

Although he didn't have much affection for the Guo family, his sister-in-law had come to him for help, so how could he stand idly by and ignore her?
With the Three Provinces, Six Ministries, Nine Temples, and Twelve Guards, plus the Jingzhao Prefecture and its subordinate counties, there were countless government offices inside and outside Chang'an City, with officials of all ranks as numerous as hairs on a cow. Every day, dozens or even hundreds of officials were waiting for promotion or selection. Regardless of the rank or specific position, it was easy to place someone in a position.

Of course, this is from his perspective.

"Well... I feel really bad for causing my brother-in-law so much trouble."

"There's no need for such formalities among family. Visit us more often when you have free time. Fang You often talks about you two aunts."

"OK then."

Wu Xiuniang reluctantly agreed.

If my second sister were at home, it would be fine, but now that she's gone to Luoyang to do something big, why is she going to the Fang family's place?

Although this second brother-in-law has always been very respectful to me and has never shown any covetousness, he is still well-known, and there is the precedent of my eldest sister. What if my husband misunderstands if I go to the Fang family often?
After lunch, Wu Xiuniang took her leave, as she needed to return and inform Guo Xiaoshen of the news so she could make some preparations in advance.

After being coaxed into eating by Fang Jun, He Lanyan dozed off after the table was cleared away, and was carried to her bedroom by the household nanny for an afternoon nap.

Fang Jun took a sip of tea and looked up to see Wu Shunniang's affectionate, watery eyes...

She then smiled and said, "It's cold and dry in winter, so I'll have the servants boil water for a bath... Would you like to come along, elder sister?"

The word "elder sister" made Wu Shunniang blush and become beautiful, and she lowered her head, her voice barely audible: "I will serve Erlang."

Fang Jun laughed loudly, got up, and took Wu Shunniang's hand to the back room.

……

Outside the window, the wind and snow suddenly intensified, with snowflakes falling thickly. Inside, it was warm as spring, with steam rising from the room. The pool of hot water rippled and churned, making the maid outside the door blush. Only when the noise subsided and the wind and water calmed down did she enter the bathroom to clean up.