Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 29 Su Jingshan

Anyang County, Su Family.

Su Jingshan, as the county magistrate of Anyang County, was the most powerful official in the county, and the Su family was the most influential clan in the entire county.

The Su family mansion was a huge three-courtyard complex with dozens of maids and servants.

The annual festival is approaching, and the martial arts school is on holiday.

Su Chang then followed his father, Su Jinghong, back to their residence in the county town.

At dusk, the government office was closed for the day. When Su Jingshan returned home from the government office, he saw Su Chang harassing a maid in the mansion.

"Master! Master!"

"The master is back!"

The servant noticed Su Jingshan and hurriedly reminded him.

Su Chang quickly stopped what he was doing, straightened his disheveled clothes, and stepped forward to greet him with a cupped-fist salute: "Uncle."

Su Jingshan walked past him with a cold face, ignoring him.

In the back hall, Su Jinghong was talking to an old woman. When he saw Su Jingshan come in, he hurriedly stood up and bowed, saying, "Brother."

The old woman smiled and said, "Jingshan, you've come at the perfect time."

Su Jingshan suppressed his displeasure and quickly bowed to his mother, saying, "Mother."

The old woman smiled and nodded: "Please sit down."

The two brothers sat down in front of her, and the old woman took Su Jingshan's hand and said, "Jinghong just told me that he plans to send someone to the Huang family to present betrothal gifts after the New Year's Eve. As the eldest brother, you have to put in a lot of effort on this matter."

Su Jingshan nodded in agreement: "Mother, don't worry, I'll remember this."

As he spoke, he turned to Su Jinghong and asked, "How many years has Chang'er been in Yunshui Town? How is his relationship with the Huang family girl?"

Su Jinghong touched his bald head, smiled awkwardly, and said nothing.

"Mother, you should rest first. Jinghong and I will go and discuss this matter."

Su Jingshan knew his nephew's character and didn't want to mention it in front of his mother.

Just then, Su Chang rushed in from outside in a panic. When he saw Su Jingshan there, he immediately slowed down and walked over to the old woman, bowing respectfully: "Grandma, your grandson has had someone make your favorite deer antler soup. It will be ready in a moment."

The old woman nodded happily: "Chang'er is so filial, come and keep Grandma company."

Upon hearing this, Su Chang quickly moved closer and knelt down.

Su Jingshan glanced at him, said nothing, and got up to leave.

Su Jinghong followed closely behind.

The two arrived at the pavilion in the courtyard. Su Jingshan, with his hands behind his back and a displeased expression, said, "How can such a纨绔 (spoiled brat) be of any use?"

"Second brother, do you know that news has come from above that Huang Yunxiao of the Huang family will be transferred to the position of county magistrate of Anyang after the New Year's Eve ceremony?"

Faced with his elder brother's questioning, Su Jinghong nodded somewhat reservedly.

The eldest brother is like a father. Although the two are brothers, Su Jingshan is more than ten years older than him. In addition, he has been in the officialdom for many years and has a kind of pressure from superiors, which makes Su Jinghong feel a little awe.

"Do you know that the Huang family has already expressed their intention to break off the engagement?"

Su Jingshan spoke again, his voice unconsciously growing colder.

Huang Yunxiao went to the government office early this morning to deliver an official document. The two met unexpectedly and, after exchanging pleasantries, Su Jingshan naturally brought up the matter of the marriage agreement.

However, Huang Yunxiao's behavior was subtle; he repeatedly declined, saying that the child was still young and he needed to wait.

Su Jingshan wasn't stupid; how could he not know that the Huang family already intended to break off the engagement?
Before this, Huang Yunxiao was just a captain in the patrol battalion, equivalent to a hundred generals in the army. The marriage between the two families was a great honor for the Huang family.

However, Huang Yunxiao has now been transferred to the position of county magistrate of Anyang County for his military merit in intercepting and killing a barbarian squad, and the two are now nominally equal in rank.

By establishing a marriage alliance between the two families, he will be able to better control Anyang County.

This will be extremely beneficial to both the development of the family and political advancement.

but now……

"Tell me, what's going on?"

Su Jingshan sighed and asked. He understood that the biggest reason the Huang family broke off the engagement was that his nephew was simply too incompetent.

In recent years, in order to maintain a good relationship with the Huang family, Su Jinghong's family has been living in the old house in Yunshui Town, and he is unaware of the specifics of what happened.

Su Jinghong dared not hide anything and said directly, "Chang'er is somewhat unambitious, but he is truly devoted to the Huang family girl."

"Brother, I think the Huang family broke off the engagement because they found a better backer."

A better backer?
Su Jingshan sneered, "With the Huang family's connections, there aren't many people they can talk to. The Huang family girl is neither a beauty nor has any extraordinary talent. How could she possibly catch the eye of those powerful families?"

In his view, his younger brother was simply protecting his son.

After six years of martial arts training and countless resources being consumed, he still hasn't broken through to the realm of a post-natal martial artist.

At such a young age, he frequents brothels, flirts with maids, and is utterly ignorant and incompetent. I wouldn't dare marry my daughter to such a person.

"Brother, there really is one."

Su Jinghong quickly said, "I heard from Chang'er that Huang's daughter has been spending a lot of time with a boy named Shen Wenxing lately."

"When that kid wasn't at the martial arts school, the two of them got along quite well. But ever since that kid went there, Huang's daughter has stopped paying attention to Chang'er."

Your surname is Shen?

Su Jingshan frowned, thought carefully for a moment, but couldn't find a family that met the criteria.

"Who is this Shen Wenxing?"

“He comes from Jinliu Village, Yunshui Town!” Su Jinghong had obviously done his research and said directly, “The Shen family’s ancestors had military merits and held noble titles. However, by this generation, the titles had been stripped away, and they are now just ordinary farmers.”

"but……"

Su Jinghong glanced at his elder brother and continued, "But the second son of the Shen family must have had some incredible luck, as he actually became a disciple of Master Lu, a great Confucian scholar of the Imperial Academy..."

Master Lu!?

Su Jingshan was slightly taken aback, and a letter he had received some time ago couldn't help but come to mind.

It was Lu Zhiyuan who personally wrote to him about wanting to buy a piece of farmland in Jinliu Village.

Back then, when he learned that Lu Zhiyuan had gone into seclusion in Jinliu Village, he brought generous gifts, hoping to have his young son become his disciple and a student of the great Confucian scholar.

But at that time, he didn't even get to see Lu Zhiyuan.

Su Jingshan dared not express any dissatisfaction, after all, Lu Zhiyuan was a great Confucian scholar and a literary giant of the time. Countless scholars in the entire Da Yu officialdom had come from Lu Zhiyuan's school.

It is said that when the current Emperor Yu was the Crown Prince, he went to the Imperial Academy to seek instruction from him.

Although more than a decade ago, rumors circulated that Lu Zhiyuan intended to do something that would "betray his teacher and ancestors," which drew criticism from many radical scholars, this did not diminish his status as a great Confucian scholar.

"Any more?"

Su Jingshan asked in a deep voice.

The fact that Shen's second son became a student of a great Confucian scholar was far from enough to make the Huang family break off the engagement.

After all, it was the eldest son of the Shen family who was in a good relationship with the Huang family girl.

"This..." Su Jinghong was speechless for a moment.

Investigating the Shen family's affairs is easy, but Su Chang certainly won't reveal anything about Shen Wenxing's activities at the martial arts school.

"Alright, you'd better keep a close eye on this kid for a while, and stop him from bringing shame to the Su family!"

These past few years have been blessed with good fortune, with several consecutive years of bumper harvests and no disasters. He was still thinking of making a name for himself and taking another step forward.

We absolutely cannot allow any mishaps to occur because of this spoiled nephew.

Su Jinghong quickly cupped his hands in greeting: "Don't worry, elder brother, I will definitely discipline him properly!"

Su Jingshan waved his hand, indicating that he should go down first.

After he left, a thoughtful look appeared on Su Jingshan's face.

He still wanted to try again regarding the Huang family's affairs, since a successful marriage between the two families would make his path to promotion smoother.

(End of this chapter)