After the cannon fodder father and daughter married into the family, the whole family regretted it

Tie Zhu and the others certainly understood.

In fact, ever since Fang Tong and his group became successful, many people have flocked to them.

Some were from the village, while others were hoodlums from outside the village.

Fang Tong used to be a gangster and had a wide circle of acquaintances, but most of them were just fair-weather friends, while Tie Zhu and a few others were his true brothers.

But once he became an official, his drinking buddies wanted to get closer to him.

If you can't find him, look for Tiezhu and a few others.

Fang Tong and his friends took it all in stride, neither troubled by the diverse people who approached them nor finding them worldly.

It would be strange if the Fang brothers, Fang Tong and Fang Yin, became successful and no one wanted to befriend them.

As long as the people who approach him are of good character, Tie Zhu doesn't mind getting to know them better.

"Don't worry about leaving it to us."

Finally, it was decided that Gou Dan and Da Cheng would go to the capital with Fang Tong first, while Er Wa and Tie Zhu would stay behind.

After a year or two, we can rotate the schedule again.

The brothers have no objections.

Cheng Xiaohu is definitely going to Beijing. A few days ago, he and Mu Lianxin traveled all over the villages to collect local mountain products.

This time I'm going to take some mountain products to Beijing to sell.

He thoroughly implemented the principle of never returning empty-handed.

As the daughter of a镖头 (bodyguard/escort), Mu Lianxin had been dealing with all sorts of people since childhood, and her interpersonal skills were no less than Cheng Xiaohu's.

They were a great help.

Fang Tong also privately instructed Cheng Xiaohu that once the goods were sold, he should also give Mu Lianxin a sum of money.

We can't just ignore it because it's about ourselves.

With everything prepared, they were ready to go to the capital.

As for moving Chen Zixi's grave, it's still winter, so it's not a good time to do it. We'll have to wait until spring when the flowers bloom.

Almost half the village came to the village entrance to see him off.

The reluctance in everyone's eyes was genuine and heartfelt.

Fuxing is gone. Sigh, Fuxing is back for the New Year. They're enjoying opera and drinking. How lively it is!

Fang Tong, mounted on his horse, waved his hand.

"Let's go, Uncle Village Chief."

"Hey, have a safe journey, Tongzi," the old village chief called out.

The convoy set off in a mighty procession.

At the city gate, we met Mr. Zheng and Zheng Wanru.

I heard that Zheng Wanru's parents haven't returned yet, and the divorce proceedings are still ongoing.

"My parents got the divorce papers and suddenly had the upper hand. Everything should have gone smoothly, but Old Madam Li didn't approve." Zheng Wanru didn't mind sharing gossip with her friend.

Madam Li was her mother-in-law.

"Old Madam Li said that Li Lang is too young and was tricked by my family, which is why he wrote such a divorce agreement."

Fang Nanzhi's eyes widened. How shameless!

Li Mingxi is an official now, not a three or five-year-old anymore. His own divorce agreement doesn't count?

"I heard that Li Lang went back to his hometown to persuade the old lady, but she only agreed to a divorce and allowed me to take my dowry, but she would never give me any other property."

"And then?" Fang Nanzhi hadn't expected that a wealthy family's divorce would be just as undignified as their own country folk's: "Li Mingxi changed her mind too?"

Did she listen to her mother again?

“No, but he was also at a loss.” Zheng Wanru shook her head: “However, my maternal grandfather stepped in and invited some elders of the Li family.”

“This matter needs to be brought up in the open, and the two clans should talk it out. The Li clan probably doesn’t want the old lady to be so domineering, even making decisions on behalf of Li Lang.”

This is easy to understand.

In the eyes of the Li clan, Li Mingxi was the true member of the Li family. He had already become an official and had no father, so he should be the head of the family.

No matter how much you respect your mother, you can't always listen to her, or you'll become like a baby who hasn't been weaned.

If word gets out, people will laugh at us.

Fang Nanzhi understood that in the end, this matter should be resolved according to the divorce agreement.

Madam Li may be shameless, but the Li family still needs to be taken care of, after all, they are a prominent family.

But she also saw Li Mingxi's ability to handle problems.

Although she shouldn't have, she still felt that Wanru was right to divorce.

Li Mingxi may be a good person, but he can't even make his own decisions and doesn't meet the requirements for starting a family.

"Let's not talk about that anymore. Let me take your pulse. We can't do acupuncture or medicinal baths while traveling, so the prescription will have to be changed a bit."

Fang Nanzhi took out the pulse pillow.

Zheng Wanru smiled at her and extended her hand in cooperation.

In the lead carriage, Qin Yan was playing chess with Mr. Zheng.

After glancing at the chessboard, Mr. Zheng smiled and asked, "Did you notice anything different about your trip back home this time compared to the past?"

Qin Yan looked up, wondering why his teacher was asking this, but he still thought about it seriously.

"Returning home in glory, some old feelings have changed, and some have not."

He has always been perceptive and insightful, and in some ways, he is more perceptive than the rest of his family.

For example, in the Qin family, after the old patriarch stepped down, Qin Gaofei's control over the clan was not as good as his father's. Or rather, the conflicts in the clan that had been suppressed but not resolved before resurfaced.

His clansmen, who had once been indifferent and looked down on him, were now divided into two groups.

A group of people secretly appeared, trying to sow discord between him and his father, wanting him to return to the clan.

Later, when his father found out, he "took special care" of several families, which even led to the retiring clan chief appearing and punishing several families.

However, a few other families contacted him privately, hinting that they harbored deep resentment towards the old clan chief's family and wanted to break away like the Fang family.

In other words, he should be included in his separate family genealogy.

This group of people was a bit smarter than the previous group. They knew that he had a deep-seated conflict with the Qin family, and now that he had his father and second uncle as his backers, he would never go back.

But he wasn't much smarter.

Qin Yan completely disregarded each and every one of them.

He didn't respond, but Qin Shucai noticed this. It was rare for him to invite several families in the clan, as a scholar.

His words were very polite. His grandfather had worked diligently as the clan chief for many years and had indeed made mistakes.

It caused my uncles and elders a great injustice.

Since his uncles are so kind, he will not stand in their way. He will allow them to leave the clan today, and this feast will be a toast to their continued success.

The families turned pale. They had failed to curry favor with Qin Yan, and if the scholar expelled their clans, how would they survive?

You know, outsiders are incredibly envious of the Qin family, having a scholar as their master.

At this moment, they remembered all the good things that Qin Shucai's family had done.

Everyone expressed their opinions; they had no objections, it was all a misunderstanding, and they had great respect for the old clan chief.

But Qin Shucai turned cold and refused to listen, displaying the arrogance of a scholar and threatening to exterminate their entire clan.

The families finally realized that the little baby they had watched grow up was different now.

They started by mentioning past relationships, but that didn't work, so they went to invite other clan elders.

The clan elders tried their best to persuade him, but Qin Shucai remained unmoved. After becoming a scholar, he made many contributions to the clan.

For example, tax-exempt land quotas...

The elders also realized that they couldn't fight city hall.

Qin Shucai had long been a key figure in the Qin clan, yet they still treated him like a child.

In the end, Qin Gaofei stepped in and persuaded his son to generously give the families another chance.

The father and son, one playing the good cop and the other the bad cop, completely won over the hearts of the people in the clan.

Qin Gaofei's position as clan leader is now more secure than his father's.

Grandpa Qin was secretly quite happy; his grandson had grown up.

Qin Shucai had discussed this matter privately with Qin Yan.

Qin Shucai realized that he had received too much kindness from the clan and that he would definitely have to repay it in the future.

But repaying a debt of gratitude requires the right approach; he deliberately used this incident to gain the upper hand.

We must not become puppets to be exploited and owed favors.

Qin Yan agreed with him. Compared to him, his own father hadn't handled this aspect well before, and had been repeatedly swayed by gratitude.

This fostered a sense of entitlement among the clansmen, but also left behind many hidden dangers.

Besides the Qin family, the most obvious signs came from their former classmates.

Those who were once acquainted with him or had some friendship with him now treated him differently, with a greater degree of caution than simple acquaintance.

Wei Qinglin and Yu Zhenghai were initially a bit reserved, but they relaxed when they saw that he was behaving normally.

"So, do you think this change is good or bad?" Mr. Zheng made a move, lifting his eyelids to glance at him.

Qin Yan replied almost without hesitation: "Whether it's good or bad is not important. With the change in my family's status, some things are bound to change, and they are beyond my control."

"I only need to stay true to myself amidst the changes."

Mr. Zheng nodded approvingly: "It's good that you have this idea."

"Your Fang family is still developing. In the future, it may rise rapidly, or it may be carried forward by future generations. In either case, it is better to take one step at a time than to drift aimlessly."

Mr. Zheng brought this up today to serve as a reminder.

To put it bluntly, the first thing that happens when a poor person suddenly becomes rich is that they don't know how to use their wealth.

People who don't know their limits are prone to causing trouble.

"Thank you for your guidance, sir." Qin Yan carefully noted it down.

The Fang brothers took a long leave this time, and Zheng Wanru in the team was not in good health, so the convoy was moving very slowly.

When they arrived in Gu'an County, the group stopped for a day, and Mu Lianxin and her brother stayed behind.

Cheng Xiaohu took the initiative to contact Fang Nanzhi and her brother, and stayed behind, planning to sell a batch of the mountain products he brought in Gu'an County.

Then they would purchase the goods in the county and then go to the capital later.

This is the important matter, but of course there are also personal matters.

The private matter is that Cheng Xiaohu and Mu Lianxin are already engaged, so shouldn't the woman's relatives be allowed to meet them?

Although Mu Lianxin's parents are gone, she still has elders.

The elders should be allowed to see what kind of person Mu Lianxin's future husband is.

It also serves as a deterrent. Don't forget, the uncles and elders under Mu Lianxin's control of the escort agency aren't exactly convinced of its authority.

Cheng Xiaohu was of ordinary status, but he had powerful backers, Fang Tong and Fang Yin, so they dared not underestimate him.

Fang Nanzhi and Qin Yan naturally agreed.

The caravans they organized were not primarily for making money; their focus was on novelty and variety.

They weren't in a rush, and besides, they hoped Uncle Tiger could get married soon.

After leaving Gu'an County, they continued their journey, and on the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, the convoy officially entered Beijing.

At the gates of the capital, Zheng Wanru lifted the carriage curtain and looked at the tall city gate, her mood inexplicably improving.

She did come to the capital after all.

It should be very interesting.

As for Fang Nanzhi next to her, she was completely immersed in reciting her lessons, holding the book in one hand and speaking eloquently in the other.

There was no other way; returning to Beijing meant she would have to hand in her lessons to Mr. Deng.

You can't afford not to work hard.

She needs to act quickly; Mr. Deng is not someone who can be easily fooled.

As we passed through the city gate for inspection, a group of people riding tall horses came out of the city.

"Uncle Fang, Second Uncle Fang."

A clear male voice rang out.

Zheng Wanru subconsciously peeked out and saw a man with a cold face and outstanding appearance riding on a horse.

The man gave off a peculiar feeling, like a beautiful scene in the clouds and mist of a high mountain.

At the front, the Fang brothers dismounted and bowed to the visitors.

"I have met His Highness the Crown Prince."

Zheng Wanru was startled and quickly looked away; it was actually the Crown Prince.

She tugged at Fang Nanzhi, wondering if everyone should go down to pay their respects.

Qingyan has already excused them from their formalities.

"Uncle Fang, Second Uncle Fang, please rise. We met by chance today, so there's no need for such formalities."

He glanced at the caravan, his gaze lingering on the most luxurious carriage. He didn't see any familiar figures, but he wasn't disappointed.

"This is the city gate. It's not good to keep blocking it. Uncle Fang, let's go into the city first."

Fang Tong did not shirk his responsibility.

As the caravan entered the city, Qingyan, who had originally seemed to be heading "out of the city," turned his horse around and followed with his men.

"Uncle, did your trip back to your hometown go smoothly?"

Fang Tong looked at the Crown Prince, who addressed each of them as "uncle," and felt quite helpless.

He comes from a peasant background, what makes him worthy of being called someone's uncle?

Other people's uncles are princes or something, is he?

He didn't want to agree.

But there's no way around it; we can't just ignore the Crown Prince, or he'll get too arrogant.

"Fortunately."

"Your Highness seems to have grown taller in the new year?" Fang Tong made conversation, since His Highness had asked him, he had to reciprocate with some concern.

In reality, it's only been a few days since we separated. Who can grow taller in just a few days?

"Hmm." Qingyan nodded seriously: "These past few years have been a time when I'm growing."

Fang Tong was caught off guard. This usually shrewd and tactful person was momentarily at a loss for words.

Qingyan, however, continued to speak.

"Has Zhizhi grown taller?"

"She's still the same." Fang Tong became wary, feeling that his previous precautions had not been in vain.

His daughter is too young to know that there can be more than just friendship between men and women.

Especially as people get older, friendships become less pure.

But how could the Crown Prince not know?

Why do you keep asking Zhizhi even though you already know? What does that mean?

Fang Tong's heart sank: "Has His Highness's marriage been settled?"

"No, I'm not in a hurry. I can wait two years." Qingyan seemed oblivious to his probing: "But my cousin's marriage has been arranged. He's engaged to the third young lady of the Yue family."

Cousin?

Fang Tong thought for a moment, then realized that it was none other than the heir apparent of the Prince of the County—Qing Min.

The Yue Mansion, all the Yue Mansions in the capital, it must be the Prime Minister's residence, right? Where else could it be?

This kid is pretty lucky.

For a fallen prince to marry the daughter of a prime minister is actually considered a step up for him.

The daughter of a high-ranking official is good enough to be married to a prince.

"When we meet, we must congratulate him properly. I wonder if we can ask him for a drink at his wedding later."

He had a smile on his face.

Qingyan changed the subject on his own: "My cousin is five years older than me, and he's only getting married now."

Does this mean that their royal family doesn't pressure people to get married?

“Miss Yue is the same age as me, but let’s leave it at the Imperial Observatory. The two of them are a match made in heaven.”

This means that couples with a large age difference can still be loving and affectionate.

Fang Tong wasn't sure if he had misunderstood. What did it mean? Was he being called on?

It's implying he's not in a hurry, he can wait a few years to get married, but who is he waiting for? Is he waiting for Zhizhi?

Does this imply that the age difference between him and Zhizhi doesn't hinder their marriage?