The Wei family courtyard.
"Get them all out!" Wei Daru's gloomy gaze fixed on the old and young, women and children of the first and second branches, his emotions of resistance, rejection, and hatred unconcealed. He pointed at Madam Liu and the others, roaring, "Get them all out!"
"Brother Xun, you must get justice for us. We truly cannot live on." Supported by her daughter, the old woman, Madam Liu, wiped her tears and glared fiercely at Zhan Feiyu.
"Clan Elder Grandpa, my brother and I don't want to starve to death. My brother still needs to go to school and become a high official to bring glory to our ancestors." The girl, about eleven or twelve years old, choked back sobs, holding two little boys by the hands. The three siblings were all thin, their clothes patched, and their eyes were red and swollen from crying.
After the girl finished speaking, she tightened her grip on their hands. The two little boys, in pain, cried out, causing the other children to wail along.
Wei Daru angrily slapped his wheelchair, pointing at Madam Liu and the others who were wailing. His voice trembled with excessive anger, "Drive them all out! Anyone who doesn't leave, beat them to death!"
Waa... The children were all frightened and momentarily stopped crying, but then they resumed their wails. Several women also began to cry, making Wei Daru appear cold-blooded and heartless in comparison.
The old clan elder frowned but remained silent. However, several Wei clan members felt sympathetic towards the crying children. It was their grandfather and father who had committed the wrongdoings back then, but since they had been beheaded, these children had not yet been born. It was unfair to blame them.
Looking at the spacious and tranquil courtyard and the bright rooms, the thin, sobbing children evoked even more sympathy and pity.
"Tianqi, grievances have their origin, and debts have their owner. You are also an old man, how can you pick on a few children?" A clan member of the same generation, unable to watch any longer, said with a stern face.
"Yes, Uncle Tianqi, children are innocent. Can you bear to watch them starve to death?"
"Bones are connected by tendons. They are all Wei clan members, and the blood of the Wei family flows in them. Tianqi, listen to your second cousin. What happened in the past is in the past. You cannot watch the lineage of your branch be severed! How can you face your grandfather like this?"
As the clan members persuaded him one after another, Wei Daru's expression grew increasingly unpleasant. In his rage, his withered hands, clenched into fists, trembled incessantly.
Sensing the wrong atmosphere, Hong'er leaned closer to Zhan Feiyu, gripping his bamboo pole tightly with his right hand, while secretly clutching Zhan Feiyu's sleeve with his left.
Catching Hong'er's small movement from the corner of his eye, Zhan Feiyu naturally took his left hand. The little fellow was stunned for a moment, then looked up at Zhan Feiyu blankly. A light sparked in his dull eyes, and he happily shook the hand that was being held.
"Sir?" Steward Sun looked worriedly at the enraged Wei Daru. Even if the old clan elder had spoken, he shouldn't have let the people from the first and second branches in.
His face turned ashen, his lips trembling slightly, Wei Daru suddenly looked up and roared hoarsely, "Drive them all out! Drive them out!"
The series of roars exhausted all of Wei Daru's strength. He gasped for air, his chest heaving violently. If he hadn't been in his wheelchair, he would have collapsed.
"They are not letting us live! If you want to beat us, beat this old woman to death! All the men in the family are dead. I, this old woman, have raised these few children to adulthood. I have been worthy of the Wei family's ancestors!" The old woman, Madam Liu, began to wail again, beating her chest repeatedly.
Immediately, several women and children also started crying. The noise became so loud it hurt people's ears.
The old clan elder, nearly eighty years old, also looked agitated. "Enough, stop crying. Speak if you have something to say. My old bones are still alive, who can beat you to death?"
Even though he knew Madam Liu was deliberately speaking this way, the old clan elder could not deny that the first and second branches had descendants. The continuation of this branch was indeed Madam Liu's merit.
Seeing that Wei Daru was about to have Madam Liu and the others driven out, the old clan elder said with a stern face, "Tianqi, I am the clan elder of the Wei family, and your parents' memorial tablets are still enshrined in the ancestral hall!"
Wei Daru was startled. His withered, wrinkled old face was filled with pain and anger. He naturally understood the threat in the old clan elder's words. Not only the memorial tablets, but the coffins of his parents, wife, and children were also buried in the Wei family's ancestral graves.
Zhan Feiyu glanced at Madam Liu and the others, who looked smug. It seemed they had counted on Wei Daru's rage, so they deliberately adopted a weak posture to gain sympathy. After all, they were old and young, thin and pale, looking pitiful.
The group finally entered the main hall. The sun outside was too harsh, and after standing for a while, they were sweating profusely. The old clan elder and Wei Daru could not withstand it.
Zhan Feiyu originally intended to take Hong'er and leave. After all, this was Wei Daru's family matter, and as a child and an outsider, he should naturally avoid it.
"Brother Xun, she cannot leave!" Old woman Madam Liu wiped the sweat from her forehead, pointing at Zhan Feiyu, who was about to leave. Her sharp, old face was tightly drawn with malice. If it weren't for the pretense, she would have been rude to Zhan Feiyu long ago.
With a swish, all the Wei family members looked at Zhan Feiyu again, their expressions varied, but clearly filled with rejection and resistance.
If Zhan Feiyu hadn't suddenly entered the Wei family's door, and if news hadn't spread outside that Wei Daru was going to give his vast fortune to a little girl, Madam Liu, upon receiving the news, would not have caused such a commotion.
Of course, Madam Liu also knew that Wei Daru wished he could skin the people from the first and second branches alive. So, before coming, she had sent a letter back to the Wei family's ancestral home, deliberately exaggerating the facts.
When this news spread in the village, even if the old clan elder had no intention, the poor Wei clan members in the village also coveted Wei Daru's property. In the end, the old clan elder had no choice but to bring people and travel by boat for half a day from their ancestral home.
In the room, Wei Daru looked at Zhan Feiyu with a complex expression. "Come in!"
If allowing Zhan Feiyu into the Wushu Tower at the beginning was to repay the favor of the Forbidden Dragon Guard, then later, upon learning of Zhan Feiyu's identity and her decision to break ties with the Zhan family's old residence for the sake of studying, it was different.
In the eyes of ordinary people, Zhan Feiyu's actions were unfilial and defiant of elders, but it happened to align with Wei Daru's temperament.
Thinking of the hatred from years ago, Wei Daru wished that the people from the first and second branches would all die. He lived on with his crippled body just to see their end, to see how the descendants of these beasts who murdered for wealth would end up in poverty.
The chairs in the main hall were all occupied, and those without seats had to stand. Wei Daru, in his wheelchair, did not speak, which made the atmosphere awkward and uncomfortable.
The old clan elder sighed, breaking the eerie silence. "I am eighty years old and do not have many days left to live. Whether you resent or hate, when my eyes close, I will know nothing."
Upon hearing the old clan elder's words, everyone present understood that the old clan elder intended to take responsibility for the matter. Regardless of the outcome, the old clan elder would bear it all. In the future, Wei Daru's branch could not cause trouble because of this matter, nor could they create a case of over twenty lives, as they had done back then.
Madam Liu and several young women's faces lit up with joy, their eyes filled with greed. The children, tired from crying, drooped their heads, unaware of what the old clan elder's words meant.
The remaining Wei clan members were also tempted, but they were more restrained than Madam Liu and the others. The farmers were afraid of poverty; even if they received three to five taels of silver, they would be happy.
"Tianqi, it is natural for you to hate the first and second branches for what happened back then." The old clan elder felt ashamed to ask Wei Daru to forgive them, but the Wei family's property could not fall into the hands of outsiders. "However, the lineage of your branch cannot be broken. Why don't you choose a child from the clan to adopt? In the future, you will have a descendant to offer sacrifices to."
"Brother Xun?" Madam Liu immediately became anxious and eagerly said, "Since we are going to adopt, why not choose one of these children? They are of direct bloodline."
The young women also did not want to live a poor life, so they quickly pushed the little boys forward.
In their haste, the three-year-old boy lost his balance and fell to the ground with a thud, immediately crying out.
Wei Daru looked at Madam Liu and the others with sarcasm. He would rather give all his wealth to the beggars of Fengzhou Cheng than leave a single copper coin to these people before him.
The old clan elder looked at Madam Liu and the others, whose faces showed greed. Their calculations were precise, but they did not consider that the first and second branches bore the responsibility for the five lives of the third branch. How could Tianqi possibly adopt children from the first and second branches?
"Enough, the adopted child will be chosen from the clan! The first and second branches have no part in this," the old clan elder declared, ending the discussion. He was also worried about provoking Wei Daru and causing a complete breakdown.
The old clan elder looked at Wei Daru and continued, "Last month, the daughter-in-law of Old Gen's family in the clan gave birth to their fourth son. However, his mother was not fortunate and drowned while returning to her maiden home. Old Gen's family does not want to raise this youngest son, so why not adopt him? It will save future trouble."
He already had three sons, and Old Gen's family disliked this youngest son, considering him unlucky for causing his mother's death. Furthermore, Old Gen's Shuangzhu was less than thirty years old and would surely remarry and have more children. It would be good to adopt this infant son who was just a month old.
"No need. I will adopt this girl!" Wei Daru suddenly pointed at Zhan Feiyu. Upon hearing this, the twenty to thirty people in the room were stunned.
Uh... Zhan Feiyu, standing in the corner, looked at Wei Daru in surprise. What did this have to do with him?
"Wei Tianqi, are you crazy? You intend to adopt an outsider and give the Wei family's ancestral property to an outsider instead of your grandnephews? Wei Tianqi, why didn't that fire burn you to death? Do you have the face to see the Wei family's ancestors?" Madam Liu screamed, her wrinkled old face contorted with malice, wishing she could strangle Zhan Feiyu, who was snatching people's wealth.
Zhan Feiyu, who had already been adopted once, looked speechlessly at Wei Daru. Was the old gentleman displeased with him and trying to trap him?
The old clan elder and the Wei clan members also had grim expressions. Adoption usually involved choosing from within the clan; when did it involve adopting an outsider?
Although Madam Liu's scolding was unpleasant, her words were not unreasonable. How could the Wei family's property be given to an outsider, especially a young girl? When she married in the future, wouldn't this family property be taken to her husband's family?
"Tianqi, adoption is a serious matter. How can you act impulsively?" The old clan elder said with a stern face. The plight of the third branch was indeed pitiable, and it was all the fault of the first and second branches. However, as a member of the Wei clan, the old clan elder could not allow Wei Daru to act recklessly.
If this property were to be returned to the clan, the clan could build a private school and perhaps cultivate some scholars in the future.
Wei Daru initially wanted to adopt Hong'er, but upon thinking that Zhu Changyun was already in a precarious situation himself, and Hong'er, being young, would not be able to protect this property and might even attract disaster, Wei Daru thought of Zhan Feiyu.
The young girl was a disciple of Scholar Gu, and she herself was a Tong Sheng. After the imperial examinations in August, she might become a Xiu Cai. With this vast property in Zhan Feiyu's hands, he wanted to see what the people from the first and second branches could do.
If these people did not try to snatch it, and if they harbored greed and malice, thinking of Zhan Feiyu's ruthless methods and the Forbidden Dragon Guard behind her, Wei Daru was even eager to witness their self-destruction.
"Clan Elder, you don't need to say more. My mind is made up!" Wei Daru said with a cold face, looking at the displeased old clan elder. He continued, "I will give five thousand taels of silver to the clan. If the Clan Elder and you do not agree, then I will move the graves! I will move my parents' memorial tablets from the ancestral hall."
"You?" The old clan elder did not expect Wei Daru to act so outrageously. Although people return to their roots, the dead are dead. Where they are buried and whether they are offered sacrifices is actually only of concern to the living.
The other clan members were also enraged, staring at Wei Daru with resentment. How could one give property to an outsider?
Ignoring the furious crowd, Wei Daru's aged face was calm. "If there is truly retribution, these people should have died long ago?"
"I disagree!" Madam Liu screamed sharply. If looks could kill, Wei Daru would have died a thousand times over. "This is all Wei family property, why are you giving it to this lowly girl? This belongs to my grandson. Wei Tianqi, if you dare to act recklessly, I will smash my head here!"
From the clan genealogy, Wei Daru's branch was a collateral branch of the Wei family. The closest blood relatives were Madam Liu and her kin. Wei Daru's father and the beheaded first and second branches were brothers. If it weren't for this, Wei's father would not have been so careless and was eventually killed by his own brothers in collusion with river bandits.
"Fine, I agree." The old clan elder finally agreed.
"I don't agree!" Madam Liu cried out madly again, and several women followed suit with wails.
After enduring such hardship for so many years, eating chaff and vegetables, they had persevered with the thought that once Wei Daru died, this property would belong to them, and they could return to the days of wearing gold and silver.
But thinking that they would have to economize for the next few decades, the women cried with such tragic intensity, more so than when their parents and brothers had died.
Several clan members looked at the old clan elder in surprise. Although five thousand taels was a lot, they had never seen so much money in their lives. But looking at the Wei family's mansion, it was probably worth only two to three thousand taels, not to mention the furnishings. Five thousand taels was just a drop in the bucket.
"Enough, there's no need to say anything else." Since the old clan elder had made his decision, it was not to be changed. After all, if the first and second branches had not committed their sins, the clan would not have received a single copper coin. One must be content. Five thousand taels of silver was enough for the clan to build a private school and hire a tutor.
Zhan Feiyu glanced at the old clan elder, not expecting him to agree. The Wei clan members were somewhat dissatisfied, but none of them spoke up. The only clown was Madam Liu and her kin, who were crying and cursing.
Perhaps in a very good mood, Wei Daru asked the steward to arrange accommodations for the old clan elder and the others. Even Madam Liu and her ilk, who were jumping around, were not driven out.
If they stayed at the Wei family's residence, looking at this vast courtyard, they would likely be even more reluctant to part with this property that was within their grasp. The more they suffered, the happier Wei Daru would be.
After everyone had dispersed, Zhan Feiyu said helplessly, "Old sir, you know my situation. I cannot be adopted."
He had already been adopted once, and Zhan Feiyu was the hope of the Zhan clan. If Wei Daru dared to do this, the Zhan family's old clan elder would surely bring the Zhan clan members to his doorstep.
"You look down on my possessions? That's right, you are now a disciple of Scholar Gu, so it's normal not to care about them." Wei Daru said huffily, his words laced with barbs. "You can do whatever you want with them later. I won't be able to find you in the underworld."
The old steward, who was pouring tea, acted as if he hadn't heard anything. His master was unreasonable, but compared to not speaking for an entire day, his fault-finding demeanor was a good sign.
"Old sir, you are unreasonable." Zhan Feiyu finally understood what it meant to be old and young. When people get old, they become as stubborn and unreasonable as children.
Wei Daru held his teacup and drank his tea, seemingly not hearing Zhan Feiyu's complaint. He would give his property to anyone but Madam Liu and the others. As for others, he did not know their character.
Wei Daru did not care about material possessions, but he did not want this money to help wicked people. Thinking this way, Zhan Feiyu seemed to be the most suitable candidate.
"I'll go copy books!" Unable to reason with him, Zhan Feiyu said, and then, taking Hong'er's hand, went to the Wushu Tower to continue copying books.