Chapter 32

By the time Xie Xian returned to the Xie Estate in the Black Cloth Alley, it was already evening. A light drizzle suddenly fell from the sky, causing Qingfeng and Mingyue to be filled with complaints. Ordinary people would only treat such a light drizzle as a way to relieve the heat, but their young master’s body was weak, and a gust of evil wind could cause him to fall sick.

“Fortunately, I brought a cloak. Otherwise, if he gets drenched in the rain, I’m afraid he’ll fall ill again.”

Mingyue couldn’t help but complain as he rummaged through the small wooden box in the carriage, looking for a black cloak with golden trimmings. “It’s all the fault of Assistant Minister Pan. He insisted on dragging Young Master to the Wang family. Not only did he suffer a bellyful of anger, but it also started raining when he got home.”

Xie Xian smiled and did not mind.

“My body isn’t that weak.”

Mingyue thought that he had overestimated himself. His body was really that weak.

Qingfeng, on the other hand, was much quieter. He helped Xie Xian put on his cloak and then took the lead to jump out of the carriage. The gatekeeper had already held up an oil paper umbrella at the side. In front and behind them, more than ten people busied themselves and brought Xie Xian into the residence.

Xie Xian had just walked onto the corridor when someone came up to him and whispered.

“Madam asked me to report to Young Master Lang. The doctor is waiting for Young Master Lang in the hall.”

Doctor Guanglu, Xie Bin, was the uncle from Xie Xian’s third branch family. He had high aspirations and was not close to the eldest branch. Instead, he was close to the second branch, as if they were biological brothers.

One could imagine why he was still waiting for him at this time.

Xie Xian took off his cloak and did not return to his room to change his clothes. Instead, he walked into the hall. Xie Bin had already drunk his sixth cup of tea. The more he drank, the angrier he became. When he saw Xie Xian appear, he stood up and rushed over angrily.

“You did this?!”

Xie Bin was also handsome when he was young, but he had been indulgent for many years. He was only in his thirties, but he was already very fat. His belly was even bigger than a six-month pregnant woman’s, and his chin trembled with his movements, looking very comical.

“Uncle, why do you say that?” Xie Xian was puzzled. “What did I do wrong that made you wait here so late?”

“Stop putting on an act! Xie Xian, you don’t want the Xie family to have a good life, do you? Do you know how many people have come to the Xie family today? Do you want to end your life in the Xie family and the world?”

Xie Bin’s face flushed red with anger. “Xie Xian, I don’t know what you’re planning, but no matter how down and out the Xie family is, they won’t lose their style! Your father is talented and full of wisdom. He has character and integrity. Even if he doesn’t bow down to the powerful, he will still be put in an important position for the emperor! You can’t lose your father’s style and your father’s face!”

Xie Xian pondered for a moment.

“Uncle, are you angry because I received the royal decree to punish the young masters of the aristocratic families?”

That one sentence made Xie Bin silent. It sounded like he was encouraging him to go against the emperor.

“You know for yourself whether you have been fanning the flames here!” Xie Bin was furious. “Ever since you started working for the emperor, tell me, have you ever stopped giving ideas to the emperor to make things difficult for the aristocratic families? The aristocratic families only enjoy that little bit of privilege. Whoever touches them will become the enemy of the aristocratic families! You should know this!”

Mingyue brought in hot tea from outside.

“I have a matter to discuss with your Young Master. If there’s nothing else, don’t come in!” Xie Bin said unhappily.

Mingyue said respectfully, “I don’t dare to disturb you. It was Old Madam who found out that Young Master had come back late and sent a housekeeper over. She especially instructed Young Master to drink it while it’s hot to prevent the cold air from entering his body.”

Xie Bin sneered, “Nephew is so powerful that there are no weak men under his command. Even a manservant knows how to use Old Madam to suppress me!”

“Mingyue, you may leave.” Xie Xian picked up his teacup and blew on it. It was as if he was not the one being pointed at and scolded ever since he entered the room.

“…Old Madam has sent a message to tell the Young Master to rest early.” After Mingyue finished speaking, he left.

“Take a look, take a look! Does this manservant of yours have any regard for me?” Xie Bin sat down beside Xie Xian, so angry that his fats trembled.

He was obviously using the old lady to drive him out!

Who knew if it was the Old Madam who had said all these? Could it be that he could personally chase after the Old Madam to verify this matter?

“Uncle, why lower yourself to the level of a servant? They are just following orders, it’s not that they don’t respect your wishes.” Xie Xian comforted him.

“Yes, they were ordered to do so. But we just do not know who had ordered them to do so.”

Xie Xian raised his eyebrows. “It’s the Old Madam, didn’t Uncle hear clearly just now?”

Xie Bin wasn’t going to play dumb with him. Throughout the afternoon, the three branches of the Xie family had been busy. Wave after wave of guests came, and without exception, all of them were from the various aristocratic families. The dissatisfaction and ridicule in their words had already reached the sky.

It was fine if Xie Xian got scolded, but what did he, Xie Bin, do to have to endure all the scolding on behalf of him?

“I’m not going to waste my breath on you. Xie Xian, I admit that you’re smart, but don’t treat other people as fools!” Xie Bin’s chin was folded into three layers as he said seriously, “The Xie family doesn’t just belong to your main family. There must be a limit to your willfulness!”

“Uncle, the emperor’s orders cannot be disobeyed,” Xie Xian said slowly.

“You can find a reason to reject it! You are the direct grandson of the Xie family’s eldest branch. The position of the family head belongs to you, not me, the uncle! You represent the Xie family. If you don’t even have the backbone to reject the emperor’s unreasonable decree, why don’t you resign as soon as possible and go home to recuperate? It’s better than offending all the aristocratic families!”

“Even the Emperor has to seek the support of an aristocratic family, yet you’ve offended all of them. What are you planning? Do you really want to drag the Xie family down with you?”

In other words, he was implying that even though his health was not good and his life was short, the Xie family was going to last for a long time and would not want to sink with him!

“Uncle, you’re being too serious.” Xie Xian smiled. “I can reject the emperor’s unreasonable decree, but… I don’t think the decree is unreasonable, right?”

“You?!”

Xie Bin’s hands were trembling in anger. He was doing this on purpose!

“How did my elder brother give birth to such a scourge like you! The Xie Clan will be dragged down by you sooner or later! If you continue to act recklessly, you might as well break away from the clan as soon as possible!”

“Since the decree is passed down, then so be it. But when the execution is carried out, you even have to personally watch over it. Are you afraid that you haven’t offended the aristocratic families enough and they won’t be able to kill you with their bare eyes?” He tightly clutched his chest, his lips turning pale from anger.

This fellow was trying to anger him to death to join his father!

“Uncle, please calm down. Things aren’t as bad as you think.” Xie Xian personally poured a cup of tea for Xie Bin. “The aristocratic families’ privileges are merely part of the royal family’s privileges. Naturally, the royal family fears them, and now, the Emperor has reached his peak.”

“Uncle, can’t you tell that all these years, the power of the aristocratic families has been suppressed and the Emperor is getting more and more impatient?”

“The interests of the aristocratic families are being exploited. This is inevitable in history. No one can stop it.”

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