Yao Wenyuan didn't dare to resist and could only run away with his head in his hands.

As he ran, he refused to be outdone and shouted, "It's obviously wild grass style, I'm not wrong! You've been copying calligraphy for years without any progress, and you won't let anyone say so? Plus, my dad is the eldest in the family, I don't have an uncle!"

Yao Zhi stumbled upon hearing this, almost being 'filially' killed by this grandson.

Yao Wenyuan was young, with a nimble body, and ran faster than a rabbit.

Yao Zhi chased for a while but couldn't catch up, blowing his beard and glaring in anger, pointing at Yao Wenyuan and cursing, "Had I known you would be such an annoyance, I would have shot your father against the wall back then!"

Yao Wenyuan was not to be outdone: "Stop saying useless things! If you're so capable, go shoot my father against the wall now, so I can directly divide up the inheritance!"

At this moment, a middle-aged man resembling Yao Zhi, in his early forties, walked in with a sullen face.

Yao Kuang clasped his hands to Yao Zhi and said in a hoarse voice, "Father, please wait aside. Watch me not beat this beast to death today!"

Yao Wenyuan saw his father coming, and upon hearing his own words, his face turned awkward: "Dad, why are you here? Have you eaten? If not, I'll go buy you a meat bun?"

Yao Kuang sneered: "No rush, after I beat you to death, we can eat together!"

Yao Zhi looked at the "fatherly kindness and filial piety" scene before him, a gratified expression on his face.

He kindly advised his son: "Eldest son, don't hurt his face, our family still wants to save face!"

After speaking, Yao Zhi smiled triumphantly at Yao Wenyuan: "You brat, aren't you crazy? Let's see if you still dare to call me superficial!"

Upon hearing his father's words, Yao Kuang stopped, turned to Yao Zhi, and asked: "Did this brat call you superficial?"

"Indeed!" Yao Zhi was so angry he blew his beard and glared, "Who in the entire Cultivation Realm doesn't know I'm a renowned painting and calligraphy master? Yet this little beast dared call me superficial, simply infuriating me!"

Hearing this, Yao Kuang put down the chair he was holding, and to Yao Zhi's surprise, earnestly said: "Father, I think what that brat said is right. You do have a problem of being superficial."

Huh?

Yao Zhi was stunned, then flew into a rage.

Although reluctant to harm his eldest grandson, he had no restraint with his eldest son.

Yao Zhi raised a foot and kicked Yao Kuang flying, cursing: "You ungrateful wretch! Had I known you'd turn out like this, I would have shot you against the wall back then!"

Yao Wenyuan saw his old man in trouble and sneered, showing his teeth.

Yao Kuang gave his son a hard glare, then remembered the important matter and came to Yao Zhi to report: "Father, I've sent someone to investigate the matter you asked. Yao Su's son Yao Jing is currently at the Four Seas Restaurant, protected in secret by Yao Qing!"

When it came to serious matters, the three ancestors immediately returned to normal.

This was also the Yao family's tradition.

When it comes to serious business, joking is absolutely not acceptable!

Hearing his father's words, Yao Wenyuan was enlightened: "I was wondering why the people from the Imperial Clan Court and Xuanzhen Temple were so inefficient, unable to catch an illegitimate child for so long. Turns out he was under the protection of the Crown Prince's consort, making it hard for them to act!"

Yao Kuang nodded: "Zhao Yi is different from other princes and unlike the Crown Princes of Great Xia's past. The head of Xuanzhen Temple, Miaoyin, grew up with him as childhood sweethearts, and the head of the Imperial Clan Court owes him a favor. Even the Empress in the harem is said to favor him. Yao Qing is Zhao Yi's consort. If the illegitimate child is under Yao Qing's protection, the people from Xuanzhen Temple and the Imperial Clan Court indeed find it hard to act."

Yao Wenyuan asked Yao Zhi: "Grandfather, will you go see that illegitimate child?"

Yao Zhi waved his hand: "I'm old and can't communicate well with the younger generation anymore."

He then looked at Yao Wenyuan: "Wenyuan, I'll leave this matter to you. You are all young, have a common language, and can talk together! Back then, when the Four Seas Commerce Association demanded the person from me, they wouldn't say whose child that illegitimate child was, suggesting the other party has a significant background. If that illegitimate child is connected to both the Crown Prince and that mysterious person, befriending him could be limitless for your future in the family!"

Yao Zhi's arrangement was well-intentioned, you could say.

But Yao Wenyuan didn't buy it at all!

Yao Wenyuan rolled his eyes: "Grandpa, you are my own grandfather! Even tricking your own grandson, you really are a competent Patriarch!"

Yao Zhi's old face turned black, cursing: "You brat, do you think I'd deceive you?"

Yao Wenyuan rolled his eyes again: "Don't you have a clue if you've tricked me or not? Although I was young then, I vaguely remember how you forced aunt Yao Su and that illegitimate child into such a state! Even if aunt Yao Qing doesn't hate me to death, she certainly won't show me a good face! If that illegitimate child has a temper, he might just kill me to avenge his mother!"

Feeling more irritated, Yao Wenyuan continued: "As for the Patriarch position you mentioned, that's even more absurd! Do you think I can contend with Linglong for the Patriarch position? How many times have I been tricked by Linglong since childhood? Now when I see her, my legs go weak, and I feel like kneeling to her! You really have faith in me, telling me to compete with Linglong for the Patriarch position, even teaming up with my dad wouldn't be enough for her to play with!"

Upon hearing his son's self-deprecating words and elevating Linglong, Yao Kuang didn't refute but instead nodded knowingly.

He looked at Yao Zhi and affirmed: "Father, what this little brat says makes sense, I truly am no match for Linglong!"

Yao Zhi felt a tightness in his chest, almost spat out blood from anger at his spineless son and grandson!

Yao Kuang seemed oblivious to his father's reaction and asked: "Father, I saw Linglong leave the courtyard earlier. What did she say?"

Yao Zhi's face returned to calmness.

He waved his hand, speaking solemnly: "She said nothing, yet said everything."

After finishing, Yao Zhi sighed: "That little girl is indeed hard to deal with, even I couldn't gain any advantage from her!"

Yao Wenyuan immediately chimed in: "See, I wasn't wrong! Linglong is really terrifying!"

Yao Zhi glared at him angrily: "You have the nerve to say that!

Yao Wenyuan protested: "Why shouldn't I have the nerve? Didn't our family ancestor conclude long ago that intelligence is innate and determined by parents! If I'm a waste, it's not my fault, blame my dad!

Yao Kuang refused the blame: "Don't blame me, go blame my dad!"

After saying this, the father and son both looked towards Yao Zhi with faces full of disdain.

Yao Zhi was utterly exasperated!

He held his feather fan, feverishly fanning himself: "You two brats, you truly infuriate me!"

Yao Kuang and Yao Wenyuan exchanged a glance before simultaneously turning away, each eyeing the other with disdain.

The relationship among the three was essentially a microcosm of the entire Yao Race.

The everyday dynamics of the Yao Race were just mutual disdain.

Yao Kuang asked: "Father, didn't Linglong go to see the Crown Prince Zhao Yi? What did he say?"

Yao Zhi shook his head: "Nothing has been heard from the Crown Prince yet, Linglong only said Zhao Yi intends to promote her to Prime Minister."

"Really?"

Yao Wenyuan's eyes lit up: "What else did Linglong say? Did she mention promoting me to Vice Minister? I am her most loyal lackey!"

Yao Zhi seemed to have forgotten his willingness to acknowledge Linglong as his grand-auntie for the Vice Minister position.

Hearing Yao Wenyuan's words, Yao Zhi exclaimed with heartache: "Brat, even if your mind is already useless, you should still have some bottom line in your heart! How can you easily be someone else's lackey? Where is your bottom line? Your morality? And what proof do you have? Without evidence, do you really think Linglong will acknowledge you?"

Yao Wenyuan blinked his eyes.

He felt something seemed off about the statement, but couldn't pinpoint it.

Cough, cough.

Yao Kuang lightly coughed, looking at Yao Zhi, and probed: "Father, if I go to kowtow to Linglong now, does that count as proof of being her lackey?"

Yao Zhi was stunned, looking at his son incredulously.

Yao Kuang felt a bit shy, awkwardly saying;

"Father, I also want to be Vice Minister..."

ps: First update! Please collect, please read more.

pps: Thanks to the brother in the comment section for the medicine, I feel much better after taking it. I'm off to write more, there's more to come.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.