Zhou Shaojin hesitated and asked, "Is it the ancestor of the eldest house..."
Cheng Chi nodded and said in a serious tone: "At that time, our eldest ancestor was still in his infancy, and the second ancestor was just an ignorant child. After the eldest and second ancestor followed Emperor Lie to the south, Cheng Ze from the third house became the head of the Cheng family, and all the family property was managed by Cheng Ze from the third house. At that time, the war was raging, and Qin Zongguan's grandfather and father escorted the eldest ancestor all the way back to Jinling City. They originally planned to leave the ancestor behind and return to their hometown in Meizhou, Sichuan. They had relatives and friends in their hometown in Meizhou, Sichuan. Relatives. Who knew that when they arrived in Jinling, they found out that Cheng Ze heard that the eldest son Zhigong and the second son Liegong had passed away. Seeing that the fourth and fifth sons were weak, he became greedy and wanted to take over the Cheng family's property. He used the excuse that Zhigong had entrusted the Cheng family to him before he left home. Not only did he take over all the affairs of the public, he was the only one in power, deducted the income of the fourth and fifth sons, and poisoned the food of the second son. As soon as Qin Zongguan's grandfather and father left, they wanted to smother the eldest son's ancestor to death in the quilt... "
Zhou Shaojin was so frightened that his face turned pale and he exclaimed, "How could this happen?"
Cheng Chi's smile was somewhat bitter, and he whispered, "Mr. Zhi and Mr. Lie are legitimate children, while Mr. Cheng from the third house is a concubine's child. He always felt that the reason he failed to pass the imperial examination was not because of his poor qualifications, but because the Madam was partial to him and was unwilling to invite famous scholars of the time to teach him privately. He also felt that his biological mother's death was due to the Madam's hiring of doctors. As Mr. Zhi's reputation grew, people in Jinling City saw him calling him "Third Master" and gave him more concessions when doing business. He couldn't help but get carried away and lost his sense of responsibility, and his resentment deepened.
“However, Lord Zhi had already followed Emperor Lie to the south and was very powerful. Even if Cheng Ze was dissatisfied, he did not dare to show it.
"When he heard the news of Lord Zhi and Lord Lie's death, he felt that this was God's will and that his chance had come. In addition, there was war and Jinling City was massacred twice. If the ancestor of the second branch had not been protected by his uncle's family, he would probably have died long ago.
"He has evil intentions!"
It shows that people’s hearts are no longer the same as they used to be!
Zhou Shaojin was silent for a long time, and whispered: "What happened next? Who saved the ancestor of the eldest house?"
"It was the grandfather of Chief Steward Qin." Cheng Chi said, "When he handed the child to the third house, he went to pay respects to the ancestor of the second house. The child was almost two years old, but he couldn't even walk. At that time, Chief Steward Qin's grandfather didn't think that the ancestor of the third house had such a vicious mind. He just thought that the child was too weak and might not live long.
"Chief Steward Qin's grandfather still had a hundred-year-old ginseng in his arms.
"It was originally given to him by his father to save his mother.
"But when Qin Zongguan's grandfather thought of the kindness that Zhigong had shown him and the appearance of the ancestor of the second house, he couldn't get over the hurdle in his heart. He turned back halfway, thinking that it would be better to give half of the century-old ginseng to the ancestor of the second house, which would be considered as a token of his loyalty..." At this point, Cheng Chi smiled coldly and said, "It was also the fate of the Cheng family that was not to be destroyed. When Qin Zongguan's grandfather came back, he happened to see the wet nurse assigned by Cheng Zexin to the ancestor of the first house covering the ancestor of the first house with a quilt..."
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but shudder when he thought about the danger at that time.
Cheng Chi said: "No matter what, this is the family affair of the Cheng family. Cheng Ze is a descendant of the Cheng family after all, the younger brother of Lord Zhi and Lord Lie, and the uncle of the two ancestors. If there is any scandal, it will not only bring shame to the Cheng family in Jiuru Lane, Jinling, but also bring shame to the family and the world. How will the scholars view the eldest and second houses? How will future generations evaluate Lord Zhi who sacrificed his life for the country
“So Chief Steward Qin’s grandfather only taught Cheng Ze a lesson and didn’t take his life.
“But in this case, the two ancestors would certainly not be left to him for upbringing.
"The grandfather of General Qin had no choice but to call himself 'Qin Da' and stay as an attendant of the Duke.
"General Manager Qin's father rushed back to Meizhou carrying half a hundred-year-old ginseng.
"But they stayed in Jinling for too long, and their relatives in Meizhou were either dead or scattered. Only Qin Zongguan and his three nephews were found alive in a dry well.
"Mr. Qin's father brought Mr. Qin back and settled him down in the Cheng family. He took on the responsibility of raising the two ancestors. In addition to taking good care of the two ancestors, he also taught them the Qin family's ancestral skills that were passed down to men but not women."
No wonder Uncle Tianchi was dressed in tight clothes and his arrows were as fast as meteors!
Zhou Shaojin was immediately horrified and asked, "Could it be that the ancestor of the second branch also knows martial arts?"
Isn't Uncle Chi in danger
"How is that possible!" Cheng Chi said, "If he had learned the Qin family's martial arts, the eldest son would have been in great trouble now!"
Zhou Shaojin let out a long sigh and asked Cheng Chi what was going on.
Cheng Chi said: "The ancestor of the second branch has been injured and is no longer suitable to learn the Qin family's martial arts. Moreover, the ancestor of the second branch has been a strong-minded person since he was a child. He thinks that the reason why the third branch dares to plot against the first and second branches is just to bully the first and second branches for their incompetence. After the world is initially settled, it will be a period of peace and prosperity. Martial arts will no longer have much use. It is better to use this energy to study, obtain official titles, glorify the ancestors, and reproduce the glory of the previous dynasty of the Cheng family.
"General Manager Qin's father respected the Cheng family as a family of scholars and agreed with the second branch's ancestor's idea, so he only taught him a set of health-preserving boxing.
"The eldest son of the eldest family was nearly suffocated to death while still a baby. Although he was revived, his reactions were very slow, and he did not make much progress in either his studies or martial arts.
"At that time, the second family's ancestor was older than ours, and the two families lived in peace."
When Cheng Chi got here, he frowned, obviously thinking of something unpleasant.
Zhou Shaojin hurriedly and obediently made a cup of tea for Cheng Chi.
Cheng Chi picked up the teacup and fiddled with it in his hand for a while, then brought the topic back to the topic, saying, "Two or three years passed like this, and when it was time for the second branch's ancestor to start teaching, the second branch's lord suddenly came back!"
"Ah?!" Zhou Shaojin opened his eyes wide.
No matter how naive she was, she knew what it meant for a person who had sacrificed his life for his country and left his name in history to suddenly come back alive!
She stood up suddenly, twisting her fingers and asked, "Then, what should we do?"
Cheng Chi looked at the little face that was swollen red like a blooming red lotus, and his heart suddenly relaxed. He felt that those difficult to talk about past events became less obscure.
"Everyone was dumbfounded at the time." He said in a low voice, "He was not surprised to see Qin's father and son and others. Instead, he patted Qin's grandfather on the shoulder and praised him, saying 'You are very good'. Then he took the sword and went to the third room and killed Cheng Ze..."
Zhou Shaojin's lips were pale blue.
This is the real secret of the Cheng family!
Cheng Chi held her hand tightly and said softly, "Did I scare you?"
Zhou Shaojin shook his head and said firmly: "I'm not afraid."
Uncle Chi told her all this because he must have thought she could be trusted. How could she run away just because of fear!
A hint of warmth flashed in Cheng Chi's eyes.
He picked up the candle on the coffee table, asked Zhou Shaojin to sit next to him, and then said: "Since Cheng Ze was dealt with by Qin Zongguan's grandfather, he has been vomiting blood every now and then. Everyone in Jinling City knows that his body is broken, so his death did not arouse others' suspicion.
"As for the fact that Liegong had returned, no one in the family dared to tell anyone.
"He ordered the grandfather of Qin Zongguan to buy the house next door, and built a large building there, which is now the Cheng Family Garden. The place where the gentlemen practiced in seclusion is now the Hanbi Mountain House where my mother lives."
Zhou Shaojin found the answer to why the bamboo forest could make people lost.
Cheng Chi said: "Siyi Tower was also built by you gentlemen. It is also a rule passed down by you gentlemen at that time that it is not allowed to hang lights under the eaves of Hanbi Mountain House at night.
"He lives in Hanbi Mountain House. Sometimes he disappears for half a year, and sometimes he hangs around the yard in the middle of the night for several days in a row. He has a very strange temper. But considering that he has been through so many things, it is possible that his temperament has changed drastically.
“Everyone at home tried to pretend they didn’t see it.
"But Chief Steward Qin's grandfather was nervous, and he always tried to stop our ancestor from getting close to the Lords, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
"Our ancestor has always respected the grandfather of Qin Zongguan, and he has always had a childlike innocence. Since Qin Zongguan's grandfather did not allow him to get close to you, he did not get close to you. However, Uncle Li from the second house was often taken to Hanbi Mountain House by people sent by you to play.
"Everyone thinks it is normal to enjoy the company of grandchildren.
"Until the ancestor grew up, got married and had children, Lord Lie became seriously ill and called our ancestor and the ancestor of the second branch to Hanbi Mountain House. Then he told the two ancestors that when Lord Zhi followed Emperor Lie to the south, he had already predicted that the country would fall, and the Seven Stars Hall was full of rebellious and desperate people. Previously, they were gathered together in the name of the country and the society. Once the court changed, those people would definitely take the opportunity to cause chaos, and the people would suffer. He gave the Seven Stars Hall's token to Lord Lie and asked him to find a way to destroy the Seven Stars Hall.
“But Lord Lie was unwilling to destroy the Qixing Hall that Lord Zhi had worked so hard to build, and even more unwilling to return to Jinling City to protect his business.
"After Lord Zhi died for his country, he not only did not destroy the Seven Stars Hall, but also dealt with a group of people who wanted to leave the Seven Stars Hall in the name of Lord Zhi, re-established the rules of rewards and punishments, and firmly grasped the Seven Stars Hall in his hands. Only then did he quietly return to Jinling City."
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but muttered, "I don't think he can bear to destroy the Seven Star Hall built by Lord Zhi, but he is unwilling to return to Jinling City as a powerless commoner as the old man and young man of the past dynasty? And he is still acting in the name of Lord Zhi, isn't he ashamed?"
Cheng Chi sighed.
If even a little girl who hasn't even reached marriage age can see it clearly, how can other people not see it
He hugged Zhou Shaojin gently and then quickly let go, saying: "At that time, the ancestor of the second branch had been selected as a scholar in the imperial examination and was serving as a secretary in the Ministry of Justice. Uncle Li was twenty years old and had just got married.
"The Lords proposed that Uncle Li be in charge of the Seven Stars Hall!"
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Sisters and brothers, today’s update.
Tomorrow's update will be published around 5pm.
O(∩_∩)O~
※(To be continued)