Han Daochang rushed to Chizhou and intercepted Third Brother today, originally intending to work together with Eldest Brother to earnestly and patiently help him analyze the situation clearly. They had already prepared a heap of arguments, but never imagined that Han Qian, like a petty person achieving success, would first take out the waist token of the Marquis Residence’s Guard Battalion Deputy Commander to show off, and describe Han Duan as so worthless. A mouthful of old blood truly choked in his throat, nearly spewing out.
As the Marquis of Linjiang was an imperial prince, the Marquis of Linjiang Residence’s Guard Battalion was comparable to a prince’s guards. The rank of Deputy Commander was indeed not low. Since Han Qian stubbornly took it out to show off and described Han Duan as worthless, they suddenly found it difficult to refute.
Otherwise, were they supposed to take out the arguments they had prepared to deal with Third Brother and first analyze the situation with this nephew who didn’t know the height of heaven and depth of earth?
Han Daochang’s eyes stared at Third Brother with sinister softness. He suspected that Han Qian’s ostentatious display was actually taught beforehand by Third Brother, with the purpose of blocking their mouths.
Han Daoxun calmly turned his body to the side and asked Han Qian in a low voice, “When did this happen? Why haven’t I heard you mention it?”
“His Highness said if your son didn’t have an official position, handling affairs for him outside might be looked down upon by others. So the day before we left Jinling, he had Marquis Xinchang help your son secure the commission certificate from the Ministry of War. Those two days were so hectic that your son forgot to mention this to you, Father,” Han Qian said.
For military officers below sixth rank, commission certificates were issued by the Military Selection Bureau of the Ministry of War.
As long as there was documentation from the Dragon Sparrow Army’s side, with Li Pu, Marquis Xinchang, serving as Vice Minister of War, securing Han Qian’s commission certificate within three to five days was still an easy matter.
Of course, Han Daoxun didn’t believe Han Qian would forget this matter. He thought this boy had mostly deliberately concealed it from himself, but at this moment was afraid Eldest Brother and Second Brother would use status to oppress him, so he exposed this layer of identity to disrupt the situation.
Han Daochang’s face became even blacker than a pot’s bottom, and the arguments prepared beforehand at this moment could even less be spoken.
Han Qian brazenly took out the waist token of the Marquis of Linjiang Residence’s Guard Battalion Deputy Commander, saying he was out handling affairs for the Third Prince. Could they still, as if no one else was present, recount the Third Prince’s unworthiness and advise Third Brother to turn back from the precipice?
“The Third Prince’s side is currently in need of personnel. As for Little Seven here, I can currently barely speak up at the Third Prince’s place. Second brother, fourth brother, if you’re interested in official careers, I dare not guarantee anything else, but within two years, helping you secure actual position commission certificates at the Ministry of War or Ministry of Personnel shouldn’t be difficult,” Han Qian continued to brag brazenly, completely disregarding what expressions eldest uncle, second uncle, and the old master might have. It was as if a commission certificate that others found worth a thousand gold pieces was in his view just like a few sheets of paper written in leisure.
No matter how envious Han Chengmeng and Han Jianji were, they couldn’t truly believe Han Qian’s words. But Han Qian’s purpose in saying these things was still to disturb their thoughts, preventing eldest uncle Han Daoming, second uncle Han Daochang, and Han Jun and Han Duan’s side from being too comfortable, lest their hands reach too far and meddle in his family affairs.
However, Han Qian also noticed that among the three cousins-in-law, the one with a short mustache on his lip, after hearing his words, had a condensed expression, then turned his face elsewhere.
“Do you really think that following the Third Prince truly has any good ending?” Han Jun didn’t believe that so many people would have no way to deal with this scoundrel Han Qian. Exasperated and furious, he questioned sternly.
They had brought the old master over, originally wanting to persuade Third Uncle to change course. They never imagined that this fellow Han Qian would actually turn around and try to pull people from among them to join the Third Prince.
Speaking of which, back then Han Qian had relied on being in his family residence to barbarically shoot dead one household soldier at his side and cripple three household soldiers at his side. He hadn’t expected that in Chizhou, before his grandfather and his father, he would also dare to act so foolish—did he truly not know what family law was?
Han Qian slapped the waist token in his hand down on the corner table with a “crack,” stared at Han Jun, and questioned in a sinister voice, “Han Jun, what kind of talk is this? How do you hope I will repeat these words of yours to the Third Prince?”
Being scolded by Han Qian slamming the table in his own residence, Han Jun was truly infuriated to confusion, veins throbbing straight on his forehead.
“Han Jun, say less!” Han Daoming called out to stop Han Jun, preventing him from continuing to speak nonsense.
At this moment Han Daoming suddenly discovered that this nephew he had previously completely disregarded was even harder to deal with than Third Brother.
Whatever Third Brother did wouldn’t be too excessive. However, if this nephew of his truly went mad and ran before the Third Prince to stir up trouble, they naturally didn’t need to fear the Third Prince. But if Han Jun’s words just now were transmitted from the Third Prince to Emperor Tianyou’s ears—whether this was something the Han family could bear or not—they couldn’t help but think carefully about it.
Thinking this way, the arguments they had prepared today were completely unspeakable!
“Third Brother, you’ve raised a fine son!” Han Daochang hadn’t expected that with such a grand display of force, they still couldn’t suppress this greenhorn’s arrogance. He stared at Han Daoxun with sinister eyes.
Han Daoxun ignored Second Brother Han Daochang, only looking at their old father’s turbid eyes, joy and anger difficult to discern.
Han Qian didn’t have as many concerns as his father. With a sinister laugh, he said, “That Han Qian can have today is because Second Uncle taught me well!”
“You…” Han Daochang stared at Han Qian. He hadn’t expected this unfilial wretch would actually dare to turn the verbal attack toward him. Enraged, he wanted to curse loudly.
Facing second uncle Han Daochang glaring over like a tiger watching its prey, Han Qian picked up the waist token and lightly tapped the corner table. After waiting a moment and seeing his second uncle actually swallow the rebuke back into his belly, he asked calmly, “What does Second Uncle want to say about me? Your nephew is waiting to hear Second Uncle’s instruction!”
That Han Daochang’s old blood didn’t directly spew out was already considered good composure. He forcibly turned his head away.
Han Qian only smiled.
In this era there was indeed the crime of unfilial conduct, but what was emphasized was sons not defying fathers.
For example, if his father rebuked him to shut up and he still chattered endlessly, family law could be applied. Or for instance, if his grandfather ordered him to shut up and he still chattered endlessly, and his father didn’t add his rebuke, that was also a form of unfilial conduct.
At this time the old master was covering his chest—who knew if he was forcibly suppressing difficult coughing or was so angry his heart twisted in pain. In any case, Han Qian had made up his mind that as long as the old master spoke up to rebuke him, at worst he would directly lower his head and admit fault.
“All of you say less. Arguing and clamoring, letting the servants see it—what kind of propriety is this?” Han Wenhuan exhaled a long breath, leaned forward to pick up the spittoon before him and spat out phlegm. His chest felt slightly calmer. He stopped others from continuing to engage in pointed confrontation with Han Qian, stared at his third son Han Daoxun, and asked, “So you’ve made up your mind?”
Han Daoxun looked with gloomy expression toward the pool of clear blue water before the corridor. Facing his old father’s words, he truly didn’t know how to answer.
He had made up his mind, but obviously it wasn’t the kind of made-up mind his father and brothers assumed.
Fan Xicheng and Han Laoshan stood outside the garden, but Han Qian didn’t intend to avoid the subordinates when speaking. They heard the quarrel in the garden crystal clear, and also saw the eyes of the surrounding household soldiers and guards from eldest master’s residence all uncertain in mood. They too felt uncomfortable and uneasy.
Whether Han Qian assisted the family head in writing the epidemic waterway memorial or even compiled the “Commentary on the Chapter on Employing Spies,” Fan Xicheng and Han Laoshan didn’t feel there was anything special. They even thought the family head borrowed these matters to teach or achieve the young master, after all Fan Xicheng and Han Laoshan’s level of knowledge was still limited.
And regarding Han Qian using the manor to establish lime kilns and such, Fan Xicheng and Han Laoshan also didn’t think much of it. After all, in their view, lime-burning and such were lowly trades. The young master had a bright future ahead and shouldn’t be tainted with these base matters.
Behind this was an even deeper psychological factor—they had witnessed Han Qian’s stubborn refusal to be taught, witnessed Han Qian’s dissolute indulgence, witnessed Han Qian angering the family head until chickens flew and dogs jumped. They could accept Han Qian’s sudden repentance, could accept the prodigal son’s return, but this destined that they couldn’t immediately place Han Qian in such a high position.
This was the so-called darkness beneath the lamp.
When Han Qian ordered Niu Erdan shot dead, Han Laoshan and Fan Xicheng in their hearts actually were more inclined to think the young master’s stubborn nature was unchanged, that he was causing trouble again. Han Qian’s true intentions were concealed from them most of the time. The establishment of the Secret Bureau’s Left Division also didn’t involve them.
Up to now they didn’t even understand how the family head suddenly came to be transferred as Regional Inspector of Xuzhou.
Just now seeing the three crippled household soldiers at Han Jun’s side standing at the end of the corridor, Fan Xicheng and Han Laoshan were still worried the young master would have difficulty passing today’s trial. They never imagined that when the young master opened full fire, not to mention Han Jun and Han Duan, even the usually formidable First Master and Second Master were actually stabbed by the young master until their hands were covered in blood, yet still had no way to deal with the young master.
Was this still the young master they were familiar with?
Could it be that what Lin Haizheng said a few days ago—that four newly recruited personnel from the garrison headquarters, showing slight laziness, were ordered by the young master to be hacked to death with random blades—truly had no exaggeration?
And what was going on with that waist token in the young master’s hand? Could it be that at this time the young master had truly already become a direct trusted confidant relied upon by the Third Prince?
They could see the young master almost every day—how had they completely failed to detect this matter?
What exactly had they missed?
Zhao Kuo stared thoughtfully at his shoe tips. At this moment he suddenly heard Han Qian speaking in the garden again:
“Eldest Uncle invited Father and me ashore today. The banquet prepared must surely be sumptuous. This nephew is very much looking forward to it!”
Hearing Han Qian’s words, even Zhao Kuo couldn’t help but laugh mutely. It wasn’t difficult to imagine how ugly Han Daoming and Han Daochang’s faces would be at this moment.
A moment later, they saw everyone surrounding the old family head walking out of the garden. Han Qian was like a little rooster that had won a great battle, looking around proudly with indescribable self-satisfaction. His eyes looked toward the three Dog Donkey crippled household soldiers, and he still asked Han Jun with feigned foolishness, “Eldest Brother, these three evil slaves committed the crime of inferiors offending superiors. I had someone break their arms. Why do you still keep them at your side? Eldest Brother, aren’t you afraid they harbor resentment and will someday do things that betray the master for glory and harm the Han family?”
Seeing Han Qian repeatedly provoke him, Han Jun’s heart was blocked by a mouthful of foul air. He truly and genuinely trembled all over with rage.