Jiapingguan Chronicle

Chapter 2733 Still Vigorous in Old Age 117.0
Shen Cha was taken aback and looked at Chu Han. She felt it was somewhat unlikely. Although the Qi family had kept a low profile in the early stages and had only recently begun to emerge, they were not exactly rising stars.

When Master Huilan taught these children, he mentioned the Qi clan of the Liao Dynasty and reminded them that if they encountered members of the Qi clan in the future, they should try to befriend them rather than offend them. The Qi clan had existed for a longer period than powerful clans like the Wang and Xie families, and could even be traced back a thousand years.

Although the Qi family appears to be a Han surname, they are not actually purely Han Chinese. They have incorporated a significant amount of ethnic blood from the northern regions. Their family history and heritage are so long and profound that even powerful clans like the Yelü and Xiao families cannot compare.

However, starting about a hundred years ago, the Qi family began to conceal their strength and slowly disappeared from the public eye.

The exact reason is unknown to anyone except the Qi family members themselves. Even Master Huilan was not very clear about it. She only said that there had been some turmoil within the Qi family, and they needed to recuperate for a while, which is why they gradually became more low-key.

Keeping a low profile isn't a bad thing, but some emerging families in Linhuang Prefecture do indeed underestimate the Qi family and have even provoked them, only to suffer defeats. However, the powerful figures in the North and South Courtyards know very well that things will be different once the Qi family recovers.

However, Shen Cha never expected that someone from the Yelü family would actually lay a hand on the Qi family. They were really bold.

“They don’t know.” Chu Han looked at Shen Cha and knew what she was wondering. He shook his head gently at her. “The two of them have offended more than just the Qi family. Even their father doesn’t like them. Otherwise, given their confrontational attitude in court, they should have said something. But the late King of Liao did not do so.”

“Yes!” Xiao Fengqi nodded. “Whether the late king’s actions were intentional or not, they gave them the illusion that no one was more powerful than them.” He spread his hands. “Later, the Regent’s power gradually grew, which may also have been at the late king’s behest.”

"In other words, the late King of Liao's intended successor was not either of them, right? If it were, it's impossible that he wouldn't have helped win over the important officials of the Northern and Southern Courts, and would have just stood by and watched them offend them with impunity, isn't that right?"

“Yes!” Xiao Fengqi sighed. “After they found out the truth, the two of them immediately went crazy.”

“I understand that, but there’s still one question.” Shen Cha held up one finger. “Why are they targeting Young Master Lan?”

“Because their mothers had a grudge.” Xiao Fengqi paused for a moment and said, “Young Master Lan’s birth mother and the birth mothers of these two young princes grew up together. Young Master Lan’s mother is the cousin of the mothers of these two young princes, nominally, but…” He sighed softly, “Their family is very chaotic. I heard that these two people are probably sisters. On the day Young Master Lan’s mother was born, the maternal grandparents of the two young princes swapped her with a boy born to their own brother’s family to ensure their position as heirs to the family head.”

"I understand." Shen Cha nodded. "It must be that his maternal grandfather's younger brother's family didn't treat his mother well. Even if they sent her to the palace, they didn't have good intentions. They just wanted to see the sisters fight each other, right?"

"Yes, that's pretty much what it means."

"But shouldn't they unite to condemn the instigator's father, mother, uncle, and aunt? Are they really going to let the other side have their way, turning against each other for a tiny bit of profit?" "If they had that kind of brain, they wouldn't have ended up like that, right?"

“That’s true.” Shen Cha nodded. “No wonder they were targeting Young Master Lan, so that’s why.”

"Because of this grudge, those two are very distant from Young Master Lan. It's already good enough that they didn't use their power to kill him. As for any so-called kindness, that's basically a pipe dream. These two young princes have such a clear attitude, so what about their lackeys... no, their supporters?" Seeing Jin Miaomiao give him a half-smile, he touched his chin sheepishly and said, "Didn't I accidentally speak my mind? They really are lackeys, each one more outrageous than the other. They initially lived in the palace, but when they were about three or four years old, they moved to the current Regent's Palace because they simply couldn't live in the palace anymore."

"Someone wants to harm them?"

"It's torture!" Shen Cha sighed softly and said, "Young Master Xiao just said he didn't kill him, which means he's allowed to live. As for how he lives, that's for his men to decide. People in the palace are always opportunistic and sycophantic. Although Young Master Lan is of noble status, he's still just a child, and very young. His mother..."

"He died on the day he was born, which is why this happened."

“No wonder!”

"Putting everything else aside, we eat two meals a day." Xiao Fengqi looked at the others and explained, "We've always had the habit of eating two meals a day where we're from. Because winters are long and summers are short, it's cold for most of the year, so we don't get up too early in the morning or go to bed too late at night. By the time we get up, it's almost noon."

“I know that.” Jin Miaomiao nodded. “It’s really cold, like being cut by a knife.”

"When you arrived, it shouldn't have been the coldest time. In the coldest times, people didn't even dare to leave their houses. It was in this kind of weather that Young Master Lan spent three or four years in the palace. In the summer, the food was leftovers and spoiled, and in the winter, it was frozen with ice crystals. His clothes for all four seasons were never made on time, and even when they were made, they were always the leftovers that people didn't want, and none of them fit him properly."

"No one in his maternal grandparents' family cares about him either?"

"The one in charge is the uncle who took his mother's place. He'd love for him to die along with the two young princes!" Xiao Fengqi sighed. "It was the Regent Prince. His wife and Young Master Lan's mother were close friends, and she thought highly of him. She couldn't bear to see him like this anymore, so she took him to her residence. That's how Young Master Lan survived. The late king didn't object to this and tacitly approved of the Regent Prince taking him away. He even secretly used his private treasury to replenish the Regent Prince's supplies."

"Wait a minute!" Jin Miaomiao interrupted Xiao Fengqi, "What was Young Master Lan doing during those years when he was being abused in the palace? Didn't he know?"

“I knew, and I even fueled the flames, all for the moment when Young Master Lan leaves the palace.” Xiao Fengqi smiled bitterly. “Before the late king passed away, he specifically summoned Young Master Lan to the palace to explain everything.”