I am not Yuan Shu

Chapter 356 This is not a discussion, but a notification
Yuan Feng's dissatisfaction with Yuan Ji accumulated over time.

At first, Yuan Feng could tolerate some of Yuan Ji's behavior, but as his will became stronger, Yuan Feng no longer intended to tolerate it.

Now is the time for a showdown.

"I told you not to get too close to those party members, but you just ignored me. Are they any good people? Back then, I was careless and let them return to Luoyang, which put me in a very bad situation. If Zijia hadn't dealt with Zhang Jian, I really wouldn't know how I would have ended up like this!"

Many of these party members are ungrateful; they feel they deserve everything, and it's never enough. No matter how much you give them, they won't be grateful, and when the time comes to betray you, they will still betray you! They'll even slander you as a traitor!

Yuan Ji's face paled. He realized that Yuan Feng had found out about his continued private interactions with the party members, and he panicked.

“Father, I have not colluded with those party members. I only regard them as ordinary friends and have not had much contact with them.”

"normal friend?"

Yuan Feng sneered, "Would ordinary friends help you get positions for their own children? And you went to such lengths to get them positions, is that something ordinary friends would do? Are you treating them as ordinary friends?"

Yuan Ji gasped, never expecting his father to know about this!
"Father, you...you knew everything?"

"Just because I don't say it doesn't mean I don't know it!"

Yuan Feng shook his head. The more he looked at Yuan Ji, the more he disliked him. The more he looked at Yuan Ji, the more he felt that this should not be his child.

How could they be so stupid and incompetent?

So you still want to use the party members to help you compete against Yuan Shu?

Ugh!
"I know about many of the things you've done, but I haven't said anything to save face for you and to maintain the bond between father and son! You are my eldest son, which is why I've been so lenient and forgiving towards you, but I never imagined you would be so foolish!"

"Father! Your son...your son is not...is not..."

"It's not anything?"

Yuan Feng angrily said, "You don't do what I ask you to do, and you do what I don't ask you to do behind my back. You helped those party members' children get positions and gave them so many benefits. What did they give you in return? Besides verbal thanks, what more substantial thing did they give you?"

"This this……"

Yuan Ji really didn't know what to say.

He couldn't very well say he didn't need any material thanks; what he needed was for these party members to join his faction, become his people, and then help him in the power struggle between him and Yuan Shu, so that he could become the ultimate victor.

And this is basically a consensus among them.

Yuan Ji was certainly not mentally challenged; he was a normal person. He would not seek benefits for anyone for no reason. The political arena is not a charity; it doesn't involve acts of charity.

Those party members who received his favor would naturally use their influence in the political arena to help Yuan Ji counter Yuan Shu, and would also use their family resources to fight against Yuan Shu's Yixinhui group in practice.

As the saying goes, "A hero needs three helpers." Yuan Shu had a Yixinhui group, so how could Yuan Ji not have any underlings?

But how could he say such things in front of Yuan Feng?
The whole of Luoyang City knows that Yuan Feng favors Yuan Shu. If he were to say it out loud, Yuan Feng would definitely be angry, and then all his plans would be ruined.

Therefore, Yuan Ji could only swallow his anger and endure Yuan Feng's scolding without daring to retaliate.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Yuan Feng was annoyed, but also even more furious.

"Don't think that I don't know what you're thinking or what you're plotting. Just because I'm not going to punish you doesn't mean I don't know anything!"

Yuan Ji was taken aback by what he heard, and looked at Yuan Feng with some confusion, not knowing what he meant.

Yuan Feng pursed his lips, took a deep breath, and finally decided to speak frankly.

"Isn't what you're doing all this to get the party members to help you fight for the position of heir? You know that your father favors Zijia and wants Zijia to inherit the position of family head. You're not willing to accept that, so you're seeking help everywhere, aren't you?"

Yuan Ji's mind went completely blank for a moment.

Yuan Feng's words struck him like a hammer, leaving him shattered and broken.

He was surprised that Yuan Feng was so clear about what he had done.

He was shocked that Yuan Feng would say such a thing to his face.

What terrified him even more was the true intention behind Yuan Feng's frank and open conversation with him.

The amount of information in those words was so overwhelming that it completely shut him down.

Seeing Yuan Ji's shocked expression, Yuan Feng felt a moment of tenderness and reluctance, but soon, Cheng Li's voice echoed in his ears.

Hesitation will only lead to chaos. There are some things that he, as the father, must do, and cannot leave to Yuan Shu, the son, to handle.

He couldn't let Yuan Shu bear so much infamy.

So he took a few steps forward and stood in front of Yuan Ji. Just as Yuan Ji was about to react and open his mouth to say something, he reached out and patted Yuan Ji on the shoulder, speaking first.

“Ji, I know that over the years, everyone has been telling you that you are my eldest son and that you are destined to inherit my position. Indeed, in principle, this position should be left to you, and you should be my rightful heir. However, the situation is different now.”

If the Yuan family were still the same as before, I wouldn't have such thoughts. The position of head of the family is yours, and the family business is yours too. But the problem is that the Yuan family is no longer the Yuan family of the past. The Yuan family is not what it used to be. The Yuan family has now seized power over the world and usurped the emperor's authority!

The Yuan family is no longer loyal ministers, but powerful ministers, and powerful ministers who have usurped the emperor's power. Do you understand? The line between a powerful minister who usurps the emperor and a rebel is very thin, even hanging by a thread, depending on your very will. A single thought can make or break a Han official. That is why your successor will inherit not only the family business, but also all thirteen provinces of the Great Han Kingdom. The entire thirteen provinces of the Great Han Kingdom rest on your shoulders, and if you cease to exist, this burden will be handed over to the next head of the family.

He had to shoulder the responsibility for the Yuan family, and even more so, the entire nation. He had to face all the problems, all the doubts, and countless challenges of the world. Could you do it? Could you handle it well? Could you suppress all the rebels in the land?

Yuan Ji stared blankly at Yuan Feng, his mouth slightly open, unable to utter a word.

Of course, this wasn't because he couldn't answer the question; he hadn't heard Yuan Feng's entire statement. He only understood one part of Yuan Feng's words.

Yuan Feng told him that the next head of the Yuan family would not be him, Yuan Ji, but Yuan Shu; this was a settled matter and could not be changed.

The decision to depose the eldest son and establish the younger son is now a foregone conclusion.

His heart was broken.

His legs gave way and he collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down his face, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.

Yuan Feng looked down at Yuan Ji's appearance and felt a little sorry for him, but since he had already said it, he had no way out.

He became even calmer.

So he squatted down and looked directly at Yuan Ji.

“Ji, this is not a discussion, but a notification. Your father will pass the position to Zijia, to your younger brother, not to you.”

Yuan Feng's words were like another deep stab to Yuan Ji's already wounded body, striking him precisely in the heart.

He couldn't help but shiver, as if his whole body had fallen into an ice cave. Even though it wasn't the dead of winter, he felt a chill all over his body.

It was this deep chill that forcibly brought his brain back to normal from its malfunctioning state.

Tears streaming down his face, he stared directly at Yuan Feng, suppressing his fear and indignation, and questioned him.

"Father, am I not your eldest son?"

Yuan Feng nodded calmly.

“You are my eldest son.”

"Shouldn't the legacy of our ancestors be passed on to the eldest son of the legitimate wife? Hasn't the tradition of the Han Dynasty, from ancient times to the present, always been to pass it on to the eldest son of the legitimate wife?"

Yuan Feng nodded calmly.

"Yes, this is a rule that has been in place since ancient times, a rule that is clearly written down, a rule that is recognized by everyone in the Han Dynasty from top to bottom."

"Then why did Father change? Why didn't he pass on the family business to me? My name, Ji, doesn't it mean family business?"

Yuan Feng nodded calmly as before.

"That's the meaning. Your name means foundation or legacy. The reason we named you this is so that you can inherit the Yuan family business."

"Then why did Father still want Zijia to inherit it?"

Yuan Ji was enraged by Yuan Feng's unusually indifferent attitude. In a fit of anger, he roared at Yuan Feng, "Since ancient times, only when the eldest son of the legitimate wife dies will the eldest son not inherit the family business! If Father wants Zijia to inherit the family business, does that mean I, the eldest son of the legitimate wife, have to die?"

Yuan Feng closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled, as if calming his emotions.

A moment later, he opened his eyes again.

“Ji, that’s not what I meant. I won’t let you die. You will live a good life. You will still be my eldest son. Your status will not change.”

"Then what should the father do?"

Yuan Ji stared intently at Yuan Feng: "Father, if I live, if I am still the eldest son, I will inevitably inherit your legacy! This is my destiny! It is fate!"

Yuan Feng shook his head.

“The Mandate of Heaven cannot be changed, but it can be transferred. As long as you actively transfer this Mandate of Heaven to Zijia, your lifelong wealth and honor will not only not decrease, but will actually increase.”

Yuan Ji was stunned for a moment, and then he actually laughed.

In his rage, he laughed.

"Hahahaha, hahahaha... Father, are you joking?"

Yuan Feng shook his head.

"No."

Yuan Ji carefully observed Yuan Feng's expression and finally realized with sorrow that Yuan Feng was not joking.

That's really what he thought.

He could no longer suppress his anger.

(End of this chapter)