The more you believe me, the more real it becomes.

Chapter 153 The Liu Family Suffers a Series of Bad News
The others were immediately horrified as they looked at the few old willow trees in the courtyard that looked like they were dead.

A sudden change occurred within the clan, and Liu Er was in trouble.

Is this really a terrible omen?

Before I could think any further, another voice came:
"Homeowner!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a member of the clan whose clothes were covered in mud. He rushed in, ignoring the panic of the others.

Upon seeing this, they sensed something was wrong.

"What is it?!" Several clan elders rushed forward to help the newcomer and asked urgently.

The young man was deathly pale, pointing in the direction of the capital, panting heavily.
"Nephew, nephew, I just got the news. Tell me..."

He was so exhausted from running that he couldn't utter a single word, and the crowd urged him on anxiously.

"What did you say?! Tell me now!"

The person who had just caught their breath cried out:

"They say my uncle died suddenly while in office!!!"

Uncle? Whose uncle?
The clan elders hurriedly called for someone to light a lamp and peered closer—only then did they realize, through the mud-covered face, that the person who had come was Liu Qing!
If it's him, then the person who died suddenly...
It's Liu Zong?!
Liu Zong—the highest-ranking official of the Liu clan in the court, holding the position of Grand Secretary and Supervisor of the National History, was the greatest protector of the Liu clan in the court!

With Liu Zong dead, their influence in the court has instantly halved. With Liu Er dead, half of their clan's businesses will likely come to a standstill immediately.

If it were only like this, it would only be a slight setback, and it would be able to recover completely after a few years of maneuvering.

But the key is right now.
They all looked at the four old willows in the courtyard. The clan had undergone a major change, and people were filled with unease.

The consequences of the sudden deaths of two key figures are something they dare not even imagine!
And will it really end here?

Thinking of this, they all looked at the courtyard gate with great alarm, but thankfully no one came in after waiting for a long time.

The head of the Liu family finally breathed a sigh of relief and forced himself to speak:

"The deaths of my uncle and my second brother must not be made public."

Those around exclaimed in surprise:

"How can we keep this a secret?"

The head of the Liu family said sternly:
"I know I can't hide it forever, but at least it can't be exposed today!"

The group looked at each other sadly, and finally nodded heavily.

It's definitely not something that can be revealed today.

They had barely finished nodding, and before they could say anything, another voice, as urgent as a death knell, rang out from outside the door:
"Master, Master!"

Then another person stumbled in, crying and shouting.

Upon hearing this, the head of the Liu family turned as white as paper, but still forced himself to look at the newcomer and said:
"Why are you panicking?"

As soon as the man entered, he knelt on the ground and kept kowtowing, saying:

"Patriarch, it's my fault, it's all my fault!"

"You, you tell me what's wrong!"

The head of the Liu family was furious, but the elder beside him pointed at him in horror and said:

"What are you doing here? Wasn't I supposed to be overseeing this year's tax revenue?"

As a large clan, the Liu family has members scattered all over the world, and owns numerous businesses in various places.

Therefore, they would travel by waterway every year to collect taxes from various places.

The person in front of them was named Liu Wuhui, and he was the person in charge of collecting the annual tax by waterway for the Liu family.

The first two have both run into trouble, and now he's saying this.
The head of the Liu family, his heart pounding wildly, asked:
"Something happened to the tax revenue?" The newcomer trembled, then immediately pressed his forehead firmly against the ground, saying:
"Three large ships have all sunk in the Songhua River! I sent men to salvage them, but the current was as swift as a dragon. Not only did the silver chests disappear without a trace, but the salvage boats I sent also capsized!"

The loss of the annual allowance is more than just cutting off this year's income; it's like pulling the backbone out of the Liu clan! The entire clan, ancestral temples, estates, retainers, and old friends—all the vital expenses that sustain the clan depend on this annual allowance year after year!

If Liu Er were still alive, perhaps they could have maneuvered to overcome the difficulties. But Liu Er has already passed away!

Upon realizing this, the head of the Liu family felt dizzy, and the last breath he had been holding on finally dissipated, causing him to faint on the spot.

The courtyard immediately erupted into chaos, as if a major disaster was about to strike.

In utter despair, an elder of the clan beat his chest and stamped his feet, letting out a mournful roar:

"Heavens above! Is there not even a single auspicious sign?!"

Before he finished speaking——

"Master! Master!"

Come again? !
This call was like a thunderclap! Just now, only the head of the Liu family changed color, but now the entire hall, young and old, were all pale as death!

"What happened now?!" Everyone's voices changed in shock.

Seeing the room full of utterly shocked elders, the newcomer was taken aback at first, then said:

"Great news! Great news!"

This immediately filled the crowd with hope, and they all stepped forward to ask:
"What joyous occasion?! Wait, it's you?! Yan Yue!" An elder recognized the person and his voice suddenly rose, trembling with disbelief. "Since it's you... could it be that my third brother has been promoted?!"

Upon hearing this, the newcomer straightened his chest, his face radiant with boundless light, and proclaimed in a loud voice:

"Yes, great-uncle! It is so! My great-father—has been promoted!"

"My third brother is currently the Prefect of Yizhou. Is this promotion a transfer back to the capital, to a ministry or provincial office?"

Although Liu Zong has only just arrived, according to custom, if a high-ranking official from the Liu family were to enter the capital at this time, he would almost certainly be guaranteed a position as a minister in one of the Six Ministries!
Yan Yue paused for a moment, his smile fading slightly: "Ah, no, it's that you've been promoted to governor."

These words disappointed everyone, but they were still delighted. Although Yizhou was not in the capital region, it was still a prestigious prefecture. The position of governor was a high-ranking official in charge of a region. Under normal circumstances, this would be great news, enough to make the whole clan celebrate.

At this critical juncture when the building is on the verge of collapse and the situation is turbulent, this belated local promotion has become the only lifeline that can be grasped!

"Good, good! It is truly a great fortune for the Liu family that our third brother has been appointed as the Prefect of Yizhou!"

But as soon as he said this, the person shook his head and said:
“My great-uncle is not the prefect of Yizhou.”

Everyone's hearts skipped a beat, and their expressions changed immediately.
"If he's not the prefect of Yizhou, then what prefect is he?"

"It's Hezhou!"

The newcomer remained arrogant, completely oblivious to the sudden change in the expressions of all the elders.

Yizhou is a superior prefecture. Not to mention a high position like the Prefectural Governor, even the position of County Magistrate attached to the city is a lucrative post.

But what kind of place is Hezhou? Calling it a lower-level prefecture would be an understatement!

The area is a desolate and harsh place, shrouded in miasma, sparsely populated, and infested with wild animals.

This can no longer be described as a promotion in name only; it's a blatant demotion!
So when they thought of this, almost all the elders of the Liu clan fainted.

In the midst of the dizzying spin, the clan elder, who was called his great-uncle, first glanced at the four withered old willows in the courtyard.

He glanced again at the oblivious and smug bastard, and immediately, overcome with rage, slapped him across the face.

"I'll raise your horse's head!"

The person who had been spun around in place after being slapped still didn't understand the situation, and covered his face, feeling aggrieved:
“My father got promoted, and it’s one thing if you’re unhappy, but how could you hit me?”

Upon hearing this, the clan elder immediately coughed up a mouthful of blood, following in the footsteps of the clan head.

(End of this chapter)