fake gentry

Inside the cave.

Xie Hong and Chen San sat on a straw mat. Before long, a refugee brought them a large jar of honey water.

Xie Hong didn't stand on ceremony at all, and took several big gulps of the honey water.

Damn it, at least there's some taste in my mouth now.

While drinking honey water, Chen San carefully examined the old silver coin.

He looked to be in his forties. Despite being emaciated from hunger, you could tell he had a handsome appearance.

His gaze towards Xie Hong was calm, but it wasn't calmness; it was the composure that comes from someone who had seen so much deceit and treachery.

"Thank you, young master," Chen San said. "I have met quite a few gentlemen from noble families, but this is the first time I have seen a gentleman from noble families who is compassionate towards the common people and fearless enough to kill."

Xie Hong felt a sense of foreboding.

He put down the ceramic bowl in his hand and looked at the other person calmly.

Chen San paused, then tilted his head slightly: "Is Young Master Xie truly a member of the Xie family of Chen Commandery?"

Xie Hong's heart leaped into his throat: "What do you mean?"

"What a coincidence." Chen San smiled slightly at him. "I once accompanied my master to visit the Xie family residence. May I ask, young master Xie, is the main residence located in Cao'e, east of the river or in Jiangxi?"

The air inside the cave suddenly seemed to freeze.

Chen San's words were like a stone thrown into calm water.

Xie Hong's back tightened, and his heart pounded faster, but he had to force himself not to show any weakness on his face.

This guy in front of me is much more dangerous than that dead ghost team.

The captain was nothing but brutal; it was written all over his face.

But the guy in front of me was no ordinary person; his eyes remained completely calm as he spoke.

Fifty or sixty years later, the Xie family was a top-tier aristocratic family, and naturally had many estates, including two gardens in the north and south, the Shibi Retreat, the Baiyun Pavilion, and the Mingyue Hall, located either in Dongshan or on the banks of the Cao'e River.

But none of these things exist yet, and even if Xie Hong were extremely knowledgeable, he would not be able to say them accurately.

Do not panic.

Xie Hong looked at the other party and said calmly, "Since you have been to Dongshan, what do you think of my Xie Family Manor?"

Chen San narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at Xie Hong calmly, saying, "As expected of a prominent family."

Xie Hong's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, immediately settled down.

I've never been to that old silver coin shop.

At this point in time, the Xie family of Chenjun was neither qualified to enter Wuyi Lane nor did they own a large manor. The other party's claim of being from a prominent family was pure fabrication.

He then said sarcastically, "The Xie family is nothing new; you must have mistaken them for someone else."

Chen San was silent for a few moments, then said casually, "Really? Then I must have remembered it wrong."

There was a strange undertone to his voice: "What I said just now was actually made up on the spot. I have never been to Kuaiji and do not know any members of the Xie clan."

Xie Hong thought to himself, "I don't believe you for a second."

This guy is clearly doubting his own identity, and his motives are quite obvious.

I know there's something wrong with your identity, but I won't call you out on it, so you'd better behave yourself.

"Young Master Xie, you are a man of noble birth, yet life in the mountains is bitterly cold. Why don't you leave?"

Xie Hong did not answer, but instead raised his eyes to meet Chen San's gaze: "Master Chen's demeanor has made me certain of one thing."

"What is it?"

"Your husband is no ordinary man, so you wouldn't actually kill me."

Chen San fell silent.

Xie Hong felt a surge of smugness in his heart.

Didn't you suspect that I wasn't a member of the Xie family? Well, I also know that there are some inexplicable secrets about that kid named Liu Chong.

The score is tied in this round.

"Why are you so certain that I won't kill you, Young Master Xie?"

"If you were an ordinary vagrant, you might actually kill me without a second thought, but you didn't, or rather, you didn't dare."

Xie Hong's words silenced Chen San.

That's right.

The sons of aristocratic families are not so easy to deal with; they will inevitably incur the wrath of the entire aristocratic clans.

Moreover, he automatically assumed Xie Hong was from the Sima clan.

Xie Hong, as if possessed by Zhuge Liang, said, "I suspect that Lord Chen and his young master have fallen to this state because they are hiding from their enemies. They certainly wouldn't be willing to be refugees for the rest of their lives, right?"

Chen San's lips moved, but Xie Hong went straight to the point: "Let me try to analyze it, and see if I'm right."

"Lord Chen took the young master to hide in Zhuo. If I hadn't killed that mad servant, you probably wouldn't have stepped forward. Brother Liu is so young and brave, and you, his servant, are extremely capable. It all shows that he must be from a noble family."

"So, I can probably guess that Liu Adi's family mostly suffered because of Wang Dun's rebellion, right?"

"Your family must not be very powerful. If it were a high-ranking family, Wang Dun would not dare to kill you. Therefore, Liu's ancestors or father must have been important figures with high positions and great power."

Xie Hong kept his eyes on Chen San while he spoke.

Many things cannot withstand scrutiny; his familiarity with history is like having a cheat code.

A subtle glint flashed in Chen San's eyes, and Xie Hong continued, "Judging from this, there are only two or three people who are a good fit."

Chen San's eyes narrowed slightly involuntarily.

Xie Hong's heart sank.

Is he planning to kill?

That means you guessed everything correctly.

Xie Hong looked directly at the other person: "The Zhou family of Runan?"

Chen San stared at Xie Hong, and the corner of his mouth seemed to twitch slightly.

Xie Hong clapped his hands and laughed: "I understand. Yesterday you said that the team was led by General Zhengxi, so Dai Zhengxi must be the Lord of the Jun family?"

A look of horror flashed across Chen San's eyes. He hadn't expected Xie Hong to be so terrifying, guessing his master's identity in just a few words.

For a fleeting moment, he really wanted to kill Xie Hong.

But Xie Hong's prediction came true.

He dare not.

He himself didn't care; what did it matter if a man from a ruined family spent his life wandering aimlessly? But he couldn't bear the price of his beloved severing himself from the gentry.

Chen San's gaze sent a chill down Xie Hong's spine. He forced himself to remain calm as he looked at the other man and solemnly said, "Dai Gong was a bandit in his youth, a famous general in his middle age, and a loyal minister in his death. He sacrificed himself to save Cao Cao and served his lord with utmost loyalty. I would like to call him a remarkable man of all time."

That was such a flattering compliment that Chen San seemed to be stimulated, and tears suddenly welled up in his eyes.

Xie Hong became even more certain that Liu Chong must be Dai Yuan's son.

Who is Dai Yuan?

General Who Conquers the West, Commander-in-Chief of the military affairs of the six provinces of Yan, Yu, You, Ji, Yong and Bing, and granted the authority to act on behalf of the emperor, was just killed by Wang Dun along with Zhou Yi.

Dai Yuan, along with Zhou Yi, Liu Wei, and Diao Xie, were known as the Four Assistants of the Restoration, a typical example of someone from a humble background who held a high position.

His most famous label is that of a notorious bandit who became a pillar of the imperial court, and he is a model of admitting his mistakes and correcting them.

The book "A New Account of Tales of the World" tells the story of Dai Yuan throwing his sword when he was a bandit who robbed Lu Ji. Lu Ji then persuaded him to reform himself.

Lu Ji called him a treasure of the southeast and a rare gem of the court.

There is also a story about "You can redeem me", which says that he was a gambler and would often ask Yu Liang to redeem him after he lost everything. Yu Liang would always happily give him money, and he never tired of it.

Dai Yuan had a younger brother, Dai Miao, who rose to the position of Minister of the Imperial Secretariat. However, he was dismissed from his post by Wang Dun and is now trapped in Jiankang. After the deaths of the two brothers, the Dai family line died out and disappeared.

The Book of Jin only records his early life as a bandit, his relationship with Lu Ji, his career advancement, and his composure before his execution, but not a single word mentions his son. Therefore, Liu Chong must have died during his time as a refugee.

Because in two years, after the Wang Dun Rebellion is quelled, the court will posthumously confer titles on Dai and Zhou, and Liu Chong will be fully entitled to inherit the title.

The stories and anecdotes left behind by these two men are too numerous to count on one hand, and even if their descendants are parasites, they will not be unknown in history.

There is only one possibility: that this immature teenager, Liu Chong, did not live to see the next two years before he died.

At this moment, Xie Hong was only missing a fan in his hand; the sense of superiority brought by his intellectual crushing victory was truly exhilarating.

The simplest reasoning was virtually infallible more than 1,700 years ago.

Xie Hong slowly got up, turned around and walked out of the cave, leaving Chen San with his back soaked in cold sweat.

"Don't worry, Master Chen, I'll keep it a secret. Get ready, it's time to go down the mountain to sell honey."