Gu Li, "Your father is really reckless. He won’t stop until he drags the entire family into the mud, will he?

Why are you telling me all this?"

Kai Yuan, "Great Uncle, I just want to find a way to survive. I can’t speak up in front of my father, and he won’t listen to me. But my identity is bound to him, so I came to you to seek a way out."

"Have you figured it out?"

Kai Yuan, "..." Can I say I didn’t guess, but rather learned from past experiences?

Looking sincere on the outside, "Your nephew knows that acting this way is immensely unfilial, but a real man knows when to act and when not to. My father has become obsessed with his career, and I have no choice but to ensure the survival of our branch."

Kai Yuan is gambling, gambling on his face resembling his grandmother’s, gambling on Gu Li still having some familial ties with their family.

In the past life, to protect the Gu Family, he often ended up injured all over, and when he ran out of medicine, it was Kai Chun from the second uncle’s family who delivered it to him.

In such a big clan, without Gu Li speaking up, Kai Chun wouldn’t have done such a thing, given their lack of friendship. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Gu Li was absorbing a lot at once and couldn’t decide immediately, "You go back first, and let me think it over."

Kai Yuan didn’t linger, he slowly withdrew under the resentful gaze of the Gu Family.

Once he was away from the Gu Family, Kai Yuan sighed silently, knowing this was just another path he had laid out, uncertain if it would work.

Kai Chen was already waiting on the side. Seeing Kai Yuan finally standing apart from the Gu Family, he grabbed him and led him to the carriage.

Gu Baijiang considered it a blessing in disguise, finally able to stay inside the carriage.

"Kai Yuan, what did your great uncle say?" Gu Baijiang heard the commotion and lifted the curtain to see Kai Yuan, disregarding his injuries and quickly got off the carriage.

With Rong Ruiyuan in the carriage, there were many things he couldn’t ask openly, so he pulled Kai Yuan aside and hurriedly inquired.

During this long road of exile, if he were to receive lashes every day, what was the point of living?

"I spoke kindly to Great Uncle, urging him to suppress his anger for now. I fear this matter won’t resolve easily, and Father needs to come up with a plan," Kai Yuan sighed, "Ultimately, it’s our family that wronged the entire clan. Father should quickly think of a way to calm Great Uncle’s anger."

"All they want is silver," Kai Chen shouted, "Don’t they realize that we’ve protected them all these years..."

Gu Baijiang’s face flushed red, he reprimanded, "You shouldn’t say such things."

Kai Yuan bowed his head and smirked sarcastically, realizing Gu Baijiang also had shame, though not acting accordingly.

In the capital, he appeared dignified while managing his reputation, yet couldn’t fulfill even the basic act of gratitude.

It’s understandable why the Gu Family held such resentment toward him.

This idiot, Kai Chen, couldn’t truly believe the Gu Family owe them a great favor, could he?

If Gu Baijiang really took care of the family, wouldn’t it be widely known? After so many years, they weren’t even aware of who was in the family, showing how forgetful Gu Baijiang truly was.

"I see you can communicate with your great uncle," Gu Baijiang was genuinely afraid, his family having only a few members, with his two most trusted sons unreliable, so he placed his hope on Kai Yuan, "I indeed brought this trouble upon us, but it’s irreversible now. Ask them what they want, and I’ll satisfy whatever I can."

"What else do they want, just some silver," Kai Chen sneered, "They’re just mud-legged peasants, how much wealth could they have?

Besides, Father became an official. The local authorities wouldn’t know how to take care of them, wouldn’t they have calculated this?"

"Father, how much land did the family place under your name back then?"

That avoided a pile of taxes; these people truly only remember grudges, not favors.

Kai Ping coughed twice, having understood the most of these matters among the three brothers.

Aside from the ancestral shrine renovation back then, Father ended the relationship with the old home side completely unilaterally, not to mention the allowances the clan used to provide were never brought up.

"Brother, are you feeling unwell? Did the niece infect you?" Kai Chen kept his distance, though he had some silver Father gave earlier, there wasn’t much left, and medicine was expensive, he was reluctant to spend.

Kai Yuan continued on Kai Chen’s words, "Brother, if you’re unwell, you shouldn’t hold out. Wouldn’t it be better to buy more medicine?"

"Father, I agree with Brother’s reasoning. Since you supported the family, we should have a say.

We can’t only benefit, yet demand to destroy us at the slightest issue.

I’ll support you to argue with them. If you’re worried, I can find some esteemed elders to accompany us."

Kai Chen chimed in, "That’s exactly the point! I didn’t expect you to come up with such a brilliant idea, Third Brother."

Gu Baijiang was almost infuriated by these foolish sons, realizing that aligning both sides would expose the truth.

Would their branch’s reputation persist? Could they continue their official paths?

It’s all Xu Huizhen’s fault. Back then, he intended to grant some benefits to the clan, but that foolish wife clung to the household silver, leaving him momentarily unable to deliver. As time passed, he forgot.

Back then, just dozens or hundreds of silver taels, how did his mind become so blinded?

"Stop fooling around, you two." Kai Ping dared not let his two brothers mess things up.

The Third Prince had been increasingly close with An Tong these couple of days.

On the verge of becoming part of the royal family, An Tong’s status depended on reputation, avoiding any extra complications.

"Father never actually supported the clan," Kai Ping acknowledged difficulty in speaking of the family’s disingenuous behavior, his voice low but audible to the Gu Family.

Kai Chen looked shocked, while not an excellent student, he’d heard classmates talk about repaying the family after achieving success.

Moreover, for those in officialdom, being ostracized by the family would be crucial in future promotions and evaluations.

Something’s off. Over the years, didn’t Father have political opponents? How did he manage to conceal these matters well?

Kai Yuan feigned surprise, "Brother, that’s not what you taught me back then. You and Father always said the family’s honor was above everything, isn’t Great Uncle family?"

These ugly truths revealed, Gu Baijiang felt disgraced and kept silent, leaving it to the eldest to resolve.

"This matter is somewhat complicated. When Father entered officialdom initially, he had little foundation, along with everyday social obligations, he couldn’t spare more silver for the clan, and delayed over time."