Chapter 395: 70%
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The elders beside him were first stunned, then they seemed to be in deep thought. They turned around and whispered to each other.
“Gu Jian, didn’t we lose the t.i.tle because of you?” the patriarch asked coldly. Every word was heartbreaking. “You lost your ancestor’s t.i.tle, and now you want to defy the family rules?!”
The patriarch stared coldly at Gu Jian, the anger in his eyes surging.
Gu Jian felt like he had been slapped in the face again and again in public. His face was burning.
When he was in the imperial mansion, he had been holding his breath, but he was afraid that he would be disrespectful in front of the Imperial Mansion, so he could only suppress it. But now that they had already returned to the Marquis Mansion, the person he was facing wasn’t a high up in the air Emperor with power over life and death, but an old man who didn’t even have an official position.
The humiliation that Gu Jian had buried in his heart for a long time suddenly erupted like a volcano. He scolded angrily, “You people trample on the weak. I’m only down and out now, and you want to bully me?!”
“Uncle, don’t you think about how you… and you guys got to where you are now? It’s all because of me, my late father, and my late grandfather!”
The more Gu Jian spoke, the more agitated he became. He pointed at the patriarch and elders and felt that they really had their noses in the air. They clearly relied on the Marquis Household to have their current good days.
He was only down and out for a while now, but there might be a time for him to make a comeback in the future.
As long as Kang w.a.n.g ascended to the throne in the future, he, Gu Jian, would definitely be able to restore the Marquis Household to its former glory.
That’s right, I can definitely do it.
Gu Jian told himself repeatedly in his heart.
After saying so much, even he himself believed it. His eyes burned.
“Clap!”
The patriarch slapped the coffee table heavily and was furious.
The atmosphere instantly became tense.
He raised his hand and pointed at Gu Jian, who was a few steps away. His right hand was trembling non-stop as he gritted his teeth and said angrily, “Gu Jian, you don’t obey the family rules and look down on an old man like me. Then 1 really can’t help you. In that case, your family will be expelled.”
The word “expelled” caused an uproar in the hall.
Gu Jian’s face turned pale as he swallowed hard.
The elders also gasped.
Since ancient times, a person’s surname has represented the clan they belonged to. It was the “root” of a person.
Expelling a sect meant expelling a person from the family and removing him from the family tree. It meant that this person had no roots.
Under normal circ.u.mstances, only a person who had committed a heinous crime would be expelled.
“Father.” Gu Xiao looked at Gu Jian nervously.
He was only 14 years old. In just the time for an incense stick to burn, he had to face the two major matters of his father being stripped of his t.i.tle and now being expelled from the family. It made him completely lose his mind.
Gu Jian was equally anxious, but he forced himself to look strong. He said firmly, “Uncle, you can’t decide alone.”
When Gu Xiao heard his father’s words, he raised his neck again.
“Wait!” Madam Gu’s voice suddenly came from the entrance.
With the help of Granny Li, Madam Gu staggered to the entrance of the main hall.
She had just rested in the carriage for a while before coming back to her senses. When she found out from Granny Li that they were splitting up, she rushed over. Unexpectedly, she heard the patriarch angrily say that he wanted to expel the second branch.
Madam Gu’s face was as pale as paper. She thought more and deeper than Gu Jian.
Just as Gu Jian had said, what the patriarch said didn’t count. However, if more than 80% of the elders in the family agreed, they could forcefully expel the second branch.
Now that the second branch had lost their t.i.tle, these people in the family were hating them.
Not only the patriarch, but 99% of the other elders would probably agree to take revenge on their second branch.
Everyone kicks a man who is down. Now that the second branch was in trouble, probably everyone wanted to step on it. How many people would send charcoal in the snow?
Madam Gu stepped into the main hall and hurriedly explained to the patriarch, “Patriarch, Hou… All Jian didn’t mean that.”
Madam Gu walked to the center of the hall before stopping. She slowly looked around at the familiar faces in the hall and calmed herself down. Her tone was still calm as she said, “Although Ah Jian did it before, the eldest branch’s Gu Ce committed the crime of punishing the enemy back then.”
With that, she glanced at Gu Yuan indifferently. What she meant was that although the second branch had messed up this time, the eldest branch wasn’t any better. They were also not qualified to inherit the family business.
Madam Gu said eloquently, “The third, fourth, and fifth branches are all concubines. How could they inherit the family business?”
“This t.i.tle was lost by the second branch. The second branch will naturally be responsible for earning it back.”
Her words were actually reasonable. Gu Xiao nodded repeatedly at the side and felt that he wasn’t inferior to his eldest cousin. They were all ancestors. If his great-grandfather could do it, so could his descendants.
“Pfft.”
As soon as Madam Gu finished speaking, a soft, clear laughter sounded, breaking the originally heavy atmosphere.
Gu Yanfei’s laughter was very ear-piercing to Madam Gu, as if her eardrums had been repeatedly pierced by needles.
Madam Gu gripped the prayer beads in her hand tightly and couldn’t help but look at Gu Yanfei. She asked, “What are you laughing at?”
Gu Yanfei rested her chin on one hand and smiled sweetly. She was as beautiful and moving as the dew on the tip of a flower.
She said slowly, “My great-grandfather gathered troops and conquered the provinces in the early years. Later on, he submitted to Emperor Taizu and followed him to the north. He broke through the capital and guarded the two northeastern states. His contributions were outstanding. Only then did Emperor Taizu give the Gu family the t.i.tle of Marquis of Dingyuan.”
These words made the patriarch and elders’ blood boil. They nodded repeatedly, especially those above 50 years old who had experienced the hard times of the previous dynasty when they were young. They looked like they were reminiscing.
In the next moment, Gu Yanfei’s tone suddenly turned cold. She chuckled and asked, “How do you plan to earn it?”
Her gaze lightly swept across Gu Jian. “Are you a writer who can bring peace to the world, or a martial artist who can stabilize the world?”
“In terms of riding and archery, I’m afraid you’re even inferior to me!”
Gu Yanfei sighed and shook her head.
When she said this, everyone followed her gaze and looked at Gu Jian.
At this moment, Gu Jian’s expression was extremely ugly. Veins popped out on both sides of his forehead, and anger overwhelmed him, causing his body to tremble slightly.
Not only the patriarch, but the elders present had also watched Gu Jian grow up. They all knew that Gu Jian wasn’t good at martial arts. He had never taken the imperial examination, nor had he ever been on the battlefield. It was only eight years ago, when Gu Ce met with an accident, that Gu Jian picked up this t.i.tle for nothing.
If Gu Jian was really capable, he wouldn’t have lost his t.i.tle, nor would he not have had any outstanding military merits for eight years.
Unlike Gu Yuan, who entered the military camp to sharpen himself at a young age. Two years ago, he had followed the royal guards to the coast to eliminate the Wokou pirates and had made a great contribution. It was only because the previous Emperor didn’t like him that he couldn’t be promoted at that time. Now, he had only been on the throne for a year, but Gu Yuan had already shown off his ability and risen to the rank of a fourth-grade battalion commander. Now, he had even made a contribution to save the Emperor. He was very similar to Gu Yao and Gu Ce back then.
Seeing that the situation had changed again because of Gu Yanfei’s words, Madam Gu’s face was as dark as water. She glared at Gu Jian, indicating for him to say something.
Gu Jian really opened his mouth and said angrily, “Gu Yanfei, you’re a troublemaker. The family can’t have peace because of you!”
Even now, Gu Jian still didn’t know how to reflect on himself.
The patriarch was extremely disappointed and decided resolutely. “The eldest branch, Gu Ce, is the legitimate son of the, and Gu Yuan is Gu Ce’s only legitimate son. This family business will be inherited by the eldest branch. It’s fair and square.”
The elders had already heard the patriarch’s explanation and knew that Madam Gu was the second wife and Gu Ce was the son of the Qi family. At this moment, when they thought of this pair of brothers who were very different, they couldn’t help but sigh.
No! There was a voice shouting in Madam Gu’s heart. She screamed hysterically, “Gu Ce surrendered!”
The usually graceful and dignified woman couldn’t hide her mean expression at this moment.
The patriarch asked indifferently, “Then, has the imperial court made a decision?”
“Back then, Sister-in-law used Gu Ce to surrender to the enemy. Did the late Emperor convict her?” The patriarch looked at Madam Gu mockingly.
Madam Gu seemed to have something stuck in her throat and couldn’t say a word.
Everyone knew that Gu Ce was guilty, but the late Emperor had indeed not been officially convicted.
The patriarch stared at Madam Gu’s dark eyes and said, “Gu Jian falsely accused and deceived His Majesty. He was punished for both crimes before he was stripped of his t.i.tle and expelled. This was personally decided by His Majesty today.”
“If Gu Ce is guilty and cannot inherit the family business, then Gu Jian is even less worthy!”
Gu Jian was extremely embarra.s.sed by the patriarch’s words. He wished he could dig a hole and hide in it.
Without even looking at him, the patriarch looked around at the other elders and asked, “What did everyone say?”
Every time the elders thought of Gu Jian losing his t.i.tle, they felt their hearts ache. They were heartbroken, angry, and a little resentful.
At this moment, even the elders who were usually close to Gu Jian were no longer on Gu Jian’s side. They all expressed their stance.
“Patriarch is right.”
“Gu Jian has committed a huge crime, and his character is flawed. He really can’t afford to handle the family business.”
“If the family business falls into his hands, it will probably be completely ruined.”
Even the concubine brothers of the Old Marquis, Gu Xuan, stood up and expressed their stance. They all chose to support Gu Yuan.
For a moment, Gu Yuan became the center of everyone’s attention.
The patriarch was satisfied. His eyes were bright as he struck while the iron was hot. “Then 1’11 make the decision on behalf of Cousin. In the future, Cousin’s lineage will be inherited by the eldest branch, Gu Yuan.”
“According to the ancestral system, the family that inherits the family business will inherit 70% of the a.s.sets.” “The eldest branch accounts for 70%..”