NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 75 - Xia Han
Within the grand hall!
Xia Wen cast his gaze around the room, observing that Bizhu had already departed outward, only then lowering his voice to speak.
“I am aware that Third Brother’s supposed falling-out with the family is assuredly a fabrication—though, Third Brother, within the household, you are on ordinary days somewhat inconspicuous, Eldest Uncle and Eldest Aunt have always treated you exceedingly well; those rumors circulating beyond our walls are entirely falsehoods!”
Xia Wen hushed his tone, his youthful visage brimming with earnestness.
“Eldest Uncle declared in the household his intent to strike me from the clan registry—how could that be false!”
Xia Chen cast a sidelong glance at Xia Wen; though he spoke thusly, inwardly he couldn’t help but commend the boy.
“This lad may be young and seem reckless at times, but it appears he’s not entirely witless!”
“Although I am unaware of what events have transpired, I reckon that Big Brother and Eldest Uncle, in acting thus, assuredly harbor intentions of your own!”
Xia Wen scratched his head, chuckling as he spoke.
“Moreover, I told my father of my intent to venture out and serve under you; though he vociferously opposed it on the surface, he nonetheless assigned three household guards to accompany me—doesn’t that make his stance quite plain?”
Xia Chen paused slightly upon hearing Xia Wen’s words—Xia Wen’s decision to seek him out had been tacitly approved by his Third Uncle, Xia Han?
“Has anything of note occurred within the household recently?”
Xia Chen pondered briefly before posing the question.
“Nothing particularly significant has transpired, though a couple of days ago, while I was in my father’s courtyard, I overheard a conversation between him and my mother. At the time, my father was heavily inebriated.
Faintly, I caught him saying that a vacancy for a Vice Minister of Rites had opened within the Ministry of Rites—a position that ought to have been his. The Ministry of Personnel had already submitted the memorial to the Cabinet, yet it was ultimately rejected, with the reasoning that my father was deemed too young and required further tempering.
In the end, that post of Vice Minister of Rites was bestowed upon a grand scholar from White Deer Academy!”
Xia Wen lowered his head, his mood visibly dampened; he had even peeked inside afterward, witnessing his father in a drunken stupor—a sight so unlike him that it marked Xia Wen’s first memory of his father in such a state.
Xia Chen fell silent at this revelation, his mind involuntarily conjuring the image of his Third Uncle, Xia Han—refined and debonair, exuding an air of scholarly elegance and gentlemanly grace. When facing their generation of juniors, his face invariably bore a warm smile, never distinguishing among them based on talent or lineage.
“Our Xia Clan wields immense military authority within the armed forces; Third Uncle, having pursued scholarship and entered politics, has already somewhat transgressed a taboo—especially given his pronounced aptitude in governance…
And with the imperial examinations looming this year, the Ministry of Rites oversees the process. The position of Vice Minister of Rites thus assumes exceptional importance. Were Third Uncle to assume this role, even if he weren’t the chief examiner for this session, he would nominally stand as a mentor to this cohort of examinees…”
Xia Chen let out a sigh, casting a glance at Xia Wen before speaking in a grave tone.
“I understand—it is His Majesty who harbors apprehension toward our Xia Clan; he dreads my father, thereby fostering factions, and fears that our Xia Clan might consequently extend its influence into the sphere of civil officials. Should that come to pass, with our Xia Clan amassing military authority and garnering the allegiance of scholars, he trembles at the prospect that his Dawu dominion might thereafter become unstable!”
Xia Wen set down his teacup, rising to his feet; his still-youthful face now radiated a chilling resolve.
Xia Chen was mildly taken aback by Xia Wen’s words—his little brother possessed some mettle!
Moreover, though he appeared brash, he possessed a refinement beneath his roughness—a blend of boldness and subtlety—a truly astute and wise individual.
When his father named him Xia Wen, perhaps the choice was apt; this younger brother of his had undoubtedly inherited a measure of his father’s political acumen.
Worthy of being the peerless talent among the Xia Clan’s third generation, second only to his own younger brother, Xia Hao!
Though still tender in years, at a mere eleven, he already displayed remarkable distinction.
And more crucially, he harbored no fondness for Dawu—especially for that emperor!
Not bad—a moldable talent indeed!
“Thunder and rain alike are the graces of the sovereign!”
Xia Chen gazed upon Xia Wen and spoke with tranquil composure.
“I understand, Third Brother—outside, I’d never speak thus; our Xia Clan is, of course, unwaveringly loyal to His Majesty!”
Xia Wen lifted his head, meeting Xia Chen’s gaze with a cheeky grin; their eyes locked, and they shared a knowing smile—everything conveyed without words.
“You may stay with me here—take up residence in my household. Tomorrow, I’ll bring you to the Lamplighters; I’ll arrange an identity for you then, and you can serve as my attendant by my side!”
“Splendid, no issue at all! I’ve heard that Third Brother is now a Fourth-Rank official, wielding command over the Lamplighters’ Eagle Eye Division—quite the formidable figure these days! My father’s toiled in officialdom for over a decade, and he’s still only a Fourth-Rank officer!”
Xia Wen’s excitement surged; though precociously shrewd, he was, after all, still just eleven—a child at heart.
Bizhu reentered, personally escorting Xia Wen to the side courtyard to settle him in.
Meanwhile, Xia Chen remained seated in stillness, lost in contemplation.
His Third Uncle, Xia Han, had passed the imperial examinations at twenty-two, achieving the rank of First-Class Jinshi; this year, at thirty-six, with both a distinguished background and formidable competence, he had risen to a Fourth-Rank official in fourteen years—a pace that would be meteoric for others. Yet for his Third Uncle, this progress was merely average, even sluggish.
Something was clearly amiss!
“My Third Uncle studied at White Deer Academy in his youth, earning praise from the current academy head, Master Qi—a testament to his scholarly prowess.
Though the memorial was rejected by the Cabinet, citing his youth as the reason—without mention of insufficient tenure or capability—the post of Vice Minister of Rites, while indeed lofty, is merely a Third-Rank position, not the top seat of Minister of Rites. ‘Too young’—what sort of excuse is that?”
Xia Chen sighed; no wonder his Third Uncle had succumbed to drunkenness, bearing the visage of one thwarted and unfulfilled.
Should this trajectory persist, his Third Uncle’s career would reach its zenith at a mere vice ministership—ascending to Minister or entering the Cabinet would be utterly beyond reach.
“It seems both Eldest Uncle and Third Uncle have sensed the emperor’s profound unease toward our Xia Clan—a dual-edged stance of both courting and dreading us. Sending Xia Wen to me is a calculated wager!”
The third generation of the Xia Clan brimmed with burgeoning talents, each rising in turn; though the outside world remained largely ignorant, with most still veiled in obscurity, known to few…
Yet Xia Qián and Xia Han undoubtedly grasped the true potential of their next generation. Despite their tender ages, the astonishing promise of these youths was already evident.
The first and second generations of the Xia Clan had already aroused such suspicion from the emperor; should the third generation produce such a wealth of talent, how could the emperor sleep soundly?
“It appears Eldest Uncle and Third Uncle have both perceived the peril looming over our Xia Clan and have begun to act.
Thus, according to the original course of history, our Xia Clan must have resolutely cast its lot with Yaoguang, thereby averting the calamity of annihilation—allowing the third generation to radiate resplendent brilliance in the era of the Great Unification…”
Xia Chen murmured to himself, a world-shaking gleam erupting within his pupils; his double pupils slowly churned, shrouded in a mist of chaos, as though capable of cleaving the heavens asunder!