Chapter 260 Not Going to the South
Seeing his father asking, Xiao Yun glanced at the prince and replied:
"Father, I have already passed on the Crown Prince's words to my second brother. He said that he would stay at the Xiao Mansion in Pingyang and was preparing the documents for the trip south overnight. He asked me to tell you first. When he is ready, he will come over and explain everything to you."
Xiao Jun actually didn’t go to the South!
Do you want him to take the second sister to the south alone? How could this be possible because it goes against common sense! Could it be that Xiao Jun was jealous of what he said that day and didn't let the second sister go to the south? Now he was angry and wanted to destroy his plan. When the prince heard this, his face turned pale. Without waiting for the eldest master to speak, he asked:
"Why, Xiao Jun doesn't want to go south with me!"
This rebellious son, who does he think he is? He disobeyed his parents and grandmother, but they are his own flesh and blood, and nothing can be done to him. If he offends the prince, it may lead to the extermination of the whole family! Seeing the prince's change of face, the master shuddered, then fell to his knees with a plop, kowtowed and said:
"Your Highness, calm down. There may be some misunderstanding here. Your Highness, please wait a moment. I will..."
Without waiting for the master to finish, the prince said to Xiao Yun:
"Xiao Yun, lead the way. I will go to see Xiao Jun in person."
Ignoring the master, the prince walked out with big strides. Xiao Yun stared blankly at her father and her shocked grandmother who followed him out. She moved her lips and wanted to say something, but the master said:
"Go quickly! Do you also want to disobey the prince?"
Xiao Yun suddenly came to his senses, turned around and saw that the prince had already walked far away, so he quickly ran a few steps to catch up with him.
The prince walked away, and the master got up and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. He saw his mother standing aside with a pale face like a clay statue. He hurried forward to support her and said:
"Don't worry, mother. Go back to the hall and wait a while. I will go to Xiaoxiang Courtyard to check on you."
"Does this evil creature want my entire Xiao family to be buried with him? Quick, prepare the sedan chair and go to Xiaoxiang Courtyard!"
The two of them hurried to Xiaoxiang Courtyard. As soon as they got off the sedan chair, they saw the prince walking out from afar, followed by Xiao Yun. Unlike what they had imagined, the prince was not furious, but looked very happy.
Seeing the prince coming, the old lady and the eldest master stepped forward and were about to bow, but the prince held them back and said with a smile:
"Old Lady Xiao, Master Xiao, Xiao Jun was worried about the sudden change in the Xiao family and Master Xiao's safety, so he changed his mind and went south. It's rare to see such filial piety, so I can't force it. I will go south alone in the next two days. If Master Xiao has any problems in Pingyang, please ask Li Zan to pass on the message to me."
Seeing that the prince did not blame them, the old lady and the eldest master breathed a sigh of relief and respectfully sent the prince away. The two returned to Xiaoxiang Courtyard. It was time to have a good talk with this willful Jun'er. What did the prince say yesterday, why did Jun'er want to divorce his wife, and especially today, why did the prince get so angry when he heard that Xiao Jun would not go to the south... All these puzzled the two big bosses of the Xiao family, and perhaps these were related to the fate of the Xiao family.
After entering the second door, I saw maids and old women standing in the yard. Aunt Cui and Hongyu were kneeling at the door of the study. When the old lady saw them, she frowned and wondered what Jun'er was going to do.
Seeing the old lady coming, everyone was startled and knelt on the ground. The old lady said impatiently:
"There's nothing to do in the broad daylight, and you're all crowded in the courtyard. It would be disgraceful if the prince saw you!"
Seeing that the old lady was angry, everyone kowtowed repeatedly, and the eldest master said:
"Let's all go away"
Everyone then quietly climbed up and retreated. Seeing that everyone had left, they glanced at Cui Yi Niang and Hong Yu who were still standing on the side. The old lady said nothing more, and walked into the study with the eldest master and the third master. As soon as they entered the door, they saw Xiao Jun sitting at the desk concentrating on writing something. When he heard the footsteps, he didn't even raise his head and shouted:
"Didn't I tell you that no one is allowed to come in? Get out!"
"Jun'er is becoming more and more capable, even his grandmother is being chased out!"
Hearing his grandmother's voice, Xiao Jun raised his head in surprise, only to find that his eye sockets were sunken, and a layer of dark stubble had grown on his cheeks. He looked even thinner, and his clothes seemed abnormally loose. The master's anger was replaced by a feeling of heartache, and he swallowed the words of blame.
Seeing grandma and father come in, Xiao Jun quickly put down his pen, stood up and said:
"Why are grandma and dad here? Didn't Jun'er ask Third Brother to tell grandma and dad that Jun'er will finish what he is doing and go to Shouxi Hall."
"What's wrong with Jun'er? If you really can't let go of Xi'er, then Jun'er should take her back!"
Seeing the dashing Xiao Jun become like this overnight, the old lady instinctively thought of Mengxi. Thinking about how she had just left yesterday and today the second master and his entire family were thrown into jail, this made her believe Master Jingyun's words even more. She superstitiously believed that if she could get Mengxi back, her Xiao family would surely survive this disaster safely.
The enmity with Censor Zhang's relatives made the old lady lose confidence in political marriages. Now that Prince Yan is at the peak of his power and the crown prince can hardly protect himself, who would dare to marry into the Xiao family at this time? How could the crown prince allow the Xiao family to be a fence-sitter at this time?
Rather than spending half of the Xiao family's wealth to find a political backer and join another camp, it would be easier to get back their own family's amulet. So, originally full of questions and replies, what came out of Xiao Jun's mouth was to ask him to get back Mengxi, the Xiao family's amulet.
Hearing his grandmother mention Mengxi, Xiao Jun felt a pang of pain in his heart. He thought he could let it go, but she had only been gone for one night and he felt the deep longing for her made even breathing painful. Apart from working desperately, he could no longer stop to think, for he was afraid that if he stopped, the deep pain would suffocate him to death!
Seeing that grandma and father were still standing, he suppressed the pain in his heart, turned around and said loudly to Xiao Xia who was stunned on the side:
"Still standing there in a daze. Hurry up and show grandma, father, and third brother a seat. Serve them some tea!"
Xiao Yan had already walked in with tea, and Xiao Xia also came back to his senses. While wiping the chairs, he asked the old lady, the eldest master, and the third master to sit down. After a while of hustle and bustle, everyone was seated, and the eldest master asked in a gentle voice:
"What did the prince come for yesterday? Why did Jun'er divorce Xi'er without saying a word? Even your grandmother and I only knew about the letter after Xi'er left the house..."
Seeing his father asking, Xiao Jun was shocked and replied:
"The prince has been ordered to go south to look for the God of Medicine. He knows that my son has many friends in the south, and wants my son to go south with him to use the Xiao family's influence in the south to look for the God of Medicine. My son has written a letter to his friends in the south overnight, recommending him to the prince."
After hearing this, the old lady and the master felt something was wrong, but they couldn't figure it out for a while, so the master asked:
"What does this have to do with Xi'er? Why would Jun'er..."
"Father also knows that I have caught a cold and have been coughing badly these days. I took some time to see Doctor Li the other day. Doctor Li said that my son has injured his lungs and needs to rest. It is not suitable for me to travel long distances south. If I catch a cold again, I am afraid my life will be in danger. That is why I thought it would be better for you to take my eldest brother and third brother to the south, and I will stay in the north to take care of my health and the family business. Now is an extraordinary period, so father, don't say too much. For the time being, pass the position of the head of the family to me, and I will stay here to guard it."
After hearing this, the master stood up and asked:
"Jun'er divorced Mengxi just to protect the family business!"
"Xi'er's status is against our ancestral teachings. My son must divorce her before he can take over as the head of the family. If you don't believe me, you can ask Doctor Li. My son's body really can't stand the pain of being jolted."
After Xiao Jun finished speaking, he burst into violent coughing again.
Jun'er almost died of illness on the road two years ago, and he also supported himself to go to the south. Why can't he do it this time? The eldest master suddenly understood that his son did this, first, to let Mengxi leave the Xiao family and not be implicated by the Xiao family, and second, he volunteered to stay because he was worried about himself. His heart was warmed, and he was moved by his son's filial piety, but his face was still gloomy, and he scolded in a rough voice:
"Jun'er, you are so presumptuous. As long as your grandmother and I are alive, it is not your place to make the decision on this matter!"
Hearing Xiao Jun's cough, the old lady felt nervous. When the master finished speaking, her face darkened and she said:
"Jun'er wants to make the decision on his own for such a big matter. This is really outrageous. How can the head of this family be changed at will? Jun'er, don't mention this matter again. Yun'er has also told you that your second uncle is in trouble. There is no need to say anything now. The three of you brothers should get ready and leave Pingyang overnight. If you are not in good health, don't ride a horse. Take a doctor with you to Yichun Hall to buy more good medicine. As for Xi'er, your father and I have long recognized her identity. She is still the daughter-in-law of my Xiao family. Your father and grandmother are not dead yet. Divorce is not something you can decide on your own. Before you leave this afternoon, go to the Li Mansion in person and bring people to bring Xi'er back first!"
The old lady's words were crisp and powerful, and there was no room for negotiation in her tone. She also understood Xiao Jun's filial piety, but this was an extraordinary period, not the time to talk about filial piety. Xiao Jun was the hope and root of the Xiao family, and nothing could happen to him. At this time, she had to show her dignity as the head of the family.
Seeing that his grandmother was angry, Xiao Jun paused. He didn't want to disobey his grandmother and father anymore, but this time was different from usual. He didn't have much time left. He originally hoped to go south to find the God of Medicine, who could cure his illness. But when he knew that the God of Medicine was Mengxi, he gave up the idea of asking her for help.
Rather than dying in the south, it would be better to take care of the family business for my father. At least it would be like returning to one's roots. Thinking of this, Xiao Jun stood up and knelt in front of his grandmother and father and said:
"Jun'er sorted out the business in the south overnight yesterday and made instructions and letters. Father can use these to mobilize all the industries under Shangguan Jun's name. Jun'er is almost done. Jun'er's body may not be able to support the south. Instead of that, it is better to take a gamble. There may not be any problems in the north. It may be safer than the south. After all, the plague is rampant in the south and it is not a safe place. Didn't grandma stay in the north?"
After Xiao Jun finished speaking, he burst into violent coughing and quickly covered his mouth with a handkerchief.
When the master heard this, his face turned pale, and the muscles on his cheeks twitched constantly. He looked at Xiao Jun for a long time and said firmly:
"I'm the boss of this family now, so just do as your grandma says. You three brothers should pack up and head south immediately. Leave tonight. Take the things you wrote with you to the south and use them for yourself!"
After the eldest master finished speaking, he didn't even look at Xiao Jun. He stood up and came to support the old lady. The old lady knew that it was useless to say more, so she ignored Xiao Jun and stood up and walked out with the support of the eldest master and the maid. Xiao Yun stood up and hesitated for a long time, and finally followed the old lady and her father out.
When he was almost at the door, he heard Xiao Jun say loudly:
"Jun'er would rather die than go to the South. I beg grandma and father to change their minds!"
After hearing this, the old lady staggered and almost fell down. Xiao Yun was shocked and stepped forward to hold her up, then turned around and looked at her second brother angrily.
