NOVPUB"Elder brother, the one who seemed a bit absentminded just now was Chen Zichuan, right?" Sima Yi frowned and asked his elder brother, "If it weren’t for the astonishing Spiritual Capacity he inadvertently showed, I would’ve almost been mistaken. He seemed somewhat different from the last time we met."
"Indeed, it was Chen Zichuan. Compared to the last time we saw him, this time he seems to be contemplating something; his attention wasn’t focused." Sima Lang nodded and said. Contrasting with the buoyant and self-assured Chen Xi they had seen previously at the restaurant, today he seemed quite out of sorts.
"Who would have thought that simply asking our Sima merchants in Fenggao would lead us straight to the Head of Fan Family’s residence. Father has trained these people well," Sima Yi commented calmly, trusting in the capabilities of his household servants. His father Sima Fang’s strategy of spreading his network across the world through the hands of merchants was not just talk; the Sima Family had started to lay out plans for their survival long ago.
"Indeed," Sima Lang nodded and said, "We should pay a visit to the Head of Fan Family before we can hope to borrow books from the Library Pavilion."
"That would be safest," Sima Yi nodded in agreement, fully endorsing his brother’s arrangements.
"Please take this to the Head of Fan Family and tell him that Boda of the Sima Family of Henei, along with Zhongda, has come for a visit," said Sima Lang as he handed the visiting card to the doorman with a smile. Under the influence of his Spiritual Talent, the doorman couldn’t help but feel a sense of respect for Sima Lang.
"Young masters, please wait a moment." The doorman bowed to Sima Lang. Unlike the indifferent treatment given to scholars who visited seeking official positions, he was rather reverent and indicated that he would announce their arrival to Fan Liang immediately.
Fan Liang read the visiting card and was somewhat surprised. There wasn’t much interaction between the Fan Family and the Sima Family, but a few years back, he indeed met Sima Lang and was honored to be called ’uncle’ by him—a privilege he owed to the glory of Chen Xi.
"Invite them into the living room; I’ll change my clothes," Fan Liang gestured to Old Guan, the butler, to invite Sima Lang in. Unlike other scholars, there was no question of seeking an official position with Sima Lang—he knew that after all, his father Sima Fang was a high official with a rank of two thousand stones and had friends all over the world, so he did not need to curry favors from him, Fan Liang, nor was there a risk of bringing trouble to Chen Xi.
Old Guan personally ushered the Sima brothers in, "Please wait a moment, young masters; the Head of the household will be with you shortly." He commanded the maid to pour good tea and serve snacks and fruit preserves, and then he slowly excused himself.
"Haha, Boda, it has been a long time since we last met in Luoyang; in the blink of an eye, several years have passed. How is your honored father doing now?" As soon as Fan Liang entered, he saw the Sima brothers and also noticed the blessings on them, and he cheerily greeted them.
"We’ve seen ’Uncle.’ Father is in good health," Sima Lang, accompanied by Sima Yi, stood up and bowed. Without adding much, he simply assured Fan Liang of their father’s good health, which also hinted at the triviality of other matters, "My younger brother has been engrossed in his studies at home; fearing he might get too immersed, I brought him along on a trip. Passing through Mount Tai, we heard of the uncle marrying off his daughter and took the opportunity to join the feast. This is my younger brother Zhongda, a bit reserved by nature; Uncle Fan, please don’t take any offense."
"Please, have a seat. Calling me ’uncle,’ I gladly accept your affection. I imagine you didn’t come just for my daughter’s wedding feast, but rather you’re here for the Chen Family’s celebration. After all, your Sima Family and the Chen Family share the same roots and have had constant interactions over the last century. Passing by this area, it’s only right to visit," said Fan Liang, smiling, understanding Sima Lang’s words.
In Fan Liang’s view, it was less that the Sima brothers had stumbled upon Mount Tai and decided to attend a wedding banquet of the Fan Family uninvited, and more that they had come to congratulate Chen Xi, upon learning he was a member of the Yingchuan Chen Family, as distant relatives. After all, while the Fan Family and the Sima Family had no deep ties, the Yingchuan Chen Family and the Sima Family of Henei were indeed very closely related, their ancestors belonging to the same clan.
Noble families are peculiar in this sense; it’s not the distance of the relation that’s feared, but rather the lack of any relation. When Sima Yi’s grandfather, Sima Jun, came to Yingchuan to take up an official position, he found it challenging due to the abundance of prestigious clans there, which made governance difficult. Things took an interesting turn when he accidentally discovered his own ancestors in the Chen Family genealogy.
The two families started interacting more frequently, and the relationship improved as they discovered they shared a common ancestor, leading to frequent exchange of visits. From that time, the relationship between the Chen Family and the Sima Family began to warm. This is why, despite the great distance between Henei and Yingchuan, Chen Qun and Sima Yi could be good friends; they were connected by some aunt who was also the other’s maternal aunt...
In any case, the relationship between these two geographically distant families was actually quite convoluted; they all descended from a shared progenitor, later separating and then intermarrying. Over recent generations, relations had become so entangled that any member pulled out from either the Chen or Sima Family was likely to have some kinship. Even though the connection might be distant, in ancient times it was sufficient for attending one’s kin’s marriage ceremonies, let alone coming from a thousand miles away, indicating a deep bond that was no mere jest.
That’s also why Fan Liang wasn’t surprised when Sima Lang mentioned joining the banquet uninvited; in such an age, it was quite normal to stay with relatives encountered in foreign lands, and upon parting, one was even expected to carry away additional provisions.
Instantaneously, Sima Lang and Sima Yi understood one thing: Chen Xi was of the pure bloodline of the Yingchuan Chen Family. Regardless of how diluted it might be, when Fan Liang said so, it meant that the Ancestral Temple was located there in Yingchuan, which made everything else perfectly reasonable.
"Please excuse us, uncle; my brother and I had heard that Chen Zichuan is from the Yingchuan Chen Family, yet we had never seen him in our clan. After all, while we may not know every single one of our contemporaries in the Chen Family clearly, we should at least have some recollection of them," Sima Lang said with a wry smile, "And so we came here first to confirm the facts, lest we make an error and become the laughingstock of Changwen."
"Hahaha, rest assured, Chen Zichuan is indeed born of the Yingchuan Chen Family. Even though he might not be in good terms with our clan, relatives like you will not encounter any problem when visiting," Fan Liang said with a hearty laugh, fully aware of the Chen Family’s situation. Wasn’t it just a matter of family division? Which noble house hadn’t experienced such a thing? Weren’t the ancestors of these two gentlemen seated before him, Sima Rangju, successful in becoming a Branch Family of the Chen Family?
As far as noble families were concerned, division was acceptable as long as one succeeded; otherwise, you could only sigh in resignation.
"With these reassurances, we no longer have any concerns, and it would be inappropriate for us to trouble you further, uncle," Sima Lang said, feeling relieved that he could mix into Chen Xi’s banquet without issue. After all, who would dare to apprehend someone at Chen Xi’s banquet? In the dark of night, as long as he did not expose himself, certainly, nothing would go wrong.
"Hahaha, right, let me give you two something to prove yourselves. Fan Wu, bring two of the borrowing proofs that Zichuan gave to me," Fan Liang called out jovially to the steward outside the door, "Uncle doesn’t have much of worth to offer, only what Zichuan left to entertain you. Don’t be shy; the Fenggao Library does contain some astonishing works. As you’re traveling the land, don’t neglect your studies, and make sure not to refuse this offer."
Sima Lang and Sima Yi exchanged glances, then said to Fan Liang with a bow, "Thank you so much, uncle. We brothers have long wished to enter the Fenggao Library but have never been able to gain access. Today, our wish is finally fulfilled."
(To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to cast your recommendation and monthly votes on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
