Chapter 175

Chapter 175

The news of Xiao Tao'er's birth spread to the Han clan members in the village, and everyone was overjoyed.

Clan Chief Han burst into laughter on the spot, exclaiming repeatedly: "Excellent, excellent, excellent! Da Lang now has a firstborn son, and the family enterprise has a successor. From now on, our Han clan is sure to prosper, and our family's honor will be restored in no time..."

The surrounding clansmen were baffled by these words, not quite understanding how Han Zhang having a firstborn son connected to the prosperity of the Han clan.

Even the Clan Chief's husband standing nearby was puzzled by his old partner's uncharacteristic excitement today. He gently nudged him with his elbow and whispered teasingly:

"Old man, although it's indeed a monumental joy that Sixth Brother's eldest son has fathered a son, you don't need to be this over the moon about it, do you? Look at you grinning from ear to ear—I didn't even see you this happy when our own great-grandson was born."

"Ah, this is different... You wouldn't get it, you just wouldn't get it."

The Clan Chief waved his hand dismissively, but he simply couldn't wipe the smile off his face. He only muttered evasively under his breath: "Anyway, this matter concerns the future prosperity of our Han clan. It's a great joy, an auspicious sign!"

The matter of rebellion was of the utmost importance, and he couldn't explain it to his family for now, so he could only wave his hand and speak vaguely.

You have to understand that throughout history, when it came to rebellion, besides money, provisions, and soldiers, what mattered most?

It was the heirs of the leader they were following!

Because in the high-stakes gamble of rebellion in ancient times, those who followed you weren't after fleeting riches, but the long-term payoff of helping found a dynasty, earning noble titles, and passing them down in perpetuity.

If you had no successor, they would think: "If I risk my life for you now, who will fulfill your promises to me in the future? If you die, wouldn't this whole operation fall apart?"

Without an heir, even if you managed to seize the throne, holding onto it would be nearly impossible;

But with an heir, you gave your followers a concrete, long-term future to bank on.

Because Han Zhang and Shen Qinglan were so devoted to each other, with not the slightest intention of taking concubines, the Clan Chief had actually been quietly worrying about it all along.

After all, men of this special constitution conceived more slowly than women, and the odds of bearing another such son were also higher.

If Han Zhang went too long without a son, then when he raised his banner of rebellion, the difficulty of persuading powerful warlords and prominent local clans to throw in their full support would likely multiply.

Now it was all good! Not only did the couple have a child, but a fair, chubby, healthy firstborn son at that—this added another measure of certainty to Da Lang's plans!

The mere thought of the Han clan's future ascendancy had the Clan Chief practically bursting with joy.

When he learned that Han Zhang had important matters to discuss, he didn't even bother to change clothes before hopping into the Han family carriage and hightailing it over to the Han residence.

—

Since the Clan Chief was already in on the rebellion plan, there was no need for beating around the bush.

After Han Zhang escorted Han Grandpa and the Clan Chief into the study and they took their seats, he presented his plan to gather the scattered Han clansmen under the pretext of ancestral rites.

The Clan Chief grew excited again upon hearing this, his eyes welling up: "Good! An excellent idea! Our Han clan... when we suffered that great calamity back then, our clansmen either died or scattered, drifting like duckweed on the water for decades. If we can use this opportunity to rally our people together again, nothing could be better."

As he spoke, his voice grew a little choked up: "It's just... I wonder how those married-off daughters and their husbands are doing now? Without their birth family to back them up, their days in their husbands' homes... must be rough."

Back then, the Han clan had been a prominent family, and marriage alliances between great clans were mostly built on mutual benefit.

With a single collapse, when the tree fell the monkeys scattered—those married-off daughters and sons of the Han clan suddenly lost their backing in their husbands' homes, and their fate was easy to imagine.

When he first arrived at Yunyang Prefecture, the Clan Chief had actually wanted to bring up the idea of returning to Quyang Prefecture for ancestral rites, but at that time Han Zhang was still busy sowing discord among Assistant Prefect Yang and the others, and Shen Qinglan was pregnant, so it wasn't the right time to stir up any commotion, and the matter had to be shelved for the time being.

The Clan Chief took a deep breath, picked up the already lukewarm tea, and took a big gulp. After swallowing down the bitterness in his throat and the turmoil in his chest, he looked at Han Zhang with blazing eyes:

"Da Lang, by bringing up ancestral rites at this time, are you planning... to move against those people in the prefectural office?"

When the clan was destroyed back then, he had already been ten years old. Though his education was still limited, as the eldest legitimate son destined to inherit the family estate, his vision and breadth of perspective had already been cultivated by then.

Now, piecing together the chain of events, it wasn't hard to guess Han Zhang's intentions.

Han Zhang didn't hide anything either, nodding frankly: "Clan Chief Grandfather, your judgment is keen. You are truly worthy of being the head of our Han clan. Your grandson does indeed plan to make his move."

"Over these past few months, I've been constantly sowing discord and egging things on behind the scenes. Assistant Prefect Yang and the others have long since been at each other's throats, each wishing they could tear the other apart. I've also gradually installed trustworthy people in key positions throughout the prefectural office. Now is the perfect time to seize the reins of power in Yunyang Prefecture."

"It's just... our Han clan has been away from our homeland for many years. In Yanzhou, we have no foundation whatsoever—we're completely in the dark, and this is exactly when we're short-handed. If we can use the pretext of ancestral rites to gather the scattered clansmen back together, this matter will surely go much more smoothly."

"After all, these clansmen—whether they're now wealthy and prominent, or carrying on the family tradition of farming and scholarship, or plying trade and commerce—still carry Han family blood in their veins. Using them will always be more reliable than outsiders of unknown background and with their own private agendas."

Pausing briefly, Han Zhang continued with a solemn expression: "And even if all these clansmen have fallen on hard times now, it doesn't matter. They are of our Han blood, and now that the family has hope of rising again, we absolutely cannot forget these brothers and kin of the same root and origin. This move has tremendous benefits for rallying people's hearts and consolidating clan strength."

The cohesion of people's hearts might seem intangible, but it absolutely couldn't be ignored.

Rebellion was a high-risk undertaking. If people's hearts weren't united and someone dragged their feet midway, that would be trouble. People needed to know that following him meant there would be meat on the table.

The Clan Chief was a man of understanding. After hearing this speech and weighing it over several times in his mind, his eyes suddenly gleamed with sharp light, and he excitedly slapped the table repeatedly:

"Good! Good! Good! This plan is thoroughly considered—it honors blood ties while also taking care of the immediate situation! I'll go back right away and personally handle this, making sure these ancestral rites are carried out with great splendor, and summon back every clansman we can find!"

With that, he turned and clapped Han Grandpa heavily on the shoulder, bursting into laughter filled with relief and emotion: "Sixth Brother, you've truly raised a magnificent grandson for our Han clan!"

"Elder Brother flatters me—it's all because of Da Lang's own accomplishments."

Han Grandpa smiled with wrinkles piling up at the corners of his eyes. Though his words were modest, his puffed-out chest radiated immense pride.

The Clan Chief looked at the proud expression on his old younger brother's face with envy:

"Yes, our Da Lang is truly accomplished... Oh, where's Xiao Tao'er? I heard this child was born especially sturdy and plump—hurry and take this old man to see him!"

At the mention of his precious son, the smile on Han Zhang's face couldn't be suppressed. He quickly rose to help the Clan Chief up: "He's in the back courtyard playing with his father. Clan Chief Grandfather, this way please—this grandson will lead you there."

Han Grandpa also followed along cheerfully, eagerly showing off as he walked:

"Elder Brother, let me tell you—our Xiao Tao'er is no ordinary sturdy child. His little arms and legs are like a calf's, and he's got incredible strength! And he can eat like nobody's business—he won't stop until he's drained two wet nurses dry in one sitting!"

"And that little pecker of his—he can pee like a champ, high and far! In a bit I'll have him show you, I guarantee you'll be impressed!"

Xiao Tao'er: "..."

Grandfather, I'm a baby, not a monkey!

...

Over at the Han residence, there was lively celebration as they prepared the ancestral rites and searched for their scattered clansmen.

Meanwhile, on the other side in Quyang Prefecture, the Han descendants who had no idea they were about to receive their family's backing were in rather tense spirits at the moment.

Quyang Prefecture, Advisor Sun's residence, the Sun family.

Seventh Aunt Han shielded her granddaughter firmly behind her, arguing with her husband at the top of her lungs.

"Absolutely not! Sun Kangsheng, you black-hearted, plague-ridden bastard! If you dare lay a finger on my granddaughter's future—sending her off to the capital to be a concubine for that old man with one foot in the grave—I'll fight you to the death! I'll dig up your Sun family's ancestral graves!"

These words were indeed harsh, carrying a desperate, burn-the-boats resolve.

Advisor Sun trembled with rage, his finger shaking as he pointed at his old wife, his beard quivering in fury:

"You... you... absurd! Vulgar! Stupid, ignorant woman! Always threatening to dig up ancestral graves—what kind of decorum is that?"

"Qian Jieer, as a daughter of the Sun family, has been nurtured by the clan's support. Now, making a small sacrifice for the family's future is only right and proper! You... you were once from a distinguished family yourself—can't you grasp even this simple principle?!"

"Ha! Vulgar, stupid woman?" Seventh Aunt Han seemed to hear the funniest joke, her eyes brimming with hatred and mockery as she spat bitterly: "Sun Kangsheng, you dare bring that up? Look at me now—who drove me to this state?"

"It was your Sun family! You lot of bootlickers who kick down and kiss up, ungrateful wretches! What right do you have to act all high and mighty in front of me and talk about decorum and propriety?"

Seventh Aunt Han had survived to this day after her family's downfall, after putting up with her in-laws' bullying—she was no pushover. Spittle nearly flew onto Advisor Sun's face:

"Decorum? Pah! If your Sun family truly cared about decorum, you wouldn't be pimping out your daughter for status, you beastly lot!"

"Family support? Wealth? What are you even talking about? Do you take me for a fool?"

Seventh Aunt Han's voice was hoarse with fury. "Those bitches caused my son's early death. Do you have any idea what kind of life my branch, the eldest line of the family, has lived all these years?"

"Now you suddenly remember she's a Sun daughter and want her to sacrifice herself for the clan? What's your Sun family's fancy fortune got to do with my side of the family?"

"You want to use my granddaughter to pave the way for your Sun family, to be a stepping stone for your concubines' children—keep dreaming!"

"Sun Kangsheng, let me tell you: my Han family may be gone, but that doesn't mean we have no one left. Of the young ladies and lads from my Han family who married out back then, I'm not the only one still alive."

"If you so much as lay a finger on my granddaughter, I'll burn your whole Sun family to the ground!"

Seventh Aunt Han glared at her husband, hurling her threats.

The living members of her Han family were indeed few now, but every one of them who had survived was a formidable character. With no family ties to hold them back, they were capable of anything.

The Sun family wants to sell her granddaughter for a leg up? Over her dead body!