Guanzhong has already withered in the autumn wind, but the willows in the south of the Yangtze River are still drizzling, but the light rain is drifting with the wind, and there is no summer heat, adding a bit of cool comfort......

The drizzle hits the slender leaves of the purple bamboo forest in the "Golden Bamboo Garden", rustling, the bamboo forest swaying in the hazy smoke and rain, the river water outside the fence is gurgling, and the simple and heavy wooden buildings in the bamboo forest are elegant.

"Wang Xie Yuan Xiao" Jiangzuo is romantic, but to this day, only the Lanling Xiao clan is outstanding, which is enough to be proud of the Jiangzuo clan and look down on the overseas Chinese surname of Wu County.

There are several old people sitting on the smooth floor above the main hall, a low table is placed in the center, a few people sit on the ground, a small stove on one side of the low table boils the mountain spring water, brews it into the teapot, the emerald green tea leaves are boiled up and down by the boiling water, and a faint orchid-like aroma comes out.

The tea in the hall is faint, the drizzle outside the house is misty, the air is moist and cool, and several old men have white beards, wide robes and belts, and a famous demeanor......

A letter was quietly rested on the low table, and the crane-haired old man sitting in the north position stroked his beard and said indifferently: "What do you think of the seventh book?" ”

The rest of the old men didn't say anything when they heard this, they were silent, just lowered their heads and tasted the tea soup......

After waiting for a while, he was not surprised to see that everyone did not speak, as if these were normal phenomena, so he looked at an old man sitting there beside him who was too old to look good, and asked softly, "What do you mean, Uncle Eight?" ”

"Eighth Uncle" squirmed his mouth, pursed his lips that had lost his teeth, and said weakly: "Me? I'm old, I'm confused, you just have to make up your mind. ”

The old man is helpless, you are indeed old, but who dares to say that you are confused?

People who think you're old and confused, that's really confused......

Being old and not dying is a thief, probably talking about Xiao Cen, who once served as a lieutenant in the Sui Dynasty......

But when people are old and senior, they like to pretend to be crazy and stupid, what can you do with him?

Don't look at the good words at this time, "You just have to make up your mind", but if the idea that comes out in the end is not to his liking, it is light to scold people by relying on their seniority, and it is also common to hit people on the head with crutches, everyone here is seventy or eighty, although they are inferior in seniority, but who wants to be knocked on the head by him?

The sound of rain hitting bamboo leaves outside the window came, and the hall was a little silent for a while......

The old man on the right hand side with a red light on his face said loudly: "Fourth brother, you are the elder brother of Lao Qi, although you are not a relative, but you are the patriarch of our Lanling Xiao clan. ”

The old man sitting on the throne of the real lord is none other than Xiao Jing, the patriarch of the Xiao clan at the moment.

This person is the great-great-grandson of Emperor Wu of Liang, the fourth son of Emperor Xiao Yu of Western Liang, and the only surviving brother of Xiao Yu, Duke of Song.

And the old man who "is old and not dead is a thief" is the younger brother of Emperor Xiao Yue of Later Liang Ming, and the eighth son of Emperor Xuan of Later Liang, Xiao Cen.

In terms of seniority, he can be regarded as the ancestor of the Xiao clan......

The Lanling Xiao family has been a famous family since they lived in Jiangnan, and they have flourished after entering the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Since the dictatorship of Emperor Xiao Daocheng of Qi Gao and the founding of the Song Dynasty of Qi, for nearly two hundred years, the Xiao clan of Lanling has always been entrenched in the south of the Yangtze River and claimed hegemony.

It's just that after Emperor Wu of Liang Xiao Yan "built Liang on behalf of Qi", the evidence in Jiangnan was turbulent.

Since ancient times, the position of patriarch has been held by the Changfang branch, with the exception of Gaimo.

Emperor Wu of Liang's crown prince Xiao Tong died early before he succeeded to the throne and was canonized as the "Prince of Zhaoming", but Emperor Wu of Liang did not appoint Xiao Tong's son Xiao Huan as the "imperial grandson", but passed the throne to his third son, Xiao Gang, the half-brother of Xiao Tong, the "Prince of Zhaoming". Later, the "Hou Jing Rebellion" broke out, Emperor Wu of Liang was starved to death, and Xiao Gang succeeded to the throne, that is, Emperor Jianwen of Western Liang.

It's just that the good times didn't last long, and the puppet emperor was not good, so he was killed by Hou Jing two years later, and coerced Xiao Gang's younger brother Xiao Yi to become the emperor......

When the Western Wei Dynasty captured Jiangling, killed Emperor Xiao Yi of Liang Yuan, and established Xiao Jing, the third son of Xiao Tong, the prince of Zhaoming, as the emperor, the regime of the Liang Dynasty finally returned to Zhengshuo and returned to the line of Prince Zhaoming again.

"Zhaoming Prince" Xiao Tong's eldest son Xiao Huan died without a queen, and his place Xiao Yu also had no queen, and the genealogy passed to Xiao Tong's third son, Xiao Jing, who was Emperor Xuan of Zhongzong of Western Liang. His eldest son Xiao Yan died early, the second son died young, and the throne was passed to the third son Xiao Yue, which was the long line of Emperor Xiao Yan of Liangwu, inherited the unification, and presided over the sacrifice.

In the ninth year of the emperor's reign, Xiao Cong, the son of Xiao Yue, died after being provoked to Chang'an by Emperor Wen of Sui, and his son Xiao Xuan was the general guard of Xiangcheng at the time, had no heirs, and died of illness.

The lineage of this branch was passed on to Xiao Cong's brother Xiao Jing......

Although Xiao Yu is the title of Duke of Song Guo, the official worships Shangshu and the right servant, but he is by no means the one who holds the bull's ear in the family, even if his status is noble, he must be ranked after Xiao Jing when he sacrifices.

It's just that Xiao Jing's health has deteriorated in recent years, and he has gradually handed over major events in the clan such as sacrifices to Xiao Yu to preside over, one is really lacking in energy, and the other is that he hopes to use Xiao Yu's official title to enhance Xiao's influence in Jiangnan.

But in the end, the position of the patriarch still has to be passed on to his own son, and there is nothing to do with Xiao Yu......

Like the Lanling Xiao family, the power of the patriarch is by no means inferior to that of the emperor to the people, it is not too much to say that it is life and death, and he has absolute authority in the clan, even if Xiao Yu is a high lord, in the family, he must bow his head.

Xiao Jing is both the elder brother and the patriarch, Xiao Yu will never dare not listen to his words, of course, it is another thing to disobey Yang Feng Yin and Yin ......

Another person in this matter said: "This letter says that we should refrain from acting and that it is best to cut off the channels of overseas smuggling, which is really a light statement. His seventh child ate and drank spicy food in Chang'an, and his branch followed him to have a career, and his son married a princess, which is naturally different from the hillbillies we eat in the soil...... He can lose the profits from smuggling, but if we don't have these benefits, what will thousands of people in the family eat and drink? ”

Xiao Jing calmed his face and said, "Before the rise of sea trade, did you drink the northwest wind at home?" ”

In the seventh year of the emperor's reign, Xiao Jing and his brother Xiao Cong, the queen of Xiliang, his younger brother Xiao Yu, and other Western Liang clans and officials were taken to Chang'an. After entering the Sui Dynasty, Xiao Jing successively served as a doctor in the court, Shangyi and other official positions. He was rigid and impulsive by nature, but fortunately his sister was blessed by the Xiao family, who married Yang Guang as a concubine, and did not get into trouble. Later, he followed Xiao Yu into the Tang Dynasty, and during the Wude period, he was the Huangmen Shilang, and he was transferred to the secretary and supervisor, and he was named the county prince of Lanling, and then returned to his hometown.

People like him, who have a stubborn personality and have seen court battles, naturally can't listen to such crooked reasoning.

He really doesn't look down on Xiao Yu's cautious and careless character, but he knows that Xiao Yu's words and deeds are for the sake of the family, even if it is wrong, the intentions are good, how can he let others slander him?

The man was red-faced by him, but he didn't dare to refute it, so he could only bow his head and drink tea to hide his embarrassment......

Xiao Jing was about to speak, but suddenly heard Xiao Cen, who was "old and confused" beside him, sigh faintly, and said with that toothless mouth: "It is easy to go from thrift to luxury, but it is difficult to go from luxury to thrift...... Fourth, you are right to defend the seventh, there are many places where this family depends on the seventh. But as a patriarch, you also have to think more about everyone, who can go back and eat bran vegetables when you are used to eating brocade clothes and jade food? I am old and dying, but if I see my children and grandchildren return to the old days of digging in the soil and collecting a few rents a year, I am afraid that I will not be able to look at them when I die......"

The flesh on Xiao Jing's cheeks trembled, and he was speechless for a while.

You keep saying you're going to die of old age, but why don't you really die?

It's really uncomfortable to have such an ancestor on top of your head, you can't beat it, you can't say it......

Xiao Jing complained in his heart, but he had to agree with Xiao Cen's words.

In the past few years, the huge profits of sea trade have made the family almost crazy, even if Xiao Yu said in the letter may still suffer from Fang Jun's blows, but who can really let go of such huge profits and return to the days when you had to fight in and out of a few stones of grain?

Ploughing and reading heirlooms sounds elegant and beautiful, but there is still no money......

If you want to maintain such a large family, it is not enough to rely only on the land and land, and the meager profits of the shops cannot be compared with Haimao, even if he wants to stop now, these people in the family will definitely not allow him to stop, and the old immortal next to him will be the first to stand up.

What's more, he never thought of stopping......

"Wealth is in danger, this truth is true. Our Lanling Xiao clan has already become the leader of the Jiangnan clan since they lived in Jiangnan, and their status is respected and has a deep foundation, even if the emperor has to follow us, don't expect us to sacrifice grain and money to help him win Goguryeo? However, the warning of the seventh brother should not be taken lightly, and it is better to prepare as soon as possible. ”

Xiao Jing said in a deep voice.

He was a little dissatisfied with what Xiao Yu said in his heart, but since Fang Xuanling was about to go south, if he could get through Fang Xuanling's relationship, it would naturally be better.