Dual Cultivation God Returns - Chapter 1055 - 1055: Knowing one's place

“Do you perhaps know, that your family’s battle of succession is closely related to the battle of succession of the Imperial Family?”, Wei Lan asked right after her opening statement.

“T-the Imperial Family?”, Jian Yu raised his eyebrows, as he was too immersed in his own Family’s matters for most of his life to pay attention to the bigger matters of the whole Dynasty, only distantly aware of what was happening with that.

“Yes, it is also part of the reason we are interested in meddling in the matter of your family’s battle of succession”, Wei Lan nodded, “Since it is connected both ways”

“I know that my second brother’s maternal family seems to be ardent supporters of the 4th prince… that’s about it”, Jian Yu shook his head, not seeing how this was a significant connection as there was no opposing prince connection.

“That cloaked man who tried to intervene with your enlightenment. Who do you think he was working for?”, Wu Long asked, adding, “Unless you believe, of course, that he was a completely unrelated stranger, despite only interfering to distract the Steward which ‘just-so-happened’ to give the opportunity to your brother to try and steal that enlightenment from you”

“Y-you mean to say…”, Jian Yu widened his eyes.

“Your oldest brother doesn’t really want to compete with your second oldest brother who has a more robust background than you, so he wouldn’t send someone to bring you down while you are competing among each other. If he wanted someone of you two to win this competition, it would be you”, Wei Lan added, “Only the second son profits from you failing this mission, and it was an additional bonus if he could obtain your enlightenment”

“B-but how does that make it related to the Imperial battle of succession?”, Jian Yu showed a confused look, despite realizing what they said was probable.

“The cloaked man wasn’t directly hired by the 2nd son either”, Wu Long shook his head, “He was sent by the maternal family of the 4th prince”

“F-fourth…?”

“Until Princess Wei Zhenhui stepped onto the scene, the 3rd and 5th princes were usually considered the strongest candidates to eventually ascend the throne because they were collecting the support of most high nobles. But while that was going on, the 4th and 8th princes were quietly and very carefully engaging in a much less noticeable, but perhaps far more significant battle over regional noble houses outside the capital”, Wu Long explained.

“So… the 4th prince’s side wants my 2nd brother to win, so he could obtain the Crimson Arrow Manor though him?”, Jian Yu spoke with narrowing eyes, “Why wouldn’t they make a deal with the Clan Ancestor then?”

“They likely tried, but it’s not like your Clan Ancestor is willing to become a simple pawn, he has a greater ambition”, Wu Long shook his head, “The marriages of your father happened before the princes were born, but the concubines were already selected and sent to the Imperial Palace – it was your Clan Ancestor’s bet”

The Jian Family of the Crimson Arrow Manor were a regional noble family, and similarly to the Ko Family in the past, controlling a continent of their own – only theirs, unlike the remote Soft Meadow Continent, was much closer to the Capital of the Wei Dynasty, and more prosperous as it sat on multiple traffic-heavy trade and travel routes.

They had vast numbers of warriors to keep as City Guards of their City and as garrison for the World Stone control points, as well as to keep hold of the continent in general, but their pride was always their private army of elite bowmen.

It was for that private army and the Family’s own fame and reputation, that they were known as the ‘Bow of the Wei Dynasty’.

A glorious and respected title until one realized that it actually said that they were always meant to be only that, a bow. Not even an archer – a more independent entity – but a bow. A tool, a weapon in the hands of the Imperial Family.

They were never intended to rise above that, because they were part of the force that the Imperial Family lorded over the nobles.

Their noble title and territory were a luxurious golden shackle meant to keep them at bay and satisfied with their role of a loyal hound at the same time.

Thus, the only illegitimate heir in their battle of succession was not the only one with a chip on their shoulder in that family.

Over the vast time there were signs of growing dissatisfaction with their standing and treatment within the Empire, not only in the Jian Family itself, but in the wider ranks of their Clan Bow-Warriors who were loyal to them as well.

All the marriage alliances they tried to build with higher-rank nobles over the past nearly 100 000 years of their history within the Dynasty, were suppressed, either by the Imperial Family or the circle of high nobles themselves. And thus they had to settle for similar-ranked middling nobles of the Capital or regional nobles like themselves.

When the pressure on them periodically increased to keep them grounded, even lesser noble house marriages were imposed on them.

The situation only changed in this generation, as a tragic incident quite early into the current Emperor’s reign brought down a lot of powerful noble houses, drastically decreasing the power of the nobles compared to the Imperial Family.

But it also weakened the grip of the Imperial Family over similar hound-like families with titles of Bows, Swords, Blades, Spears and Shields of the Dynasty, who began slowly raising their heads with their own ambitions.

If previously going against the wishes of the Imperial Family could leave them isolated without its protection, and thus quickly targeted and devoured by one of the powerful nobles, now the powerful nobility was too preoccupied with licking their wounds and being careful of any moves against a hawkish Imperial Family.

And at the same time the Imperial Family was wary of crushing down their ‘loyal hounds’ since they exerted a lot of political capital in bringing down the powerful nobles not long ago, and losing the support of those regional noble houses meant not only showing an opening for the high nobles who were waiting for one, but also losing the overall power of the Dynasty compared to the neighbouring Dynasties if they had to crush some of their own strength.

Thus, anticipating that this time’s struggle of imperial heirs for the throne would become an opportunity that wouldn’t arrive again for a long time, there were many smaller and regional noble houses that staked their fate on this chance, including the Jian Family.

Wu Long only had to point out the history of the family, its ambitions, and the overall situation for Jian Yu to understand that he was never meant to become the Clan Head of the Crimson Arrow Manor.

He was simply a tool to muddy the waters and stall the clash of two truly important candidates until it became apparent who of them would be more beneficial for the Jian Family to rise to their coveted higher position.

Even if the family of his oldest brother did not openly stand with any prince, it would be preferable to the family that supported the 4th prince in case one of the other princes won the battle for the throne.

So it never was about who of them was more suited for the position, but about their backgrounds all along.

“It is not important where you came from, or how you are seen, it is important whether you have what it takes to grasp greatness. Prove your worth, that is all it takes to succeed”, these hypocritical words of the Clan Ancestor, Jian Yu’s grandfather, that spoke of the opposite, were reverberating in his head as he sat slightly dazed at the realization.

They were spoken to the then 6 year old Jian Yu when he was taken into the family and given proper care for the first time in his life.

He knew back then, that all he had to do to continue living better than he lived for the first 6 years of his life, was to listen to those words and he would continue receiving that care and even support.

But perhaps even more than that, he craved at least some form of familial affection that he felt from that old man’s gaze.

He realized only now – that the gaze he yearned for was the gaze of someone looking at a useful tool. Even those words… the Clan Ancestor wasn’t talking about Jian Yu, he was speaking about his own ambition for the Jian Family to rise to a higher place than he was given, and Jian Yu was the sacrificial lamb that aided him in that ambition.

This realization made him nauseous, as the food he just ate started to feel unsettled in his stomach.

Wei Lan’s gaze turned melancholic and empathetic, true to her kind nature feeling bad for the young man. She slowly exhaled, gentle Earth Qi spreading from her in a formless ethereal ripple.

Jian Yu suddenly felt a comfortable soothing feeling, like suddenly gaining sturdy and reliable ground under feet when on the verge of falling. HIs stomach also settled down.

Wu Long smiled at her kindness, his hand around Wei Lan’s shoulder slightly rubbing it up and down as he brought her closer and she leaned onto him with a smile as well.

“T-thank you”, Jian Yu lowered his head, regaining his calm, “I apologize for losing my bearings”

“It is normal, realizing what you did”, Wei Lan replied with a sincerity and goodwill that was hard to fake, “I hope that this moment of pain, however, would be what saves you from greater pain in the future”

“Yes, it is good that I understood everything now rather than later, after a long but ultimately futile battle”, he sighed, nodding in agreement. And then a wry smile appeared on Jian Yu’s face, “I have to thank you. Perhaps, despite approaching me for selfish reasons of your own, you two are, perhaps the only people who spoke with me more sincerely, and honestly, than my own blood relatives… than anyone around me”

“That is because telling you the truth helps gain your trust”, Wu Long chuckled, continuing in the blunt and straightforward manner that somehow felt refreshing for Jian Yu, “And perhaps, could help us gain your cooperation”

“Though what would you gain from helping me?”, Jian Yu also chuckled. Recognizing he indeed was in need of help from outside if he wanted to just survive, let alone have some kinds of ambitions.

“Well, for one, we have our own candidate for the throne to push”, Wu Long replied, “And once you were recognized as a participant in the battle of succession, illegitimate heir or not, you are qualified to take the position of the Family Head. And it just so happens that we can solve the dissatisfaction that your family has with their position and treatment”

—

Wei Lan sat in Wu Long’s embrace as they faced an empty seat opposite them not long after Jian Yu left.

“Thank you, Lan’er”

“Hehe, I didn’t do anything”

“You did”, Wu Long chuckled, planting a kiss on her forehead, “You did a lot of heavy lifting on this one. I don’t think I’d be able to break down his defenses and suspicions so easily without you here, and even if I managed to with more effort, it wouldn’t be so complete – he’d still have lingering doubts after the meeting unlike now. And it also works the other way, you helped me see his nature a bit more clearly, putting away my doubts about recruiting him as well. So you helped me a lot”

“In that case, I want a kiss here instead”, she grinned, pointing her finger toward her lips causing him to smile and muttering that he didn’t need much persuasion for that, sealed them with his.