Chapter 299.1: Quietly Watch You Change Face

"Even if Qi Yuan perishes, it still won't be the surviving members of the previous dynasty's turn to sit on the imperial throne, and further won't be your Pei clan's turn to come be that 'Shezheng Wang (regent)'. Large influential families, multi-generational high-ranking official families[1], an influential family without power to support it can only just trick ordinary people. How many people are peeping at the Pei clan, there probably isn't anyone more clear than you, this clan leader. To want to put on airs in front of this prince, you should first weigh yourself for your worth. If it's not important, then don't appear in front of this prince. Come again once you've thought things through, if not, then the Pei clan just won't have the need to exist anymore."

Hearing Li Hong Yuan's voice coming from behind, the Pei clan leader's feet first slowed, and soon after, quickly left.

After exiting the door, the Pei clan leader could no longer conceal, his expression indefinitely changing. Before, even if Li Hong Yuan's attitude was estranged and cold, he was still certain that in the end, he can achieve his goal. But now, with everything getting thoroughly exposed by Li Hong Yuan impatiently, what he assumed was his advantage, seemingly in that instant, completely obliterated, instead getting firmly grasped by the other party. Regardless of dynasty, towards the surviving members of the previous dynasty, this kind of thing, all bitterly detested, and naturally wanted to eliminate by the root. They won't care whether it's the old, weak, women, or children.

If the imperial court were to find out that the Pei clan had descendants of the previous imperial family hidden away, they will absolutely exterminate the Pei clan. Moreover, none of the other family clans would interfere or come to their aid. Something like getting the possessions seized and the entire family exterminated, who would dare to extend their hand? Don't forget, the 'protective talisman' given by Great Ancestor Emperor at the time, that also had a major precondition.

The Pei clan, for the most part, actually weren't liked by the Li imperial clan either. As one would like to ask, having already changed into the next dynasty, never mind that you don't try to fawn over and curry favor with me, this new emperor, you're even unable to forget the previous dynasty, constantly keeping it in mind, what is the meaning of this? Because the country had yet to stabilize, and the killing in the preceding period too heavy, if they were to touch the Pei clan at this time, the just established country will immediately fall into great chaos again. For the sake of manifesting their benevolence, they thus let off the Pei clan. The Pei clan's clan leader at the time, making this kind of decision, how was it not necessarily grabbing onto the state of affairs at the time.

Just, the Pei clan's clan leader at the time, being deeply loyal and devoted, refused to work for a second master, but had he considered for the other people of the Pei clan?

(T/N: This is called getting screwed over by your short-sighted ancestor lmaoo. Although being loyal and devoted isn't a bad thing, but being loyal and devoted without consideration of the consequences is stupidity.)

Additionally, at the time, how did he suppress the clansmen's voice of opposition? It wasn't likely that all the Pei clan clansmen all were of one mind with him, right? As long as Qi Yuan's Great Ancestor Emperor promises a high post and generous salary, then presumably, even if it's getting expelled from the clan, there would still be people that would pursue without turning back. Then, at the time, what exactly happened? This, for the current Pei clan leader, was also a mystery.

What Li Hong Yuan said was right. Right now, how many people were covetously eyeing the Pei clan. Especially those in-law families, putting on a look of an honest and good person, yet repeatedly want to skin a layer off of the Pei clan. The simplest, and also the most helpless matter was that the dowries and betrothal gifts the Pei clan gave out were far more than what they received in return. Speaking from any angle, what was given out all can't be light. If light, getting gossiped about by others was one thing, but the Pei clan can't afford to lose this face either. The side branches were still okay, but the closer to the main family, the more they were unable to 'save'.

Not only so, the Pei clan in the past, generally only made marriage connections with large influential clans. Ordinary official families[2] all very rarely were able to have a connection. For these people, even if wanting to marry a shu daughter of the Pei clan, they would still need to give their all. Where was it like now, where any random stray dog or cat all dare to scale the gates. Of course, this was just the Pei clan leader's own assumptions. For the most part, it wasn't that serious.

However, even if a random stray dog or cat, for better or worse, they weren't a baishen[3], and the Pei clan, to put it bluntly, from top to bottom, were all baishen, just ordinary commoners. Regardless of how many renowned great scholars were produced, it still can't change this fundamental truth. Just based on this bit, they didn't have the right to look down on other people.

Just unfortunately, the Pei clan leader, afraid, forever won't be able to recognize this bit.

Right now, most of his thoughts were naturally on Li Hong Yuan. Regarding the descendants of the previous imperial family, how did he find out?

This can be considered the Pei clan's greatest secret. Even within the Pei clan, the people that knew were also very few, all people worth trusting. Then, where was the slip-up?

This kind of 'extermination of the entire family' matter, the people that knew all understood the severity, so the possibility of inadvertently getting found out by someone was next to nothing. In comparison, he was further inclined to believe that someone had divulged the secret, and even under circumstances where one was very clear-headed. Thinking to here, the Pei clan leader's face became increasingly cold. If he were to find out..................

However, right now, this wasn't the important point. The important point was how to deal with this outer grandson of his. According to the situation at present, it was also just him that knew about this matter. If his old man had known, he would've long set out against the Pei clan. For him to have concealed it, that was just because he had something planned. As for what he was planning, it was also obvious at a glance. What he wanted now was just for him to make the decision. The two paths, he can only choose one. In reality, after getting exposed, there was already no choice left. Choosing the previous dynasty imperial family's descendant, the Pei clan will only have a dead end. This outer grandson of his became the Pei clan's only choice for revival.

In the face of life and death, facing the interest of one's future prospects, the Pei clan leader's brain couldn't be more clear-headed.

Just, at the same time, the Pei clan lost all the initiative. If originally just wanting to give thirty percent support, then he perhaps will have you squeezed into a hundred and twenty percent.

This kind of completely uncontrollable, 'freely manipulated by others' feeling, the Pei clan leader very much hated, and towards the person that had the Pei clan pushed into this current situation.................

The only thing that made the Pei clan leader happy was that this outer grandson possessed remarkable abilities. The stronger his ability, the greater his advantage in the battle for the throne, and the smaller the variable of change will be in the end.

That being the case, this kind of person, although will let the people assisting him not have that many opportunities to show off, it also accordingly reduced the level of danger. The Pei clan leader had thriving ambitions, else he wouldn't have continuously raised the previous dynasty imperial family's descendant either. The final outcome afraid will be very difficult to satisfy him. Furthermore, fatal information against him had been grasped, and he even worried that Li Hong Yuan in the end will destroy the bridge after crossing it.

The affections card, this kind of thing, the Pei clan leader was also very clear about. People that have never met before, nor interacted before, you letting him have deep feelings, that was just a joke. All say 'the favor of birth was inferior to the favor of raising'. Just based on his understanding, towards this foster son, Noble Consort Su gave the utmost effort. He didn't have a time where he needed to long for his own birth mother. Then, towards them, as people who suddenly intervened, aside from that meager blood relation, there wasn't any feelings to speak of. To want to use this to establish firm relations, if it really succeeded, then that would be laughable.

No matter how one looked at it, it was all the detriment greater than the benefit, so what can it do?

The Pei clan leader, after dampening his own spirits like this, just turned back again without the slightest hesitation. This kind of thing, the earlier one declared one's position, the better. And this time, even his attitude improved by quite a bit.

Li Hong Yuan didn't have him rejected at the door either, his sitting posture also not changing by much.

"Wangye, if there's the opportunity, let you meet someone, how about it?" The Pei clan leader warmly smiled.

Li Hong Yuan also guessed who he wanted him to meet. This also more or less was expressing to have the person handed over to him to take care of, "Raised to adulthood like one's own son, finding a wife for him, letting him give birth to children to continue the bloodline, yet now just abandoning like this. You truly are a qualifying clan leader."

[1] 累世公卿 - multi-generational high-ranking official families, refer to families who have history of producing many high ranking officials over many generations. The literal translation of the phrase is 'continuous generation high-ranking officials'. The difference between this and large influential families is that large influential families aren't specific to their roles in the imperial court.

[2] 士族 - I have no idea why, but the chinese-english dictionaries for this word has it as 'land-owning class of the Jin dynasty' which is nowhere near correct. Sometimes the chinese-english dictionaries are kinda very wrong. Anyways this word, has two meaning depending on which era you are referring to.

If during the Eastern Han to Tang dynasty, it's referring to scholarly official families, or a bureaucratic clans, where the family has served as officials for generations, and was considered as a kind of aristocratic status. It was because during this time, scholarly officials, or certain official positions were hereditary, basically if your father was a high-ranking minister, as the son, you can just inherit his position. You can kinda tell what kind of a train-wreck such a system would lead to.

After the Song dynasty, any scholar that received an official post was considered a '士族', because by this time, scholarly officials already lost its hereditary meaning. There's a very good reason why certain positions were no longer hereditary especially considering how the Tang dynasty fell precisely due to a certain hereditary military position called the Jiedushi. In a way, at this point, 士族 can be translated as 'scholarly official class'. 士 is referring to the ministerial class or scholar, and 族 means clan or social group. In the context of the line it's in, I believe the author is referring to the second definition of this word.

[3] 白身 - I believe, iirc, the last time this came up was when introducing Luo Jing Qiang's husband and how he was a baishen. It's sorta another way to refer to commoners, but specifically scholars who have not come anywhere near the imperial exam, nor hold any governmental positions whatsoever.