The Demon Lords

Chapter 1002 - 232: Min Clan (Part 3)

"Come in and talk."

"Thank you, Lord Zheng."

Fan Zhengwen arrived,

and upon entering,

he brightened Zheng Fan’s eyes.

It wasn’t because his wife, Lady Man, was particularly beautiful. After all, Siniang often accompanied him, and Lord Zheng’s resistance to women’s charms was quite strong. The constant rumors outside were actually baseless.

The key was Fan Zhengwen himself; he truly was handsome, with a kind of charismatic handsomeness.

Not frivolous, calm, and cultured.

A man, if he can make another man with normal sexual orientation think he is handsome, is truly handsome.

As for Lady Man, she was passable, demure, not stunning.

"Lord."

"Sit, have some tea."

"Yes, thank you, Lord Zheng."

Siniang poured the tea,

straightforwardly and crudely,

drawing the cooled tea directly from the basin into the washed cups, one for each person, three cups in total.

Fan Zhengwen held the cup and smiled:

"Daze Fragrant Tea, drinking it this way, carries a unique taste."

"Brother Fan, are you mocking me for not having seen the world and ruining things?"

"The world of a lord is different from that of a commoner. I have not seen the lord’s world, and the lord does not care to see the commoner’s world."

"You do know how to speak."

Zheng Fan nodded, took a sip of the cooled tea, and was surprised. Truly, you get what you pay for. This thing wasn’t boiled with other ingredients, nor were any mint or rock sugar added. Yet after being stored for so long, it still had a cool refreshing sweetness.

He realized he was indeed a bumpkin, truly ruining things.

"I came to Chu, hosted by Brother Fan’s generosity; this favor, I’ve noted."

"The lord’s favor, I dare not assume. I only admire the grandeur of Yan as the superior state, willing to serve as Yan’s vanguard to express my sentiments."

Zheng Fan placed down the teacup,

smiled,

and said:

"Let’s do this, Brother Fan. I like to speak directly and not beat around the bush. If Brother Fan has words, let’s just say them outright.

Let’s discuss business first, then other matters."

"I dare not disobey."

"Stop with the ’commoner’ phrasing. I’ve eaten your food and drunk your tea; I’m the guest, you’re the host."

"Then I will speak frankly."

"Speak freely."

Zheng Fan crossed his legs, leaned back; habitually reached into his bosom, took out the large iron box, pulled out a cigarette, sniffed it without lighting it.

Siniang had suggested Zheng Fan use a snuff bottle, finding it more fitting for an imperial officer’s style;

but Lord Zheng wasn’t accustomed to it.

Fan Zhengwen stood up, solemnly said:

"Lord, my Fan Family has been the Qu Clan’s vassals for a hundred and fifty years."

"The sovereign of the sovereign is not my sovereign. The minister below the minister is not my minister."

This is the current state of Chu; though vast in territory, its system is more akin to a feudal state.

The Qu Clan, within their domain, is equivalent to the existence of feudal lords.

"My Fan family’s ancestors have served the Qu Clan diligently for a hundred and fifty years, providing money and grain to sustain their luxury. In my view, the grace of simplicity bestowed years ago should have been cleared by now, after so many years.

However, in Chu, a slave remains a slave for generations; a noble remains a noble for generations.

Every year at the Qu family’s banquet, I’m seated with the lowest servants."

Zheng Fan supplemented:

"Unbearable."

Fan Zhengwen laughed, nodded, and said, "Indeed, unbearable."

Chu is a society with a rigid class structure, originally the same as Yan State, where aristocratic families monopolized the channels for the commoner’s upward mobility; Jin State is almost the same.

Conversely, Qian State has done well on this front, though perhaps excessively well.

The Fan Family, as the Qu Clan’s vassals, would remain such for generations regardless of the growth of their enterprise; they could not escape the Qu Clan.

Even if one day the Fan Family surpasses the Qu Clan in strength, the Qu Clan can still easily suppress them if desired.

Because even if the Qu Clan falters, the entire Chu, the grand nobles of Chu, would not permit a vassal to revolt.

But Fan Zhengwen refuses to accept this.

When people are well-fed, warm, and free from hardships, naturally they desire to live with dignity.

For this reason, he plans to align with Yan State, a logically favorable choice; and doing so with such effectiveness can only reflect the deep influence of the Fan Family now, and the boldness of Fan Zhengwen as the family head.

Zheng Fan spoke;

"I cannot guarantee the division of lands and titles."

"I dare not hope for that."

"Anything else can be arranged. Look at me..."

Lord Zheng pointed to himself,

"A few years ago, I was still running an inn in Hutou City, Beifeng Prefecture."

When using oneself as an example, discussing what happened to a friend seems distant; discussing what happened to a neighbor is interesting; discussing what happened to oneself is very straightforward and vivid.

Lord Zheng himself is a classic example of rising from grassroots struggles.

"Whatever Brother Fan is willing to contribute, will be matched by Yan in return."

"I trust it, trust Lord Pingye, also trust Lord Jingnan, and most importantly, trust our great Yan Emperor."

Zheng Fan lightly coughed,

and said:

"Any other reasons?"

"Does the lord feel it’s insufficient?"

"More would be better."

"I always feel that business is best without involving personal favors."

"But the best business is winning personal favors."

"The lord speaks wisely." Fan Zhengwen pointed to his wife Lady Man, sitting beside him, and said:

"This is my humble wife."

Zheng Fan nodded, smiled, and said, "Greetings to your lady."

Fan Zhengwen chuckled, surprisingly didn’t evade, nor did he say it was incorrect.

Lady Man simply rose and bowed gently to Zheng Fan.

Zheng Fan sensed something subtle,

and quickly asked:

"Madam’s family background?"

Lady Man responded:

"To answer the lord, my original surname was Min."

Zheng Fan’s gaze immediately sharpened, considering that the Fan Family linked through Ji Chengjue,

and quickly followed up:

"Our Sixth Prince Ji Chengjue of Yan is your..."

"I am Chengjue’s... aunt."

Min,

The Min Clan,

after the family’s ’door’ vanished,

only the ’Man’ remains.

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