Zhou Chen didn't stay in Zhou Yexiong's room for long. He just said a few words. Zhou Yexiong said he was tired and asked Zhou Chen to leave.
After leaving Zhou Yexiong's room, Zhou Chen felt very strange.
In his memory, he didn't spend much time with Zhou Yexiong. It was just that he was too young and had a young mind, so he didn't understand much and didn't remember much.
But Zhou Chen was different. The exchange he had just had with Zhou Yexiong gave him the feeling that the two of them didn't look like a normal biological father and son at all.
Zhou Yexiong looked at him with emotion in his eyes, but very little, more like a subordinate, yes, a superior-subordinate relationship, and there was always an unquestionable, unbridled order in his words.
This is very strange. After all, they are father and son who have not seen each other for a long time. Even if their relationship is not deep, they will not be so cold, right?
As far as he knew, his eldest brother Zhou Tong stayed in Zhou Yexiong's house for a long time last night before leaving.
"Do you only value the eldest son?"
Zhou Chen thought thoughtfully, compared to his loving, kind and kind mother, this father was slightly better than a stranger.
Another point is that Zhou Yexiong was injured, but the person taking care of him in his room was not his mother Zhou Xu, but his concubine He Xiaoniang. Even when Zhou Xu knew that her official was injured, she did not show much concern and care.
Nervous look.
'The husband and wife are not harmonious, and the relationship between father and son is weak.'
The situation in the Zhongjing Hou Mansion was more complicated than he thought, and these were not in his memory.
He felt strange in his heart, but he quickly stopped thinking about it. No matter what the situation was in the Hou Mansion, he would treat whoever was good to him in the future. As for this cheap father, at most, he would just ignore it. Anyway, in the future of this Hou Mansion,
There is no need to worry about retirement issues.
However, his recent contact with Zhou Yexiong allowed him to see that Zhou Yexiong's injury was serious. Although Zhou Yexiong tried his best to hide it, he still couldn't hide it when facing a national expert doctor like Zhou Chen. The stray arrow must have hit Zhou Yexiong's vital position.
, otherwise this tough guy would not return to Beijing easily.
Before Zhou Chen returned to his courtyard, he was called over by the female envoy sent by Zhou Xu.
As soon as he came in, he saw his mother, Mrs. Zhou Xu, holding a Taoist scripture and reading it.
Everyone in the Hou Mansion knows that the eldest lady of the house has an indifferent temperament. She likes to eat fast, chant Buddha's name, and study Taoist classics. She believes in both Taoism and Buddhism.
When Zhou Xu saw Zhou Chen, a smile appeared on her face. She waved to Zhou Chen and asked Zhou Chen to sit down next to her.
"Your father called you over and what did he say to you?"
"It's nothing. I just want to praise me for passing the exam to understand the Yuan Dynasty, to strive for success for the Marquis Mansion, and to ask some other questions..."
Zhou Xu suddenly told Zhou Chen with a serious expression: "Remember, if he asks you to do something you don't want to do, don't agree to him, come to mother, she will help you."
"ah?"
Zhou Chen was confused. What did he mean? It didn't sound like a normal conversation between mother and son.
From Zhou Xu's serious expression, you can tell that things are not simple.
"Why, mother?"
Mrs. Zhou Xu looked sentimental and sighed quietly: "Your father is a man who puts the interests of the family first. Everything else is not important in his eyes. You will understand later."
Zhou Chen frowned slightly, thinking about Zhou Yexiong's return from injury this time, and listening to his mother's words again, he thought thoughtfully, fearing that his father would soon ask him to do something he might not want to do, so his mother would give him the gift in advance.
He takes vaccinations.
"I understand, mother, I will listen to you."
Zhou Xu's heart trembled, and she couldn't help but reached out and caressed Zhou Chen's cheek, her eyes full of pity and love.
"Chen'er, your eldest brother has been destroyed by him. Mom can't change it, but I hope you can live a good and happy life forever and don't bear so many burdens."
Thinking of Zhongjing Houfu and Zhou Yexiong, she felt sad. Others envied her for being the eldest lady of the Houfu, but if she had a choice, she didn't want to be the eldest lady of the Houfu at all, even if she lived an ordinary life.
It is freer and happier than living in the cage of the Marquis Mansion.
But she no longer had the chance to choose. She tried hard with her eldest son Zhou Tong but failed, so she didn't want her younger son to make the same mistake again.
Zhou Chen felt Zhou Xu's emotions and reached out to hold his mother's hand.
"Mom, I will never let you down. No one can force me to do anything I don't want to do."
Her son's firm and confident tone made Zhou Xu even more sad, because she knew how powerful her officials were. As long as he decided something, no one could object. She was the most obvious example. If she could, she would not
I will stay in my yard all day, cultivating my body and mind.
In the evening, Zhou Tong suddenly came to Zhou Chen's yard with wine.
"Sanlang, come and have a few drinks with me."
Zhou Chen and Zhou Tong sat down and found that Zhou Tong's brows were furrowed and his face was bitter, as if something had happened that made him feel uncomfortable and aggrieved.
Since Zhou Yexiong, the master of the Hou Mansion, returned, he found that his relatives around him had become very strange, including his mother Zhou Xu, and now his brother Zhou Tong.
Although Zhou Tong had a straight face and a serious expression before, it was different from now. Today, Zhou Tong is more bitter and heavy.
Zhou Chen accompanied Zhou Tong to drink. During this period, Zhou Tong wanted to speak several times, but in the end he did not say anything. Until he was drunk in the end, his sister-in-law Cui took someone to carry him back.
Zhou Chen understood a lot about Zhou Xu and Zhou Tong's weirdness, and probably also knew why they were acting like this.
"The clan!"
Zhou Chen didn't wait long. On the day before Yuan Day, Zhou Yexiong let him go again.
After recuperating in the Hou Mansion for a few days, Zhou Yexiong's condition recovered a lot and he became more energetic. However, Zhou Chen observed carefully and found that his body was much weaker. This showed that Zhou Yexiong had injured the root of his body, most likely.
The internal organs were injured.
"Father."
Zhou Yexiong looked at Zhou Chen who was getting taller and stronger and was very satisfied.
"In a blink of an eye, Sanlang, you have grown so big. I heard Wang Heng say that when you faced the water bandits, you were very capable, and you also have superb swordsmanship. You also practice marksmanship from time to time. It's very good. You are my Zhou Yexiong's
A good son, he has inherited the bravery of our Zhongjing Marquis lineage."
"Father was so impressed."
"You used to be nervous and scared when you saw me, but when I came back this time, I found that you have changed a lot. I am very happy. You have finally grown up and become a man who can stand on his own. This is good, very good."
Zhou Yexiong's tone was full of relief and praise, and he looked very happy to be a father.
Suddenly, his tone became extremely disappointed and sad again.
"Sanlang, you may not know that because my father was injured this time, he will never be able to go to the battlefield again, and I will no longer be able to protect you from the wind and rain. I was worried at first, but seeing the growth of you and Dalang, I am worried again.
Don’t worry anymore, maybe God’s will is that the Marquis Mansion will still have to be shouldered by you and Dalang after all.”
Zhou Chen didn't say anything. He heard something in Zhou Yexiong's words. Everything he said now was foreshadowing, and he should get to the main topic next.
"Sanlang, I want you to use Yin Feng to join the army at the border and take over the influence of the Hou Mansion in the army."
Zhou Chen was surprised but not surprised, because he had guessed this possibility, but when he heard it from Zhou Yexiong's mouth, he still felt a little confused.
"Why? The eldest brother is the one who will attack the prince in the future. Shouldn't he take over?"
Zhou Yexiong said with a serious face: "If your eldest brother takes the path of a military commander, I will definitely leave everything to him, but he is a civil servant now. You should understand the difference between civil and military affairs in our court. The Zhou family wants to have more power in the court."
If a large power wants to be passed down for a longer period of time, it must not only have military commanders, but also civil servants, and your eldest brother is the best candidate."
"The nobles are distinguished, but now the world is dominated by scholar-bureaucrats. We cannot change this trend, so we can only follow the trend and join it."
"Since the founding of the Song Dynasty, there have been countless lords, but now, most of the lords' mansions have fallen into decline, leaving only titles but no power. The Duke's Mansion is still like this, let alone our Marquis Mansion, so I let you
I studied and took the imperial examination since I was a child."
"Both you and Dalang have done a very good job, and I am proud of you, but when I say switching to a civilian position, it does not mean that I have to give up the path of a military commander. Civil service is an attempt, and military commanders are the foundation of our nobles. You
If you win Xie Yuan, your future may not be worse than that of Dalang. If everything goes well, I will definitely support you to continue the scientific examination, because you have more advantages than your elder brother."
"But something has changed now. I was injured and could no longer stay in the army. I retired. As time goes by, the reputation of our Marquis in the army will decline sharply, so I must choose someone to join the army.
development, and this candidate can only be you."
Zhou Chen frowned slightly: "Why can it only be me? The third uncle has been in the army for many years and has an advantage over me. The second brother is older than me. Even if it is the fifth uncle, he is still a better choice. Why does it have to be
I?"
But Zhou Yexiong's eyes widened: "Why? Do you still have to ask why? We are the direct descendants of the Hou family. Although the third and fifth sons are also surnamed Zhou, they are just collaterals. How can they compare with us? Erlang is more
I'm just a concubine. What qualifications does he have to compare with you and Dalang? My legitimate sons are only you and Dalang. You are the future of the Hou family. You are brothers. Only you can trust each other and support each other. No one else can.
trust."
To be continued...