Protect Our Patriarch

……

Just as Wu Dianshan was sighing, Wang Shouzhe and his wife, along with Wu Mingyuan and his wife, had already skillfully split into two groups.

Wang Shouzhe and Wu Mingyuan sat together, exchanging pleasantries with smiles as gentle as spring breezes and rain, though their conversation was devoid of substance.

On the other side, Liu Ruolan and Gongye Qingrui were engaged in a diplomatic chat between ladies. With their charming and mature appearances, it wasn't difficult for the two women to find common topics.

"Sister Qingrui, your skin is so smooth and fair, and your hair is so black and shiny. Do you have any secrets?" Liu Ruolan displayed another side of a noble family's matriarch, gentle and graceful, her smile as comforting as a spring breeze.

At this moment, she looked completely different from the fierce warrior goddess she became when wielding a sword.

She had no choice; after all, her great-grandson was a boy. No matter what, this time, the little princess had suffered a great loss.

"Sister Ruolan, you may not know, but our Anbei Garrison is constantly battered by wind and sand, with a dry climate. Only my stubborn husband would voluntarily take that barren place as his fief." Gongye Qingrui glanced at Wu Mingyuan from afar before laughing and saying, "Years ago, my hair was dry and split. Fortunately, the Princess Consort of the Commandery Prince of Zhenzuo often sent me some 'Ice Skin Jade Cream' and 'Soft Silk Green' to nourish my skin and hair, which helped me recover."

Liu Ruolan laughed upon hearing this and said, "Sister Qingrui, you may not know, but those products are all produced by our Wang Clan. Since you find them useful, I'll send you some special editions every year."

"Really? That's wonderful, Sister Ruolan, you're my savior..."

"You're too kind, Sister. I also have some exclusive formulas that aren't mass-produced. I'll..."

The "friendship" between women can sometimes develop very quickly and without reason. After just a few words, the two had become very close, speaking as if they had been good sisters for decades.

On the other side, Wang Shouzhe and Wu Mingyuan had also gone through a round of mutual flattery and were moving on to the next round, further deepening their relationship.

This is how communication between those in power works. Upon meeting, they engage in rounds of mutual flattery to build rapport before discussing serious matters. Sometimes, one round isn't enough, and several rounds are needed.

It's unavoidable.

After all, at their level, any decision they make affects the safety and honor of hundreds or even thousands of clan members. So unless absolutely necessary, they would never openly confront someone.

Discussing matters is never a one-time thing; it requires rounds of probing.

Experienced leaders can judge the other's character, vision, and psychological limits through these conversations and adjust their strategies accordingly.

The Commandery Prince An wasn't in a hurry to discuss serious matters because he was cautious. His understanding of Wang Shouzhe and the Wang Clan came mostly from Tianyan's information and judgments, which were inevitably one-sided and limited.

The Changning Wang Clan was likely to become his in-laws, and Wang Shouzhe was someone he wanted to ally with. Without seeing and talking to him personally, how could he make a hasty decision?

After all, this concerned his daughter's lifelong happiness. If the Changning Wang Clan's family culture was poor or the information was wrong, he would rather find another way to resolve the matter than agree to the marriage.

"Master Wang Shouzhe, this tea is quite good, somewhat similar to the immortal tea from my uncle's house," he praised while sipping the tea.

Commandery Prince Wu Dianshan's mouth twitched.

What do you mean "somewhat similar"? This is clearly the immortal tea I had someone buy from the Han Yue Immortal Dynasty...

He felt aggrieved and glanced at Wang Anye, who was hiding behind the adults, looking innocent and well-behaved like a little quail.

It's all this brat's fault. I shouldn't have competed with him in fishing back then. Not only did I lose face, but I also lost two taels of immortal tea to him.

Those immortal teas were probably given to his great-grandfather Wang Shouzhe, which ended up in Wu Mingyuan's hands.

To get some immortal tea, Wu Dianshan had a hard time.

"If Your Highness likes it, I have another tael here," Wang Shouzhe said, taking out a delicate tea canister and handing it to Wu Mingyuan.

It's indeed my immortal tea...

Wu Dianshan's pupils shrank, and his heart bled. He secretly vowed to practice his fishing skills diligently. One day, he would avenge his past humiliation and take all the treasures from that brat's storage ring in the Endless Abyss.

One had to admit, even he, a Commandery Prince, was envious of the treasures in that brat's storage ring.

"Ah, since it's a gift from Master Wang Shouzhe, I won't refuse," Wu Mingyuan said, happily accepting the tea.

Wu Dianshan rolled his eyes in secret.

"Master Wang Shouzhe, this is a pot of 'Purple Jade Immortal Nectar.' Please accept it, though it's not the original version," Wu Mingyuan said, taking out a pot of wine as a return gift. "The 'Purple Jade Immortal Nectar' from the Han Yue Immortal Dynasty is a precious wine. However, it's too expensive, so I found a way to introduce the Purple Jade Immortal Grape Vine and successfully cultivated it on a small piece of top-grade spiritual vein, then brewed this nectar."

Wu Dianshan's eyes widened slightly...

Although Commandery Prince An had many shortcomings compared to Commandery Prince Kang, he had two significant advantages.

First, his daughter, Princess Yiluo, was deeply loved by the emperor.

Second, Commandery Prince An was skilled in agriculture and had a team of experts with advanced agricultural techniques. Successfully cultivating the Purple Jade Immortal Grape Vine demonstrated his expertise and technical accumulation in agriculture.

Moreover, the Northwest Garrison had abundant sunlight and a thick layer of fertile soil beneath the sandy soil. The Purple Jade Immortal Grapes grown on the top-grade spiritual vein were no worse than those from the Han Yue Immortal Dynasty.

The only pity was the low yield. Most of the 'Purple Jade Immortal Nectar' brewed was offered to the emperor, and the remaining was mostly divided among the royal family elders. Even Wu Dianshan, a Commandery Prince, could only occasionally taste a cup.

After chatting for a while and exchanging small gifts, Wang Shouzhe and Commandery Prince An had become much closer and had a better understanding of each other.

At this point, they began to discuss the main topic.

"Your Highness, my unruly little monkey was indeed rude. It's my fault for not teaching him well," Wang Shouzhe stood up and bowed deeply.

Commandery Prince An quickly helped him up, "Master Wang Shouzhe, don't be like this. I've already inquired about the truth. It was a series of misunderstandings."

"Although there were misunderstandings, the little monkey's actions were too reckless, which resulted in offending the little princess. I will give Your Highness an explanation," Wang Shouzhe said, glancing sternly at Wang Zong'an behind him, "Wang Zong'an, that's your grandson. You handle it."

Wang Zong'an's face turned pale, and he quickly bowed, "Father, I understand."

He then turned and glared angrily at Wang Shizhao, "You see what kind of son you've raised. Handle it."

Wang Shizhao's face turned bitter, and he quickly bowed to his father, then turned to Wang Anye, "You little brat, how could you do such a thing?"

Wang Anye was so frightened that his eyes widened, "Dad, it's a misunderstanding, it's all a..."

Before he could finish, Wang Shizhao grabbed him and started spanking him with a prepared cane, "I'll beat you to death, you little brat! Today, I'll pretend I never had you."

Poor Wang Anye was spanked so hard that he screamed continuously, his little arms and legs flailing in the air, unable to escape his father's iron grip.

The scene was both pitiful and comically absurd.

This made the little princess Wu Yiluo, who was hiding behind, laugh, covering her mouth and giggling.

Serves you right, brat! You deserve this beating for bullying me and ruining my clothes with that sword move you learned in a stick of incense time!

"Why do I feel so happy seeing this brat get beaten? It's so strange~" Wu Dianshan stroked his beard, looking "kindly" satisfied.

However, Wu Mingyuan and Gongye Qingrui saw it differently. The couple exchanged a glance and saw each other's frowns.

During the past few days of cooling-off period.

The couple had privately discussed the matter.

Overall, although Yiluo had suffered a bit, firstly, it was her own fault for causing the trouble. Secondly, Wang Anye was only ten, and Yiluo was nine, just two kids, so the impact wasn't that significant.

Their previous anxiety and anger were mainly due to Yiluo's disappearance, making them worried and losing their composure, leading to over-sensitivity.

After calming down and thinking it through, they gradually came to their senses.

Gongye Qingrui even thought that this might not be a bad thing.

Wang Anye was the great-grandson of the Changning Wang Clan's direct line, and his maternal family was the increasingly powerful Qian Clan of Longzuo Commandery.

Although the Wang Clan was currently only a sixth-grade family, a closer look would reveal its immense potential.

In contrast, the old Purple Mansion Clan "Yan Clan" of Longzuo Commandery had been declining in recent years.

The Yan Clan's main industries were in the northern part of Longzuo Commandery, focusing on animal husbandry, agriculture, and mining. These industries were advantageous in the early stages of Longzuo Commandery's development, but as more and more animal husbandry families emerged, they gradually lost their edge.

Moreover, the biggest problem for the Yan Clan was that their old ancestor was already six or seven hundred years old, and a hundred years ago, their Purple Mansion seed failed to break through, severely damaging their spiritual platform, which dealt a fatal blow to the already struggling Yan Clan.

This was why the Yan Clan had been exceptionally low-key in recent years.

They had no choice.

Just the Purple Mansion succession alone was enough to worry the Yan Clan to death, leaving them no time for anything else. In recent years, the Yan Clan's main force had been shrinking in the north, striving to maintain their increasingly competitive industries.

During this period, they had sold many of their properties in the Longzuo Commandery capital, trying to extend the lifespan of their Purple Mansion ancestor while quickly cultivating a second Purple Mansion successor.

If any more accidents occurred, the Yan Clan of Longzuo Commandery might follow the fate of the Yuwen Clan and the Wang Clan of Longzuo Commandery, falling from fifth-grade to sixth-grade, or even to seventh-grade in a few hundred years.

The structure of the Great Qian's noble families was never static. Most families, after many generations, would inevitably decline. The Wang Clan of Longzuo Commandery was like this in the past, and the Yan Clan of Longzuo Commandery was like this now.

Only those families that could continue to thrive after thousands of years were truly rare.

Therefore, with the Yan Clan declining and remaining silent.

The Changning Wang Clan, the Qian Clan of Longzuo Commandery, and the Yuwen Clan of Longzuo Commandery together formed a powerful force in Longzuo Commandery. If they could gain the support of this alliance, the originally weak Commandery Prince An would gain a strong ally.

Of course.

These reasons alone weren't enough to completely convince Gongye Qingrui. The key point lay with the great prodigy Miss Liyao of the Purple Mansion Academy of Longzuo Commandery.

The current head of the Changning Wang Clan, Wang Shouzhe, was the biological father of the great prodigy Miss Liyao. If they could gain the Wang Clan's support, they would also gain Miss Liyao's support, and indirectly, the support of Tianhe Daoist.

What Commandery Prince An lacked most now was the support of a great prodigy from the academy or a sacred land who could compete for the position of Holy Son in the future.

Just like Gongyang Ce beside Commandery Prince Kang, who was a prominent figure.

If Commandery Prince Kang successfully secured the position of Imperial Heir, he would help Gongyang Ce compete for the position of Holy Son. The future structure of the Great Qian would be similar to the current situation, with the sacred land and the royal family working together to govern and develop the Great Qian.

Of course, Gongye Qingrui wouldn't disregard her daughter's feelings because of these reasons.

However, she noticed that her daughter and Wang Anye seemed to have a bit of a love-hate relationship. Knowing her daughter well, she didn't believe that Yiluo wasn't moved at all.

Moreover, Wang Anye was quite handsome, smart, and had excellent bloodline qualifications, making him a good match for Yiluo.

The couple had already discussed trying to guide the situation towards a marriage proposal from the Wang Clan.

Unexpectedly.

Before they could implement their plan, the Wang Clan had already apologized and punished the "troublemaking kid."

This was undoubtedly sending a message that the Wang Clan's child had made a mistake, and they would apologize and punish the child, but they weren't thinking about marriage.

Gongye Qingrui, being from a third-grade family and having been meticulously trained since childhood, had a vision and awareness far beyond ordinary people.

She understood that at this point, she couldn't let her usually gentle and unassertive husband make the decisions.

She glanced at Wu Yiluo, who was laughing at Wang Anye's misfortune, and couldn't help but roll her eyes. This heartless girl didn't even feel sorry for Anye.

Determined, she grabbed Wu Yiluo and started spanking her, "You little brat, it's one thing to be willful, but now you're causing Anye to get beaten."

"I'll beat you to death, just pretend I never had you."

Wu Yiluo, caught off guard, started crying and struggling to escape. However, her small frame was no match for her mother, who was in the later stages of the Celestial Realm.

Gongye Qingrui easily held her down with one hand.

For a while, the sounds of spanking and the cries of the two children echoed, creating a lively scene.

Oh, the little princess is getting spanked too? Good.

Wu Dianshan, watching from the side, was even more delighted.

The little princess's disappearance had almost caused him a lot of trouble. In his mind, Wu Yiluo and Wang Anye were both troublemakers who deserved no sympathy.

Wang Shouzhe and Wu Mingyuan exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of helplessness in each other's eyes.

They both knew what it meant for the other to spank their own child.

At this point, there was no need to continue beating the children. As elders, they naturally felt sorry for their kids and looked to Wu Dianshan for mediation.

Wu Dianshan, being experienced and skilled in navigating tricky situations, understood his mission despite his satisfaction.

Receiving their signals, he coughed, "Alright, alright, the kids are still young. Don't hurt them. It was just a misunderstanding, no need to go this far."

With his mediation, Wang Shizhao and Gongye Qingrui, who already felt sorry for their kids, slowed down and eventually stopped after a few more spanks.

"You little brat, if it weren't for His Highness's plea, I'd beat you to death," Wang Shizhao "threatened."

Gongye Qingrui also warned, "You little brat, if it weren't for your great-uncle's plea, you'd be dead."

She then lightly pushed her daughter.

The two beaten and pitiful children limped to Wu Dianshan, tearfully thanking him for helping them.

Hehe~

Wu Dianshan glanced at Wang Anye. So, you have your day too? Then he looked at Wu Yiluo. Hehe, serves you right for running away and almost causing me trouble.

Though he thought this, he still accepted their thanks with a kind demeanor.

As the two children turned to leave, they accidentally made eye contact, seeing the same sense of shared suffering in each other's eyes.

However, the next moment, they remembered their previous conflicts, and their eyes filled with anger, as if blaming each other for the beating.

"Hmph!"

Two cold snorts sounded simultaneously.

The two children turned their heads away, refusing to acknowledge each other.

Setting aside the children's thoughts.

After this first round of communication, Commandery Prince An understood Wang Shouzhe's intentions, and Wang Shouzhe understood Commandery Prince An's intentions.

"Ahem~" Wu Dianshan, entrusted by Gongye Qingrui, decided to help, "Shouzhe, the kids have been beaten, let's talk business."

"Although it was a misunderstanding, the little princess is a direct descendant of the Qingluo lineage, a royal with a noble status. She has awakened the royal Azure Dragon bloodline and resembles Princess Qingluo in her youth, deeply loved by the emperor. If this reaches the emperor's ears, it could cause a big issue."

Here it comes.

Wang Shouzhe understood but could only follow along, "What does Your Highness suggest?"

"It's simple. I think these two kids are a perfect match, like a golden boy and jade girl. Why not take advantage of the situation and marry them? That way, there's no issue of reputation," Wu Dianshan suggested, though he felt a bit regretful.

His daughter Qianrou was also of the right age, and he had arranged some activities through the Qian Clan when Wang Anye visited them after the New Year.

His intention was to see if Qianrou and Anye could get along and possibly match them.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned.

First, he lost miserably to Wang Anye in fishing.

Then, although Qianrou liked Wang Anye, the brat kept saying girls were troublesome and he didn't want a wife, making Qianrou so angry that she stayed home for a long time, only feeling better after inviting Wu Yiluo over.

Now, it seemed Qianrou and Wang Anye had no fate.

While Wu Dianshan felt regretful, the two children who were still angry were stunned. What? They were to be matched? This must be a joke!

"No way, girls are all trouble." Wang Anye shook his head vigorously, avoiding it like the plague, "I was fine until I met this little beggar, bringing me bad luck."

"Little rascal, meeting you was my bad luck," Wu Yiluo fumed, "Marry you? Dream on! You rogue!"

"Who are you calling?"

"You!"

"Come on, looks like you need another..."

"Smack!" Wang Anye was grabbed by Wang Shizhao and spanked again, "How dare you speak while elders are discussing? And you dare to be rude to the little princess..."

The Princess Consort of Commandery Prince An was not to be outdone. She grabbed Wu Yiluo and started spanking her too, "It's my fault for spoiling you, speaking so recklessly. Anye is such a good boy, handsome, from a good family, and with top-tier bloodline..."

The symphony of cries and spankings resumed.

Poor Wang Anye and Wu Yiluo, crying and begging for mercy, felt their hearts sink. Had their parents gone mad? They hadn't even said much before getting another round of beatings.

How could they live like this?

……

After the commotion finally settled, the adults resumed their serious discussion.

"Master Wang Shouzhe," Commandery Prince An began, "I understand that this incident was a misunderstanding, but we must consider the future. The relationship between our families is crucial."

"Indeed," Wang Shouzhe nodded, "Our families have much to gain from a strong alliance."

"Therefore," Commandery Prince An continued, "I propose that we formalize this alliance through marriage. It would not only resolve the current issue but also strengthen our bond for generations to come."

Wang Shouzhe pondered for a moment, then nodded, "I agree. However, we must ensure that the children are willing. Forced marriages rarely end well."

"Of course," Commandery Prince An agreed, "We will give them time to get to know each other and see if they are compatible."

With the main issue resolved, the atmosphere lightened. The adults continued to discuss various matters, from politics to trade, further solidifying their alliance.

Meanwhile, Wang Anye and Wu Yiluo, still nursing their sore behinds, sat together in a corner, glaring at each other.

"This is all your fault," Wang Anye muttered.

"My fault? You're the one who started it," Wu Yiluo shot back.

"Well, I guess we're stuck with each other now," Wang Anye sighed.

"Yeah, I guess so," Wu Yiluo agreed, her tone softening.

Despite their bickering, a small part of them couldn't help but feel a strange sense of camaraderie. After all, they were in this together.

As the day drew to a close, the adults finalized their plans, and the children, exhausted from their ordeal, were finally allowed to rest.

The future was uncertain, but one thing was clear: the alliance between the Changning Wang Clan and the Commandery Prince An's family would shape the destiny of many.

And so, in this world of cultivation and noble families, where power and alliances were everything, a new chapter began.