The destiny of all heavens begins in the Red Chamber

It can be said that Xue Pan's father treated his own younger brother even more cruelly than outsiders.

Aunt Xue, however, was used to this and felt that it should be done this way.

After all, Uncle Xue was also the eldest son of the main branch, and was qualified to inherit the positions of clan leader and imperial merchant.

This is also why she is extremely dissatisfied with Xue Pan; isn't she just asking for trouble?

She was quite worried that her simple-minded son had been deceived.

Chapter 206 Madam Wang's Empty Promises (Please Subscribe)

"Mother, I have my own plans!"

Xue Pan was somewhat displeased and explained, "People outside say that when fighting tigers, brothers go to war together and fathers and sons fight side by side. When a son is out and about, he also needs trustworthy people to help him!"

"Don't even mention those so-called old men left behind by Father. Apart from a few honest ones, the rest of them all have their own ulterior motives, and some even want to seize our Xue family's property for themselves!"

"How many so-called elderly people have been discovered and dealt with by their sons in such a short period of time?"

Speaking of this, Xue Pan's anger flared up, and his heart was filled with murderous intent.

Xue Pan followed Jia Huan around and made quite a name for himself in the capital and Tongzhou area, proving quite useful.

Putting everything else aside, after witnessing many underworld tactics, the Xue family's stewards found it difficult to fool him.

Even if they can fool them for a while, they'll soon realize what's going on.

The most ingenious thing is that some people in the martial arts world wanted to curry favor with Xue Pan, but they didn't have any decent gifts to offer. So they could only look for loopholes in the Xue family's steward and inform Xue Pan about them as gifts.

Some things are basically kept secret from superiors but not from subordinates. No matter how well you do it, there will always be flaws, and people in the martial arts world will easily notice something amiss.

Once the gift reaches Xue Pan's ears, it's practically a sure thing that the person in question has embezzled a lot of money from the Xue family's business.

Xue Pan was a reckless and unruly man, and he couldn't stand such treatment. Anyone caught in the wrong place in charge never had a good ending.

Saying things like "old man" or "dignity" in front of Xue Pan is completely useless.

The key point is that many of the managers who were caught with problems were the daughters of Aunt Xue who came with her dowry!

These guys all come from the royal family, and they are all insatiably greedy, swindling money with arrogance.

When Xue Pan made his move, he arrogantly declared that they were Aunt Xue's people, and that Xue Pan, as her son, should not act rashly, otherwise it would be against his filial duty.

It would have been better if they hadn't mentioned Aunt Xue; the more they did, the less likely Xue Pan would have let them off the hook.

That's why her relationship with Aunt Xue became somewhat strained.

Xue Pan was as filial as ever, but Aunt Xue was unhappy about it.

Fortunately, many people in the martial arts world helped keep an eye on things, which saved Xue Pan a lot of trouble in investigating.

But after the incident, even if he wasn't very bright, he couldn't possibly have much trust in the elderly people his father and mother left behind.

In addition, Xue Pan was unwilling to be tied down by the family business, so he naturally felt that he needed a trustworthy helper by his side, and Uncle Xue was obviously a very good choice.

During his trip south by boat, Xue Pan overheard that his second uncle had returned to Jinling and planned to settle there permanently, no longer wandering around. This gave him a new idea.

He didn't want to bother with the intricacies of the situation; his first thought was to ask someone for help.

He knew that as the direct descendant of the main branch of the Xue family, Uncle Xue would not have a very comfortable life in Jinling. Those members of the collateral branches who controlled the power and vast resources of the clan would not make things easy for him.

In fact, the original novel of Dream of the Red Chamber has already given a very obvious answer.

After Uncle Xue and his wife passed away, Xue Ke and Xue Baoqin, the siblings, couldn't stay in Jinling at all, so they shamelessly came to the capital to seek refuge. Their reason for wanting to get married was quite ridiculous.

Sure enough, Xue Pan only sent a message, and Uncle Xue Er came over without hesitation, bringing his whole family with him.

When it comes to business management and extensive knowledge, Uncle Xue is definitely better than Xue Pan's deceased father. He was quite satisfied with Xue Pan after only a brief interaction with him.

Having spent so much time in the capital, especially following Jia Huan without going astray, Xue Pan's training was quite effective.

He wasn't worried at all that Uncle Xue would usurp his place!

Putting aside everything else, the Xue family, with him at its core, is already in a pretty good situation.

Not to mention, his relationship with Jia Huan, and the relationship between Aunt Xue and Lady Wang, would not allow Uncle Xue to act recklessly in the northern region.

He is confident that he can hand over the family business to others and also take it back at any time!

Fortunately, Uncle Xue performed admirably, saving Xue Pan a lot of trouble and allowing him to spend more time eating, drinking, and having fun.

However, Aunt Xue, the mother, was still somewhat unable to grasp the situation.

I always felt that Uncle Xue might try to seize the family property of my mother and her two children.

Xue Pan had already explained it to his mother two or three times, but it seemed to be of no use at all.

He was exhausted and didn't want to waste any more time on nonsense. He said helplessly, "Mother, don't worry. With your son here, nothing will happen. Just stay here at the Rong Mansion with peace of mind!"

Feeling somewhat displeased, he deliberately emphasized the words "Rong Mansion".

"You silly child, if it weren't for your aunt's protection, how could our family's business have been saved?"

Aunt Xue said with displeasure, "You must never forget that there's a limit to how much you can get carried away!"

"Yes, Auntie protected the Xue family because of my mother!"

Xue Pan said, both amused and exasperated, "If that's the case, what else is there for Mother to worry about?"

"I'm worried that your second uncle will take out his resentment on you!"

Aunt Xue finally told the truth with no other choice: "Your father went a bit too far in how he treated your second uncle back then!"

"This is a grudge from the previous generation, what does it have to do with me?"

Xue Pan disagreed, saying, "Second Uncle letting Tadpole follow me around shows his attitude, doesn't it?"

Upon hearing this, Aunt Xue was speechless for a moment, not knowing what to say.

"Brother, what specific arrangements do you have for my cousin?"

At this moment, Xue Baochai interjected, asking curiously, "We can't expect someone so young to be running around doing business; that would be too tiring!"

"Of course not!"

Xue Pan chuckled and said, "I have already arranged for him to enter the Jia family school, hoping that he can make some progress in his studies and the imperial examinations, so that my efforts will not have been in vain!"

"Brother is being too generous. I hope my cousin won't let him down!"

Xue Baochai's eyes flashed, and although she was somewhat displeased, she did not refute Xue Pan's actions.

Everything was arranged, and there was no point in objecting now. It's just unclear why Xue Pan suddenly became so kind.

"There's nothing I can do about it. When I'm out and about, I can't be without a single trustworthy helper. It's not appropriate to rely on outsiders!"

Xue Pan didn't hide anything and said directly, "Sometimes, the cost and profit of a single cargo transport trip can exceed ten thousand taels of silver!"

"Sister, tell me, if there isn't someone I can trust enough to step in, would I dare to let go so easily?"

"But opportunities in the capital are sometimes rare. If I'm not there, Huan-ge'er won't wait, and it'll be too late to regret it then!"

"Brother, you're joking. Even if there are opportunities here in the capital, what do they have to do with Brother Huan?"

Xue Baochai retorted, "We still need to ask my aunt for help!"

"Hehe, how long have we been living in Pear Blossom Courtyard?"

Xue Pan chuckled, glanced at his sister who was looking very serious, and said irritably, "Our family has spent a lot of money, but what exactly has Aunt done?"

Xue Baochai was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to answer.

Upon closer examination, it seems that Madam Wang's help to the Xue family was simply allowing them to live in the Pear Fragrance Courtyard.

Xue Pan shook his head and chuckled, "And also, don't keep bringing up your uncle!"

"My mother and sister probably wouldn't believe it if I told them, but my uncle isn't as powerful as they imagine, and his influence is actually quite ordinary!"

As expected, both Aunt Xue and Xue Baochai showed expressions of disapproval.

"There's absolutely no doubt about it!"

Xue Pan said directly, "Of the so-called four great families of Jinling, the Ning and Rong families are the most talked about outside!"

"The reason why my uncle was able to enjoy his moment of glory was because my uncle-in-law and Brother Lian had not yet risen to power, and the Ning family did not have their current prestigious status!"

"Furthermore, Lin Ruhai is also an inside ally in the imperial court!"

"In this way, the role that my uncle played before has been completely negated by my aunt and uncle!"

"Under such circumstances, would my uncle and his family still listen to my uncle's orders?"

"And Consort Yuan's rise to power had absolutely nothing to do with her uncle!"

"Therefore, Uncle can basically no longer rely on the Rong family's support. It's hard to say whether he can even return safely from the Nine Borders. Mother and sister, please stop talking about Uncle all the time; he's not of much use anymore!"

Ignoring the incredulous looks on Aunt Xue and Xue Baochai's faces, she said leisurely, "The things outside are very different from what Mother and Sister imagined. I can see things clearly!"

"Whether the Huan brothers are capable or not is not for Mom and my sister to decide!"

"To put it bluntly, if it weren't for Huan-ge'er holding things together, we wouldn't even be able to find a trustworthy errand runner under my uncle's command!"

"Baoyu is indeed showered with love and affection, but he's useless right now!"

"Forget it, there's no point in talking about these things outside. I'd better just stick with Brother Huan. At least he won't cheat me, and he'll give me some pointers when he has the chance!"

After saying that, she got up and went back to her room to rest, leaving Aunt Xue and Xue Baochai looking at each other in bewilderment.