Who is spreading rumors that my filial piety towards them has changed?

The origin of the Filial Piety System is unknown, but Chu Mingkong can obtain Filial Piety Points when he shows filial piety to some elders, but sometimes he cannot. The specific mechanism is not yet clear.

There aren't many items available for purchase in the Filial Piety Shop right now. Chu Mingkong had his eye on a [Heavy Sword Comprehension - Intermediate] item, but he was still 30 Filial Piety Points short of being able to buy it.

"I wonder what level one can comprehend at the intermediate level. It would be great if there were any techniques in the shop that could cure the poison of the Abyss."

As noon approached, Chu Mingkong composed himself, adopted a professional and humble demeanor, and set off for the Zhang family.

The Zhang family still has quite a few elders. Let's see if we can go there to offer a few cups of tea and maybe we can gather enough filial piety for the remaining 30 elders.

------

Zhangzihao Wine Shop in the capital, owned by the Zhang family.

The Third Young Master of the Zhang Family, whose real name is Zhang San, has been spending his time with his cronies in brothels lately. When they're drunk, their conversations naturally become more unrestrained. The young masters are boasting about how the Shangguan family has driven away the prince from his home, which makes Zhang San extremely envious.

A prince of a different surname, whose only superiors are his own father and the emperor. There are very few people in the entire Tianji Empire with such a status, yet the second young lady of the Shangguan family, a civil official, was able to kick such a person out of the house!

The Zhang family sells wine, but businessmen have no power and are inevitably subjected to grievances from both inside and outside the trade. Zhang San greatly envies the power and influence of the Shangguan family.

After that banquet, he dreamed of being in a position of great power, so that his peers and even those from the official wine cellar wouldn't dare to overshadow him.

Today, Zhang San went to his eldest sister to discuss it:

"Elder sister, aren't you exchanging glances with that young master Dang and secretly harboring feelings for him? Why don't you just sever your ties with that Prince Chu and never have anything to do with him again!"

Zhang Yiyi, the eldest daughter of the Zhang family, was a renowned beauty from a wealthy merchant family in the capital. She was shrewd, protective of her own reputation, and frowned as she rebuked:

"Are you seeing ghosts? What nonsense are you spouting? He's still a prince, after all. Are we going to openly give him attitude? Are we looking for death?!"

The Third Young Master of the Zhang Family said urgently:

"It's not what you think. I've heard from my colleagues that the non-royal king of Xiling is now in a precarious situation. Don't be fooled by the fact that our Emperor of Tianji Empire used to be on friendly terms with the Prince of Huai. Now he's eager to get rid of the Prince of Huai's lineage in Xiling. Tell me, who would want to have a powerful non-royal king living in their home?"

"If we drive him away now, that's called self-preservation! It's an act of loyalty to the ruler!"

Zhang Yiyi snatched the small wine cup from her third brother's hand to prevent him from making even more outrageous statements.

"Drinking and acting recklessly in broad daylight. Kick him out? If a prince is kicked out of our family, what will happen to my reputation? How will I get married? Who would want a tigress like me?"

"You can't just watch our Zhang family be seen by the Emperor as being aligned with Prince Huai's lineage, can you? If all else fails, you can hint that you should invite Young Master Dang over for dinner. You can then be very intimate with Young Master Dang at the dinner table, and I'll have the servants do a little something."

Judging from how much the Prince of Chu likes you, you're practically begging for favors from him. I reckon he's even more attentive than when he was fawning over Miss Shangguan. He won't do anything to you, at most he'll just know his place and leave on his own!

I've already discussed this with Young Master Dang, and he said it's acceptable.

Zhang Yiyi hesitated. Her third brother's words made sense. If they continued to associate with the Crown Prince of Chu, the Zhang family would likely face difficulties if the emperor investigated in the future.

Rationally, she should break it off cleanly. Zhang Yiyi had already developed feelings for the young master of the Dang family, but emotionally, she couldn't bear to let go. Chu Mingkong was really good to her; it was hard to imagine that a prince would treat a merchant's daughter so well.

In terms of food, the servants brought her plenty of the finest local fruits from Xiling. When they heard she wanted some snacks or desserts, they even found the best chefs in the capital to come to the Zhang family to cook them for her.

He had never been stingy with her when it came to jewelry. In just over a month of getting to know each other, Chu Mingkong had already given her jewelry no less than ten times.

Of course, these are all secondary factors. The Zhang family could easily afford these things, but they were simply reluctant to spend the money. The most crucial factor was Chu Mingkong's undeniably attractive appearance. He was handsome, with striking phoenix eyes that were increasingly alluring. Coupled with his family background, Zhang Yiyi had been feeling quite smug lately, believing that if she could captivate such a man, she must be no less beautiful than the women on the beauty lists. Her girlfriends were incredibly envious, and Zhang Yiyi herself felt quite proud.

She was simply born into the wrong family; otherwise, she would have been at least a princess!

When Zhang San saw that his sister had agreed, he secretly chuckled to himself. He had already secretly bought a viewing stone with his meritorious sons, and when the time came, the prince's ugly behavior at the dinner table would be exposed to the public.

Hahahahahaha!

--------

At mealtime, Chu Mingkong had already arrived at the Zhang family's house and was waiting for the meal to be served.

Chu Mingkong picked up his chopsticks to pick up some food. Just as the chopsticks were about to fall on a piece of meat that was neither too big nor too small, the Third Young Master of the Zhang family shouted that he was hungry and took the piece of meat away, then put it in his mouth with a grin.

Seeing Chu Mingkong's chopsticks freeze in mid-air, the Third Young Master of the Zhang family offered a rather unapology:

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Prince Chu. I've been so busy with the winery these past few days that I was so focused on being hungry that I forgot to notice you wanted to eat."

"Small things."

Chu Mingkong smiled calmly and nodded to Zhang San, indicating that he didn't mind. Zhang San immediately exchanged a glance with his eldest sister:

See? He's such a coward!

Zhang Yiyi said vaguely, "Young Prince, you usually eat delicacies at home. Will you not be used to the food at my house?"

Translate this to mean: We might not be a good match.

Chu Mingkong seemed oblivious, looking intently into Zhang Yiyi's eyes, tapping his wine glass, and commenting:

"I keep my meals simple at home, and there's no such thing as the legendary 'Hainan Feast' here. But the Zhang family's wine is really no good. If their business outside is also made with this kind of watered-down flavor, their business will only decline and eventually be reduced to the level of cheap street-side liquor."

One-third of this wine is water, and the wine itself was already diluted before the water was added, so the taste is hard to evaluate.

"Young Prince, you're mistaken. My family makes a living from the wine business. How can you say my wine is inferior?!"

Zhang San immediately became angry, startling his father, mother, and concubine who were standing nearby.

"You scoundrel, sit down! Who do you think you're talking to with that tone?!" his father scolded.

In this life, Chu Mingkong had never suffered such humiliation before. Compared to this family, his previous "girlfriend's" family, the Shangguan family, was incredibly friendly. Yet, he still didn't pursue the matter, his gaze falling on the man next to Zhang Yiyi.

Just now, Zhang Yiyi and this man were passing food to each other.

Although Chu Mingkong and Zhang Yiyi don't have any real relationship, let alone feelings, since they are currently in a "free love" relationship arranged by the emperor, isn't it inappropriate for you to openly get close to other men?

"Hey!"

He sighed, a sigh tinged with disappointment and mockery. He glanced around at the people at the table, too lazy to even ask who the man was. It was clearly a show he was putting on for him. If you're not going to pretend anymore, then I won't either.

Chu Mingkong scooped up a bowl of scalding hot soup and splashed it on Zhang San's face with a "whoosh." Zhang San howled and rolled around, covering his face. His mother, Madam Zhang, rushed to her third son's side to check on him and hurriedly ordered a servant to bring clean water to wash him.

"It's fine for a businessman to be clever, but he shouldn't use it on such trivial matters. That's too petty. Ten days after I met Miss Zhang, the wine she gave me was half-watered down, the bowl had a chipped corner, and the chopsticks had flaws in their patterns, but I can ignore all of that."

"My relationship with Miss Zhang is at least partly due to the Emperor's intentions. That's why I'm so respectful. But you, Zhang Yiyi, have brought your lover into the open and are even blatantly sharing food with him. If I let this slip out a little, guess what will happen? The Zhang family will be left without protection, making them a piece of fat meat that everyone can get their hands on."

"Let's talk about your son Zhang San. His name is quite audacious. What kind of thoughts did he have that made him dare to act so arrogantly towards me, the young master? Xiling is a border war zone. Someone like Zhang San would be lucky to have his tongue cut out."

Chu Mingkong picked up the wine glass and splashed the wine directly onto Zhang Yiyi's face, ruining her makeup.

"Is this your diluted water? Is this how you do business? I've given you quite a few pieces of jewelry; buying you a few good meals and drinks shouldn't be a problem, right?"

As for that so-called "Young Master Dang," Chu Mingkong didn't take him seriously.

Zhang San's blood boiled with rage, and he was blinded by anger. The thought that the viewing stone had exposed his shameful state and that he would never be able to face his friends again made him lose all rationality. He pushed his mother away, roared with a bloodshot face, and threw his fist at Chu Mingkong.

"You bastard, stop!"

When Zhang's father stopped him, a chill ran down his spine.

Hitting a prince is a capital offense, and his son has learned some basic skills from his second brother who is in the army. He is also at the Great Perfection of the First Rank in cultivation. How could this sickly scholar prince withstand a punch?

Chu Mingkong simply extended two fingers and flicked them lightly. Zhang San felt as if he had been hit in the lungs by a galloping horse, his body crashing through the wall and flying out onto the street.

Chu Mingkong, the culprit, suddenly became dejected and said with worry, "I'm really useless now. My control over my strength is so weak. I just wanted to flick someone's head to greet them, but I didn't expect to send them flying."

Not only the servants who rushed over, but even the meritorious sons on the other side of the viewing stone were dumbfounded.

Chapter Three: I Only Have Filial Piety

In the main hall of the Zhang family home, the aroma of food filled the air, along with a faint scent of alcohol.

One moment they were fighting fiercely, the next they were completely silent.

The thought of impending doom flashed through the minds of the Zhang family. Their daughter and third son had conspired to offend the young prince. If it were just a minor bump or scratch, they could have sought forgiveness and paid some money to avoid trouble. But now, the eldest daughter's actions were tantamount to putting a hat on the young prince's head, and doing so openly. The third son was even more blinded by greed, actually trying to make fun of the young prince and even beating him up!

The pillar of the Zhang family, Zhang's father, was stunned. After thinking it over, he realized that the only options were a violent death or a death standing up. His mentality crumbled, and the composure he had cultivated over the years collapsed at this moment.

"Those two damned brats! Ancestors, I, Zhang Niangjiu, have failed my ancestors! I didn't kill them when they were born! Now the Zhang family is in trouble, and we can't even protect our ancestral property!"

No matter how shrewd Zhang Yiyi was, merchants were utterly defenseless against powerful clans and wealthy families. Her mind went blank, and she couldn't understand why she had made such a foolish mistake...

Just as she was about to plead with the young master, Chu Mingkong slightly raised his hand to stop Zhang Yiyi's plan, and then looked at the elders of the Zhang family.

The Zhang family is not a small household. Since he was coming today, the second and third wives were eating elsewhere and did not stay in the main hall.

A beautiful woman must have inherited her good looks from her beautiful mother. Zhang's mother looked to be under forty years old, with excellent facial bone structure. Unfortunately, she was crying her eyes out, so Chu Mingkong decided not to upset her.

He then looked at Zhang's father's concubine, Madam Xing. This woman was in her early thirties, with a good appearance and a shapely figure. Moreover, she seemed to be intentionally displaying her concubine charm. When she dressed as the principal wife and Zhang's master, her breasts bounced quite a bit, so as to ensure that she would not suffer too much in the Zhang family.

It seems like this is the only one who can speak normally; the others are crying so hard they're almost dying. But this is really quite a big deal.

Chu Mingkong poured himself a glass of water and offered it as a toast to Zhang's concubine, Madam Xing: "I don't intend to pursue anything with you. Relax. I don't like watered-down wine, so I'll just use water instead as a farewell toast. You don't need to worry too much about being held accountable later."

Concubines had a very low status. They couldn't even be called "Madam" in the house; they could only be called "Auntie," which was equivalent to being a servant of the master and the principal wife.

When Lady Xing saw the Crown Prince of Chu offering her a toast, she was terrified and at a loss for what to do, fearing it would damage their social standing. But for now, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and go along with it.

She stole a few glances at Chu Mingkong's handsome face, and her heart started pounding. The blush on her face was hard to tell whether it was from rouge or from her nervousness.

Unable to find wine, she substituted hot soup for it, saying with her head down:

"Your Highness, Madam Xing has offered this soup instead of wine. We hope you will forgive us for our poor hospitality."

In her panic, Madam Xing's hand trembled, spilling the scalding hot soup. At the critical moment, Chu Mingkong reached out and grabbed the soup bowl. Madam Xing, with her voluptuous figure, was spared from being burned by the hot soup, but Chu Mingkong was the one who got burned.

The Zhang family had initially breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that Chu Mingkong was willing to show leniency, but now that this unexpected turn of events had occurred, their hearts sank to the bottom once again.

Zhang's father was about to curse, but Chu Mingkong's attitude remained unchanged. He simply wiped his hands with a handkerchief, showing no sign of anger.

"It's nothing, the most important thing is that Aunt Xing wasn't burned! Zhang Yiyi and I don't have a confirmed relationship. It's just that the Emperor asked us to try our luck. Although we didn't succeed in our attempt, I still consider you an elder. If I were to burn Aunt Xing's hand while offering her a farewell toast, I would be the one who would feel the most guilty."

Madam Xing's heart trembled. She was just a concubine with some looks, no different from a servant. She was not necessarily cared for like this even in her master's house. Yet Chu Mingkong, such a handsome young master, treated her with such respect.

"Your Highness is too kind. I am but a lowly concubine, how could I possibly deserve such treatment from you..."

[System reward has arrived, 5 points of filial piety.]

Chu Mingkong felt a chill run down his spine and became even more attentive to the Xing family's attitude:

“I grew up in that wild land and military camps, where etiquette is nothing like that of the capital. In my eyes, if you are not a wicked person, all elders are the same. You need to distinguish between superiors and inferiors in public, but at home, there is no such thing as noble or lowly!”

[System reward has arrived, 5 points of filial piety.]

[System reward has arrived, 5 points of filial piety.]

[System reward has arrived...]

Wow, although this concubine doesn't give much at once, it's a steady stream that never stops. Chu Mingkong never expected it to be so effective.

Chu Mingkong didn't intend to stay too long. If he stayed any longer, people would start to suspect that he and Zhang's concubine were having an affair. It was enough to show him proper filial piety!