Chapter 1086.2: Matters within White Deer - Part 2

Although the private residence of the White Deer's Xie Clan was not large, and was far from being as grand as the Divine Capital Xie Family's residence, it was the Xie Clan's ancestral shrine. Being so far away in White Deer Prefecture, the Xie Clan had hardly ever opened its main gate over the years.

Yet today, that main gate, which had not been opened for a long time, was opened. A group of middle-aged men came to stand behind the gate, forming two rows and waiting for the young man to walk inside.

Chen Chao took one look and then walked in.

A middle-aged man stood before Chen Chao with a young man beside him. The middle-aged man was named Xie Ting. He ranked third in the main branch, so everyone in the Xie Clan called him Third Master.

He handled many matters in the clan on a daily basis.

“This is my nephew, Xie Qing. He is closest to Nandu.”

Third Master Xie spoke in a calm voice, without much flattery, while concealing his faint pride very well.

Xie Qing cupped his hands and smiled. “I've long heard of Lord Warden Commander, but I have never had the chance to meet you. Now that I have, Lord Warden Commander truly is as extraordinary and valiant as the rumors say.”

Chen Chao smiled and said, “This official too heard long ago that the Xie Clan is steeped in scholarly refinement. Seeing it today, it truly is as the rumors say.”

Hearing the words ‘this official,’ Third Master Xie's brows involuntarily furrowed, but they quickly smoothed out again, and he smiled. “Could it be that Lord Warden Commander has come this time on official business?”

There was actually a great deal of meaning behind these words; intentionally or otherwise, they were a reminder to Chen Chao.

Chen Chao smiled and said, “It seems that apart from Nandu, the White Deer's Xie Clan has no other officials serving in the imperial court.”

Third Master Xie smiled. “I knew long ago that Lord Warden Commander and my Nandu are deeply in love. In fact, you can already be considered family.”

Chen Chao joked with a smile, “If I am to marry her, I’ll need to prepare a very generous betrothal gift. That worries me quite a bit, too.”

Hearing Chen Chao change the way he referred to himself, a trace of pride appeared between Third Master Xie's brows. “Lord Warden Commander is already, without a doubt, the number one great official of our Great Liang. As for the betrothal gift, what does it matter?”

Chen Chao smiled and shook his head. “I still have to prepare something she has no way of refusing. Third Master, surely you know what she is like?”

That address of “Third Master” made Third Master Xie even happier. If he had not been mindful of Chen Chao’s status, he would probably have patted him on the shoulder long ago and said: Little Chen, not bad.

“But that’s true enough. That girl Nandu has been stubborn since she was little, and she was never very obedient.”

Third Master Xie sighed with vicissitudes of emotion.

Xie Qing, however, shook his head with a smile. “Little Sister was born extraordinary. Otherwise, how could she have become a Great General?”

“This time, I happened to be passing through White Deer Prefecture on the way, so I thought I’d come and see the place where Nandu lived when she was young. I hope it isn’t inconvenient.”

Chen Chao followed them through the Xie Clan’s private residence. In fact, it was much larger inside than it appeared from outside; it would not be an exaggeration to say that it contained another world within.

Xie Qing smiled. “Lord Warden Commander, you aren’t...”

He had only spoken halfway when Xie Qing suddenly realized what he meant and asked, “Lord Warden Commander, do you want to see Little Sister’s residence?”

The White Deer's Xie Clan had been Xie Nandu’s home in the past, but it was actually far too large. There were too many descendants of the Xie Clan, and each had their own place.

Chen Chao smiled and asked, “Could it be that after Nandu left, someone else moved into the place where she used to live?”

Xie Qing shook his head with a smile. “How could that be?”

......

......

Hearing Chen Chao say that he was merely taking a stroll, Third Master Xie found an excuse to leave, leaving only Xie Qing to accompany Chen Chao to the small courtyard where Xie Nandu had once lived.

The small courtyard was somewhat secluded, in the southeastern corner of the Xie Clan residence, but it had the advantage of being quiet.

Chen Chao entered the modest courtyard and came beneath the eaves. Looking at the several banana trees planted beside the courtyard wall, he smiled and said, “This really is the kind of place Nandu would like.”

After saying this, Chen Chao entered the room. Everything here was plain and clean, without any extravagant furnishings.

Sitting before the window and looking at the four treasures of the study on the table, thinking of how that woman had once studied here, Chen Chao smiled.

Xie Qing said with a smile, “Little Sister never quite fit in when she was young. What she loved most was reading. While we were outside playing cuju and the girls were playing shuttlecock, Little Sister would be reading here.”

Chen Chao said, “I heard Nandu say that when she was little, she rarely went to the Xie Clan’s school. It was her father who taught her to read.”

Hearing Chen Chao mention Xie Nandu’s father, Xie Qing said with some sadness, “Sixteenth Uncle was also a born scholar, with profound learning. It’s just a pity that he passed away far too young.”

Chen Chao asked, “Was he also of the main branch?”

Xie Qing nodded.

Chen Chao gave a quiet “Mm” and said, “Since he was of the main branch, he could have inherited the family estate, but he had only Nandu as a child?”

“Sixteenth Uncle was also a devoted man. Sixteenth Aunt passed away early, and Sixteenth Uncle never remarried, so Little Sister was his only child.”

Xie Qing sighed.

Chen Chao said, “His Majesty is the same. There’s nothing wrong with being devoted.”

At the mention of His Majesty the Emperor, Xie Qing glanced at Chen Chao, not daring to say anything.

Chen Chao said, “That father-in-law of mine whom I have never met and will never get to meet, he sounds like he wasn’t the sort of person who would have liked becoming the family head or anything like that, either, was he?”

Xie Qing said, “Everyone said that Sixteenth Uncle would certainly become a great Confucian scholar in his later years. Sixteenth Uncle surely had no interest in the family estate.”

“If he had no interest in the family estate, then why did he die so young?”

Chen Chao fell silent for a while. Looking at the banana trees outside the window, he suddenly asked this question.

As soon as he asked it, Xie Qing was stunned. Only after a moment did he say somewhat nervously, “Sixteenth Uncle was in poor health. He had been that way since he was young. Perhaps after Sixteenth Aunt passed away, he was even more heartbroken, and his body simply couldn’t hold up.”

Chen Chao said, “That makes some sense.”

Although Chen Chao appeared to have agreed with Xie Qing’s explanation, his expression did not seem that way at all.

Xie Qing had originally thought that, because of his relationship with Xie Nandu, this martial artist whose name was known throughout the world probably would not be difficult to deal with. Who would have thought that as they talked, the atmosphere would gradually become serious?

“Are the affairs of the Xie Clan currently being handled by that Third Master?”

Chen Chao reached out, picked up the paperweight on the table, and toyed with it in his hand.

“The family head has not shown himself for a long time. These days, many of the trivial matters are handled by Third Uncle. But Third Uncle is doing so because he has no choice. In private, he has complained many times that the burden on his shoulders is rather heavy.”

Xie Qing spoke, but by now his heart was no longer as calm as before.

In the end, he was somewhat nervous.

Chen Chao said, “If he truly doesn’t want to do it, no one can force him.”

Xie Qing opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Chen Chao suddenly looked at him and said, “This official has been at the Xie Clan for quite some time now. Does your family head truly have no intention of coming to meet this official?”