I'm only one year old, what the heck is a Overturning System?!-Chapter 431 - 189: A Family with Two Marquises (Please Subscribe)_2

Chapter 431: Chapter 189: A Family with Two Marquises (Please Subscribe)_2

"Even Prince Zhenbei and Marquis Taishan have faced severe criticism, with their merits and demerits offsetting each other."

"The only one awarded was Duke Wuan, Chen Zhiwang, who was posthumously conferred the title of ’Prince with a Single Character Adjacent to His Name.’"

"At the same time, after Chen Taiping succeeded to the marquisate, he also received a plaque inscribed with ’Unparalleled in Loyalty and Valor’ personally written by the Holy Emperor, which now hangs in his study."

Zhou Tiance seemed to be laughing out of extreme anger, his facial muscles twitching slightly as he looked at a corner of the stone table:

"I target the Chen Family not only for the sake of the Zhou Family bloodline’s inheritance, but also for this reason."

"As a Marquis guarding Beixiong Pass, why should only the Chen Family receive rewards from the Holy Emperor?"

Chen Yuan frowned; indeed, this matter seemed somewhat odd.

"Could this also be a plot by the civil servant faction? To divide the three Marquises – Zhou, Chen, Wang?"

Zhou Tiance paused, then sighed: "Perhaps, but I no longer have the time to think about those."

"At that time, upon learning what the civil servants had been doing, I wished I could slaughter them all."

"But when I was about to take action, Xie Jing found me."

"The Left Minister?" Chen Yuan had certainly heard the name before, but only previously when he left Wuliang Mountain to head to the Southern Barbarians, and on the road, he had heard some rumors.

In the rumors, Left Minister Xie Jing held tremendous power, dominating the court for decades, engaging in factionalism and committing all sorts of misdeeds.

But there were also those who said he was a good official who devoted his heart to the people.

Not only was he learned, but also adept in water control, disaster relief, and other areas, doing much good for the people of various State Prefectures.

There were mixed praises and criticisms.

"It was him," Zhou Tiance sighed: "He persuaded me to drop the idea of targeting the civil servant faction."

"The reason is simple—I can’t win!"

"The entire civil servant faction involves the three Academies, the family of various State Prefectures, and many noblemen from the Capital Prefecture, none of which I alone can withstand."

"Even if I fought to the death and killed some of them, it wouldn’t harm the roots of the civil servants; it would be akin to throwing eggs against a rock."

Chen Yuan’s brows furrowed more tightly: "Why would he persuade you? Isn’t he himself the most significant civil servant?"

"The scenes in the eyes of Xie Jing are not imaginable by ordinary people." Zhou Tiance shook his head:

"His words were like an awakening to me; after that, I took over ’Hidden Dragon’ initiated by Guan Wu, intending to take a long-term view."

"But over the years, my situation has increasingly led me to be disheartened... The civil official power is vast and has taken root in Great Wei over a thousand years."

"Intertwined and complex like a spider spinning a web, my desire for a great revenge has already become impossible."

Zhou Tiance’s tone was resigned, but his mood was significantly more stable, as if lifting a heavy stone from his heart, making his whole body feel much lighter.

Chen Yuan watched his grandfather with such expression, as if seeing his inner self for the first time with such detailed scrutiny.

He had no doubts about those previous words, or, to put it better, there was no need to doubt.

Whether it be matters of battle at Beixiong Pass or the strife between civil servants and Marquises, it all felt too remote from him.

He just wanted to understand why Zhou Tiance treated him this way...

"Finally," Zhou Tiance, seeing through his thoughts, said, "Grandpa’s only remaining wish is for you to succeed as Duke Jingye."

Before Chen Yuan could speak, he quickly raised his hand to interrupt: "Don’t be in a hurry to answer, listen to me first, is that okay?"

Chen Yuan closed his mouth and nodded slightly: "Please, Grandpa!"

He had waited so long; he wasn’t about to rush these last moments.

Seeing this, Zhou Tiance mustered a faint smile.

"The reason Grandpa targets Chen Yi is nothing more than to prevent him from becoming a stumbling block for you."

"The tradition of Marquis inheritance has lasted for a thousand years; there has never been a case of two Marquises from the same family, with the predecessor retiring and a successor chosen from the younger generation. It has never changed."

"If you succeed as Duke Jingye, then Chen Yi or Chen Fan would succeed as Duke Wuan."

"Even if you change your surname from Chen to Zhou, in the eyes of others, in the court and the eyes of many ministers, the blood of the Chen Family still flows through your veins."

"At that time, your succession will surely face all sorts of obstructions, so I thought..."

Zhou Tiance’s eyes lifted, his tone slightly proud:

"Once there’s only one qualified heir between the Zhou and Chen Families, there would no longer be a ’two Marquises from one family’ situation."

"I just regret... I shouldn’t have let Chen Yi go, or rather, I should never have allowed Chen Taiping to marry Xia Wanwan; otherwise, it wouldn’t have come to this point."

Chen Yuan clenched his molars, questioning him: "Is this what Grandpa says you did for me?!"

"You’re not doing this for me; you’re doing everything for yourself, for the Zhou Family’s legacy!"

He had been pondering the reasons Zhou Tiance schemed against him and the entire Chen Family, but never anticipated such a petty end.

Just to avoid hindrance, just not to break the Zhou Family legacy, he would have to kill Chen Yi, kill Chen Fan, and end the lineage of the Chen Family.

Such a heart could not be called anything but vicious!

"I suppose so," Zhou Tiance replied without anger; having decided to tell all, he no longer contemplated the rest.

Everything was for the legacy of his Zhou Family!

"Plans cannot keep up with changes, and now Chen Yi has gained power, beyond what man can contend with."

Zhou Tiance looked at Chen Yuan, his voice turning serious: "Grandpa has said so much, only to ask you to agree to one thing."

"Succeed as Duke Jingye, change your surname from Chen to Zhou, and continue the Zhou Family legacy."

Chen Yuan did not hesitate to refuse outright: "Impossible!"

His previous utterance of "deserve to die" had already expressed the resentment in his heart, but it could not ease the frustration within.

He could forgive Zhou Tiance for tossing him into the dungeon, could forgive his forcing him to apprentice under Yan Hai.

But he could never forgive his plotting against his younger brother, much less forgive the planning that led to the death of Ling Yinrong!

It seemed Zhou Tiance had anticipated his response. He stared at him for a long while before slowly saying: