Good Brother An has always been wise, having experienced dynastic changes, and he gave up on the fantasy of Great Chu two years ago, urging him to move south and find a place for the Ouyang family to survive.

Good Brother An said, "I cannot leave; my life and death are tied to Great Chu, but I can’t watch you and the descendants of the Ouyang family perish in the Capital... You leave the Capital, settle in the Northeast or South; only with you as an elder outside the city can the younger ones have an excuse to leave the Capital when trouble arises."

This strategy of Good Brother An is excellent, and he enjoys traveling, spending long periods outside, known to all Great Chu. Even the suspicious Emperor Jingyuan won’t doubt he’s outside finding a way out for the Ouyang family, thinking he’s merely traveling again.

Therefore, no matter how much he wants to see Good Brother An, he cannot return.

If the situation in Great Chu is not optimistic, he must slowly bring the younger members of the Ouyang family out.

Gu Jin’an looked at Master Ouyang’s anguished expression and has already guessed half of the reason, speaking of an incident concerning Brother Cheng: "Last year, on the student’s eighteenth birthday, Brother Cheng sent two gifts, one being all his pocket money on a study inkstone. But Xiao Yu said the student already had many inkstones, and Brother Cheng, being the most favored younger brother, giving another inkstone was simply perfunctory."

"Brother Cheng became impatient, seeing the student learning to carve a jade seal, decided to handcraft a birthday gift himself. But his pocket money was spent, unable to buy good jade, ultimately learning from Father, he found a tree root and carved a wooden seal for the student."

Gu Jin’an speaking, untied a pouch from his waist, took out a wooden seal, and handed it to Master Ouyang: "This is it."

Master Ouyang took a look, disdainfully said, "This? It’s really ugly; what kind of hands did he have to carve the wooden seal like this?"

The characters were illegible, not to mention the cloud patterns, looking like weeds without any order.

Gu Jin’an laughed and said, "It’s indeed unpresentable, yet it’s the student’s favorite birthday gift. When the student received this gift, he was very proud, felt that the younger brother he raised had finally grown up, become sensible, as long as he continued to progress, would no longer worry about him in the future."

After a pause, he continued, "Even though you cannot return to the Capital to accompany Elder Ouyang, you can occasionally make some gifts by hand and send them back to the Capital. Elder Ouyang receiving handmade gifts from you would be immensely happy."

This is the joy and pride every brother feels. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Master Ouyang was taken aback and smiled, "You kid, making such a detour just to tell me this? Very well, old man remembers and will try to send some handmade items to my brother."

This kid, Good Brother An, was reassuring him, he accepted this kindness.

"You have been tired for so many days, go back and rest, old man is fine now." Master Ouyang spoke with Gu Jin’an for a while, feeling much more comfortable, and the guilt towards his brother lessened significantly.

Gu Jin’an was very perceptive, seeing Master Ouyang in a good mood, he got up and said, "Yes, student will return first, you old man have a good rest."

Ah Song accompanied Gu Jin’an out the door, gave a salute before saying farewell, "Good Brother An, thank you, without you, Second Old Master would feel guilty for a long time."

In fact, before the drought in Great Chu, Second Old Master had returned to the Capital, decided not to travel, to stay with Great Old Master until his end.

But subsequently experiencing Duke Wei’s lineage being exterminated, Northwest drought, Emperor Chu’s ineffective disaster relief, disasters caused by the situation, Second Old Master left the Capital and traveled around Great Chu.

Since then, Second Old Master’s mood has been poor, often suffering from insomnia.

Ah Song knew Second Old Master feared that if something happened to Great Old Master, he would not make it back in time to see him for the last time.

Second Old Master also understands that once the new bank opens, Great Old Master will have to be summoned to meet the Emperor... Second Old Master least wants to see Great Old Master, at his age, bow and scrape to Emperor Chu for him, but there’s no choice, cried secretly twice.

Tonight, thanks to Good Brother An, otherwise Second Old Master would have troubled himself for a long time.

Gu Jin’an shook his head and said, "Brother Song, you overstate; Master Ouyang is doing this for us."

The matter of the new bank is beyond our capabilities, neither Young Master Dou can bear it, only Elder Ouyang can dispel Emperor Chu’s doubts and turn this matter dreaded by Emperor Chu into something praised.

After chatting briefly with Ah Song, Gu Jin’an let him return to take care of Master Ouyang, but he did not leave immediately, he waited until Master Ouyang fell asleep, then returned to the residence arranged by Magistrate Gu.

Young Master Dou lived in the same courtyard with him, hearing the noise, came out to ask, "Is the old man alright?"

Cannot afford the old man to collapse, or else Dou Ke would be in for it.

Gu Jin’an said, "No problem, he is already asleep."

"Asleep is good, you also hurry up to sleep, it’s exhausting." Young Master Dou yawned and returned to his room to sleep.

Gu Jin’an was also extremely exhausted and soon fell asleep.

They slept soundly, but Shen Si, Third Young Master Ying, and Fifth Young Master Zongzheng were too angry to sleep.

"Ha, Ouyang Hu thinks this can cut off our financial path?" Zongzheng Qin sneered and asked Third Young Master Ying, "Brother Ying, with Ouyang Family’s intervention, will your family continue this business?"

Third Young Master Ying chuckled, looking out the window into the dark night, saying, "Whether Ouyang Family steps in or not has no bearing on whether Ying Family wants to engage in this business."

The Ying Family, does not fear the Ouyang Family.

After saying this, he turned to Zongzheng Qin, saying, "But Brother Qin, does your family dare to continue this business?"

Zongzheng Qin said, "Humph, why not?"

The Emperor lacks money, as long as farmers can pay taxes, the Emperor profits. Then when grandfather presents a sum of silver to the Emperor, it’s all joy, no fear of Ouyang Hu’s words about robbing the Emperor of silver and land.

Nowadays, the highest official in the Ouyang Family is merely a Minister of Rites, such an unimportant position, wanting to suppress them?

Don’t mention Ouyang Hong; the old man is over eighty, could die at any moment, and he no longer holds real power, what can he do relying on the little prestige among scholars?

Giving him face calls him Elder, without face he is an old undying.

After hearing, Third Young Master Ying smiled slightly and said, "With Brother Qin’s assurance, I am relieved."

But Zongzheng Qin and Third Young Master Ying are too young, underestimating Ouyang Hong’s status in Emperor Chu’s mind, their plans are doomed to fail and they will pay the price.

After hearing, Shen Si laughed and said, "Since Ying Family and Zongzheng Family have decided to continue in this business, then we must hurry."