NFBE Chapter 184 Zhou Family
Chapter 184 Zhou Family
The Zhou family's ancestral hall, the Wenwang Temple, and the pavilion in the backyard.
"Grandfather, according to our scouts, there are rumors that a black dragon's phantom ascended to heaven near the First Emperor's mausoleum."
As Zhou Mingrui, who was just over twenty years old, spoke, he placed the tortoise shell in his hand on the inkstone beside him and glanced at the six copper coins he had shaken out on the coffee table.
He casually rummaged through them, looking at both sides, and said:
"Nine days in the month: Hidden dragon, do not act."
"Nine in the fourth place: Perhaps leaping in the abyss, no blame."
"A dragon emerges from the abyss, its claws outstretched!"
"The Qian hexagram, line 95: The flying dragon is in the sky; it is advantageous to see a great man!"
“A group of dragons has a leader…” Zhou Mingrui finished speaking and immediately panicked, knocking a copper coin to the ground!
It makes a crisp "ding-dong" sound!
In the realm of divination, the Zhou family is second to none, and few in the world today dare to claim the top spot. Legend has it that Fuxi, observing the universe, created the Primordial Eight Trigrams. King Wen of Zhou, Ji Chang, possessed extraordinary talent, studied the wisdom of sages and deduced the Later Heaven Eight Trigrams, thus creating the *I Ching*. The Zhou family held almost absolute authority in divination.
Zhou Mingrui wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, bent down to pick up the copper coin, and looked towards the door.
“Grandpa, what is their great fortune is actually their misfortune,” Zhou Mingrui said with a worried expression.
The young man with white hair, holding a fishing rod, fishing by the pond—his surname was Jiang, his given name was Cheng, and his courtesy name was Taigong.
It is said that Jiang Cheng's courtesy name, "Taigong," was given to him in the hope that he could receive the protection of his ancestor Jiang Ziya and thus gain wisdom and enlightenment.
Jiang Cheng glanced back at Zhou Mingrui, shook his head helplessly, and then turned back to continue watching the fishing float on the water.
Seeing that Jiang Cheng didn't pay much attention to him, Zhou Mingrui was not discouraged. After all, the Jiang family had indeed protected the fate of the nation for his Zhou family for more than eight hundred years.
Zhou Mingrui was a man who always considered the potential dangers even in times of peace. Moreover, having interpreted the hexagram as one of great misfortune, he could no longer remain seated.
He stood up and paced back and forth.
Although both are prominent families, the Zhou family is not like the Bai and Jiang families, who are simply employees.
The Bai family were originally employees of the First Emperor. Although the First Emperor's company went bankrupt, no one in the world is making things difficult for the Bai family now, nor can they. The Bai family is too powerful now.
The Jiang family started as employees of King Wen of Zhou. Although they are not as powerful as the Bai family, who also started as employees, they are still considered a second-rate force in the Dragon Kingdom.
The Zhou family was different. Although they were initially employees of King Zhou of Shang, they later overthrew him and became the Zhou emperors.
For nearly a century, the Zhou family has relied on their ability to foresee the future to seize opportunities and suppress the Bai family.
Once the Bai family rises to power, breaking the existing balance of power and mutual restraint, the Zhou family will inevitably be swallowed up without leaving a single hair!
There are too many powerful families in the Dragon Kingdom.
As for Chen Motong's Chen family, they are practically an insignificant family within the Dragon Kingdom.
Let's leave that aside for now. The Chen family couldn't make it in their home country, so they went to the United States on their own initiative.
At the same time, they also needed to rely on the Gattuso family in Europe, and flatter Chen Motong, a member of the family, in order to seek a marriage alliance and gain benefits.
The practice of arranging marriage alliances with foreign tribes was a precedent set by Liu Bang of the Han Dynasty.
Neither the First Emperor Ying Zheng nor any of the rulers before him had ever made such a wise and overly pleasant move.
Zhou Mingrui took three steps to the left, then three steps to the right.
She somehow walked up to Jiang Cheng without him even noticing and sat cross-legged next to him.
Zhou Mingrui looked at Jiang Cheng's face, only to find that Jiang Cheng's eyes were closed, as if he was pretending not to see Zhou Mingrui.
"Grandpa, you have to help me, or the Zhou family is finished." Zhou Mingrui tugged at Jiang Cheng's arm and patted his back. "Grandpa, get on my back, I'll carry you eight hundred steps!"
Jiang Cheng shook off Zhou Mingrui's hand, and without even opening his eyes, said:
"I am deeply grateful for your kindness, young master, but I am afraid I am not worthy of it."
"Moreover, our ancestor Jiang Ziya has protected the Great Zhou for eight hundred years."
"I hope that you will be lenient and return the remnants of my ancestors to me."
(The remains refer to the urn containing Jiang Ziya's bones.)
Seeing Jiang Cheng's cold-heartedness, Zhou Mingrui thought himself superior!
His face instantly darkened.
The Zhou family followed a tradition from the Zhou Dynasty's enfeoffment system, and liked to take in the sons of their employees as hostages.
For this reason, Jiang Cheng and Zhou Mingrui were childhood friends who grew up together.
Because they were well-versed in the Book of Changes and skilled in divination, almost everyone in the Zhou family was very good at scheming.
Jiang Ziya was not tricked by King Wen of Zhou; he voluntarily handed over his urn containing his bones to the Zhou family to protect the fate of the Zhou dynasty.
However, Jiang Ziya's descendants do not think so. They believe that Jiang Ziya must have been tricked by the Zhou family.
Zhou Mingrui stared at Jiang Cheng, gritting his teeth as he said, "Fine! Grandfather, I promise you, if we survive this calamity, I will reward you with the remnants of your grandfather's possessions!"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Cheng's eyelids snapped open, his eyes clear and bright, and he immediately threw away his fishing rod!
Jiang Cheng bowed to Zhou Mingrui and said:
"Young Master Zhou, you are wise!"
Looking at Jiang Cheng's fawning and obsequious attitude, Zhou Mingrui felt as if he had been slapped across the face, and his face instantly turned bright red.
Because Zhou Mingrui knew that Jiang Cheng was not such a petty person, but a great talent, known to outsiders as "the young patriarch of the Jiang family".
Zhou Mingrui's inner monologue: "My ancestors, King Wen and King Wu, I don't understand, I really don't understand! Why are the hearts of these virtuous men so difficult to win over now? Why?!"
Zhou Mingrui left dejectedly, leaving Jiang Cheng alone by the pond.
As soon as Jiang Cheng heard Zhou Mingrui leave, he picked up his fishing rod again and pulled!
There was a crash!
A large red koi carp leaps out of the water!
It is about 70 or 80 centimeters long, with bright red scales and a translucent belly.
Jiang Cheng pulled the koi into his arms, pressed the switch, and removed the "hook" from the koi's mouth.
This hook is specially designed to be retractable and will not harm the fish's mouth.
Jiang Cheng fed the koi another corn kernel, patted its head, and said, "Go on! Learn from your mistakes and don't keep falling for them."
Jiang Cheng spoke as if to the koi, but also as if to himself. After speaking, he threw the koi back into the pond.
One person, one fishing rod, leaves the pond...
Below the plaque at the main entrance of the Zhou family residence.
Ying Zheng stood with his arms crossed in front of the door, surrounded by a group of Zhou family members dressed in black suits.
Ying was at the Bai family home. After discussing the follow-up matters with the old man Bai Ji, he left the Bai family home and rushed to the Zhou family home.
He was well aware of the principle that "to shoot a man, first shoot his horse; to capture a thief, first capture his king."
Ying Zheng's inner monologue:
"The Zhou family, in the end, is not as easy to fool as the Bai family."
"Judging from their formation, things are unlikely to end well today."
"I wonder if the Bai family could even stomach it if the Zhou family were chopped into pieces."
As Ying was pondering, he sensed an unusual aura, which could even be described as the aura of the Dragon King!
He was all too familiar with the aura of the Dragon King—Norton, Shami, Odin, and the like…
At this moment, everyone from the Zhou family made way and consciously stood on both sides!
With white hair and a youthful face, dressed in white, and carrying a fishing rod.
The person who arrived was none other than Jiang Cheng!
He looked at Ying Zheng and asked with a slight smile:
"What is your intention, sir?"