Zhu Yongfu was startled again by Zhu Yanyi’s words. She now guessed that she might already know everything.
Yet Zhu Yanyi did not speak directly. She just smiled at Zhu Yongfu. “Old Master Zhu, perhaps the Zhu family in Zhu City has a habit of recognizing relatives if there is any connection. But my family does not. We value tradition. Relatives usually share blood ties. If not, they share old friendship. So, recognizing relatives randomly is wrong.”
Zhu Yongfu’s heart skipped a beat. That secret should be unknown to anyone. She narrowed her eyes at Zhu Yanyi. “Little Divine Doctor, your jokes are truly interesting.”
Zhu Yanyi grinned. “It’s not really a joke. A few days ago, I happened to hear a story. It is very interesting. Do you want to hear it, Old Master Zhu?”
“Oh? What kind of story?” Zhu Yongfu prayed in her heart that Zhu Yanyi did not know that matter.
Zhu Xinfu and others were also curious. They wondered what their granddaughter was up to.
Zhu Yanyi remained gentle. She placed her packed medicine box aside and said, “It is interesting. I recently met a very, very old antique character. Of course, you don’t know who she is. She told me a story. A very interesting one. It starts hundreds of years ago.”
Zhu Yanyi spoke slowly, her eyes shining. “It is said that Zhuge Kongming predicted a crisis for the Zhuge family. So, she sent all the Zhuge nephews away to live under hidden names. Unknowingly, one branch came to Zhu City.” Here, Zhu Yanyi looked at Zhu Yongfu. “This is a story. Stories may involve some people and events. Just listen. Do not take it too seriously. Consider it purely fictional if it resembles reality.”
She continued, “The branch that came to Zhu City changed their surname to Zhu. As descendants multiplied, the main family periodically sent out descendants. They claimed collateral branches should build their own lives.
Fortunately, these branches had no objections. They could not get resources from the main family anyway. It was better to build their own clans and become ancestors. So, many Zhu family members left Zhu City. Thus, the Zhu family remaining in Zhu City became the purest bloodline.”
Zhu Yanyi’s eyes flickered slightly. “Until a hundred years ago, a freak appeared in the Zhu family’s direct line. This freak had strange ideas. She believed pure bloodline should only come from within the family. So, she advocated marriage between brothers and sisters, fathers and daughters, mothers and sons. She wanted to create children with even purer bloodlines.
But the idea was absurd. Reality was cruel. Heaven loves to strike such absurd freaks. It gave him a slap. The children born were either disabled or deformed. Occasionally, a healthy one was born, but it did not live past seven years old.
Of course, we know now that close-relative marriage is bad. But that freak did not know. So, the children born under his advocacy were not healthy. This absurd behavior caused the Zhu family’s direct line population to drop instantly.”
Zhu Yanyi looked at Zhu Yongfu. Zhu Yongfu’s face grew heavier. She looked at Zhu Yanyi, seeming to want to know how she knew these things.
Zhu Yanyi smiled slightly, without explaining further. She only said, “The sharp decline in the Zhu family’s direct line population was not a good sign. Forced to find another way, she used kidnappers and swindlers to bring babies from all over the country to serve as Zhu family members. This barely preserved the Zhu family line. But they were no longer Zhu blood. She worried the Zhu family would eventually fall. So, she began to constantly study the notes left by Zhuge Kongming.”
Zhu Yanyi felt a bit thirsty. She stood up, poured a cup of boiling water, drank it, and then continued. “The freak was indeed a freak. Near the age of one hundred, she finally understood a useful clue from Zhuge Kongming’s notes. The clue stated: ‘Possessing the Military Advisor Token can ensure the Zhu family’s eternal prosperity.’
The freak got this clue. However, he was already old. So, he passed this clue down, hoping future Zhu generations could find the Military Advisor Token. Unfortunately, the Zhu family did not understand the token’s function. Later, a rumor spread. The rumor said possessing the Military Advisor Token was proof of direct lineage. After spreading, it became: if someone was outstanding enough, their branch could become the direct lineage. This is how the rumor spread.”
Zhu Yanyi looked at Zhu Yongfu. “Old Master, I imagine you have heard these things too.”
Zhu Yongfu avoided Zhu Yanyi’s gaze. She spoke faintly. “You are just telling a story. Since it is a story, it is naturally false.”
Zhu Yanyi did not mind Zhu Yongfu’s avoidance. She continued, “Even if it is false, there is more. I have only told part of it. Anyway, I have nothing to do today. I will continue telling the story. Telling the truth. I have not told stories for a long time.”
Zhu Xinfu did not know where Zhu Yanyi got this information about the Zhu City Zhu family. But she also wanted to know what secret Zhu Yongfu held. “Hmm, then speak.” She was actually more curious about Zhu Yanyi’s ability. She had been trapped for forty years without hearing this. Yet Zhu Yanyi knew it so clearly. It was truly surprising.
In fact, Zhu Yanyi knew all this from the old camphor tree. The old camphor tree had stood at this village entrance for hundreds of years, experiencing wind and rain, witnessing many things. Therefore, it naturally saw all this happen.
When Zhu Yanyi first learned this, she hardly believed it. The so-called Zhu City Zhu family direct line was no longer Zhu family members. They were just kidnapped children or disaster orphans. But this was not the main point for Zhu Yanyi. The main point was that some people’s hearts were nauseating.
Zhu Yanyi looked deeply at Zhu Yongfu, then continued. “Then I will continue.” She paused, organizing her words, and said, “Time passed quickly for some years. The Zhu family produced a young man. This young man’s talent was average. She had no great ability. But she could not resist one opportunity.”
Zhu Yanyi paused. “Speaking of opportunity, we must mention the miracle of the Nine Stars Alignment. There are many explanations for the Nine Stars Alignment. One explanation is that after millions of years, there will always be an opportunity for the Big Dipper, the moon, and the sun to align in a straight line, forming a line of nine stars.”