Chapter Forty-Nine: The History of the Su Family

The Su family was no ordinary household.

Yet, among the wayward young scions of Chang'an City, Su Chen was considered the most down-and-out at the time.

Compared to figures like Chen Chumere and Li Huaren, he lagged significantly behind.

At first, he assumed his father's official rank must have been rather low.

However, that was not the case at all.

Su Chen's father, Su Dan, held the prestigious position of Palace Secretary.

This was by no means a low rank.

"Brother, there are some things I believe it is necessary to tell you. Do you know what our grandfather and great-grandfather used to do?"

Su Wan'er felt that certain matters needed to be shared with Su Chen. After all, he had grown up, whereas previously he was too young to be told.

Now, however, Su Chen was fully capable of standing on his own two feet and was no longer the hopeless good-for-nothing of the past.

Although the Su family currently held a certain standing within the imperial court, they handled everything with extreme caution.

Even Su Wan'er had maintained a remarkably low profile to become the Crown Princess.

Let alone Su Chen's father, Su Dan.

Even recently, while Su Chen was making a great stir outside, Su Dan seemed to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to it all.

Furthermore, their Su family was not exceptionally wealthy, living merely on par with ordinary official-class families.

"Sister, I truly knew nothing of these matters. You must tell me about them, as nobody has ever mentioned them before."

Hearing this, Su Chen already knew something was amiss.

It seemed the origins of the Su family were far from simple.

Otherwise, they would not conduct themselves with such extreme discretion and cautiousness, as if treading on thin ice.

Su Wan'er glanced around to ensure there were no outsiders nearby before she dared to reveal the truth to Su Chen.

"Our ancestors held prominent positions in the previous dynasty."

Su Wan'er was referring to the Sui Dynasty.

Back during the Sui Dynasty, the Su family had held key positions in the imperial court, and many officials had close ties with them.

Yet the Sui Dynasty had already perished.

Now belonged to the realm of the Great Tang.

The Su family remained so cautious precisely out of fear that should any trouble arise, their past might be dug up, bringing endless disaster upon them.

Although Li Sumin no longer held grudges against officials from the Sui Dynasty, serving the emperor was like sleeping alongside a tiger. Who could guarantee that one day Li Shimin might not suddenly draw his blade against these people?

At these words, sudden enlightenment dawned on Su Chen, and everything finally made sense.

So his grandfather, great-grandfather, and other elders had served as officials in the Sui Dynasty.

This explained why the Su family, despite serving as officials in the current imperial court, maintained such an exceedingly low profile.

It was abundantly clear why Su Dan had never wanted to groom Su Chen to enter the imperial court.

No matter how much chaos he caused outside, as long as he did not become an official in the court, anything else could be easily managed.

Previously, Su Chen could not fathom why this was the case, but through Su Wan'er's explanation, he finally understood completely.

"Sister, I understand. You need not say too much more; I comprehend everything now. In the past, your younger brother was ignorant, but things are different now."

Su Chen fell silent for a moment and nodded repeatedly.

The Su family's actions were indeed entirely justified.

This was now the world of the Great Tang, and if they were to act too ostentatiously, the consequences would be dire.

Supreme virtue is like water; by placing oneself below others, one can endure for long.

"Brother, it is wonderful that you can understand this. I did not tell you these things before because you were still immature, but before long, Father may have to leave Chang'an City, and I felt it truly necessary to inform you."

Through Li Chengqian, Su Wan'er had caught wind of certain news circulating within the imperial court.

As it turned out, this recent court reshuffle would also have a certain impact on Su Chen's father.

However, even Su Wan'er was unaware of the exact arrangements.

"You mean Father is going to leave the Su Manor for somewhere else?"

Ever since crossing over into the Great Tang, many days had passed, yet Su Chen had not once laid eyes on his ready-made father.

On one hand, this was because his newfound father was bogged down by official duties in the court and lacked the time to see his son.

On the other hand, unless something major happened, Su Dan rarely sought out his children.

"I have only heard fragments of the news; the exact situation remains unknown. However, it is likely he is being posted to another region."

Su Wan'er shook her head.

Naturally, as a woman of the inner chambers, she was not privy to the specific arrangements of the court.

However, whether this ready-made father of Su Chen's was in Chang'an City or not made little difference in daily life.

Su Chen simply had not expected Li Shimin to make such an arrangement. To pull his father out of Chang'an City at this particular juncture—he could not quite figure out what the true intention was.

"Rest assured, Sister. From now on, I will surely stir up fewer troubles, try my best to avoid conflict, and bring no trouble to the family."

Su Chen could sense that if his father were transferred away, he would lose a major backing.

No matter what, this was his father, someone who could offer him assistance, especially within the imperial court.

Yet Li Shimin's decision to transfer him left Su Chen's hopes dashed.

"I know my brother has grown up and become much more sensible. Just be cautious in everything you do; I will not lecture you further. For now, I will keep these five hundred taels of silver safe on your behalf. Tell me whenever you need to use them."

Su Wan'er had no intention of leaving the silver with Su Chen.

She took the five hundred taels of silver away with her directly.

For Su Chen, this sum was no longer particularly significant, as his consecutive sales of the Taibai liquor had already earned him a substantial fortune.

Su Chen escorted his sister all the way out of the medical clinic.

This time, while Su Wan'er had ostensibly come to collect the Wuji Baifeng Pills, she had actually come to impart numerous lessons to Su Chen, including the family's past history.

This was also her way of reminding Su Chen indirectly to maintain a low profile in all future endeavors.

Because Su Chen had recently acted with too much flair and attracted Li Shimin's attention, it might not bode well for their family.

The Su family had always maintained a low profile precisely out of fear that Li Shimin might dredge up matters from the Sui Dynasty.

Yet Su Chen alone knew that Li Shimin would never unearth such old grievances.

If Li Shimin were petty enough for that, he could never have become the Eternal Emperor.

"So the Su family carries such a history. No wonder Father keeps such a low profile in Chang'an."

Su Chen finally grasped the entire sequence of events from beginning to end.

Not long after Su Wan'er departed, someone from the Su Manor arrived to look for Su Chen. As it turned out, Su Chen's father—the Palace Secretary Su Dan—demanded that Su Chen return to the manor immediately, as there were matters to discuss.

"It seems my ready-made father is finally going to show his face. Having been in the Great Tang for so many days, it is high time I went to pay my respects to this father of mine."