Jianghan Domain, Bojiang City.
Ever since Jiang Feng and his son returned, the entire Jiang clan had become extraordinarily lively. Every member of the family was united as never before, brimming with an enthusiasm that surpassed anything in living memory.
The Battle of Erdu Pass had already been retold in countless versions throughout the Jianghan Domain, growing into the stuff of legend.
Though the stories varied, they all shared one theme: the young marquis displaying godlike prowess, holding the pass alone against the Dragon Family's army of a million!
He had slain Long Zhaofeng, wiped out the Dragon Family's faction, and struck terror into a million soldiers. Single-handedly, he had turned the tide and propped up the Eastern clan in its darkest hour.
Even Marquis Jianghan himself, Jiang Feng, had to admit that in the Jianghan Domain these days, his son Jiang Chen's fame had absolutely overshadowed his own.
Jiang Feng naturally felt no jealousy over this. Every father dreamed of seeing his son rise like a dragon. And every man had only one person he could accept as his better — his own son.
Being surpassed by one's son was every man's proudest achievement.
Of the Ten Great Tribes of the Jianghan Domain, the Zijing Tribe had already been destroyed. Its affairs were now managed by Jiang Tong's son, Jiang Yu.
The remaining nine tribes had submitted in full, sending envoys to Bojiang City every few days to pledge their loyalty to Jiang Feng. Every last one of them was meek and obedient.
It was hardly surprising. Even the legendary Dragon Soaring Marquis had been crushed with a flick of the wrist. Would these petty tribes dare to defy the Jiang family?
Any hidden ambitions or schemes they might have harbored were now safely tucked away in the face of reality.
Today, the Jiang father and son were the sky above the Jianghan Domain.
Even if Jiang Feng and Jiang Chen declared they were raising an army to overthrow the Eastern clan and seize the entire kingdom, every tribe would rush to answer their call.
In their eyes, the royal house was in decline and everything needed rebuilding. Even if Dongfang Lin took the throne, it would take decades of recovery before the kingdom could stand on its own feet.
The Jiang family, on the other hand, was at the height of its power, its might felt across the land. If they chose to replace the Eastern clan now, not a single marquis in the kingdom would dare resist, let alone voice opposition.
But Jiang Feng and his son seemed to have no such intention whatsoever. Not only would they not raise an army against the Eastern clan — they had even declined every generous reward and title the Eastern royal house offered.
The day Jiang Chen tossed the Marquis's Token back to Dongfang Lu, he had made their position clear: from that moment on, the Jiang family's ties with the royal house were severed. They would never again heed the commands of the Eastern clan.
Even though Dongfang Lin's ascension owed everything to the Jiang family, the Jiangs had shown no interest in being rewarded.
The title of Greatest Marquis in the Realm had been refused outright by father and son.
Fortunately, the Eastern clan understood they simply lacked the power to influence the Jiang family's attitude. If the Jiangs chose to accept, they would be overjoyed. If the Jiangs chose to refuse, they dared not force the issue.
On this particular day, Marquis Jinshan and Marquis Huqiu arrived to pay Jiang Feng a visit while he was handling some estate affairs.
Marquis Jinshan and Marquis Huqiu had been close comrades when Jiang Feng still held the title of Marquis Jianghan — their bond ran deep. When the time came to stand against the Dragon Family, these two houses had followed the Jiangs without hesitation.
Though circumstance had pushed them together, the friendship between the three families was genuine.
"Heh, my honored brothers pay me a visit. I'm just a commoner now — surely you won't hold that against me?" Jiang Feng joked.
"Brother Jiang, free from office and carefree — I actually envy your leisurely days," Marquis Jinshan sighed.
Marquis Huqiu chuckled. "Truth be told, Marquis Jinshan and I owe our positions today to riding your coattails, Brother Jiang. Humbling, truly humbling."
"Ha ha, we're family here — no need for such formalities. Come inside, please." Jiang Feng laughed heartily. He was quite fond of these two old comrades and genuinely happy for their success.
After the kingdom's upheaval, both families had seized the opportunity to recruit considerable talent, their strength growing by leaps and bounds. Riding the Jiang family's momentum, they had risen to become two of the new Four Great Marquises.
"Brother Jiang, I've heard the royal house intends to grant your family the title of Greatest Marquis in the Realm? But you turned it down. Why? You and I struggled for most of our lives to reach this point — now is exactly when we should unite and build our legacy," Marquis Jinshan asked.
Marquis Huqiu nodded in agreement. "If anyone else sits in that seat, neither Marquis Jinshan nor I will accept it. Who besides the Jiang family is worthy?"
Jiang Feng smiled faintly. "My brothers — did Dongfang Lin send you?"
Marquis Jinshan and Marquis Huqiu exchanged a glance and both nodded.
"Brother Jiang, what exactly does the Jiang family plan? We hope you'll give us a straight answer. You know that as long as the Jiang family doesn't speak up, the whole kingdom remains uneasy, lacking any real confidence."
Jiang Feng smiled lightly. "From now on, my Jiang family will have no part in the power struggles of the Eastern Kingdom. You can tell Dongfang Lin to rule as King without worry — we won't follow the Dragon Family's example. To speak bluntly, if we had such intentions, we wouldn't have waited until now."
Marquis Jinshan nodded. "Brother Jiang speaks truly. His Majesty the King isn't worried about that."
"Good — I've said what needs saying. From this point forward, let us simply reminisce as old friends and leave politics aside."
"Ha ha, Brother Jiang, don't rush — there's one more matter. We've been asked to pass along a request."
"Oh? What is it?"
"The other day, Song Tianxing, the Grand Elder of the Medicine Hall, hosted a banquet for us two. He's now leading a group of people who wish to visit you, Brother Jiang. But he feared it might be presumptuous, so he asked us to sound you out first — would you have the time to receive them?"