Several old men finally used their identities as "elders" and "clan elders" to deal with Xie Mingxian. Xie Mingxian had thought about such a possibility long ago. In fact, ever since Xie Mingxian realized where his personal problem lay, he not only didn't find it ridiculous for the old gentlemen to do so, but even thought these old men would inevitably make such a choice. After all, they were prominent figures in the village and valued their face higher than the sky. If they were really asked to roll on the ground and make a scene, the old men probably wouldn't be able to do it.

Seeing the Provincial Party Secretary being so embarrassed, the secretary could no longer bear it. He leaned close to Xie Mingxian and whispered: "Secretary Xie, how about I invite the comrades from the troops over?"

Xie Mingxian shook his head slightly, "No need. I came to attend a funeral, not to conduct a sweep."

"But these people are too excessive." The secretary still couldn't help his anger.

Xie Mingxian shook his head slightly. In the secretary's view, the "enemy" was pressing forward step by step, almost reaching the point of revealing the dagger. But in Xie Mingxian's view, these people in front of him had basically reached the end of their wits. Although he didn't know what specific steps they would take, long-term struggle made Xie Mingxian very clear that with just one small step, one last small step, these people would collapse.

Without making Xie Mingxian wait too long, his "classmate" ran up and said to Xie Mingxian, "Brother Mingxian, we are all fellow villagers; why do you have to do this?"

Xie Mingxian didn't say a word, waiting for his "classmate" to lay out the path. Xie Mingxian's "classmate" did not disappoint him. He continued: "How about this, Brother Mingxian, let's go to the ancestral hall. The elders are not unreasonable people. As long as we talk properly, we can definitely make sense."

"I won't go to the ancestral hall. And I came today to attend the funeral; I want to bury my mother. Or do you think I can't bury my mother?" Xie Mingxian said loudly, his sharp gaze making the classmate in front of him almost shudder.

"Absolutely not, absolutely not!" Xie Mingxian's classmate hurriedly said. At this moment, he suddenly regretted being too impatient and accidentally revealing his cards, allowing Xie Mingxian to seize the reason. But what this classmate said just now was what the eldest branch of the Xie family cared about most. Xie Mingxian's father, as a side branch, had always been too capable, consistently suppressing the eldest branch. After Xie Mingxian occupied a high position, Xie Mingxian's father seemed even more estranged from the eldest branch of the Xie family. The eldest branch of the Xie family not only didn't get any benefits because of Xie Mingxian but also suffered government crackdowns because of the water grabbing fight. If they couldn't take this opportunity to control Xie Mingxian, once Xie Mingxian left, they would have to go to Xie Mingxian's territory to find him in the future.

But what could have been planned calmly was completely destroyed by Xie Mingxian's father, Xie Fuzheng's plan to bury quickly. There was no grand banquet, nor beating of gongs and drums. The eldest branch originally thought that Xie Mingxian would quarrel fiercely with Xie Fuzheng because of such a simple funeral after returning. Unexpectedly, Xie Mingxian actually made the same choice as his father Xie Fuzheng. If a hundred or so soldiers forcibly carried the person out for the funeral, giving the eldest branch of the Xie family ten guts, they wouldn't dare to stop it.

However, care leads to chaos. Xie Mingxian's classmate accidentally said something that Xie Mingxian caught, and Xie Mingxian made it clear that he would not let go of this opportunity. No matter how Xie Mingxian's classmate tried to defend himself, Xie Mingxian continued to say loudly as if he didn't hear it: "My mother is lying in the room now. Do you just not want my mother to be buried? If you think so, you might as well say it directly."

Once overwhelming the opponent in momentum, Xie Mingxian was not a weak character. A weak guy could not become a Provincial Party Secretary no matter what. More importantly, Xie Mingxian had thoroughly understood that this was just a conflict of interest among the masses. No matter what thoughts were behind it, the problem must be limited to the matter itself. Obviously, Xie Mingxian's opposition was bent on muddying the waters, while what Xie Mingxian had to do was precisely to guide the problem to specific issues. In the process of killing Cai Yuanpei, Xie Mingxian understood this very well.

Being questioned and rebuked by Xie Mingxian like this, the arrogance of the people outside the door was knocked down by a large chunk. Anyway, it wasn't a life-and-death moment, and no one would act recklessly regardless of everything. In Hubei under the rule of the People's Party, even if the eldest branch of the Xie family didn't get extra benefits, life was getting better day by day. Asking them to kill officials and rebel, they had neither the guts nor the intention. Seeing that the plan was about to fail completely, several elders could only strictly guard the bottom line.

"Mingxian, if you want to bury your mother, we won't say anything, nor will we stop you." The Granduncle took over the conversation, "But for thousands of years, there has been no rule of burying a concubine through the main gate. This can only be done by opening the wall. If you want to break this rule now, we old men will never agree. Whatever you say now won't work! If you don't want the troops to come, we will help you open the wall. In short, this rule cannot be broken. If you insist on going through the main gate, I will stop you no matter what."

The situation that was somewhat tense just now was turned into something like relying on old age to sell old age with a few words. Xie Mingxian's secretary felt that this face change was a bit too fast. But right now, Xie Mingxian fell into an even more difficult situation. If he had sent troops to deter them at the beginning, even if the reason was far-fetched, at least there was a reason. Now there was no chance to use force. While thinking quickly of a way in his mind, the secretary looked at Xie Mingxian.

Hearing this, Xie Mingxian said loudly: "Granduncle, you say my mother cannot go out from this door, then I ask you, can I go out from this door? If I go out from this door, will you stop me?"

These words were inevitably somewhat inexplicable. The group of the eldest branch of the Xie family at the door looked at each other, really not understanding what Xie Mingxian meant. Xie Mingxian didn't give these people too much time either. He took a step forward and continued to ask loudly: "If I, Xie Mingxian, go out from this door, will you stop me?"

The people blocking the door looked at Xie Mingxian's imposing manner looking down from above and couldn't help taking a step back. The Granduncle calmed himself and looked at Xie Mingxian with suspicious eyes, "It's okay if you go out from this door, but if you carry your mother with others, it won't do."

"Good, that's settled." Xie Mingxian answered loudly. After speaking, he strode towards the back room under everyone's surprised gaze.

But he heard the Granduncle behind him say: "Mingxian, I advise you to open a hole in the wall to go out. We are family; after opening the hole, carrying the coffin for the funeral, we will definitely not let you do it yourself."

Xie Mingxian didn't look back and walked straight to his own back room. Such a dispute had long alerted the people in the back room. Xie Mingxian's cousins hid at the door listening with pricked ears for a long time. Seeing Xie Mingxian come in, they all looked at Xie Mingxian with complex eyes.

"Everyone prepare for the funeral; I'll have to trouble you all now." Xie Mingxian said to the people in the room.

Xie Mingxian's eldest cousin looked out from the room door and saw the dark crowd blocking the door outside. He gasped and dared not move. After a while, he said: "My legs are soft; I'm afraid I can't carry it."

Hearing this, Xie Mingxian was a bit dumbfounded. However, he didn't want to complicate matters anymore. Ignoring the cowardly eldest cousin, Xie Mingxian asked the other cousins: "Who else can't carry it? Say it now."

Immediately, three other cousins expressed that they were afraid they couldn't do it. Only the three youngest cousins looked eager to try, "Brother Mingxian, we are willing to carry."

Xie Mingxian was slightly troubled. Carrying the coffin required six people, and according to his plan, it had to be six people. Even with three cousins plus Xie Mingxian's secretary, four people were probably not enough.

Seeing Xie Mingxian's expression, his father Xie Fuzheng said slowly: "If there are not enough people, let your brothers help you."

These words surprised Xie Mingxian quite a bit. His younger brother Xie Minggu was fine, but his elder brothers had been Xie Mingxian's enemies since childhood and usually didn't even talk. Seeing Xie Mingxian's hesitant expression, Xie Fuzheng didn't say anything more but just went into the inner room. Soon, he walked out with Xie Mingxian's younger brother Xie Minggu and Xie Mingxian's second elder brother Xie Mingwang. Not seen for more than ten years, Xie Mingwang had also changed from a young man to a sturdy middle-aged man.

Continuing the antagonistic appearance from childhood, Xie Mingwang didn't exchange pleasantries with Xie Mingxian at all, just standing quietly beside his father.

"Six people, carry it." Xie Fuzheng said. Everyone agreed and walked towards the front hall. Xie Mingxian's cousin ran excitedly to the front, about to grab the frontmost bar end, but heard Xie Mingxian's brother Xie Mingwang say: "Let our Xie family members carry the front."

Xie Mingxian's cousin was stunned, and a look of dissatisfaction immediately appeared on his face. Xie Mingxian hurried up to comfort his cousin. To show respect, he let his secretary stand at the very back position. No matter how dissatisfied Xie Mingxian's cousin was, he dared not not give face to Xie Mingxian. With a slightly sullen look, they gave up the front row.

Although he had heard the word "tai gang" (arguing/bickering, literally carrying a bar) and heard that those troublemakers would be called "gang tou" (bar head) in some places, Xie Mingxian couldn't guarantee whether his brother counted as a "gang tou." Feeling slightly uneasy in his heart, Xie Mingxian had no other way to think of. That his brother, who was usually not close, could stand up was already greatly beyond Xie Mingxian's expectations.

Xie Mingxian hurriedly said: "Thank you, brother. It's just that I'm afraid everyone will have to suffer a bit more next."

Xie Mingwang just hummed softly but said nothing more. Then, under everyone's gaze, Xie Mingxian stepped on the stool next to the coffin and climbed onto the coffin. He held the two frontmost sides of the coffin tightly with both hands, then his shoulders were level with the front edge of the coffin, and his head protruded from the front of the coffin. Under the surprised gaze of the six coffin bearers, Xie Mingxian said: "Alright, let's go."

Just now, everyone heard that Xie Mingxian and "Granduncle" reached an agreement. No one could stop Xie Mingxian from going out, but if Xie Mingxian carried his mother out, he must be stopped. Everyone never expected Xie Mingxian to actually play such a trick. The faces of the six coffin bearers were either surprised or simply showed smiles completely unsuitable for a funeral.

Amidst the confusion, they heard Xie Fuzheng say slowly: "Carry and go."

After speaking, Xie Fuzheng put the bag containing paper money on his shoulder and walked out first.

The people outside didn't expect that Xie Mingxian, a dignified Provincial Party Secretary, would act so shamelessly. But seeing the coffin lifted up, Xie Mingxian's head extending in front of the coffin, and the coffin moving step by step towards the courtyard gate with the efforts of six people.

Now the people at the door were anxious. Just as they wanted to rush forward, Xie Mingxian's few timid cousins showed enough cleverness at this time. They hurried forward to block the crowd, managing to protect the gate at any rate.

When the coffin reached the door, Xie Mingxian said loudly: "Granduncle, are you blocking the door to not let me go out?"

"Mingxian, what are you doing?" That Granduncle's face almost turned white with anger. After being choked by Xie Mingxian's words just now, he really had no way to say anything more now.

They only saw Xie Mingxian lying on the coffin shouting: "I want to go out now; none of you stop me."

At this time, whether those trying to block the door or those trying to rush out the door, many people had smiles on their faces that had nothing to do with the funeral. A funeral that should have been serious almost turned into a farce.

Xie Mingxian didn't care so much either; he just continued to shout: "I want to go out now; none of you stop me."

Xie Mingxian's few cousins also tried hard to squeeze and resist. Those people outside had been standing for quite a while, and most of them were tired, while these people ate and drank in the back room and rested for quite a while. They were obviously physically advantageous. Moreover, at this time, no matter which aspect of reasoning, they occupied the advantage, so they had no scruples. After a round of fighting and squeezing, the coffin head finally went out of the gate.

The so-called defeat like a landslide is exactly this. They couldn't win in reasoning, couldn't win in tricks, plus couldn't win in strength. When a part of the coffin finally moved out of the gate, the people outside also lost heart. Someone finally withdrew from the blocking ranks. Other blockers either gave up or slackened their work. Soon, more and more of the coffin came out. Xie Mingxian swayed left and right as if riding a bumping horse. He used both hands and feet, trying hard to stabilize himself on the coffin so as not to fall off. After another effort, the coffin carried by six people finally broke free from the crowd through the gate and reached the street.

The six coffin bearers were all panting heavily from exhaustion. Seeing that the goal was finally achieved, they almost simultaneously asked each other: "Let's rest."

Although Xie Mingxian didn't join the "battle group," in order to stabilize himself on the coffin, he also exerted a lot of effort. When the six people put down the coffin, he also climbed down from the coffin panting heavily. Looking back at his own gate, Xie Mingxian felt a burst of relief in his heart. In any case, Xie Mingxian broke through the obstacles and let his mother come out through the main gate.

No one spoke; everyone really didn't know what to say. After resting like this for a while, Xie Mingxian asked the cousin in the last row to give up the bar end. He said: "Let's go."

Six people lifted the coffin and continued towards the graveyard.

Naturally, there were people following to watch the excitement, but when seeing the graveyard from a distance, sharp-eyed people saw that a group of soldiers were already waiting at the graveyard first. Seeing the funeral coffin appear, the comrades of the troops hurried to send people to escort it. A few wooden bars were placed under the coffin, and the number of coffin bearers changed from six to ten. Such a number would also become a joke circulating in Xie Mingxian's hometown in the future; there had never been such a number for carrying a coffin.

But Xie Mingxian didn't care about this kind of thing at all. Many hands make light work. After four new people joined, everyone felt the pressure on their shoulders lighten, and the walking speed increased a lot.

The comrades of the troops had already dug the grave pit, and the burial speed was also very fast. Less than half an hour after Xie Mingxian threw the first shovel of earth, a new grave mound was built up.

Xie Mingxian knelt in front of his mother's grave with a thud. This time he didn't cry anymore. He kowtowed three times respectfully. Xie Mingxian said with bright eyes: "Mother, I'm leaving now. I'll come back to see you when I'm free in the future. But I swear to you in front of your grave, I will fight these things to the end in my life. I will definitely eradicate these feudal things completely. I will never let such things happen in China again!"

After making a solemn promise and kowtowing three more times to his mother, Xie Mingxian stood up and said to the comrades: "Prepare to set off!"

After this incident, Xie Mingxian's cousins were obviously much closer to Xie Mingxian than early in the morning. Xie Mingxian's second elder brother still had a cold face, as if he hadn't helped his brother just now. The group stopped at the gathering place of the cavalry. The troops had already packed their equipment, everyone leading their horses, just waiting for Xie Mingxian to issue the order to set off.

Xie Fuzheng still said calmly: "Mingxian, go now. I'll handle the rest."

Xie Mingxian really didn't know what to say to his father. He hesitated for a while and said: "Dad, do you want to move to Changsha to settle down after a while? If you don't want to go to Changsha, going to Wuhan or Yueyang is fine too."

"Let your brother go with you now. He is young; let him go out and see the world." Xie Fuzheng still replied plainly.

Xie Mingxian really didn't know what was in his old father's mind. Xie Fuzheng seemed to have no human emotions. Whether it was parting in life and death or his son going far away, it was as plain as drinking cold water to Xie Fuzheng. Xie Minggu, on the other hand, showed a happy smile, "Thank you, Dad."

"Follow your brother now; no need to go home." Xie Fuzheng said.

Xie Mingxian really didn't want to consider what his father thought anymore. He couldn't help asking the question he cared about most at this time, "Dad, why did you marry my mother back then?"

This question seemed to have some effect. At least the expression on Xie Fuzheng's face changed slightly. But this expression didn't make Xie Mingxian feel any happiness because that expression was more like a mockery of an unfilial son. After pausing for a while, Xie Fuzheng opened his mouth and said: "I married your mother because I liked your mother."

After speaking, Xie Fuzheng ignored his second son and the group of nephews, walking slowly towards the village alone.

Staring at his father's back for a long time, Xie Mingxian turned around and said to his excited brother: "Let's go."

Cavalry troops always bring some spare horses. A horse was arranged for Xie Minggu. Everyone mounted their horses. Contrary to the direction Xie Mingxian's father Xie Fuzheng went, the large troop rumbled towards the direction of the setting sun.