"rchants are timid and cautious, good! The president is timid and cautious, even better!"
"Young Master Jing, no need to decline, you are indeed the great savior of the Silver Blood Association!"
"Ah, my teacup fell too, this thunder is truly too loud, we can’t bla Young Master Jing for such a reaction!"
Everyone hurriedly blocked Le Yuxin’s excuses, as if in the blink of an eye, they were about to decree Le Yuxin as the next patriarch.
However, Le Yuxin clearly understood the reason for their sudden unity.
Unlike other candidates, if the likes of Ting Chaozao, Luo Zhen, or Lan Jianbo died, they just died; it wouldn’t be a fatal blow to their families.
Because the old patriarchs are still around; even for soone like Luo Zhen, an only child, his father could only continue to strive in his grief, perhaps even getting stronger with age, having a late-born child?
But either way, even if they lost their young successors, these old n could hold on for a few more years until a new successor ca of age.
However, it’s different for Le Yuxin!
Because he is the young master of the Jing Family, Jing Zhengwei!
No sons!
The old patriarch is also dead!
He hasn’t even taken control of the Jing Family himself!
If Le Yuxin also died at this ti, even if he decreed his brother Jing Zhengtang as the patriarch before ’bravely setting off, never to return,’ the Jing Family would surely face great upheaval!
Because there has never been such a precedent!
The patriarch position has always been passed down directly from father to son. From the mont Jing Zhengwei beca patriarch, Jing Zhengtang beca a collateral branch. If Jing Zhengtang can beco patriarch, then why can’t we, the collateral elders who have served the Jing Family loyally for decades?
More importantly, prestige is the foundation of patriarchal succession. Jing Qingfu’s ability to pass the mantle to whoever he wished was built on the decades of prestige from ’Blackthorn’; the clansn dared not defy Jing Qingfu’s will or the family’s tradition.
However, prestige is a rather mysterious thing.
If you believe others dare not challenge the patriarch, then you dare not challenge him either, and the patriarch appears majestic; however, if you think others might challenge him, then you’ll likely dare as well, and the patriarch appears utterly devoid of majesty.
Because of Jing Qingfu’s prestige, the Jing clansn had to begrudgingly accept Le Yuxin’s rule, but they still harbored doubts about the new patriarch.
If this were a strategy ga, the loyalty level of the Jing clansn used to be 90 ; now, it’s at most 60 .
But if Le Yuxin defied tradition, there would be trouble.
A new patriarch with hardly any prestige passing the patriarchal position to a collateral brother—why? Why not pass it to old and steady ? Comrades, would you agree!?
This is assuming Le Yuxin hasn’t done anything wrong, yet he just killed the elder Jing Suke!
If given more ti, Le Yuxin could kill off all the Jing Family elders and rejuvenate the stagnant Jing Family with the vital blood of young outsiders (this sentence sounds a bit odd), completely transforming the Jing Family into a proletariat stronghold; by then, whether Le Yuxin lived or died would be irrelevant.
However, this timing is just too awkward!
Now, the loyalty of the Jing clansn has almost dropped to 50 . If Le Yuxin were really sent to siege the Linhai Army, the Jing clansn would definitely rebel with their family assets.
And this is precisely the intention of the other associations!
They want to carve up the Jing Family!
Historically, when every family is in succession, it is their most vulnerable mont. The lingering grey cloud over Xuanzhu County, ’Blackthorn’ Jing Qingfu finally took his last breath, and countless people celebrated, held banquets, along with their covetousness for the Jing Family!
The Jing Family’s estates, tobacco, and iron, these three pillar industries, have long been coveted by countless others. The Jing Family was too strong, too powerful, too profitable. When Jing Qingfu was alive, everyone could only put away their claws, watching with envy, jealousy, and hatred.
But tis have changed! Jing Qingfu is dead! The new patriarch is but a young pup! There’s no better ti than now!
Even without this Linhai Army affair, other associations would seize the opportunity to challenge the Jing Family. The ones making a move would surely be the big four—Ting, Luo, Quan, and Lan associations—because only they are fit to feast on the Jing Family’s at, while smaller associations could at best sip the Jing Family’s juices!
If Le Yuxin can endure by then, the Jing Family remains the ’Blackthorn’ Jing Family. But if he cannot, then the Silver Blood Association will no longer be among the five major associations, but the Four Heavenly Kings.
The arrival of the Linhai Army rely gave them the best weapon.
Eradicate Lan Yan, kill Zhengwei!
The Linhai Army retreats; Dongyang rescues!
The Jing Family falls, Silver Blood feasts!
What’s more delightful than saving a huge sum of money? It’s saving a huge sum of money while also reaping a substantial reward.
So no matter what nonsense these old scoundrels spout, Le Yuxin shook his head vigorously.
If I ever accept your flattering words, it ans I’ve lost.
I don’t want to be the president, you old geezers can’t force into this, right?
But at that mont, Le Yuxin had a question: "Why not just pick a scapegoat as the president? Old President, you can select soone from the Ting Family, whether he returns or not, you can continue being president, right?"
For sothing that’s likely a death sentence, why take the selection of a president so seriously?
Ting Gu slowly shook his head, took a drag of black smoke, and looked toward the white-haired assassin Chen.
Chen nodded slightly and withdrew from the conference hall.
Ting Gu exhaled black smoke and asked back, "Why does the Linhai Army commander want to et the Silver Blood Association president?"
Without waiting for others to respond, Ting Gu answered, "He is not satisfied with temporary plundering; he wants a steady stream of military expenses. He wants to bypass the Governor, bypass the Heyang Army, and establish relations with the Silver Blood Association."
"Actually, I don’t oppose establishing relations with the Linhai Army. Chaos is coming, the strong devour, the weak are oppressed; it’s just that the Linhai Army is too excessive this ti. Even if we’re to cooperate, the Silver Blood Association must not be subordinated for exploitation, but rather an equal partner."
"Assassination serves both as a solution and a test."
"If he doesn’t survive, there’s nothing to say. A fallen hero is just a pile of rotten flesh; a living hero has investnt value."
"But if the assassination fails..."
Ting Gu gulped, spat a mouthful of stale tea into his cup, making Le Yu never want to drink tea in the conference hall again.
"Then the Silver Blood Association president must fulfill his duty, negotiate and establish diplomatic relations with the Linhai Army."
"Now the Linhai Army is strong, Heyang Army can only keep a low profile. Facing assassination, the Linhai commander will inevitably rage, possibly even storm Xuanzhu in a fury, bloodbath villages and towns. Whether Heyang Army can resist or not, this is a consequence we cannot afford."
"The assassination is the private sche of the Silver Blood Association; if successful it’s fine, but if it fails, neither the Heyang Army nor the Governor’s Mansion will let us off."
"Therefore, the Silver Blood Association president must pacify the Linhai Army in the event of a failed assassination, paying the least cost to maintain Dongyang’s stability."
"That’s why we need to select a ’real president’. Because if the scapegoat is weak, they might surrender all Silver Blood Association interests to survive; if the scapegoat is loyal, they might stubbornly contend with the Linhai commander for slight gains, only angering the other party, losing out."
"Only a ’real president’ would safeguard the interests of the Silver Blood Association, because the Association’s interests are his own; only a ’real president’ is qualified to make such crucial decisions."
"Moreover, I’m not looking for a scapegoat." Ting Gu said calmly: "I’m afraid of death, indeed, but it’s also ti for to step down and let soone else take over. The opposing commander has ambitions to annex the Silver Blood Association, yet I’m an old relic fearing death, incapable of decisive judgnt..."
"I’m no longer the all-deciding ’Resonating Gu’, rely a waiting-to-die old man. A decade ago, I could still say ’I’ll decide, even if wrong, I’ll bear the consequences’, but now, I neither have the qualification nor the capability to utter such bravado."
"Let be clear." Ting Gu coughed twice: "If the assassination succeeds, the new president can still deliver benefits to other generals for self-preservation; if the assassination fails, then the new president must establish relations with the Linhai Army, returning to Xuanzhu with dignity!"
"Though this affair sounds risky, the danger is mainly for the assassin, wealthy rchants remain honored guests forever!"
Le Yu blinked, surprised: "Really? It seems being this president isn’t all that hard."
"Indeed." Ting Gu said gracefully and pleasantly: "Being the president requires boldness and ticulousness, I see Zhengwei really suits this role! Don’t miss this opportunity, it’s a once-in-decades chance!"
"Alright, since that’s the case——"
Le Yu calmly said: "I’ll give this opportunity to my good brother Ting Chaozao! It’s not that I don’t want to be the president, I just wish to fulfill the Ting Family’s aspiration of having two presidents."
Other Silver Blood mbers seeing Le Yu not falling for it, quickly shifted their tone to join Le Yu in driving the hype: "Ting Second Young Master is great." "I also support Ting Chaozao." "Let’s decide this way!"
Ting Gu remained silent for a mont, shook the soft pipe, then suddenly sneered: "Enough, we’re all in the Sea of Consciousness, let’s not waste ti with flowery talk."
The dark will once again polluted the Sea of Consciousness, everyone instantly quieted down.
"What I just said is also the truth. Regardless of the reason, the Silver Blood Association president must participate in this assassination. Since everyone is unwilling to stick their neck out, let’s distribute fairly——"
"The top ten Silver Blood comrcial entities, each sends a direct lineage successor to join the negotiation team. Any unwilling entity will surrender half their assets to other top ten entities afterward."
"These direct lineage successors are the candidates for president and patriarch, they will negotiate with the Linhai commander. As long as they return alive, they are the true president, the true patriarch! And as the cost for being greedy and cowardly, the current patriarch will imdiately step down, handing the association to the brave and decisive next generation!"
Ting Gu looked at Le Yu: "Young Master Jing, you can also send your brother, but if your brother returns alive, you’ll have to face the reality of ceding the patriarch position."
His voice was both light and cold: "You can also attempt to defy the joint decision of the Silver Blood Association."
"Ting Family, send direct lineage successor Ting Chaozao to join the negotiation team."
"Who approves, who opposes?"
votes against, 79 votes in favor.
Silver Blood conference, concluded.
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