Chapter 78: The Rong Family’s Hope
Yang Yuzhi carefully thought about all of Gu Zhan’s actions since he emerged in the martial world, nodded, and said, "Indeed, as you said, Gu Zhan, although notorious for his aggressive behavior and notorious arrogance, judging from his actions, he is indeed a person who values loyalty and righteousness.
Back then, for Gu Chuan, he single-handedly resisted all the major families in South City and traveled hundreds of miles for a bloody battle in Changling Town. Just a few days ago, he even fought the Rong Family to the death over some subordinates and fell out with the Hundred Households Office. It’s rare to find someone capable of doing this!"
Wan Yan chuckled and said, "As long as there is a weakness, no matter how strong a person is, they are not scary. Gu Zhan is indeed someone who doesn’t abide by the rules, but that’s only because he follows his own rules."
"What are you planning to do?" Yang Yuzhi asked.
Wan Yan squinted his eyes and said, "If we want all the noble families to enter South City smoothly, we must reduce Gu Zhan’s control over South City to the lowest. Gu Zhan’s ability to control all of South City so effortlessly cannot rely solely on himself; it’s because of his trusted followers."
Yang Yuzhi suddenly understood, "You want to transfer his trusted followers away?"
"Exactly," Wan Yan said, "Gu Zhan can choose to listen or not, but his subordinates cannot. Under the pretext of the Thousand Households Office, I will transfer all his trusted followers, making him isolated and friendless. Naturally, South City will fall out of his control.
By that time, the noble families will enter South City smoothly, each developing strongly. Gu Zhan alone cannot restrain them, and it won’t be long before they begin internal conflicts, and everything will return to our plan."
Yang Yuzhi carefully pondered for a moment and asked, "But Gu Zhan isn’t foolish. If you directly transfer his people, he will surely know that you are undermining him, and by then, he will definitely find a way to resist."
"What if he can’t resist?" Wan Yan smiled and said.
"What do you mean?" Yang Yuzhi asked, puzzled.
"Be a bit more generous," Wan Yan bit into an apple and said, "Now in Linjiang City, besides South City, the Hundred Households Offices in the other three cities are in my hands. I can directly transfer people under the guise of promotion. How can Gu Zhan refuse? Block his subordinates’ path? His Chief Banner, I can directly appoint as Hundred Households, and the Small Banner will be appointed as Chief Banner. Can he refuse? If he stubbornly refuses, his subordinates will naturally become disloyal and disunited. His South City will also fall without a fight!"
...
East City, in the Rong Family Manor.
In just a short period, the Rong Family, which was once filled with guests year-round, had become deserted. The vast manor was now cold and empty, with many servants resigning one after another.
Now, the Rong Family, with only a few people left, was shrouded in a cloud of gloom.
In the meeting hall,
a man angrily smashed a table and shouted, "Damn it, those banks that once begged us for business, now when our Rong Family needs something, I can’t even get in the door to borrow some silver!"
"What’s your situation?" Another man sighed and said, "Today, when I went to the restaurant to collect a debt, it turned out I owed a few thousand taels instead."
"I went to the dungeon to see my father, and I actually..."
"..."
The entire hall was noisy and chaotic for a moment.
"Enough," at this moment, an elderly man with a full head of white hair said in a deep voice, "When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter; when the wall collapses, everyone pushes. Don’t you understand this? How many people from the Rong Family are in prison now, and aren’t they suffering? What are your problems in comparison?"
For a moment, everyone fell silent,
both because the old man’s words left them speechless and because of his status, as he was the only remaining Innate Martial Artist in the Rong Family, the clan elder Rong Wanshan.
Now, although the Rong Family was oppressed from all sides, they hadn’t been torn apart by the minor factions because of this Innate Martial Artist holding the fort.
"Yichu," Rong Wanshan somewhat despondently looked at Rong Yichu, who was sitting in the main seat, and asked, "Today you sought help from the Lin Family. How did they respond?"
Rong Yichu was the current patriarch of the Rong Family. Initially, in the upheaval of the Rong Family, he should have been the first to suffer, but fortune and misfortune go hand in hand. His lack of power allowed him to escape disaster.
At this moment, Rong Yichu was sitting in a chair, holding a cup of tea. His face was pale, his expression lifeless, and he stared dumbly at the teacup without speaking.
"Yichu""Yichu!"
Rong Wanshan called softly twice more, feeling heartbroken as he looked at Rong Yichu’s haggard face. He knew that during this period, Rong Yichu had been the most exhausted and distressed person in the Rong Family.
Because he was the patriarch,
everyone else could fall, but he could not. If he fell, the few remaining members would likely lose all hope, and the Rong Family would have no chance of survival.
So, during this time, Rong Yichu was either seeking help or on the way to seek help. Although he didn’t have much power in recent years, as the patriarch of the Rong Family, he represented the family’s face, and wherever he went, he was the distinguished young master,
yet during this time, he experienced all kinds of suffering,
seeking help, truly humbling himself,
In order to meet those who were once friends of the Rong Family, he even humbly smiled at doorkeepers he would never have glanced at before, respectfully offering bribes to those madams to pave the way,
during this period,
he endured countless cold stares and various humiliations,
but he still had to hold on, no matter how slim the hope, he had to try.
But the results were often that he couldn’t even meet the people he was seeking help from, suffering humiliation in vain, and serving himself up for mockery.
"Yichu... you’ve suffered!"
Rong Wanshan sighed heavily.
Rong Yichu snapped out of it, forced a slight smile on his pale face, and said, "Third Granduncle, no matter, as patriarch, these things are my responsibility."
"Alas," Rong Wanshan sighed despondently and said, "The Lin Family should show some support, after all, you and the Lin Family’s eldest daughter are about to get married!"
Rong Yichu took a deep breath, unable to maintain the smile on his face. After a long pause, he slowly took out a piece of rice paper from his sleeve and said, "This marriage, the Lin Family... ended it!"
Rong Yichu slowly placed the divorce letter on the table,
The people of the Rong Family looked over,
immediately, everyone’s face showed strong indignation,
it wasn’t just a letter of annulment, but a divorce letter,
the Lin Family wasn’t even willing to leave the Rong Family any last dignity, trampling Rong Yichu’s last shred of dignity as a man, as a noble family patriarch, underfoot.
"The Lin Family is going too far!"
"This is excessive!"
"..."
The people of the Rong Family were all furious,
but after their anger, they all fell into despondency.
Even with such humiliation, what could the current Rong Family do?
In an oppressive silence, Rong Yichu slowly spoke, "Today, I saw my uncle for the last time in the dungeon."
Rong Yichu’s uncle, the former inspector of the Clear Transport Department, had now been sentenced to execution and was once the Rong Family’s greatest power in the Government Office.
"Uncle pointed out one last path of survival for me." Rong Yichu looked at the Rong Family members and slowly said.
Rong Wanshan hurriedly asked, "What path?"
"A person," Rong Yichu said slowly:
"The only one in the Linjiang County capable of forming a third power between the noble families and transitory officials — Gu Zhan!"