“Great Elder.”
Ye Zhenshan’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was full of authority.
“Did you just say the Zhao family is willing to form a marriage alliance?”
Ye Changlin frowned and was about to speak, but Ye Zhenshan abruptly raised his voice.
“Since when did the Ye family stoop to climbing up through marriage?”
The entire hall was shocked.
Ye Changlin’s face changed instantly.
His lips quivered a few times, but he was silenced by Ye Zhenshan’s next words.
“Ye Changlin, as the Great Elder of the Ye family, instead of thinking about how to revitalize the clan and work hard, you’re here speaking for outsiders, forcing a younger member of your own clan to marry someone she doesn’t want!”
Ye Zhenshan’s voice echoed through Mingde Hall.
“Do you still have the face to mention the Ye family? Do you still have the Ye family in your eyes?”
Ye Changlin shot to his feet, his old face flushed red.
“Ye Zhenshan, you—”
“What about me?”
Ye Zhenshan pressed forward.
“Are you going to talk to me about the bigger picture? Or about the rules?”
He let out a cold laugh, full of mockery.
“What has the Ye family relied on for centuries of establishment? The fame our ancestors earned with their swords and fists! The unyielding backbone of Ye family disciples! When did we ever rely on marrying off daughters to trade for resources?”
He spun around sharply, his gaze sweeping over every elder present.
Those who had been looking down averted their eyes under his stare.
“Do you think the Ye family is finished? That without the Zhao family’s support, it will collapse?”
Ye Zhenshan’s voice dropped.
“Then let me tell you—even if the Ye family is reduced to a single person, they will still stand! The spine of the Ye family is not propped up by others’ charity!”
He turned back to Ye Changlin.
“Great Elder, you keep saying it’s for the Ye family. Then let me ask you this.”
“Don’t you know why the Ye family is declining?”
Now, instead of thinking about how to patch the hole yourself, you set your sights on my daughter!
Using her to exchange for Zhao family resources to fill the mess you’ve left over the years—Ye Changlin, you’ve got quite the plan!”
Ye Changlin’s face turned from red to white.
His lips trembled, but he couldn’t get a word out.
He knew exactly what Ye Zhenshan was talking about: skimming the cultivation resources from the younger generation of the Ye family and the harvest from the spirit fields on the back mountain to support his own branch.
No matter how secretly he did those things, he couldn’t hide them from everyone.
But unfortunately, his branch hadn’t cultivated any decent geniuses; instead, they caused trouble one after another, ruining the Ye family’s reputation.
Ye Zhenshan stopped at a pointed remark, which was already saving face.
Ye Zhenshan took a deep breath.
“The Ye family will stand tall by the sword in its own hand, not by nepotism. The marriage matters of Ye family disciples are up to them. If anyone dares to trade the lifelong affairs of the younger generation again…”
He paused.
“I don’t care if he’s the Great Elder or whoever—I, Ye Zhenshan, can still wield the family leader’s decree.”
Ye Zhenshan didn’t look at Great Elder Ye Changlin again.
He walked over to Ye Qingyi, reached out to shield her behind him, and turned to face the Zhao father and son.
“This marriage alliance—I, as the head of the Ye family, do not agree.”
“From today on, anyone who pressures my daughter again will be my mortal enemy. Qingyi’s marriage is her own decision. If anyone dares to make that decision for her, they’ll have to step over my corpse first.”
Zhao Lilong’s face turned completely dark.
He slowly stood up, his gaze sinister as he looked at Ye Zhenshan, then swept over Ye Qingyi hiding behind her father, and finally landed on Ye Changlin’s pale and mottled face.
“Fine.”
Zhao Lilong’s voice had lost all its earlier warmth.
“Ye family head, impressive spirit. In that case, I have nothing more to say.”
He clasped his hands, not even bothering with pleasantries, turned, and left.
Zhao Yuan took a deep breath, lowered his eyes, and silently followed his father’s steps.
After this incident, the Ye and Zhao families had truly fallen out.
Ye Qingyi stood at the entrance of Mingde Hall, watching the departing backs of the Zhao father and son.
As Zhao Yuan was leaving, he turned back to look at her, his eyes complex.
Perhaps Ye Qingyi felt guilty; she turned her face away to avoid his gaze.
Ye Chu was annoyed.
That kid was still pretending at a time like this.
He’d take care of him sooner or later.
“What are you looking at? Reluctant to let go?”
Ye Chu’s voice rang in her mind, laced with frustration.
“Ye Chu, do you think… what will happen to Zhao Yuan from now on?”
“Why do you care what happens to him?”
Ye Chu scoffed.
If he weren’t afraid Ye Qingyi would think he was jealous of that kid and destroy their bond, he would have blurted out all his suspicions that Zhao Yuan wasn’t a good person.
But he had no choice.
Without evidence, it was just speculation.
He’d suffered greatly before, and now he couldn’t afford to lose Ye Qingyi.
If a trust crisis arose between them, he’d be in deep trouble.
So for now, he could only wait bitterly for Zhao Yuan to slip up.
Ye Qingyi was silent for a moment, then said quietly, “Am I being too heartless?”
“Heartless?”
Ye Chu’s tone turned serious.
But don’t soften just because he pretends to be pitiful.
“Miss, get this straight—this marriage was settled when two old geezers boasted after drinking. From start to finish, nobody asked if you were willing. You just don’t want to marry him; that’s called heartless? Then what do you call them forcing you to marry? That’s coercion.”
“You’re a girl who grew up in the twenty-first century, under the red flag. Don’t drag out that feudal garbage on me.”
“But Zhao Yuan… he was really good to me.”
“Just because he’s good to you, you have to marry him?”
Ye Chu sighed.
“Then I chat with you in your head every day—should you marry me too?”
Ye Qingyi’s face flushed.
She mumbled, “…That’s different.”
“How is it different? Because he’s a handsome youth and I’m an old man?”
Ye Chu’s voice carried a hint of alarm.
“Alright, stop thinking about all that. What you need to think about now isn’t how good Zhao Yuan was to you, but what the Zhao family will do next.”
Ye Chu slammed on the brakes and steered the topic elsewhere.
Ye Qingyi’s reaction—blushing—made his mind wander a bit.
He was afraid she was serious, and even more afraid that it was one of his life’s three great illusions: she likes me.
Holy crap!
Sis, don’t do this!
His earlier talk about a sweet romance with a pretty girl was just talk; if it actually happened, he’d have to kneel and beg Ye Qingyi not to.
No reason—just a bit of weathering.
Ye Qingyi’s heart tightened.
Yes, Zhao Lilong had retreated in defeat today.
With his personality, he would never let it go.
“What will they do?” she asked in her mind.
Seeing that Ye Qingyi had successfully been diverted, Ye Chu immediately analyzed for her.
“If I were Zhao Lilong, turning hostile on the spot would be the dumbest move. His attitude today—first threatening, then luring, finally reasonably proposing a compromise—shows he’s not ready to completely burn bridges.”
“But not completely burning bridges doesn’t mean he won’t pull tricks behind the scenes.”
“You mean… they’ll retaliate secretly?”
“Not necessarily against you directly. It could be suppressing the Ye family’s business, allying with other families to isolate the Ye family, or maybe…”
Ye Chu paused.
“Waiting for an opportunity—an opportunity for you to willingly marry over.”
Ye Qingyi was puzzled.
“Does it have to be me marrying over? Can’t this matter be dropped? Or is there some hidden conspiracy behind it?”
Ye Chu chuckled.
“Who knows? Maybe the grass is always greener on the other side.”
Ye Qingyi clenched her fists.
“I won’t marry.”
“Great!”
Ye Chu acknowledged approvingly.
“But you need to prepare for the storm ahead.”
“Now come back with me and continue training—push-ups, sit-ups, high knees, shuttle runs—ten thousand each! Right now! Immediately!”
Ye Qingyi wailed.
“Isn’t there any easier method of training? I can’t do it, Your Majesty.”
“Then keep sparring with my puppet?”
Ye Qingyi wailed again.
“Can’t you be gentler, show a little chivalry? You enjoy it when it hurts that much, don’t you?”
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