Chapter 1069: Chapter 20: How to Do Business with a Knife in Hand
Those without official positions see officials as corrupt and wish to kill them all; once they become officials themselves, they are more greedy than anyone else.
It’s the same with the Noble Family.
Even a millennia-old Noble Family is not in a constant state.
During times of prosperity, they look to the heavens with their feet on the ground, and see people through their nostrils.
When the family declines and society deteriorates, they hide away, crouch low, and humble themselves for a better tomorrow.
The most powerful Noble Family at the end of the Eastern Han dynasty was the Yuan Family of four generations and three high-ranking officials; their fate afterwards needs no elaboration.
In contrast, the Zhuge Family, with three brothers loyally serving Wei, Shu, and Wu, were wholeheartedly devoted to their country.
As ordinary people would say, don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
The Yang Family is currently in a low period; their main branch was exterminated, the tree fell and the monkeys scattered, each branch seeking their own path.
If you ask about family rules and laws, there is indeed an unwritten rule.
It is to place bets separately and then rely on one’s own effort to strive.
If you have the capabilities of Yuan Benchu, command the military of four states, and be a lord, then there’s nothing more to say.
If you don’t, then don’t keep mentioning your family name.
The more you’re under someone’s roof, the more you need to show your loyalty and ability to gain the trust of your lord.
But after an upsetting incident back then, the Yang Family’s reputation became notorious, with almost no chance for redemption.
Therefore, for later generations of the Yang Family to make a name for themselves, the first thing they must do is to sever ties with the main family.
The most typical example is Wang Yunxiao’s current superior, Admiral Yang Qiming.
Why was he able to gain the trust of the President and command the Northern Fleet of the Navy?
Putting aside personal abilities, first, he was also a victim back then; second, he was more ruthless in killing Yang Family members than anyone else, even leaving no descendants himself.
Yang Youxuan is similar; previously, she worked as the Lamp Holding Rakshasa in the Red Lantern Society, and no one used her surname against her mainly because she was extremely firm on opium bans to the extent of disowning family.
Her father and Yang Mocheng were first cousins, but they hardly interacted normally.
Also, the brothers Yang Tianyu in the second grade of Qinghe Middle School belong to quite a distant branch, similar to those poor relatives of the Mu Family without much difference. Yang Tianyu could clearly be a wealthy young master, indulging himself without worry, but instead, he chose the most arduous cultivation of the Garrison Soldiers Dharma Gate.
The Yang Family’s character is less of being stubborn, but rather “ruthless.”
Ruthless not only to themselves but also to others and even more so to the main family.
The more talented they are, the more vicious they act.
So, from this perspective, Yang Jian sacrificing the entire Yang Family at Tianmen is completely understandable to them.
Not to mention if they’re not direct blood relatives; even if they are, I wouldn’t feel any psychological burden to kill you.
What’s incomprehensible is his motive for the crime.
To put it plainly, what are you after?
“First, we can exclude financial motives. As far as I know, the Four Seas Commerce Guild is not short of money, and the overseas Yang Family is even less short of it. The local Yang Family’s savings are insignificant to them.”
Calmed down, Yang Youxuan began analyzing with Wang Yunxiao.
“If you want me to analyze this from the Yang Family’s standpoint, the only possibility I can think of is — cleaning house!”
“Cleaning house?”
“Cleaning house is cleaning house, and cleaning the door is cleaning the door. Cleaning house refers to dealing with familial mistakes according to family laws. Cleaning the door means regardless of whether you’ve made a mistake, if I need your position now, you must be expelled.”
“It’s like when the Emperor dies and the new one ascends; what happens to those concubines in the harem? Except for those with offspring, the rest must be cleared out, making room for new concubines.”
Wang Yunxiao realized, I understand now.
The Four Seas Commerce Guild is returning, and the overseas Yang Family wants to come back.
At this juncture, they have two choices: either reconcile with the local Yang Family, as originally planned, mediating for the union of the Cheng and Yang families, forming a shared interest community, quickly integrating locally.
This is the prudent choice of a normal person.
Yang Jian opted for another approach, directly cleaning the door and taking over the territory.
And he did it by borrowing the Navy’s knife to kill whom he wanted to kill.
But can the Navy’s knife be borrowed so easily?
“Is anyone next door eavesdropping?”
Yang Youxuan lowered her voice and asked.
“No, this isn’t the Special Service Bureau; they’re not that professional here. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have brought me in.”
Wang Yunxiao laughed, “Just say what you want to say.”
“Then if I say it, don’t let it out and don’t get me into trouble.”
“If I wanted to harm you, I wouldn’t have to do anything; in a few days, you might see your corpse in the morgue.”
Yang Youxuan coughed, leaned closer to Wang Yunxiao’s ear, and whispered, “Did you forget that Yang Qiming also has the surname Yang?”
Wang Yunxiao laughed: “Cleaning the door all the way to the Navy? He doesn’t think such a small thing can shake an admiral’s position, does he?”
The legendary Mahayana Realm senior sister sabotaged by a Qi Refinement Realm junior sister and even had to apologize?
“Whether he can pry an admiral is one thing, but as long as Yang Qiming stays at Tianmen, it’s always a sword hanging over Yang Family’s head.”
Yang Youxuan shrugged, “We locals have already gotten used to it, but the Four Seas Commerce Guild wants to return for business without someone holding a knife against their back, it’s always uncomfortable.”
“So…”
“He must sheath the knife.”
Wang Yunxiao nodded, basically understanding what Yang Youxuan meant.
Ultimately, this still boils down to the return of the Four Seas Commerce Guild.
The domestic view is clear, you’re welcome to return; I hope you bring your wealth and honestly do business under my nose, I won’t make it difficult for you.
The Four Seas Commerce Guild’s intention is also clear: I do want to return, money isn’t an issue, but we must have a proper protocol, explaining clearly what can and cannot be done.
Not like Yang Qiming, who relies on his high position to ignore the law, wielding a gleaming knife before your throat.
Tianmen is the President’s domain, or even a steel fortress would not be an exaggeration. Though publicly proclaimed as open, secretly numerous traps are laid, along with knives like Yang Qiming’s on display.
Analyzing from this angle, Yang Jian’s intent in coming to Tianmen is obvious.
To clear the mines and sheath the knife.
The Navy can use the incident Wang Yunxiao caused to stir things with the British.
He can also utilize the Yang Family extermination to address the knife in Yang Qiming’s hand.
Politics is just that complex and dirty.