Jiapingguan Chronicle

Chapter 2648 Still Vigorous in Old Age 32.0
"The world is bustling, all for profit; the world is bustling, all for gain." Shen Cha sighed helplessly at Chu Han and said, "This saying seems to never be an exaggeration or inappropriate when applied to great families."

“That’s right!” Xue Ruitian and Xia Chen raised their teacups, clinked them together, and each took a couple of sips. Xue Ruitian said, “These people, while they might not be able to say they’re all talk and no action, are pretty close. Profit is what they value most and put first.”

"That's not entirely true. The reason those great families have stood the test of time for centuries is not only because they value tradition and have deep-rooted foundations, but also because they are adept at assessing situations. As for profits," Chu Han sneered, "you should know that they specifically set aside a branch for business. Normally, this branch consists of their clansmen, and the money they earn must be unconditionally supplied to their clansmen." He looked at Shen Cha and said, "Isn't that right? Your master's branch is like that, isn't it?"

“Yes!” Shen Cha nodded, giving a wry smile. “However, the Qin family's situation will be much better. They won't be exploited too severely, nor will they abandon their responsibilities if anything happens. Furthermore, Master's family has the qualifications of imperial merchants, and Master himself was a regional commander before retiring from military service, so their main family won't dare to go too far. As for the others…” She pointed towards the Wuding Marquis's residence and said, “Old Madam Ning's maternal family is the business branch of the Langya Wang family. The name sounds impressive—the Langya Wang clan, a powerful family for hundreds of years, still standing strong in Jiangnan. But…”

"But she still married into the Ning family of Chaozhou for the sake of her family's interests, right?" Chu Han stroked his chin. "That little girl from the Wang family actually lives next door? I should find some time to meet her."

"Has your great-uncle met her?"

"To be precise, we saved her and her father and brothers." Chu Han raised an eyebrow at everyone and explained, "When that girl was at her parents' home, she was a decisive and straightforward person. When she was young, she went to sea with her father and brothers. That time, they encountered a whirlpool at sea, and their boat wasn't sturdy enough, so they were almost swept away. We happened to be nearby and saw the Wang family's flag flying on the boat. We should have done our part to save them, otherwise it would have been suspicious to let them die."

"If I remember correctly, my two great-uncles did not like the Langya Wang clan."

“Xiao Cha, I may not like them, but it doesn’t mean I should just stand by and watch them risk their lives.” Chu Han spread his hands. “Even if it were the Mudfish Prince, I would still save him in that situation.” He looked at Shen Haolin, Shen Cha, then at Song Yaojia, Xue Ruitian, and Xia Chen, and said very seriously, “I told Xia Chen this before he went to sea, and now I’m going to tell you all again.”

"Yes, Grand Uncle."

Seeing Chu Han's expression turn serious, the children quickly sat up straight and adopted a very serious demeanor.

"You are enemies, simply because of your different camps and stances. You fight to the death, wanting to grind each other to dust—that's all your ability. But remember one thing: in the face of such a natural disaster, your lives are equal. If the other side faces such a life-or-death situation, and I find out you stand idly by, using this opportunity to eliminate your opponent, you—" Chu Han looked at everyone, "" "Even if you win, it will be an unfair victory, and you will be unworthy of your position. If such a situation truly arises, my brother and I will return to the capital to meet with the Emperor.

"Grand Uncle, we understand now."

The group exchanged glances. They knew what Chu Han meant by those words. They were irreconcilable enemies, but they were fighting for their respective sides. However, they couldn't disregard human life because of that. When they saw someone in danger and whose life was in jeopardy, they had to lend a helping hand, even if the other party might repay evil with kindness.

"This is the kind of integrity that scions of great families should have, understand?" Chu Han chuckled as he saw the children behaving obediently. "Don't think that just because we look down on aristocratic families like the Wang and Xie, they will never make any mistakes in this regard. Although they have done many wrong things and even killed people, they still have their own bottom line."

“People like them…” Shen Cha thought for a moment, “Aren’t they very contradictory?” “A gentleman has things he will do and things he will not do.” Chu Han spread his hands, “Don’t think I’m being harsh, but people like us live in a world of scheming and intrigue every day. We’re always thinking about taking someone’s life or wiping out someone’s entire family. We’re not good people. But we do all this because we want the Great Xia to be better, and we want the people of the Great Xia to live in peace and prosperity. So, some methods are necessary. That’s what we do. As for what we won’t do, you should all know that a competition is meant to be fair and square. Only despicable people would try to trip someone up behind their backs.”

“Uncle is right.” Song Yaojia nodded. “Don’t worry, we know what to do.”

"Good boy, you are all good children."

Seeing that Chu Han's expression had relaxed, the group exchanged glances discreetly and breathed a sigh of relief in unison.

"Uncle, if you have nothing to do tonight, shall I ask the old lady to come see you?" Shen Cha smiled when she saw Chu Han nod. "I'm just afraid the old lady will be shocked when she sees you. So many years have passed, she is already in her eighties, but you are still so young."

"What's the big deal!" Chu Han waved his hand. "That little girl is very smart. She knew back then that our identities were not simple."

"As long as my great-uncle has no concerns, that's fine."

"Let's not talk about that anymore, let's continue talking about those aristocratic families." Chu Han gently tapped the table, glanced at Song Yaojia and Xia Chen who were whispering to each other, and said, "I have a question for you to answer." He looked at everyone and asked, "How do you think the aristocratic families view the Mudfish Prince?"

"What do you think?" Xue Ruitian looked at the others and said, "Let me share my feelings first?"

Chu Han didn't speak, but simply made a gesture of invitation.

"I think most people share my view: for aristocratic families, Master Falian is a very useful tool. However..."

"They're adept at making decisions at any given time, and at abandoning certain people or giving up certain things." Xia Chen took a sip of tea and sneered. "Back when the Qinglian Sect was besieged, those aristocratic families who knew Master Falian's identity simply stood by and watched. Some smaller clans were even secretly providing information. These smaller clans played a crucial role in how quickly we destroyed the Qinglian Sect's hidden agents and headquarters across the country, and how smoothly we found their stronghold." He coughed twice and said, "I don't believe that this wasn't supported by powerful families like the Wang and Xie clans. Without their tacit approval, these smaller families wouldn't have dared to act on their own."

“That’s what I think too.” Shen Cha nodded. “It’s just that Master Falian’s identity is quite special. A powerful family like the Wang or Xie clan would definitely not come forward personally, otherwise they would be branded as treacherous.”