Sheng Fu

Bazhou in the north.

Under the blazing sun, the summer heat made pedestrians and street vendors feel tired and uneasy.

Since parting ways with Fucheng, the Helian family has lived a very peaceful life, neither being targeted or harassed by other powerful families in the north, nor having any dealings with other influential figures.

Even though the family no longer has a powerful expert to uphold its reputation, as the saying goes, a centipede with a hundred legs will not fall even if it is cut. However, the Helian family now seems to have been deliberately forgotten by various forces.

Once upon a time, in Bazhou, the Helian family held absolute power.

In Bazhou today, the Northern King and that Prime Minister jointly call the shots. Although the Northern King and that Prime Minister have no dealings with each other, this is the consensus in the hearts of all the people.

Inside the Helian family mansion.

Helian Qingyi and a group of elders gathered in the main hall, their faces filled with anxiety and unease.

News of the North-South talks scheduled for seven days later has already spread.

Nowadays, in recent days, all sorts of rumors have been circulating in the streets and alleys.

The destruction of the Ji family in the north had a tremendous impact, and for a time, the skies over the north were filled with unsettling thoughts and uncertain intentions. In particular, the North-South talks scheduled for seven days later left many ancient nobles feeling bewildered.

What's the next move?

After Yuwen Jun entered Lingxiao, his combat power approached that of a Wuji expert. This momentum also caused many old nobles to dare not disrupt the North-South talks.

The annihilation of the Ji family in the north occurred at a time when murderous intent was rampant, and at least on the surface, it had already intimidated people.

However, at this moment, Helian Qingyi did not feel so melancholy. Especially after learning that her husband had gradually secured his position as the Prince of the North, Helian Qingyi was genuinely happy for Fucheng.

Of course, at this moment, Helian Qingyi still had to pretend to be worried.

Speaking of which, everyone here is a powerful and influential figure from the North.

"Given the current situation, we are forced to bow our heads. I wonder what insights you elders have?" Helian Qingyi asked softly to the crowd.

If we were to actively surrender to the Northern King now, wouldn't that be like turning back on an old flame?

But if they don't pledge allegiance, and trouble breaks out, wouldn't the Helian family, whose strength has already been greatly diminished, be completely wiped out from the history of the north?

Both approaches present awkward situations where one is unable to back down.

Upon hearing this, the elders all turned solemn, yet they were at a loss for words.

Currently, Helian Qingyi is the head of the Helian family.

However, even this patriarch could not make decisions unilaterally. Matters large and small required the approval of most of the elders before a final decision could be made.

"In my opinion, we should wait until the North-South talks have yielded results before making a decision, and observe the situation for the time being," a white-haired elder said solemnly after a long period of contemplation.

Helian Qingyi sighed deeply and said, "However, Yuwen Jun's military strength is currently at its peak, the two kings of the North and South have joined forces, and that Prime Minister is secretly pushing things along."

"If we wait until the North-South talks are over before making a decision, it may be too late."

"Whether it's something good or something bad, it's too late."

"The Ji family of the North has many protégés and old friends in the imperial court. Nowadays, it is almost certain that officials who are associated with the Ji family of the North will not make any progress in their careers."

"Given the current situation, we must make a decision as soon as possible."

"Will we fight to the end, or will we bow down and submit?"

Helian Qingyi feigned a melancholy and sorrowful expression, as if all her energy and spirit were about to evaporate.

Upon hearing this, the white-haired elder was also stunned into silence, unsure of what to say. It's true that older people are shrewd and calculating, and they certainly don't suffer losses.

But the prerequisite is that the opponent must also be an older person.

However, if the opponent is a hot-blooded young man, it means that the variables are extremely large.

The Ji family in the north was completely wiped out, leaving no descendants. This ruthless method has caused many elderly people a great deal of trouble.

Of course, the Ji family in the north also deserved to die, after all, they secretly harbored a large number of soldiers.

Although the other noble families had no reason to die, if Yuwen Jun were to go completely mad now, he might accidentally kill some of the direct descendants, and that would be a pointless mistake.

Therefore, the old folks really don't dare to gamble.

At this moment, another elder suggested, "In my opinion, we should fight to the end. If it weren't for Yuwen Jun, how could my Helian family have fallen to this state?"

"As long as we dare to take the lead in the rebellion, there will be some powerful and influential families who are dissatisfied with us who will be willing to fight alongside us. After all, most of the industries and connections in the north are in the hands of powerful families, not in the hands of Yuwen Jun. Although Yuwen Jun has won the hearts of the people, how much power can the common people have?"

Upon hearing this, Helian Qingyi almost burst out laughing, but on the surface, she had to pretend to be righteous and said in a deep voice, "How could I not want to fight Yuwen Jun to the death? If it weren't for him, my Helian family would still be the leading family in the north."

"However, the power of the situation is overwhelming, and one has no choice but to bow one's head when under someone's roof."

"The matter of revenge must be approached gradually."

"I wonder if any of you elders can come up with a perfect solution."

With just a few words, the elder, who was usually filled with hostility, immediately lost his temper.

A silence fell over the main hall; no one could think of a better solution.

After an unknown amount of time, another elder suggested, "In my opinion, we should take the initiative to submit and preserve our strength. The influence of my Helian family members in officialdom is not as great as before. Even if the new policies are implemented, they will not cause too much damage to my Helian family."

"On the contrary, it is a meritorious service to the dragon, which can greatly protect some of the younger clansmen."

Upon hearing this, the elder was immediately met with several chilling and violent glares.

Helian Qingyi also shook her head and said, "I think it's still inappropriate. If we take the initiative to submit, it means that my Helian family will completely sever ties with other aristocratic families and become the target of everyone's criticism."

"What if the new policy fails to be implemented? What if the powerful clans find a way out of their predicament? How will my Helian family face the consequences? I reckon even the common people on the street will dare to curse our Helian family as spineless."

"We must be able to uphold our own principles, but at the same time, we must not lose our integrity."

"Please think about it again."

Helian Qingyi certainly couldn't express her opinion at the moment, because if she did, her clansmen would suspect that she still had feelings for Fu Cheng.

Silence fell over the main hall once more.

Suddenly, a young man with armor covering his face walked out of the main hall. The scout sent by the Helian family had returned.

The scout bowed with his hands clasped and said, "Reporting to the young lady, Xie Yiming and his men have unearthed a large amount of treasure in the Lingyun Mountains."

"Meanwhile, the head of the Li family in the south traveled non-stop from south to north to meet with Xie Yiming, and it is unknown what they discussed."

The prospect of mining treasures in the Lingyun Mountains has also attracted the attention of various forces.

"The Li family from the South, setting out from the South, just to have a few words with Xie Yiming in the Lingyun Mountains?" Helian Qingyi asked, feigning confusion.

The scout bowed and replied, "Absolutely true, but I was afraid of revealing our location, so I didn't dare to continue spying." (End of Chapter)