Chapter 968 - 807: Collective Deliberation

Jiang Chai watched Yuan Xing jump onto the small boat, clearly enjoying the situation, but Yuan Xing looked up at him from the boat and said, "What are you laughing at? You come and row."

Jiang Chai pointed at his own nose, "Me?"

Yuan Xing pointed at Wang Zhi in the distance and said, "Can’t you see him standing at the bow of the boat, with someone rowing behind him? Does it make sense for me to row myself, to lose half my momentum right away?"

Jiang Chai’s eyes darted around, "As an Innate Official, it’s not suitable for me to go with you, right?"

Yuan Xing sneered, "Wang Zhi’s son dares to attend a meeting solo, and I’m in the Seeking Dao Realm protecting you. What’s there to be afraid of?"

Jiang Chai sighed, "Alright."

Yuan Xi and Zhou Chang laughed loudly, "Hurry up, hurry up."

Jiang Chai, unwilling yet resigned, jumped onto the small boat, sat behind Yuan Xing, and started rowing quickly. Yuan Xing stood at the bow with hands behind his back, sea winds blowing his clothes, looking every bit the master.

The small boat arrived at the Berth Pier, where only humming discussions could be heard from the shore.

Yuan Xing arrogantly shouted, "That Xu Family fatso, come aboard, my adoptive father has something to tell you."

Xu Chuanyin cursed silently, whispering to Chen Zhang, "Come with me, and if anything seems wrong..."

Yuan Xing coldly laughed, "Muttering about what? You go by yourself!"

Xu Chuanyin hesitated for a while, but eventually boarded Yuan Xing’s boat. As Jiang Chai suddenly began rowing, he lost his balance, fell into the boat with an "ouch," which drew laughter from the boatmen on the shore.

He got up and angrily scolded the shore, "Laugh! Laugh again and I’ll dock your silver!"

Yuan Xing kicked him in the rear, "Already on my boat, and still trying to act tough!"

Xu Chuanyin angrily retorted, "This Dinghai Port is mine, do you know how much hardship I’ve endured for it through the years? And you just plan to take it away?"

Yuan Xing couldn’t be bothered with him, "Tell that to my father, not me."

Xu Chuanyin held back for a long time, his fury turning into a sorrowful sigh.

When the small boat came to a stop, Yuan Xing pulled Xu Chuanyin up by the waistband and tossed him onto the deck. Xu Chuanyin looked up and saw Chen Ji’s sinister, fierce mask, and he shivered slightly.

Giving up, he didn’t stand and simply sat amid the Anti-Japanese Army with his neck stiffened, "Victors and losers, kill or maim as you like. I don’t want to live anyway."

Yuan Xing mocked, "You don’t seem like someone who’d rather be shattered so as not to be whole."

Xu Chuanyin pointed at the distant Dinghai Port, his face red, neck veins bulging, "Do you know what Dinghai Port was like twenty years ago? The court didn’t care about it, the Xu Family didn’t manage it. There was no Berth Pier, no wharf, just a muddy mess with a small stone platform that barely accommodated seven or eight small fishing boats. Three-masted Fuchuan and ocean-going foreign vessels couldn’t come close!"

"Now? A neat Berth Pier capable of docking a hundred large ships simultaneously! With people like Xu Chuanxi and Xu Chongyi focused only on scheming, which of them has the patience to run this place?"

Xu Chuanyin became more agitated and emotional, finally breaking into tears, "I came to Dinghai Port, led the Xu Family members to build the port brick by brick, construct markets, build Berth Piers, set up wharves, dredge mud, and clear reefs, resulting in the bustling Dinghai Port day and night! If you want Dinghai Port, why didn’t you come twenty years ago? You’re the same as those robbers who resort to cunning and brute force!"

Just then, Old Ears doubted, "That’s not right. When I came to Dinghai Port thirty years ago, it was like this."

Xu Chuanyin was stunned at the words and immediately stopped crying, "You came twenty years ago? Then let’s say I didn’t say anything just now."

Yuan Xing kicked him over, angrily yelling, "I almost fell for it!"

Amid the cursing of the Anti-Japanese Army, Xu Chuanyin vocally defended, "Don’t ports need repairs over twenty years? Repairing costs silver too!"

Chen Ji raised his right hand, and the voices on the ship fell silent together. He looked down at Xu Chuanyin, "We’re not taking the fine silver, nor is it your place to collect it. This is the court’s silver coin, and anyone who thinks of taking it home has a death wish. No need to be jealous."

Xu Chuanyin sighed at the words, "Saying is one thing, but who wouldn’t be jealous of seeing more than three million silver a year? Now I have only one dying wish, please take Songjiang Port too; Otherwise, I’ll die without being at peace thinking how that grandson Xu Chongyi is fine."

Yuan Xing chuckled, "That I can agree with, don’t worry, Songjiang Port is out of bounds."

Xu Chuanyin heard this, his eyes shut, neck stiffened, "Go ahead."

Everyone looked towards Chen Ji, but Chen Ji wasn’t quick to make a decision; instead, he looked towards Jin Zhu.

Once Jin Zhu gently shook his head, Chen Ji slowly said, "We’re not taking your Dinghai Port or your life, no need for dramatics."

Xu Chuanyin suddenly opened his eyes, "Really?"

Chen Ji replied calmly, "Really, Dinghai Port will still be under your management. The silver for docking, foreign vessel stipends, and land cargo dues are yours to collect, but the total can’t exceed one percent of silver."

Xu Chuanyin appeared disheartened, "Three million silver in cargo, I can only take thirty thousand taels, what use is it?"

Yuan Xi smiled cruelly, "Stop playing the fool. Dinghai Port’s annual cargo turnover is at least six million taels of silver. Don’t act shameless; your biggest income is your own fleet. Keep whining, and others’ ships can pass, but yours will rot in the port."

Xu Chuanyin initially thought his ships couldn’t run anymore, but upon realizing the Anti-Japanese Army didn’t intend to trouble him on this matter, he immediately stopped acting and asked, "You’ve provided a way out, what do you want?"

Chen Ji stared into his eyes: "Go to Jinling, you know what I want. Only if the Jinling matter is accomplished does my promise to you count."

Xu Chuanyin jumped up: "Quick, quickly send me ashore, or else there won’t be enough time!"

Yuan Xing grabbed Xu Chuanyin’s belt and returned to the small boat, sending him back to the Berth Pier. Xu Chuanyin hurriedly beckoned Chen Zhang to leave, and the ship owners finally resigned themselves, calling their crew aboard to set sail.

Within two hours, nearly a hundred large ships in the port set off, then stopped before the Anti-Japanese Army’s great ships. Yuan Xi and others busied themselves laying planks, boarding to tally cargo, and the silver flowed like water into the Anti-Japanese Army’s ship.

Chen Ji stood shoulder to shoulder with Jin Zhu at the bow, turning to Jin Zhu: "Not Xu Chuanyin?"

Jin Zhu shook his head: "No."

Chen Ji asked curiously: "Who is it?"

Jin Zhu chuckled: "Don’t worry about it, your intent to help stir chaos across Jiangnan is plenty good, I’ll handle the rest myself. I must personally cut their heads to offer to my father, mother, and Ah Jie."

Chen Ji said no more: "Alright."

Jin Zhu retorted: "What do you plan to do next?"

Chen Ji gazed at the distant Dinghai Port: "Wait."

...

...

The Seventh Day.

In Jinling City, on Taiping Street, countless carriages and sedan chairs were parked askew, coachmen and coachmen gathered, sedan chair bearers and sedan chair bearers chattered spiritedly, littering the ground with sunflower seed shells.

A coachman leaned against a carriage, gazing at the towering merit flag poles behind the gate: "Hey, do you think, after dragging out for nearly half a month, will they elect someone today?"

Another coachman spat out sunflower seed shells: "My master says they must elect someone today, or else the Xu Family will become a joke."

Someone curiously asked: "Who has the best chances today?"

The initial coachman chuckled: "Count the votes to find out. Here, our Jinling Xu Family has four clan elders with Duke Chongyi, that prodigal Xu Shu has Meng Shan Gong and Xu Houye, Xu Chuanyin has Xu Houting with three. It looks like our Jinling Xu Family will win."

As soon as he spoke, a coachman laughed: "Duke Chongyi will definitely distribute benefits, and the benefits this time won’t be small."

Ten steps away someone sneered: "Thinking about the benefits already might be too early, who knows who the deer will fall to?"

A Jinling Xu Family coachman retorted loudly: "You Huqiu Xu Family still want to win? Xu Chuanyin hasn’t even shown up yet, probably too scared to come!"

Just then, a carriage boomed down Taiping Street, Chen Zhang supporting Xu Chuanyin as they stepped off, Xu Chuanyin hurriedly heading towards the Xu Family Mansion. As he reached the sign of the "Advanced Scholar’s House," he turned back to the coachmen: "Who just said I didn’t dare to come, Chen Zhang, slap his mouth for me!"

Chen Zhang respectfully said: "Yes."

Xu Chuanyin left Chen Zhang and continued walking inside.

...

...

Inside Shi’en Hall.

Xu Shu was still sitting at the head, dozing off, beside him Xu Mengshan’s face was sullen, lost in thought. Xu Chongyi sat at the west chief seat, eyes closed, looking calm and composed.

Opposite him, Mrs. Zhang sat in Xu Chuanyin’s seat, with Zhang Xia and Zhang Zheng standing behind her. An empty chair remained at the lower seat, but Xu Houye did not sit, standing behind Mrs. Zhang as well.

In the middle of Shi’en Hall, a table was set with ink and paper, the paper was yellow rolls for consensus.

At this moment, Xu Chongyi opened his eyes: "No need to wait for Xu Chuanyin. Delaying even the family consensus, merchants aren’t reliable. Choosing him as clan leader would make our Xu Family the laughingstock of Jiangnan scholars. Whether he comes or not today doesn’t affect the situation, let’s proceed with the consensus."

Mrs. Zhang lifted a tea cup and blew away the floating foam leisurely: "Is Duke Chongyi sure of victory? Let’s wait a bit longer; incomplete attendance might cause objections to the result. After all these days, waiting a bit longer won’t hurt."

Xu Chongyi said sternly: "How much longer must we wait? We can’t wait forever if he doesn’t come. Who knows which brothel he’s entangled in now?"

Just then, Xu Chuanyin’s voice echoed from outside Shi’en Hall: "Xu Chongyi, you brat, don’t assume I’m like you going to brothels."

Xu Chongyi’s expression changed as he quickly glanced at the door.

There, Xu Chuanyin pushed through the crowded Xu Family branches outside the hall: "Move aside, blind?"

He strode into Shi’en Hall, glancing at everyone present, his gaze finally settling on the central table. The next moment, he moved to the table and wrote four names on four yellow rolls.

Xu Chongyi couldn’t help standing to see what Xu Chuanyin wrote, finding all four rolls bore the identical name: "Xu Shu".