CHAPTER 454: 349, SALT

Chen Liqin was speechless.

Chen Lizhi lifted his teacup beside him, leisurely savoring the fragrance of Longjing tea.

He watched the endless debate between the first and third branches of the family, and only when Chen Liqin was left speechless did he leisurely speak: "Brother, this debate is useless here. We all know that you and our third brother are actually arguing whether Chen Ji should be adopted into the first branch. But have you ever thought about whether Chen Ji himself is willing to be adopted into the first branch, whether he wishes to contest this matter? After all, the third brother and he are father and son, what if they have deep affection?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Liqin involuntarily clenched his fists.

Chen Lizun was more composed, casually lifting the teacup beside him: "Then call him in and ask."

Official Chen didn’t even lift his eyelids, and rasped: "Call Chen Ji and Chen Yu in."

A middle-aged man beside him walked out the door, bowed to Chen Ji and Chen Yu, and said, "The family head summons you inside."

The middle-aged man led them into Wendan Hall. Chen Ji and Chen Yu bowed together and said, "Greetings to the family head."

Official Chen opened his eyes and gestured to the middle-aged man. The middle-aged man then dismissed the servants and maids outside, and closed the five red gates of Wendan Hall.

The words spoken with the door open are mostly unimportant, while when the door is closed, those standing outside are spectators, and those inside are family.

Official Chen slowly asked: "Chen Yu and Chen Ji, do you know what our Chen family’s foundation relies on?"

Chen Yu answered first: "Family head, it is thanks to generations of our Chen family adding bricks and mortar."

Official Chen nodded slightly: "Indeed, a thousand-year Chen family, and you and I are merely fleeting visitors in this hundred-year, passing through the Chen family. Our ancestor began the uprising in Haozhou alongside the founding emperor, and when Hongdu was besieged, our ancestor defended it with twenty thousand men, the city walls collapsed over ten times, and they fought bloodily for eighty days before securing our family’s foundation. Therefore, the first page of our family mantra is not about doctrines of righteousness, but the words ’Wendan’."

"In 160 years of Daning, the Chen family declined. Emperor Ning Xuan had five sons vying for power, and our ancestor Chen Jiye bet everything on the Twelfth Prince, earning merit by following the dragon, reviving the family."

"Yet good times didn’t last. In 190 years of Daning, Emperor Ning Wenzong died violently, causing our family to lose favor, and the little emperor demoted us. It’s shameful to say, the Chen family did not rise this time by men, but by sending our women into the palace as concubines, and when she became favored as an Imperial Concubine, we took the opportunity to return to court."

"But the glory in the palace was short-lived, changing in just eight years. Our ancestor Chen Xuanyun, in reflection, withdrew to Lu State, ceasing power struggles, and devoted himself to educating children with studies of doctrine and worldly principles. The Chen family remained dormant for thirty years, but after thirty years, two brilliant talents emerged, leading our family back to the Imperial Capital..."

Official Chen spent a full two hours recounting the origins of the Chen family, the rise and fall eight times, eventually becoming the Chen family of today, grown into a towering tree.

After finishing, he looked at Chen Ji and Chen Yu: "Have you two discerned any principles?"

Chen Yu bowed and said: "Family head, the rise and fall of a family depend on its people."

Official Chen turned to look at Chen Ji.

Chen Ji bowed and said: "Leverage is temporary, one must create their own power."

Official Chen chuckled: "Both of your answers make sense. Now I am old, and your elder uncle has no heirs; the family needs new people to support the backbone of the Chen family. Are you two willing to take on some family affairs?"

Chen Yu replied without hesitation: "Family head, I am willing."

After these words, both Chen Lizhi and Chen Liqin looked towards Chen Ji, and Wendan Hall suddenly fell silent.

After a long time, Chen Ji calmly said: "Family head, I am willing."

Chen Lizun breathed a sigh of relief and drank his tea in one gulp, while Chen Liqin’s face darkened, leaning slowly against the back of his chair.

Chen Lizun placed the teacup down: "That is well, now there are two industries in the family unattended, one is the grain shop, and the other is the salt shop. The grain shop’s income has decreased by thirty percent in recent years, and several groups have investigated without results. The salt shop has been squeezed by other salt merchants, almost unable to keep the Gang Register last year. Discuss between you who will manage the grain shop and who the salt shop."

Chen Yu bowed and said: "Nephew wishes to take over the grain shop."

Chen Lizun frowned slightly: "You are in the Qing Officials Division managing salt taxes, why take over the grain shop?"

Chen Lizhi laughed heartily: "Brother, you let them choose, and now you disagree with their choices, what does that mean? Perhaps you already know where the grain shop’s deficits are and want to help Chen Ji cheat?"

Chen Lizun’s face darkened: "No need for insinuation with words, second brother, I am merely expressing my doubts."

Chen Yu turned, bowed to Chen Lizun and said: "Elder uncle, I am now in the Qing Officials Division, exclusively handling salt mine taxes in Beijing and Tianjin, so I should avoid suspicion from the salt shop. If the Imperial Censor reports against me due to the salt shop, even a reasonable argument might be hard to make..."

Before he finished, Chen Ji interrupted: "Nephew is willing to take over the salt shop."

Chen Lizun urged: "Chen Ji, reconsider, don’t make a hasty decision."

Chen Lizhi sneered: "Brother, why don’t you just choose for him? Chen Yu has already chosen, so what do you mean by this?"

Chen Lizun was about to respond when Official Chen lightly coughed twice, and everyone quieted down.

Official Chen slowly said: "It’s decided, Chen Ji takes the salt shop, Chen Yu takes the grain shop. Both of you should return, don’t argue in Wendan Hall. Yongxiu, stay for a moment."

Yongxiu, Chen Lizun’s courtesy name.

Chen Lizhi stood up with a hearty laugh and bowed to Chen Lizun: "Brother, I take my leave."

Once Wendan Hall was empty, Chen Lizun said deeply: "Father, this is unfair."

Official Chen raised his eyes to look at him: "What is unfair?"

Chen Lizun pointed outside: "The salt shop is originally the business of the second branch, staffed by people from the second branch who would not heed Chen Ji’s orders. For years, Chen Lizhi has been unable to compete with the eight southern big ticket shops, causing our Chen family’s salt shop to be constrained everywhere. Now he’s throwing this mess at Chen Ji, and Chen Yu, who manages salt taxes, how can Chen Ji compete? This malicious intent of Chen Yu is evident in choosing the grain shop and leaving the salt shop to Chen Ji, intending to use his position to control Chen Ji."

Official Chen was unconcerned: "Doesn’t this show Chen Yu’s cleverness? Everyone thought he would choose the salt shop due to his position, but he went the opposite way."

Chen Lizun emphasized: "Father, Chen Yu belongs to the second branch!"

Official Chen slowly stood up: "Yongxiu, which branch he belongs to doesn’t matter; so long as he is a bastard, after coming to our first branch, his heart will only have our first branch. When he gains immense power, if Chen Lizhi tries to control him again, it would only push him farther away."

Chen Lizun was silent.

Official Chen walked out, pushed open the vermilion doors of Wendan Hall, gazing at the gradually sinking sunset: "I spoke so much earlier and you didn’t listen to any of it. You and I are merely visitors of the Chen family, and we must select the right person to inherit the family business to face our ancestors with honor. Whether he belongs to the second branch or third branch does not matter. In this position, I cannot make decisions based on personal likes and dislikes, but must look out from Wendan Hall, to see who can become the pillar that supports the entire Chen family."

Official Chen continued: "Everything in this world is a mirror; what you think is what you see. Do you remember earlier when I asked them both how they view the rise and fall of our Chen family, how did they answer?"

Chen Lizun recalled: "Chen Yu said, the rise and fall of the family depends on its people; Chen Ji said, leveraging is temporary, one must create their own power."

Official Chen stroked his graying beard: "If our Chen family is already in decline, we should have Chen Ji burn the boats; but since our Chen family is flourishing, we ought to use Chen Yu to preserve it."

He turned to look at Chen Lizun: "Yongxiu, I know you value Chen Ji more, and he deserves the title ’Wendan’ more. But he is too independent, we must observe further."