Chapter 326 - Breaking the Treaty (1/2)
Old Xiong stayed silent, urging Linfeng to speak more.
”Right now, aside from the three of us present here,” Linfeng gestured at himself, Xiong Zhi, and Old Xiong, ”the only people who knew about this are the Zhou elders. If we all don't speak about this, then the rest of the Zhou family would never know.”
”So... are you suggesting to keep it silent?” Old Xiong snorted, unconvinced. If they keep silent about it, how would the rest of the Zhou family members get their freedom back? They would still have the same mindset as before as the most loyal and devoted subordinates of the Xiong family.
”Yes and no. For now, I am planning to keep it quiet. Though, breaking the treaty would still inevitably happen.”
”...Keeping it quiet. Do you think the elders will allow you to do that?”
”I believe they will,” Linfeng confidently said.
Old Xiong raised a brow, signaling him to continue.
”If we break our ties with the Xiong family at this moment, both of our families will suffer. So I suggest for us to stay in a truce for at least two more years. During the upcoming two years, the Zhou family will prepare for the possible repercussions of breaking away from the Xiong family and establish our own green pasture. And as for the Xiong family, you can use this time strengthen and stabilize the Xiong Empire, so that when the Zhou's assistance is gone, your family can handle it yourself. It can also serve as the buffer time to find and train new subordinates to replace the core positions currently occupied by Zhou members in the Xiong Empire.”
”The Xiong family is not weak.”
”So is the Zhou family.”
”You do know that shifting powers and responsibilities will still affect the two families, don't you?”
Xiong Zhi silently agreed to the old man's concern. But she still stayed on Linfeng's side.
”That will still be within a controllable range. Also, the results far surpass these tiny side effects.”
Linfeng had considered this as well. Most likely, once the ignorant Zhou members realize that the Xiong family seemed to depend on them less and less, and that they were slowly being displaced from their duties, they would likely feel uneasy and think that the Xiong family no longer trusted them.
This was why Linfeng wanted the Zhou elders to know of this, too. With Old Xiong and the Zhou elders' cooperation, they could divert the Zhou members' attention towards building the Zhou family's independent green pasture from scratch.
They could hide this easily, saying that it was the Master's intention for the Zhou members to temporarily focus their efforts on these new businesses. The Zhou members would think that they were still handling the Xiong's business, and only when their financial sources and Linfeng's own project stabilized... would they come to know that they were actually managing their own family's independent business.
Old Xiong snorted. ”It seems you have considered this as well?”
”Naturally, Master Xiong. I am very serious about this after all.”
Old Xiong and Linfeng stared at each other for a while. One had a grim face, the other had calm politeness.
No one was backing down.
Finally, Old Xiong spoke.
”Just mere two years... How can it solve everything?”
Once everyone knew of the truth, even with sufficient preparations, the Xiong family's reputation would still be impacted.
People would point their fingers and call them liars, greedy, and selfish tyrants.
As a Xiong, Xiong Zhi would still be affected negatively.
Linfeng lowered his lashes, looking at his and his Young Miss's intertwined hands.
”...Master Xiong, aside from the preparations, there is also a way to lower the repercussions when telling everyone the truth.”
”There is?” Old Xiong's interest was piqued.
Xiong Zhi also looked at Linfeng with curiosity.
”After two years, the Xiong family will publicize that you wish to break the treaty between the Xiong and the Zhou families.”
”!!!”
Old Xiong and Xiong Zhi were stunned.
Linfeng did not them a chance to speak and continued his explanation.
”The public will only know that the Xiong family took the initiative to break the treaty.”
Linfeng looked up calmly at the elder's shocked eyes. ”'The Xiong family recognized the Zhou family's hard work for all these years, thus, decided to free them from the treaty as a sign of their friendship and appreciation. Any Zhou family members can step down from their designated posts if they wish to. The Xiong family will respect their decisions.' Isn't it a great excuse?”
”...”
”You will grant us our freedom, with no ill intentions posed to us afterwards. If Master Xiong is willing to do that, I will not let anyone else know of this doc.u.ment. You just have to continue what the Second Xiong Patriarch had wanted to do.”
Old Xiong still could not speak.
'Rather than ask whether I am willing to do that, I should be the one asking you!'
Was Linfeng truly willing to let go of the chance to get justice for the wrongs that his family suffered?
If the Xiong family did what Linfeng said, then the disadvantage would certainly be less. Rather, it would put the Xiong family to an even brighter spot with a better reputation.
With this, the two family could still live in harmony and friendship.
But would the Zhou butlers serving them intimately still work under them after breaking the treaty?
Now that Butler Zhou Min knew of this truth, would he continue serving him? Would the other butlers working under the other Xiong masters stay without the shackles of the treaty?
It was such a blurry future.
Linfeng smiled with a hint of irony. ”If you are worried that the Zhou family will truly abandon the Xiong family after all that, then you don't have anything to worry about. A lot of my family members had set their goals to stay under the Xiong's wings, to become the most trusted aide of the Xiong family. Perhaps, there are others like me who have lofty ambitions and dreams. But I assure you, a lot will certainly stay.”
The centuries-old brainwashing was not for nothing. Many Zhou member who had reached the legal age had been brainwashed into thinking that serving the Xiong family was the greatest achievement of all, what more of those butlers serving the Zhou masters now.
If they break the treaty this way, the Zhou members would only feel more gratitude.
...Perhaps, the Zhou family would be truly free, only when the next generation who grew up in a free environment without their wings clipped on their backs appeared in the future.
”...” Old Xiong was silent.