Chapter 727 - The Bid ended (1/2)
Xiong Zhi politely smiled at Mistress Tang.
”I am not asking Mistress Tang or Master Lu to trust our family. Instead, our Xiong family will place our bets and trust you.”
Mistress Tang's finger suddenly halted.
What?
Even Old Xiong was stunned.
Suddenly a premonition began to appear in the headmasters' minds.
Xiong Zhi placed her hand on her ċhėst solemnly. ”The Xiong family is willing to pay a certain amount for the plaque. However, we do not wish to own it or monopolize it.”
She looked at the Guan family's table.
”If possible, we want the Guan family to first house the plaque. They have just lost their former head and their turbulent period has come. As a comrade of our family, and as a legendary family who helps our own, we wish to support the idea of entrusting the plaque to the Guan house and uphold the honor of the previous ancestors, including the deceased former Guan headmaster. Of course, this is only for a period of time. A notarized agreement must be accomplished to ensure that fairness will be followed.”
Whoosh.
There was a deafening silence after Xiong Zhi's speech, very silent that one could hear the drop of a needle in the quiet room.
Then the uproar in the crowd started.
”To pay, but not to monopolize?”
”One plaque for everyone?”
”How can the other heads agree to such a ridiculous idea?”
The more informed ones were calmer and thought of the implications.
”It's true that the Guan family faced a setback after their former family head died. If they housed the plaque, it can bring honor to their family once again. This can be a great help to the Guan family.”
”Not only that, but it is the same as telling us that the legendary families still support the Guan family at the back, is it not?”
”Shh, we still can't tell. Are the other families even willing to step back or not?”
”If they did, given the instability that will happen otherwise, there are indeed more benefits this way.”
The people began to express their varying opinions while observing the subjects in question.
Mistress Tang was silent, but she had a solemn expression on her face.
The two heads actually began to consider Xiong Zhi's suggestions.
On the other hand, Ming Zhi Yi on the stage stared coldly at Xiong Zhi. His expression was darkening.
Indeed, it was a solution to avoid the conflict between the families. However, it was too idealistic and rather naive, that none of the heads who thought only of their own family's interests would think of it. Even Ming Zhi Yi himself did not expect that such a naive yet effective offer would be brought up in this auction.
It was too out of the world.
What the young woman suggested was a perfect counter for his trap. Not only the discord would not be sowed, but their alliance would just get stronger. The weak Guan family would not be an easy prey anymore if they had the plaque and the protection of other families.
If the legendary families agreed with the young woman and placed the plaque in the Guan estate under the protection of the four families, then it was the same as the legendary families declaring their protection over the Guan family as one of their own.
Not only could he not weaken them, but they would just get stronger instead!
No! He could not allow that!
Ming Zhi Yi stepped forward.
”Young heiress, that is a nice speech, although very… innocent and naive. What is important now is who will stand above all others. Who will be able to bring endless honor to their own family? This is the time to show one's dominance over others. The world will not allow one to be softhearted, because it can swallow them whole if they did.”
Ming Zhi Yi subtly taunted the heads of the legendary families.
Their greed, their dėsɨrė for domination, and their arrogant pride… All these that once ruined many clans, here should be the place where they would be displaying them!
These fools who only knew arrogance and selfishness!
However, Ming Zhi Yi did not consider that before the bid started, Xiong Zhi went to them and parted words of warning.
Mistress Tang suddenly stood up.
She looked at the young woman who boldly faced others despite her young age. Her old face smiled warmly at her. She remembered what the young woman had previously said when she went to the Tang family's table.
[”Mistress Tang, I know that you can see what is behind the sweet and delicious trap. The Tang family is powerful and may be able to overcome it easily. However, have you ever wondered how this precious item appeared at such a sėnsɨtɨvė time? Mistress Tang, please choose wisely.”]
Mistress Tang had wondered what 'choice' the young heiress was talking about.
'So it was because of this.'
Monopolize the plaque, gain the honor in dedication to their ancestors, but then their family had to face the possibility of offending the other legendary families and the hard-won balance for centuries would crumble. Aside from these, she had to be careful with the huge snake that was waiting for the right time to strike.
On the other hand, Mistress Tang could do what the young heiress suggested. Gain a right over the plaque, an honor not as great as the first option, but the alliance between the legendary families will be much stronger. They would also be able to fend off the snake that was lurking around.
Now, thinking about it, the wisest choice was clear.