The Song Clan’s Enlightenment Manor was bustling with activity and its gates never saw rest. Duchess An had no shortage of admirers during her youth, many of whom had become powerhouses with friendly ties to the Song clan. The Duchess was a legend. The way she had supported the Song clan alone in her old age—seeking change through mercy and wisdom—earned the respect of the masses.
The Song clan had been battered by winds and rains as Zhang Boqian rose to power at an incredible speed. The duchess keeping things propped up under such circumstances was a feat worthy of praise. Even Zhang Boqian himself had hinted that he had no intention of tearing the Song clan apart as long as she was alive.
The clan itself was weak, but it was rich and sitting on a pile of rare resources. As traders, they didn’t really possess that many secret technologies to their name, making them a prime target for plundering.
On the contrary, a business like Ningyuan Heavy Industries was highly reliant on Song Zining, and that made it a difficult target. Even if people could snatch Ningyuan from him, the industry would only turn into a money sink. What was the use?
It was a different story with resources. To put it bluntly, there was little technological requirement for mining ores. All they needed to do was send some slaves down to do the mining, and it wasn’t a big loss even if they all died. Most mines would just make up for the lack of technology with human lives. The owners were just sitting there, raking in easy money.
The Song clan’s fortune was big, and it was easy to digest. Who wouldn’t want a slice? Even its allies couldn’t help but waver in the face of great profits.
Duchess An had held out against this pack of wolves for so long, but unfortunately, there was no one to succeed her. The descendants were unworthy and ignorant, all of them thinking they were skilled in statecraft and possessed enough resources to claim land and titles. They had no idea how the duchess was shielding them from the wind and rain.
The gentry of the Empire grieved at her departure, every clan and family sending envoys to convey their condolences. Be it enemies or friends, most of them held a degree of respect for Duchess An. Only the clan’s true enemies knew that the calm facade on the surface really wasn’t easy to maintain.
The Imperial clan sent a lord, two princes, and a princess. Empress Li also sent her trusted steward. It could be said that a high degree of respect was conveyed.
Only Zhang Boqian did not send a representative.
That in itself was a show of respect. Any other family lord in his place would’ve been banging on the doors once the funeral banners were up.
The funeral hall was set up in the duchess’ favorite Lotus House, a silent courtyard with few buildings. Only a handful of servants normally frequented the place, so there was no way it could accommodate so many guests. The Song clan might not have other things, but they had the money and manpower—they simply paid a large sum of gold coins to set up numerous temporary guest rooms for the highest-ranking guests. Only then did they barely manage to fit people in.
In a short while, the area outside of the courtyard and half the mountain was filled with houses to accommodate the guests.
According to Imperial customs, Duchess An’s remains would be kept there for forty-nine days before burial. The first few days were the busiest, and only after the guest waves had peaked did the people from the clan find time to discuss important matters.
Due to the space shortage, the elders could only squeeze into a secondary conference room. However, they were dizzy from the exhaustion and in no mood to complain.
Song Zhongnian took his seat in the master chair and glanced at the people in attendance. “Our Song clan is about to face perilous times. Whatever ideas you have, please speak directly.”
Someone said, “A snake cannot be without its head. Affairs of the clan had always been decided by the duchess. Now that she’s gone, we need to pick a clan lord to lead our Highland Song Clan to new heights and make our predecessors proud.”
Now that was interesting. The clan needed a new lord after the old ancestor’s passing? When was there such a rule?
Song Zhongnian’s eyelids twitched as he glanced at the speaker—it was Song Xiuwen. This person did not have much of a background but loved to speak out at the elder assembly. His jumping out first probably meant that someone was backing him.
Song Zhongnian replied slowly, “The old ancestor spoke nothing about changing a new clan lord before her passing. The candidates for this position aren’t chosen from the elder assembly, either. Were you planning on making yourself a grand elder or something?”
Song Xiuwen wasn’t about to hold back. “If you really do recommend me, I will reluctantly accept that position. Even if you don’t count my contributions all these years, it’s undeniable that I’ve toiled for the clan.”
Seeing that Song Xiuwen wasn’t even calling him by his title, Song Zhongnian said with a cold voice, “A clan’s grand elder has to possess both integrity and talent. Everyone knows about your morals and cultivation talents. It’ll be a joke if our Song clan’s grand elder can’t even beat a twenty-year-old!”
Song Xiuwen turned red. Slamming the table, he said furiously, “Nonsense! Stop flaunting your clan lord powers over here. Tell me which twenty-year-old can beat me!”
“Zhao Jundu.”
Song Xiuwen was stopped up. Moments later, he said with a flushed face, “That doesn’t count. Look at the amount of resources they had invested in him. I might not be inferior to him if I had enjoyed such treatment since childhood.”
This made everyone feel embarrassed. It was common knowledge that Zhao Jundu was peerless in the same realm. Song Xiuwen wasn’t shameless enough to claim that he could hold his own in a fight against the latter even if their cultivation ranks were the same, to speak nothing of his current inferior rank.
As for claiming that Zhao Jundu’s genius was due to his resources, that was simply making up false arguments.
Song Zhongnian gave him no room to escape. “There are a lot of guests outside. Why not tell them what you think and let them tell you their opinion?”
Song Xiuwen was furious. “Song Zhongnian, what’s the meaning of this? Just say it directly if you want to target me. There’s no need to beat around the bush!”
Song Zhongnian said calmly, “You’re not worth all that effort. You being part of the elder assembly is enough shame for the Song clan.”
Song Xiuwen wanted to say something, but the clan lord roared, “Sit down!”
A wave of rolling origin power sent Song Xiuwen’s head spinning. He sat down with his blood and qi in disarray, unable to speak anymore.
Having suppressed Song Xiuwen, Song Zhongnian said to the elders, “As long as I’m still the clan lord, I have the power to act. Let me put it bluntly, whoever plans to rely on foreign powers to split the clan up will have his branch of the family struck from the family register!”
These words sent a wave of commotion through the crowd. “We’re all of Song blood, what gives you the right to remove anyone?”
“Exactly! You can strike names off, but can you strike bloodlines off?”
Song Zhongnian waited for the commotion to subside before saying, “There’s no need to be so agitated if you’re not seeking to split the clan.”
Only at this point did those people realize that they had overstepped their bounds.
Song Zhongnian said, “It seems many of you are looking forward to a change in the clan lord position?”
Most of the elders nodded.
Song Zhongnian looked discouraged. “I know I’m not capable enough to manage the current situation and I won’t feel at ease staying in this post. But…”
His eyes turned cold as he scanned the group. “If anyone wants this power just to split up the clan, don’t blame me for being rude!”
The might of the clan lord sent shivers down the elders’ spines, prompting them to discard their little schemes. The change in clan lord wasn’t just a family issue; it was also a national affair. The Empire might not interfere in a clan’s internal business, but a change in hereditary titles had to be reported to the Imperial Capital and approved by the Imperial clan.
It would be quite problematic if Song Zhongnian wasn’t willing to step down on his own. They couldn’t just kill him during the duchess’ funeral, could they? If the elders were that bold and malicious, the internal affairs of the clan wouldn’t be this muddy.
Song Zhongnian saw that the elders had become a bit more reserved. “Now that the clan is in danger, we need all the help we can get. Zining is finally back, so I think we should let him join the meeting.”
These words elicited strong reactions.
“Hasn’t Lil’ Seven left the Song clan? Strictly speaking, he isn’t a part of the clan anymore, right?”
Song Zhongnian glanced at the speaker. “Didn’t you say just now that we can strike off a person’s name from the register but cannot strike off his bloodline?”
The elder didn’t know what to say. Someone else stepped in, saying, “Everything about Lil’ Seven is good, except his skirt-chasing and frivolousness. He might be a good asset after a couple more years of tempering. Why not call him back then?”
This person had sinister motives in criticizing Song Zining for his youth and carefree style.
Song Zhongnian replied calmly, “You just took in two concubines, and you also have three bastards outside. I don’t think you’re in any situation to call other people lecherous.”
“Zining is still young and lacking in seniority. An elder has to be a person of value and prestige, how can the boy convince the masses?”
It was Song Zhongcheng speaking. The clan lord couldn’t quite make things difficult for his older brother, so he merely shot him a cold glance. Song Zhongcheng was rather reserved today and didn’t continue saying anything after exchanging glances. A different elder beside him picked up the argument.
Chaos descended upon the elder assembly as Song Zining sat quietly in front of the duchess’ remains.
A maid arrived beside him. “Seventh Young Master, you haven’t had anything to eat for three days. You’ll get sick at this rate. Why not eat something?”
Song Zining waved his hand, indicating that it was unnecessary.
The maid looked anxious. “The old ancestor’s heart will break if she sees you like this.”
Song Zining looked up in a daze. “Ah, but she’s not here anymore…”
The maid looked scared. “Seventh Young Master, w-what’s wrong?”
“I’m fine, I just lost myself thinking about the past. You may withdraw, no need to care about me. I’ll leave after sitting for a few days.”
The maid gasped. “You must not go! You might not know, Young Master, but many people are looking forward to you becoming the clan lord!”
Song Zining sighed. “You don’t understand.”
Having overstepped her bounds already, the maid found it inappropriate to continue. She merely bit her lips and left. Those waiting around the funeral hall were the duchess’ personal maids and attendants. They whispered among one another, “It’s only been seven days, yet there’s no longer anyone here at night.”
“Exactly, only the seventh young master remains. It seems the old ancestor didn’t favor him for nothing.”
“Humph, those people are busy splitting up the clan. How can they have time to grieve?”
“Shh, keep quiet. You’ll get beaten up at least if someone hears!” The Lotus House was filled with people and activity in recent days. These maids couldn’t escape the fate of being shouted at and berated. Shoving and kicking weren’t entirely out of the question, either.
The first maid’s eyes turned red. “Who would dare treat us like this when the old ancestor was here?”
Song Zining remained kneeling in the funeral hall. He looked up at the remains of the duchess, saying, “Old Ancestor, you’ve long since foreseen this situation, right? Is that why you left very few words? The current Song clan has disappointed you to this degree. What do you want me to do? What should I do?”
At this point, an attendant arrived and whispered, “Seventh Young Master, the clan lord requests your presence at the elder assembly.”
“I will watch over the old ancestor’s coffin, I’m not going anywhere.”
Not expecting Song Zining to refuse so flatly, the attendant was at a momentary loss about what to do.
