met free Chapter 2076 Even though they're all from Yanjing, why are they divided into 369 ranks?
Chapter 2076 Even though they're all from Yanjing, why are they divided into 369 ranks?
That ledger is currently in Li Xiangnan's hands!
Ye Ruyan's account books were also on the table at that moment.
Everyone in the room held their breath, involuntarily swallowed, and their expressions became solemn.
This thing has stirred up countless storms in Yanjing since a century ago. Those who pay attention will find that every storm in Yanjing seems to be related to it!
Now, it lies openly on the Eight Immortals table in the main room of the Li family's courtyard!
Two books at once, that's absolutely terrifying!
Li Xiangnan did not immediately open the ledger. Instead, he gently stroked the cover and looked up at Ye Ruyan: "Comrade Ye, the ledger is here, but..."
He paused, his gaze falling on the brown paper bag beside Ye Ruyan. "Since we're going to authenticate it, shouldn't we first look at the one Comrade Ye brought? After all, you were the one who brought this up, so the owner should at least have a look at it!"
That's a clever way of putting it. Since you, Ye Ruyan, say you're here to return the item to its rightful owner, you should naturally show me your account book first!
Ye Ruyan's eyes flickered slightly, and her fingers gently stroked the file bag, but she did not open it.
“Dr. Li is right,” she said slowly, her tone extremely calm, “However, these account books are quite old, and the paper is fragile! Opening and examining them requires extra care, preferably in a well-lit, stable, and quiet place! There are too many people here, and if they are damaged…”
She paused, her gaze sweeping over everyone in the room: "Moreover, the account books contain information about the Mu family's past and the secrets of many families in Yanjing... Some of these records are probably not suitable to be shown in public!"
The reason given was quite plausible: they were afraid of damage, but even more afraid of leaks!
Li Xiangnan sneered inwardly.
It seems my prediction was right. Ye Ruyan would never open the file bag in public so easily. What's inside is probably only known to her!
"Comrade Ye is very thoughtful!" Li Xiangnan said, going along with her words. "In that case, let's do as Comrade Ye suggests. When we get to the backyard, we'll open the seal and inspect it together in front of Grandma!"
He seemed to back down, but in reality, he kicked the ball back to its owner!
Ye Ruyan nodded: "That's for the best!"
“However…” Li Xiangnan changed the subject, “As Comrade Ye just said, these account books involve many secrets and many families; and the backyard is, after all, the inner quarters, so it’s not appropriate for too many people to enter! Comrade Ye can bring one person to accompany him, and the others… can stay in the middle courtyard and wait!”
This was a strategy that Li Xiangnan had planned long ago: by limiting the number of the opponent, he could control the situation to the greatest extent possible!
But Ye Ruyan clearly wouldn't agree so easily.
She shook her head. "Dr. Li, I'm afraid it won't work! This account book is related to the old friendship between Zhongwujia and the Mu family. The Chen, Wang, Lu, and Han families all have the right to be present as witnesses!"
“Then it’s not just about witnessing the account books!” Li Xiangnan looked directly into her eyes. “Comrade Ye, you and I both know that today’s matter has long since gone beyond simply returning something to its rightful owner. You want to go into the backyard to have my grandmother examine the account books and return them to her, or do you want to confirm something else?”
He asked very directly, so directly that the four representatives behind Ye Ruyan all changed their expressions.
Ye Ruyan was silent for two seconds, then suddenly smiled: "Dr. Li is indeed straightforward! In that case, I won't beat around the bush either! We do need to confirm some things, and these things must be asked of Comrade Mu Huanying in person!"
She admitted it!
But this admission only made Li Xiangnan more wary.
"What is it?" Li Xiangnan pressed.
"Some old stories!" Ye Ruyan said, avoiding the main point. "I can only tell Comrade Mu Huanying the specifics!"
“Then we absolutely cannot let everyone in!” Li Xiangnan insisted. “This concerns Grandma; I must ensure her safety! Comrade Ye can go in, but he can bring at most one person to accompany him. That’s the bottom line!”
The two were deadlocked.
The atmosphere inside the room became tense again.
Just then, Li Dequan, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up: "South!"
Li Xiangnan turned his head: "Grandpa!"
"Since Comrade Ye insists that all four families be present..." Li Dequan said slowly, "then why don't we also invite a few witnesses!"
The old man looked at Song Cijiu and asked, "Cijiu, are your fathers, Old Jiang, Old Yu, and Old Qin, still sitting in the backyard?"
Song Ciji understood and nodded with a smile, "Yes, I am!"
“Then please invite them to be present!” Li Dequan said casually, “Since it’s about authenticating account books and inquiring about old matters, having a few of them who knew about it back then as witnesses is the most appropriate thing to do!”
Upon hearing this, Ye Ruyan's expression finally changed!
Jiang Huaiyuan, Yu Haoran, Qin Zongheng, and Song Qiankun!
She knew all too well the importance of those four old men!
If all four of them are on the Li family's side, then what happened today...
hiss!
"Old Master Li's consideration is very thorough!" Ye Ruyan quickly composed herself, her expression remaining calm. "However, the gentlemen are all getting on in years, and today is a celebratory banquet, so why trouble them?"
"No need for that!" Li Dequan waved his hand. "They have old ties with the Mu family, so they should be present for this kind of event!"
The old man spoke with absolute certainty, leaving no room for negotiation.
Ye Ruyan's mind raced.
Her original plan was to use the pressure from the combined efforts of the five middle-class families and the cooperation of the five lower-class families to approach the backyard and confirm the information about Mu Huanying and the account books.
However, if the three patriarchs of the five families were all present, plus the terrifying Qin family, the pressure would be completely reversed!
The prestige of those old men was enough to surpass that of the ten families in Yanjing!
No, we have to find a way to break this deadlock!
“Since that’s the case…” Ye Ruyan took a deep breath, “Then let’s do as the old man says! However, since it’s a witnessing matter, the witness should be impartial and neutral! Old Master Jiang and the others are on good terms with the Li family, I’m afraid…”
"Comrade Ye, you're overthinking it!" Song Cijiu suddenly spoke up, his voice steady and powerful: "Elder Jiang and the others have a deeper relationship with the Mu family than with the Li family! If it involves the Mu family's past affairs, they will only stand on the side of justice! The reputation of the top five families has been witnessed by everyone in Beijing since ancient times!"
These words were extremely harsh, implying that Ye Ruyan should not judge others by her own petty standards!
Ye Ruyan was taken aback, a flash of anger crossing her eyes, but she quickly suppressed it.
“What Master Song said is true,” she forced a smile, “I misspoke!”
The situation has once again reached a stalemate.
Li Xiangnan observed Ye Ruyan's unpredictable expression and quickly began to calculate in his mind.
Ye Ruyan clearly didn't want Elder Jiang and the others to get involved, but she couldn't find a suitable reason to refuse. This was her weakness, and she could use it!
"Then please have a seat, Comrade Ye. I'll go and make some preparations!" Li Xiangnan got up and walked out of the main room at the right time.
Song Ziming, Wang Defa, and Yang Weidong immediately followed.
The four of them walked to a secluded spot under the eaves. Li Xiangnan lowered his voice and said quickly, "Zi Mo, tell Lei Jin to execute Plan Three!"
"Understood!" Song Ziming turned and ran.
"What about me?" Yang Weidong leaned closer.
"You stay in the central courtyard!" Li Xiangnan's gaze swept across the west wing: "Keep a close eye on those people. I reckon... they're getting restless!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a commotion arose in the west wing.
With a loud bang!
The door to the west wing was suddenly pushed open, and Yan Qinghe, Liu Wenyuan, Hou Wanjin, Zong Wangshan, and Qian Houjin, along with their younger relatives, ran out excitedly.
He Shun and Wu Mao tried to stop them, but Zong Wangshan pushed them away.
"Get out of the way!" Zong Wangshan roared gruffly. "If we want to visit the old master, those who are ranked in the top five can go see him, so why can't we? We're all from the top ten families in Yanjing, are we divided into different classes?"
His voice was loud, instantly attracting the attention of all the guests in the courtyard. Everyone frowned upon hearing this...