Chapter 268 Pros and Cons
“Ancestor, I’ve said this before!”
“Yun Cang Yun is firmly aligned with His Majesty. Over the years, their rapid rise and
development have been due to covert support from the court and the emperor.
Their purpose? To aid the emperor in balancing power against our Ye clan and other families.
How could they possibly agree to an alliance with us so easily?”
After leaving the Yun family estate, a middle-aged man in a crimson robe, with narrow eyes and
a slightly sinister expression, spoke in a low voice.
His name was Ye Wusheng, the younger brother of Canglan Ye’s patriarch, Ye Wuwei.
The purpose of their visit to the Yun family was to propose a marital alliance by offering Ye
Wusheng’s daughter as a bride.
“Wusheng, you’re absolutely correct. That Yun Yunyang will never agree to a marriage alliance
with us,” another Ye clan elder chimed in.
“Moreover, the circumstances surrounding Xiaolin’s death are far too suspicious.
At the Five-Nation Conference, all other families’ spiritual root cultivators perished, yet the three
from Yun Cang Yun survived unscathed.
It’s clear that His Majesty deliberately targeted us.
When the four immortal masters, including Li Qing, entered the mountain, it was likely to protect
Yun Yanshuang and her nieces.
As for our Ye clan, along with the Lin, Lu, and other families, there was no intention of offering
such covert protection.
Otherwise, how could all of our clans’ spiritual root cultivators have died in Tianqing Mountain,
while Yun Cang Yun’s returned alive and unharmed?”
“Given the emperor’s relentless efforts to suppress us, it’s even more unlikely that Yun Cang
Yun would risk a marriage alliance with us, knowing it could invite royal suspicion and further
suppression,” the elder concluded bitterly.
“You’re both absolutely right,” Ye Wansheng replied, his expression cold and calculating.
“The emperor and the court have not abandoned their designs to weaken and eliminate us. Yun
Cang Yun, knowing this, wouldn’t dare ally with our Ye clan for fear of incurring the emperor’s
wrath.”
Hearing Ye Wusheng and the elder’s reasoning, Ye Wansheng nodded, acknowledging their
concerns.
“Then why did the ancestor personally visit Yun Cang Yun to propose such an alliance?” Ye
Wusheng asked, his curiosity piqued.
“Why? I don’t even know myself,” Ye Wansheng admitted with a faint sigh.
“Perhaps it’s because the family’s current trajectory has left me with a profound sense of crisis.
This visit was a way to test the waters.
If Yun Cang Yun agrees, it’s a win-win for both sides.
If they refuse, our Ye clan will have no choice but to join forces with the Lin, Lu, and other
families.
The same way we dealt with the Yulin Wang clan in the past is how we’ll suppress Yun Cang
Yun now.
The emperor wants to elevate Yun Cang Yun to suppress and marginalize us.
We cannot let them have their way so easily.”
A frosty glint flickered in Ye Wansheng’s eyes as he spoke.
“Shall I start contacting the Lin, Lu, and other families now, to prepare in advance?” Ye
Wusheng asked after a moment of contemplation.
“There’s no rush. Let’s wait for Yun Cang Yun’s response first.
Resisting the court and Yun Cang Yun will not be accomplished overnight,” Ye Wansheng
replied, waving a hand dismissively.
“Understood, Ancestor,” Ye Wusheng said with a bow.
“To think, the once-great leader of the top three families would personally visit us to propose an
alliance!”
Watching Ye Wansheng and his group leave, Yun Yunlin couldn’t help but sigh.
“Ever since the Ye clan’s ancestor perished in Wanlong Mountain, their family has faced covert
suppression from the emperor and the court.
Their development has been stifled year after year.
If I were in Ye Wansheng’s position, I’d also consider a marriage alliance with the Yun family,”
Yun Yunyang said thoughtfully, rising to his feet and gazing at the retreating figures of the Ye
clan.
“So, Cousin Yunyang, will you agree to the alliance?”
“Of course, we should agree! Although the Canglan Ye clan is not as strong as before, it was
once the leader of the top three families.
Even now, their resources and influence remain among the best.
A marriage alliance with the Canglan Ye clan would bring great benefits to our family,” one of the
senior members of the Yun clan said with a slight smile, expressing confidence that Yun
Yunyang would consider the proposal.
Hearing this, several other senior members of the Yun clan nodded in agreement.
“You’re only seeing the surface but haven’t considered the deeper implications,” Yun Yunyang
said, shaking his head with a faint smile at the conversation among his brothers and cousins.
“Cousin Yunyang, what are your thoughts?”
“This marriage alliance is impossible,” Yun Yunyang said with a sigh.
“Why not?”
The elders were puzzled, their expressions filled with confusion.
“Is it because of the concerns His Majesty and the court might have?” Yun Yunrui asked
thoughtfully.
Having spent years at Yun Yunyang’s side, learning the intricacies of managing the family and
dealing with prominent figures, Yun Yunrui had developed a keen sense of political strategy.
While others celebrated the prospect of an alliance with the Canglan Ye clan, he silently
weighed the potential risks and benefits.
“Haha! Yunrui understands me!”
Hearing Yun Yunrui’s analysis, Yun Yunyang laughed heartily.
“Indeed, the Canglan Ye clan was once the leader of the top three families. Their foundation is
solid, and a marriage alliance with them would certainly be a cause for celebration.
But have you all forgotten where our Yun family stands now?”
“Our Yun family is firmly aligned with His Majesty and the court.
For years, the emperor and the court have suppressed the Canglan Ye clan, the Wangyue Lin
clan, the Chuanyin Lu clan, and others to elevate Yun Cang Yun to prominence among the
families.
If we were to agree to a marriage alliance with the Canglan Ye clan now, how do you think His
Majesty and the court would react?
Wouldn’t it render their years of effort meaningless?”
“If we form this alliance, our Yun family will end up pleasing no one.
First, the Canglan Ye clan, Wangyue Lin clan, Chuanyin Lu clan, and others will still see us as a
threat and won’t stop targeting us.
Second, His Majesty and the court will become suspicious and may suppress us just as they
have suppressed the other clans.”
“Tell me, can our family, in its current state, withstand both the hostility of other clans and the
covert suppression of the court?”
“If that were to happen, our Yun family would face the same fate as the Tongshan Xia clan!”
Yun Yunyang calmly laid out his analysis, sending chills down the spines of the Yun clan elders.
They hadn’t realized that something as seemingly simple as a marriage alliance could have
such far-reaching consequences.
“The truth is, our Yun family is still too weak. If we were strong enough, we wouldn’t need to
worry about such things,” Yun Yunyang said, gazing out of the ancestral hall at the clear blue
sky.
“But if we refuse the alliance, the Ye clan will likely join forces with other clans to target us.
They won’t sit idly by as a family so firmly aligned with the emperor and the court grows stronger
and threatens their future,” Yun Yunrui said, voicing his concern.
“That’s unavoidable.”
“Better to face the other clans’ hostility than to be caught between two opposing forces.
Besides, the court and His Majesty won’t stand by idly.
The Ye, Lin, Lu, and other clans may seek to deal with us, but they won’t be able to act openly.”
“From now on, we must tread carefully. Our Yun family’s current position is much like the Yulin
Wang clan’s was in the past.
One misstep could lead to total ruin,” Yun Yunyang said with a deep sigh.
The family had chosen this path, and they had no choice but to press forward.
As for where it would lead, Yun Yunyang didn’t know.
He only knew that if they didn’t persevere, the Yun family would face destruction, just as the
Tongshan Xia clan and the Yulin Wang clan had before them.