Guesswork, Human Heart

The next day, Yangjin told me that the date for Maru to take over as Tusi had been set for three days later. The Municipal Official had agreed to attend and seemed to have approved Maru and Zhuoma's marriage as well.

That did not surprise me. After all, the Tumba Family had a Gold Mountain and was considered powerful throughout Tibet.

The Municipal Official might hold power, but he could not remain a Municipal Official for the rest of his life, could he? Once he stepped down, unless he had an exceptionally strong family background, he would be nothing special.

That was why he needed to strengthen his family's overall power, especially by seeking powerful external support.

But outside support was ultimately a lesser path. External strength would never truly become the strength of one's own family.

The best solution, then, was a marriage alliance between two major powers.

Though kinship by marriage was not especially solid, it could at least bind part of the two families' interests together. And if the two families grew closer, and the person joining them in marriage might someday shoulder great responsibility, it would be beneficial to either family.

Take Maru now. He was about to become the Tumba Family's next Tusi in just a few days. In outsiders' eyes, his taking control of the Tumba Family was already a certainty. That was the real reason the Municipal Official had agreed to this marriage.

"I've also asked the Municipal Official to pass word to the Great Living Buddha. Whether the Great Living Buddha comes or not, I don't know. But this is a major event, and our Tumba Family must make it grand and spectacular. Only then can we make those people who have all sorts of ideas about the Tumba Family give up