The stench along the Half-City River was overwhelming.
In a pavilion on the high bank, Qin Leyin was explaining the schemes and intrigues.
"Prefects, magistrates, commanders, merchants... We admit that the power of just our Huiyao Four Guards is insufficient to stand against the Silver Blood Society, the ruling organization formed by these powers-that-be. That's why our strategy has always been to fan the flames and keep them busy fighting among themselves. Even if we can't benefit the country, at least we can reduce the harm they do to it."
"If we're lucky, we can make the major merchant clans divide their assets among multiple heirs and tear one another apart, even weakening the Silver Blood Society considerably."
"The mutual schemes and internal conflicts among the five great merchant clans—the Ting, Luo, Lan, Quan, and Jing families; the intrigues between the Prefectural Governor's Mansion and the magistrates; the factions within the Heyang Army... They already have irreconcilable struggles of interest among themselves. All we do is accelerate the process."
"That's why we place so much importance on the 'Youth Newspaper.' The 'Youth Newspaper' is no different in essence from what we're doing, but its results far surpass ours!"
"And how could we possibly miss an opportunity as good as the four sons of the Jing family fighting over the inheritance?"
Qin Leyin chuckled. "I'll say it again: accomplishing good is difficult, but ruining things is easy. Helping you, Young Master Wei, become family head isn't something the Huiyao Four Guards can openly do much for you, but we can... trip up your younger brothers."
Le Yu pondered for a long while before slowly exhaling. "Then what about your sister's engagement to Jing Zhengwu...?"
Qin Leyin shook his head. "That has nothing to do with the Huiyao Four Guards. Jing Zhengwu