Gu Changfeng raised an eyebrow slightly. "Nephew, which expenses do you think are unnecessary?"
Yu Yan remained composed; he had already prepared his argument. "Uncle, I don't understand the other areas, but when it comes to funding martial arts training, I think we have too many people."
He continued confidently, "As for our top-level fighters, we have Master Huang now, and I'll be here in the future, so we're not lacking. We don't need many other entry-level martial artists; two are enough. I think we could cancel the funding for one of Chen Yuan, Gao Mingchang, and Cao Yan, and transfer it to me."
Gu Changfeng considered this for a moment, then turned to Gu Ye and asked:
"Third Brother, you're in charge of the martial artists. Does our Gu Family need more guards at the entry-level martial artist stage?"
Gu Ye thought it over before answering:
"We don't need many. Two would be enough, and three would be more than enough. That gives us room to maneuver if anything unusual happens."
Clearly, he had his own considerations in this area; otherwise, he would have canceled the funding long ago.
Gu Changfeng pondered for a moment, then said:
"My nephew makes a fair point. Since three are more than enough, we'll cancel one person's funding and focus on training you. Who do you think we should cut?"
Keeping one more entry-level martial artist meant not only funding them now but also paying them a monthly salary from then on. It was another expense.
It would be better to concentrate those resources on training Yu Yan.
Yu Yan smiled, finally revealing his true intentions:
"Uncle, I know Gao Mingchang and Cao Yan fairly well. They both have good character and aptitude, so they're worth continuing to train.
"As for Chen Yuan, he has a D-Grade Bone Structure. Although he's performed well recently, I've dealt with him before and found that he's a man of poor character who has no basic respect for others. He's not fit for great things."
Recalling how Chen Yuan had treated him with disdain more than half a month ago, Yu Yan sneered inwardly.
Did he really think he was somebody? He's only got a D-Grade Bone Structure. If I want Chen Yuan gone, I'll send him packing.
He was marrying into the Gu Family partly to build ties with them and gain access to more resources, but also to bring Chen Yuan down.
Someone who refused to follow orders was far more trouble than the two sensible people, Gao Mingchang and Cao Yan.
Besides, Chen Yuan's performance had made Yu Yan feel a hint of threat. That was the most important factor.
I have to cut off Chen Yuan's funding and snuff him out in the cradle, before he can threaten my position.
Gu Changfeng hesitated slightly, then looked at Gu Ye and Huang Yan.
As the head of the family, he naturally wouldn't take one person's word for it.
Gu Ye gave Yu Yan a long look. He understood that Yu Yan was deliberately trying to push Chen Yuan out.
Yu Yan was now in favor and had become the Gu Family's son-in-law, so Gu Ye decided he had to show him some consideration. He chose his words carefully:
"Chen Yuan has behaved well enough in front of me. But since my nephew says this, he must have his reasons. Perhaps Chen Yuan is a two-faced man."
With those words, he avoided offending Yu Yan without going against his own conscience. If anything went wrong, he wouldn't be blamed either—a display of a seasoned old hand's smoothness.
Huang Yan furrowed his brow and spoke up:
"Patriarch, I think Chen Yuan has good character and talent. He's worth cultivating. If we have to cancel someone's funding, why not cut off all three of Xue Anping and the others? In my opinion, those three don't measure up to Chen Yuan."
Although he understood Yu Yan's hostility, Chen Yuan was practically his junior fellow apprentice. The young man had both diligence and talent, and Huang Yan truly didn't want someone like that to be buried.
Yu Yan's heart sank. Huang Yan, can't you tell what matters most now?
I'm already the Gu Family's son-in-law, with the greatest potential, and you're actually offending me for Chen Yuan?
Gu Changfeng also noticed something amiss. Neither of the other two had said anything to suggest Chen Yuan had poor character, while Yu Yan had made his accusations with such certainty...
He continued, "Nephew, you say Chen Yuan has poor character. Do you have any evidence? If it's not too serious, perhaps we should do as Master Huang suggests and cancel the other three people's funding instead."
Yu Yan's eyes turned cold. He cupped his hands and said:
"Uncle, of course I have evidence. As far as I know, a few months ago, Chen Yuan severed ties with the Chen Family that gave birth to him and raised him.
"Last month, for reasons I don't know, he went to Kaishan Martial Hall and beat his half-brother so badly that the boy is still recovering at home.
"That same day, people from the Black Dragon Gang broke into the Chen Family home and injured Chen Yuan's parents, leaving the place in a shambles.
"I'm bold enough to ask: if Chen Yuan could be so heartless to the Chen Family that gave birth to him and raised him, sparing neither his parents nor his younger brother, how could such an ungrateful person cherish the Gu Family's kindness in raising him? What if, once he masters martial arts, the Gu Family follows in the Chen Family's footsteps?
"There's more. He's ruthless when he strikes—he gave Gao Mingchang internal injuries during a sparring match, and Gao only just recovered a few days ago. And he showed me no respect, acting as if I weren't even there when I tried to talk things over with him. I'll say no more!"
After hearing him out, Gu Changfeng's brows knitted into a deep furrow. He looked at Gu Ye and Huang Yan and asked in a low voice:
"Is everything my nephew said true?"
Gu Ye nodded. "Those things did happen, but..."
"No more 'buts'!" Gu Changfeng cut him off with a wave of his hand and said coldly:
"Be that as it may, if he can be so ruthless to his own family, how can we expect him to be loyal to the Gu Family? Notify Chen Yuan today and tell him to get lost. He won't get another penny from the Gu Family!"
Gu Ye sighed inwardly and nodded in agreement.
Gu Changfeng still seemed dissatisfied.
As the head of the family, loyalty was the quality he valued most.
What was the point of cultivating someone who couldn't be made to serve him, and might even turn around and bite the hand that fed him?
Was he supposed to shoot himself in the foot?
His tone carried a hint of reproach. "Third Brother, when choosing people to cultivate in the future, bone structure is only one consideration. Character matters too. You can't favor one over the other. The Gu Family needs people who are both virtuous and talented."
"Understood, Big Brother," Gu Ye replied with a helpless nod.
He had already seen the lay of the land. Yu Yan's words had planted a firm impression of Chen Yuan in his elder brother's mind.
Even if he explained that Chen Yuan had good reason for everything he had done, it would probably make no difference—and might even bring trouble down on him.
Yu Yan looked perfectly at ease, thoroughly pleased.
He added with a faint smile, twisting the knife a little further: "Uncle, Chen Yuan's funding for this month is seven taels of silver. Half the month has already passed. If we negotiate with Huo Academy, we might be able to get a few taels back and recoup some of the loss."
Gu Changfeng wasn't so emotional that he couldn't think clearly. He looked at Huang Yan:
"Master Huang, what do you think?"
After all, Huang Yan was the one who dealt with Huo Academy.
Huang Yan replied in a low voice, "Patriarch, that wouldn't be appropriate. Once money has been spent, how can we take it back? Not only would it create ill feeling with Huo Academy, but if word got out that the Gu Family was quibbling over a few taels of silver, wouldn't we become a laughingstock? Better to part on good terms. Let's treat these three months of funding as a goodwill gesture."
Gu Changfeng nodded. "Since that's your view, we'll do as you suggest."
There was indeed a risk of losing sight of the big picture over a small gain.
As for the supposed goodwill, Gu Changfeng scoffed inwardly. It would be more accurate to say the money had gone down the drain.
He turned to Yu Yan again, his voice a little gentler:
"My nephew, don't worry over those few taels. Starting today, Chen Yuan's seven taels will all go to you, with another three taels added, for a total of twenty taels a month. If that isn't enough, let me know."
Yu Yan was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly.
Although he hadn't managed to cut Chen Yuan off from every resource, he was satisfied with this much.
Twenty taels of silver a month would be more than enough for him to trample Chen Yuan, who had lost his funding, underfoot!
Before you continue