Chapter 132: Did Ye Tiancheng Die in Vain?

Meanwhile.

The Old Madam left Emerald Bay and hurried straight back to the Tiandu Chamber of Commerce, summoning an emergency meeting at once.

Within less than half an hour, the members of the great families who had not yet left Jiangnan arrived one after another.

The entire conference room was packed to capacity.

The three grand elders, including Lord Ye, were naturally present as well. Yet given the current situation, every one of them wore an exceptionally grim expression.

After suffering this crushing blow, the Ye family had already sustained devastating losses. No one had the confidence to grit their teeth and hold on much longer. Their collapse was merely a matter of time.

Lord Ye in particular looked utterly ashen. His entire body radiated desolation, as though the death of Ye Tiancheng had left him permanently defeated, stripping away nearly all his convictions.

At this critical moment, the Old Madam’s urgent summons could only be intended to resolve their predicament.

In everyone’s eyes, the Old Madam had most likely regretted her decision and planned to bow her head, admit her mistake, and preserve the foundations of the family.

As president of the Tiandu Chamber of Commerce, Zhao Shanhe had the good fortune to attend the meeting. Sitting among the members of the great families, he rose first and asked with tact, cupping his hands, “Old Madam, this meeting was called so urgently. Have you finally come to your senses and decided to invite the Young Master back?”

Sure enough, the moment Zhao Shanhe spoke, anticipation appeared on the faces of everyone present. Without exception, they turned their eyes toward the Old Madam.

The Old Madam sat upright in the seat of honor, with Jiang Yingxia standing beside her. Her imposing expression commanded awe without anger. Facing Zhao Shanhe’s question, she shook her head before everyone and said, “I truly have no intention of giving that bastard any chance to return to the Ye family.”

The entire room erupted in commotion, and everyone was plunged into misery.

Zhao Shanhe cupped his hands again and asked through clenched teeth, “Old Madam, with matters having reached this point, if we continue down this path, the damage to the Ye family will be extraordinarily severe. You—”

Before he could finish, the Old Madam abruptly raised a hand and cut him off. With a confident smile, she said, “Who says the current situation can only be resolved by bowing our heads to Ye Tianlin? Besides, the truth is not what we witnessed with our own eyes. The real truth… lies elsewhere!”

Zhao Shanhe could not help showing surprise.

Lord Ye struggled to raise his head and stared at the Old Madam in confusion. “The real truth lies elsewhere? What does that mean? I don’t understand.”

The Old Madam immediately explained, “In truth, every one of us has been led around by the nose by the Shangjing Consortium. Things were indeed not as they appeared. The consortium deliberately showed us that version of events and deliberately made us believe it!”

“The reason is simple. From beginning to end, Ye Tianlin was never the true Young Master. He was merely a substitute deliberately pushed forward by the person behind the Shangjing Consortium!”

“If Su Weimin, that brainless fool, had not let it slip himself, I might still not have discovered this secret. I would have remained deceived indefinitely!”

The instant her words fell, the conference room exploded into an uproar.

Lord Ye sucked in a sharp breath and rose involuntarily. His eyes nearly bulged from their sockets, while the veins on his forehead throbbed violently. The corners of his mouth twitched as he said, “Ye Tianlin isn’t the true Young Master? He’s merely a puppet of the Shangjing Consortium?”

“That’s right. If no one believes me, ask Jiang Yingxia. She was there with me at the time and can testify to everything!” The Old Madam gestured toward her with complete confidence.

Jiang Yingxia wore a complicated expression. She had no choice but to remain silent and nod.

The moment he saw this, Lord Ye spat blood and began coughing violently, frightening everyone present. The other two grand elders hurriedly supported him from either side.

Afterward, Lord Ye wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and roared furiously, “So from the very beginning, every one of us was toyed with by Ye Tianlin! And my own grandson, Ye Tiancheng, died for nothing at Ye Tianlin’s hands, without even understanding what had happened?!”

By then, Lord Ye was completely enraged. An unprecedented hatred swept through his entire body in an instant. He wished he could tear Ye Tianlin to pieces.

“It is truly regrettable that Lord Ye lost his beloved grandson. Fortunately, the Ye family still has no shortage of talented people. Someone will take his place in the future.” The Old Madam felt secretly delighted. She believed that she was the greatest winner of all. Whether it was Ye Tianlin or Lord Ye, neither of them was a match for an old woman like her.

“Old Madam, are you certain this is true? Could there have been some mistake?” Zhao Shanhe asked, his face full of disbelief.

The Old Madam replied with absolute certainty, “Su Weimin confessed without being pressed, so this is unquestionably the truth. As for how we will resolve the problem, I have already prepared a solution.”

“Old Madam, please don’t do this. Tianlin is still your grandson!” Jiang Yingxia lost her composure and dropped to her knees on the spot.

The Old Madam sneered contemptuously. “Kneeling before everyone will not help you. Who told Ye Tianlin, that bastard, to act so excessively and so ruthlessly? He clearly does not regard me as his elder, so I have no need to give him another chance!”

Zhao Shanhe burned with anger at the sight. Whenever the Old Madam was at a disadvantage, she constantly relied on her seniority to bully others. The moment she found an opportunity, she immediately turned hostile and pretended not to know anyone. She was simply beyond reason.

Unfortunately, he was ultimately only a servant and possessed little authority. He could not influence the Old Madam’s decision, so he could only ask reluctantly, “Old Madam, how do you intend to resolve this crisis?”

The Old Madam curled her lips into a smile, braced herself against her cane, and slowly rose. She swept her gaze across everyone present before speaking sternly.

“As I said before, Ye Tianlin is nothing more than a puppet. The Shangjing Consortium is acting solely for the sake of profit.”

“In that case, I will accommodate the Shangjing Consortium and follow the example of the overseas Hong family by placing ourselves under its protection.”

“When that happens, that bastard Ye Tianlin will inevitably be struck down and left with nowhere to turn!”

Zhao Shanhe felt as though he had been struck by lightning. He had never imagined matters would develop in this direction, and he could not refute her. Given the current circumstances, what the Old Madam had said did indeed make sense.

By becoming an affiliated family of the Shangjing Consortium, the Ye family’s immediate problems would certainly be resolved. Afterward, Ye Tianlin’s position within the consortium would be shaken to its very foundation.

“I support the Old Madam’s decision. Once our Ye family submits directly to the Shangjing Consortium, what ability will Ye Tianlin have left? In terms of importance, it will certainly be us!” Lord Ye’s eyes gleamed, and even his breathing quickened. This was undoubtedly an excellent opportunity to avenge his grandson.

The Old Madam remained firmly seated in the place of honor and issued her command in a ringing voice. “Send someone to notify the Shangjing Consortium immediately. They must feel the sincerity of our Ye family this time. And I want to hear the consortium’s answer within half an hour!”

*The Honored Son-in-Law* will continue updating without interruption.