The old man's last words completely stunned Jiang Cheng.
What did it mean that "the Jiang family's survival philosophy is derived from the Vertical and Horizontal Alliances' way of life"? Was it implying that the Jiang family encouraged each generation to compete, even to the point of fratricide? It was too cruel!
Jiang Cheng began to understand why Jiang Dejun had left the family and refused to mention anything related to it. With the temperament of a traditional Chinese scholar, or rather as a disciple of Confucianism, he naturally detested the rules passed down from the Vertical and Horizontal Alliances.
However, Jiang Cheng couldn't deny the old man had a point.
Looking back at history, of the various schools of thought from before the Qin Dynasty, only a few survived, with Confucianism dominating and absorbing or eliminating others like the Mohists, Yin-Yang, and even the Legalists, Militarists, and the Name schools.
Although the Vertical and Horizontal Alliances weren't well-known, they successfully continued their legacy, often producing prominent figures. Figures from the Three Kingdoms period like Sima Yi, Li Jing from the Sui and Tang dynasties, Su Xun from the Northern Song, Jia Sidao from the Southern Song, Liu Bowen from the Ming Dynasty, and Fan Wencheng from the Qing Dynasty were all descendants, each a notable figure of their time.
As the saying goes, "A family with a hundred years of history has strict rules." Families that have lasted centuries naturally have stringent rules.
"What are you thinking?" Seeing Jiang Cheng fall silent, the old man asked casually.
Jiang Cheng sighed, "My father left the family because he couldn't accept these rules, right?"
The old man looked up at the sky and said, "That's part of it, but I suspect the primary reason was a clash between father and son."
"I've been holding a question for a long time, is it okay to ask?"
"…" The old man looked deeply at Jiang Cheng and said, "You want to ask why I treated your father the way I did, right?"
Jiang Cheng didn't respond but nodded firmly, then looked intently at the old man, hoping for an answer. From the afternoon's interaction, he knew the old man was shrewd and that it was better to speak frankly.
The old man sighed, "Do you know I was very disappointed in your father?"
"Because he always opposed you?" Jiang Cheng asked coldly, a mocking smile on his lips.
"No!" the old man asserted, "I'm disappointed not because he opposed me, but because, despite opposing me, he lacked the resolve to see it through!"
"What?!" Jiang Cheng was baffled by the old man's words.
Luckily, the old man provided an answer: "When he married your mother against my wishes, I wasn't upset. On the contrary, I was relieved that my son had finally grown up and learned to say no to his father. But what did he do afterward? Since the marriage was a fait accompli, why didn't he bring his wife home? After you were born, he didn't bring you to meet me and his mother either. Did he even consider us his parents?"
"You… you wanted my father to oppose you?" Jiang Cheng struggled to understand, "Then why didn't you inform him when grandma was seriously ill? Why didn't you let him in when she died?"
Mentioning his deceased wife, the old man's face showed a trace of sorrow, "I didn't tell him, but couldn't he have inquired? Being away from home, shouldn't he have worried about his parents? He has no right to blame me. And when he returned to mourn, I did not let him in, but couldn't he have forced his way through? After all, he's the fifth young master of this family; who would really stop him?"
"Ah?!" Jiang Cheng's mind went blank, shocked by the old man's different interpretation of events, shifting the blame onto Jiang Dejun.
But such matters often have two sides. In the end, it was a lack of communication between the two that led to misunderstandings.
"What do you mean?" Jiang Cheng, still confused, asked straightforwardly, "If you wished for someone to oppose your decisions, why did you raise my father, uncle, and aunts in such a way?"
"I just hoped that one of them could truly excel," the old man said softly, "A truly talented person would never betray their heart due to someone else's decisions. A real genius doesn't care about others' opinions; they do what they want. So, I hoped they would show extraordinary wit under my oppression. Unfortunately, I failed; none of them had that wisdom."
Jiang Cheng thought to himself: With such upbringing from childhood, it's no wonder they couldn't "excel."
The old man continued, "I had the highest hopes for your father because he was rebellious from a young age, always secretly defying my demands. You don't know, although I always punished him, I was increasingly happy because I thought one of my children might finally be a genius. Unfortunately, your father's subsequent actions completely disappointed me. He wanted to defy me but ended up being the most obedient. In that regard, he was even less than his honest elder brother, who truly did things against my wishes."
Jiang Cheng remained silent, not knowing what to say. The "truth" was indeed like this!
After a while, he asked, "What was your purpose in doing all this?"
The old man didn't answer directly but countered, "Do you know the extent of the Jiang family's influence and strength?"
Jiang Cheng shook his head.
"Do you know the Rothschild family?"
"Yes." The world's recognized number one family, who wouldn't know?
"The Jiang family's strength may be slightly inferior, but not by much."
"Ah! That powerful?!" Jiang Cheng was shocked. Comparable to the Rothschild family, was the Jiang family that formidable?
"The Rothschild family's ancestor was just a guard for King Solomon, rising to prominence by obtaining Solomon's treasure and then capitalizing on the Industrial Revolution. Our Jiang family, descending from Jiang Ziya, has a much deeper foundation. If not for several catastrophes throughout Chinese history, which heavily impacted the Jiang family, how could those Westerners have surpassed us?" The old man spoke dismissively and defiantly of the Rothschild family.
Jiang Cheng was sweating, not expecting the old man to be such a nationalist.
After a sigh, the old man asked, "Do you know who currently controls the Jiang family?"
Jiang Cheng shook his head again.
"Without hiding it from you, it's your grandfather, me," the old man said slowly.
"Ah?!" Realization dawned on Jiang Cheng, and he began to understand the old man's intentions. As the head of a great family, he had to consider more than just his immediate family but the entire clan, necessitating some cold and harsh decisions.
"However, my position as the family head is somewhat illegitimate. When it was time to choose a new head, the country was in a decade of turmoil. Unfortunately, the Jiang family was somewhat exposed, heavily suppressed by the authorities, leading to a significant loss of strength. At that time, no one dared to take up this hot potato, only me, with a bit of courage and recklessness, stepped forward, thus gaining the position. But I'm aware I'm just an average person. By talent and wisdom, I couldn't rank at the forefront in the family. If not for some foolhardiness, this position wouldn't have fallen to me. Over the years, I've been cautious, treading on thin ice, managing the family through difficult times. Although I can't claim great achievements, I've done my duty to my ancestors!" The old man spoke somewhat self-deprecatingly.
"Sir, you can't say that. Without you, who knows what would've become of our Jiang family? You've indeed made significant efforts!" Chen Bo suddenly interjected, clearly feeling the old man's self-deprecation was unjustified.
"Ha, let's not talk about these matters anymore; let's not have others gossip." The old man waved his hand, "You probably understand a bit now. Since I've become the family head, naturally, I hope the position doesn't easily slip from my lineage, so I raised your father and his siblings that way, hoping one of them could inherit the position. But now it seems I might have truly erred, achieving the opposite effect. None of the five siblings are capable of great responsibility. Ah, fate! It's all fate!"
The old man's voice was filled with sighs, regretting past actions and disappointed in Jiang Dejun and his siblings.
Jiang Cheng didn't speak. In his view, the old man was right; this outcome was largely his responsibility. But as a junior, he didn't feel it was his place to comment, so he remained silent.
Having spoken a lot, the old man seemed tired, sagging weakly in his wheelchair, "I'm a bit fatigued. Let's stop here for today. You must be tired too. I'll explain more tomorrow."
Hearing this, Jiang Cheng knew the old man didn't intend to continue. Although somewhat unsatisfied, the afternoon's revelations were satisfying enough. His thoughts were a bit jumbled, and he really needed time to organize them.
"Then rest well, grandfather. I'll take my leave now and visit you tomorrow." After speaking, he stood up to leave, with someone ready to lead him to the guest room.
At the gate, Jiang Cheng hesitated and turned back.
Seeing him return, the old man asked, "Is there something else?"
"Grandfather, please take good care of your health these next few days. Avoid extreme emotions!" Jiang Cheng expressed his concern.
"I know, I appreciate your concern," the old man replied warmly, pleased with his grandson's attentiveness.
"And, grandfather, it's best to use less of certain medicines. Too much can harm your body!" Jiang Cheng suddenly added.
"Uh…" The old man's expression stiffened but then relaxed, "You're quite straightforward, kid. Don't worry, there are things your grandfather knows not to do."
Satisfied with the old man's promise, Jiang Cheng nodded and then turned to leave.
Once Jiang Cheng left, the old man's demeanor immediately aged, far from his earlier vigor.
"The boy has some insight," the old man spoke weakly, yet his tone was full of joy, clearly satisfied with Jiang Cheng's keen observation.
"Sir, Jiang Cheng is right; those medicines shouldn't be used anymore. They might give you temporary energy, but they're severely depleting your body!" Chen Bo said with sorrow.
"Do you expect me to talk to them this weak?" the old man retorted sharply.
Jiang Cheng hadn't guessed wrong; the old man indeed used some prohibited substances. Otherwise, how could he have had the energy to talk all afternoon with a body already at its limit?
Chen Bo, having served the old man his entire life, knew him best. He understood the old man had been strong-willed all his life and wouldn't want to show weakness even at death's door. Despite knowing the harm, he used medicines to maintain his façade.
Knowing he couldn't persuade the old man, Chen Bo stood there, face filled with grief.
Seeing Chen Bo's concern, the old man softened his tone, "Don't worry, I know my body. With my past training, I can last a few more days. I won't leave until I've explained everything!"
"Sir…" Hearing the old man's words, Chen Bo couldn't hold back his tears any longer.
"It's okay, don't be so sad. I'm not gone yet," the old man consoled, "Go get Jiang Cheng's information for me; I want to understand my grandson better."
"Sir, have you decided to have Jiang Cheng contend for the position of family head?" Chen Bo, trying to stop his tears, asked.
"Ah, there's no choice. He's my grandson," the old man sighed helplessly, "His elders are incompetent, so I have to pass the burden to him."
"But, sir, there's so much Jiang Cheng doesn't know!" Chen Bo protested anxiously.
"That's why we need to save time," the old man sighed softly, "My time is really running out!"
"Sir…" Watching the old man's forlorn expression, Chen Bo knew further persuasion was futile and left to retrieve Jiang Cheng's information.
The old man looked at the sunset, murmuring, "Cheng'er, don't blame your grandfather!"
The horizon glowed with the blood-red remnants of the sun.