Chapter 1102 — The Chen Family's Marriage Contract: Having Drawn a Deep Breath Upon Hearing the Latest News Liu Tianyi Brought, Liu Zhenhu Knitted His Brows and Kept Silent for a Long While

Liu Zhenhu had originally believed that Wei Zhao's treatment could buy him another ten years. So long as the old man's presence endured, the Liu family could hold out that much longer; so long as he did not die, the Liu family still had hope! So long as they managed things well, and added to that a judicious match or two, wedding into one of the ancient martial families, they could be certain the Liu family would go on flourishing!

Liu Zhenhu's plan was this: the child born of Liu Jinghan and the young master of another martial family would be pre-designated as the next patriarch, as the price for securing that child the surname Liu. In that way the child would also come by that family's martial skills, and once the child grew to manhood, the Liu family would itself become a family of the martial world!

But before this scheme could even be realized, trouble arrived!

Word had reached the Liu family long before this year's Council of Families: the Yu family meant to strip one family of its status and elevate another into the ranks. In doing so they would not only secure the Yu family's transcendent standing at the Council, but also reap a handsome profit when they raised up the new family!

Everyone had assumed until now that the family to be stripped would surely be the Xiao family; but now it looked very much as though that family might be the Liu family!

The Chen family still had at least one cultivator in the person of Chen Yutian. His grade was somewhat low, but a cultivator he was, whereas the Liu family did not have a single one!

"Tianyi, Tianli, tell me: how is our Liu family to hold on to its present standing at the Council of Families a few days hence?" Liu Zhenhu raised his head and looked at his two sons.

Liu Tianyi and Liu Tianli both sank into thought. In truth, ever since they had heard that the Xiao family had won the backing of the hidden Pi family, they had been turning this question over, yet had not hit upon any good answer.

"Tianyi, you speak first," Liu Zhenhu said.

"I wonder... might we seek the Wu family's help?" Liu Tianyi's wife was the daughter of Wu Gonggao, patriarch of the Wu family, and Wu Gonggao had only just broken through to the middle of the Mysterious stage. If he were willing to help and work matters from within, there should still be a chance.

"And you, Tianli? What do you think?" Liu Zhenhu offered no comment on Liu Tianyi's idea, but simply put the question to Liu Tianli.

"Eldest Brother has a point. After all, our sister-in-law is of the Wu family, so it is only right that we should win the Wu family's arm. Beyond that, I think we ought to cultivate good relations with the Xiao family. The Xiao family happens to be in need of business partners at the moment; we could perfectly well volunteer and go into business with them..." Liu Tianli thought it over and said.

"Jingjing, you speak too. Tell us what you make of it." Liu Zhenhu turned his gaze to the granddaughter at his side, Liu Jinghan.

"Wei Zhao..." Liu Jinghan pondered a moment and produced no more than those two words.

"Wei Zhao?" Liu Tianli started at his daughter's words, frowning as he asked: "Jingjing, why raise Wei Zhao at a time like this? He is no man of a great family; and even if he were, he and the Yu family are bitter enemies. Our earlier public declaration of support for Wei Zhao has doubtless already made the Yu family uneasy; if we let ourselves be tied to him again now, the Yu family will resent us all the more. Will our Liu family not be the very first to be squeezed out of the ranks of the great families?"

"Jingjing, tell us more..." Liu Zhenhu, however, raised a hand, motioning Liu Tianyi to keep his temper, then nodded to Liu Jinghan and let her go on.

"Father, your reasoning and Uncle's are both sound, but have you considered: since the stripping of one family is already a foregone conclusion, what good would it do for the Wu family and the Xiao family to speak up for us? If they do not strip us, will they strip themselves?" Liu Jinghan said coolly. "True, the Xiao family has gained the Pi family as a support, but it has only just risen from a down-at-heel family to a first-rate one. In the present state of affairs it will surely choose to protect itself rather than interfere with the Yu family's decision. To plant its feet truly firm will have to wait for the next Council of Families..."

"Even so, the Xiao family could surely put in a good word for us without any harm done? And what of the Wu family? If the Wu family also spoke for us, then the family stripped this time ought to be the Chen family!" Liu Tianli felt his daughter's words did make sense; but the Wu family was an old established house, and Wu Gonggao had always been a domineering man. If he opened his mouth, there should be no problem either!

"Even if the Wu family spoke for us, who would they strip? And for what it is worth, this time the Wu family seems set to sponsor the Kang family into the ranks of the great families, does it not? And the Xiao family, is it not bound to the Kang family by a marriage alliance as well? Even if they speak, they will be speaking for the Kang family; they would far rather see our Liu family stripped!" Liu Jinghan said, unflustered.

Until now, the news that the Xiao family had broken off the engagement had not come out. The Xiao family was too embarrassed to speak of it, and the Kang family had no time to: at this very moment the Kang family was hard at work figuring out how to contend with Dr. Guan Pharmaceuticals!

"Well... but if they were to suggest stripping the Chen family, would that not preserve our Liu family's position?" Liu Tianli asked.

"Father, that may be so, but will the Yu family listen to them? Do not forget, the Chen family still has a marriage contract outstanding!" Liu Jinghan reminded him.

It was true: had Liu Jinghan not reminded them, Liu Tianyi and Liu Tianli would have all but forgotten that the Chen family had a marriage contract on the books! Everyone had known of the matter in those years, and it had caused a great stir, but as time went by the other side fell silent and the Chen family never raised the subject again, so the engagement was forgotten by a great many people.

By now a great many people had forgotten the whole affair; had Liu Jinghan not brought it up today, Liu Tianyi and Liu Tianli would have consigned it to the back of their minds!

"Jingjing, that engagement of the Chen family's still hasn't moved an inch. It's probably fallen through, hasn't it?" Liu Tianli frowned, hesitated a moment, and asked.

"Fallen through or not, only the Chen family knows best. The fact that Old Master Chen can sit so serenely on his fishing platform, betraying nothing out of the ordinary, is proof enough of something..." Liu Jinghan analyzed.

In fact, the old master of the Chen family was himself somewhat uncertain at this moment. Ever since the betrothal the other side had sent no word at all, and in all these years had not even sent anyone to make contact. Though there was still some way to go before the appointed time, surely there should have been some message in the meantime?

His granddaughter was no cultivator; had the other party perhaps already abandoned the idea of this marriage?

Thinking back on how things had stood at the start, Old Master Chen himself found it beyond belief! Why would that lofty, exalted ancient sect have taken such a sudden fancy to his granddaughter? And why had they specified by name that she was to be wed to their sect's newborn young sect master?

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