Chapter 116: The Edge Must Emerge

Gou Ye’s next words nearly drove Lu Yuanheng to vomit blood. The others, too, looked at the young man with renewed interest, astonished by the rare sharpness of his tongue. His remarks were so cutting that Lu Yuanheng trembled from head to toe, yet could find no words with which to answer.

Gou Ye said, “I had assumed that, as president of the Merchants’ Guild, you had come here today as an elder of the guild to face me with some profound insight. I never imagined you would utter such crude and vulgar nonsense!

“I have a few words to say. I ask all of you to listen carefully. Ever since the founding of Great Ming, Emperor Mingzu has vigorously promoted commerce. As a result, merchant organizations have sprung up everywhere, and every trade has flourished. Yet now the various guilds oppose one another at every turn. Merchants no longer think of serving the people, and the guilds no longer seek innovation. Merchants have their eyes fixed only on petty profits, while the guilds know nothing but the struggle for elections. In this way, the original purpose behind Emperor Mingzu’s promotion of commerce has been completely turned on its head.

“Look at the State of Chen. Families establish themselves, enterprises thrive, and every kind of industry blossoms. The revitalization of commerce has transformed the entire nation. When our two countries compete, what exactly has Elder Lu accomplished? As president of the Merchants’ Guild, you ought to be striving to strengthen it and appoint capable men wherever they may be found. Why, then, do you act against the guild’s future and obstruct its selection of worthy talent?

“You are already past fifty, yet to this day I have never heard of a single thing you have done for the guild. When faced with the contest for the presidency, you could not establish even one achievement or offer even one useful proposal, and yet here you are, wagging your tongue! And you still have the nerve to put on airs before me, sneer at me, and even insult me? Hmph! I have never seen anyone so shameless!”

That speech had been largely borrowed from the words of the venerable Zhuge, yet saying it aloud left Gou Ye feeling utterly exhilarated.

In theory, as a newcomer to the Merchants’ Guild, he ought to have kept a low profile, shown humility toward everyone, and endured any momentary displeasure. But Gou Ye did not see things that way. He wanted the guild to understand that he had not come begging with a lowered head or a humble posture. He had come as a specially chosen man of ability. They were not to assume that, because he was young and newly arrived, he would be easy to bully. They were not high-ranking officials or nobles, so why were they putting on such an official’s airs?

Lu Yuanheng in particular was irritating to look at, and he had even dared to insult Gou Ye. Enough was enough. Gou Ye decided that he could not indulge the old man’s foul habits. Today he would teach him a lesson, so that in the future he might behave properly as president instead of looking for trouble at every opportunity.

Jia Zhengyi hurried to Lu Yuanheng’s side, helped him back into his seat, and said with a beaming smile, “Young Master Gou has only just arrived and is not yet familiar with proper etiquette. I hope all the presidents will be generous enough to forgive him.”

President Xiao, however, did not seem offended in the least. Instead, he laughed and said mildly to Gou Ye, “Young man, you may not be old, but you certainly possess a sharp tongue. Allow me to apologize on behalf of all of us for our earlier attitude. Elder Lu was only thinking of the guild’s interests. We are willing to give you some time, and we also hope that Young Master Gou will soon offer us some brilliant ideas, so that we may set our minds at ease.”

After what had just happened, who would dare compete with Gou Ye in a battle of words? One after another, they nodded in agreement. Though he had only just arrived, Gou Ye had already revealed his edge, leaving the members of the Merchants’ Guild thoroughly astonished.

People truly could not afford to be too weak. After that exchange, Gou Ye could clearly feel that everyone’s attitude toward him had changed. At the very least, he had made it plain that he was not some soft persimmon to be squeezed at will.

Still, such a tactic could only be used once. There was a proper measure to everything, and he had to know where to stop. If he went too far, these people would no longer be so amiable. After all, compared with them, he was still merely a young man without power, influence, or reputation. Gou Ye was not foolish enough to offend every person present.

His clash with Lu Yuanheng had been entirely for the sake of securing his footing and ensuring that no one would bully him in the future. Even if he humbled himself and sought peace, Lu Yuanheng would still look down on him and continue treating him as he always had. In that case, he might as well act according to his true nature and refuse to swallow such humiliation.

Gou Ye then replied to President Xiao, “I am young, and I may have spoken too harshly in some places. I hope all of you will be gracious enough to forgive me. Tomorrow, I shall go and stroll through the markets of the capital. On the one hand, I would like to learn more about the commercial system here. On the other, I truly am a country man and have never visited such a vast city. I would like to take my family around and let them admire the sights of Shengjing.”

Since the others had already offered him a way down, Gou Ye thought, it would be rather foolish not to take it.

“Very well. Over the next few days, you may explore the capital as you please. Let Zhengyi accompany you. All your expenses will be charged to the guild. If there is anything you need, simply tell Zhengyi,” President Xiao said with a smile.

Gou Ye readily agreed. Among the several presidents, the man known as President Xiao was not only the most respected, but also the one Gou Ye liked best. In him, Gou Ye could see both the benevolence of an old man and a gaze filled with heartfelt concern. That look made Gou Ye feel unusually close to him and reminded him of Grandpa Li.

The other presidents said little from beginning to end. Everything seemed to revolve around President Xiao. Later, when they discussed guild affairs, they did not avoid Gou Ye in the slightest. Only then did he hear the presidents exchange a few words and report on what each of them had done recently.

As for President Lu Yuanheng, after his confrontation with Gou Ye, he sat there with an expression of displeasure and did not say a single word. If this had been a television drama, Lu Yuanheng would have been the villain without question. What Gou Ye could not understand was how a man like that had managed to become president.

When the meeting ended, Gou Ye learned the reason for each president’s position and the extent of their authority while speaking with Jia Zhengyi on the way home.

As the foremost of the presidents, President Xiao controlled many of the guild’s industries, and his contributions to the Merchants’ Guild were the greatest among them all. Combined with his age and considerable prestige, this naturally made him the leader among the presidents.

President Su Dingfang and President Wen Qinghou were both old members of the guild. Because of their advanced years, they had now withdrawn to secondary positions, handling the guild’s logistics as well as its diplomatic relations with the Officials’ Clan. Gou Ye had never imagined that these two stern and unsmiling presidents could also serve as diplomats.

President Wang Xiu, on the other hand, was particularly formidable. He was effectively the guild’s steward, responsible for managing all its accounts. The keys to the treasury were divided between him and President Xiao. Only when both men were present could the treasury be opened. From this, it was clear that President Wang’s authority was immense as well.