Chapter 152: Promoted to Chairman

In a short while, Gou Ye and Yunniang arrived at the tavern, only to find that it was already packed with members of the Merchant Clan. This was practically the first time Gou Ye had seen so many members of the clan gathered in one place; if he hadn’t spotted Lu Yuanheng in the main hall, Gou Ye would have almost thought he had walked into the wrong building.

As Gou Ye stepped into the tavern with Yunniang, someone called out Gou Ye’s name, and instantly, everyone in the tavern turned their heads to look at the young man who had rendered such monumental service to the Merchant Clan and who was the guest of honor for today’s banquet. However, when they looked at Gou Ye, they couldn't help but be drawn to Yunniang's bizarre makeup.

Of course, Gou Ye knew what everyone was staring at, but he had no choice but to act as if nothing was amiss. Acknowledging the greetings of those who called out to him, he led Yunniang toward the private rooms on the upper floor.

Inside the room, several guild presidents were already seated around the table. The food and wine remained untouched, evidently waiting specifically for Gou Ye. As Gou Ye led Yunniang into the room, Madam Duke Xiao, who had been drinking tea, instantly spat out a mouthful of the scalding liquid. Duke Xiao hurriedly asked if she was alright, to which she merely beat her chest and replied, "I'm fine, the tea was just too hot."

Which of these guild presidents had not seen the winds and waves of the world? A minor matter like Yunniang's makeup didn't faze them in the slightest, and none of them committed the discourtesy of staring at her.

Seeing Gou Ye enter, Duke Xiao said with a beaming smile, "Young Master Gou, please take your seat. We've all been waiting for you."

Gou Ye seated himself with Yunniang and replied to Duke Xiao with a smile, "If I'm not mistaken, news must have come from the palace, and the election results have finally been finalized."

President Wang nodded and answered, "Indeed, Young Master Gou. Word came from the palace this morning, informing us that all procedures will proceed as usual. Starting tomorrow, we can begin the handover of the maritime trade and the Western Regions commerce with the previous Merchant Clan. Therefore, the Merchant Clan is holding this grand banquet today precisely to celebrate this occasion."

"I must say, this is truly wonderful news. Once the Merchant Clan officially completes the handover, I believe it won't be long before our clan ascends to an entirely new level," Gou Ye chuckled.

"Quite right. Following our electoral victory, and relying on the projects provided by the imperial court, the Merchant Clan will undoubtedly rake in a substantial amount of silver over the next few years. Given our current strength, by the time of the next election, we will easily be able to secure the leading position among all merchant factions within the gentry party. But regardless of everything, this immense achievement is largely owed to the brilliant methods Young Master Gou provided for the Merchant Clan."

Hearing Duke Xiao's words, Gou Ye waved his hand and said with modest humility, "You flatter me too much, Duke Xiao. This tremendous credit should not rest entirely on my shoulders. Had the Merchant Clan not trusted me and invested immense manpower and material resources, even the finest strategy would have been impossible to implement in practice."

Just as Gou Ye finished speaking, Lu Yuanheng walked in with a smile, prompting Duke Xiao to announce, "Well then, now that everyone has arrived, on this day worthy of celebration for our Merchant Clan, let us drink a toast together to celebrate our electoral success, and to wish that our Merchant Clan enters a brilliant new era in the days to come."

With that, everyone raised their cups and drank them down in succession.

After they finished drinking, Duke Xiao continued, "Everyone, please eat and drink to your heart's content. A little later, follow me downstairs, for I have an important announcement to make before all the members of the Merchant Clan."

Naturally, everyone already knew what this matter was, but no one spoiled the surprise by blurting it out. Gou Ye, too, feigned complete ignorance as he joined the others in eating and drinking. It had to be said that the wives of the Merchant Clan presidents were truly extraordinary. Perhaps due to years of traveling far and wide across rivers and lakes, they possessed a bold, heroic spirit reminiscent of martial artists.

Seeing Yunniang sitting there timidly, Madam Duke Xiao called her over to the other wives. With a warm smile, she remarked, "What a pure and innocent young lady! How old are you this year?"

Unaccustomed to expressing herself in such settings, Yunniang kept her head down and softly replied, "I will turn sixteen after this year."

"Ha, that is just the age for marriage! Look at this child, so demure and shy! Ha-ha-ha! Young Master Gou, finding such a wholesome girl is truly your good fortune," Madam Duke Xiao laughed heartily. Hearing this, Gou Ye nodded repeatedly and smiled in response.

Just at that moment, Madam Duke Xiao took hold of Yunniang's delicate, youthful hand, gently rolled up her sleeve a little, and exclaimed, "Such fine skin! Back in the day, I had skin just like this, never imagining that following this old man on travels near and far for so many years would weather it all so rough, making it impossible to recover even with the most precious nourishing remedies." With that, she drew from her bosom a remarkably precious-looking jade bracelet and gently slipped it onto Yunniang's wrist.

Gou Ye hurriedly interjected, "Madam, this is truly too much." Yunniang also repeatedly tried to decline, but Madam Duke Xiao pressed down her hand and said, "What do you mean, too much? We businessfolk don't stand on such ceremony. I took a liking to this girl the moment I saw her, and she's about the same age as our own children. Consider this a token of my regard given to you both before your wedding."

Hearing Madam Duke Xiao put it this way, Gou Ye sat back down and said no more. Shortly after, as everyone had been eating and drinking for a while and the time felt right, Duke Xiao stood up and announced, "Come, let us go down to the main hall; I have an announcement to make." Thereupon, everyone followed Duke Xiao downstairs.

When the guild presidents and their wives descended, the atmosphere in the hall instantly grew quiet. Standing in the center of the hall, Duke Xiao glanced around, cleared his throat, and spoke in a resounding voice:

"Today is a special day. We are gathered to celebrate the electoral victory of the Merchant Clan. This success could not have been achieved without the wholehearted support of every trading house proprietor, nor without the tireless management of our various industries by the guild presidents. But as we all know, the reason our Merchant Clan was able to triumph in this election is primarily thanks to one person.

"It was he who provided the brilliant strategy that gave us the opportunity to stand out in this election. Therefore, his contribution to this victory is paramount. Who is he? No doubt you all already know—he is the young gentleman standing right beside me, Gou Ye! And now, I wish to announce to you all that, following joint deliberations among the presidents of the Merchant Clan and taking into consideration the opinions of the various proprietors, Gou Ye is hereby exceptionally promoted to become the sixth president of our Merchant Clan!"