Jiang Wuming was born into a world where his mother, Ye Jinmei, passed away shortly after his birth. His father, Jiang Zhan, in revenge for Ye Jinmei's death, massacred the Zhao family and then defended the ancient city of Loulan until his dying breath, never once setting foot outside its walls. Consequently, Jiang Wuming never met either of his parents. His understanding of them was entirely derived from the intelligence network.
He found a photograph of his parents from the intelligence files, had it printed, and kept it as their memento, carrying it with him at all times.
Now, he had received a letter left behind by his mother, Ye Jinmei. This was incredibly precious to him.
"This letter has been with me all along, and no one has ever read it before," Ye Zheng said after handing the letter to Jiang Wuming.
"Thank you," Jiang Wuming replied, placing the letter in his embrace.
Ye Zheng was stunned. He hadn't expected Jiang Wuming to thank him, especially for this. However, he quickly came to understand. Apart from this matter, his relationship with Jiang Wuming was more of a partnership, where both parties took what they needed, rendering thanks unnecessary.
With this realization, Ye Zheng watched Jiang Wuming's retreating back, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Interesting."
Jiang Wuming heard Ye Zheng's words but did not respond or stop.
"Master Wuming, I'll escort you out." Secretary Wang had been waiting at the junction between the inner and outer courtyards. Seeing Jiang Wuming emerge from the study, he quickly stepped forward.
"Thank you," Jiang Wuming nodded slightly. Like Ye Zheng, Secretary Wang was somewhat bewildered. Even before this, when Secretary Wang had led Jiang Wuming to the inner courtyard, Jiang Wuming had thanked him. After a brief moment of surprise, Secretary Wang led the way, his perception of Jiang Wuming changing in his heart. The young man was not as arrogant and rude as the rumors suggested.
In the outer courtyard, the families of Ye Wenhai, Ye Wentao, Ye Wenming, and Ye Wence had not yet departed. More accurately, they wouldn't leave until the matter of Jiang Wuming's return to the Ye family was settled. Seeing Secretary Wang escorting Jiang Wuming from the inner courtyard, they all cast unfriendly glances at Jiang Wuming. Ye Wenhai then asked Secretary Wang, "Secretary Wang, is the old man allowing us in now?"
"Yes," Secretary Wang nodded. This had been arranged by Ye Zheng earlier.
"Are you all unwilling to shed tears until you see the coffin?" Jiang Wuming sneered, a stark contrast to the humble youth who had just apologized to Secretary Wang.
"Hmph!" Ye Wenhai and the other four families snorted coldly. Ignoring Jiang Wuming, they immediately proceeded to the inner courtyard. Seeing this, Jiang Wuming no longer paid them any mind. Accompanied by Secretary Wang, he exited the Ye family compound and vanished into the night. He intended to find a quiet place to read the letter his mother had left him.
Meanwhile, Ye Wenhai and the other four families arrived at the study and greeted Ye Zheng in unison, "Dad."
"I know what you want to ask," Ye Zheng stated, not allowing Ye Wenhai and the others to sit. He sat at his desk, his expression grave. "When I chose to break Ye Qian's engagement with Luo Yu to allow Jiang Wuming to return to the Ye family, it meant that I would definitely let him return. Or, more accurately, I would invite him back!"
Swish, swish, swish... Although Ye Wenhai and the others had already guessed the outcome, hearing Ye Zheng utter it directly caused their expressions to change!
"Dad, Jiang Wuming acts outrageously. Ever since he appeared, he's caused one problem after another. If he returns to the Ye family, he will bring great trouble to our Ye family!" Ye Wenming still harbored some lingering hope, subtly opposing Jiang Wuming's return.
"I have my reasons for doing this. I asked you to think about the reasons, but none of you could figure it out. So, go back and think about it. Come see me again when you've figured it out," Ye Zheng said expressionlessly, then waved his hand. "That's all, you can all leave now."
Hearing Ye Zheng's words again, Ye Wenhai and the others exchanged glances, ultimately not daring to say anything further. They bid farewell to Ye Zheng and, upon reaching the inner courtyard, no longer communicated with each other. Each of them wore a frown, their expressions varied, each lost in thought.
Asses dictate opinions. For Ye Wenming's family, Jiang Wuming's return meant the dissolution of Ye Qian and Luo Yu's engagement and a slap to Ye Qian's face, causing them to lose face. For Ye Wentao and Ye Wence, they were no longer particularly concerned about the trouble Jiang Wuming's return might bring to the Ye family. After all, if Ye Zheng insisted on this, he must have a contingency plan. Bluntly put, if the sky fell, the tallest would bear it. If Jiang Wuming indeed caused trouble, Ye Zheng would handle it, relieving them of worry. What they cared about was Ye Zheng's motive for doing this.
As for the eldest, Ye Wenhai, he was the most displeased. Ranking as the eldest in the Ye family and holding a distinguished position, he had the highest probability of succeeding as the family head among the four. Furthermore, his son, Ye Feng, had been meticulously groomed by Ye Zheng and the military into the sharpest blade, further increasing his chances of succession. Now, Jiang Wuming's return had made everything somewhat unpredictable! Under such circumstances, how could he be in good spirits?
Ye Wenhai bid farewell to his three uncles with a heavy heart, then got into his private car with his wife. After the car left the alley where the Ye family compound was located, Ye Wenhai instructed the driver to stop the car by the roadside and then asked the driver to wait outside. Once the driver alighted, Ye Wenhai immediately took out his phone and dialed Ye Feng's number.
"Dad, Jiang Wuming went to the Ye family?" The call was answered almost instantly. Ye Feng's voice came from the earpiece, as if he had been waiting for this call.
"Mm," Ye Wenhai gave a definitive answer first, then his heart stirred. "Xiao Feng, you already know about tonight's events?"
"Heh... Jiang Wuming made a name for himself in the capital tonight. It's hard not to know," Ye Feng said with a self-deprecating laugh. "Since he went to the Ye family, Grandfather must have allowed him to return."
"Xiao Feng, although I don't know why your grandfather is so insistent on letting Jiang Wuming return to the Ye family, you must remember that he is an outsider. You are the eldest grandson of the Ye family, the future of the Ye family!" Ye Wenhai could sense the disappointment in his son Ye Feng's words and spoke to encourage him.
"Yes, he is just an outsider. But, Dad, do you know? Grandpa once told me that if I were determined to marry Li Lianyi, he could negotiate with the Li family to let me replace Jiang Wuming and fulfill the engagement from back then. Later, when Grandpa learned of Jiang Wuming's true strength and identity, not only did he stop mentioning it, but he personally went to the Li family to back him up! And now, to let Jiang Wuming return, even at the cost of the Ye family head's and the military leader's authority and dignity, he publicly broke off Qian'er and Luo Yu's engagement! You say he's just an outsider, but haven't you seen that Grandpa's attention to him has surpassed mine?!"
"Xiao Feng, your three uncles and I all thought your grandfather let Jiang Wuming return to the Ye family because he valued his martial arts prowess, but the real answer is not that," Ye Wenhai said immediately.
"Then what is it?" Ye Feng was slightly startled and asked.
"I don't know. Your grandfather told us to figure it out ourselves, but we haven't found the answer yet," Ye Wenhai replied truthfully, then asked, "Xiao Feng, what do you think it is?"
"I don't know," Ye Feng replied.
"Xiao Feng, even you don't know. That Jiang Wuming is extremely arrogant. When he met me, your father, and your uncles, he not only lacked any respect but also continuously insulted us!" At this moment, Ye Feng's mother couldn't help but interject.
"What? Jiang Wuming insulted you all at the Ye family compound?!" Hearing his mother's words, Ye Feng's expression changed, and his eyes flashed with anger.
"Yes, you don't know how rampant he was then!" Ye Feng's mother harbored resentment over the incident.
"Jiang Wuming, this is too much!" Ye Feng gritted his teeth, then directly hung up the phone, walked out of the room, and went for extra training. The previously despondent him had been spurred on. He resolved to cultivate with all his might, surpass Jiang Wuming, and avenge his parents!
On this day, Ye Zheng made his move. The "Sharpening Plan" was smoothly implemented. And another chess game had just begun!