Chapter 15: The Most Precious Gift

“Has Qige ever been reliable with his words?” Song Hui didn’t think highly of Song Zining either.

However, Qian Ye clearly didn’t agree. Just as he was about to refute her with a frown, Song Hui interrupted, “Young Master Xiaoye, why do you dislike people so much?”

Even though Qian Ye now commanded a vast army and had few rivals in terms of his own combat prowess, the mere mention of the name “Xiaoye” caused him to see stars and nearly fall over.

“Song Hui!!” Qian Ye spat out her name one word at a time through gritted teeth.

“Present!” Song Hui stood straight, looking as obedient as could be, but she stuck out her tongue, showing that she wasn’t afraid at all.

Qian Ye felt a headache coming on. Rubbing his temples, he said, “What do you really want?”

“To be your handmaiden!”

“I don’t need one.”

“But you must need warships and troops, especially officers and strategists.”

“Of course.”

“So that’s why you need a handmaiden like me.”

Qian Ye’s face darkened. “Get to the point.”

Unfazed, Song Hui said, “I didn’t come empty-handed.”

Qian Ye gave her a once-over. Dressed in a handmaiden’s attire without even a bag, where could she possibly hide anything? The only place it seemed possible to conceal anything was her chest, which, indeed, could hide quite a bit.

Seeing his scrutiny, Song Hui puffed out her chest and said, “Do you want to search me?”

Qian Ye snorted. “Be serious.”

“You weren’t this dismissive with me back then.” Song Hui pouted, feigning tears, but when she saw Qian Ye remained unmoved and prepared to kick her out, she dropped the act. “I brought a real warship this time. There aren’t many people, but they’re all officers.”

With a skeptical look, Qian Ye noticed her seriousness and continued the conversation. As Song Hui mentioned, her faction and the Sixth Branch had managed to obtain a high-speed destroyer, and they also formed an officer corps of about a hundred people, led by Song Hui, who came to Yongs Land to join Qian Ye.

“Was this Zining’s idea?”

“No, it has nothing to do with him.” After discussing the business, noticing Qian Ye’s relaxed expression, Song Hui perked up again. “If you must thank someone, thank me!”

Qian Ye smiled. “It seems I have no choice but to accept you as my handmaiden, huh?”

“Of course.”

Song Hui was not just good at making tea. Being in the Song clan, she could learn anything she wanted. She was close to breaking through to become a battle general, with a solid foundation and no use of enhancers. In addition, she had a wide range of knowledge, making her a competent strategist at the very least.

The Song clan truly was wealthy. Two branches pooling their private assets were enough to acquire a destroyer. This was not some old model but a mainstay of the military for the past ten years. The planner knew that while Qian Ye had plenty of warriors, his mercenary group lacked mid-level officers. Thus, they sent him officers of the rank of colonel, significantly strengthening Dark Flame.

These two gifts made it difficult for Qian Ye to refuse.

Thinking of the past, Qian Ye asked, “How is the Song clan doing now?”

Song Hui snorted. “Of course, it’s not doing well. Even after the incident with you and Qige, some people still haven’t learned their lesson. What good is that? As long as they’re not killed, they’ll keep causing trouble. The old patriarch is incompetent too. Once the Ancestor passed away, everything went downhill. He wouldn’t even let Qige take the position of the clan head, despite it being so obvious. The Ancestor really picked the wrong person as the heir.”

Qian Ye sighed. “Giving up power is never easy for anyone.”

Song Hui retorted, “There are times when one should let go. The old patriarch clung to his position, and now the Song clan is in danger of demotion, leaving a notorious legacy.”

Qian Ye was taken aback. “Demotion?”

“It’s not final yet, but the news is out. It’s not surprising; it was bound to happen. The Ancestor kept things together for a few years, but now that he’s gone, and those old fools won’t let Qige take over, what else can we expect? I heard that the King of Qingyang has already submitted a petition to demote the Song clan, and the wording is quite harsh.”

Qian Ye sighed. “If only they had known this would happen, why did they do such foolish things?”

If Song Zining had taken over, Zhang Boqian might have given him a chance to prove himself and allowed a few years to see the results. With Zining’s talent, if given full authority, the clan might have a chance to maintain its status. However, the elder council, including Song Zhongnian, had hoped to avoid giving Zining power and instead rely on his influence to soften the King of Qingyang. A nice dream, but utterly unrealistic.

Song Hui sneered. “Some elders even thought they could use their connections with the King of Qingyang, going to his palace to plead for leniency, hoping he would withdraw the petition.”

“Really…” Qian Ye was speechless. The King of Qingyang’s proposal for demotion was a serious matter, not a joke. Expecting him to retract it would be like asking him to slap himself in the face.

“What happened next?” Qian Ye asked.

“Not much. He didn’t even get to see the King of Qingyang. The palace guards took him down, broke his legs, and threw him out. The King of Qingyang even said that if it weren’t for the Song clan being one of the Four Great Clans, he would have executed him just for disrespect.”

Qian Ye sighed. After the death of the Duchess of An Kingdom, Zhang Boqian hadn’t taken drastic action, but now he was showing no mercy. Had he already decided on the demotion? But then, as a king, why would he care about formalities when dealing with a family that lacked even a single true divine general?

“What does the Song clan plan to do now?”

“Every man for himself, what else?” Song Hui sneered. “Now those who want to split off have more reasons to do so. They’re all eyeing the communal property.”

“How do you plan to divide the communal property?” The Song clan was known for its wealth, and the communal property was enormous. If demoted from a great clan to a high-ranking family, they would lose land and private armies, unable to protect all the communal property. Some of it would have to be divided.

Considering Song Zhongnian’s character, he wouldn’t willingly give up any of the communal property. The first branch lacked the strength to hold onto such a large share, likely leading to another conflict.

Song Hui glanced at Qian Ye. “Are you interested in the communal property?”

Pointing out the window, Qian Ye said, “With a whole continent awaiting me, do you think I care?”

“Actually, you should be interested and have the chance to get involved. Do you want to see all that property fall into the hands of a bunch of small-minded people?”

Surprised by her seriousness, Qian Ye said, “Shouldn’t this be Zining’s concern?”

“Zining has too many things to worry about and might overlook some. Plus, he doesn’t know how chaotic the clan is, or even if he did, he can’t do much about it.”

Qian Ye felt a pang of regret. When a great house crumbles, every kind of trouble arises.

Song Hui suddenly remembered something. “If you like Song Ziyao or Yun Qing, you better act fast. Their branches’ elders are frantically trying to marry them off.”

Qian Ye understood immediately. “Political marriage?”

“Yes, with their limited abilities, they can only hope to secure some support. They don’t care about titles, so if you step in, you can easily take both of them as concubines.”

“Is that even possible?” Qian Ye was taken aback. Setting aside Song Yunqing, Song Ziyao was a noble lady from the main branch. Marrying her off as a concubine would be a disgrace to the entire clan. But then, the elder council, given their character, probably wouldn’t care about the clan’s honor anymore.

Sighing, Qian Ye said, “Just say what you mean, Song Hui.”

Standing straight, Song Hui said, “By accepting me, you get a warship, an officer corps, and various supports. Those two branches can only offer you women, nothing else.”

Choking on his drink, Qian Ye hurriedly said, “Wait, when did I say I’d accept you?”

Song Hui smiled sweetly and leaned in. “Am I not good enough? No worries, I can learn. I’m smart, and I pick things up quickly.”

“If you keep this up, I’ll really throw you out. With you around, my hard-earned image will be ruined,” Qian Ye warned.

Dropping the coquettish act, Song Hui said, “Let’s talk business first, then about accepting me. The business is…”

Interrupting her, Qian Ye firmly said, “Business only.”

Huffing, Song Hui relented. “Our branches are fully supporting you, and we’ve put in a lot. The most significant part is me.”

Nodding, Qian Ye agreed. A warship was just a bonus, but someone like Song Hui was rare. Though he hadn’t decided how to use her yet, it wasn’t a problem. Dark Flame was expanding, and there was a need for talent.

Pleased with his acceptance, Song Hui continued, “The old patriarch can’t hold on forever. He knows he can’t swallow all the communal property, but I think he can last a year. That’s our chance. I’ll do my best to help you, but we need a share of the profits. Additionally, save some money. When the old patriarch can’t hold on, we and Qige will buy the most valuable parts of the communal property. What do you think?”

“Do you want to rebuild the Song clan? Quite ambitious.”

“Not me, Qige. He’s the best choice for the new Song clan’s leader.”

Realizing her true intentions, Qian Ye began to seriously consider the idea.