Chapter 584: Chapter 584: What is Ling Jinhua’s Purpose?
(Thank you to the novel fans and Fangcao Liantian for their rewards; several more chapters will be added tomorrow.)
“Grandfather, Dad, what do you an?” Ling Ruonan couldn’t figure it out.
Ling Jinhua chuckled and signaled to Ling Ruonan not to ask anything.
He gestured with his hand, inviting Luo Ziling to sit beside him, and then asked kindly, “You little rascal, what do you really want?”
Without hesitation, Luo Ziling answered, “I only hope that our family of three can be reunited.”
“Your request is so simple, won’t you regret it later?” Ling Jinhua asked another question.
Luo Ziling shook his head and didn’t say much else.
Ling Mingrui didn’t say a word, standing quietly to the side.
Since the elder had decided to handle this matter himself, Ling Mingrui chose not to voice any opinion.
Ling Mingrui knew that although the elder didn’t say much, summoning both Luo Ziling and Ling Ruonan to talk in private had completely clarified everything—the elder intended to personally handle the matter.
It seed that the elder had no intention of punishing Luo Ziling severely, nor did he have any thoughts of disciplining Ling Ruonan.
Of course, Ling Mingrui felt that this was inappropriate; if Luo Ziling wasn’t punished, it would surely cause dissatisfaction among many people in the family, especially those who were beaten and their elders.
As the current Head of the Family, he couldn’t show favoritism towards his own daughter and grandson, or else it would be impossible to maintain authority.
But Ling Jinhua could make his decision based on his own preferences, whether to punish Luo Ziling or not.
If Ling Jinhua decided to do so, those below, even if they had opinions, would not dare to express them, not to ntion show any dissent.
The authority of the elder within the family was unquestionable; no one dared to challenge it.
If Luo Ziling’s actions today were to be considered, it was a first.
Luo Ziling had boldly fought back, and it happened inside the mysterious Ling Family Old Mansion, where few possessed the courage and boldness to act. Ling Mingrui vividly rembered the fearless expression on Luo Ziling’s face when facing the surrounding bodyguards.
Even when facing the questioning by him, the Family Head, there was no fear or hesitation in his angry roar.
Before the conflict arose, Luo Ziling had shouted at him a few tis. Although Ling Mingrui was annoyed, he still admired the courage of this young man.
Ling Mingrui was aware of so of the things Luo Ziling had done during this ti, so he quite admired the bravery he displayed.
To find such a bold, arrogant yet capable young man was truly rare nowadays.
Although what Luo Ziling did today was impulsive and even a bit thoughtless, it wasn’t hard to accept for a young man who had just turned twenty and who had always lived in a small mountain village with little contact with outsiders.
But what Ling Mingrui couldn’t understand was why the elder didn’t even utter a harsh word, and even seed to sowhat praise Luo Ziling for his actions!
Ling Mingrui knew that the old patriarch expected to be cured of his ailnt through the hands of Luo Ziling, but the purpose of doing so today was not so simple.
Could it be that the old patriarch had always been dissatisfied with those offspring and thus allowed Luo Ziling to discipline them?
Or, was the old patriarch preparing to, through Luo Ziling’s efforts, give those arrogant descendants of the Ling Family who thought no one dared to provoke them a taste of the feeling that the wolf was indeed coming?
As these thoughts crossed his mind, Ling Mingrui seed to understand sothing and couldn’t help glancing at Ling Jinhua.
On the surface, the Ling Family appeared calm, but as the Family Head, he was very aware that this was a small society rife with intense infighting.
Originally, Ling Mingrui and Ling Mingqing had fiercely contended for the position of Family Head.
Because Ling Mingqing was quite capable, the old patriarch had at one ti leaned resources towards him. In the end, Ling Mingrui, with his composure and presence, along with being the eldest son, secured the position of Family Head and successfully climbed to the pinnacle of life, but the struggle between the two brothers never ceased.
Now, the strife among the younger generation continued, and the rivalry between Ling Zhengping and Ling Zhengjun was also becoming more apparent.
Ling Zhengjun, believing himself to be excellent and more outstanding than Ling Zhengping, resented him as his achievents while in office were more notable than those of Ling Zhengping. Although Ling Zhengping was the candidate for the next Family Head, Ling Zhengjun did not recognize this, leading to ongoing conflict between the cousins.
The contention between other peers, as well as between generations, was also fierce, to the point that the Ling Family was at risk of internal strife.
The Ling Family being occupied with internal strife was also related to another reason: the “external enemies” had not posed much of a threat to the Ling Family.
Among their generation, Zhengping and his peers were all outstanding. Among the youngest generation of the Ling Family, Ling Haining and Ling Haijun were always dominant in their conflicts with other profligates.
With no strong external enemies, many were busy with internal strife, which was a matter of great concern to the old patriarch.
Brothers united can cut through tal, but continuous rivalry between them would certainly lead to troubleso consequences.
The strongest fortress is often breached from within. If a formidable enemy appeared, those of the Ling Family might awaken from their infighting to face the danger, uniting against the external threat. In such a case, the internal strife within the Ling Family would diminish.
Although Luo Ziling was not so powerful, he was assertive, capable of serving as a wake-up call to the younger mbers of the Ling Family, as his behavior in today’s conflict had shown. Luo Ziling was like an unexpected catfish that had swum into the ranks of the Ling Family.
Ling Mingrui was aware that Ling Zhengping had done a lot to target Luo Ziling, though to no avail, which also showed how extraordinary Luo Ziling was.
Realizing this, Ling Mingrui could probably deduce that Ling Jinhua did not intend to give Luo Ziling any special treatnt or to bring him back to the Ling Family and provide him with status. He simply wanted to alert those descendants of the Ling Family who were naive and only knew internal strife.
And Ling Ruonan continuing to receive treatnt, even elevated status, was also to have her play a role similar to that of Luo Ziling. Through her, to provoke the peers in the Ling Family and instill a sense of crisis in them. Ling Ruonan and Luo Ziling were rely acting as whetstones, sharpening the younger mbers of the Ling Family; they also served as hypothetical enemies to foster a sense of urgency among them.
Having thought this through, Ling Mingrui couldn’t help but exclaim that experience was truly a form of shrewdness.
Moreover, the old patriarch was more realistic, skillfully using everyone without their noticing—even he, the current Family Head, could not escape. Thinking this, Ling Mingrui sighed slightly; he was eager to see what Luo Ziling would do next.
Ling Jinhua then said to Luo Ziling, “Today, I do not plan to punish you. But you should also know that those you have beaten, and their parents, will not swallow this lie down. They may even band together to deal with you and your mother. They can use the resources of the Ling Family. How will you respond to their retaliation?”
As this question was raised, both Ling Mingrui and Ling Ruonan’s expressions changed.
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