“Chen’er, you are the head of the Ye family, and everything in the Ye family follows your orders.”
Ye Zhongquan, naturally, obeyed Ye Chen without question.
Having already relinquished the position of family head, it was unlikely he would have any objections.
Moreover, he was well aware that the current Ye family, in Ye Chen’s eyes, had been reduced to something trivial, like a handful of melons and dates.
Not to mention, if Ye Chen were willing to take out a single Rejuvenation Pill and sell it, the money earned would likely rival the entire family’s assets.
At that moment, Ye Changmin, having touched up her makeup and calmed her emotions somewhat, hurried back.
As soon as she sat down, she quietly began brewing and pouring tea for everyone without a word.
Ye Zhongquan said to her, “Changmin, Chen’er plans to hold an ancestral memorial at Ye Ling Mountain during Qingming. He intends to use the occasion to give the Ye family members a proper wake-up call.”
Ye Changmin was somewhat surprised. Although the ancestral memorial happened every year, why was Ye Chen planning to stir things up again through it?
However, she didn’t dare voice any doubts. Instead, she said with a serious expression, “It’s perfectly reasonable for Chen’er to want to discipline the Ye family members. After all, these people have gone too far over the years. They completely lack the sense of unity you see in other families.”
Ye Chen said calmly, “This time, I plan to enforce a clear system of rewards and punishments, blending kindness with authority. For those who can prioritise the overall interests of the Ye family above their own, I’ll not only provide them with more resources and benefits, but I’ll also offer support in other areas. However, if anyone still dares to put their personal interests above the family’s, I’ll kick them out of the Ye family without hesitation.”
Ye Zhongquan nodded, “That’s only right! I was too lenient with them before. I always thought that since the Ye family was doing well overall, there was no need to be too hard on those below, letting everyone enjoy a comfortable life. But when powerful enemies came knocking, I realised that the kinder I was to our own people, the more distant they became from me. Sometimes, your own family will treat you like a pushover. The more accommodating you are, the worse they get.”
Ye Changmin suddenly felt a pang of realisation and said guiltily, “Dad, you’re right. Even I used to always think of my own interests. Back when my second brother provoked the Rothschild family, my eldest brother secretly rallied us against him, wanting to drive him out of the family. His argument was that only if Second Brother left the Ye family and severed all ties could we avoid the risk of retaliation from the Rothschilds. Otherwise, if they went to war with the Ye family, every one of us would suffer huge losses.”
“At the time, all I could think about was myself. I felt that, even though I’m a daughter, part of the Ye family’s assets belonged to me. If the family’s wealth shrank, my own worth would take a big hit too…”
“Later, when Wan Pojun threatened to storm Ye Ling Mountain, both my eldest brother and I advocated for surrender. Even if it meant handing over half the family fortune, at least we could keep the other half. Back then, all I cared about was myself. I didn’t want to end up with nothing, nor did I want to suffer any losses…”
At this point, Ye Changmin couldn’t hold back her tears. Choking up, she said, “The thing I regret most now is not standing with Second Brother back then. Now that he’s gone, I don’t even have the chance to say sorry to him…”
