"Hiss..."

  Boiling water poured into the cup, and the green tea leaves rolled up and down with the waves, which was really beautiful.

  "Brother, have some tea." Tang Rou'er personally brewed a pot of good tea, poured a cup and handed it to Tang Qili in front of her.

  Tang Qile took it over, slightly sipped a mouthful, and smiled: "Little sister, you're getting more and more into enjoying yourself."

  A faint smile, and the absolutely beautiful face revealed a happy expression, as if hundreds of flowers were blooming, making one's eyes dizzy: "Elder brother, we are all family, little sister won't play tricks on you either. Today there is something to discuss, that's why I invited you here for a chat."

  Tang Qile's eyes slightly drooped, his heart suddenly racing faster. Although he clearly knew they were cousins, facing such a stunning beauty, he still didn't dare to look more.

  Tang Rou'er, after getting married, washed away her former green and awkwardness, and added a few points of charm out of thin air. Such a top-quality woman would make any normal man have improper thoughts.

  Tang Qilei naturally knew that although he and Tang Rou'er were cousins, their relationship was far from being as harmonious as the one between Fang Xiangzhi and Fang Yingying.

  It was Tang Rou'er who took the initiative to find him today, and it must be that there is something to discuss with him, rather than pulling him over to chat about some family matters.

  He smiled slightly and said, "Sister, what are you talking about? Since we're all family, your business is my business. Just give the word, and I'll take care of it for you."

  Tang Rou'er stood up and bowed slightly to him, saying: "Thank you, big brother."

  She then turned around, picked up a stack of account books from the table and handed them to Tang Qili, saying: "Big brother, please take a look. These are things that Father entrusted to me before he passed away."

  Tang Qili was taken aback, picked it up, and flipped through a few pages with his hand. His eyes changed immediately.

  After a moment, he gently closed the account book. Tang Qili's eyes regained their calmness and asked: "I don't know what intention little sister has in telling me this matter?"

  The soft and crisp voice, like the sound of a skylark, rang out in the room: "The property, jewels, and manpower here have taken up about 30% of the entire family's assets." She paused for a moment, her face showing a hint of sadness: "This is the last bit of thought that Father left to this daughter."

  Tang Qili wanted to speak but hesitated, pondered for a moment, and finally let out a long sigh, saying: "Since this is the last will of Uncle, I'll follow it then."

  Since Tang Zonghan's death, after he took over the Tang family, he unexpectedly found that the money and manpower he could mobilize were much less than those of the Fang and Su families. He was puzzled by this for a long time, wondering if the three great families that stood together in the world were really so far apart.

  It wasn't until then that he realized Old Master Tang had secretly withheld nearly 30% of the strength and wealth. At this point, he was furious, but it was too late to try to get it back now.

  Not to mention the powerful military force of Xu Haifeng and the Black Flag Army behind Tang Rou'er, even her mentor, Lei Yanbo, is not someone to be trifled with. If he were to be provoked, with his cultivation at the level of a grandmaster, it's unknown what kind of outrageous behavior he might exhibit.

  Rather than having a complete falling out with Xu Haifeng over this unattainable thing, it's better to just go along with the situation and leave some room for personal feelings, so that there will be some leeway when they meet again in the future.

  In this brief moment, he had already seen through the pros and cons of the situation and made a decision. Even if Tang Zonghan were to come back from the dead, it would be no more than that.

  He took a deep breath, calming his excited heart. At this moment, he was extremely dissatisfied with Mr. Tang's decision, even to the point of abhorrence.

  The Fang, Tang and Su families have always been on par with each other, the three major households also have a tacit understanding, although the strength they possess has its ups and downs, but overall, it is not much different.

  However, Tang Zonghan suddenly played such a hand before his death, instantly creating an embarrassing and dangerous situation for him.

  That money is nothing, Tang Qili likes money, but he likes power even more. He deeply knows that only by gaining greater power can he reasonably and rightfully claim more money under his name.

  Money, after being earned, is meant to be spent and enjoyed. He is not a miser who views money as his lifeblood; if he were such a person, Tang Zonghan would never have passed on the position of head of the Tang family to him.

  What Tang Qili valued were those people, those with a strong network of connections to Tang Zonghan.

  Unlike Duan Xiangbi and Su Chunwei, Tang Qili was only the nephew of Tang Zonghan. As the saying goes, "the father's career is inherited by the son", if Tang Zonghan had no children, the position of the head of the Tang family would never have fallen to him.

  Although he is now the master of the Tang family, in terms of both substance and name, he is far less convincing than the previous two.

  After being privately deducted by Tang Zonghan, the strength he could grasp was even more unbearable.

  Although the strength he can mobilize in his hands is enough to make most people look up to him, compared with Fang and Su who are on the same starting line, he seems particularly weak.

  Tang Rou'er's gaze was fixed on the distance, her beautiful mouth slightly curled up, as if there was a hint of unexpected mockery: "Big brother, Father passed this thing to me, just asking little sister to take care of it for now."

  Tang Qilei was slightly startled, and his thick eyebrows rose high: "What did you say?"

  "Father let little sister keep it for five years, and then hand it over to older brother after five years."

  "Why five years?"

  "Because Father couldn't bear to see his most beloved daughter become an enemy of the family."

  Tang Qili's pair of starry eyes suddenly lit up, flashing a dazzling light that made one's heart skip a beat.

  Although Tang Rou'er's words were ambiguous, how could Tang Qili not understand?

  Looking back on those years, Xu Haifeng and Tang Rou'er were just a nameless small soldier with no great ambitions when they first met. However, Tang Zonghan never expected that after Xu Haifeng returned from his mission to the Xiongnu, he immediately had treasonous intentions. Moreover, this ambition expanded so quickly and became so huge, all of which was beyond his expectations.

  If things go on like this, there will come a day when Xu Haifeng will become an enemy of the three major families due to interests.

  Once such a situation occurs, what can Tang Rou'er do in the middle of it.

  On one hand was the family he had protected for decades, on the other hand was his most beloved youngest daughter. The choice between them left him hesitant and unable to make a decision.

  In the end, he made a compromise and extracted 30% of the family's power and wealth, which was first handed over to Tang Rou'er.

  The meaning of Tang Lao Shangshu is very clear. In five years, he gave Xu Haifeng five years to prove himself. If during that time, he can hand over a satisfactory answer to everyone, then the Tang family will not be an unyielding and stubborn family, and the successor he chose will not be a person who does not know how to adapt to the situation.

  Tang Qilei closed his eyes, and in his heart, a wave much more turbulent than before had already risen.

  In these months, he has been a diligent and conscientious master of the house, following rules and regulations, not daring to be even slightly negligent.

  No matter which era, especially in times of chaos, everything has to be said with strength. Since the strength in his hands is far inferior to others, he can only tuck his tail and be a man.

  If... if he could get Tang Rou'er's full support, if he could concentrate all the strength of the Tang family in his own hands. Then, what would be placed in front of him, would it be another broad and smooth road?

  Tang Qili's heart skipped a beat again, and with his deep city, he almost couldn't hide the passion in his heart.

  He... Tang Qili, would he be willing to live under others?

  After a moment, he opened his eyes again, his tone calm and firm: "Alright, it's five years, I hope little sister will keep her promise then."

  Tang Rou'er's soft voice rose slowly, but with an unusually firm tone: "Big brother can rest assured, after all, little sister is also a Tang."

  A figure flashed by, and a tall, robust man in scholar's attire suddenly appeared in the room.

  Tang Qili was secretly shocked, but after seeing the face of the newcomer, he couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, took a step forward and bowed deeply, saying: "Master Li, you've also come?"

  "Master..."

  Unlike Tang Qile's cautiousness, Tang Rou'er straightforwardly linked arms with Li Yanbo, and the intimate gesture almost made people think they were a pair of biological father and daughter.

  He patted the soft and delicate hand that grasped his sleeve, and Li Yanbo looked at Tang Qili, suddenly laughing: "Qili, I haven't congratulated you on taking over the Tang family yet."

  Tang Qili's face turned red and he said, "I'm afraid I've made a fool of myself in front of you."

  "Master, you rarely come here, Tang Rourou will go get some new tea for you." Tang Rourou said softly, releasing her hands and walking away with a gentle smile and quick steps.

  Tang Qili's heart skipped a beat, Tang Rou'er was clearly using this as an excuse to leave.

  "Time flies, twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye, now you're also a master of your own family." Li Yanbo sighed heavily, thinking that time is like an arrow, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy.

  "It is..." Tang Qilei said with a humble and obedient expression, but if one were to look at his current demeanor, no one would have guessed that he was the master of the Tang family, one of the three major households.

  "Twenty years ago, when Zong Han brought you to see me, I knew that your heart was very big."

  Tang Qili deeply lowered his head, he didn't have any excuses, because in front of him was Li Yanbo. Even a thousand times more beautiful false lies couldn't deceive the heart of the master who had already understood the boundary between heaven and man.

  "Although Zong Han has no children, the Tang family has you in it and is not necessarily weaker than the Fang and Su families. You are not Zong Han's biological child, but precisely because of this, you are even more cautious and careful in your actions, and you have deeply understood the way of humility, tolerance, and forbearance."

  Li Yanbo turned his head, although his gaze was not focused on him, but Tang Qili knew that his every move, even the changes in his mood, were all within the grasp of this old man.

  "If it weren't for Xu Haifeng, or rather, if it weren't for those extraordinary talents under his command, perhaps one day the Tang family would truly be able to stand at the pinnacle of all the noble families." Suddenly, Li Yanbo said something that was beyond everyone's expectations.

  Tang Qili's eyes suddenly burst out with a sharp light, he raised his head, and his eyebrows were already tightly furrowed together: "You think so highly of General Xu?"

  The old man did not directly answer his question, but instead asked faintly: "Do you know who proposed this five-year agreement to Zonghan?"

  Tang Qilei shook his head blankly, but he suddenly paused and looked up at Li Yanbo's eyes with a questioning gaze.

  "Not bad." Li Yanbo let out a long sigh and said, "It's indeed my proposal. Qi Shi... I can guarantee that in five years, everything will be as it should be for the Tang family, but before then, you must take care of yourself."

  Her eyes blurred for a moment, and when she focused again, the room was empty with no one in sight. She didn't know when, but Li Yanbo had already vanished without a trace. Tang Qili opened his tightly clenched fists, and on his palms were already wet marks.

  （）