202: Chapter 202 Benefits

Although Prefect Pang Bo was a local of Jinhuai Prefecture, he did not hail from a Great Family.

When he was first appointed as the Prefect of Jinhuai Prefecture, he had no Foundation whatsoever.

However, the Qian Clan had assisted him when he was rising from humble beginnings. Thus, he took that opportunity to grow close to them.

On the surface, it seemed he was repaying the Qian Clan's kindness, but in reality, he was using their strength and status to solidify his position.

As many years passed, he had long since secured his seat as Prefect. Instead, the existence of the Great Families began to constrain the power in his hands.

There are no eternal friends, only eternal interests.

Evidently, this had caused his relationship with the Qian Clan to grow increasingly distant over time.

It was just that ordinary people could not detect it, which was also one of the reasons the Qian Clan had rarely visited in recent years.

Meanwhile...

Inside an elegant, antique study at the Qian Clan's main residence, Qian Ninghe's face was dark with anger, and the floor was littered with shards of broken porcelain.

Outside the door, the servants listened to the sounds of smashing from within the study, each one as quiet as a cicada in winter.

It was only when Qian Handong walked into the study that the servants began to discuss in hushed tones.

"This is the first time I've seen the Head of the Family lose his temper like this. It's truly terrifying; I wonder what happened."

"Xiao Pu, you are still young and haven't been at the manor for long, but you must remember one thing: do not pry into the Head's affairs. We servants only need to do our duties peacefully. If you gossip behind people's backs, you will only bring disaster upon yourself."

"Aunt Chen, thank you for the reminder. From now on, Xiao Pu will not speak out of turn."

...

At that moment, inside the study.

Looking at the sullen Qian Ninghe, Qian Handong simply stood silently to the side.

Once Qian Ninghe's expression had softened slightly, Qian Handong finally spoke, "Father, what exactly happened to make you fly into such a rage?"

Qian Ninghe did not hide it, saying in a heavy voice, "Prefect Pang Bo rejected my proposal."

Qian Handong's eyes widened, revealing a trace of disbelief. "How can that be? Pang Yan promised me long ago that there would be no problem with this matter. Could it be that Pang Yan deliberately deceived me? No, that's impossible!"

Qian Ninghe glared at Qian Handong and snapped, "What do you mean impossible? Could your father possibly be lying to you? I have just returned from the Prefect's Manor. Judging by Prefect Pang Bo's attitude this time, there is absolutely no room for negotiation."

Qian Handong did not argue further, but his eyes showed confusion. "But... if Pang Yan hadn't stepped in, the yamen wouldn't have moved against the Yuanhang Trade Caravan. Besides, he had no reason to lie to me. How about you wait a little longer, and I'll go find him?"

Qian Ninghe thought for a moment and quickly pieced together the sequence of events. "Don't bother. That boy Pang Yan is simple-minded; he naturally wouldn't lie to you. But Prefect Pang Bo might not have known about this beforehand. However, now that things have reached this point, he's simply letting the mistake stand. This three-day deadline proves exactly that."

Hearing this, Qian Handong's heart jolted. "You mean, Prefect Pang saw through it long ago and doesn't want to get involved in the conflict between our Qian Clan and the Yuanhang Trade Caravan. This time, it was just me accidentally dragging Pang Yan into it. Otherwise, none of this would have happened."

Qian Ninghe said indifferently, "Most likely."

However, there was still one point Qian Handong did not understand.

Given the relationship between the Qian Clan and Prefect Pang Bo, while it wasn't common knowledge, it was a tacit understanding among the major Great Families that the Qian Clan and Prefect Pang Bo were as thick as thieves.

The friendship between the two could be traced back decades.

Under such circumstances, Prefect Pang Bo had no reason to refuse such a small request from the Qian Clan.

Qian Handong asked in confusion, "But why would Prefect Pang do this?"

"In this world, everything boils down to interests. Everyone says my Qian Clan has flourished by riding on Prefect Pang Bo's coattails, allowing us to secure our position as the head of the Four Great Families in Jinhuai Prefecture. But Pang Bo likewise used the Qian Clan to secure his position as Prefect. In his eyes, that so-called 'kindness' is worth nothing."

"Since Prefect Pang Bo secured his position, he has been secretly distancing himself from our Qian Clan. It's just that I haven't mentioned it to you over these years," Qian Ninghe explained unhurriedly.

"But I never imagined that Prefect Pang Bo would disregard all past kindness and refuse even such a small request from my Qian Clan. He is truly an ungrateful wolf that can never be tamed."

At this point, Qian Ninghe could not help but grit his teeth.

To the side, a look of realization dawned on Qian Handong's face.

Ultimately, the Qian Clan and Prefect Pang Bo were merely in a partnership.

And the most unstable partnership in this world is one where the interests are unequal.

In Prefect Pang Bo's view, the greatest benefit of cooperating with the Qian Clan was to secure the seat beneath him.

Now, his position was already secure.

The value of the Qian Clan had naturally diminished significantly.

Furthermore, the relationship between imperial officials and Great Families was never meant to be so close.

It was actually quite normal for Prefect Pang Bo to make such a choice.

No wonder his father was so angry.

Thinking of this, Qian Handong said solemnly, "Father, please don't be angry anymore. Since Prefect Pang Bo already had his own plans, this turn of events can be considered an unexpected gain. It's just that the matter of the seizure will likely come to nothing."

Qian Ninghe said, "Dong'er, I was just blinded by rage. Your words reminded me—has Yin He's family been dealt with cleanly?"

Qian Handong nodded. "Naturally."

...