CHAPTER 982: CHAPTER 979: WHO WILL STEP FORWARD?

Lin Tian showered and went to sleep. The next day at dawn, while he was still practicing, Yun Xiaotian came to find him.

Lin Tian ended his practice early and invited him to sit down in the living room, where An Xiaoru had already brought breakfast.

"Brother Lin, you asked us to spread the news yesterday. Did anything happen last night?" Yun Xiaotian asked with concern.

"Your instincts are quite sharp; indeed, something did happen last night," Lin Tian replied with a faint smile.

Lin Tian recounted the process of Mo Cong stealing the elixir while disguised, and Yun Xiaotian listened with a furrowed brow. Upon hearing Mo Mingda’s actions of ignoring the elder’s safety for his ambition, Yun Xiaotian was exceedingly furious.

"Mo Mingda usually likes to use underhanded techniques, but he wouldn’t go as far as to be this heartless. Now he’s even using tricks against grandpa!"

"I want to drive him out of the Yun Family!" Yun Xiaotian’s delicate face was covered in frost, and it was Lin Tian’s first time seeing Yun Xiaotian so angry; the kid was serious.

"Xiao Tian, don’t be impulsive. You’re the heir of the Yun Family, and you’ll represent the entire Yun Family in the future. This matter shouldn’t be handled by you," Lin Tian hastily intervened.

Yun Xiaotian’s anger slightly subsided, puzzled: "Brother Lin, I don’t understand. Why shouldn’t I be the one to act?"

Lin Tian shook his head. This kid wasn’t considering some matters thoroughly enough, so he reminded him, "If nothing unexpected occurs, you, Yun Xiaotian, are the future head of the Yun Family, almost as certain as a nail in the coffin. But before becoming the family head, you cannot leave any stains, as they might be used against you in future attacks."

Yun Xiaotian continued shaking his head, still not understanding: "I’m exposing Mo Mingda’s malicious intentions. How could that be a stain?"

"After Li Yuan became the Emperor of Tang Dynasty, he appointed Li Jiancheng as Crown Prince, Li Shimin as King Qin, and Li Yuanji as King Qi. Among the three, Li Shimin had both wisdom and courage, with outstanding military achievements and literary and military talents like Fang Xuanling and Qin Shubao by his side, earning high prestige."

"Crown Prince Li Jiancheng was not as competent as Li Shimin in any aspect, feeling extremely jealous, he along with his brother Li Yuanji, ostracized Li Shimin, even going as far as to poison him and plot his death. Li Shimin was forced to defend himself, resulting in the ambush at Xuanwu Gate, where Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji were killed."

"This is known as the Xuanwu Gate Incident. The struggle for the throne had no right or wrong, and Li Shimin retaliated only after being framed. However, he eventually killed his own brothers, leading to fratricidal consequences. So, even though Li Shimin later became a brilliant ruler, the name of killing brothers remained his biggest stain."

"Do you understand what I’m saying?" Lin Tian looked at Yun Xiaotian indifferently and asked.

He thought of telling Yun Xiaotian this piece of history, coincidentally because Mo Cong had mentioned it last night, but Mo Cong only knew part of it without understanding the full context.

Yun Xiaotian reflected for a moment before saying, "I understand. Exposing and expelling Mo Mingda from the Yun Family would definitely be good, but it would still be seen by others as a power struggle, as sibling rivalry and fratricide. Moreover, inheriting the family head position hasn’t reached a level where everyone expects me to yet, so this stain could become the biggest obstacle in my inheritance as Yun Family head."

"Precisely, but you only mentioned one aspect; there’s also a second. Because you haven’t reached the level where everyone expects you to yet, expelling Mo Mingda now will chill others’ hearts, causing them to turn away. Even if you become the family head later, it’ll be difficult to carry out your duties, possibly reducing you to a mere figurehead."

"Thus, even if you start on the side of justice, as events unfold, things might turn against you—this is the nature of people’s hearts." Lin Tian elaborated carefully.

"Then what should we do? Should Mo Mingda continue to act arrogantly? He dared to disregard grandpa’s safety and steal the elixir; who knows what more despicable actions he might take in the future," Yun Xiaotian said very unwillingly.

Lin Tian patted his shoulder, calming him down: "Who said we are letting him go? You may find it inconvenient to act, but I can. Since I initiated this, let me conclude it."

"But, Brother Lin, you might be my even older brother. If you become the successor in the future, won’t it be a stain for you too?" Yun Xiaotian spoke without reservation, valuing his brother more than the position of successor.

Lin Tian smiled faintly, saying, "This matter is undetermined and can wait. Even if I truly were your older brother, who says I must become the successor?"

Regarding the position of Yun Family’s successor, Lin Tian truly doesn’t care. This world is larger than imagined, more mysterious and intriguing, and even the role of successor in the Yun Family is too insignificant.

Of course, no one can understand his feelings, not even Yun Xiaotian.

"But, Brother Lin..." Yun Xiaotian tried to say something but was interrupted by Lin Tian.

"It’s settled then. Notify all important Yun Family members to gather at Yunhe Hall and inform them that there’s an important announcement. Let’s quickly settle this matter; grandfather’s illness is our top priority." Lin Tian instructed.

Upon mentioning grandpa’s sickness, Yun Xiaotian couldn’t do anything but agree with Lin Tian’s arrangements. He nodded, saying, "Alright, half an hour later, all the important Yun Family members will gather at Yunhe Hall." With that, he hurriedly left.

Lin Tian sat in the living room, sipping tea. After waiting a while and checking the time, he instructed An Xiaoru not to follow him and leisurely went out.

Approaching Yunhe Hall, Lin Tian coincidentally encountered Zi Yan and Jiang Xiu Ying arriving together.

"Junior Brother, why did the Yun Family suddenly organize a meeting with important members? What’s going on?" Zi Yan asked, puzzled.

"You’ll understand soon, Senior Sister," Lin Tian replied with a smile.

"Lin Tian, is this about the elixir news you had us spread yesterday?" Jiang Xiu Ying asked with certainty in her tone.

"More or less. Let’s go inside; the Yun Family members are almost all here." Lin Tian pointed inside Yunhe Hall and said.

Yunhe Hall was filled with Yun Family members. The older generation, the middle-aged generation, and the younger generation were all present. Naturally, Yun Hongxi led, followed by Second Young Master Yun, and third was an elderly man seemingly the Third Young Master of the Yun Family. There were some other elder members as well.

Almost all the elder members of the Yun Family were present. Lin Tian knew these old family members who believed the Miss had good luck in her marriage and urged Yun Xiaotian to pursue her.

The middle-aged generation was led by Yun Haoyu. As for the younger generation, none had the qualifications to sit down. Among them, Lin Tian only recognized Yun Xiaotian and Mo Mingda; others were rarely seen, mostly not of direct lineage, possibly Yun Xiaotian’s cousins or distant relatives.

Mo Mingda was the first to notice Lin Tian. Upon seeing him, a cold glint flashed in Mo Mingda’s eyes as his resentment towards Lin Tian had rooted deeply.

Upon entering, as a junior, Lin Tian was without a seat, although Jiang Xiu Ying held the qualification to sit—her decades of treating the elder and her medical reputation alone commanded respect from all present.