899 Destiny is in my hands

You Jiao's heart tightened. He thought to himself, "All the things I did were ordered by the young master. If Mayor Jiang blames me, will the young master put in a good word for me?"

For no apparent reason, a sudden unease arose in my heart, and I repeated my instructions.

"I'm just a patrolman, not the mayor. The one who came today is Mayor Jiang. Please don't call him by the wrong name."

His fierce, warning gaze was like that of a lurking venomous snake; if anyone disobeyed, he would bite them that very night!

His eyes swept over the village head, head of the household, and members of the prominent landlord families present with a very warning and fierce gaze, like a wolf in the night, deep, wild and dangerous, and with a stern warning!

You Jiao knew perfectly well that the young master had already arranged for him to take this position, even though it was just a small town with limited resources.

However, for non-direct descendants, these are all contested. If you don't fight for them and I don't take them, they will soon be snatched away by the newborn young masters and ladies.

The sons of the Jiang family, especially those who are not direct descendants, all hope to have a son with talent, as if they were to rise to prominence and become a phoenix.

Anyway, being born into the Jiang family, even if they're poor, they won't starve to death. Unless someone has the intention to kill them, these young masters and ladies, even if they're not talented, will never lack food and drink when they grow up.

The direct line is different; the number of direct descendants can never compare to that of non-direct descendants. The difference is not just a few times, but more than ten or even a hundred times.

Just like an ordinary non-direct descendant of the Jiang family, he had a house, fertile land, at least four or five wives and concubines, and at least a dozen children. He would be embarrassed to go out if he had fewer.

With so many children, even if the Jiang family is wealthy, they cannot provide a proper distribution of resources to each one.

Moreover, each generation has many children, especially after the age of twelve or thirteen, who are more cunning. If they don't compete, they can only get enough to eat. If their aptitude is average, where will they get the resources to cultivate?

Cultivation, which aspect doesn't cost money? Meat, elixirs, medicinal baths, individual guidance from renowned masters, showing respect to elders, vying for favor—it's always a process of resources converging upwards.

You Jiao coughed lightly, looked at the awe-inspiring people with satisfaction, and nodded slightly.

He forced himself to speak in a loud and polite tone, "The mayor has arrived. We should hurry to greet him and not be impolite, so as not to leave a bad impression on the mayor."

You are all prominent figures in Yingbai Town, and you are all here to showcase the glory of Yingbai Town!

A fleeting look of helplessness and unspeakable bitterness crossed You Jiao's eyes as he quickly swept them around, carrying a hint of barely perceptible annoyance!

He nodded slightly, turned around, and walked with steady and powerful steps. Each step exuded an extraordinary air, neither hasty nor hesitant, but flowing leisurely like a mountain spring.

At this moment, I encouraged myself, determined not to lose my composure and to make sure the mayor knew how important I was.

As they walked, their pace inevitably quickened. As long as they weren't the town mayor, they weren't truly the town mayor, so they naturally had to be outwardly respectful.

Jiang Luzi drove the carriage, showing off his filial piety, but also putting on a show for the dozen or so people in the group. He knew in his heart how many people were jealous of his position and wished they could take his place.

What's even more frightening is that I've heard a lot of bad ideas these past few days.

"Since King Jiang Wu can adopt one son, he can also adopt two sons."

"Yes, yes, Little Tiger is much better than Little Stove. He's still a student of the Imperial Academy, so he could be adopted as a son!"

"Yes, my husband is just as good as Xiao Luzi, and I completely agree. I'd even be willing to marry into his family!"

I don't know who started it, but all sorts of ideas seemed to come alive instantly.

In the past, Jiang Huangyuan only felt grateful to the Jiang family for their kindness and support. He was brainwashed by Confucianism and his mind was bound by the cleverness of the Jiang family.

Those with talent are nurtured from a young age, their minds trained, and they are devoted to serving their families with unwavering loyalty.

It was only later that they realized what was happening, and by then it was already too late. If someone wasn't thinking clearly, it would be even more too late.

Jiang Huangyuan is clearly this type of person.

She never considered marriage before, focusing solely on cultivation and dedicating herself to the Jiang family.

He never considered his adopted son or apprentice, and was wholeheartedly devoted to the Jiang family. He never dared to have any disloyalty, which led outsiders to misunderstand him as aloof and unapproachable!

Although the crowd harbored resentment and complaints, they could only sigh inwardly, hoping to have the chance to share in the unopened opportunities and yearning for a bit of guidance and support from King Wu.

Now that Jiang Huangyuan's time is drawing near, his mind is becoming more open, as if the door to recognizing hidden gems has quietly opened.

He even announced that he had adopted a son to inherit his mantle!

This news was like a gentle spring breeze, instantly dispelling the gloom and estrangement of the past.

The calm surface of everyone's hearts was no longer undisturbed; instead, ripples spread across their faces. Each person harbored different expectations and dreams, and their eyes shone with an unprecedented light.

At this moment, there is no longer a unified outcry and discontent; instead, there are a myriad of thoughts and expectations.

He secretly pondered and actively prepared, hoping to win Jiang Huangyuan's favor with his talent and hard work, as the opportunity to rise to the top was right in front of him.

At first, only five or six people came, but now there are more than a dozen people serving him. Jiang Huangyuan did not refuse, but instead, with a kind face, he checked the qualifications of each person.

Of course, after the test, he didn't say much, he didn't say anything, he just nodded slightly.

That's why many of his followers were overjoyed.

Jiang Luzi's heart went from joy and happiness to worry and anger, and he hated the other group of people to the extreme.

If the other team hadn't been of similar strength, Jiang Luzi would have already dislocated their arms and broken their legs.

Composing himself, Jiang Luzi realized that they were almost at the town.

A fierce thought flashed through his mind, and a murderous intent stirred within him. He thought to himself, "My godfather is mine, and no one can take him away. I have taken the godfather I kneel before, and you bunch of despicable and treacherous people actually tried to steal him away. You are courting death!"

Stealing my opportunity is like killing my parents; this is an irreconcilable hatred!

Jiang Luzi harbored too much hatred in his heart and also schemed and plotted a great deal along the way.

He came up with ten good ideas to teach the other shameless people a lesson.

At this moment, I composed myself, and the town was right in front of me. As we got closer, the view suddenly opened up before me.

Not far away, a group of people dressed in magnificent brocade robes, their clothes fluttering, exuding an air of nobility and extraordinary status. They were clearly important and prominent figures in the city!

Her charisma far surpasses anything I could have achieved as an unknown, marginalized figure struggling to make a living.

At this moment, Jiang Luzi felt an indescribable sense of pride welling up in his heart, as if with this subtle change in his identity, he had become a superior person.

My fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens. I can change my destiny on that day, with that one bow!