Chapter 1729: Profiteer

Just as Ye Chen finished finalizing all the installment agreements for the collateral branches of the Ye family, the William Rothschild family also scraped together every penny to pay the remaining funds in full.

In the mere time it took for the ancestor worship ceremony, Ye Chen had gained five billion Euros in cash, two hundred billion RMB in cash, and debt with a principal exceeding three hundred billion RMB, with five years of interest totaling over two hundred billion.

Ye Chen finally understood why so many emperors in history were particularly fond of exploiting their various vassal kings, and even frequently raided their homes and executed them; it was mainly because these vassal kings were each a mobile treasury, dripping with fat.

If they were loyal to the monarch, then everything was fine, but if they didn't even have the basic concept of loyalty to the monarch, then what were they waiting for if not to raid their homes?

If their homes weren't raided and their strength wasn't curtailed now, who knew when they might start eyeing the imperial throne.

Wan Pojun had accompanied Ye Chen in acting for half a day. Seeing that the dust had settled, he came before Ye Chen and asked in a low voice by his ear, "Mr. Ye, when do you plan to tell them the truth?"

Ye Chen said casually, "No rush. The matter isn't over yet. Later, have them all start from the foot of Mount Ye Ling and crawl up the mountain, kowtowing every three steps. I will wait for them on Mount Ye Ling."

Wan Pojun hurriedly said, "Mr. Ye, crawling from here while kowtowing every three steps will likely take at least half a day. I'm afraid it will be dark by the time they crawl up. Why don't you go back and rest first? I'll come to pick you up after they finish."

Ye Chen shook his head and said indifferently, "No need. I'll wait for them on the mountain. During the time they crawl up, I can also keep my parents company. Once they crawl up, I will reveal the answer."

As he spoke, Ye Chen added, "Pojun, you don't need to stay on Mount Ye Ling either. Go find a good burial site for your parents first and let them be laid to rest as soon as possible. Just leave some men here."

Wan Pojun had knelt and kowtowed on Mount Ye Ling all night last night. Although he was sincerely convinced and willing, because his parents' coffins were also on Mount Ye Ling, he still felt extremely guilty toward them.

He had originally wanted to let his parents be laid to rest as soon as possible, but since Ye Chen hadn't spoken, he didn't dare to bring it up.

Now that Ye Chen had brought it up himself, he was naturally extremely grateful.

Thus, he said with great emotion, "Thank you, Mr. Ye. Then I will go down the mountain first to handle my parents' funeral arrangements. If you need anything, feel free to order the soldiers of the Cataclysmic Front at any time, or call me directly. I will definitely rush over as fast as I can!"

Ye Chen smiled slightly and said, "No need. Just go attend to your business. This time, you rashly exhumed your parents' coffins and disturbed the peace of the two elders; it was indeed too reckless. Reburying them properly and handling it well can be considered a form of compensation."

Wan Pojun nodded repeatedly, feeling extremely ashamed.

How could he not know his own recklessness and lack of filial piety? He had already regretted it countless times in his heart. Now, he only wanted to do his best to make up for it. Hearing Ye Chen's words, he felt even more ashamed and hurriedly said, "Mr. Ye, you are right. Your subordinate will definitely handle it well."

Ye Chen nodded slightly and said, "You don't need to worry about things here. Tell this bunch of Ye family members in a moment that everything on Mount Ye Ling is to be decided by me, and then you can leave."

Wan Pojun hurriedly said, "Your subordinate will do as you say!"

While Ye Chen and Wan Pojun were whispering, the more than seven hundred collateral members of the Ye family had been nervously and quietly observing the two.

At this moment, they were thinking that Ye Chen must be slandering them to Wan Pojun, and they didn't know what kind of evil he was plotting again.

In their eyes, Ye Chen was already as detestable as a traitor from the past.

At this time, Wan Pojun came before the crowd and said loudly, "Listen well, all of you. From now on, everything here is to be decided by Mr. Ye. You must obey his orders in everything and must not show the slightest defiance! Otherwise, I will absolutely not spare him!"

As soon as Wan Pojun said this, the Ye family members almost collapsed on the spot.

They had originally thought that Ye Chen had merely surrendered to the Cataclysmic Front and become their lackey, but they hadn't expected Wan Pojun to hold him in such high regard.

Just as they were dumbfounded, Ye Chen walked to Wan Pojun's side and said, "You bunch of Ye family descendants, at a critical moment, you disregarded the safety of the family and the ancestors buried in the ancestral graves. If I don't make you pay a sufficient price, the spirits of the ancestors in heaven probably won't agree. So, from now on, I want every one of you to kowtow every three steps and crawl up Mount Ye Ling on your knees! Go personally and repent to the ancestors buried on the mountain!"

As soon as Ye Chen's words left his mouth, the more than seven hundred collateral Ye family members wailed in unison!

They had already handed over almost all their cash and signed installment agreements that were practically indentures; it could be said they had already lost most of their family wealth.

Yet even so, they still hadn't cleared this hurdle. Now, Ye Chen actually wanted them to kowtow every three steps up Mount Ye Ling; wasn't this trying to torture them to death?

Although Mount Ye Ling had been thoroughly developed by the Ye family and there were smooth cement roads from the foot of the mountain to the mausoleum at the top, the winding road up the mountain was still three to five kilometers long.

If they kowtowed every three steps, that meant kowtowing once every two to three meters. By that calculation, they would have to kowtow at least over a thousand times to get up there.

The process of kowtowing every three steps was already cumbersome. If they were quick, they could only complete two or three kowtows in a minute. By that calculation, they wouldn't be able to get up there without five or six hours.

If Wan Pojun had made this request, they wouldn't have dared to let out a single fart and would have definitely started crawling up while kowtowing without a word.

But hearing this from Ye Chen's mouth, this bunch of collateral Ye family members were suddenly furious.

Someone cursed directly, "Ye Chen! Don't you fucking go too far! Why don't you take a piss and see what kind of thing you are! Using the tiger's power in front of Palace Master Wan, how are you any different from a traitor!"

Others had more malicious intentions, deliberately trying to provoke a conflict between Ye Chen and Wan Pojun, and accused, "Ye Chen! Your father, Ye Changying, was the culprit who killed Palace Master Wan's parents! Even if Palace Master Wan keeps ten thousand dogs, it's not your turn to bark here!"

Some people even shamelessly blurted out, "Exactly! Master Wan! You must not listen to the slander of this despicable villain! The Ye family is your father's murderer! He actually dared to make us kneel and worship the Ye family's ancestors right in front of you; his heart is truly punishable!"

As Wan Pojun listened to the remarks of the people before him, he was shocked, but he couldn't help but secretly think, "I previously felt faintly that Mr. Ye was perhaps a bit too harsh on these clansmen, but only now do I understand that these people are completely getting what they deserve! If it were me, seeing this look on their faces, I would truly have the heart to kill them!"

Thinking of this, Wan Pojun was incomparably furious and immediately shouted coldly, "Presumptuous! I have already said just now that everything here is to be decided by Mr. Ye! You dare to openly defy orders; what exactly is your intention?"

The members of the Ye family trembled in fear.

Wan Pojun instructed the soldiers beside him, "Drag out everyone who just spoke to insult Mr. Ye and slap them one hundred times each! No! Slap them five hundred times!"