Chapter 21: Undercurrents Beneath the Water

"Father, can Emperor Sanzenin stop?"

"That madman won't stop unless he achieves his goal."

"Now the Sigong family is meat on the chopping block; unless we kneel down and beg Emperor Sanzenin for mercy, praying he can show mercy, otherwise the Sigong family can only head toward destruction."

Gan'an Sigong knew Emperor Sanzenin's character too well.

Provoking him, unless you completely admit defeat and are arranged by Emperor Sanzenin, otherwise the Sigong family is just waiting to die.

But Kōkō Sigong was not reconciled.

"Is there really no way at all?"

"Having provoked that old guy Emperor Sanzenin, no one can be saved."

Although he really wanted to help his son find a way, unfortunately, Gan'an Sigong had to admit that Emperor Sanzenin was still too high, and their Sigong family really couldn't climb up to him.

As a zaibatsu in the island nation, as long as you don't make too much of a fuss, the island nation's government won't go for the kill.

The collapse of a zaibatsu is very easy to cause major fluctuations in the island nation's internal economy.

The Sigong family is undoubtedly a zaibatsu that the island nation's government doesn't want to move.

If the Sigong family falls, it will affect too many people's rice bowls, so the Sigong family could grow so wantonly.

But the situation needs to be viewed from different angles.

Once the Sanzenin family fully takes over the Sigong family, then they can stabilize the rice bowls of many people in the island nation and also allow the island nation's economy to usher in a wave of soaring growth.

Since that's the case, no one will care whether the Sigong family is alive or not.

Looking at his eldest son's face full of unwillingness, Gan'an Sigong, as a father, still needed to remind him.

"Kōkō, the Sigong family cannot fall."

"Once the Sigong family falls, everyone will die."

"You understand this principle, right?"

"..."

Kōkō Sigong naturally understood.

The number of people and zaibatsu the Sigong family has offended is simply too many.

Now the entire island nation is watching Emperor Sanzenin's methods, and they are all waiting to see the Sigong family's joke.

Once the Sigong family chooses to submit, it is destined to become a dog of the Sanzenin family.

Perhaps no one will dare to make a move against the Sigong family, but the result is that the Sigong family has lost everything, just like other families that were crushed by the Sigong family.

And once the Sigong family chooses to fight to the death.

Then other zaibatsu will watch the Sigong family die bit by bit.

They won't open their mouths to bite, because the Sigong family's things will be eaten away by Emperor Sanzenin.

If it's the former, perhaps there won't be too big a change within the Sigong family.

But if it's the latter, then not one of the Sigong family will live until next year.

"Kōkō, who caused this?"

"..."

"Is that so? It's Kaguya."

Looking at his eldest son's expression of not wanting to speak, Gan'an Sigong slowly understood.

The only one who could make that old madman Emperor Sanzenin act ruthlessly is his granddaughter, Nagi Sanzenin.

In terms of age, Nagi Sanzenin could only have contact with Kaguya, so the answer was very obvious.

As for the situation of Kōkō making a move against the Sanzenin family, Gan'an Sigong sneered.

He didn't even dare to make a move against Emperor Sanzenin's granddaughter, let alone his eldest son.

"Kōkō, it seems you lost to Kaguya."

"..."

Kōkō Sigong looked at his seriously ill father and lowered his head powerlessly.

He is the strongest candidate for the heir of the Sigong family; he can control all situations, even Kaguya's freedom rights.

But this time Kaguya taught him a lesson: after jumping out of the chessboard, a larger predator can step him to death at will.

All past methods lost their effect at this moment.

While the Sigong family was in chaos, the interior of the Shijo family also began to boil.

"What on earth is going on this time?"

No one could know the reason behind it.

Kōkō Sigong also investigated, but the result of his investigation was that there was no answer.

The name Emperor Sanzenin did not appear on the surface.

Everything was as if the Sigong family had a major problem internally and was then sanctioned by the entire political and business circles.

"I don't know; the specific situation is not yet known. Now we only know that there is an external force combining the political and business circles wanting to crush the Sigong family."

"It is not clear who made the move."

Most members of the Shijo family were here.

At this moment, they were concerned about who made a move against the Sigong family and whether they should make a move.

"Father, should we also make a move?"

Tei Shijo, the heir of the Shijo family, has a powerful brain and corresponding mature methods.

Having begun to gradually accept family work, Tei Shijo also took over the plan of "making a move against the Sigong family."

"No."

Go Shijo directly vetoed it.

"The Sigong family's facing of political and business suppression is very abrupt, completely without any precursor, and even the Sigong family appears passive at this moment."

"But look at it now, are others making any moves?"

"Did the Hayasaka family move? They want to make a move more than we do."

"It's not that no one wants to move, but that no one dares to move."

Now the entire water surface is calm, but the bottom of the water is already surging with waves.

The Sigong family's problem broke out all at once; the fact that there was no precursor shows how great the energy of the person behind the move is.

Now everyone knows that the Sigong family is at a very critical moment, but that is only on the surface.

Whether the Sigong family is really in crisis in the end doesn't depend on anyone, but on the person who stirred the Sigong family into a mess.

Just because the situation is unclear, no one will make a move against the Sigong family.

Everyone is waiting for the final result.

"Tei, you are a smart person; you need to know what patience is."

"...Yes, Father."

Listening to his father's teaching, Tei Shijo suppressed this thought.

Not only did the Shijo family have a small gathering, but the Suzuki family, whose size is almost on par with the Sigong family, also started a small meeting.

"Husband, who do you think made a move against the Sigong family?"

"Only one person."

Shiro Suzuki's glasses flashed; he could only think of one person.

"Emperor Sanzenin."

"!?"

Hearing this name, Tomoko Suzuki also had a moment of stupor.

"Sanzenin... hasn't that old man already retired behind the scenes?"

"Retired behind the scenes? Emperor Sanzenin's retirement behind the scenes just means he won't jump out directly from behind, but if there is a reason, that's another matter."

"A reason?"

Tomoko Suzuki looked at Shiro in confusion.

"That old man still has a reason to make a move against the Sigong family? Could it be that the Sigong family still dares to provoke the Sanzenin family?"

"That wouldn't happen."

The Sigong family provoking the Sanzenin family? The Sigong family wouldn't be so suicidal.

Shiro Suzuki then took out a photo, in which a long black car was parked at the entrance of the Sigong residence.

"Tomoko, guess who is sitting inside?"

"...Could it be someone from the Sanzenin family?"

"Emperor Sanzenin's granddaughter, Nagi Sanzenin, and the eldest lady of the Saginomiya family, that mysterious shrine maiden Isumi Saginomiya."

PS: Seeking data for the new book.