Rebirth and Reversal of Fortune

Chapter 322 Family Succession, Selection of Successor

They began to consider the long-term succession of the Marquis's mansion and to cultivate a new generation of successors.

Having successfully resolved numerous disputes, the Marquis's mansion ushered in a period of relative peace and prosperity. However, Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu knew that the mansion's prosperity could not rely solely on the present; they had to focus on the future and cultivate outstanding successors for the family.

Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu were in the study, discussing the matter solemnly by candlelight.

“Jinxiu, although the Marquis’s mansion seems to be in great shape now, if there is no suitable successor, all of this will be just a flash in the pan,” Xiao Ling said with concern.

Su Jinxiu nodded slightly: "What my husband says is absolutely right. We need to select people with potential and virtue from among the family members."

Thus, the Marquis's residence began a comprehensive assessment of its young members. They not only examined their martial arts skills and academic knowledge, but also placed great emphasis on their character and leadership abilities.

Among the many young men, a boy named Xiao Yi caught the attention of Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu. Xiao Yi was intelligent, diligent, kind-hearted, and deeply attached to his family.

“This child is quite good; he has potential,” Xiao Ling said.

Su Jinxiu, however, had some concerns: "But he is still young and needs more training."

To nurture Xiao Yi, Xiao Ling personally taught him martial arts secrets, while Su Jinxiu taught him how to conduct himself in society and how to manage affairs.

However, Xiao Yi's growth was not smooth sailing.

During a family martial arts competition, Xiao Yi lost to a disciple who was usually inferior to him due to a moment of carelessness, and felt extremely disappointed.

"Am I too useless?" Xiao Yi asked dejectedly.

Xiao Ling encouraged him, saying, "Failure is the mother of success. Only by learning from failures can you become stronger."

Su Jinxiu patiently advised, "Winning or losing temporarily is not important; what's important is having an indomitable spirit."

Encouraged by Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu, Xiao Yi rallied and trained even harder.

Meanwhile, the other young men in the Marquis's mansion inevitably felt jealous and resentful when they saw that Xiao Yi was highly regarded.

"Why is he favored by the Marquis and his wife?"

Some people began to sabotage Xiao Yi's training in secret.

"How did my sword break? Someone must have done it on purpose!" Xiao Yi was furious.

Upon learning of this, Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu sternly warned everyone: "The future of the Marquis's mansion requires everyone's joint efforts. We must not kill each other out of jealousy."

As time went by, Xiao Yi gradually grew into an outstanding young man. But just then, a sudden change plunged the Marquis's mansion into crisis once again.

Xiao Ling was attacked by assassins during an outing and was seriously injured.

"The Marquis's mansion is in grave danger!"

Su Jinxiu had to take care of Xiao Ling on one hand, and stabilize the situation in the Marquis's mansion on the other.

Xiao Yi stepped forward and said, "Madam, I am willing to take on the responsibilities of the Marquis's mansion."

A rigorous successor selection process was conducted to select the most outstanding talent.

To ensure the future prosperity of the Marquis's mansion, Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu decided to hold a rigorous selection process for a successor. As soon as the news spread, the young members of the Marquis's mansion were eager to try their luck.

The first selection process was a written examination, testing the children's knowledge and strategic thinking. Inside the examination hall, the atmosphere was tense and solemn, as the children wrote furiously, showcasing their talents.

"We must go all out this time and not let the family down," one of the disciples encouraged himself silently.

However, the questions were quite difficult, covering many aspects such as classics, history, philosophy, literature, military strategy, etc., and many students looked troubled.

After the exam, the grading process was very rigorous, with Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu personally participating and carefully reviewing each answer sheet.

"These answers are quite insightful; it seems these students have put in a lot of effort," Xiao Ling said.

Su Jinxiu nodded and said, "But we still need to consider other aspects of performance before we can determine the final candidate."

The second event was the martial arts test. In the Marquis's martial arts training ground, the young men displayed their skills, their heroic spirit shining through the clash of swords.

"Watch my marksmanship!" one of the disciples shouted, his moves fierce and sharp.

However, some students underperformed due to nervousness and were accidentally injured.

"Quickly, take the injured away for treatment," Su Jinxiu hurriedly ordered.

After two rounds of fierce competition, the remaining students faced their final test – a leadership test.

They were divided into groups and tasked with completing a complex task within a set time. Some groups experienced disagreements and arguments, while others worked together efficiently to complete the task.

"You need to learn to listen to others' opinions and leverage the power of teamwork," Xiao Ling observed from the side, offering occasional reminders.

Ultimately, after rounds of selection, a young man named Xiao Yu stood out.

“Xiao Yu is excellent in both literary and military arts, and has leadership qualities. He is a suitable successor,” Xiao Ling said.

Su Jinxiu hesitated: "But his personality is too rigid. I don't know if he can handle complex situations."

Just as everyone was discussing, Xiao Yu volunteered: "Please rest assured, Lord Marquis and Madam, I will certainly not fail in my mission."

However, some people in the Marquis's mansion were dissatisfied with Xiao Yu's election and secretly plotted to sabotage him.

"Why should he be the successor? We don't accept it!"

Meanwhile, external forces also noticed the selection of the Marquis's successor and attempted to interfere.

"If the successor of the Marquis's mansion is not capable of handling things, it will be advantageous for us."