Chapter 1638: Chapter 1632: Old Fox

“Everyone, you can take your time to discuss. We’re going to have breakfast first. Once we’re done eating, we can all go and see what’s going on, and by then we just need to wait for the outcome.” Qin Xue was craving food as soon as she got up.

She felt her stomach growling with hunger and had no interest in listening to their arguments any longer. They might not be eating, but she certainly needed to, so she’d better excuse herself.

“You all heard what the Holy Maiden said, right? Let’s all go back and have breakfast, then come back after eating,” the Eldest Elder took the lead and walked out.

The others looked at each other and followed suit. There was no need for them to stay, and surely they couldn’t just watch while others had their meal.

Moreover, it wasn’t like they could have come over so early, and they weren’t sure if their meals had been prepared yet. Wouldn’t that be more awkward?

So as soon as they saw the Eldest Elder leave, they all followed suit. The once noisy living room suddenly fell quiet.

“That Eldest Elder is really an old fox, and as for that Third Elder, with those two around, how can they allow the Second Elder to jump around so much? Aren’t they tired?” Qin Xue said to Qing Teng as she turned around.

“The Eldest Elder doesn’t want power; he wants peace. But he’s also aware of his limited lifespan, so he’s somewhat disheartened. Meanwhile, the Third Elder just wants a comfortable life. His position as an elder is solid; others can’t really do anything about it, so he’s indifferent to power.

You’ve seen it in the village; they are the rulers here, and all decisions are up to them. There’s nothing more to fuss about for them.

But the Second Elder wants to grab power just to secure more benefits for his son. Otherwise, once the Eldest Elder passes away, his position would naturally go to Munara, and then she’d overshadow the others. The Second Elder obviously doesn’t want that, hence these scenarios keep unfolding,” Qing Teng explained the village’s internal affairs to Qin Xue.

“So the positions here are inherited, huh? I thought it was based on merit,” Qin Xue understood immediately.

According to their usual customs, the Eldest Elder is almost forty, which means he doesn’t have many years left. But the Second Elder is much younger, so he doesn’t want a young girl controlling him, hence his desire to stand out, thereby avoiding the commands of a little girl.

If he can wrest power, then he wouldn’t need to listen to Munara, nor would his son. Then everything here would be determined by them, with others just obediently agreeing.

Meanwhile, while the Eldest Elder remains silent, he’s still nurturing some people behind the scenes, aiming to ensure his daughter isn’t disadvantaged. This is quite similar to the Holy Servant’s method of letting Qing Teng live freely outside the village, whereas the Eldest Elder is cultivating his influence within the village.

Thinking about all this gave Qin Xue a headache. Do those in power find it harder to let go, always wanting to grasp more power?

Whether in the present or in future generations, this was something Qin Xue couldn’t understand. The poor want to be rich, the rich want more wealth, the powerless want power, and those with power want to climb higher to gain more authority, which requires money. Hence, the collusion between officials and businessmen and the emergence of corruption.

That’s the reason why those in higher positions want to grab power; because having power means an endless stream of wealth flowing into their pockets.

Qin Xue understood this. What she couldn’t understand was that even with power and money, once they break the law, the country won’t let them get away scot-free. They won’t have freedom and can’t spend all that money then, can they? So why do they continue to act this way?