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Chapter 412: Appointment, Clan System (Part 2)_3
Chapter 412: Appointment, Clan System (Part 2)_3
However, Hou Yuduan's words clearly aimed to shatter this status quo and did so in a practical sense. All the commanders of the Nine Departments held the authority to deploy their respective departments, and also possessed the Cabinet voting rights. To put it bluntly, if one day they encountered misfortune or lost their commander positions, would the Cabinet not then have the right to overrule Hou Yuxiao?
By then, would this family still bear the Hou surname?
Neither of them continued to speak, yet their glaring eyes conveyed their stance.
The rest of the crowd, upon seeing the expressions of the two, also remained silent without uttering a word, just silent.
Li Sanyun and his three companions felt somewhat uneasy. They hadn't been a part of the Hou Clan for long and their ideas were not as radical. While they were somewhat moved by Hou Yuduan's proposal, they were mostly nervous.
"Old Fifth makes a sensible point. The development of our clan to this day is not attributable to one person alone, nor to just the five of us. Now that our clan numbers over thirty thousand, distinguishing each other by surname is not conducive to unity, and if I were to act on my own will, it could inevitably affect the clan's growth. I personally support Old Fifth's proposal. What do you think, how about it?"
Hou Yuxiao said with a smile, causing a moment of surprise among the crowd. Everyone stared at him as if they were trying to read some expression on his face, but disappointingly for them, Hou Yuxiao maintained a faint smile throughout without revealing any hints of his feelings.
It wasn't an act; he truly thought this way...
Li Sanyun and the others exchanged glances. Though not a word was spoken, a warm current surged through all their hearts simultaneously.
"Very well, let's put this Cabinet voting system to the test today for the first time and see what the results will be. You all can vote now, whether you agree or disagree, just say it, and no matter the outcome, we will accept it together!"
After Hou Yuxiao calmly finished speaking, he was the first to voice his opinion: "I agree!"
"I disagree!"
"I also disagree!"
Hou Yucheng and Hou Yujie opposed without a second thought.
"I agree."
"I also agree."
"Agree!"
"Agree."
Li Sanyun and his three companions pondered for a long time but eventually nodded and expressed their agreement in succession. After all, this proposition was in their favor, so their agreement was a certainty.
With Hou Yuxiao's vote counting as double, that was four votes in favor and four against, seeming to result in a tie. However, Hou Yuduan had yet to cast his vote, and like Hou Yuxiao, he had two votes due to holding dual positions.
"I also agree!"
Without any surprises, Hou Yuduan of course agreed, since the proposal was originally his own.
"Hmph!"
"Old Fifth, you..."
Hou Yucheng immediately snorted coldly upon his suggestion, and Hou Yujie, evidently angered, turned his head away and refused to look at him.
"Alright, now that the result is determined, it must be followed. After it's executed, we can discuss its pros and cons. This is the first clan rule I've established. From now on, all major clan affairs must be decided by Cabinet votes. If someone is absent, we'll count based on the number of people present. No single person can make decisions, not even myself."
After Hou Yuxiao finished speaking and saw that there were no responses from the others, he slightly lowered his eyes and used a hint of True Qi to strengthen his tone, asking in a deep voice.
"Is that clear to everyone?"
"We shall comply!"
All bowed respectfully and responded in unison gravely.
Seeing Hou Yuxiao's face turn so grave, Hou Yucheng and Hou Yujie, albeit reluctantly, cupped their hands towards Hou Yuxiao and said in unison, "Yes, big brother!"
New Yu Era, year 1322, the beginning of September
The Hou Clan's Nine Departments were thus established, and the Cabinet voting system was formally instituted...