Chapter 139: Dark Undercurrents

After the city gates closed, Elder Qin had been staying mostly at home, not going out much. Occasionally, old friends like Kang Xian would visit, though not as frequently as their usual chess games. Today, Ning Yi and Nie Yunzhu arrived in the afternoon. After a brief chat in the living room, Ning Yi and Elder Qin went for a walk and talked in the courtyard outside the study. Nie Yunzhu was called over by Aunt Yun and Mrs. Qin, who seemed to be already aware of Yunzhu's situation and greeted her warmly, showing great kindness.

The idea of Nie Yunzhu acknowledging Elder Qin as her godfather had only been brought up by Ning Yi, and it hadn't been formally discussed between Elder Qin and Nie Yunzhu. Therefore, it was better for Ning Yi to bring it up now.

Given the issues that had arisen from this matter, Ning Yi naturally couldn't claim it had nothing to do with him or Nie Yunzhu. Of course, he also didn't believe Nie Yunzhu bore any responsibility. It was hard to say who was right or wrong, but since it had happened, dealing with it and not causing further trouble was the proper course of action. Fortunately, Elder Qin was a discerning man. When Ning Yi briefly explained what had happened at Yancui Tower last time, he understood Ning Yi's intention and why he was bringing these matters up.

However, after a long pause, he did not immediately express his stance on the matter.

"This year's floods, the scale of the disaster upstream, have not been seen in decades," Elder Qin began. "Although Jiangning has closed its gates, it seems calmer than in previous years. Do you know why, Li Heng?" He paused, then continued, "In Jiangzhou, though the disaster is severe, over 200,000 homeless flood victims have already been sheltered, and the number is still rising. Yet... it's said that order is well-maintained, and no epidemic has occurred. Additionally, in Fenzhou and Jinzhou in Hedong Dao, which were affected by the Yellow River's breach, and in Langzhou and Guizhou here, proper post-disaster arrangements are being made. In the past, an epidemic would likely have broken out by now and been difficult to control. This year, although there have been some outbreaks, they've been isolated by well-ordered prefectures and haven't spread continuously..."

"Oh," Ning Yi nodded, hearing Elder Qin mention this. Since the city gates closed, external information had been hard to come by, and Ning Yi hadn't paid much attention. Only after Elder Qin spoke did he get a general idea of what was happening outside Jiangning.

"Most places like Jiangzhou, Fenzhou, Jinzhou, Langzhou, and Guizhou have either adopted or referenced your methods, Li Heng. Although they seem simple, their effectiveness is remarkable, and I've been pondering the underlying principles recently. Regardless, hundreds of thousands of people have benefited because of you. Yet, you come to me today just to discuss trivial matters of reputation..."

Elder Qin smiled, but Ning Yi shook his head, chuckling, "Well, it was originally taking a bit of an advantage, and you, Elder Qin, are not one to fuss over minor details. Agreeing would be a favor, but not agreeing would also be reasonable. Once a favor is granted, it's not good to push your luck. You might not mind, Elder Qin, but I can't take it for granted; that's simply how one should conduct oneself. It's hard to say whether this matter is right or wrong, but reality is reality, and causing more trouble with various issues wouldn't be good. The main thing isn't that I feel bad, but that Yunzhu feels bad..."

Elder Qin nodded, remaining silent for a long time. After a while, as they set up a chess board in the study, the old man finally spoke, "A few days ago, I heard Ming Gong mention your conversation with Li Pin. Have you met Ming Yun recently, Li Heng?"

Ning Yi shook his head, "Things have been quite busy lately, but he sent over a pair of quirky siblings who want to be my apprentices. Haha, it's probably for the best that I haven't seen him. I heard from Brother Lu that he might scold me if we meet..."

"Ah, those are Zhou Yong's siblings. They have potential, but their status is limiting, so it might be difficult for them to accomplish anything significant in the future." Elder Qin smiled, picking up a chess piece, then paused. "It was also because of your statement, Li Heng, that I discussed it with Ming Yun for several days. Later, I heard about the Su family's situation. Ming Yun described it as complex; do you have a handle on it, Li Heng?"

"It should be resolvable."

Ning Yi didn't take the matter to heart, answering casually. Elder Qin looked at him, then finally placed his chess piece. "That's good then. Since Li Pin is your friend, and I've heard Ming Yun speak of his talent, if he comes to the capital, I can write a letter of introduction for him."

"Then I thank you on behalf of Dexin," Ning Yi smiled. "By the way, that Vice Minister of Personnel, Fu Ying, wasn't he formerly one of your associates?"

"You impudent boy..." Elder Qin chuckled with a reprimand, then sighed. "I had already resigned when Li Pin was selected, but Fu Ying was indeed someone I promoted back then. He's a bit biased in character, but he's good at his job. In some matters, factionalism and exclusion are common in court, and I couldn't do much about it. Ming Yun said that Li Pin's policy paper that day happened to oppose Fu Ying's proposed salary increase, and the language was rather strong. Scholars, you know, they're often like that; there are always writings every year that aim to shock. Who knew Fu Ying's reaction would be so intense? He probably got openly ridiculed by some political rivals. Heh, these things..."

From beginning to end, Qin Siyuan did not bring up Ning Yi's conversation with Li Pin again. The two played a game of chess, discussing only trivial matters and some situations in other regions. By the time Ning Yi and Nie Yunzhu took their leave, it was almost evening. Neither side brought up their stance on the "god-daughter" matter again.

"Li Heng... did you say anything?" Nie Yunzhu asked softly on the way back to the riverside building. Ning Yi nodded, "I did, but he neither nodded nor shook his head."

"Hmm?"

"Haha, Mrs. Qin and the others were quite nice to you, weren't they?"

"Yes, very nice." Yunzhu nodded with a smile, "I just worry about implicating them in return."

"From now on, just treat them like relatives and visit. There's no need to formally acknowledge anything. In time, it will all fall into place naturally. They are good people; being friends is also perfectly fine."

"...Mm." Yunzhu thought for a moment, then nodded, "Aunt Yun asked me to go shopping with her tomorrow and to bring Jin'er along."

"That's great."

After seeing Yunzhu home, as Ning Yi was about to turn back, she spoke up and called out to him.

"Li Heng, the Su family matter..." Yunzhu looked at him, thought for a moment, then finally found the words, "It will definitely work out."

Ning Yi was momentarily stunned, then smiled, "Don't worry."

He returned home, and it was already dinner time.

Afterwards, time gradually moved into August. It was a month that felt serious and chaotic, yet outwardly appeared as calm as ever. Except for a few truly insightful and clever strategists, perhaps few could clearly see what was truly happening in Jiangning's textile industry that month, or the trajectories of the surging undercurrents.

With the city gates closed, life continued as usual. Each day seemed indistinguishable from the last: people worked, lived their lives, and brothels still echoed with nightly revelry. Meanwhile, the flood victims inside and outside the city became increasingly desperate. Had it not been for the new disaster relief methods implemented in several outside prefectures, which alleviated pressure on Jiangning, the city's sense of oppression would likely have been far more severe. Of course, even if it were severe, it would only be felt by the common people.

The imperial merchant matter of the Textile Bureau was set to surface for the first time in late August. It was rumored there would be a gathering of the textile industry, ostensibly to celebrate the effective disaster relief efforts. Afterward, interested merchants would present their fabrics to the imperial family. The decision had been made, but the news circulated only privately. For instance, to celebrate the "effective disaster relief," merchants would certainly have to demonstrate actual contributions by providing sufficient porridge and food, and by sharing the burden with the government.

The few merchant families who had previously held imperial merchant contracts naturally wouldn't give them up. The expressed interest of the Su, Xue, and Wu families in becoming imperial merchants also drew in some mid-sized businesses, turning the recent situation in the textile industry into a murky mess. Among them, although Su Boyong was paralyzed and Su Tan'er was bedridden, the Su family's momentum remained the strongest. In late July, after Su Boyong's injuries stabilized and his condition was publicly known, Elder Su's tireless efforts and connections finally paid off. Chen Er, the assailant who attacked Su Boyong, confessed that he had indeed been instructed to assassinate Su Boyong, and that the accusation of the Su family killing his wife and children was a complete fabrication.

Who was behind Chen Er could not be ascertained, as he himself did not know. However, with their tarnished reputation cleared, the Su family undoubtedly gained more leverage to secure the imperial merchant contract, and the morale of the first branch's managers and stewards soared. The second and third branches remained relatively silent. Even if the Su family were proven to have driven an entire family to their deaths, the impact on their external business would be limited, whereas the imperial merchant contract was the primary concern. Now, Elder Su was paving the way for the imperial merchant bid. Could it be that Su Tan'er was truly to steer the Su family from now on?

Amidst the chaotic situation, no one could foresee what late August would bring. The second and third branches appeared calm, while the Xue family, the Wu family, and several other merchants were also competing for the imperial merchant contract in their own ways, negotiating deals, and leveraging connections. No overt schemes or calculations surfaced. During this time, Ning Yi, acting as the temporary helmsman of the Su family's first branch, began to integrate into the large family of Jiangning's textile industry.

He attended some social engagements, naturally meeting new people. As a scholar, he previously didn't need to participate in such events, but now that Su Tan'er was bedridden, he had some necessary engagements to attend. The most significant event during this period was probably the guild meeting of the textile industry at the end of July, a gathering held monthly. This was because in Jiangning, the textile industry also had its own guild, and the guild leader was the Wu family, who were currently the leaders of Jiangning's textile trade.

During this time, Ning Yi also met Wu Chenghou, the father of Wu Qilong and Wu Qihao. As the guild leader, Wu Chenghou appeared to be a modest and authoritative middle-aged man, who specifically sought out Ning Yi for a long talk: "We are all colleagues in the same trade; though rivals, we are also good teachers and helpful friends. It has always been the custom that if any household temporarily lacks goods, others will extend a helping hand—that's what camaraderie is about. I've long heard of your reputation as a talented nephew, Li Heng. Regarding this imperial merchant matter, the Su family has a good chance of winning. You don't need to take the Xue family's words to heart..."

He likely said these things because the Xue family and the Su family had long-standing grievances. According to Chan'er and Juan'er, the Wu family always mediated these disputes. This time, upon meeting Xue Sheng, the father of Xue Jin and Xue Yan, his demeanor was somewhat indifferent. However, Xue Yan's attitude towards Ning Yi was quite good; he specifically invited Ning Yi for a meal to apologize for the previous incident.

Additionally, there were Chen Dixin of the Chen family, Lu Tianhai of the Lu family, and many others. Over the course of nearly a month, Ning Yi gained a general understanding of the entire Jiangning textile industry, and the people in the industry, in turn, formed a basic impression of him.

He certainly had talent; he was, after all, the top scholar. But a scholar entering the business world clearly seemed out of his depth. Although he didn't attend many social functions, he spoke with grace and composure, yet still retained an undeniable scholarly air. With the Su family in trouble, this live-in son-in-law clearly wanted to help, but inexperience is inexperience, and after a month, he hadn't actually accomplished anything.

In fact, after the blunder with He Fang, he had only done two things in total.

The first was that he successfully negotiated a business deal. This was originally a straightforward deal with no suspense, but since Ning Yi had signed it, the credit naturally went to him. There wasn't much to say about this, but at least it was something. The other thing he did, after racking his brains, was to implement a reform in one of the shops.

At the time, in everyone's eyes, Ning Yi seemed very confident. He had spent days brainstorming, then formulated some rules, and had the staff in one of the shops try them out first. For this, he trained the staff for three days, teaching them to say "Welcome" when customers entered and standardizing certain phrases and adding many seemingly professional terms. However, this reform lasted only three days because it scared away many customers, making them feel uncomfortable.

Thus, this scholar-like reform failed, becoming a joke in Jiangning's textile industry. Ning Yi seemed to have been disheartened; thereafter, apart from his daily routine inspections, he made no further significant moves.

During this period, he also met He Fang, though they didn't discuss the imperial merchant matter much. He also accompanied some managers to solicit business and met with officials from the Textile Bureau, but he didn't play a significant role. Previously, some people, like Xue Jin, felt he wouldn't be so straightforward, but after more than twenty days, they lost much of their interest because, simply put, a scholar entering the business world was expected to behave exactly like this.

In the matter of the imperial merchant contract, this fellow was proving useless, perhaps merely a front. Yet, after this, no one relaxed their guard, because the Su family's managers continued to operate tirelessly under Ning Yi's "performance," pushing the bid for the imperial merchant contract to its peak.

There were no hidden conspiracies or machinations. During this period, the Su family had been openly and straightforwardly advancing their process to secure the imperial merchant contract. Neither the Xue family nor the Wu family had any way to counter such tactics. Ultimately, the Su family had been preparing for years, while the others hadn't. With their foundations weaker, at least on the surface, they could only fall behind.

Meanwhile, the siblings Zhou Pei and Zhou Junwu frequently came to the Su family's cloth shop, waiting for Ning Yi to arrive, and gradually developed a somewhat peculiar way of interacting...

And so, the seemingly calm, tedious, tense, and monotonous month of August gradually drew to a close...