Chapter 149: Nightfall

"What exactly happened? Wasn't it just the first batch that had problems...?"

"Answering Second Young Master," everyone originally thought it was only the first batch. After the initial incident, Manager Qin had locked those fabrics in the warehouse next to the workshop. This was done to prevent further issues before delivery. Manager Qin would go in and check on them daily, and at first, no one noticed anything amiss... Well, that's not quite right. Word is that over the past few days, some people had already noticed Manager Qin's unusual state of mind. It was only when the discovery was made today that everyone realized Manager Qin had probably been observing the daily fading since the first batch went wrong. In the initial days, the situation wasn't obvious, and Manager Qin, checking daily, didn't dare to speak up, perhaps holding onto a bit of hope. But as more fabric changed color each day, Manager Qin knew a major problem had occurred.

Inside the carriage, Wu Qihou frowned, clenching his left hand into a fist as if wanting to curse, but ultimately holding back. "Why wasn't this reported sooner...?" Yet, the answer to that question was already clear in his mind.

"Has the news been sealed off?" "It was immediately sealed off after the discovery. Few people know about it, but Manager Qin's condition doesn't look good. A doctor has already been called to see him..."

"Uncle Qin... he was dutiful after all." Wu Qihou frowned, finally uttering these words, and sat there, saying no more.

He had been called out by his family servants from a textile merchant's home. He couldn't yet fully grasp the entire situation, but combining it with the issues of the first batch of fabric from a few days ago, he had a terrible premonition. It felt vaguely as if something had suddenly blindsided him. He didn't even dare to consider the worst-case scenario, only hoping it was an isolated incident caused by some oversight on their part. After all, this was new fabric, and some issues were to be expected.

He lifted the carriage curtain. They weren't far from the workshop now. A sign for Su's Fabric Store came into view. Lately, whenever he saw this sign in Jiangning City, he felt like smiling. If he saw it with others, they would most likely discuss it. The others would "objectively" talk about the various problems Su's might encounter in the future, how their profits would be lost, while he would just shake his head and smile, offering no further comments, enjoying a sense of accomplishment. As a member, even an heir, of the Wu family, he truly felt as though he stood at the peak, looking down on all the mountains—both the Su family and those making such remarks seemed insignificant. But at this moment, he lowered the curtain, dismissing a surge of irritation in his heart.

It couldn't be related to them; more than a month had passed...

Without further thought, the carriage continued all the way to the small workshop. Upon arriving at the entrance, he encountered Can Minzhi's carriage. He exchanged greetings with Can Minzhi, and from their eyes, they could both see the worry. So, without much conversation, the two entered together. Inside the nearby workshop, the production of the brilliant golden brocade was still in full swing. Bright yellow fabric fluttered in the air, astonishingly vibrant, showing no signs of any potential issues. Over there, workers shouted as they dragged fabric out of huge dye vats. A manager nearby called out a few times, "Careful, careful! Not a single mistake! This fabric is for His Majesty, the Emperor..." The scene in the workshop was bathed in the setting sun.

Wu Qihou and Can Minzhi went over to the warehouse. The area was already heavily guarded, and now more personnel had been added. As they entered the small warehouse, lights had already been lit. Besides Wu Qilong, several other senior managers from the Wu family had arrived. These were veteran members, trusted by the Wu family, responsible for various processes from start to finish. Laid out before them was a wall of brilliant golden brocade, with the fading of some fabrics immediately apparent.

Can Minzhi merely glanced at it before beginning to inspect the markings on the fabric with two other shopkeepers.

"How is Uncle Qin?" Wu Qihou looked up at the fabric wall, frowned, and closed his eyes. However, his first question was directed at his elder brother. Wu Qilong, sitting on a stool, shook his head and remained silent for a long time before reluctantly saying, "The doctor said he's fine, just extremely exhausted..."

"Why is it fading?"

"I don't know, but..." Saying this, Wu Qilong abruptly stood up, waved to his brother, and walked a few steps towards the fabric wall. He then picked up a bolt of fabric leaning nearby and propped it against the wall.

"Look, this bolt of fabric was made today. These other fabrics were produced over a month ago. See? After a month, they're identical, with no sign of fading at all. We tested them outside... the dye is very stable. But these faded ones, hah..."

Wu Qilong chuckled, pointing to the bolts that Can Minzhi and the others were currently examining. "We've just checked them too. The timing... they've almost faded sequentially, starting from over a month ago, between a month and a half to twenty days. We just looked at the scrap fabric, and it's almost the same situation. And then there's this,"

He picked up a slightly wrinkled piece of fabric nearby. It was still shimmering golden yellow, only showing signs of a slightly discordant color when placed among other brocades. "This is one of the pieces at the exact same time point. Previously, it also seemed normal, with no signs of fading. We just soaked it in water and dried it with fire. I cut off a piece to bring over, and it has already started to fade. The rest are still being tested."

"How could this happen...?"

"Indeed," Wu Qilong said with a sarcastic smile, sitting down and looking around the warehouse. "Could the dyeing formula be the problem?"

This simple question instantly silenced everyone. They exchanged glances. After a long pause, Wu Qihou finally asked, "Is that possible?"

"How could that be possible?" Wu Qilong frowned, shaking his head. "We didn't just place one person in the Su family. If we still got the wrong formula under these circumstances... unless that person... unless that person could see everything we were planning from the very beginning. How could such a person exist over several years? Even Su Yu couldn't be like that. Our decision to compete for the imperial merchant status was only made this year. Is someone trying to tell me now that certain people have been planning this for years? The only one who could have been planning for years is Su Tan'er, but how could she have targeted us years ago... If she had truly been watching from behind the scenes all along, the benefits of securing the imperial merchant status herself would have been far greater than this... For now, it's probably an internal issue," Wu Qilong rubbed his forehead, then looked at the several shopkeepers in front of him. "Uncle Can, Uncle Nie, regarding this matter at hand, I'll trouble everyone to keep this news confidential. Have the masters at the dye house examine the formula and analyze any potential problems. This incident is too strange, and we can't jump to conclusions yet. Everyone, please do your part. My father and I will also communicate extensively with Lord Dong from the Imperial Silk Bureau to postpone the delivery date. The Imperial Silk Bureau has entrusted the imperial merchant status to our Wu family this time; they won't stand by if something happens to us... Our Wu family has reached this point over decades, overcoming countless large and small difficulties. We've weathered storms together, and among fabric merchants in Jiangning City, if we say we're second, no one dares to claim first. This time, as long as everyone does their best, there will be no problems either... I'll leave the matters here to all of you uncles."

At this moment, the people in the room were not only confidantes of the Wu family but also seasoned business veterans who had weathered various storms. They were generally of the same standing as Manager Liao and others from the Su family. Even if Wu Qilong didn't speak, they mostly knew what needed to be done. They now answered in unison and began to gather, discussing the situation.

The brothers Wu Qilong and Wu Qihou walked out. The setting sun shed its last lingering red in the sky. Inside the workshop, torches and lanterns had been lit. Workers changed shifts, ate, and the next batch of workers took over. Operations continued ceaselessly, but the brothers' mood at this moment was indescribable. This fabric was constantly being made, finished, and sent into the warehouse. But if all of it were to fade, what exactly were they doing right now?

For them, over the past month, everything had been moving forward, progressing with immense meaning. They clearly understood what they were doing and what purpose it served. But after toiling for so long, looking back, they now realized there seemed to be a fundamental flaw. So, what exactly had they been busy doing for the past month? Suddenly, they felt aimless.

"Brother, is someone truly working against us in secret?"

Wu Qihou had been thinking for a long time. Now, looking at the busy scene that had instantly lost its meaning yet still had to continue, he spoke up and asked. Wu Qilong frowned deeply, shaking his head as he looked back towards the warehouse entrance.

"How can we know now? It shouldn't be like this. Now... now we can only hope it's an internal problem. If it's not..."

He frowned, unable to comprehend. Indeed, looking around, they saw no enemies. Before becoming imperial merchants, they hadn't felt any hostility, and after, even if there was some, it couldn't be acted upon. They had indeed made a move, but all their planning was covert. Theoretically, no one should have detected their preparations. They were like a tiger that had devoured a goat with lightning speed; the entire process was flawless, with no bows, no hunters, no blades, not even time for the goat to resist. Everything was perfect and smooth. Yet, in the end, he found a wound on his body, but had no idea when or where it had appeared, and the severity of this wound... could even be fatal.

Who exactly was it...?

The tiger was suddenly startled awake and began to look into the surrounding darkness. Yet, it looked all around and still saw nothing. The forest began to feel hostile...

"If it's not us, then perhaps someone has been watching us from behind, for months already..."

Wu Qihou subconsciously glanced behind him, then turned around. "Then who could it be? Su Yu? Su Tan'er? Who else? Some of the old folks from the Su family?" "Unlikely..." Wu Qilong shook his head. "Unlikely, it's not very probable. This doesn't seem like a trap set by them at all. Xi Junyu isn't a possibility either; what we got wasn't just from him alone. This time... who exactly sabotaged us?"

"Don't think about it, Brother. Maybe it's just a small detail that went wrong. At a time like this, we can't panic. Let's find out the truth first."

Wu Qihou comforted his elder brother, and Wu Qilong nodded afterwards. "Yes, we'll go back and start investigating. For now," he looked at the bustling workshop ahead, and further in the distance, Jiangning City lit up with various lights, "for now... let's just observe."

In the sky, dusk fell, and darkness had just begun to descend.

They passed through the dim passage outside the small workshop, emerging outside the workshop door bathed in light. They boarded their carriage and drove homeward, filled with an inexplicable anxiety. The road was intermittently lit, and many, many more people at this hour were completely unaware of the events that had unfolded in a corner of Jiangning that afternoon.

At the Su residence, Ning Yi had just finished bathing and was sitting in a small pavilion in the courtyard, enjoying the cool air. Xiao Chan brought him a bowl of boiled peanuts, and the two amused themselves with a childish game of guessing numbers on the table. When voices and footsteps were heard from the courtyard gate, Su Tan'er returned with Juan'er and Xing'er. She had probably been busy running around all day, but upon seeing Ning Yi, she still smiled contentedly, her lips pursed.

On evenings like this in the past, children would often come to play, or some cousins close to the main household would come for money or a chat. But lately, such visitors had become much fewer. Chan'er went to prepare some simple food. Soon after, Su Tan'er also emerged from her bath, and it was Juan'er's turn. Everyone sat together in the pavilion, chatting, talking, and eating some food. Even many business matters, Su Tan'er now discussed freely with Ning Yi. Of course, Ning Yi usually just made casual jokes, prompting laughter from everyone.

Under the stars and moon, it was another leisurely day.