Chapter 169: Net

Chapter 141: The Net (7,000 characters)

In the past few days, Su Chonghua occasionally felt strange emotions flitting through his mind, and even he couldn't quite pinpoint the exact reason why.

Due to the Grand Elder's regard, Su Chonghua had always held a respected position in the Su family. For several years, as Su Zhongkan was the true manager of Yushan Academy, Su Chonghua was also considered a significant participant in the Su family's Second Branch. Recently, the Second and Third Branches had joined forces against the First Branch, planning to eliminate this branch first, as it was sparsely populated but appeared to be the most threatening within the Su family. He was involved in this effort. Occasionally, at various gatherings, people would discuss the current situation of the Su family's Second Branch. Although external threats remained, internal strife had at least somewhat subsided, and a significant step had been taken towards seizing true control of the Su family. Everyone was quite pleased about this.

Today was a big day. From the moment he woke up, he knew this, and everyone's mood was somewhat different. In the early morning, he met Su Zhongkan and other close Second Branch managers and stewards in the nearby courtyard, and everyone was cheerful and laughing.

He understood that tonight's matters were already decided. Su Tan'er had spent too much money preparing for the imperial merchant designation without yielding any benefits, which now led to external merchants beginning to distrust the Su family. All these issues could be brought up tonight. Many people in the Su family were making a concerted effort, and some elders who originally disagreed with women managing the household or had been wavering on the matter began to side with the Second and Third Branches. Even the usually strong Third Uncle was powerless at this point.

However, even as the Second Branch members were filled with anticipation, that peculiar emotion would occasionally surface, especially in the past few days when he caught a glimpse of Ning Yi's leisurely and unconstrained figure from the side. Thoughts always seemed to go astray.

Defending the Storm...

What he occasionally thought of was this ci poem he had seen a few days ago. That poem was truly excellent.

Su Chonghua, after all, had some genuine talent; he was a minor literati figure in Jiangning. Having written poetry and ci for so many years, there were naturally not many works that could genuinely impress him at first sight. Coincidentally, Ning Yi's two previous pieces were exactly like that – "Drinking Wine with Pei Di" naturally didn't count – and this current "Defending the Storm" was no exception. Of course, if he were to view it in isolation, he would feel that this ci poem was merely a literati's self-consolation and self-indulgence. It seemed to depict one as a victor despite being utterly defeated, and the fact that it was kept hidden, not daring to be shown, was clear proof of this.

But... whenever he actually saw Ning Yi, and then connected him with this ci poem, or after seeing some other poems written by others, the feeling was always somewhat different. At this moment, Su Chonghua was looking thoughtfully from the side of the private school classroom.

“...Here we talk about the art of calculation. You'll learn this in the afternoon, but I don't want to tell you how to calculate. However, some logical systems within calculation, which are essentially principles and methods for thinking, are very interesting... In a faraway western land, there's a country called Greece, and there's a story there called Zeno's Paradox. One day, a very fast hero met a tortoise, and the tortoise said: ‘If you race me, you'll never catch me...’”

At the front of the classroom, Ning Yi was smiling as he lectured, his chalk drawing lines on the blackboard: “The hero said, even if I run slowly, my speed is still ten times yours, how could I not catch you? So the tortoise said, let's take an example: you are a hundred zhang away from me, and your speed is ten times mine. You start chasing me. When you run a hundred zhang to my current position, I will have moved ten zhang forward. So you continue to chase those ten zhang, but by then, I will have moved another zhang forward. After you cover that zhang, I will still be ahead of you... You can always get closer to me, but you will never catch me. The hero thought he was right, completely perplexed...”

His lessons were always like this: ostensibly about classics like "The Great Learning" or "The Doctrine of the Mean," yet he would often digress into all sorts of random, fascinating topics. The new student named Zhou Junwu in the back raised his hand and asked, “Teacher, where is Greece?” So Ning Yi chuckled and began to explain Greece.

Watching that figure, so leisurely, seemingly not caring about today—or even the changes in the Su family over the past month—and pairing it with "Defending the Storm," that strange feeling resurfaced. He frowned, and after a long moment, finally turned and left.

This Liheng, his skill in writing ci poems is truly profound; he can influence me so much with just one piece.

Su Chonghua thought to himself, then shook his head...

The morning gradually passed into afternoon. The courtyards of the Su family were now filled with people, bustling as if it were the New Year. By this time, the factions had finally become completely distinct. There was no need for much concern; they just had to wait for tonight's events. The First Branch, Second Branch, and Third Branch members were still arriving one after another.

In Su Yu's courtyard, visitors were constant today.

“...I also feel that it's too much pressure for the second girl to manage so many family affairs. Everyone knows her capabilities, of course. If the First Branch had a male heir who could take over, even if something went wrong this time, we would still feel she could continue managing. But after all...”

“At this point, the situation with the Third Branch really cannot continue to be strained like this, Third Brother...”

“Alas, if Boyong hadn't had that accident...”

The guest room's furnishings were not extravagant but appeared stately and dignified. Su Yu sat at the head of the room, leaning on his cane, with his eyes closed in repose. Below him, people spoke one after another. These were the old brothers of the family; ultimately, tonight's clan meeting depended on them to make the crucial decision. For the matters to be discussed tonight, it was always best to air them out and outline a rough plan beforehand.

Setting aside various positions and self-interests, they certainly knew Su Tan'er's capabilities. However, the current situation of the Su family was, after all, a struggle for property by the Third Branch. With Su Boyong incapacitated, there was no alternative. If Su Tan'er continued to stubbornly resist, it would likely result in a vicious cycle of internal attrition. Su Yu clearly understood these matters, but as of now, he had not explicitly stated his stance.

The old master's prestige was simply too great; without his declaration, the matter could not take shape, and by night, arguments might erupt. They were all elders, and most did not wish for such an occurrence. With Su Yu still presiding over the Third Branch's struggle for property, if the old master remained inflexible and insisted on siding with his granddaughter against everyone tonight, then the consequences for the family would be unpredictable.

Although Su Yu had remained very clear-headed over the years, as people age, no one could be sure if he would suddenly become obstinate tonight.

“So, Third Brother, you really must give us a word on these matters.”

Old Seventh below grew anxious, standing up and speaking, glancing at the others. Several other elders also chimed in. Su Yu opened his eyes to a slit, squinting at them: “What word should I give?”

“Regarding the second girl's matter, what exactly do you plan to do? You must have a definite answer. If you speak, we'll have a clear idea...”

“I don't even have a clear idea myself, how can I give you a definite answer?”

“No... Third Brother, regarding this matter... you can't be uncertain. For so many years, everyone has listened to you.”

“Tonight, we must hear what Eldest Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother say, what others say, and what the second girl says. Only then will the matter be clear, and everyone can see it plainly.”

“Third Brother, you're just talking nonsense. Of course, we'll listen to what they say then, but everyone already has a good idea of what they'll say. If you don't express your stance first, we'll...”

“Old Seventh.” Su Yu thumped his cane on the ground, looking at his seventh brother, who was in his early fifties. Then his gaze softened, and he sighed, “Until the very end, no one truly knows how things will turn out. In short, if something makes sense then, follow it. If it doesn't, let it go. Just don't speak harshly. I can't see this matter clearly right now either.”

The old man closed his eyes, continuing to rest. “In any case, we'll discuss it tonight.”

The afternoon sunlight shone on the doorway, casting a large bright area. The buzzing murmurs then resumed...

Rustle, rustle, rustle. In the slightly secluded teahouse, three maids and several stewards were busy flipping through many ledgers, copying things in front of them. Opposite them sat a few core members of the Wu family. Sunlight spilled from the eaves, a breeze blew, and occasional quiet conversations could be heard.

Su Tan'er sat quietly sipping her tea. Since the Wu family had yielded, everything had gone smoothly. The two sides were now almost forming an unspoken cooperation, though of course, the cooperating party would certainly not be pleased.

Wu Qilong was also quietly drinking tea nearby, looking at the patch of light not far from his feet. Since the first day, Wu Chenghou hadn't appeared; Wu Qilong had been the one taking the lead.

“Tonight, I heard Xue Yan and his group have arranged to dine at Yuexiang Tower on Persimmon Street. People from the Lu and Chen families will likely be there too,” Wu Qilong said, spitting out a bit of tea foam, as if discussing something unrelated to himself. “They're very concerned about this matter; their expressions later might be quite interesting.” He spoke of interest, but his own face showed no amusement whatsoever.

Su Tan'er was already too lazy to provoke him with such matters. The first day had been confrontational, a clear show of dominance, but after that, she didn't care as much. “According to what we agreed before, you should tell me the other matters today.”

Wu Qilong glanced aside: “Later. If I can tell you later, I will. It pleases me.”

“Suit yourself.” Su Tan'er turned her gaze away. “But if you let those people slip away, even if I can swallow this, my father certainly won't.”

“Hmph.”

Wu Qilong snorted coldly. After a moment, he asked, “What's your husband doing now?”

“He's strolling around, playing chess with friends, or going to listen to some young lady sing,” Su Tan'er said, tilting her head back and smiling. “As his wife, I shouldn't inquire too much about my husband's external affairs... My job is simply to manage the household well.”

Ning Yi was indeed watching a young lady perform.

On the second floor of Bamboo Records, Ning Yi was seated at a table, drinking tea and eating snacks. Nowadays, there were always musicians performing songs and plays at the front of the restaurant. Of course, the "performance" Ning Yi was watching wasn't this.

Yuan Jin'er was sitting right beside him, and not far away, diagonally opposite, the great scholar named Liu Qingdi was also seated, casting his gaze over.

A few days ago, Liu Qingdi had already found his way to Bamboo Records. It was unclear how he had managed to find Yuan Jin'er, but regardless, he had been coming frequently lately. Today, with Yuan Jin'er and Ning Yi both present, she gracefully sat down next to them, displaying a rather intimate attitude towards Ning Yi.

Rumors in the jianghu claimed Yuan Jin'er had once been involved with both Cao Guan and Liu Qingdi. It was hard to say how deep the feelings between scholars and beauties truly ran; perhaps it didn't reach the abnormal psychological level of Gu Yanzhen before. However, Liu Qingdi's grudge against Ning Yi also had its roots in various complex reasons, such as them both being talented scholars, or Yuan Jin'er's performance that time. Being stared at like this constantly, Ning Yi felt a bit helpless. This feud had been established at Yan Cui Lou anyway, and it seemed it wouldn't be resolved anytime soon.

“Do you find this interesting?”

Ning Yi leaned closer to Yuan Jin'er, smiling.

“It's... interesting.”

Yuan Jin'er also leaned closer, like a delicate bird, though in reality, Ning Yi gained no advantage. A courtesan queen was a courtesan queen; she maintained her distance, gently pushing Ning Yi away.

“Where's Yunzhu?”

“Sister Yunzhu said she wouldn't come out to join the fun; she's inside organizing ledgers. So, I, a humble girl, had no choice but to come out and keep company with a great hero like you.”

It was early winter, and both were dressed in rather thick clothes. Yuan Jin'er was also beautifully dressed. They appeared to be leaning close, playfully pushing each other within a small space, while Liu Qingdi watched from his seat, his eyes blazing with fury.

“Since our situation is so ambiguous now, wouldn't it be quite reasonable if I were to take a liberty with you?”

“Alright, I'll go for it. I'll sacrifice my seductive appearance if it means Sister Yunzhu can see what kind of person you truly are.”

“Would I be afraid?”

“Come on then.”

“If I don't take advantage of an opportunity... you're making things very difficult for me...”

Yuan Jin'er smiled, pure and innocent. Their gazes met, creating sparks. The next moment, just as Ning Yi was about to make a high-risk move, Yuan Jin'er twisted her body, and a crisp 'slap' echoed through the second-floor hall. Liu Qingdi, who had previously averted his eyes from the behavior of this scandalous pair, now looked over, and everyone else also turned their attention towards them.

Within view, the pure and beautiful young woman, after standing up, hastily retreated two steps to the side. Objects on the table clattered noisily. She covered the side of her face with one hand, her eyes fixed on Ning Yi, who was still seated. Tears had already welled up, truly like pear blossoms drenched in rain, evoking pity.

“You scoundrel!”

Darn, she got ahead of me...

That slap just now hadn't actually landed. Yuan Jin'er seemed to have suddenly stood up and swung her hand, but in reality, only her sleeve brushed Ning Yi's cheek. However, Yuan Jin'er came from a dancing background, and her dress sleeves were wide at the moment. She clapped her hands together below with a crisp sound, which in the eyes of onlookers immediately became a very humiliating slap.

“...Beast, lecher, pervert...”

Yuan Jin'er wiped her tears, winking at Ning Yi with one eye. Ning Yi pouted: “You're ruthless.” Over there, Liu Qingdi had abruptly stood up. Yuan Jin'er said, “I haven't even given you my heart yet, how... how could you do this...”

Then she ran off.

Perhaps Liu Qingdi wasn't the only one indignant in the tavern, but upon hearing Yuan Jin'er's final tone, which sounded like a playful, blaming complaint, people suddenly became unsure of the relationship between the two. Ning Yi sighed, raised his teacup, and turned his face away.

A few of the staff members, who somewhat understood Ning Yi's relationship with Yuan Jin'er and Nie Yunzhu, stood there bewildered for a long time, wondering what new trick these bosses were up to.

This tea couldn't be drunk...

Yuan Jin'er scampered off, triumphant in the hallway for a moment. Then, after gathering her emotions, she ran inside, wiping her tears. Pushing open the inner room door, she cried with utter sincerity, covering her face: “Sister Yunzhu, Ning Yi is getting more and more out of line! I was just joking with him, and he took liberties with me. Many people saw it! If you don't believe me, go ask Xiao Ding and the others...”

Yunzhu was stunned for a moment: “In broad daylight... how did he take liberties with you?”

“He kissed me on the cheek,” Yuan Jin'er said, sitting next to Yunzhu, sniffing and her eyes stubborn. “It was supposed to be a joke, but he must have done it on purpose!”

Yunzhu held her face for a moment, then kissed her forehead: “Alright, I'll help him take liberties with you then.”

“Really!” Yuan Jin'er protested. “Sister Yunzhu, you always believe him and not me!”

“It's highly unlikely he'd do something like that in broad daylight, and you want me to believe you... Come help me with the ledgers.”

“This is hard to calculate... No, why wouldn't he? Men are all like that, he probably thought he was being subtle. You don't believe it's possible in broad daylight, but he calculated exactly that. He's too cunning. What if next time he... does that to me in public?” Yuan Jin'er struggled for a moment. “If he did that to me, then Sister Yunzhu, you still wouldn't believe me...”

Although they had both been 'pure courtesans' before, the influence of a brothel was undeniably strong, and other women would certainly not speak like this. Yunzhu burst out laughing: “If he, if he truly did *that* to you in broad daylight... well, no matter what it was, I still wouldn't believe you...”

Yuan Jin'er maintained a poker face for a moment, then couldn't help but burst into laughter herself: “You're just biased, anyway.” She turned her head to help with the ledgers.

“He has something important tonight, and you're always bothering him.”

“I bother him because I like him, not because I dislike him, you know...”

With a clink, the teacup was set down. The afternoon sunlight was turning a warm yellow, spilling into the teahouse. Su Chonghua was roused by the sound and looked at the middle-aged man in front of him.

“Brother Chonghua seems preoccupied these past few days. Are you perhaps worried about the family matters tonight?”

The middle-aged man opposite him was tall and slender, sporting a goatee. He was one of Su Chonghua's usual poetry friends, named Chen Lu, styled as 'Hermit of Empty Mountains', and had some reputation in Jiangning. He had met Su Chonghua on the road that afternoon and came over for tea.

“Heh, tonight... probably nothing much will happen...”

“Brother Chonghua, don't hide it from me. I've heard these past few days that your Su family clan meeting is approaching, and there will be major changes. You seemed somewhat distracted and disinterested at the poetry gathering two days ago. If it wasn't worry about this matter, then what was it? If tonight is truly uneventful, wouldn't it be better for you and me to simply ignore such mundane affairs and join my gathering at Changyun Pavilion?”

“Even if the outcome of the clan meeting doesn't greatly concern me, I still have to attend it,” Su Chonghua said with a smile, then pondered for a moment: “Ah, but speaking of the poetry gathering a few days ago... actually, I was merely lamenting the art of poetry and ci, which truly requires some talent. A few days ago, I saw a ci poem that left me with very complex feelings. I've often thought of it these past few days, and it has, ironically, made me lose interest in writing poetry.”

“Oh?” Chen Lu became interested. “It sounds like this ci poem is excellent?”

“Extremely good,” Su Chonghua shook his head. “It's just that the person who wrote the ci poem, when paired with the work itself, truly makes one sigh with regret.”

“Brother Chonghua, now you've made me even more curious. Don't keep me in suspense, tell me quickly, quickly.”

“Haha, this was composed by my nephew, Ning Yi, Ning Liheng. Brother Kongshan, you've already heard about his deeds before. The current situation of my Su family also has some of his reasons behind it... A few days ago, he casually wrote a ci poem and merely gave it to a nine-year-old child in the family for private viewing. I saw it by chance. This 'Defending the Storm'... its artistic conception is something I've never seen in my life, and it's not inferior in the slightest compared to his two previous ci works. Therefore, whenever I see him, or see others' poetry and ci, I can't help but think of it, and frankly, I've lost some interest in writing poetry and ci myself. Yet, this person is truly incompetent...”

Su Chonghua shook his head, dipped his finger in his tea, and in the late afternoon sunlight, sighed as he wrote out the ci poem, as if to savor it once more through this act. The middle-aged man opposite him listened and read the lines, his gaze gradually turning serious...

In front of a small teahouse on the other side of the city, carriages had arrived. Su Tan'er and Wu Qilong stood under the eaves, preparing to depart. Wu Qilong looked at the sunlight.

“The people you want are, respectively...”

Su Tan'er's gaze was originally cool and aloof, but upon hearing Wu Qilong utter these words, her eyes flickered at one point, and she subtly frowned, though she remained silent. Only after he finished speaking, and after a moment of thought, did Su Tan'er say, “Are those them?”

“Believe it or not.”

“No, I believe you.”

“Hmm?”

“We already know about some of them. If you're hiding anything, there might truly be problems,” she said with a smile. “Do you know what my husband said first when he came home after our showdown that day?”

“What?”

“Qi Guangzu is the mole.”

“...” Wu Qilong frowned, looking over.

“Because the first thing you said to my husband was: 'It was you after all.'”

“So what?”

“He asked Manager Zhou for information, and Manager Zhou wasn't drunk. Once things started going wrong on your end, he would certainly try to gather information. My husband had previously designed several ways for Manager Zhou to unintentionally leak information. To Qi Guangzu, Manager Zhou said that the people he admired most were Grandfather and my husband... My husband said you shouldn't have said 'after all' with such complicated implications; he knew immediately whether you were just guessing or if you were certain... I just didn't expect them too...”

A silence fell, as if a cold cave was pulling Wu Qilong down. Su Tan'er glanced at him.

“Let's go. From now on, let's cooperate well. I don't wish to wipe out your Wu family completely; that would not be good for my Su family's reputation.”

Turning around, Su Tan'er's gaze turned cold. Wu Qilong stood there, watching Su Tan'er's carriage disappear into the distance. The sunlight on him offered no warmth. On the other side, Ning Yi's casual figure seemed to stand there, looking over, casting his shadow over the entire Wu family...

Within the Su manor, people were already speaking and laughing, emerging from one courtyard after another. The boisterous sounds carried ease, worry, banter, and secret delight. All sorts of people, like those gathering for the New Year, gradually converged, exchanging greetings and pleasantries.

The evening banquet was nearly ready. After the banquet would be the clan meeting, which would determine the Su family's direction for the next several years. In the city, Xue Yan, Xue Jin, and others had also left their homes, heading in groups towards the gathering place for tonight.

“Hurry, hurry! For tonight's gathering, we've spent a fortune to invite a courtesan queen! You're in luck; make sure to show your best performance then...”

“A courtesan queen? Could it be Lady Qilan?”

As merchants, the Xue family usually maintained good relations with the Puyang aristocratic family. This year, the Puyang family had promoted Qilan to courtesan queen in the beauty pageant. Since it wasn't peak season, she was likely the one they could invite. However, Xue Yan shook his head.

“Originally, I wanted to invite the renowned Qilan, but Puyang Yi is also hosting guests today, another gathering of literati and scholars like Cao Guan and Liu Qingdi. It's a matter of the Puyang family's prestige, so Qilan must be there to grace the occasion. As a result, I managed to invite Luo Miaomiao...”

Meanwhile, Su Chonghua, who had lingered outside all afternoon, was also rushing home by carriage. Ning Yi bid farewell to Yunzhu and was similarly walking on the street towards home. Those of the Su family who were still outside were also gathering back at the manor.

The carriage passed through the streets and alleys. Su Tan'er sat inside the carriage, her eyes closed, thinking of many things. Then she took out a piece of paper and wrote three names on it. When she lifted the curtain, Guard Geng, who was sitting on the carriage shaft outside, turned his head.

Su Tan'er handed him the note, her gaze cold: “Proceed as planned. Be careful not to be outmaneuvered by the Wu family in the end.”

Guard Geng nodded, tucked the note into his embrace, jumped off the carriage, and ran off in another direction.

The sunlight streaming in through the lifted carriage curtain offered no warmth.

Shortly after, in a liaison room, Guard Geng showed the three names to another person, then placed the note into a fire and burned it.

At the entrance of one of the Su family's shops, Xi Junyu sat basking in the sun, his eyes closed in contemplation of all the arrangements made thus far. A short while later, he sighed, yet also smiled, and rose to walk towards the Su manor.

“It's almost time to eat; everyone, prepare to go,” said the old man at the head of the guest room in Su Yu's courtyard, finally opening his eyes and smiling. Following his words, everyone began to stand up, exiting one by one amidst scattered chatter.

Su Boyong, his complexion still pale, sat in a wooden wheelchair, being pushed out by his wife and concubine. In the courtyard outside, many stewards loyal to the First Branch, including Su Yunsong and Su Danhong, were waiting for him. He smiled and waved, though his face remained weak: “Let's go, let's go. It will be quite busy tonight...”

Su Zhongkan, Su Yunfang, Xi Anzhi, Yu Daxian, Su Wenxing, Su Wengui, Su Wenji... Dozens, even hundreds of people, and various webs of interests, began to tighten.

The entrance of the Su manor also became lively. Su Tan'er alighted from her carriage, then saw her husband not far ahead, having just finished greeting and exchanging pleasantries with a Su family relative or friend. She smiled and walked towards him.

“Husband, let's go inside.”