Chapter 170: Intersecting

Chapter Two: The Pool of Undercurrents

As the sun gradually set, lanterns glowed, tables were set, and a multitude of people gathered. It was dinnertime, a large banquet much like the family gatherings around New Year's, with roughly the same attendees. However, the atmosphere today felt different.

Though still bustling with lively chatter, it lacked the unrestrained clinking of glasses and carefree laughter of previous times. The First, Second, and Third Households each occupied their invisible territories. Only the most thoughtless among them freely drank from their wine pots. Everyone was smiling and greeting acquaintances, but few were actually drinking. Beneath the facade of cheer, people from all sides discreetly observed and speculated about each other. Undercurrents surged, and the air was subtly tense.

Su Yu sat at the head table, quietly observing everything. His gaze swept over the Second and Third Households. When it turned to the First Household, he could distinctly sense a mix of weariness and quietness. Only Su Yunsong and a few others were laughing and trying to enliven the atmosphere. Su Tan'er and Ning Yi sat to one side, eating and speaking in low tones. These two were also very quiet; Su Tan'er's expression was calm, occasionally glancing around, but her attention during their conversation remained fixed on Ning Yi.

Su Yu's gaze lingered on Ning Yi for a moment longer. Then, someone approached with a wine glass—Xi Anzhi, the steward from the Second Household. The elder smiled, withdrew his gaze, and nodded as he spoke to him.

The dinner banquet was not long.

Once everyone had likely eaten their fill, the banquet began to wind down. There were no solemn rituals or symbolic speeches. Everyone already understood what was coming next; a few stewards simply went around, one by one, to inform the members who were to attend the upcoming clan meeting. The banquet hall became somewhat chaotic. Some people had already risen and were heading towards the meeting hall next to the ancestral temple. Groups of two or three chatted, creating a buzzing sound, and for a moment it seemed rather disorganized. Some individuals stood up while searching for others in the scattered crowd, giving instructions.

Around fifty people were eligible to participate in the clan meeting. Most of the other banquet attendees were family members, or stewards and managers of the Su household. Even if they couldn't be present at the meeting, most would wait for news in the nearby square or gardens. Beyond the eaves ahead, lights extended around the Su residence's small plaza. Su Boyong was being pushed forward in his wheelchair through the crowd. Slightly behind him, Su Tan'er and Ning Yi were also heading in that direction.

“My husband, will you… find tonight a bit boring?”

“No, I won’t.”

“But…” Su Tan’er lowered her head, seemingly wanting to say something, but in the end, she just smiled. In the night breeze, she quietly reached out and took hold of Ning Yi’s sleeve. The couple walked intimately side-by-side. After a while, Su Tan’er even playfully swung her arm, shaking Ning Yi's hand several times. It was then, as if remembering something, that she turned her head to look aside, and her gaze finally settled.

Xi Junyu was also in the crowd, speaking with a steward from the First Household, occasionally glancing towards Su Tan'er. Their conversation revolved around concerns for the evening and their stance afterward. When they had covered about half the plaza, someone emerged from the crowd and greeted him with a smile. It was Guard Geng, one of the First Household's most trusted individuals.

“Miss has arranged some matters for tonight. Around 7:15 PM, I’ll need to trouble Steward Xi to go out with me. This is important. There’s still about fifteen minutes, so if you have anything to attend to, please arrange it first. Tonight will likely be busy until very late.” Guard Geng spoke softly as they stepped aside.

“Important?” Xi Junyu frowned. “What exactly… are these matters for tonight?”

“It’s hard to say for now, but it’s Miss’s arrangement.”

Xi Junyu pondered, then his face brightened with joy. “Is there still a chance for things to turn around?”

“Hard to say. Steward Xi will know when you come with me then…”

“Ah, good.”

Xi Junyu nodded. As his gaze drifted towards Su Tan’er, he saw that she had left Ning Yi’s side and was leaning over her father’s wheelchair, speaking to him about something. Catching his eye, she offered a slight smile and nodded, acknowledging both him and Guard Geng. Su Boyong then also turned his head and gave a slight nod in their direction.

Xi Junyu, in turn, smiled and nodded back.

By then, they were quite far apart. As he watched Su Tan'er's back as she turned and walked towards the ancestral meeting hall, he suddenly remembered that he should have gone over to offer a few words of comfort for the evening's events. But… never mind, he could do it later.

He watched her back disappear into the crowd.

But, a chance for things to turn around? How could that be?

He then began to frown in contemplation…

Soon after, the sounds of the first round of ancestor worship began to echo from that direction.

Inside the meeting hall, lights blazed, brightly illuminating every corner of the vast room.

“…As per tradition, we gather here at least once a year, and each time, we must decide on important matters. In previous years, meetings were held after the annual accounts were finalized. This year, however, we are meeting more than a month early. This has required the presence of the Patriarch and the various clan elders, and has also inconvenienced everyone who has traveled from afar. The reason is that recently, our Su family has encountered numerous issues, which may seem minor but could potentially be very significant… However, everyone currently believes these problems will likely be very troublesome…” A resonant voice filled the meeting hall, and silence fell over all the seats. Below the group of clan elders sat members of the Third Household. Su Boyong, in his wheelchair, seemed unwell, his gaze fixed on his nose as if in contemplation. Su Zhongkan sat upright and formally, while Su Yunfang appeared lost in his own thoughts. Speaking in the center of the hall was Su An, referred to as 'Seventh Uncle' by several people. He paused briefly at this point.

“Regarding these matters, regarding the affairs of this household, ultimately, the Patriarch knows best…” He turned his head. “Third Brother, will you speak?”

Su Yu frowned, looking at the people in the meeting hall. After a moment, he raised a hand. “Seventh Elder, please continue.”

Su An nodded. After a moment, he turned and gestured towards someone. “For the specifics… let the head steward explain. He knows best.”

He was referring, of course, to the head steward who managed the daily affairs of the large estate. This middle-aged man was also a relative of the Su family. Ordinarily, he kept a low profile and did not involve himself in inheritance disputes or similar matters. However, most of the administrative work for the Su residence in Jiangning ultimately flowed through him for summation. Even though the First, Second, and Third Households might conceal information, the accounts in his possession were, in the end, relatively objective.

Before long, that voice rang out.

“As to whether these matters are significant, I cannot say. However, recently, the specific issues that have come to my attention are roughly as follows: First, over the past three months, our Su family’s sales of various goods in the Jiangning area, and our market share, have seen a certain decline, though overall, it’s less than half a percent… The main problem lies in future profits. Recently, in Jiangning, nearly sixty percent of our suppliers and partners have begun to demand negotiations with our Su family, seeking to raise the price of raw silk and lower the cost of purchasing goods. Among those listed here, the Qi family demands…” The head steward's voice was not soft; it carried out of the meeting hall, echoing in the night breeze. It could be faintly heard in the nearby square and along the side of the garden. Su Wengui and others gathered not far away, listening and discussing. A little further off, Su Danhong was speaking with several family members of stewards close to the First Household, occasionally frowning.

Everything had begun as anticipated. She was well aware of the problems currently facing the Su family, the demands being put forth from various parties, and the crises lurking behind these demands. As she turned her head, she inadvertently saw Ning Yi walking past. The man seemed somewhat bored, swinging his arms and legs, performing a few stretches as he walked further away.

Su Danhong followed him.

Passing through the courtyard gate, the sounds from the meeting hall became barely audible in the distance; only the lights around the hall could be seen over the wall. Ning Yi's demeanor at this moment seemed subtly different from usual. He still appeared relaxed, yet… he also seemed to be sensing something there. He sat down by a pavilion in the courtyard, looking up at the starry sky. Footsteps occasionally passed by in the alleyways near the courtyard, and Su Danhong frowned.

Could this man be experiencing the feeling of the First Household's impending fall from power, in its final moments?

She frowned…

Inside the meeting hall, the narration continued. Anyone with some business acumen could sense the danger behind these situations—the Su family's problems, surrounded by hungry wolves ready to kick them while they were down. The head steward spoke for a long time, detailing these matters before returning to his seat. Below him, no one spoke. Only at the head of the table did several elder clan members begin to speak.

“This is… an assumption that our Su family is hopeless, that something major is about to happen to us…”

“The problems must be resolved. Let everyone speak, and find the reasons…”

The elders looked around, and silence descended upon the hall once more. Su Chonghua sat among the crowd, also watching in silence. He could probably guess what would happen next, but ultimately, these matters did not require his speech or presence to state anything. His mood at this moment was somewhat relaxed; he simply watched. As his gaze swept across the doorway, he suddenly thought of Ning Yi again.

Where was he now, and how was he feeling? That poem, 'Calming the Waves'...

“The beginning of this matter, after all, stemmed from Uncle’s assassination. Of course, the responsibility does not lie with Uncle himself, and I believe our Su family must also strive to find the mastermind behind that assassin. But if we are merely to discuss the root cause of these issues, Wenxing has some thoughts…” From the lower seats, the one who lit the fuse emerged. Although he was of the Su family's third generation, he had recently managed some specific affairs of the Second Household, thus earning him a place in this meeting.

“Ultimately, this whole situation is due to our Su family’s high-profile, yet failed, bid for imperial merchant status…”

“Such a grand display, such a huge investment, only to end up with nothing…”

“So, people outside have already started to doubt…”

Following the predetermined steps, Su Wenxing initiated the topic, and waves of discussion finally began to spread. After Su Wenxing finished speaking, several other members from the Second and Third Households joined the discussion, followed by Su Zhongkan and Su Yunfang. Their words included both commentary and doubts, their voices echoing in succession.

“So the question now is, how much did Tan’er actually spend in her pursuit of the imperial merchant title…”

“The First Household… from Steward Liao downwards, the specific situation is… unfortunately, Steward Liao is not in Jiangning today…”

“Our current situation here is like this: certain problems have arisen that cannot be recovered from, and if this continues long-term…”

“For the past two years, no, three years, we’ve known that this operation actually had some accounting issues. Big Brother should be clearer on this matter…”

The prearranged drama unfolded, with one person after another beginning to speak. The First Household remained relatively silent throughout, though Su Tan'er and others occasionally chimed in. Under the low-hanging starry night, this evening's entire affair was destined to last for a long time. Outside the meeting hall, Su Wengui and others chatted and laughed. Some left and returned, saying, “It’s only just begun tonight…”

At Moonlit Fragrance Tower, several streets away from the Su residence, Xue Yan and others were eating and chatting about recent events. By now, they also looked towards the Su residence. “Speaking of which, it must have started over there,” they remarked.

Luo Miaomiao, one of Jiangning’s Four Guild Leaders, smiled not far away. “Young Master Xue and gentlemen, what concerns you tonight does not seem to be trivial matters like romance and leisure.”

“Haha, Miaomiao has keen insight. Indeed, we do have some concerns tonight. Miss Miaomiao, are you familiar with the Su family, the textile merchants?”

Luo Miaomiao thought for a moment, a glimmer of light flashing in her eyes. “Young Master Xue, are you perhaps referring to the Su family into which Ning Yi, Ning Liheng, married as a live-in son-in-law?”

After all, matters concerning textile businesses were primarily of interest to those in the trade. Luo Miaomiao, now a prominent guild leader, didn't know much about it, but her first thought was of Ning Yi, the foremost talent behind "Prelude to Water Tune" and "Jade Case." Xue Yan and the others were momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter.

“Indeed, indeed. Speaking of which, this matter does have some connection to him. Miss Miaomiao, have you heard that several months ago, during the siege of Jiangning, there was an assassination attempt that caused quite a stir…”

The prearranged format of the Su family clan meeting had begun. Here, in Moonlit Fragrance Tower, discussions also commenced, recounting the ups and downs of Jiangning's textile industry over recent months. Under the same starry sky, there was another place, originally unconnected to these events. Not far from Moonlit Fragrance Tower, Changyun Pavilion, a rather large restaurant, was hosting a gathering tonight, hosted by the Puyang family.

As the richest family in Jiangning, the Puyang family, through years of operation and with Qi Lan, a courtesan renowned as a flower queen, presiding over their establishment, had cultivated relationships with many talented scholars in Jiangning. Today was not a major occasion, so when the gathering began, many famous scholars, including Cao Guan and Liu Qingdi, naturally came. This could be considered a poetry gathering among literati. Puyang Yi, who was hosting the gathering, was a meticulous individual, but some things were difficult to control. At this point, a small incident occurred.

Liu Qingdi, who was inexplicably in a bad mood today, had some wine and his poetry became rather unrestrained. During the poetry gathering, he inadvertently bumped into another participant, leading to an argument between them. Although Puyang Yi mediated and calmed the situation, a subtle tension, a 'smell of gunpowder,' lingered among some attendees.

A middle-aged man, known as Hermit Kongshan, whose scholarly talents were not particularly outstanding, was also present. He had initially intended to interject and mediate, but was soon drawn into the conflict by Liu Qingdi as well.

The poetry gathering continued amidst the somewhat discordant atmosphere caused by this interlude. Both sides began to compete with their literary and poetic skills, gradually growing more fervent. Puyang Yi was thus quite pleased.

Of course, at this moment, their paths had not yet intersected with those of the Su family in the slightest…

“Crunch.” Ning Yi shelled a peanut and popped it into his mouth, softly humming the prelude to 'Invaders Enter the Village.' As he hummed, it subtly shifted into 'The Wedding March.'

Su Danhong walked over from the side, feeling annoyed, and just watched him.

“Cousin Hong, please sit. Don’t be shy. Have some peanuts?”

“I don’t know what on earth you’re thinking.”

“Just soaking in the atmosphere…”

“Don’t you know that Tan’er is about to lose something she’s fought for all these years without giving up?”

“You’re mistaken,” Ning Yi replied calmly, turning to look towards the meeting hall. Light spilled out from there, spreading outwards, carrying with it a restless energy. “It should be almost time, shouldn’t it…”