Chapter 175

After the clan meeting concluded, the chaotic sounds dispersed in all directions, much like the ending of a film. However, few could simply head home, leisurely eating melon seeds and reflecting on the events with a sense of detachment. On the contrary, everyone had ample matters to attend to.

What people feared most in their daily lives were precisely these unprepared incidents. There had been numerous predictions and arrangements beforehand, but when the cards were laid bare, the entire situation unfolded in a manner completely opposite to their preparations. This was a rare occurrence in the history of commercial warfare. The sense of loss from months of wasted effort, combined with the shock of high expectations ending in complete futility, created an immense mental burden. It felt almost as if anything they did would be in vain, yet the crucial point was that many things still had to be done.

The Second and Third Branches had to find ways to suppress the disunity and negative repercussions of these events. Those who had previously mocked the First Branch now likely had to consider how to reconcile with them. The Old Master, meanwhile, had to busy himself appeasing his two sons, Su Zhongkan and Su Yunfang, and mediating the views among his other elder brothers, so that the matter could pass as smoothly as possible.

As for the First Branch, they could not simply assume the situation was settled. Su Tan'er had to seize the opportunity and swiftly and decisively solidify the First Branch's position, which had been shaken over the past two months. She needed to stabilize, appease, and win over allies to maximize her own interests.

Furthermore, those who had been swayed by Su Zhongkan and Su Yunfang to side against them during the clan meeting would need to be reassured after a degree of reprimand and punishment. As Ning Yi had suggested, these individuals might not lack loyalty; perhaps they simply lacked confidence in Su Tan'er. Since these people were capable, the reprimand should not be too severe. After this incident, they might even prove more resolute than others should a similar situation arise again.

Beyond the family members, news of the clan meeting's outcome was already spreading bit by bit from the Su residence. It diffused through Jiangning City to various commercial powers, both large and small, who were interested in the Su family's affairs, subsequently stirring up layers of ripples. The stunned expressions of Xue Yan and others at Yuexiang Tower were likely not unique. At Changyun Pavilion, Puyang Yi, amidst an argument, received a message from the Su family and stood dumbfounded for a long time. He had never imagined that such a casually acquired piece of information could bring him such immense shock. He then proceeded to recount the series of events that had unfolded in the textile industry over the past few months to the still-debating crowd.

The Puyang family was Jiangning's wealthiest, with significantly deeper pockets than both the Su and Wu families. Puyang Yi excelled in business, and his past cordiality with Ning Yi on various occasions stemmed from his admiration for Ning Yi's talent. In the months of intrigue and infighting within Jiangning's textile industry, Puyang Yi had merely been a spectator, observing the performances of many figures. He had held few expectations for Ning Yi's involvement from the beginning, and the subsequent developments were indeed as he had anticipated. However, he felt a complex mix of emotions regarding a talent like Ning Yi entering business only to suffer a setback. There was a sigh of regret, but also a hint of satisfaction, akin to thinking: "You're excellent at poetry, and I admire that, but in business, I am far superior. You shouldn't have gotten involved here."

Puyang Yi's prediction for the Su family's situation that night was no different from anyone else's. Of course, it wasn't a matter of great importance to him, so he hadn't given it much thought. But when the news arrived, he was truly taken aback. The certainty that nearly everyone in Jiangning had held for months had completely come to nothing. That feeling was truly indescribable.

Everyone had considered him an insignificant participant in the events, perhaps not even a participant at all. Yet at this moment, they discovered that this very person was the true center of the affair. For several months, he had subtly manipulated the entire situation, pulling everything forward, without anyone even realizing it...

Those present at Changyun Pavilion didn't have much emotional connection to the Su family's affairs; over half of them didn't even know anything about it. When Chen Lu presented his poem "Ding Feng Bo," Liu Qingdi's face flushed then paled, and he mockingly laughed, dismissing it as mere self-consolation. What good was a poem, no matter how good? He then recounted the Su family's troubles, leading to another argument between the two sides, until Puyang Yi stepped in and declared, "The Su family just had an outcome..."

And then, everyone was truly shocked.

What had initially seemed like a series of unintentional actions turned out to be meticulously calculated steps. The tolerance and grievances that people had observed for months now took on a new meaning. It was an outcome of calm composure, profound modesty, a grand scheme, and the most brilliant comeback—something out of historical romances. A group of scholars, after their initial dumbfoundedness, began to express their admiration. As for Liu Qingdi, he was utterly speechless. All his previous criticisms now seemed like a huge joke. Most importantly, Ning Yi wasn't even there at the moment. A poem he had merely written for a nine-year-old child, after being subjected to so much criticism, had finally transformed into a resounding slap in the face, landing squarely.

The news from the Su family was merely the first ripple of that night in Jiangning. No one yet knew how these ripples would expand layer by layer by tomorrow, or how Xue Yan's evaluation of "calculating every ten steps" would spread. As the person involved, Ning Yi could not have known that someone would take his poem "Ding Feng Bo" that night to create some literary exchange, or that a group of scholars would be drawn into this wave of repercussions.

He remained relatively optimistic at this point.

The fact that the Old Master revealed his involvement at the clan meeting, while slightly vexing, was not truly astonishing or unexpected. It would be pretentious to claim otherwise. Older ginger is spicier; it was not surprising for Su Yu to make such a move. It was a good, casual move; if it were Ning Yi, he would have done the same. If Ning Yi had ambition, this move would make the entire Su family wary of him. If he had no ambition, then many people being wary would be meaningless. Furthermore, it could serve as a bargaining chip for Su Tan'er, to intimidate others.

Yet, he truly had no ambition to speak of. Of course, the reason he was completely unfazed by it was that if he ever truly wished to accomplish something, the Old Master's arrangement would hold no significance for him. For someone capable of breaking out of any situation at any time, such minor matters were naturally of no concern. The Old Master's considerations for the Su family were perfectly reasonable. One could not expect a completely unwarranted outpouring of goodwill; as long as the majority of goodwill was confirmed, that was sufficient.

At this very moment, the ripples continued to spread beyond the Su family. Inside the Su residence, Ning Yi felt that his part was done. The three maids had their own tasks to attend to, and Su Tan'er had already left. Ning Yi was unaware of her plans for the evening. But he presumed everything was on track; Su Tan'er was hardly less capable than himself in handling detailed matters, and his intervention was no longer necessary.

After seeing his wife off, he wandered around the Su residence for a while, observing the chaotic atmosphere and the cries of children who had been beaten for upsetting adults. His mind began to wander to his recent chemical research and the idea of expanding Zhuji with a second branch.

After developing the telescope, he had briefly explained its principles, then traded some items with Old Man Kang. The gunpowder, rockets, and fire lances being researched by the military now yielded finished products, which, with some improvements, could be used for self-defense. He also primarily considered the impending war; a telescope could be helpful to the Wu Dynasty army. It was a casual contribution towards a peaceful life, and Old Man Kang was probably still studying it carefully.

As for Zhuji, they were preparing to open their second branch after the alcohol prohibition was lifted. Current estimates suggested the prohibition would likely end before the Lunar New Year. At that time, high-proof liquor could also be introduced, and they would need to devise some promotional gimmicks.

What he thought about more, however, was Liuliang Mountain. Telescopes, alcohol, gunpowder, and guns – he hadn't started on the latter two yet, but improving them based on the current Wu Dynasty technology wouldn't be a problem. However, he was currently considering not telling Old Man Kang about these things. The Wu Dynasty's problem wasn't truly with its weaponry, but with the fundamental weakness of its army. Jin soldiers could defeat 700,000 Liao soldiers with only 20,000, while the Wu Dynasty army would lose heart at the mere mention of Liao forces. Everyone was human; it was a matter of morale. Even if the current fire lances were improved to a practical level, equipping the army with them might be a blessing or a curse.

He simply wanted to experience the satisfaction of improving things. In the future, if he could contact Lu Hongti, it would be better to send a batch of these items to her. He just didn't know how long that process would take. Several months had passed; Lu Hongti should have returned to Liuliang Mountain by now. He wondered what her situation was like.

Soon after, Su Yunsong, who had found him wandering, came over and talked with him for a while. Then, this influential figure of the Su family's First Branch was somewhat astonished to discover that Ning Yi truly wanted nothing to do with the upcoming matters. Having learned about Ning Yi's performance throughout the entire process from his daughter, and then realizing this indifference, Su Yunsong looked at his expression with a strange mix of emotions. He had initially believed Ning Yi to be a hidden talent within the Su family's First Branch—not actively involved in many things, but certainly not completely unconcerned. He must have been secretly helping Su Tan'er with many affairs. But now... who could be like this?

It was in this very atmosphere that an unforeseen presence, unpredicted by either Su Tan'er or Ning Yi, quietly set its sights on him, creating an unexpected complication for the night.

After finishing his conversation with Su Yunsong, Ning Yi was about to return to his room to read and organize his knowledge of modern firearms. Before he reached his small courtyard, a house servant ran towards him: "Young Master, Sister Chan'er... she was injured by something over there. The Second Young Miss isn't here, please go quickly and take a look, Young Master..."

At these words, Ning Yi's expression changed. He followed the servant towards the courtyard indicated. The path led to a side gate of the Su residence and was relatively quiet. Just as they neared an intersection close to the side gate, the servant fell slightly behind and placed a knife against Ning Yi's back: "Young Master, don't walk too fast. From now on, listen to me."

The Wu family has gone mad... Ning Yi frowned. Although it seemed unlikely, at the moment, it appeared to be the only explanation. This location was not far from the small courtyard where carriages were parked near the side gate. Ning Yi raised his hands: "Chan'er isn't hurt?"

"We're not exactly sure who Sister Chan'er is, but... if you tell us, Young Master, we wouldn't mind hurting her a little."

Ning Yi nodded and smiled, "Excellent."

***

Outside the city, Ten-Pace Slope.

"Why did you order someone to assassinate my father?"

After Su Tan'er asked this, Xi Junyu blinked, stunned for a long time, as if finding it absurd: "Where did you... hear such a thing? How is that possible?"

"Admit it," Su Tan'er looked at him, then shook her head. "When I was coming over, I was thinking, Brother Junyu, you've always been very good at reading situations, so I was wondering what you would say. When I was little, I learned many things from you. Back then, I thought, Brother Junyu, you would be my lifelong mentor and friend. I'm very sad now because I am a woman, so you must humiliate me like this? Xi Junyu!"

As she spoke the last two sentences, the chill radiating from Su Tan'er became palpable. She looked at the man opposite her, speaking almost word by word.

"You... the imperial merchant business was ruined, and the clan meeting ended up like this today. I can understand your thoughts, but..." Xi Junyu paused, "Are you crazy from losing?"

"You're still thinking about those things. Unfortunately, you miscalculated everything..." Su Tan'er shook her head. "I am now in charge of the First Branch. Neither Second Uncle nor Third Uncle has anything to say. Everyone will be astonished by the outcome of today's clan meeting. It's a pity you weren't there just now..."

"How is that possible? The entire First Branch was already at its wits' end. With so many people, how could you turn it around? Even if the Old Master forcibly put you in charge, it wouldn't work... Didn't I try to help you? You have to admit defeat when things go wrong, you..." Xi Junyu looked at Su Tan'er with hesitation. For a moment, he even truly felt that the woman before him was not entirely normal. Compared to her actually knowing certain things, this explanation seemed more plausible. He glanced at Guard Geng, then at the tall, thin man with a knife beside him.

"The Wu family's cloth faded." Su Tan'er tilted her head, waiting for Xi Junyu to digest the meaning of her words. "For months, everyone has been caught in the scheme. When Father was assassinated, you made people believe that someone was targeting the Su family. You used a combination of defense and offense, and Grandfather worked for a long time before he finally managed to calm things down. You did it on purpose, to make the Su family drop their guard at that time. With your ability, a little relaxation would allow you to do many things. You thought you were in control of the overall situation in the middle of it all..."

As she spoke, a sudden clang-clang sound came from outside. It was the sound of weapons clashing. Then, human voices suddenly erupted.

"They're here!"

"Kill him!"

"Don't let them escape!"

Amidst the chaotic sounds, Xi Junyu looked in that direction, and Su Tan'er also tilted her head to glance. It seemed someone from outside was trying to get in, had been discovered, and there was fierce fighting and fleeing.

"Your people?" Su Tan'er asked Xi Junyu. "They actually came to rescue you. Do you believe it now? They also think you have no chance of getting lucky."

Xi Junyu turned his head, remaining silent, his expression stunned. He couldn't understand why things had truly come to this point.

"The day Father was assassinated, it was originally my husband and I who were supposed to distribute the congee. Father was not scheduled to go. The assassins were arranged there early, and so many pretexts were prepared to ruin my Su family's reputation. It couldn't have been that they intended to assassinate me and then temporarily changed their minds to assassinate Father. There must have been an insider, someone who knew Father would stop there when he returned. This insider must also have known the Su family's situation very well to understand everyone's habits, and so decided to assassinate Father at that time. You were too clever for your own good. Such a huge flaw! When we fooled everyone into believing that the Su family's yellow cloth was very good, that insider would definitely believe it, because he would have seen it with his own eyes..."

"Now the Wu family's cloth has faded. They have no way out. It's a crime of deceiving the emperor, so they can only beg the Su family. Wu Qilong had to reveal it... I had thought there was an insider in the Su family, but I never imagined you were the mastermind. Such brilliant manipulation, you must have been very proud, weren't you? But unfortunately, you were already caught in the scheme, and this scheme is bigger than yours..." The sounds of fighting from outside continued. Suddenly, there was another scream. It seemed more than one person was rushing inside, but there were also many ambushing outside this courtyard. Su Tan'er took out several sheets of paper from her sleeve. "These are documents signed by Wu Chenghou. I copied a set. Would you like to see them?"

Xi Junyu leaned back in his chair, listening to the fighting outside. He did not look at the items on the table, his expression merely complex. After a long while, he finally looked at Su Tan'er: "The crime of deceiving the emperor..." He knew the power that could be wielded if things reached this point. He could roughly guess some of the contents on the table without looking. He just shook his head, "This wasn't your doing... You haven't reached this level..."

Su Tan'er was silent for a moment, then she smiled faintly, a gentle smile, and softly replied.

"Yes, it wasn't me..."

***

Su Residence, near the side gate.

Two figures followed the two people ahead. They paused briefly here.

The figures in front had also stopped. One was dressed as a house servant, the other walked ahead, his left hand wrapped in bandages. He now raised his hand.

"Second Brother succeeded. Go tell Fourth Brother to get the carriage. We'll leave immediately."

"Alright... You need to keep an eye on Second Brother. Don't let him be too rough; he's just a frail scholar. It would be hard to explain if he died."

"Got it."

The two figures in front started walking again. The two followers also looked around and quickly trailed behind. Soon, Second Brother and the scholar turned past the front courtyard gate. The path there was quite dark. As the followers reached the gate, there was a thud, and a figure on the path ahead fell to the ground.

"Second Brother's temper..."

One of them muttered a curse, took two quick steps, and then both stood by the gate.

Under the starlight, the scholar's silhouette was outlined. He stood there, tilting his head to look at the figure lying on the ground. His bandaged left hand waved a few times in the air. In his right hand, he held the pointed knife that had belonged to the house servant, and he awkwardly scratched his head. He changed his position, seemingly bending down to try and pull the body lying on the ground to one side. Then he turned his head and saw the two figures by the gate. He stood up.

Six eyes met, full of unspoken meaning...