Chapter 182: Burning the Building (Part 1)

The Son-in-Law

Chapter 153: Burning the Building

In the following days, apart from the world around becoming a bit noisier, everything else remained normal.

Back at the Su Residence, more people greeted him with greater enthusiasm. There were more invitations from family members, which meant more things to decline. Even a few students who had previously left his class at the academy began seeking to return, with relatives coming to plead on their behalf. This was all expected; it was human nature and not a particularly strange development.

However, after "Ding Feng Bo" circulated, and with some people vividly describing the conflict between the Su and Wu families, the number of visitors to Yushan Academy increased significantly. It was similar to when "Shui Diao Ge Tou" first appeared, but this time, the visitors were a more diverse group.

For instance, merchants like Puyang Yi from the Puyang family came to see him once, inviting him to a gathering on a certain pleasure boat, with courtesan Qi Lan as a companion. Although Ning Yi still had a good impression of the Puyang family, he politely declined these invitations as per his usual practice.

In any case, Qi Lan held little appeal for him. He occasionally visited the pleasure quarter to listen to Yun Zhu play the zither and sing. Yun Zhu's accomplishments in this area surpassed Qi Lan's, and she had also become familiar with Ning Yi's musical preferences, sometimes even singing unique songs using modern techniques he had taught her.

Moreover, even if Qi Lan was a courtesan of the highest rank, on this side, there was Yuan Jin'er, one of the 'Four Arts' courtesans, who wouldn't even deign to perform a single dance. Her constant squabbling drowned out any sense of the courtesan's lofty status, yet she at least possessed genuine character.

A few days later, he met with Elder Qin and Elder Kang. The two elders joked about his nickname, "Ten-Step Strategist," but when discussing his entire series of plans, they both remarked that he handled matters with remarkable ease, demonstrating the demeanor of a great general. Afterward, Kang Xian smiled and said, "Compared to 'Ten-Step Strategist,' the moniker 'Bloody-Handed Butcher' is quite strange. I had people inquire for several days, but no one has ever heard of such a reputation before..."

The power behind Kang Xian was considerable, so it was not surprising that he knew about the Ten-Step Slope incident, given his interest in Ning Yi's recent activities. He recounted Ning Yi's involvement that night to Elder Qin, who frowned and said, "For matters like these, one must cut the grass and remove the roots. If you truly provoke these martial artists and a few escape, there might be future trouble. Is there any outcome yet?"

Kang Xian smiled, "After learning of this, I informed the authorities, issuing warrants for these strongmen. The nearby prefectures and counties have also swiftly distributed the orders. This morning, I heard that one person has already been intercepted. He was severely wounded and was killed during his arrest."

Elder Qin nodded, "Since they are acting with full force, these people probably won't be able to hide for more than a few days."

Both men were esteemed scholars of Confucianism, and in the past, their chess games and conversations often revolved around principles of benevolence. However, when Elder Kang brought up the topic, Qin Siyuan continued without a single word of disapproval or admonition regarding the violent conflict and killings. Instead, they treated it from the outset as a practical matter requiring immediate attention.

Ning Yi was unaware that Kang Xian had already been using his influence to intervene in the matter for the past few days. Upon hearing this now, he couldn't help but shake his head and smile.

During their previous leisure chess games, he had already gained a general understanding of their characters. Now, he simply saw it more clearly: these two elders, who usually spoke of moral principles, were uncompromising when it came to practical matters.

In fact, when they discussed the incident, their conversation focused solely on Ning Yi's timely appearance and his tactical skill in pulling back the more than twenty people who were about to break through the encirclement. As for the merchant's actions, the gang fight, or the number of casualties, Elder Qin and Elder Kang didn't seem particularly concerned. After all, Su Boyong had been assassinated first, so retaliation was only proper. What truly concerned them, it seemed, was Kang Xian's belief that Ning Yi was destined for great things and shouldn't risk himself for such trivial matters; should anything happen, the lives of a few petty thugs could not compensate for the loss to the family, state, and empire.

"That long-distance telescope you developed has already been sent to Tokyo, and we're also stepping up research and production here. Several finished products are already in use by the military, proving highly valuable." Elder Kang said this while playing chess with Elder Qin, shaking his head to dismiss the thugs from Ten-Step Slope from his mind, and turning to matters he considered truly important.

"It's just that you're so modest, it's hard to commend you, and it's quite frustrating... I have a group of skilled artisans and technicians in my household. If you're interested, I'd like to assign them all to you. Whatever you wish to achieve, they can handle it. Recently, I heard from Pei and Junwu that you're experimenting with matters related to gunpowder. To be honest, the military has researched such things, and I know you have ideas, but it's inherently dangerous. Even if you make a fire lance out of iron, it could explode and injure you; the military has tried such things before. Why don't you share your ideas and let others execute them?"

Currently, the Wuchao army was also researching gunpowder for weaponry, with various haphazard designs, but these were generally deemed more flashy than practical. Kang Xian naturally regarded Ning Yi with special favor and didn't want him to be injured researching this. Considering the disaster relief booklet and the long-distance telescope, Ning Yi's value was already astounding, not to mention the strategic capabilities he had demonstrated in many areas recently. However, while Kang Xian wished to recommend talented individuals for the state, Ning Yi, by nature, had his own unique ideas, which neither Kang Xian nor Qin Siyuan fully understood yet. For now, they could only let him proceed as he wished.

Ning Yi's enthusiasm for firearms was, for now, limited. The main constraints were technical, and it wasn't yet the right time for significant development in that area. Any further advancements in firearms wouldn't surpass the power of strong crossbows for the time being. He hadn't yet decided what to work on next, so he simply shook his head and politely declined Kang Xian's kind offer. Accepting it would also impose a certain restriction.

"But, how much longer until war breaks out?"

Kang Xian also smiled and shook his head, "I'm not sure. Negotiations are still ongoing. The Duke of Jingguo has been overseeing this for several years. Though I don't usually ask much, looking at the current situation, it should be nearing a conclusion. However, now that winter has set in, the weather in Liaodong must be even harsher. If an agreement can be reached, perhaps there will be an outcome after spring... What do you think, Elder Qin?"

Elder Qin thought for a moment and nodded, "Tong Guan, despite being... *cough*, despite being a eunuch, is quite capable at handling affairs. However, I've grown somewhat fearful now..."

"Fearful of what?"

Elder Qin held a chess piece for a long time before finally placing it down, sighing, "I fear haste."

Kang Xian had not entered officialdom, but Elder Qin had once held a high and influential position. The current Duke of Jingguo, Tong Guan, had also been subordinate to him back then, perhaps even under his jurisdiction. Elder Qin usually didn't discuss these matters much, and even now, he only said a few words before changing the subject. However, Ning Yi could likely discern that the old man refrained from saying more precisely because he cared deeply about the issue.

When playing chess with Elder Kang and Elder Qin, discussions about politics were infrequent. Most of the time, they talked about academic matters, trivial occurrences in Jiangning City, and exchanged a few jokes.

Time passed in this manner, and by the end of October, Ning Yi's relationship with Su Tan'er grew even more harmonious. As the weather grew colder, they would gather in the living room in the evenings, chatting, playing chess, and telling stories, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere. Su Tan'er still appeared busy these past few days, but the most pressing matters had largely been completed.

From the perspective of the entire Su family, they had indeed been quite busy recently. In previous years, the Su family would usually calculate their annual performance and dividends around late November or early December. However, this year, influential managers from various regions arrived a month early, and year-end tasks were already underway. With a gathering of relatives and friends, the Su residence was bustling every day, and its members frequented teahouses and taverns during the day, and pleasure houses at night. Thanks to the turnaround at the end of October, the Su family's reputation in Jiangning's business circles became even more prominent.

Because of these connections, Su Tan'er was rarely idle. After the clan assembly, her cousin Su Danhong often came to keep her company, so Ning Yi didn't have much alone time with her. Nevertheless, their marital relationship had certainly deepened, and since Su Tan'er was strong-willed, he didn't need to worry too much. However, when Ning Yi returned home on the afternoon of the fifth day of the eleventh month, he saw Su Tan'er doing something peculiar.

Although the temperature had dropped, the weather that afternoon was pleasant. Ning Yi had returned home early, and the courtyard was quiet. He initially thought no one was there, but then he noticed Su Tan'er sitting in the pavilion, facing the building where he resided, deep in thought.

Theoretically, there shouldn't have been any major issues after the clan assembly that would cause her to frown and distress herself like this. Ning Yi watched her for a few moments, feeling puzzled, but Su Tan'er seemed lost in thought, her expression changing, completely oblivious to his presence. A moment later, he saw her purse her lips, as if making a decision. She stood up, cast a deep gaze at the building on his side, and then turned to walk towards the adjacent kitchen.

The expression on her face as she made that decision seemed somewhat childish, typical of a nineteen-year-old girl, yet he had no idea what difficult decision she had just made. Ning Yi shrugged, returned to his room, and had barely closed the door when he saw Su Tan'er emerge somewhat hastily from the kitchen. As if she had just remembered something, she quickly walked to the courtyard gate and looked both ways several times. After confirming no one was around, she returned to the kitchen and came out with a bundle of firewood.

Su Tan'er usually cared a great deal about her image and propriety. While she might lend a hand moving goods in a warehouse, at home, she maintained the absolute image of a refined young lady; starting fires or moving firewood were tasks she typically wouldn't do. But the atmosphere at that moment was indeed quite mysterious. Ning Yi secretly watched from his room as Su Tan'er, carrying the firewood, surveyed his building again, then walked towards the back of the structure.

Ning Yi was somewhat dumbfounded. The decision this woman had pondered for so long—was she planning to murder her own husband? And by burning him to death, how cruel!

Soon after, he realized that events were unfolding somewhat differently from what he had imagined...

Who could guess what Tan'er was up to?