Chapter 147: The Mastermind

Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Seven: The Mastermind

After the clan meeting concluded, the chaotic murmurs dispersed in all directions, resembling the end of a movie screening. However, very few people were able to leisurely crack melon seeds and walk home, sighing unconcernedly over the events that had just transpired. Everyone had a substantial amount of work awaiting them.

Normally, what people feared most were these unprepared contingencies. Numerous predictions and contingency plans had been made beforehand, yet when the final cards were laid on the table, the entire course of events ran completely counter to their preparations—a rarity even in past commercial battles. When the sense of loss from months of wasted effort combined with the bewilderment of having all high expectations thoroughly dashed, the fatigue in their hearts created an immense burden. It almost made one feel that any action was futile, yet the problem remained that many things simply had to be done.

The Second and Third Branches had to find a way to suppress the centrifugal forces and negative fallout of this debacle. Those who had previously mocked the First Branch were now undoubtedly pondering how to mend relations with them. The Old Patriarch, meanwhile, had to busy himself with placating his two sons, Su Zhongkan and Su Yunfang, while reconciling the differing opinions among the other elderly kinsmen to let the matter blow over as smoothly as possible.

As for the First Branch, they could hardly assume that things were simply settled. Su Tan'er had to seize the opportunity and decisively solidify the First Branch's position, which had begun to waver over the past two months. Stabilizing, appeasing, and winning over allies would maximize their own interests.

Furthermore, those individuals who had been persuaded by Su Zhongkan and Su Yunfang to jump out during the clan meeting also needed to be settled down after a certain degree of reprimand and punishment. As Ning Yi had said, these people might not lack loyalty; perhaps they simply lacked confidence in Su Tan'er. They were capable individuals, so the reprimand shouldn't be too harsh. Having experienced this incident, they might well prove even more steadfast than others should similar situations arise in the future.

Beyond the household, news of the clan meeting's outcome began spreading out of the Su residence piece by piece, radiating outward to the various large and small commercial factions in Jiangning City who had been watching the Su family's fate. This subsequently stirred wave after wave of ripples. The astonishment of Xue Yan and others at the Yuexiang Tower was perhaps not unique. Over at the Changyun Pavilion, when Puyang Yi received the news transmitted from the Su household amidst a round of arguments, he too stood in a daze for a long time. He had never imagined that a piece of information he inquired about out of casual interest could deliver such a tremendous shock. He then recounted the series of events that had occurred in the cloth trade over the past few months to the still-debating crowd.

The Puyang clan was the wealthiest family in Jiangning, with assets considerably deeper than those of the Su and Wu families. Puyang Yi excelled in commercial affairs, and his past approaches to Ning Yi in various settings had stemmed from an admiration for the latter's talent. Over the past few months of internal scheming in Jiangning's textile industry, he had merely been a spectator watching various figures perform. From the very beginning, he had held low expectations for Ning Yi's involvement, and subsequent developments had indeed met his predictions. Yet, watching a talented scholar dabble in commerce and suffer a humiliating defeat naturally left him with complex emotions—a mix of sighs and a touch of schadenfreude. The sentiment was largely akin to: "You are exceptionally brilliant at writing poetry, and I admire you for it, but in this arena, I am far superior; you shouldn't have gotten involved."

Tonight's predictions regarding the Su family's situation had not differed much between Puyang Yi and anyone else. Of course, it wasn't a matter of great importance to him, so he hadn't paid it much mind. Yet when the news arrived, he was truly and profoundly startled. Everyone in Jiangning who cared about the matter had held months of absolute certainty, only to have it completely emptied out in an instant. That sensation was truly indescribable.

Everyone had assumed Ning Yi was an insignificant participant in the affair—perhaps not even a participant at all. But at this moment, they realized that this very person was the core of the entire event. Over the span of several months, by pulling a single hair to move the whole body, he had steered the entire situation forward, and no one had noticed...

The people gathered there had not cared much about the Su family's affairs. More than half of them hadn't even known about it. When Chen Lu wrote the ci poem *Duo Fengbo* and Liu Qingdi's face flushed alternately red and white, they had simply laughed and mocked it as mere self-consolation on the opponent's part—what use was a fine poem? Liu Qingdi had recounted the Su family's situation, leading to another round of debate between the two sides, until Puyang Yi stepped forward and said, "A result has just emerged from the Su family..."

Only then were all of them genuinely stunned.

A seemingly unintentional series of actions from the beginning had turned into step-by-step meticulous calculations. The forbearance and grievances witnessed by everyone over the past months now acquired an entirely different meaning. Unconcerned and open-minded, a magnificent trap, the most brilliant counter-attack—it read like a plot straight out of a historical romance. After an initial period of stunned silence, the group of literary scholars began to sigh in admiration. As for Liu Qingdi's faction, no words could possibly escape their mouths anymore. Their previous attacks now looked like a grand joke. Most importantly, Ning Yi wasn't even here. The poem he had written for a nine-year-old child, after enduring various rounds of criticism, had finally transformed into a resounding slap that landed squarely on their faces.

The news leaking from the Su family was merely the first ripple stirred up in Jiangning this night. No one yet knew how these ripples would expand layer by layer by tomorrow, nor how the praise of "calculating ten steps ahead" spoken by Xue Yan would spread. As the person involved, Ning Yi could not possibly know that tonight someone would run around with a copy of *Duo Fengbo* to spark literary debates, nor that a bunch of literati and scholars would find themselves dragged into these ripples.

For his part, he remained quite optimistic.

The Old Patriarch outing him during the clan meeting certainly left him feeling slightly helpless, but to call it genuinely shocking or unexpected would be overly coy. Ginger is spicy the older it gets; it was no surprise that Su Yu made this move. It was a decent spare move, and if he were in Su Yu's shoes, he would have done the same. If he, Ning Yi, harbored ambitions, this move would force the entire Su family to be on guard against him; if he had no ambitions, then people being on guard meant nothing. Along the way, it conveniently served as a chip behind Su Tan'er to frighten others.

As it happened, he truly had no ambitions to speak of. Of course, the reason he didn't care in the slightest was that if he ever truly wanted to accomplish something, the old man's arrangement meant precisely nothing to him. Naturally, someone capable of breaking the deadlock at any moment would not care about such minor details. The Old Patriarch acting in the Su family's interest was entirely reasonable and justifiable; one could not expect blind and unconditional benevolence from others. As long as the majority of goodwill could be secured, that was enough.

At this very moment, the ripples were continuously spreading outward beyond the Su estate. Within the Su residence, as far as Ning Yi was concerned, there was nothing left to do. The three maidservants each had their own tasks, and Su Tan'er had already gone out. Ning Yi was unaware of her arrangements for the night, but presumably, everything was back on track. Su Tan'er was no less capable than he in handling minute details, and he no longer needed to intervene.

After seeing his wife off, he strolled around the Su estate for a while, observing the lingering atmosphere of panic and the crying of a child who had been beaten by an adult for causing trouble. His mind began drifting back to his recent chemical research and Zhuji's plans to open a second branch.

After the telescope was produced, he had roughly explained the principles and then traded some items with Elder Kang for fun. As for the current gunpowder, military research on rockets, and fire-lances—having these finished products, one could modify them to some extent for self-defense. Additionally, considering the impending war, a telescope would somewhat assist the Wu Dynasty's army; it could be considered a casual contribution to ensuring his own peaceful life. Elder Kang was probably still studying it closely.

As for Zhuji, they planned to open the second branch once the ban on alcohol was lifted. Current projections indicated the ban would likely be lifted before the New Year, at which point high-proof liquor could also be introduced to create some buzz.

Actually, his thoughts drifted more toward the Lüliang Mountains. Telescopes, alcohol, gunpowder, and guns—the latter two hadn't been started yet, but upgrading them based on the Wu Dynasty's current foundation wouldn't be much of a problem. For now, however, he was debating whether he ought to share these things with Elder Kang. The Wu Dynasty's problem didn't actually lie in its weaponry, but in the rotten foundation of its army. The Jin troops could rout seven hundred thousand Liao soldiers with just twenty thousand men, whereas the Wu Dynasty's army trembled in fear at the mere sight of the Liao forces. Everyone was human; the core issue was morale. Even if the current fire-lance was upgraded to practical utility, equipping the army with it might prove either a blessing or a curse.

***

The Second and Third Branches...

He merely wanted to experience the sense of accomplishment derived from improving things. If he could contact Lu Hongti later, it might be better to send a batch of goods over to her side instead. He just didn't know how much longer that process would take; several months had passed, and Lu Hongti should have returned to the Lüliang Mountains by now. He wondered what things were like over there at present.

Before long, Su Yunsong, having noticed him wandering aimlessly, came over and chatted with him for a while. Subsequently, this pivotal leader of the Su family's First Branch discovered with bewildered shock that this fellow genuinely didn't care about anything that came next. Having learned from his daughter about Ning Yi's performance throughout the entire ordeal and now witnessing this attitude firsthand, Su Yunsong looked at him with a rather peculiar expression: he had originally assumed Ning Yi was a crouching tiger within the Su First Branch—someone who didn't participate in many affairs, but certainly couldn't remain entirely indifferent, surely secretly managing many matters for Su Tan'er behind the scenes. But now... how could such a person even exist?

It was precisely amidst this atmosphere that a presence neither Su Tan'er nor Ning Yi had anticipated quietly locked onto him, generating unexpected complications for this night.

After finishing his conversation with Su Yunsong, Ning Yi prepared to return to his room to read and take the opportunity to organize his understanding of modern firearms. Before reaching the small courtyard, a servant boy ran toward him: "Master, Sister Chan'er... she was injured by a falling object over there. Second Young Mistress isn't around, please hurry over and take a look, Master..."

Upon hearing this, Ning Yi's expression shifted. As he followed the servant toward the courtyard the boy pointed out—a path leading to a relatively quiet side gate of the Su estate—just as they were approaching the intersection near the side gate, the servant lagged half a step behind and pressed a knife against Ning Yi's back: "Don't walk too fast, Master. Just do as I say from now on."

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

"We aren't very clear on who Sister Chan'er is, but... if Master tells us, we wouldn't mind letting her suffer a little."

Ning Yi nodded and laughed: "Splendid."

Outside the city, Shizipo Slope.

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

When Su Tan'er posed this question, Xi Junyu blinked, stunned for a long time, seemingly finding it somewhat absurd: "Where did you... hear such a thing? How could that be?"

"Admit it." Su Tan'er looked at him and then shook her head. "When I was walking over just now, I wondered—Elder Brother Junyu has always been adept at reading the situation, so I wondered what kind of things you would say. I learned a lot from you when I was little. Back then, I thought, 'Elder Brother Junyu will be a lifelong mentor and friend to me.' I am very sad right now. Is it because I am a woman that you must humiliate me so? Xi Junyu!"

By the final two sentences, the chill emanating from Su Tan'er had grown palpable. Looking at the man opposite her, she spoke almost word for word.

"You... the imperial merchant venture fell apart, and the clan meeting turned out like this today. I can understand your frustration, but..." Xi Junyu paused. "Have you lost your mind from losing?"

"You're still thinking about these things. Pity that your calculations were all wrong..." Su Tan'er shook her head. "I am now in control of the First Branch. Neither Second Uncle nor Third Uncle has any objections. Today's clan meeting outcome will shock everyone. What a pity you weren't there..."

"How is that possible? The entire First Branch had no way out. With so many people, you can turn the tables? Even if the old master stood by your side and forced you up, it wouldn't have worked... Didn't I try to think of ways for you? When things fall apart, you have to accept it, you..." Xi Junyu looked at Su Tan'er with some hesitation. For a moment, he genuinely felt this woman in front of him had lost her mind; compared to her actually knowing something, this explanation seemed far more rational. He glanced at Guard Geng, then at the tall, thin man holding a saber beside him.

"The Wu family's cloth faded." Su Tan'er tilted her head, waiting for Xi Junyu to digest the meaning behind those words. "For months, everyone has been trapped in this game. When Father was assassinated, you made people believe someone was targeting the Su family—a double-pronged attack. Grandfather spent ages lobbying to finally quell the matter. You did it on purpose, causing the Su family to lower their guard at that moment. With your ability, a slight relaxation on your part allows you to do many things. You thought you were holding the big picture in the middle..."

As she spoke, two sharp clashing sounds suddenly rang out from outside—the sound of weapons crossing—followed abruptly by human voices shouting:

"They're here!"

"Kill him!"

"Don't let them get away!"

Chaotic noises erupted. Xi Junyu looked toward the sound, and Su Tan'er also turned her head to glance over. Outside, someone seemed to have attempted to break in, been discovered, and engaged in fierce combat and desperate flight.

"Your men?" Su Tan'er asked Xi Junyu. "They actually came to rescue you? Do you believe it now? They also feel you have no chance of escaping."

Xi Junyu turned his head back without speaking, his eyes filled with stunned bewilderment, unable to understand how things could genuinely have evolved to this step.

"On the day Father was assassinated, the porridge-giving was originally supposed to be handled by my husband and me; Father wasn't scheduled to go. The assassins were arranged there long in advance, along with numerous pre-prepared pretexts to ruin the Su family's reputation. This couldn't have been meant to assassinate me, only to change plans at the last minute and stab Father instead. There must have been an internal traitor who knew Father would stop by there on his return. This traitor also had to be intimately familiar with the Su family's situation to know everyone's habits, which is why they chose that moment to assassinate Father. Your cleverness ruined you. With such a massive oversight, when we fooled everyone into thinking the Su family's yellow cloth was fine, that traitor would certainly believe it, because they would witness it with their own eyes..."

"Now the Wu family's cloth has faded, and they have no recourse whatsoever. Guilty of the crime of deceiving the emperor, they can only come begging the Su family. Wu Qilong had no choice but to confess... I had suspected there was a traitor within the Su family, but I never expected you to be the mastermind. What a brilliant maneuver. You must have been quite proud of yourself, right? Pity that you were also caught in the trap all along. This trap is far larger than yours..." The sounds of fighting continued to echo from outside, abruptly punctuated by another scream. It seemed more than one person was charging inward, though many were also lying in ambush near this courtyard. Su Tan'er produced several sheets of paper from her bosom. "These are the documents signed by Wu Chenghou. I copied a set. Would you like to take a look?"

Xi Junyu leaned back against the backrest of his chair, listening to the fighting outside, refusing to look at the items on the table. His expression complex, he remained silent for a long time before looking up at Su Tan'er: "The crime of deceiving the emperor..." He knew the kind of leverage such a development wielded; he could roughly guess the contents of the papers without looking at them. He simply shook his head. "This wasn't your doing... You couldn't have reached this step..."

Su Tan'er fell silent for a moment, then gave a faint, gentle smile, offering a soft reply.

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

Within the Su residence, near the side gate.

Two figures followed the two men in front all the way, pausing briefly here.

Because the figures in front had also stopped. One of them was dressed as a servant boy, while the other walked ahead with his left hand wrapped in bandages, raising his hand at that moment.

"Number Two succeeded. Go have Number Four drive the carriage over, and we'll get out of here immediately."

"Alright... keep an eye on Number Two, don't let him use too much force. He's just a weak scholar; if he beats him to death, it'll be troublesome to explain."

"Understood."

The two figures in front began walking again. The trailing pair scanned their surroundings and hurried after them. Before long, Number Two and the scholar turned the front courtyard gate. The path ahead was relatively dim. As the pursuers also reached the courtyard gate, a thud sounded ahead as a figure collapsed onto the ground.

"Number Two and his impulsive temper..."

One of them muttered a curse under his breath, took a couple of quick steps forward, and both men came to a halt beside the doorway.

Under the starlight, the silhouette of the scholar was outlined clearly. He stood there, tilting his head to look at the figure collapsed on the ground, waving his bandaged left hand in the air while holding the servant's pointed dagger in his right hand. He scratched his head in some perplexity, pivoted slightly as if bending down to drag the fallen body aside, and then turned his head, spotting the two figures standing by the doorway, whereupon he straightened up.

Six eyes met in a lingering, affectionate gaze...!~!