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The sun gradually set, lanterns were lit, tables were set, and crowds gathered. Search: \(¨Full¨Book¨God¨Station¨) to read high-quality literature for free. It was dinner time, much like the large banquets held around the New Year when the Su family's relatives and friends gathered. The participants were mostly the same, but there was a different atmosphere in the air tonight.
The noise was boisterous, but the merriment lacked the carefree toasting and unrestrained laughter of the past. The First Branch, Second Branch, and Third Branch each occupied their own invisible territories. Only the most oblivious could freely eat and drink. Everyone was smiling and greeting those they knew, but few were drinking. Beneath the facade of festivity, people were sizing each other up, making conjectures, and the undercurrents were tinged with tension.
Su Yu sat at the head of the table, quietly observing everything. His gaze swept over the Second and Third Branches, and when it turned to the First Branch, one could clearly sense the mix of decadence and silence. Only Su Yun Song and a few others were actively trying to liven things up with laughter. Su Tan'er and Ning Yi sat to the side, eating and speaking in hushed tones. These two were also quiet. Su Tan'er's expression was calm. She occasionally glanced around, but her attention remained focused on Ning Yi during their conversation.
Su Yu lingered his gaze on Ning Yi for a moment, and then a man approached with a wine cup. It was Xi Anzhi, the manager of the Second Branch. The old man smiled, retracted his gaze, and nodded to him in greeting.
The banquet was not long.
After everyone had more or less finished eating, they began to disperse. There were no solemn rituals or symbolic speeches. Everyone already understood what was likely to happen next, but several stewards were still tasked with individually notifying the members who were to attend the clan assembly. The banquet area was slightly chaotic. Some people rose first and began to head toward the discussion hall next to the ancestral shrine. People spoke in small groups, buzzing and murmuring, creating a momentarily chaotic scene. Some rose while searching for someone in the dispersing crowd, giving instructions.
About fifty people were eligible to participate in this clan assembly. Most of the other attendees at the banquet were family members, or the Su family's managers and stewards. Even if they couldn't attend, most would wait for news in the nearby square or garden. Rounding the front eaves, the lights extended around the Su mansion's small square. Su Boyong was pushed forward in his wheelchair through the crowd. Slightly behind him, Su Tan'er and Ning Yi were also heading that way.
"Husband, won't you feel a little bored tonight?"
"Not at all."
"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 grasped Ning Yi's sleeve. The couple walked forward side by side, appearing affectionate. After a while, Su Tan'er even swung her arm childishly, shaking Ning Yi's hand several times. At this moment, as if remembering something, she turned to look to the side, and her gaze calmed down.
Xi Junyu was also in the crowd, talking to a manager from the First Branch, occasionally looking towards Su Tan'er. He was speaking about his concerns for tonight and the First Branch's stance afterward. After walking across about half the square, a man came over from the crowd and greeted him with a smile. This was Guard Geng, one of the most trusted men of the First Branch.
"Miss has arranged some things for tonight. Around Xu hour and a quarter, please trouble Manager Xi to come out with me. This matter is important. There are about fifteen minutes left. If Manager Xi has anything to take care of, please arrange it first. I'm afraid you'll be busy until very late tonight."
Stepping aside, Guard Geng said quietly.
"Important?" Xi Junyu frowned. "What... what kind of things are happening tonight?"
"It's not easy to say for now, but it's all arranged by Miss."
Xi Junyu thought for a moment, a look of joy appearing on his face. "Is there still a chance for things to turn around?"
"It's hard to say. Manager Xi will know when you come with me..."
"Heh, alright."
Xi Junyu nodded. When he looked towards Su Tan'er, he saw that she had left Ning Yi's side and was leaning over to say something to her father in the wheelchair. Seeing his gaze, she smiled slightly and nodded to him and Guard Geng. Then Su Boyong also turned his head and nodded slightly in this direction.
So Xi Junyu also smiled and nodded in response.
At this time, the two sides were already some distance apart. When he saw Su Tan'er's back disappearing into the crowd heading towards the ancestral shrine's discussion hall, he remembered that he should have gone over to offer a few words of comfort for tonight's events, but... oh well, he could do it when she came back.
He watched that figure disappear into the crowd.
But, was there still a chance to turn things around? How could that be?
So he began to frown and ponder...
Not long after, the first round of ancestral sacrifices began to sound from that side.
*******************
Inside the discussion hall, the lights were bright, illuminating every corner of the large room.
"...According to tradition, we all gather here at least once a year, and each time,
we need to decide on some important matters. In previous years, meetings were held after the year-end closing of accounts. This year, why are we holding it more than a month earlier? This time, we've troubled the clan leader and all the elders to come forward, and we've troubled everyone to travel from afar, because recently, our Su family has encountered many problems. The problems may be small, but they may also be large... but right now, everyone feels that the problems are likely to be very troublesome..."
The loud voice echoed in the discussion hall. There was silence among the seats. Below the group of elders were the members of the three branches. Su Boyong, sitting in his wheelchair, was not in good spirits, his eyes lowered. Su Zhongkan sat upright, and Su Yunfang seemed to be lost in thought. Su An, who was referred to as Seventh Uncle by some, was speaking in the center of the hall. He paused slightly here.
"Regarding these matters, regarding the affairs of this family, the clan leader ultimately knows best..." He turned his head, "Third Brother, would you like to say something?"
Su Yu frowned, looking at everyone in the discussion hall at this moment. After a moment, he raised his hand, "Seventh, you continue."
Su An nodded. After a moment, he turned to the side and extended his hand towards a person, "The specifics... let the head steward explain, he knows best."
The person he was referring to was naturally the head steward who managed the specific affairs of this large mansion today. This middle-aged man was also a member of the Su family. He was usually relatively low-key and did not participate in matters such as the struggle for inheritance, but nowadays, most of the administrative work of the Su mansion in Jiangning would eventually flow to him for summarization. Even though the First, Second, and Third Branches all had their secrets, the accounts in his hands were ultimately more objective.
Before long, that voice sounded.
"I'm not sure how big these things are, but recently, the specific things that have come to me are roughly like this: First, in the past three months, the sales of various goods of our Su family in the Jiangning area have declined to a certain extent, but overall, it's less than half a percent... The main problem is in the future profit margin. Recently, in Jiangning, nearly 60% of the suppliers and partners have begun to request negotiations with our Su family, increasing the price of raw silk and reducing the cost of taking goods. Listed here is: The Qi family requests..."
The head steward's voice was not low. That voice spread out of the discussion hall, echoing in the night breeze. The nearby square and the side of the garden could be heard faintly. Su Wengui and others gathered not far away, listening and discussing. A little further away, Su Danhong was also talking to the family members of several managers close to the First Branch, occasionally frowning.
Everything had begun as expected. She was clearly aware of the problems facing the Su family right now, the demands made by various parties, and the crises hidden behind those demands. When she turned her head, she inadvertently saw Ning Yi walking over there. This man seemed a little bored, stretching his limbs and doing a few loosening-up exercises, walking further away.
Su Danhong followed.
After walking through the courtyard gate, she could no longer hear the voices from that side very well, only able to see the lights around the discussion hall over the courtyard wall. Ning Yi's figure at this time seemed somewhat different from usual, still appearing relaxed, but... it seemed as if he was sensing something there. He sat down by the pavilion in the courtyard, looking up at the starry sky. The alleys near the courtyard had footsteps passing by from time to time. Su Danhong frowned.
Could this person be feeling the final moment before the First Branch lost power?
She frowned...
******************
Inside the discussion hall, the narration continued. As long as they understood some business, they could feel the danger behind these situations. The Su family's problems were like being surrounded by hungry wolves, being kicked while down. The head steward spoke for a long time, finishing his narration and returning to his seat. Below, no one spoke. Only at the head of the table, several elderly clansmen began to speak.
"This is... thinking that my Su family is hopeless, thinking that my Su family is going to have a major incident..."
"The problem needs to be resolved, let's all talk about it and find a reason..."
Several elderly people looked around. The hall became silent again. Su Chonghua sat in the crowd, also watching silently. He could probably guess what was going to happen next, but these things ultimately didn't require him to speak or present anything. At this time, his mood was somewhat relaxed, just watching. When his gaze swept past the door, he suddenly thought of Ning Yi again.
Where was he now, how was he feeling? That poem, *Ding Feng Bo*...
"The beginning of this matter was ultimately caused by the assassination attempt on Grandfather. Of course, the responsibility doesn't lie with Grandfather. I think our Su family should also try our best to find the mastermind behind the murderer. But if we're just talking about why things are the way they are, Wenxing has some ideas..." Below, the person who lit the fuse came out. Although he was the third generation of the Su family, he had recently managed some of the Second Branch's specific affairs, so he could already participate in this meeting.
"The root cause of this matter is ultimately because our Su family's high-profile competition for the Imperial Merchant failed..."
"Such a large fanfare, such a large investment, and in the end, nothing..."
"So outsiders have begun to suspect..."
As if according to a predetermined step, from Su Wenxing starting this topic, wave after wave of discussion finally began to spread out, Su Wenxing After speaking, the other members of the Second and Third Branches participated in the discussion, and then there were also Su Zhongkan and Su Yunfang, with words of discussion and questioning, the voices spreading out in waves.
"So the problem now is, how much did Tan'er spend on operating this Imperial Merchant..."
"The First Branch... from Manager Liao down, the specific situation... It's a pity that Manager Liao is not in Jiangning today..."
"Our situation here is like this, there are also certain problems, which cannot be recovered. If this continues for a long time..."
"In the past two years, no, three years, we know that this operation actually has some problems in the accounts. This matter should be clearer to Elder Brother's side..."
The predetermined drama, one person after another began to speak in succession. The First Branch, from beginning to end, was relatively silent. Su Tan'er and others occasionally opened their mouths. The starry night was low. This evening, the whole thing was destined to take a very long time. Outside the discussion hall, Su Wengui and others were talking and laughing. Someone left and then returned, "Tonight is just the beginning..." they said.
*******************
Several streets away from the Su mansion, at the Moon Fragrance Tower, Xue Yan and others were eating and laughing about some recent events. At this time, they also looked towards the direction of the Su mansion, "Speaking of which, things over there have already started, right."
Luo Miaomiao, one of the four leading courtesans of Jiangning, smiled nearby, "Young Master Xue and everyone, what you are concerned about tonight doesn't seem like these romantic affairs."
"Haha, Miaomiao has keen eyes. Tonight, we do have some things to be concerned about. Does Miss Miaomiao know about the Su family of cloth merchants?"
Luo Miaomiao thought for a moment, a glint flashing in her eyes, "Young Master Xue, are you perhaps referring to the Su family into which Ning Yi, Ning Liheng, married?"
The affairs of the cloth industry were, after all, only of concern to those within the industry. Luo Miaomiao, now a leading courtesan, didn't know much, but the first thing she thought of was the first talent who wrote *Shui Diao Ge Tou* and *Qing Yu An*. Xue Yan and others were stunned for a moment, and then laughed.
"Yes, yes, speaking of which, things are also somewhat related to him at this time. Has Miss Miaomiao ever heard that, several months ago, during the siege of Jiangning, there was an assassination attempt that caused a great stir..."
The predetermined mode of the Su family clan meeting had already begun. Here in the Moon Fragrance Tower, they were also beginning to recount the ups and downs of Jiangning's weaving industry over the past few months. Under the same starry sky, there was a place that originally had nothing to do with these things. Not far from the Moon Fragrance Tower, Changyun Pavilion was a large-scale restaurant. Tonight, a gathering hosted by the Puyang family was being held here.
As the richest family in Jiangning, the Puyang family, after so many years of operation, and with the presence of the courtesan Qilan, now had a certain relationship with many talented scholars in Jiangning. Today was not a major day, so once the gathering began, many famous talents also came along, including Cao Guan and Liu Qingdi, among others. This could be considered a poetry gathering among literati. Puyang Yi, who hosted the gathering, was a well-rounded person, but some things were difficult to control. At this time, a small interlude occurred.
Liu Qingdi, who was in a bad mood for some reason today, drank some wine and wrote poetry somewhat wildly. During this poetry gathering, he accidentally bumped into a participant, and then the two sides quarreled. Although Puyang Yi mediated and calmed things down afterward, there was a faint hint of gunpowder among some of the people at this gathering.
A middle-aged man who called himself an "Empty Mountain Hermit," whose talent was not particularly outstanding, was also among them. He originally wanted to interject and mediate, but soon, he was also caught up in the situation by Liu Qingdi.
The poetry gathering continued in the somewhat disharmonious atmosphere caused by this interlude. The two sides began to compete in literary talent and poetry, gradually becoming heated. Puyang Yi was therefore very happy.
Of course, at this time, they had no connection whatsoever to the trajectory of the Su family...
********************
"Crack." Ning Yi cracked open a peanut, threw it into his mouth, and softly hummed the prelude to "The Devils Are Coming." Humming, it turned into the Wedding March.
Su Danhong walked over from the side, feeling angry, and just looked at him like that.
"Cousin Hong, sit down, don't be polite. Eat peanuts?"
"I don't know what you're thinking."
"Feeling this atmosphere..."
"Tan'er is about to lose something she's worked so hard for for so many years without giving up. Do you know that?"
"You're wrong." Ning Yi replied indifferently, looking back towards the discussion hall. The lights spilled out from there, spreading over. Among them, there was a restless atmosphere, "Things... should be about to wrap up, right..." (To be continued, if you want to know what happens next, please log in, there are more chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!)
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