Chapter 116: Changing Colors

"Now that this ordeal is over and my health is improving, should we... should we consummate our marriage?"

On a rainy, tempestuous night, Su Tan'er whispered these words with a choked voice. Shortly after, Ning Yi nodded.

"Uh... *cough*, I didn't mean it in that way, but..." He smiled. "Yes."

His voice was swallowed by the downpour outside. As a breeze wafted in, the candlelight flickered. For Su Tan'er, expressing such a sentiment must have required immense courage; she lay there, blushing and silent for a moment. Much of her recent illness was psychosomatic, and having spoken her heart, the pressure on her mind seemed to ease. Yet, a moment later, perhaps struck by a sudden thought, she gently bit her lower lip.

"If... if we cannot overcome this current crisis, will you, husband..."

"Will I what?"

"Will you..." Su Tan'er hesitated, struggling to find the words, before finally shaking her head. "Never mind, forget it."

"A downer," Ning Yi remarked, watching her for a moment. Having guessed her underlying fears, he shook his head. "I didn't say that because of the Su family's fortunes. Whether we weather this or not, our relationship is what it is... Besides, this current matter is actually simple to resolve."

Su Tan'er nodded, her expression relaxing slightly. A moment later, she smiled awkwardly at his latter remark: "You don't understand, husband... this matter is not that simple."

"I do understand," Ning Yi replied, looking back at her. "I've roughly reviewed the accounts for the past three years; the foundation of the Su family is solid. Regardless of who the opponent is, their act of stabbing us in the back and then framing us is vicious, but it won't be effective against our customers. The Su family's business is spread across the country, and no one truly cares about the character of an owner in Jiangning before stepping into a shop. The real impact will only be felt among close partners and suppliers. The Su family might be shaken in this regard, but compared to such tactics, the actual damage will be minimal. Given our foundation, it is difficult to collapse from such isolated issues; at most, we lose a small portion. To have a real effect, they must strike nearby, in Jiangning. The entity that will be most affected in the near term is the Imperial Merchant. Once the rumors are confirmed, the government will avoid cooperating with the Su family for the sake of their reputation..."

"The Imperial Merchant..." Su Tan'er murmured, repeating the phrase.

"Exactly. So, the most important thing is to resolve the issue with the Imperial Merchant."

"You don't understand, husband..." She turned her gaze toward the inner side of the bed, whispering so he couldn't see her expression. Ning Yi sighed and pulled that scrap of fabric from his pocket, placing it in her hand. "Is it the Imperial Merchant you don't understand, or this piece of cloth?"

Su Tan'er turned back, looking at the cloth in her hand, then at Ning Yi. "Husband, you already know?"

"To be honest, I'm not entirely clear," Ning Yi admitted, shaking his head. "Xing'er was hesitant and couldn't bring herself to say it, so I didn't pressure her."

Su Tan'er held the fabric for a long time, occasionally glancing away as she pondered. When she looked back at Ning Yi, a faint smile graced her face, but her eyes were desolate—it was clear that whenever she thought of this, she was on the verge of tears, or perhaps had already cried in secret more than once.

"Husband, we cannot become the Imperial Merchant. I had been planning for this for three years. It was such a beautiful color... I thought for sure I would succeed, but in the end, it turned into this... It's as if someone deceived us. We didn't add saffron; we used a new method to blend it—cinnabar, madder, alum, gardenia... It must have been a formula no one had ever used before. Two months ago, I thought it would stun everyone. But in the end—in the end, it said..."

She sniffled, biting her lip. Ning Yi thought for a moment. "When did it start fading?"

"Nearly two months ago. I have no idea why." Su Tan'er shook her head. "We tested it in every way after creating it—sunlight, fire, washing it repeatedly in water. There were no problems; it remained as beautiful as ever. It seemed perfect, but then... it just began to fade. I don't know what to do. After Father collapsed, they finally couldn't help but say that it might be unsolvable. I told them to keep trying, but I knew... there was no way." She paused, tears in her eyes. "There's no way, husband. We can't get it..."

The textile industry had developed for many years, and there were indeed methods to determine what is now known as colorfastness, but for the specific ratio Su Tan'er had discovered, these methods were clearly flawed. Perhaps a subtle chemical reaction in that specific proportion had produced that bright yellow—though, with his current knowledge of chemistry, he certainly couldn't solve it from a technical standpoint.

***

Su Tan'er was not one to admit defeat easily. However, when three years of hard work were suddenly deemed meaningless, when the hope of becoming the Imperial Merchant vanished, and when all this was compounded by exhaustion, pressure, and illness, it was no surprise that she had collapsed. Human spirits are fragile; one moment you are at the peak, and even if your father falls, you believe the crisis can be resolved by securing the Imperial Merchant title. The next moment, you realize you have no leverage left, and as you are struck down from that summit, all the suppressed emotions explode with greater intensity.

However, Ning Yi was still looking at the fabric with keen interest. He took it from Su Tan'er's hand. "What about the improvements to the looms? I saw in the accounts that you withdrew funds for that..."

"They won't change much. They were meant for the Imperial Merchant deal, but they require a massive investment, and the returns are meager. If we only secure the portion related to the tribute, it might even become a burden. The Weaver's Bureau only treats people like laborers..."

"That will be enough. Ultimately, it still solves the problem of the Imperial Merchant..."

"But it can't be solved!" Su Tan'er said, then paused, noticing Ning Yi's expression remained unfazed. "Hmm?"

"It may be hard to get, but that doesn't mean it can't be solved." Ning Yi smiled. "There are solutions for fading colors, and solutions for non-fading ones. As for how to use them, we still need to deliberate..."

Su Tan'er thought for a moment. "Husband... are you thinking of passing off the fading fabric as something else? That won't work..."

She was a smart woman, after all. She knew that sometimes things could be settled through talk or publicity. Knowing Ning Yi had the reputation of a scholar, she assumed he wanted to market the fading as a unique feature of the fabric. In some cases, that might work, but here, it would be nothing more than mocking the Imperial Court. Ning Yi shook his head. "That's not what I'm doing. There are still things I'm unclear about—mainly the officials at the Weaver's Bureau involved in this, the leverage our competitors are using, and the extent to which the looms have been improved... If you still have the strength, tell me now. I'll tell you my plan later. But..."

He looked down at the fabric. "The Imperial Merchant title is the key. Regardless of who our opponents are, whether they show their faces or stay in the shadows, we can use this to draw them out and catch them all in one net. So, no matter what... we must fight for the Imperial Merchant title to the end."

"Why? Because we have the strength!"

In the morning, while the rain continued to fall, Ning Yi spoke solemnly to a group of shopkeepers and managers in the courtyard used for business meetings. To be honest, this was his first time speaking so assertively in a "formal" setting since joining the Su family. Yet, dressed in a green robe with a silk headscarf, he looked the part, possessing the aura of one entrusted with a critical mission—or, at the very least, he looked like he was trying his best.

He tapped a fan against his palm and looked around.

"Once we resolve the issue with the Imperial Merchant, the schemes of those clowns outside and the rumors within our family will be silenced once and for all. As for who is watching us from the shadows, don't worry about them. Others will deal with those matters; the Old Master will handle them. Our job is to do our part, stabilize the situation, and secure the Imperial Merchant quota by any means necessary."

"For the next month or so, I will take over this matter. I know I lack experience in this field, so I will discuss major decisions with Tan'er. You managers have more experience than I do, and I will be seeking your advice. I hope Manager Liao and all of you will guide me well." Ning Yi bowed politely and smiled.

"However, we must start opening up the situation regarding the Imperial Merchant. I am a scholar; I haven't been involved in the business world, but there are some universal truths in this world, and I understand simple rules. For example, last New Year, I guessed a few things and helped settle the He family's business with a few words. Heh, so I know one thing for certain."

"A good product!" He tapped his fan on the table, enunciating each word. "Is always a good product! No matter where you place it!"

"It’s just like us scholars. A talented person will shine wherever they go; others will eventually realize it. So, when we are trying to 'sell' ourselves, we don't need to be low-key. Manager Liao and Manager Nie have been handling communications with the officials at the Weaver's Bureau. We have already shown our hand, and everyone knows it, but I don't think that's enough."

"We’ve only shown our intent to compete for the Imperial Merchant title; the Xue and Wu families have seen that. But we haven't clearly displayed our leverage. I want you all, whether you are hosting guests for dinner or discussing business, to tell everyone clearly that we have been preparing for this for years! We don't fight battles we aren't prepared for! We have the best fabric! This is our strength, and no one can catch up!"

"With the current tensions between the Great Wu and the Great Liao, the annual tribute will surely face issues and friction. Every time such changes occur, business opportunities arise. In the past, the Xue and Wu families viewed the Imperial Merchant business as a daunting task. But now that they see things changing and see us competing, they want to jump in—out of pure opportunism. What preparations do they have? We are different. We started preparing for this years ago, and now we can tell everyone!"

"Tell them just that. Tell them about the Xue family, the Wu family, and us. Although we can't reveal all our cards yet, we can promote ourselves this way. Let everyone know we came prepared. Let the officials at the Weaver's Bureau know that we are the best and the most well-prepared. We have improved our looms; we can increase efficiency significantly without affecting our business or the Imperial Merchant duties. We have the best fabric... Oh, and this is something I need you all to keep secret for now, but I think it's time to show you. Juan'er, bring the box over."

***

The little maid, Juan'er, who had been standing by, nodded and moved a box onto the table. Ning Yi placed his hand on it. "I repeat, please keep what you are about to see confidential. Of course, you are all my own people here at the Su family, and you understand these things better than I do. Heh, I'm being redundant..." After speaking, he smiled and slowly opened the rectangular box. A bolt of bright yellow silk appeared before everyone's eyes. As several people gasped in surprise, Ning Yi pushed it forward and took a knife, clumsily cutting off a piece.

The rain continued to fall, the door was closed, and Ning Yi’s voice drifted out in waves.

"Fire-resistant... water-resistant... sun-resistant... it doesn't fade... we only finished the final product two months ago... I wanted to keep it low-key, but given the current situation, I have no choice... Accomplishing this will solve all our problems... Whose family has such good fabric? This color... why are you all panicking? With this color, who else could the Imperial Merchant be but us? I may be a scholar, but I know this will work. It’s not that we are begging those officials; it’s that they will come begging us. Oh, don't repeat that last part, but in short, we benefit, and they will too. Their benefits will be even greater than ours; it’s obvious... Alright, for the next month, I will work with you all to get this done..."

The rain was still falling. Inside the bedroom, Su Tan'er gazed at the rain and toward the direction of the courtyard room. She seemed to hear some commotion, but all that reached her was the sound of the rain. Xiao Chan came into the room to keep her company and chat. After a while, she said, "I wonder what the Master is like right now..."

"Sister Xing'er just came by and said the Master is speaking. It's very impressive. Those managers were all won over by what he said. Hmm, the Master does make sense..."

"Oh, really?" Su Tan'er laughed, imagining what those "sensible" words might sound like. Not long after, the meeting ended, and the sounds of the managers leaving drifted over. Of course, it was just the sound of footsteps and movement. If she could have gone out, she might have heard some of the managers whispering in the rain.

"It really is just a scholar's perspective..."

"Some of it does make sense..."

"It’s not as simple as that."

"But... that fabric really was..."

"There's no other way. The Old Master and the Second Miss have both fallen ill. Someone has to step up. As long as he stays on the sidelines and doesn't interfere too much, it shouldn't be a disaster..."

"The Master is a smart man; he understands some things..."

"But he is just a scholar after all, and the business world... it's too complicated..."

Such comments faded away into the rain. Ning Yi returned to the small building, clapped his hands, watched the figures disappear into the rain from the window, and then turned to go downstairs to check on the ailing Su Tan'er.

The next day, as Su Tan'er's fever began to subside, Ning Yi stepped into her shoes. Every day, he drove the carriage out of the residence, mimicking her daily routine, and with the posture of a diligent and eager greenhorn, he began to "interfere" in the affairs of the Su family business...