Chapter 121: Undercurrents

Since the city gates were closed, Old Master Qin had mostly stayed at home, rarely venturing out. Occasionally, old friends like Kang Xian would drop by for a visit, though they could no longer gather for chess as frequently as they once did. Today, Ning Yi and Nie Yunzhu arrived in the afternoon. After some brief conversation in the parlor, Ning Yi and Old Master Qin took a walk in the courtyard outside the study to chat, while Nie Yunzhu was whisked away by Auntie Yun and Madam Qin. They had likely already heard about Yunzhu’s situation and were showering her with kind, solicitous questions.

The idea of Nie Yunzhu becoming Old Master Qin’s adopted daughter had been proposed by Ning Yi, but it had not yet been formally broached between the Old Master and Yunzhu herself, so it was best for Ning Yi to bring it up now.

Given the complications that had arisen, Ning Yi could hardly claim that he and Nie Yunzhu were uninvolved, though he certainly didn't believe Nie Yunzhu was at fault. It was difficult to assign right or wrong to such matters, but since it had happened, the proper course was to resolve it without causing further trouble for others. Fortunately, Old Master Qin was a perceptive man. Once Ning Yi gave a rough account of the incident at Yan Cui Pavilion, he understood both the situation and why Ning Yi had raised it.

However, after a long moment of contemplation, he did not immediately reveal his stance.

"With the flooding this year, the scale of the disaster upstream is something we haven't seen in decades. Although Jiangning has closed its gates, it remains calmer than in previous years. Do you know why, Liheng?" Old Master Qin paused. "In Jiangzhou, despite the severity of the disaster, they have managed to shelter over two hundred thousand displaced people, with the numbers still rising, and yet... it is said that order is maintained and no epidemic has broken out. Furthermore, in Fen Prefecture and Jin Prefecture of the Hedong Circuit, which were affected by the Yellow River’s breach, as well as in Lang Prefecture and Gui Prefecture, the subsequent resettlement is being handled properly. In the past, an epidemic would likely have broken out by now and become uncontrollable. While there have been outbreaks this year, they have been contained by the well-ordered prefectures and counties, preventing further spread..."

"I see." Hearing this, Ning Yi nodded. Ever since the city gates were closed, information from the outside was hard to come by, and he hadn't paid much attention to it, only now grasping the situation beyond Jiangning.

"Jiangzhou, Fen Prefecture, Jin Prefecture, Lang Prefecture, Gui Prefecture—most of them have used or referenced your methods, Liheng. They seem simple, yet the results are excellent. I have been pondering the logic behind them recently. Regardless, hundreds of thousands have benefited because of you. Yet today, you come to me only to discuss such a trivial matter of reputation..."

Old Master Qin laughed. Ning Yi shook his head, smiling as well. "It is a matter of returning favors. If I were to take advantage of your magnanimity, accepting would be a favor, but declining would also be reasonable. Once a favor is granted, pushing for more would be improper. You may not mind, Old Master, but I cannot take it for granted; that is simply how one should conduct oneself. It is hard to say who is right or wrong, but reality is reality, and it would be poor form to cause more trouble. The main thing is not that I feel uneasy, but that Yunzhu does..."

Old Master Qin nodded, then fell silent. After a long while, as they set up the chessboard in the study, the old man spoke: "A few days ago, I heard from Master Ming about your conversation with Li Pin. Have you seen Mingyun recently?"

Ning Yi shook his head. "I've been quite busy lately, though he did send a pair of eccentric siblings to seek me out as their teacher. Ah, it’s just as well I didn't see him; Brother Lu said he might give me a dressing-down if we met..."

"Ah, the siblings from the Zhou Yong household. They are talented, but limited by their status; it will not be easy for them to accomplish much in the future." Old Master Qin smiled, lifted a chess piece, and then paused. "It was also because of your perspective on this matter that I discussed it with Mingyun for several days. Later, I heard about the affairs at the Su residence. Mingyun described it as complicated. Do you have a handle on it, Liheng?"

"It should be resolvable."

Ning Yi, not taking the matter to heart, answered casually. Old Master Qin looked at him and finally placed his piece: "That is good. Since Li Pin is your good friend, and I have heard from Mingyun that he is quite talented, if he heads to the capital, I can write a letter of recommendation for him."

"Then I shall thank you on behalf of Dexin." Ning Yi smiled. "By the way, that Minister of Personnel, Fu Ying, he wasn't one of your associates back in the day, was he?"

"You nonsensical boy..." Old Master Qin laughed, then sighed. "I had already resigned from office by the time Li Pin was selected, but Fu Ying was indeed promoted by me back then. He has a somewhat rigid temperament, but he is capable. In the imperial court, it is common to see people favoring their own cliques, and I cannot manage every little thing. Mingyun mentioned that Li Pin’s policy essay happened to clash with the salary increase policy Fu Ying was pushing, and his rhetoric was a bit intense. Well, scholars are like that; every year there are essays meant to shock the world. Who knew Fu Ying would react so strongly? He was likely stung by taunts from his political rivals. Heh, these things..."

From beginning to end, Qin Siyuan never brought up the conversation Ning Yi had with Li Pin that day. The two played a game of chess, discussing only trivial matters and the situation in other regions. By the time Ning Yi and Nie Yunzhu took their leave, it was near dusk. Neither side mentioned the "adopted daughter" matter again.

"Liheng... did you say it?" Nie Yunzhu asked softly on the way back to the riverside villa. Ning Yi nodded. "I did, but they neither nodded nor shook their heads."

"Hmm?"

"Ah, Madam Qin and the others were very kind to you, weren't they?"

"Yes, very kind." Yunzhu nodded with a smile. "I just fear that I might drag them into trouble in return."

"In the future, just treat them like relatives. No need to force any formal ties. After a while, things will naturally fall into place. They are all good people; being friends is fine too."

"…Yes." Yunzhu thought for a moment and nodded. "Auntie Yun asked me to accompany her to the market tomorrow and told me to bring Jin'er along."

"That's good."

After seeing Yunzhu home, as Ning Yi turned to leave, she spoke up and called him back.

"Liheng, the matter of the Su family..." Yunzhu looked at him, searching for the right words. "It will surely work out."

Ning Yi was stunned for a moment, then laughed. "Don't worry."

He returned home just in time for dinner.

Time gradually moved into August—a month that was serious, chaotic, yet seemingly as stable as ever. Except for the few truly astute and determined players, perhaps few could clearly see what was happening within the Jiangning textile industry that month, or the trajectories of those swirling undercurrents.

The city gates remained closed, and life went on as usual. Every day seemed no different from the last: people worked, lived, and the brothels continued their nightly revelries. Meanwhile, the displaced victims inside and outside the city grew increasingly desperate. If not for the new disaster relief methods implemented in neighboring prefectures that eased the pressure, the sense of oppression in this city would likely be even more severe. Of course, even if it were severe, that was only something the common people could feel.

The matter of the Imperial Merchant status for the Textile Bureau would surface for the first time in late August. It was said there would be a gathering of the textile industry to celebrate the success of the disaster relief efforts, during which interested merchants would present their fabrics to the Imperial Household. The decision had been made, but the news only circulated privately. To celebrate the success of the relief efforts, merchants would naturally have to demonstrate their commitment by providing enough porridge and sharing the burden of the government.

The merchants who had previously held Imperial contracts would naturally not give up. The interest shown by the Su, Xue, and Wu families also drew in mid-sized merchants, turning the recent state of the textile industry into murky waters. Among them, despite Su Boyong being paralyzed and Su Tan'er bedridden, the Su family’s momentum remained the strongest. By the end of July, Su Boyong’s condition had stabilized. Once this was made public, the efforts and connections of the Old Master of the Su family finally bore fruit: the assassin, Chen Er, confessed that he had indeed been instigated to kill Su Boyong, and that the claims of the Su family murdering his entire family were pure fabrication.

Who was behind Chen Er could not be determined, as even he did not know. But with their reputation cleared, the Su family’s leverage in securing the Imperial contract undoubtedly increased, and the shopkeepers and managers of the main branch were greatly emboldened. The second and third branches remained relatively silent. Even if the Su family had been proven to have forced a family to their deaths, the impact on out-of-town business would have been limited; but the Imperial contract was a different matter. With the Old Master now paving the way, was the Su family truly to be helmed by Su Tan'er in the future?

Amidst the chaos, no one could see what the end of August would bring. The second and third branches seemed calm, while the Xue and Wu families, along with others, competed for the Imperial contract in their own ways—negotiating deals and building connections—yet not a single conspiracy or plot appeared on the surface. During this period, Ning Yi, as the temporary leader of the Su family’s main branch, began to integrate into the textile circles of Jiangning.

He participated in some social engagements and, naturally, met some people. As a scholar, he previously wouldn't have been involved in such things, but with Su Tan'er bedridden, there were necessary obligations he had to fulfill. The most important of these was likely the textile guild gathering at the end of July, a monthly event. In Jiangning, the textile industry had its own trade guild, headed by the Wu family, the current leaders of the Jiangning fabric industry.

During this period, Ning Yi met Wu Chenghou, the father of the brothers Wu Qilong and Wu Qihao. As the head of the guild, he appeared to be a modest and authoritative middle-aged man. He specifically sought out Ning Yi for a long talk: "We are all in the same trade; though we are competitors, we are also friends and colleagues. If any family’s supply of goods falls short, others will always lend a hand—that is the nature of our connection. I have long heard of your talent, Liheng. In this matter of the Imperial Merchant contract, the Su family has many advantages. You needn't take the words of the Xue family to heart..."

He said this likely because the Xue and Su families had long-standing grievances. According to Chan'er and Juan'er, the Wu family had always been the ones to mediate. This time, when meeting Xue Sheng, the father of Xue Jin and Xue Yan, the atmosphere was somewhat cold, though Xue Yan’s attitude toward Ning Yi was decent; he even treated Ning Yi to a meal and apologized for their previous encounter.

There were also Chen Dixin of the Chen family, Lu Tianhai of the Lu family, and so on. Over the course of a month, Ning Yi gained a rough outline of the Jiangning textile industry, and these people, in turn, formed a simple impression of him.

He was certainly talented—the "First Scholar of Jiangning"—but having a scholar enter the business world made him seem clearly out of his element. Although he didn't attend many social functions, he spoke with grace and refinement, yet he couldn't shake off his scholarly air. The Su family was in trouble, and this son-in-law clearly wanted to help, but having no experience meant just that. A month had passed, and he hadn't actually accomplished a single thing.

In fact, after a blunder involving He Fang, he had only done two things in total.

The first was closing a deal. It was a deal that would have happened regardless, but since Ning Yi had signed it, it was attributed to him. There was nothing significant to discuss, but it was at least something. The second thing was that, after racking his brains, he implemented a reform in one of the shops.

At the time, Ning Yi seemed very confident. He spent several days brainstorming, drafted some rules, and had the shop assistants try them out. He trained the assistants for three days, telling them to say "Welcome" when customers entered, standardizing their phrases, and adding many terms that seemed highly professional. However, the reform only lasted three days, as they scared away many customers by making them feel uncomfortable.

Thus, this scholar-style reform ended in failure and became a laughingstock in the Jiangning textile trade. Ning Yi seemed discouraged; after that, aside from his fixed daily inspections, he made no further moves.

During this time, he also met He Fang. Naturally, they didn't discuss much about the Imperial Merchant contract. He followed the shopkeepers to solicit business and meet with Textile Bureau officials, but he didn't play any major role. Those who had previously felt he wouldn't be so simple—like Xue Jin—lost interest after twenty days. It was simple: a scholar entering the business world was bound to be like this.

In the matter of the Imperial Merchant contract, this guy was useless; perhaps he was just a front all along. After that, no one let their guard down, because the shopkeepers of the Su family, under Ning Yi’s "performance," kept operating, pushing the clamor for the Su family to win the contract to its peak.

There were no underhanded tricks. Throughout this period, the Su family pushed forward their bid for the Imperial Merchant status in an overwhelmingly open and above-board manner. Neither the Xue family nor the Wu family could do anything about it. Ultimately, the Su family had been preparing for years, while they had not. With such a thin foundation, they could only fall behind, at least on the surface.

During this time, the siblings Zhou Pei and Zhou Junwu often came to the Su family’s fabric shop to wait for Ning Yi, and they gradually developed a slightly peculiar way of interacting...

The seemingly calm, tedious, tense, and monotonous August gradually drew to a close...