By the time he left the restaurant and returned to the Wu Family, it was already late. The inside and outside of the Wu's mansion were brightly lit. In the recent one and a half months, the joyous atmosphere in the Wu Residence had not dissipated. This kind of joyous atmosphere could be seen in the spirits of every servant. Perhaps only the servants around the group of people with the highest status in the family could vaguely feel that something was wrong. At this time, as he entered the mansion, a servant guarding the door came over carefully.
"Eldest Young Master is back. Second Young Master and Old Master have returned home an hour ago. In addition, Third Master, Fifth Master, Sixth Master, Shopkeeper Luo, and Shopkeeper Nie have also arrived. At this time, they are discussing matters with Old Master in the side hall. "
This was not long after dinner in ordinary families. In the past months, many stewards in the family had to socialize outside until late at night before returning. Only these two days would such a situation occur. Wu Qilong nodded and walked silently to the side hall. When he reached the corridor, he heard the sound of a teacup falling to the ground.
"You say it can't be solved? It's only been three days? You say it can't be solved? "
At this time, the person who smashed the teacup and spoke was his father, Wu Chenghou. For many years, it was rare to see him in such a state of loss of control. It was also because the consequences of this problem were too serious, and the turn of events was too sudden, causing everyone to feel a little unprepared. All of a sudden, they were hit in the head, and then everyone was a little confused. In the side hall, the person who was talking to his father at this time was the clan's Fifth Uncle. The dyeing of the cloth was technically handled by Shopkeeper Nie, but the main manager was still Fifth Uncle. At this time, he was probably the only one who could say some words of bargaining with his father.
"But … it really can't be solved. It's not a recipe that we developed. After getting it for two months, the masters in the family have also tried to change it, but this recipe is too sensitive. Small changes will cause the color to change greatly. The Su family even used some raw materials that were originally used to dye blue cloth. Now … it's not that it can't be solved, maybe if luck is good … "
Fifth Uncle Wu Chenghou was also a little embarrassed at this time. Wu Qilong walked through the door, and his father glanced at him from above, casually waved his hand to let him sit next to him, and then turned to face Fifth Uncle.
"… Luck?"
"Heh, the Su family spent two to three years to come up with this prescription. We don't even have a clue now. Master Chen said … maybe we can only rely on luck …"
In the business world, one could only rely on luck to solve a problem. Wu Chenghou's eyes were wide open, and the entire main hall was silent. After a long time, Wu Cheng Hou opened and closed his mouth a few times before retreating back to his seat. "So, you can confirm it? It's not that something went wrong with us. We were indeed … set up by the Su family? "
Among the people in the side hall, no one dared to speak, no one dared to make such a conclusion. Perhaps everyone had thought about it before, but if that was really the case, the price they would have to pay in the future would be truly terrifying. After a moment of silence, Luo Minzhi shook his head.
"This matter is still strange and difficult to understand. If it was really the Su family who set up such a trap, wouldn't it be better for them to directly take down the imperial merchants? Everyone could feel that Su Tan'er had spent a few years to do this. Just look at the Su Clan now, they were in a terrible predicament. Even if there was a chance to turn things around, the commotion in the past one and a half months was enough to make them suffer a lot of losses. Third Master, Shopkeeper Nie, and I have all considered that if there was any conspiracy two months ago, the risk to the Su family is too great … "
Wu Chengyuan, who was ranked third in the Wu Family, also nodded at this time. "Brother Luo is right. We originally didn't intend to use the Su family's prescription. It was only more than two months ago that we came up with this idea. If the Su family really had another set of prescription, it is impossible that we didn't know about it. After several inferences, it also proved that there is no problem, so we just used this Dazzling Gold Brocade. If we say that the Su family set up this trap from the very beginning, how could they be so sure that we would fall into it? I don't believe that Su Tan 'er doesn't have such ability. Even Su Yu, who is experienced and astute, doesn't have such a level of ability … "
"But no matter what, this is our current situation …" Wu Qilong didn't say anything after entering the room, but he didn't seem to be in a good mood. He just looked at the people in the side hall indifferently. Wu Qihao took a few glances at his elder brother, sighed, and began to speak.
"Since things have already come to this, we have to start thinking about what to do next. My father and I have talked to Lord Dong today. There shouldn't be a problem with the delivery date being delayed. Once we officially ask the Weaving Bureau to postpone it, this matter will have to be placed in an official document. At that time, Official Dong won't be able to suppress it. The news of the Wu Family's problems would inevitably spread, and it was hard to say what would happen then. There are still ten days before the agreed delivery date. After ten days, we have to think about how to deal with it. "
He paused. "And regardless of whether it is delayed by a month or two, in order to solve the problem in the end, we still have to adjust this prescription. Fifth Uncle, Uncle Nie, no matter if we risk our lives or try our luck, we can only try. Besides, if the Su family has the real prescription, we probably have to try it. At that time … Big Brother, it will depend on you … "
Wu Qihao looked at his elder brother. On the other side, Sixth Uncle in the clan shook his head. "If it wasn't for the Su family's arrangement, we could indeed do this. But we can't be sure of this at the moment."
"But we can only deal with it this way." Wu Chengyuan interrupted. "It's true that we can't be sure now, but if it wasn't the Su family's arrangement, and it was really a coincidence, we would become a laughing stock in the end if we didn't deal with the problem that we could."
Amid the hurried debate, Wu Qilong also stood up under his younger brother's gaze. He patted Wu Qihao's shoulder. "Father, Uncles, I … I've been dealing with the development of the Northwest recently, and haven't really paid much attention to Jiangning City. I know some things, but not in detail. May I ask … what is the Su family doing recently?"
Wu Qilong had the demeanor of Wu Chenghou. At this time, although his voice wasn't loud, it was obvious that he had some conclusions in his heart. Everyone looked at him. Wu Chengyuan thought for a moment, then sat down in his seat. "It's internal strife."
"The situation is not good. Su Zhongkan and Su Yunfang have exerted their strength, and now they are in a heated argument." Wu Chengke also shook his head. "Su Tan'er is in a terrible state, apologizing everywhere, trying to maintain the original cooperation."
"I heard that … it doesn't seem to have any effect. Su Tan'er is capable, but there was Su Boyong behind her before. Now I heard that Su Boyong is paralyzed and can't get out of bed for a while. The original Li family is ready to stop cooperation with the Su family's first branch, and some small businesses are also affected. The main reason is that everyone is saying that Su Tan'er will soon be unable to take charge of the first branch's business, and the Xue family has been pulling in these people recently. Once the Su family's business shrinks, it's better for those who are not close to the Xue family to cooperate with them first … "
Everyone had been busy with other substantive things recently, so they didn't know much about the real specific things related to the Su family. Luo Minzhi had a lot of dinner parties recently, so he had paid attention to some of them. At this time, everyone was talking about miscellaneous things. Wu Qilong frowned. "What about Su Tan'er herself?"
"Maintaining the previous cooperation." Wu Chengyuan smiled. "Su Boyong has fallen. In the current situation, the business of the second and third branch of the Su family is shrinking. She still wants to maintain the previous businesses and those that were originally in charge of Su Boyong. How is it possible …"
Wu Qilong looked at his third uncle, and his eyes didn't change much. "But what is the first branch of the Su family doing?"
"The first branch of the Su family, she …" Wu Chengyuan looked at his nephew, waved his hand, and then stopped in mid-air. After a while, he shook his head but didn't speak. He seemed to understand something, or he had thought about it long ago, but he didn't want to say it. No matter how he thought about it, it was inconceivable and difficult to understand. The faces of everyone in the room changed a little. At this time, it was not a good thing to think of.
"Actually …" Wu Qilong's bitter smile was indescribable. He slowly said, "Actually … Third Uncle, Fifth Uncle, you may have thought about it a few days ago, haven't you?"
"That's a cause and effect. It's impossible." Wu Chengke said with a gloomy face.
"At this time, there is no other way. Even if it's a cause and effect …" Wu Qilong shook his head. "Three years of preparation. The royal merchant invested 200,000 taels of silver at one time, and maybe more before. Su Tan'er improved the looms under her hands. Originally, we thought she was determined to meet the demand for a large amount of New Year cloth and was determined to get the royal merchant. But after the matter with the royal merchant, she didn't stop. People outside thought she was crazy and couldn't back down. She wanted to target our Wu Family to increase the production and lower the price … "
"A woman's brain is broken. She can do anything." Wu Qilong murmured, "But what if it's not … Father, uncles, if she lowers the price and spoils the market, everyone will unite to beat her. So we are never afraid of her actions. But what if this woman has been eyeing our Wu Family's share from the beginning? She is waiting for us to vacate our own share. What will happen then? "
In front of him, Wu Chengke looked at his son for a long time. Then he said in a hoarse voice, "If that's the case, she is almost ready now."
"Yes." Wu Qilong smiled tiredly. The next moment, he raised his voice. "Now no one in the whole market is eyeing our Wu Family. We are going to expand. Even when we pass by, others are thinking about how to get out of the way. With the Xue family as the leader, everyone is watching the current Su family, waiting for the day when it suddenly collapses, so that they can divide the shares. But what if the Su family doesn't collapse at all? Only this woman can take over the imperial merchants from us … "
He waved his hand. "No, even before we take over the imperial merchants, she was already waiting. Once there is a problem on our side, all the cloth merchants in Jiangning who are eyeing the Su family will become a big joke. Once the Wu's share of the market is given up, before the rest can react, Su Tan 'er will eat up almost all of them. The rest can only watch helplessly. "
"In a month and a half, we thought that there was no problem, and left them behind as if they were defeated. But in fact, she had already diverted the attention of the entire Jiangning weaving industry. She had secretly made all the necessary preparations. Su Tan'er had upgraded the looms under her hands to increase the production rate of the now useless looms. Everyone is laughing, only we realize that they have been preparing for more than a month … "
An indescribable sense of suffocation enveloped the entire hall. After a moment, Wu Chengyuan still shook his head. "This is the worst possibility. If this is the case, this situation is too exaggerated. How can we not feel it at all …"
Wu Chengke frowned. "Even if this is the case, the Su family is not having a good time now. How long can Su Tan'er hold on? How long can we hold on? At most, we can delay it for two months, and drag her to death … "
"Whether it is exaggerated or not, this is the situation in front of us, and …" Wu Qilong looked at Wu Chengke. "Fifth Uncle, they won't wait for us to collapse. The day before yesterday, there was a problem in the workshop, and Uncle Qin fell ill. Did you notice yesterday? Someone is spreading rumors outside, saying that something has happened to our Wu Family in the imperial business … Of course, it's common for people to make wild guesses in the business world. But this is too fast. Everyone knows that someone is spreading rumors behind the scenes. It's just that not many people pay attention to it. But … "
He took out a piece of rice paper from his bosom. "Before coming back, I have actually checked Su Tan'er's movements for more than a month. Now I can see it more clearly. After the imperial merchants, all the adjustments and expenditures are targeted at our Wu Family. They are deliberate. For one and a half months, we have been moving forward without a clue. They have silently set up all the swords, spears, swords, and halberds, and each one is aimed at our vital parts … Father, Fifth Uncle, do you feel it? "
Wu Qilong smiled bitterly, shook his head, and looked in the direction of the Su Mansion. "That woman has secretly done all the preparations … She has begun to act …"
The rice paper was circulated in the hall. For more than a month, these seemed to be jokes. As long as nothing happened to the Wu Family, all the wiring was meaningless. But what would happen to the Wu Family? It was with this understanding that they went in the best direction all the way. When they found that it was a dead end in front of them, they were still confused for a moment, only to find that the surroundings were full of sharpness.
It was an indescribable feeling. Looking at the paper listing the layout that Su Tan'er had made against the Wu Family in the past one and a half months, everyone almost felt a chill on their backs, and a cold breath came from there. If this was true …
"I still don't believe it." Wu Chengyuan suddenly waved his hand. "If this is the case, then we didn't go in by ourselves, but they lured us in. They have been scheming against us since more than two months ago or even earlier? Su Tan'er worked hard for three years to set up such a trap? It's not that we didn't consider getting fake goods before. The whole thing is a little deliberate, and everyone will see it! No one can set up such a trap! This thing … can't be done just by thinking about it. Everyone knows how difficult the whole process is, and how many accidents there are. It's impossible for Su Tan'er to do it, and Su Yu won't take such a risk! If they can get it, why don't they? If they can't get it, why did they make it to such an extent before? They almost cheated us. If it's too difficult to get the prescription, we can't get it. If it's too easy, we won't believe it. Later, how many times did we review it before we were sure that there was no problem with it? Who can do it to this extent! "
"She has already started to make her move. We can see it in a few days. In fact, I also hope that I'm just guessing …" Wu Qilong sat there, shaking his head quietly. "But if it's not, then the whole thing is … ha, it's very interesting …"
"It's true that Su Tan'er fell ill at that time, and Su Yu couldn't deal with such a thing at that time. After all, he was old. But there is one person, perhaps we all overlooked, or we didn't take him seriously at the beginning. You see … he didn't seem to do anything in the whole thing, but after Su Tan'er fell ill, he actually did everything. He led us around in circles, and every day was like a joke. But behind this, he ran out and said that he wanted to publicize the yellow cloth with great fanfare, and that the Su family is the most powerful … "
"Now that I think about it, it's actually very interesting. Whether it's me or the Xue family, we all had a habitual thought at that time. Every time we talked about what stupid things Ning Yi had done recently in restaurants and teahouses, we didn't forget to remind others that Su Tan'er is very powerful, and the Su family is still using the most open and aboveboard way to rob the imperial merchants, so don't be fooled by Ning Yi's performance. In the end, everyone is smart, and everyone is staring at the cloth of the Su family. "
"Third Uncle, do you remember what you told me when I was a child? If you want people to see something, the best way is not to put it in the most conspicuous place, but to put it there, cover it with something, or bury it in the ground with a layer of sand. Trying to cover it up makes it more obvious, and here is the place where there is no silver … Ning Yi told us from the beginning to the end that the Su family has the best cloth, the Su family has the best cloth, and the Su family has the best cloth! And … we all think that we are smart people, and when we saw the main point, we slowly let down our guard … "
"He's a fool, an idiot in the business world. Su Tan'er fell ill, and it's inevitable that he made some mistakes. If it was Su Tan'er himself, we might be more vigilant, because some small mistakes shouldn't be made. But he kept making small mistakes, and none of us thought it was abnormal. Heh … In the end, he didn't do anything. Anyway, in the end, we got the prescription of the yellow cloth, and he just looked at it, and then … Prime Minister Bai was aware of it … When he was done, he threw the things away and left. For the past one and a half months, he's been the same as before, not even bothering to look at these things in the business world. But until now, no one knows about it. Maybe he doesn't take it seriously at all … "
Wu Qilong seemed to be talking to himself, and sat there with a sarcastic smile. Wu Qihao, who was beside him, frowned. "Ning Yi? How … that's impossible … "
Wu Qilong raised his head. "Heh, I also hope that I'm mistaken, but did you know? Today, I went to talk to our spy in the Su family, and he told me something. Two nights ago, when I was chatting with the Su family's Shopkeeper Zhou, who was in charge of the dyeing, that Shopkeeper Zhou got drunk and said, in the entire Su family, besides Su Yu, the only person he admires is the family's Young Master Ning …"
Someone's eyes widened.
Wu Qilong paused. "Anyway … there are still a few days left. No matter what, we have to ask the Weaving Bureau for an extension within ten days. At that time, if it's really the Su family's plan, everything will follow. At that time, we'll know whether he was acting or he was clear about it. If that's really the case … "He looked at the darkness outside the door, and thought of the scholar's figure." I'm a little afraid of him … "
Recalling Ning Yi's performance during that period of time and the recent period of time, everyone was still silent, stunned, and speechless. They exchanged looks of disbelief with each other, but if it was true, then the feeling that sent chills down their spines was probably extremely strange.
After a while, Wu Qilong rubbed his forehead and murmured a sigh.
"Poor Xi Junyu, he still doesn't know …"
*****
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