“Move, move, move, don't squeeze me...”

“Keep your voice down. Search: \(?Complete?Book?God?Site) to read excellent literature for free.”

“What does it matter? They can't hear us over there...”

Faint, fragmented voices. A boy and a small girl were peering down from behind a pillar on the third-floor veranda in the afternoon.

This area of Dongji was a relatively quiet district in Jiangning City, suitable for leisure. However, it didn't have many brothels; instead, tea houses and restaurants lined the streets. The shops all had overhanging eaves and interconnected corners. The street below was narrow, often crowded with vendors selling various local snacks. The tea houses and restaurants were filled with performers and storytellers. The Xiang Nuan Tea House, the largest and most famous in the vicinity, allowed views of the rooftops of other tea houses and the street scenery from its third floor. However, the third floor consisted entirely of private rooms, which were expensive. The two children, dressed in opulent clothes and exuding an air of nobility far surpassing that of ordinary children, were now lurking near the corridor railing, seemingly having discovered something.

“Ahhh… He’s actually pouring tea for someone. He must be saying something bad…”

“That guy's face is changing so strangely, one moment red, the next white…”

“Smiling tiger! He’s definitely playing dumb again. That person from the Wu family is going to be furious…”

“Sister, you often get annoyed by the teacher too… Okay, I won’t say it, I’m sorry…”

The little girl glared at the boy.

Across the street and diagonally opposite, two men appeared to be sitting by the window on the second floor of a tea house called Jingzhulin, drinking tea and chatting. After a while, one of the men left, and the other began to read, writing and drawing. The two siblings in the tea house were discussing whether to go over and say hello.

“Maybe he’s writing something interesting…” the little boy said, propping his chin on the railing.

Before the little girl could speak, a voice sounded from behind, “Hmm? Who is that?”

The two children turned around quickly, only to see that a number of people had appeared silently behind them. Crouching next to them was a middle-aged man around forty years old, with a square face, a three-inch-long beard, a dignified yet somewhat wealthy appearance, and a smiling face. When asked, the little girl named Zhou Pei blinked her eyes, seemingly unwilling to tell the truth, while the boy named Zhou Junwu suddenly pursed his lips and began to shake his head rapidly. The middle-aged man was slightly taken aback by this, though still smiling.

“Oh, can’t say…”

“No, we don’t know him,” Junwu said with a toothy grin, and the constantly darting eyes of his sister suddenly stopped. The middle-aged man nodded, glancing at the second floor of the tea house, “However, your father sees that this young man is talented and wants to make his acquaintance.” Saying this, he suddenly thought of something, leaned down, and whispered in the little girl’s ear in a voice only she could hear, “Speaking of which, Pei'er will be reaching her age of maturity in two years. You weren't willing to go in and chat with so many talented young men earlier, could it be that you’re here with Junwu…”

“How is that possible!” Zhou Pei blurted out, then paused, and regretfully turned her face away, patting her forehead. The middle-aged man laughed, looking at some of the people accompanying him, “In that case, I really don’t know who that person is. Does anyone know?”

“Your Highness, that person is Ning Yi, Ning Liheng, the live-in son-in-law of the Su family,” said an elderly attendant in his fifties, smiling and bowing his head in a low voice.

“Oh? The foremost talent?” The middle-aged man, called "Your Highness," was also taken aback. He looked over there, but seen this way, the figure with a bandage on his hand seemed too young – of course, this feeling only arose when compared to the title of foremost talent. He glanced at the pair of children beside him, his eyes showing a mixture of understanding and doubt.

“I’ve long heard that this person has astonishing poetic talent, but I’ve never seen it. All of you here are learned scholars, does anyone know him…” He wanted to say that if so, he could introduce him to the young prince, but seeing the attitude of his children, he changed his mind. “I wonder… is this person's reputation deserved?”

The middle-aged man was indeed Zhou Pei and Zhou Junwu’s father, Kang Wang Zhou Yong, one of the few idle members of the imperial family residing in Jiangning. Although he had the title of prince, he hadn't accomplished much, and wasn't as good at making money as his aunt Zhou Xuan and uncle-in-law Kang Xian. He didn't care much for poetry; he usually liked to stroll around, watch operas, and was skilled at things like cockfighting and dog fighting. He would go hunting occasionally and manage to shoot a rabbit or two.

Of course, things like poetry were always a pastime enjoyed by everyone, both refined and common. He would dabble in elegance every now and then. With his status, when he wanted to be elegant, there would always be some elegance coming his way. The people who followed him this time were basically some of the top talents in Jiangning. When he asked this question, one of them smiled, cupped his hands, and stepped forward: “This Ning Yi does indeed have talent.” These were good words. If some of the Su family's playboys were here, they would probably be frightened, because the person who came forward was actually Liu Qingdi, who had had some conflicts with Ning Yi earlier. However, after saying this, he also smiled, “But recently, uh… ha, this matter is unrelated to poetry, so it’s best not to mention it. I have always admired Ning Yi's poetic talent.”

“Oh? Did something happen to this Ning Yi? Qingdi, feel free to tell us, it wouldn't hurt for everyone to listen…” Zhou Yong said, smiling at him.

Liu Qingdi's expression changed, and after hesitating for a long time, he nodded, “Since that's the case, then… Actually, this is nothing new, but Your Highness Kang may not have heard of it yet. The matter started about two months ago when an accident happened in the Su family, cloth merchants…”

In the past two months, the struggle within the Jiangning cloth industry had a good story. First, the Su family was assassinated, and it was revealed that it was a plot set up by some enemies. Then, the Su family rose stronger from the decline, creating momentum to win the title of imperial merchant, but in the end, they were overturned. Although stealing other people's recipes was really immoral, the twists and turns of the matter made everyone amazed at the various aspects of the open and secret struggles. However, after Liu Qingdi finished speaking, everyone realized that Ning Yi had played a negligible role in it.

The foremost talent may be good at poetry, but if he is mediocre in other aspects, it makes people think that he is only good at empty talk, which is a bit disappointing. Looking at the young man over there, that's right, even if such a person is good at poetry, it's because of his talent, so he forcibly expresses sorrow for the sake of writing new words. After all, his experience is not enough. In the tea house, Ning Yi was seen packing his things to pay the bill and then disappeared from sight.

“Oh, what a pity…”

Zhou Yong sighed, not knowing whether he was saying that he missed the opportunity to meet Ning Yi or the struggle between the Su and Wu families. However, in his words, looking at the somewhat disapproving children beside him, his eyes became a little complicated, and while the attendants greeted everyone, he lowered his head and pondered.

Liu Qingdi looked in the direction where Ning Yi disappeared, a hint of triumph and hatred flashing in his eyes.

Nearby, the siblings pursed their lips and exchanged a cunning glance.

********************

When the coachman opened the curtain to tell him that he had arrived home, Wu Qilong lifted the curtain. It was almost dusk, and the sunlight began to slant, looking less dazzling, and it poured the golden light from the end of the Wu family mansion. The magnificent and grand mansion gate looked particularly solemn, and every time he saw this scene, he would involuntarily think of the family's... sense of majesty or honor.

He remembered when he was young, he went back and asked his mother why their house was so big and why their gate was different from other people's. His mother would say, because the Wu family is the number one cloth merchant in Jiangning.

The Wu family is the number one cloth merchant in Jiangning…

In fact, especially recently, during the past month or so of running around and working hard, this feeling in his heart became particularly clear, and he recalled the scenes when his parents and people around him said those words and taught him these cognitions.

Jiangning, the number one cloth merchant.

This was a position that had been reached through the efforts of many people. From childhood to adulthood, what he thought about was how to turn this cognition into not only the number one cloth merchant in Jiangning. From a young age, he was very confident that he would be able to do it, and even during the previous period, he once felt that he had already seen the success as a foregone conclusion.

All this, that light, suddenly went dark this afternoon.

By this time, he was cold all over.

He almost didn't know what he was thinking about in the carriage, and he almost didn't remember how he got out of the building and into the carriage. His steps and body were a little out of control and fluttery.

All this will no longer exist...

He thought, heading towards where his family might be.

He didn't even know how to open his mouth to tell his father or others about these things, but some things really had to be said…

********************

By the time Wu Qihao returned home, the lights had already been lit. The atmosphere at home was not right. A servant told him to go to the main hall. When he passed the square, he saw Fifth Uncle Gongzheng, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, being supported by two maids this way. The Wu family's lights were a little too bright.

He knew that something big had finally happened. In the past few days in the warehouse, the golden brocade continued to fade, and he knew that one day it might develop into this situation, but when it arrived, it suddenly sank his heart. For a moment, he didn't have time to greet Fifth Uncle Gongzheng, who was moving slowly, and ran towards the main hall.

Father, elder brother, Uncle Wu Chengjian, Third Uncle Wu Chengyuan, and even two very close relatives had already arrived. These two expressions also had a considerable share of participation and dividends in the family, but none of the shopkeepers who participated in important decision-making, such as Luo Minzhi, came. Perhaps the people who rushed over hadn't eaten yet. Each person had simple meals by their side, but no one was in the mood to eat. Wu Qihao glanced at it and walked forward.

Things were more serious than he thought, because if it was just a matter of the cloth fading, everyone should have been psychologically prepared a few days ago. But at this time, his father's face was obviously not right. Because not all the people had arrived, he was just sitting on a chair next to him. Although he was still consciously maintaining his majesty and composure on the surface, his eyes were a little wrong. Wu Qihao realized it when he got close. He only heard his father laughing coldly subconsciously.

“…The successful laugh at those who wear new hats…Old friends still hold their swords…He…” The cold laugh was not a hostile laugh. It sounded just a little tired. He looked at his second son in front of him and shook his head.

“Everyone was deceived by him alone… People didn't take us seriously at all… Oh, Qihao…”

“Dad, what’s wrong?”

“Have you eaten?”

“Ask someone to bring food and eat something first. Something happened, ask your elder brother…”

Wu Qihao saw his father close his eyes, rubbed his forehead, and when he opened them again, his eyes had stabilized, wiping away the momentary trance, and turning back into the introverted and fierce patriarch of the number one cloth merchant family in Jiangning, but after a moment, looking at a corner of the room, he still let out a long breath.

That was not a good sign.

Wu Qihao turned and walked towards his elder brother, who was sitting near the door. At this moment, the figure was a little quiet, but his eyes were a little cold. Fortunately, his elder brother was calm at this time. He was thinking about countermeasures.

“Brother.”

“Sit.” Wu Qilong glanced at him and patted the seat next to him. His panic had passed, and he was able to suppress his mood at this time. After his younger brother sat down, he said lightly: “The cloth in the warehouse is still fading. This afternoon, I met Ning Liheng outside, and then…” He paused, saw the elderly Fifth Uncle Gongzheng coming in from the door, and stood up with everyone, “Then we said something, and I realized the whole thing…”

The light of day had completely faded, the lights were brighter, and the night was getting deeper. In the Wu family's mansion, the wind stirred a little bit of fire, and one by one, people who occupied important positions in the Wu family began to gather towards the main hall.

Such as the brothers of Wu Chenghou who jointly managed the family and were qualified to participate in important matters, the distant and close relatives who truly participated in this family in business, or the younger generation who were truly valued and could already enter the hall, such as Wu Qilong and Wu Qihao, or the Wu family's predecessors who had competed with Su Yu in the business world. The Wu family, the number one cloth merchant in Jiangning, these participants who were calling the wind and rain in the business world or had once called the wind and rain, had all been alarmed by the crisis at this time and had to gather together to discuss countermeasures with one heart and one mind.

More than two months ago, even when fighting for the imperial merchant status, the Wu family did not gather even a quarter of the people here, especially the Wu family's veteran-level figures such as Fifth Uncle Gong and Eighth Uncle Gong. They were once figures who could make the Jiangning textile industry shake three times when they stomped their feet. At this time, they had already retired to enjoy their old age, but by this time, they had to come out again to deal with this dangerous situation.

More than two months ago, the Wu family was easily fighting for what they wanted. The scholar appeared a little playfully, but only did some things that made everyone laugh in a playful way, just like the light-hearted chat, speaking, and pouring tea in the tea house today. No one noticed anything, but in the past two months, the hand pouring tea finally flipped over casually in this light-hearted process, turning into a deadly killing intent, and crashing down towards these many people! (To be continued, if you want to know what happens next, please log in, there are more chapters, support the author, and support genuine reading!)

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