Chapter 345: Find a Way (One Update)
mmediately.Lord Liao was hooked on acting, even giving the servants sly looks to make them act pitiful. "Please, esteemed gentlemen, give us a little more time! We can't walk anymore right now, it wou...Upon hearing Su Zhe's words, Xu Huaiyi wore a troubled expression and said, "Who knows what they are after Perhaps they are just feeling resentful and want revenge. After all, I severely damaged the Yao family's reputation back then. For them, a family of officials, it was a great humiliation, an unprecedented disgrace. If they didn't react at all, wouldn't that be a laughingstock"
Su Zhe shook his head. "But you have the Sun family behind you. To put it bluntly, even hitting a dog has to consider its owner. Can the Yao family really fight against the Sun family It's true that officials value face and dignity above all else. They will retaliate fiercely if provoked. But nothing is absolute. When faced with overwhelming power, they can only lower their heads and swallow their humiliation. Unless they are foolish, they wouldn't risk a futile confrontation."
Xu Huaiyi frowned and pondered, "So they're betting that I can't find out They fear me, afraid that if I rise to power, I will become a threat to their family. So they choose to destroy me before I get strong, just to be safe."
Su Zhe still shook his head, "No, I still think it's not right. If it was truly the Yao family, there must be something else hidden. Yao Changjun, that man, I've heard a bit about him. He is very low-key and cautious in everything he does. He never gets involved in trouble. His son, Yao Changyuan, is also at Jingwu Academy. Like father, like son. When things happen, he doesn't like to stick his neck out. Recently, he's gotten close to Li Yuan, only then has he had some presence..."
He hesitated for a moment, then asked in a low voice, “Could it be Li Yuan”
Xu Huaiyi smiled wryly and spread his hands, "How would I know"
"Have you had a falling out with Li Yuan"
“No, no!” Xu Huaiyi said, but his heart knew they were more than just feuding. Li Yuan had utterly tricked him, or rather, the entire Changle Houfu had been swindled. Tens of thousands of taels of silver, and even a legitimate son, had been lost. If they hadn’t actively organized relief efforts afterward to salvage their reputation, who knows what kind of abuse they would have faced from the people
When it comes to Chang Le Houfu now, the first word that comes to mind is probably "divine retribution," like lightning striking a tree. This kind of gossip is likely to follow Chang Le Houfu for life.
Behind the scenes, the people at Marquis Chang Le's mansion definitely hated him to death, but on the surface, they couldn't figure out who had done it.
Su Zhe's head ached from thinking too much, so he simply said, "This matter, you should tell your master and let the Sun family investigate. They'll definitely find out who is behind it."
Xu Huaiyi replied, "That's not very suitable."
Su Zhe was puzzled, "Why isn't it suitable You almost got tricked, and you asked your master for help. Isn't that causing trouble for him This is natural, just like when your master asks you to do something."
That's why they are master and apprentice. From the moment their relationship was established, they shared weal and woe, prosperity and adversity.
Xu Huaiyi explained, “If I went to find the master, he would definitely intervene, but that would be tantamount to making an enemy of the Sun family. Yao Changjun’s rank is not high, but his daughter married well and gave birth to a promising girl who was appointed as a county lord. Moreover, Meng's daughter became the imperial prince’s concubine. These events are interconnected; the consequences are too great…”
Su Zhe reacted, if the Sun family were to support Xu Huaiyi, then the final opponent would likely be the Crown Prince. However, the Sun family has always remained neutral, not supporting any prince or tearing face with any of them. Therefore, the final outcome is very likely to be a difficult position to escape from.
"Don't you want to make your master uncomfortable"
"Well, after all, the Sun family isn't just my master's one person."
Su Zhe looked at him, and sighed complexly, "I didn't get you wrong, you are really..."
Xu Huaiyi raised an eyebrow, "Come on, what am I supposed to be"
Su Zhe laughed and said, "He is a good man, trustworthy and worth befriending. Being your friend is my great fortune in three lifetimes."
Xu Huaiyi exaggeratedly rubbed his arms, "That's creepy! You gave me this love potion. Tell me, what kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into"
Speaking of this, Su Zhe's expression suddenly became gloomy. "It's not a big deal, just a family shame."
Xu Huaiyi's gossipy question came, "You've been performing so outstandingly lately that all the other brothers are feeling envious and hot under the collar, right"
Su Zhe nodded. "They've been secretly trying to sabotage me, causing trouble for Shuiyunxuan. Even the new shops I opened and the trade routes I established, they shamelessly reached out their hands to take a share. They're afraid that I'm doing too well and that my father will favor me."
"Didn't you tell on me to your dad"
“It's useless. The Su family has rules. Between brothers, business competition is allowed, as long as it doesn't involve taking lives. They compete by any means necessary, and the capable one takes the position. So, they schemed against me, and my father won't intervene. On the contrary, he will even fan the flames and encourage us to fight harder and fiercer.”
Xu Huaiyi took a sharp breath, "Your father's heart is big enough and hard enough..."
He can do it, but he doesn't.
Su Zhe sneered, "Otherwise, wouldn't the head of the Su family be him In his generation, there were about twenty descendants of the Su family. From so many brothers, he fought his way out and sat in that position. How could it be possible without a ruthless heart"
“Well, I suppose from his perspective he sees you two fighting as a way to sharpen each other. Like warriors sparring on the battlefield, honing each other’s skills and ultimately improving both sides' combat effectiveness. In that sense, it could be mutually beneficial. It's just... from a father's point of view, it feels a bit heartless. But…” Xu Huaiyi paused, considering the fact that they hadn't seen their father in a while, then changed his tone. “Maybe this is simply how he shows his love for you. A harsh father, a loving mother. Indulgence and overprotectiveness would only harm you.”
Su Zhe shook his head. "He's got so many sons, he uses them as pawns, pitting them against each other in a fight to the death. Only the strongest survives to become the head of the family. That's how the Su family stays rich and powerful for generations."
He paused, seeming utterly drained, unwilling to speak of it any further. He waved his hand dismissively. "Forget him. What about my brothers Do you have any advice on how to deal with them"
Xu Huaiyi pondered for a moment, "Logically speaking, if they wanted to deal with you, wouldn't it be faster and more effective to start from the source"
They're afraid to offend the Sun family, so they dare not trip you up. Otherwise, they would have sent people to suppress you long ago.
"Then I'm safe here," Xu Huaiyi suddenly realized, "They only dare to target you, trying to ruin your shop's reputation so that business suffers and the store has to close down, right"
"Well, Shui Yun Xuan was very popular recently. My elder brother, who manages Chun Shui Lou, saw this and became envious. Since his establishment wasn't as lively as Shui Yun Xuan, he got scolded by our father. He then took out his anger on me, a younger brother, provoking me to cause trouble at Shui Yun Xuan. He secretly hired people to stir up trouble there, causing the other guests to leave in annoyance and affecting their business. Originally, during the twelfth lunar month, it should have been their busiest time..."
Xu Huaiyi was puzzled, "Then why didn't you fight back You should treat others the way they treat you."
Su Zhe smiled wryly, "I know, but it's not the worst option. Making both sides suffer only benefits others, and my father certainly won't be pleased."
"That won't be easy. What are your connections to the Jingzhao Mansion Could you ask them to send a few guards to patrol several times a day That way, even if someone tries to cause trouble, they would be deterred. It would also make it easier to handle things."
Su Zhe shook his head. "Anyone who can sit in the chair of the Jingzhao Mansion's Yin must either be an extremely trusted minister by the emperor or a master manipulator. Such people wouldn't want to get involved in this kind of thing. Besides, Liu from the Jingzhao Mansion, you forgot he is backed by the Fourth Prince. He wouldn't even give the Su family face."ion Even a strong dragon doesn't bully local snakes, let alone us! We're not even strong dragons. We have no foundation at all. The fact that we've managed to survive in this cramped space is already...