Film and Television World Life Record

"Why did you become a royal merchant? It was to expand your cloth business and prove that you are worthy of this position. There are actually many ways to do that."

Su Tan'er asked in confusion, "What method?"

Li Mu picked up the piece of cloth and said, "Who knows about the cloth fading?"

Su Tan'er said, "Besides me, there is only Manager Liao."

Li Mu asked, "Is Manager Liao reliable?"

Su Tan'er said, "Manager Liao has worked in our Su family for decades. He has always been Father's right-hand man. He is cautious, reliable, and very dependable. He has been helping me with the planning of the Imperial Merchant over the years."

Li Mu nodded. Based on the information he knew, this Manager Liao was indeed reliable.

"That's good. Tell Manager Liao that no one can say anything about the fabric fading. You should also adjust your emotions and act as if nothing happened. Let people know about the operation of the Imperial Merchant, but don't be so tight-lipped. It would be best to show the bright yellow fabric to a small group of people so that everyone knows that as long as this fabric is handed over, the Imperial Merchant position is secure."

Su Tan'er was slightly surprised: "In the past, to keep things secret and avoid attracting attention, we were unwilling to reveal even a little bit. What if others get jealous and resort to underhanded tactics because we're so high-profile?"

Li Mu laughed and said, "It's good to use tricks! Since you've taken the bait, you can't blame us. We can take this opportunity to deal with those who are targeting you."

Su Tan'er was also a clever woman, and she quickly guessed Li Mu's general meaning. She hesitated and asked, "Is it okay to do this?"

Li Mu smiled and said, "We're not targeting anyone. Those who took the bait, weren't they actually trying to kill the eldest branch of the Su family? They were just a little less skilled."

Su Tan'er wasn't some naive saint, so she nodded silently upon hearing this, and the two began to discuss the specific details.

Chapter 607 Assassination

A few more days passed. At noon, a chaotic commotion suddenly broke out near the east gate of Jiangning City. At this sensitive moment, the city was inevitably thrown into a panic, and countless residents looked over, wondering what had happened.

In recent days, a large number of disaster victims have gathered outside the city, and the atmosphere inside the city has been tense and uneasy. Now, with such a big commotion, the atmosphere in the city has become even more tense.

Every household closed their doors and windows. The Su family also became vigilant, shutting their gates tightly. Some people stood guard at the entrance with sticks, while others climbed over the wall to observe the situation outside.

Soon, a group of constables came out to restore order, and the chaos outside was quickly quelled. Then news came that the city gates were closed.

In mid-July, amid a riot, Jiangning City completely closed its gates.

It is said that the riots were caused by this, as not only the residents of the city knew that Jiangning was going to close its gates, but the refugees outside the city also knew that Jiangning was going to be locked down.

With the city gates open, they still had a glimmer of hope; with the gates closed, although it wasn't that they were being abandoned, that little bit of reassurance they had vanished.

Therefore, with the city lockdown imminent, everyone wanted to sneak into the city. However, Jiangning has been strictly checking people entering the city recently. Without various documents, identity certificates, or a guarantee from a relative in Jiangning, entry is not permitted.

Jiangning really can't support too many people.

When the disaster first started and the investigations were not strict, many disaster victims mingled into the city. As food prices soared, these people could no longer afford food and were forced to become beggars. Now, the roadsides in Jiangning City are filled with people kneeling and begging.

If we let more people in, and things get out of control, they might get incited and cause a huge mess.

Just like the riots just now, some people took advantage of the reason that Jiangning was going to be locked down to incite the disaster victims to rush into the city. As the situation became more and more chaotic, the officials guarding the area made a decisive decision to close the city gates.

After the East Gate was closed, the other three gates were also closed urgently, fearing that people would incite unrest.

With the lockdown of Jiangning, the chaos subsided and order was maintained in the city. However, the city was quiet, oppressive, and filled with fear and unease, with the streets desolate and bleak.

However, people are obviously very adaptable. By the second day, everyone seemed to have adapted. Except for fewer people on the streets and no more people coming and going at the city gates, it seemed no different from usual.

At most, due to the large number of beggars and vagrants in the city, public security deteriorated rapidly, and people went out less and less, always accompanied by guards when they did.

Even the academy temporarily suspended classes, and Qin Siyuan's chess stall on the banks of the Qinhuai River was also temporarily closed.

Li Mu continued as before, spending his days reading, practicing swordsmanship, drinking tea, and strolling around. In his spare time, he would also visit Calabash Valley.

Although Hulu Valley is over thirty li long, and Jiangning is under lockdown, Li Mu can cover that distance in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, using his lightness skill. As for the city gates, which are impassable, his lightness skill makes the city walls feel like flat ground.

However, although all industries in the city were in decline, brothels and entertainment venues were becoming more and more popular. People were feeling depressed, so more people went out to have fun. They often gathered in groups of three or five, calling on friends and spending money like water, and were more extravagant than ever before.

The abnormal prosperity of brothels and entertainment venues caused the prices of rice, flour, and cooking oil in the city to skyrocket due to the city lockdown. Despite government intervention to restrict these prices, the city's residents went on a buying frenzy, and no amount of buying could stop this trend.

With such high grain prices, even more people couldn't afford to buy grain, and the number of homeless people and beggars in the city gradually increased. Some wealthy families began to distribute porridge, and the Su family was no exception.

That evening, the two continued to discuss and refine the plan, rehearsing it several times. Seeing that there were few oversights, Su Tan'er breathed a sigh of relief, ate a piece of pastry, and said, "The plan can only be implemented in a few days. There's nothing to do these few days. Tomorrow, the family will be distributing porridge at the gate of the mansion to help the disaster victims. Would you like to go and take a look, husband?"

Li Mu nodded: "Great! I haven't given out porridge to anyone yet!"

Su Tan'er smiled and said, "Tan'er has distributed porridge before. I remember when I was a child, the city gates were closed and there were refugees and beggars everywhere in the city. I followed my father to distribute porridge in front of the mansion."

"Prepare porridge and steamed buns in advance. They line up and come over. A bowl of porridge and a steamed bun are enough for a meal. Seeing their happy faces when the food is placed in their hands makes me very happy."

……

The next day, upon hearing that the Su family was providing disaster relief and distributing porridge, families in the vicinity who had run out of food, as well as refugees and beggars, gathered around.

The Su family had also made preparations, with pots of cooked porridge and baskets of steamed buns laid out.

The disaster relief efforts at this time were almost identical to what was seen on television. The servants of the Su family directed the disaster victims to line up in several rows, and each person was given a large spoonful of porridge and a small steamed bun.

Although the amount was small, it was enough to keep these people, who looked pale and had run out of food, through the ordeal.

Some people expressed their gratitude profusely, some remained silent, and some looked numb. The Su family's act of distributing porridge was not just about doing good deeds, but also about gaining a reputation for charity and becoming a righteous businessperson, which could be considered killing two birds with one stone.

Halfway through distributing the items, Su Tan'er came over happily and said, "Father is here too."

"Oh!" Li Mu turned his head and saw a carriage parting the crowded people and stopping at the gate of the mansion. Instead of returning to the mansion, it went to the place where porridge was being distributed.

After exchanging greetings and a few words of laughter with Li Mu, Su Boyong looked at Su Tan'er and couldn't help but advise, "You didn't look too well the other day. You should rest more and not overwork yourself."

Su Tan'er nodded: "I know, it's all over now." She was really worried about the matter of the royal merchant a few days ago.

After exchanging a few words, Su Boyong, as the head of the eldest branch of the Su family, also came to the long table and began to distribute steamed buns.

Su Tan'er and Li Mu exchanged a few jokes and were about to run over to distribute porridge when there seemed to be a small disturbance among the disaster victims.

In the queue where Su Boyong was distributing steamed buns, someone squeezed forward, seemingly trying to cut in line, but the people in line wouldn't allow it, causing a little commotion.

What seemed normal, Li Mu knew, was actually orchestrated by people disguised as disaster victims to assassinate Su Boyong.

Taking advantage of the servants' momentary lapse in attention, the man squeezed to the front of the line. Su Boyong didn't pay him any mind, and took out a steamed bun to hand it over. But the man silently slipped a dagger from his sleeve, lunged forward, and was about to crash into him, knife and all.

At this moment, Su Boyong finally realized something was wrong, but it was too late to retreat; he was about to die on the spot. A few feet away, Su Tan'er, who already possessed martial arts skills and had sharp hearing and keen senses, also realized the danger. She reached out to grab the short sword at her waist, but it was too late to save him.

Just then, a steamed bun flew by. It seemed to move very slowly, but it was incredibly fast. Just as the man was about to crash into Su Boyong with his knife, the steamed bun struck him silently. He flew back a few steps and crashed into the disaster victims behind him, rolling on the ground with a thud. The gleaming dagger in his hand also fell to the ground.

The steamed bun that bumped into the person bounced back onto the table without even breaking its skin.

Only then did everyone realize what was happening. Someone shouted that there was an assassin. Several servants who were maintaining order rushed forward and subdued the man before he could pick up the dagger.

Su Boyong was still in shock and his face was pale. Su Tan'er quickly ran over, drew her sword, and stood guard beside him, fearing that there might be a second assassin.

Fortunately, there were probably a few others keeping watch and observing the situation, but this one was the only one who took action.

The Su family, accustomed to grand occasions, quickly brought the chaotic situation under control. Su Boyong was helped back to his residence, and the porridge distribution continued.

Back at the manor, after Su Boyong had calmed down, the guards who had been interrogating the man reported back that the man had confessed almost immediately, explaining the reasons for the assassination attempt clearly.

The Su family's main hall was now packed with people. Geng, the head guard, cautiously observed the crowd, seemingly hesitant to speak. Finally, he whispered his report: "According to that man, his name is Chen Er. He was originally from Jiayu, Ezhou. He said that three years ago, when the Su family opened a shop in Ezhou and acquired land, they hired local thugs to drive his family out of their original residence. His mother died as a result, and he and his family moved to a low-lying area."

"Because of the severe floods this year, his family was too poor to escape in time, and his wife and children all died as a result. This time, he escaped to Jiangning and saw the Su family. He suddenly felt murderous and attacked them. This man had a travel permit and spoke with an Ezhou accent... His identity does not seem to be fake."

After saying that, Guard Geng remained silent.

Everyone fell silent for a moment. Under the old master's strict discipline, the Su family had always managed the household affairs very strictly. However, these matters were basically handled by the managers below, so it was hard to say exactly how they were handled.

The old man was silent for a moment, then tapped the ground with his cane and said, "We must find out whether this matter is true or false, and see if it is my Su family that is wrong, or if someone is stirring up trouble behind the scenes."

He then instructed the steward, "Investigate. Use all available connections to find out about Chen Er's background. Investigate inside and outside the city, all the way to Ezhou. Make sure the manager in charge of Ezhou finds out if this happened three years ago..."

"Choosing to act after the city gates are closed, when communication is slow, suggests that someone is plotting behind this, such as assassination or counterattack... This shows how ruthless this person is. We must investigate this matter thoroughly."

However, the investigation had just begun when, in less than half a day, the news that the Su family had been driven to ruin and that Su Boyong had been assassinated in the street by his victim had spread like wildfire throughout Jiangning City.

Now, there's no need to guess anymore; someone is indeed plotting behind the scenes.

Leaving aside how Chen Er, a refugee fleeing from disaster, managed to enter Jiangning City smoothly, and how he was arrested on the spot without leaking any information, how his story became the talk of the town in just half a day.

You should know that Jiangning City today is full of beggars and vagrants, and the public order is in a mess. Fights, brawls, injuries, and even murders are not uncommon. An attempted assassination will not cause much of a stir.

Nobody believes that someone is behind this.

Old Master Su slammed his cane heavily on the ground, swearing through gritted teeth, "It seems... someone really... wants to harm my Su family..."

Merchants value their reputation above all else. Such a devastating act, which led to the ruin of a family, would be a huge blow to the entire Su family once word got out. With their reputation tarnished, not only would business become difficult, but they would also lose the right to compete for the title of Imperial Merchant.

In the small courtyard, Su Tan'er looked distressed: "How could this happen? Someone is targeting the Su family like this. And what about Chen Er? Is it true? The city gates are closed now, and news is not flowing smoothly. It's also very chaotic outside. It will probably take a month or two to find out the truth."

Li Mu said, "Actually, it's very simple to find out whether what Chen Er said is true or false."

Su Tan'er turned her head to look at her.

Li Mu smiled and said, "I taught you all your martial arts. Don't believe what your husband says."

Su Tan'er said, "Father said that people will be sent to the government for punishment later, so we can't use torture in private. At least we can't let people find out, so as not to cause trouble."

Li Mu said, "Don't worry."

Half an incense stick later, after performing the Tendon-Dislocating and Bone-Breaking Technique once, Chen Er explained everything clearly.

He was indeed from Jiayu, Ezhou, but he was a gambler. Three years ago, the Su family opened a shop in Ezhou and acquired land. Chen Er's land was indeed acquired, and the price was the market price.

Chen Er's neighbors all agreed. Because Chen Er had gambling debts and wanted a high price, he had caused trouble many times, and the Su family's manager had indeed hired local thugs to teach him a lesson.

However, his mother did not die because of this. Chen Er took the money from the land sale but did not use it to buy a new house. Instead, he went to the gambling den and did not return home for several days and nights. When he finally returned home, he had lost most of the money from the land sale, and his mother died of anger on the spot.

His new home was indeed flooded, mainly because he lost money gambling and couldn't afford a new house. He could only build a few thatched huts in a low-lying area, which were completely destroyed by the flood.

As for the claim that his wife and children were unable to escape and all died in the flood, that is obviously false.