plumnovel Chapter 73 Night Talk at the Su Family
Chapter 73 Night Talk at the Su Family
The Su Mansion is located in the eastern part of Suzhou.
This mansion, which covers a hundred acres, is more like a garden than a residence.
The pavilions and towers are arranged in a well-organized manner, and the rockeries and ponds complement each other, revealing the exquisite and luxurious style of Jiangnan gardens.
It was late at night, but the lights were still on in the main study.
Su Changming, the head of the Su family, was a middle-aged man in his fifties with a lean face. He was sitting behind a rosewood desk, playing with a warm and smooth jade pendant in his hand.
He was sitting opposite Su Mo, who had just returned from the lantern festival.
"Mo'er, how did you feel about your conversation with Duke Lin today?" Su Changming asked slowly, his voice gentle yet authoritative.
Su Mo replied respectfully, "Father, the Duke of Lin... is unfathomable."
"Oh? Tell me more."
Su Mo sorted out his thoughts:
"First of all, his cultivation level is far more than what it appears on the surface."
When the child spoke with him, she secretly probed him with her divine sense, but was bounced back by a hidden force.
That power... was at least at the mid-stage of a Grandmaster, or even higher.
A hint of surprise flashed in Su Changming's eyes: "Late-stage Grandmaster? He's not even eighteen yet."
"Exactly." Su Mo nodded.
But that's not the most surprising thing.
The fourth wife of the Duke of Zhenguo, Xiao Yulou, who was beside him, had the cultivation level of a Grandmaster in the early stage.
Although I didn't see Yuan Tiangang at today's lantern festival, I sensed that at least four masters of grandmaster level or higher were secretly protecting him.
"Four Grandmasters..." Su Wenyuan mused, "The foundation of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion is indeed profound."
"Not only that," Su Mo continued.
"Father knows about Zuiyuexuan, right? That place that makes a fortune every day was orchestrated by Lin Chen."
The "Mr. Bai" in Zuiyuexuan is renowned for his unparalleled qin playing in the capital, and it is said that his cultivation level is above that of a grandmaster.
Not to mention Yuan Tiangang, who ranked first on the Earthly Ranking and was a half-step Celestial Being.
Su Wenyuan was silent for a moment:
"So, this Duke Zhenguo is not only incredibly powerful personally, but also commands a vast number of skilled warriors. What about the court..."
"The Empress trusts him implicitly," Su Mo said.
"He inherited the title ahead of schedule, and before he even reached adulthood, he was put in charge of the Tiger Army and the Imperial City Guard."
The Tiger Legion has 8,000 cavalrymen, and the minimum selection standard is a seventh-rank martial artist, which is considered top-tier elite in the entire Great Yan region.
The Imperial City Guard was the emperor's eyes and ears, wielding immense power.
The study fell silent for a moment.
Su Changming got up and walked to the window, gazing at the moonlight in the courtyard:
"Mo'er, what do you think of... a marriage alliance between the Su family and the Lin family?"
Su Mo wasn't surprised: "Father is referring to... Xiao Xiao?"
"At just eighteen, she is both beautiful and talented, ranking fourth on the beauty list." Su Changming turned around.
"Although Lin Chen has seven widowed sisters-in-law and has to support eight households, he also needs to marry his own legal wife. If the Su family can form a marriage alliance with him, it will greatly benefit the family."
Su Mo pondered for a moment and said:
"Father, from what I observed today, Lin Chen does indeed have feelings for Xiao Xiao, and Xiao Xiao seems to... also have feelings for him. However, what about Lin Chen's seven sisters-in-law..."
"That's not a problem," Su Wenyuan waved his hand.
"Those seven women, though widowed sisters-in-law, all came from distinguished backgrounds."
Liu Ruyan is the daughter of a military family, Chu Yueyao comes from a family of renowned physicians, Qin Shuyan comes from a scholarly family, Xiao Yulou is a saintly woman of the martial arts world, Wen Ruoxi is the daughter of a wealthy merchant, Ye Qingying has a mysterious background, and Murong Xue is a princess of Nanzhao.
This combination, coupled with Lin Chen's disregard for the reputation of shouldering responsibility for eight branches of the family, demonstrates that Lin Chen does not value social status.
He paused:
"Although the Su family is the wealthiest in Jiangnan, they do not have a deep foundation in the imperial court."
The Lin family has been a military family for generations, enjoying high prestige in the army, and now they have gained the Empress's trust.
"If a marriage alliance can be formed, the Su family will gain support from the court, and the Lin family will likely need the Su family's financial backing as well."
"Father has considered everything carefully." Su Mo nodded.
"However... this matter depends on Xiaoxiao's wishes. Xiaoxiao is gentle on the outside but strong on the inside. If she is unwilling, she cannot be forced."
Su Changming smiled: "Of course. But Mo'er, do you think Xiaoxiao would be unwilling?"
Su Mo recalled the way her younger sister looked at Lin Chen at the lantern festival; the admiration and curiosity in her bright eyes spoke volumes.
"I understand," he said, bowing.
"I will find an opportunity to test Xiaoxiao's feelings about this matter."
"Hmm." Su Changming nodded in satisfaction, then seemed to remember something else.
"By the way, regarding the Canal Gang... since Lin Chen is investigating, the Su family can secretly assist him. Those account books and evidence can be obtained by him 'accidentally'."
"What Father means is..."
"The canal gang has become increasingly audacious in recent years, even daring to touch the Su family's goods." A cold glint flashed in Su Changming's eyes.
"Since Lin Chen wants to investigate, the Su family will help him investigate to the end. This will not only do him a favor, but also remove this cancer."
Su Mo's eyes lit up: "Father is wise!"
The father and son discussed some more details until midnight, when Su Mo finally took his leave.
The study returned to silence.
Su Changming walked to the desk, opened the hidden compartment, and took out a secret report.
The secret report detailed Lin Chen's actions over the past few months...
Winning the treasure appraisal competition, the Cui family's birthday banquet, forming the Tiger Legion, and taking four women from the brothel... each and every one of these actions, seemingly those of a playboy, is actually the result of careful planning.
"Seventeen years old, seemingly at the Grandmaster level, with numerous experts under his command, and deeply favored by the Emperor..." Su Changming murmured to himself.
"The Lin family is truly poised for great success."
He put away the secret report, a resolute glint in his eyes.
The Su family must play this move well.
……
At the same time, thirty miles west of Suzhou city, in the Western Hills.
The abandoned mine, shrouded in night, was eerie and terrifying.
The dilapidated sheds creaked in the wind, and the abandoned mine shafts resembled the gaping maw of a monster.
Two dark figures silently infiltrated the mine; they were Li Hun and Sun Meng, two of the four elders of the Canal Gang.
"Old Li, the gang leader sent us to pick up something. What is it?" Sun Meng asked in a low voice.
He was burly, with a face full of fat, and spoke in a deep, muffled voice.
Li Hun was tall and thin, with a sinister look in his eyes.
"Don't ask too many questions, you'll know when you get there."
The two bypassed several work sheds and arrived at the deepest part of the mine shaft.
The entrance to the cave was hidden by vines, and it was impossible to find unless you looked carefully.
Li Hun parted the vines, revealing a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through.
He went in first, followed closely by Sun Meng.
The cave was deep and dark. After walking for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a light appeared ahead.
It was an underground space transformed from a natural cave, several tens of feet in circumference, and brightly lit.
In the center of the cave, dozens of wooden crates were piled up.
A dozen or so men in black were taking inventory of the goods.
Upon seeing Li Hun and Sun Meng, a leader-like man dressed in black stepped forward to greet them:
"Elder Li, Elder Sun, the items have been inventoried."
One hundred thousand taels of gold, one million taels of silver, three thousand weapons, and... one thousand catties of Bone-Corroding Spirit Stones.
Li Hun nodded: "Load it onto the truck and transport it away tonight."
"yes!"
The men in black began moving the wooden crates.
Sun Meng looked at the boxes, a greedy glint in his eyes: "Old Li, so much money... what is the gang leader going to do with it?"
"Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask," Li Hun said coldly. "Just do your job."
Sun Meng awkwardly shut his mouth, but his eyes couldn't help but dart towards the box.
They didn't notice the shadows at the top of the cave.
A figure, almost blending into the darkness, was lurking silently.
It was Zhang Qing, the "Cloud Piercing Arrow" among the Eight Great Vajras.
Zhang Qing held his breath, secretly alarmed.
Gold and silver were one thing, but those weapons were all standard equipment issued by the imperial court, and the Bone-Corroding Spirit Stones were even more forbidden.
If the canal gang dared to hoard these things, there must be someone supporting them behind the scenes.
"It seems the waters of the Grand Canal Gang are deeper than I imagined," Zhang Qing thought to himself.
He quietly slipped away, preparing to send the message back.
However, just as he was about to leave the cave, a strange thing happened!
A dark figure appeared silently at the cave entrance, blocking the way.
It was a person dressed in purple, with a mask covering their face, revealing only a pair of cold eyes.
He stood there, seemingly blending into the darkness; if Zhang Qing hadn't been so perceptive, he wouldn't have noticed him at all.
"Since you're here, don't leave." The purple-clad man's voice was hoarse, like the scraping of metal.
Zhang Qing's heart sank, knowing that his whereabouts had been exposed. He stopped hiding and retreated rapidly.
But he was fast, and the man in purple was even faster!
A hand shrouded in purple mist ripped through the air and grabbed at it, the air hissing wherever the palm wind passed!
Grandmaster!