Chapter 175 Xie Shan
"Stop arguing."
Xie Xuchuan let out a loud shout.
"This matter..."
He swallowed hard and looked at Xie Boyu with great difficulty: "Father, I believe that what happened today was not done by my second uncle, nor was it due to my mistake."
"The fire today is unusual, and the two places on fire are far apart, which clearly indicates that someone deliberately set the fire."
"But with such a large fire, no one was injured or killed, which shows that the other party did not intend to harm anyone."
After arguing all day and trying to appease the craftsman, it's quite remarkable that they can still speak now.
Xie Xuchuan's throat tightened as he forced back his dry throat: "The other party targeted the warehouse and weaving workshop, which means that what they want to do is cut off the Xie family's business opportunities. The person who did this probably has an old grudge against the Xie family."
“We shouldn’t be arguing anymore. We should listen to Uncle San and find out who truly hates the Xie family to the core.”
Xie Jingyuan nodded wearily.
At this point, Xie Xuchuan looked troubled: "I really can't imagine someone who hates the Xie family this much... Shouldn't we ask Grandmother about this?"
"no."
Xie Boyu shook his head: "My mother's body simply cannot withstand such a blow."
The destruction of the warehouse and looms set the Xie family back more than a decade overnight! This was nothing short of a thunderbolt for Xie San Niang, who had already suffered a series of blows.
Her body simply couldn't hold on.
Xie Chengzhi remained silent, while Xie Jingyuan stood still, feeling conflicted.
After a long while, Hua Nanzhi said, "Let's ask Mother. There is such an enemy in the shadows who can enter the weaving and dyeing garden and set fire to it without us having him caught. We will never be at ease."
Moreover, Xie San Niang's health was only being maintained with medication; she only had a few days left to live.
Instead, you might as well ask some useful questions.
Although she didn't say it aloud, everyone present understood what she meant.
Xie Xuchuan remained silent, seemingly agreeing with his mother's statement.
The Xie family's business is closely related to the eldest son's branch of the family, but Xie Jingyuan does not want his mother to be restless before she passes away because of this matter.
But he had an older brother, so he couldn't easily refute his sister-in-law's words.
Surprisingly, Xie Chengzhi didn't jump out either.
Zheng Shu nodded and said, "Yes, yes, go and ask Mother quickly. Under the management of your eldest son's family, such a big problem has occurred in the weaving and dyeing garden. Do you still want to hide it from Mother?"
The old lady should know that the Xie family's business will fall apart sooner or later if it is handed over to the eldest son's family!
"no."
Xie Boyu's expression was stern and his attitude resolute: "No, this matter cannot be brought to Mother's attention. Anyone who dares to disturb Mother's peace before she passes away will be met with my ruthlessness."
Xie Jingyuan said, "There aren't many people in Suzhou Prefecture who would target the Xie family like this and have a grudge against them. The only ones I can think of are the two that have recently emerged."
“The Cui Cui Fang and Ji Xia Zhuang seem to have appeared out of nowhere overnight, and we hadn’t heard of them doing anything before.”
"In the competition of sample fabrics from the Prince's Mansion, although the Xie family did not produce their best work, it is really undeserved that they fell to fourth place."
"How did Xie Cui Fang's skills leap forward overnight? And why did Ji Xia Zhuang use my Xie family's brocade as a sample?"
"Perhaps there is someone behind these two families who wants to target the Xie family and remove the Xie family's position in Suzhou Prefecture."
Xie Jingyuan frowned slightly: "Jixia Manor is backed by Yuan Xu. Is it possible that Yuan Xu wants to support someone to replace the Xie family?"
"After all, he never invited us to his private banquet, which shows that he harbors ill will towards the Xie family, even if that ill will comes out of nowhere."
Upon hearing this, Xie Boyu also fell into deep thought.
Xie Jingyuan added, "And this Xie Cui Fang is also quite suspicious. When did it emerge that it could simultaneously suppress the techniques of the Xie and Shen families in Suzhou Prefecture?"
"Brother, you went to the Textile and Dyeing Bureau that day, what did you possibly notice?"
His question made Xie Boyu's face darken, and he then glared angrily at Xie Chengzhi.
It was too dark for Xie Chengzhi to see.
Shen Yuanzhu and Xie Qi, however, both fell silent upon hearing this.
Xie Qi touched his nose, thinking to himself that his third uncle was indeed intelligent, but in recent years he had been suppressed by his two older brothers and had paid little attention to the family business.
Even when he occasionally went to help out at the shop, he usually handled things very well.
It's just a pity...
“I think… it shouldn’t be Xiecui Fang.”
Shen Yuanzhu stood to the side and spoke softly.
Zheng Shu snorted coldly: "Do you even have the right to speak here?"
“I have no right to speak here, but Second Aunt…”
Shen Yuanzhu said in a sweet tone: "In the cloth sample competition at the Prince's Mansion, Xie Cui Fang's weaving and dyeing techniques far surpassed those of the Xie family. Is it really necessary for them to go to such lengths to deal with a defeated opponent who is covered in dust?"
"If you ask me, isn't this just being a busybody, looking for trouble?"
Xie Boyu glanced at Xie Chengzhi and then spoke up, "It's not Xiecuifang."
Burning down the family property that you've been longing to seize is no different from taking the second son's life.
Shen Yuanzhu said, "Father is wise."
After saying that, she blinked slightly and then said, "But what Third Uncle said makes a lot of sense. The actions of Xiazhuang this time are indeed too strange."
"Taking the Xie family's brocade as a sample fabric is already puzzling enough, could this be..."
Hua Nanzhi spoke up: "Could it be something else?"
"Could this be a warning from Eunuch Yuan that he intends to use Jixia Manor to take over the Xie family?"
"Um?"
Xie Qi snorted softly upon hearing this.
Shen Yuanzhu ignored him and continued to sow discord between the two families: "Using Xie's brocade as sample cloth is an attempt to encroach on Xie's position in Suzhou Prefecture. This shows that Jixia Manor's wolfish ambitions have been evident for some time."
That makes sense.
Just as Xie Boyu was nodding, Granny Li, who had served Xie San Niang her whole life, came over.
"Gentlemen, the old lady wants you all to go to Suxuezhai. She said that something happened in the family and you don't need to hide it from her. You can't hide it from her even if you want to."
Xie Boyu was furious: "Who went around gossiping to Mother?"
Granny Li waved her hand: "No one. The old lady hasn't seen anyone all day, so she already knows what's going on and wants you to hurry up and go."
Upon hearing this, Xie Boyu glanced at Hua Nanzhi, then turned and left.
He didn't understand why Hua Nanzhi was meddling in men's affairs all day long. Her job was to raise her children and take good care of her mother-in-law...
Now, she can't hide anything from her mother anymore.
Hua Nanzhi felt a lump in her throat, a feeling of choking her that made her uncomfortable.
After a long silence, Xie Xuchuan said, "Let's go. Grandmother will make a decision about this matter."
The group headed towards Suxuezhai, with Xie Xuchuan lagging behind, his eyes fixed on Shen Yuanzhu's back, his hands clenched tightly.
Only after entering Xie San Niang's room did he slowly loosen his grip, pretending to be nonchalant.
Xie San Niang leaned against the bed, with Jiang Zao squatting helplessly at her feet. Upon seeing the crowd, she took two steps back to make way for them.
"Tell me, what happened?"
"nothing."
Xie San Niang glanced at Xie Boyu, then looked at Hua Nanzhi and said, "You speak."
Hua Nanzhi, clutching a handkerchief, said bluntly, "Today, someone set fire to the textile and dyeing plantation, burning down the warehouse and many looms..."
Xie San Niang suddenly stood up: "What?"
Her voice was shrill, and she enunciated each word as if she were weeping blood.
After a long while, she suddenly burst into laughter, muttering like a madwoman, "Xie Shan... Xie Shan..."
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