Although the Zhao family is wealthy and powerful, they are not a deeply rooted clan. They only started to prosper under Zhao Quan, so getting rid of Zhao Quan is not a difficult task.
All the evidence irrefuted Zhao Quan's plot to kill and his collusion with Wang He to retaliate against the Zhao family. In addition, He Yu was unyielding and upright. In just one day, the Zhao family in Suzhou was raided and had no chance of recovery.
However, this still left Jiang Bai and Zhao Yi somewhat worried.
They need to find new pharmaceutical companies to partner with.
The day after the Zhao family of Suzhou fell into decline, Jiang Bai and Zhao Yi went early in the morning to all the medicine shops in Jiangnan to discuss cooperation with them one by one.
But once Zhao Quan fell from power, these old herbal medicine shops pounced on their prey like hungry tigers, vying for the top spot in Suzhou's herbal medicine business, and no one paid any attention to them anymore.
Jiang Bai thought to himself, "These businessmen are short-sighted."
As the sun sets, all the shops begin to close, and the whole street suddenly becomes somewhat desolate before the night market begins.
Jiang Bai and Zhao Yi walked side by side on the bluestone path, the twilight stretching their shadows long.
"I haven't been able to find a suitable merchant all day," Jiang Bai said, feeling somewhat dejected.
She never expected these businessmen to be so short-sighted.
Zhao Yi took her hand and said reassuringly, "We've seen what's inside the city, and there's still what's outside. We'll go take a look tomorrow. There's always a way out."
Jiang Bai nodded.
At this moment, a young waiter came running up from behind. He seemed to have been running for a long time; his face was flushed and he was panting as he spoke.
"Gentlemen... gentlemen, please wait a moment."
Jiang Bai and Zhao Yi turned around upon hearing the voice and saw a completely unfamiliar person.
"Who are you......"
"Bosses, I am a servant of the Su family in Suzhou. Our boss would like to have a talk with you."
Jiang Bai frowned slightly; she didn't seem to have heard of the Su family today.
"Hearing that you were looking for a medicinal herb merchant, our master heard about this and specially sent me to catch up with you."
Jiang Bai and Zhao Yi were also quite surprised, thinking that this might be an opportunity.
"Please." Jiang Baixu raised his hand.
"Alright, please follow me, gentlemen." The servant smiled happily, and his actions and words were quite sensible. He led the two men to the Su residence.
The Su family was originally a powerful family in Suzhou, but for some unknown reason they suddenly disappeared. Their businesses and shops in the capital gradually closed down or became exclusive stores, and they slowly withdrew from this place of trouble.
Jiang Bai heard all of this from the young man on the way.
"To be honest, our Su family has some grudges with Zhao Quan. My husband also disapproves of Zhao Quan's behavior of disrupting the market and monopolizing the market. After several unsuccessful attempts to persuade him, he has become too lazy to manage the matter."
The servant spoke slowly and deliberately, and Jiang Bai listened while looking around the Su residence.
Compared to Zhao Quan's residence, Su's mansion was much more elegant, exuding the charm of Jiangnan, with small bridges, flowing water, artificial hills and rocks, and winding corridors. The entire mansion was grand yet exquisite.
The elegant style reveals the artistic and cultural background of the homeowner.
This is the kind of temperament that a great family should possess.
Jiang Bai had already formed a good impression of this patriarch of the Su family.
Seeing that Jiang Bai seemed very interested in the Su residence, the servant continued, "This Su residence was designed by our master himself; it is one of the finest courtyards in Suzhou."
Jiang Bai and Zhao Yi nodded.
The servant returned to the previous topic: "Our master knows that all the merchants in Suzhou are now fighting tooth and nail for Zhao Quan's coveted prize, and he's sure to disappoint you two. That's why he sent me to find you."
Jiang Bai's side was somewhat puzzled. Was this Master Su some kind of bodhisattva reincarnated? Why was he helping them so much?
As they were thinking this, the group had already passed through the outer corridors and gardens and arrived at the main courtyard.
From a distance, one could hear the soft, melodious sounds of Suzhou storytelling coming from the main hall of the courtyard.
The waiter exchanged a few words with Jiang Bai and then went inside to report. A moment later, the sounds inside stopped abruptly, and an old man emerged. The old man had white hair and beard, and his spirit was bright and his demeanor refined.
He and his companions came out to personally greet Jiang Bai and Zhao Yi.
"You two have arrived."
Jiang Bai and Zhao Yi clasped their hands in a respectful greeting: "Boss Su."
Su Mu returned the greeting and led the two into the main hall.
"Please sit down, both of you. There's no need to be so formal."
“Mr. Su, I’m a straightforward person, so I’ll get straight to the point.”
Su Mu smiled and said, "Mr. Jiang, please feel free to do as you please."
"I heard from the guy that Boss Su wants to cooperate with us?"
Su Mu nodded: "That's right. Today, my men heard that someone in Suzhou wanted to buy a large amount of medicinal herbs. I had previously heard that someone in the capital was cooperating with Zhao Quan, but Zhao Quan broke the contract, so that person came to our door."
"After the Zhao family's decline, you should continue to find a successor, but the current situation in the city is not optimistic."
Jiang Bai couldn't help but admire the old man in front of him even more; all his guesses were very accurate and his insight was unique.
“That’s right. We’ve been searching the city for a whole day, and now all the businesses in the city are scrambling to figure out how to replace Zhao Quan.”
At this point, Su Mu let out a long sigh.
"Our Suzhou people are honest and simple. For generations, merchants have thrived because of their integrity and pure hearts. But now Zhao Quan has turned it into this mess." Su Mu said with a hint of indignation.
Jiang Bai could only imagine the deep-seated grudge between Zhao Quan and the Su family, given that such an old man could act this way.
"Do you mean you're no longer a businessman?" Although it wasn't a good thing to say it that way, Jiang Bai was, after all, a businessman, and she couldn't risk it herself.
If the Su family is just an empty shell, then we will be the ones who suffer in the end.
Su Mu laughed a few times: "You little girl, you're really clever."
Jiang Bai smiled and said, "Boss Su, we're all businessmen, so naturally we prioritize profit."
Su Mu looked at Jiang Bai with a hint of appreciation in her eyes: "I think you are much more straightforward and frank than those people. You are a good prospect."
"Businessmen value mutual benefit. You come from the capital and are the owners of Yipin Pavilion, making you a very good business partner."
Jiang Bai felt that this was the real reason Su Mu had sent them.
Although Su Mu is old, he is still as sharp as ever.
He could see the value of Yipin Pavilion.
“I also know about your Yipin Pavilion. It has sprung up like mushrooms after rain in just three months. Its momentum is so rapid that its future potential is immeasurable.”
In addition, based on his conversation with Jiang Bai, he could tell that this little girl was no ordinary person.
“Although my Su family claims to have withdrawn from business in Jiangnan, that’s just a smokescreen.” Su Mu stood up.
"My Su family's real estate is ancestral property. We have been cultivating medicinal herbs for generations and have dealings with pharmaceutical merchants all over the world. Compared to the Zhao family, we are your best choice."
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