Carrying the little lucky star, leading the villain on the road to exile

Chapter 576, Section 577: Past Events

With the arrival of Madam Bai and her group, coupled with a helmsman familiar with the seas, Gu Kaiyuan decided to conduct a trial voyage during this high tide.

Bai Suihe, holding the child, watched the ship sail away before following Madam Bai back with some disappointment.

"Alright, we still need to abide by the rules," Madam Bai knew what he was thinking. She still held the sea in awe and felt that the rules passed down by fishermen for thousands of years had some merit.

Bai Suihe didn't argue with her. Just because she wasn't going on the boat now didn't mean she couldn't go on it next time.

There are too many rules here. For first-time boarders, in addition to their zodiac sign, their birth date and time are also considered, and the fortune teller uses these to determine the travel time.

"Sister," Bai Jiannan said, holding his little niece, "your shipyard is still under construction. What's going on? How big of a fleet are you planning to build?"

"I don't know yet, it depends on your needs," Bai Suihe replied directly. "What's wrong? Do you want to give your older sister a break? If you want it, I can give you a discount."

Bai Jiannan said, "I won't bother. I'll just ask for a share when I come over and get some benefits from you."

My father told me privately, "If we act decisively now and try to seize the initiative, the imperial court will probably take action soon."

Bai Suihe: "What news did Father receive?"

This seasoned veteran of the business world, and someone from the Bai family, must have his own sources of information.

"The imperial court wants to open up the seas," Bai Jiannan said, seeing that it was just his family there.

Bai Suihe was somewhat puzzled. Was the imperial court going to open up the seas?
Gu Kaiyuan didn't have these things in his previous life, otherwise he wouldn't have kept quiet about them.

"The sea is not calm. Shouldn't the imperial court send troops to suppress it first?"

"The imperial court wants to establish a navy," Bai Jiannan said, looking at the coastline ahead, "but the court is still arguing about this matter."

The court is now divided into several factions, each with its own interests and plans.

For every person who advocates for it, there is someone who opposes it.

"What exactly are they advocating?" Is that so farsighted?
"Heh, those who advocate for it are specifically targeting those who oppose it."

Why are they opposing it?

Bai Jiannan glanced at her. He had previously thought this older sister was quite shrewd, but this time when they met, something seemed off.
"Those who oppose it are those who own a share of the market in these maritime merchant fleets, and of course they don't want the imperial court to take a piece of the pie."

Bai Suihe slapped her forehead. How could she not have thought of this? It seems she can't go to sea. Her mind just didn't work out for a moment.

"That makes sense. If the imperial court gets involved, then everyone's interests will be diluted."

Who won and who lost in the end?

“How would I know? Father won’t give me any of the threads he has now.” Bai Jiannan’s voice was full of resentment. “I don’t know what he’s trying to do by hiding them. Does he want to give them to those illegitimate sons?”

The sons of illegitimate children were of varying abilities, and they received different portions of the family property. Some became rich overnight and began to squander it recklessly.

Some people, however, are content with the status quo, neither buying land nor farmland, and they don't know what to do with the silver they've been allocated.
Such short-sightedness, who knows if they'll just squander their wealth. "Your father is just reluctant to relinquish power," Madam Bai knew Bai Jingwen well enough. "Don't worry, what's yours is yours, no one can take it away."

Besides, it's right that he's not handing those relationships over to you now; sometimes, his old face is still worth using.

If anything truly significant happens, he wouldn't fail to inform you. You should focus on developing your own businesses and building your networks; what you have yourself is truly yours.

Madam Bai had her own ulterior motives. She knew all about the network of connections Bai Jingwen had. Dealing with those important people required not only a humble attitude but also frequent offerings. Bai Jingwen was reluctant to let go, so it would be best if she could keep holding on to them forever.

It's really hard on him to do this for such a ridiculous amount of power and face.

“But he’s got me by the neck after all,” Bai Jiannan thought. It felt good to be in charge, but he wanted more.

"That's all your father does for fun," Madam Bai joked. "Since the family fortune has already been divided among you, just think of him as an intelligence chief. Do you think he wouldn't tell you what you want to know?"

Bai Suihe echoed, "Mom is right. Just treat him as the worker you trust the most. He's our own father; he wouldn't cheat us."

Now, Bai Jiannan is in charge of the Bai family, so even for the sake of the Bai family, Bai Jingwen has to be careful.

Bai Jiannan: "I know all of this, but the thought of having to share these resources with others still makes me feel uneasy."

“You are not as good as your father in this respect,” Madam Bai said earnestly. “The reason he is so fixated on this last bit of power is probably to give you a warning.”

"You've only been the head of the family for a short time, and you already want more? Your ambitions are getting too big; that's dangerous."

Bai Suihe glanced at Madam Bai, wanting to reprimand her son, "At least try to avoid me a little. How are they going to get along as siblings in the future?"

Madam Bai didn't think of this. She felt that they were all family and there was no shame in it. "You can't become arrogant just because outsiders flatter you."

Everything you have now is thanks to your father and the prescriptions your sister gave you. It is thanks to these two things that you have been able to quickly gain a foothold.

Believe it or not, anyone else in that position could do just as well, given that starting point.

Bai Jiannan's face stiffened. "Mother, have someone keep an eye on me."

Madam Bai, "Do I really need to send someone to keep an eye on you? I see every change in you every day. Those around you are probably just using all sorts of flowery words to flatter you."

Back then, your father was the same way. I was already married to him then, and he was even older than you, but he was still the same. He became arrogant as soon as he became the head of the family.

Back then, as soon as your grandmother noticed any signs of trouble, she would force him to kneel in front of the ancestral hall for three days and three nights before asking him if he had reflected on his actions.
Your grandmother didn't say anything to him at the time, so your father naturally didn't receive any guidance. He was just punished for three days without even knowing what he had done wrong.

Upon hearing this unheard-of embarrassing story, Bai Jiannan's previous unease vanished, and he began to listen intently. It turned out that his father had acted similarly when he was young; he wondered who had gone even further.

"And then what happened?" Bai Suihe had figured it out; Madam Bai was teaching her son a lesson, and she tactfully offered her support.

"Later, your father never regretted it. After being released, he continued to hang out with those bad friends and spent his days indulging in debauchery. It was around that time that he brought his first concubine back."

Bai Suihe stepped forward and took Madam Bai's hand. At this moment, she didn't care and could casually tell it as a joke, but she must have been seriously injured at the time.