Chen Xingchen was no fool.
Having heard this much, how could he still fail to grasp Pei Shaohuai’s meaning? He smiled and said: “So Little Brother Huai has also come as a persuader. But you are quite different from the others — you did not preach to me about the supremacy of essays, nor did you go on at length praising the virtues of high office and generous pay, so I actually took some of it to heart.”
“You couldn’t stand the other approaches.”
Pei Shaohuai knew that Chen Xingchen possessed a certain loftiness and proud independence.
Chen Xingchen continued: “Little Brother Huai, if you wish to persuade me today, you will still need to answer two questions of mine. First — to what position must I rise before I can be considered ‘the one in charge’?”
“‘Ten thousand valleys filled with towering trees, a thousand mountains resounding with the call of the cuckoo’ — naturally, the higher one stands, the further one’s voice carries,” Pei Shaohuai said. “If Chen Xingchen could hold a position in the Ministry of Works, you could let people know that overseeing construction and engineering does not depend on fine prose. If Chen Xingchen were to enter the Ministry of War, you could apply mathematics and natural investigation to forge elite soldiers and sharp weapons, strengthening military might. Or again, if you could become a great scholar and academician, taking on the responsibilities of an academic supervisor, your students would naturally follow in advancing the study of mathematics. No matter what position you hold, your voice will always find people to hear it — the only difference is how many hear it.”
“So I must still sit the imperial examinations, and climb as high as I can, so that more people can hear my voice?”
“Indeed.”
This was a path that could not be circumvented.
For Chen Xingchen it was so, and for Pei Shaohuai, was it not equally so?
Chen Xingchen grew somewhat excited and, filled with longing, said: “Hearing you speak like this fills me with a sudden surge of passionate ambition — I truly want to throw myself into something great.”
For mathematics to be valued and utilized by the world, rather than remaining a marginal entry among the Six Arts, was exactly what Chen Xingchen longed for.
“Chen Xingchen should still begin with what is at hand,” Pei Shaohuai said.
“I understand.”
That Pei Shaohuai could persuade Chen Xingchen came down to the fact that Chen Xingchen was genuinely a person of promise. “The sun and moon move in their courses, the stars and constellations proceed in their paths” — in giving him this name, the Chen family had already infused into it a measure of the vast meaning of all things under heaven cycling and renewing in perpetual succession.
And from Chen Xingchen’s manner of speaking, it was clear that though he had no fondness for the eight-legged essay, he did possess a degree of learning and substance — otherwise it would have been impossible for him to pass the examination and earn his Scholar’s degree on a single attempt.
These were all the preconditions that made Pei Shaohuai’s persuasion possible.
“And the second question?” Pei Shaohuai asked.
“Since Little Brother Huai excels at both the eight-legged essay and at mathematics and natural investigation, between the two, which does he prefer?” Chen Xingchen asked curiously, with a hint of teasing.
Pei Shaohuai lifted his cup of tea and replied: “I prefer sitting at home in leisure, drinking tea.”
Who has never had a moment of wanting to idle away the time?
……
From then on, Chen Xingchen devoted half of each day to studying essays, and the strength of his writing improved at a rapid pace.
The depth of the Jinchang Marquis household’s foundation could be seen through him.
The Marquis was greatly pleased, and rather than sending gifts in thanks to Pei Shaohuai, he instead said to the younger members of the household: “The Jingchuan Earl’s manor has always been upright and clean in conduct, and their younger generations are diligent and free of bad habits. In your spare time, you may call upon them — let the two households draw closer.”
The Marquis’s consideration extended beyond Chen Xingchen alone. It also lay in the fact that the grandchildren of the Jingchuan Earl’s manor were genuinely making progress. “The green shoots in the garden, awaiting the morning dew and the rising sun” — they held promise and could be looked forward to.
And so, one of Pei Shaohuai’s private hopes was neatly fulfilled.
The events of these past years, one after another, had kept telling Pei Shaohuai — he was far from as strong as he had imagined himself to be. To rely solely on his and his younger brother Jin’s rise to hold up the Earl’s manor was not something that could be accomplished overnight.
The Jinchang Marquis household was undoubtedly an excellent choice for building connections.
……
The grandchildren of the two households naturally exchanged scholarly knowledge with one another — that went without saying. But the women of the household had also begun to interact more.
The Old Madam received an invitation from the Marchioness, who said the crabs were plump and rich with roe in autumn, and invited the Old Madam to bring her daughters-in-law and granddaughters to the Marquis household for a banquet and some family conversation.
The Earl’s manor had received many invitations over these past years, but most were for large gatherings. An invitation like this one — one household to another — was still quite rare.
Lin Shi managed the household and was troubled about what suitable gift to bring — too costly or too light, she could not make up her mind.
Among women, sending Hangzhou brocade or Shu silk as a gift was perfectly fitting, and the Earl’s manor happened to have these in stock. But since the Lin family was in this very line of business, she feared the other party might find it tinged with a merchant air.
Pei Shaohuai reassured her: “Mother need not overthink it. The Marchioness has sent the invitation, which means she is not the sort of person to be particular about such things. Mother need only go as she always does, with full ease and naturalness.”
At the banquet, the women of the two households were all in perfect harmony. The Marchioness brought her two daughters-in-law and the third granddaughter, who had not yet married out, to be the hostesses, along with a small girl of two or three years — the great-granddaughter of the Marchioness.
Ying Jie’er and the third young miss were acquainted with one another and sat together, chatting with great ease.
The Marchioness praised Ying Jie’er, saying: “At last year’s coming-of-age ceremony, grand-niece wore a long skirted garment and a hairpin crown, and gave off an impression of dignified grace. Today, in everyday dress, you have a clear and delicate beauty about you — truly a young woman of both inner cultivation and outer refinement.” She then asked Ying Jie’er what books she usually read.
Ying Jie’er answered truthfully.
The Marchioness laughed warmly and said to the Old Madam Pei: “It is good for women to read — reading clarifies one’s judgment and sharpens one’s understanding. My three daughters-in-law were all chosen from the families of scholars, and every one of my grandsons loves to read as well.” The Marchioness came from the household of a great scholar and naturally favored women reading widely.
The Old Madam Pei also smiled and said: “Elder Sister is quite right — when the grandchildren love to read, we elders save ourselves a great deal of worry.”
Midway through the banquet, the little girl of the Chen household had grown tired of eating and was pestering the adults for a soft persimmon.
The soft persimmons of autumn were at their sweetest and most refreshing.
The adults could not refuse her, and so had a servant go and fetch a plateful.
Upon hearing this, Ying Jie’er’s brow furrowed ever so slightly. She opened her mouth, then closed it again, and leaned over to whisper a few words into the ear of the Chen third young miss. Persimmons should not be eaten together with crab — a small child especially would not be able to withstand the combination.
The Chen third young miss understood at once and rose gracefully, slipped out, and intercepted the persimmons — she had the servant bring in a bowl of warm, sweet rice broth instead.
These small gestures naturally did not escape the Marchioness’s eyes.
After the banquet concluded, the two daughters-in-law of the Chen household made arrangements with Lin Shi that another day they would come to visit the Pei family’s theatre building and fabric shop, and learn some things from Lin Shi.
……
Medicinal Supervisor Tian successfully left the palace and moved into the small courtyard Ying Jie’er had purchased for her — just one li from the Earl’s manor. Medicinal Supervisor Tian brought the two children over from the clan, and the household settled into place.
Ying Jie’er came by from time to time to ask Medicinal Supervisor Tian about the techniques of visual inspection, listening, inquiry, and palpation, and also received quite a number of improved medical prescriptions from her.
She gained a great deal.
Ying Jie’er spent half her time following her mother to manage the affairs of the household, and the other half studying medical principles — steady and unhurried, she gradually recovered the liveliness of her former days.
In the small amount of time that remained, Ying Jie’er would from time to time make some pastries and tea for her younger brother, deliver them in person, and share a few words of conversation between sister and brother.
Autumn air was dry and parching. That day, Ying Jie’er had made some osmanthus honey-glazed red lotus root, and also brewed a pot of chrysanthemum tea, which she brought to Pei Shaohuai.
The courtyard was quiet. The page boy on door duty was dozing with his back against the doorframe. Ying Jie’er could not be bothered to wake him, and simply went directly into the study with her maid Fu Dong.
Reaching the study, just as she was about to call out to her younger brother, she glimpsed through the gauze curtain a young man seated at the writing desk — clad in plain-colored robes, his figure tall and upright, reading with great concentration. He was clearly not Pei Shaohuai; Pei Shaohuai had not grown this tall yet.
What poor timing — her younger brother had a visitor. There was an outside gentleman in the study.
Ying Jie’er turned around, intending to withdraw quietly so as not to invite idle talk.
But who could have anticipated it — the scholar looked up, and just happened to see the two of them. A clear, bright voice came through: “Your household’s young master has gone into the archive room to find a book for me.”
Noticing the food box in Ying Jie’er’s hands, he added: “If you have something to leave for him, set it outside for now — I’ll let him know in a moment.”
He had taken Ying Jie’er for one of the manor’s maids.
Ying Jie’er went along with the misunderstanding, said nothing in response, set the food box on the tea table, and left.
When Pei Shaohuai retrieved a volume of ancient texts and came out from the archive room, Chen Xingchen said: “Just now two maids came in and left a food box for you on the tea table.”
“Maids?” Pei Shaohuai looked baffled and said: “The maids of this household have no reason to enter my courtyard — how would maids have come in here?” Even when Lin Shi sent someone to deliver something, it was Nanny Shen who handled it.
Having said this, he handed the ancient texts to Chen Xingchen, went out to look at that familiar food box, and immediately understood what had happened. He carried the tea and lotus root inside the study.
Opening the box, the fragrance of osmanthus honey mingled with the clean scent of lotus root wafted out. Pei Shaohuai said: “You try some as well.”
“Coming to your place, I get to enjoy not only books and knowledge, but also food — I really must come more often,” Chen Xingchen laughed.
“Surely your Marquis household does not lack for this kind of food?”
“Someone else’s food always tastes exceptionally sweet.”
A single bite — the red lotus root was soft and starchy, and the mouth filled with osmanthus honey fragrance, sweet and clean without being cloying. Chen Xingchen praised it again and again.
That pot of chrysanthemum tea had been brewed with care as well — fragrant and full-bodied without any bitterness. A single sip banished all the parched dryness from the body.
Chen Xingchen, following up on what had just happened, asked: “I nearly forgot — since the maids of your house cannot come in, who was that just now? Was I too presumptuous?”
“It was my fourth elder sister.”
Chen Xingchen’s cheeks immediately turned a deep red, burning hot with embarrassment. He said regretfully: “I was blind and failed to recognize her graceful presence — I was far too rash.”
After a moment’s thought, he said: “My rashness may well have made her angry. Should I perhaps find a suitable time to personally apologize to your fourth elder sister?” After all, which young miss would enjoy being mistaken for a maid?
No wonder she had remained silent.
Pei Shaohuai reassured him: “Elder Sister will not hold a grudge. If you are worried, I will explain everything clearly for you in a moment.”
Chen Xingchen thought it over and over, and refused to let it go — he still felt it would be better to apologize in person.
Pei Shaohuai could not dissuade him and so said: “My fourth elder sister’s herb garden is still missing a few medicinal plants. If you were to find them for her, she would certainly be pleased.”
Chen Xingchen noted down the names of the medicinal plants and promised to send someone to look for them as soon as he returned home.
……
At the end of autumn, the weather turned cold and the red leaves grew sparse. The farmers in the fields were busy. Throughout the northern reaches of the direct metropolitan province, there had been neither flooding nor drought that year — it was another year of abundant harvest.
Yuchong County had, for the first time that year, grown white sesame on its sandy riverside land. The harvest could not exactly be called abundant — the yield per acre was only about half that of Baoding Prefecture. The sesame ears were small, the grains rather shriveled, and the oil extraction rate was low.
Yet Pei Bingyuan was overjoyed.
And the people of Yuchong County were happy too.
If this sandy covered land had been left untreated, it would have grown into reeds and not a single grain would have been harvested. That sesame could now be grown here at all was an unexpected delight. Moreover, this was the first year of planting — mistakes had been frequent, such as missing the sowing time, improper irrigation, insufficient pest control, and so forth. Getting half a harvest was already very good.
The following year, with lessons drawn, the harvest would surely be much better.
The harvest celebration ceremony was held in front of the county office. The village elders, the heads of the li and the bao, the clan patriarchs, and the most esteemed elders of every surname all took their seats at the banquet.
Pei Bingyuan wore his light blue official robes embroidered with the mandarin duck waterbird design, and black boots, standing on the raised platform. He picked up a piece of sesame brittle from the dish, chewed it before the assembled crowd — crunch, crunch, crisp and resounding — and after swallowing, said: “This is the finest sesame brittle candy this official has ever tasted, because it is made from the white sesame that we in Yuchong County have grown ourselves…”
He had prepared a whole bellyful of words, intending to encourage the people to continue growing the white sesame.
But before he could speak them, someone in the crowd below rose and called out: “Yuchong County is blessed — Magistrate Pei is mighty!” That one shout stirred a thousand ripples — the people began raising their fists together, and all called out “The Magistrate is mighty!” in unceasing chorus.
It moved Pei Bingyuan to tears.
It turned out that sincere words had never needed to be drafted in advance.
After the crowd gradually settled, Pei Bingyuan set aside his prepared remarks and said in short, forceful words: “The sesame we’ve harvested this year — we keep it for ourselves, and have a good New Year. Next year, we’ll grow more and harvest better, and then we’ll sell it to the capital, sell it to Yangzhou, sell it to Yingtianfu.”
The crowd below broke into jubilation.
In the midst of the jubilation, Pei Bingyuan felt a pang of reluctance. His term of office would end before next autumn, and it was not yet known where the court would post him.
He would accompany the people of Yuchong County through the spring planting and summer irrigation — but he might not be there to accompany them through the autumn harvest and winter storage.
Pei Bingyuan had someone bring sesame brittle candy back to the Earl’s manor, and wrote to Lin Shi: “The letter is as my longing for you; the characters convey my heart. This sesame brittle is something your husband had a hand in growing. You are fond of sweet pastries — why not taste it on my behalf and see if it is sweet enough, then share it with everyone in the household.”
He also wrote to his two sons, telling Pei Shaohuai that the sesame-growing method was practicable, urging both of them to study well, and to never write essays that were merely flowery piles of ornate phrases — they must seek truth in practical matters, speak substantively, and apply it to governing when they entered officialdom one day.
……
……
The cold days of year’s end arrived, and again the north wind rose.
At the General’s manor of the Situ family, Pei Ruolan went into labor with her second child. This time, Situ Yang had estimated the due date well in advance and returned early from the training ground, staying by Lan Jie’er’s side to put her at ease.
The main mistress of the General’s manor, Madam Chen, though her “wicked ambitions remained undead,” had retreated considerably, saying only that as long as a male grandson was born, she would not try to take him away but would raise the child alongside Lan Jie’er.
This labor also began at night, with a piercing cold wind and the General’s manor lit brightly throughout. No one could stop Situ Yang — standing outside the door, hearing his wife cry out in pain, his heart ached unbearably.
The process was relatively smooth, but the result was not to Madam Chen’s liking.
Lan Jie’er had again given birth to a precious daughter.
Situ Yang was a straightforward man and did not care about this at all. He only waited for the room to be tidied up inside, and rushed in at once to look after his wife.
Lan Jie’er was still in her lying-in month when Madam Chen had already persuaded General Situ to select two good girls from a branch of the Duke of Yong’s household and take them as concubines for Situ Yang.
Madam Chen came to the room and said to Lan Jie’er: “Children’s marriages have always been decided by their parents. Since you are the legitimate daughter-in-law of the General’s manor, you should by rights do everything in your power to continue the Situ family line. I am telling you this in advance — giving both you and the Earl’s manor full face.”
Then in a softened tone she said: “You know what the General’s manor is like. Without a male heir, we can only find a boy from a branch of the family to adopt, and the battle honors your father-in-law earned through life and death would then be recorded under someone else’s name. Surely you would not want to see that happen. The bond between you and your husband is good — even if he were to take a concubine, he would not neglect you… Why not persuade him yourself.”
Lan Jie’er sat on the bed, holding her infant daughter tightly. At that moment, her heart held far more tender sorrow than rage.
To Madam Chen’s words, she had no reply.
Her thoughts were full of this: Elder Sister was right — in this world, women have always had a difficult time of it. Even within a wealthy household like the General’s manor, this would not change the way of the world.
It turned out that the Earl’s manor was the exception. She had lived too easily before.
This also made her cherish her two daughters all the more deeply.
Madam Chen had not yet brought the two young women back when Situ Yang found out in advance, made a great scene, and said right before his father and Madam Chen: “If you dare bring them back, I will drive them out. And if I cannot drive them out, I will use them as servant maids — then we’ll see whose face is ruined.”
His words were absolutely firm.
He also said: “Lan Jie’er is still in her lying-in month, and she is not unable to bear children. You are already thinking this way — when it comes down to it, you regard me as nothing more than a tool for carrying on the family line. Since you treat me as a tool, why did you bother to bring me back? You need only have left me in the countryside to run wild and produce a litter — then just pick the one you fancy and bring it back to raise. Why trouble yourselves to bring me to this capital and civilize me, only to have me find someone by my side at last, and then obstruct us left and right.”
His words left General Situ Wuyi with nothing to say.
By fortunate coincidence, at this very time, the Ministry of War jointly presented a memorial with the Vice Minister of the Imperial Stud to propose the establishment of a military examination system. The Emperor approved it and issued a proclamation: “Heroes and talents from all paths across the realm… those versed in the military stratagems of the various schools, or skilled in horsemanship and archery, or possessed of courage and physical prowess, or whose martial arts are without equal — let them be courteously escorted to the capital to participate in the military examinations… those who pass shall proceed to the grand court re-examination, to be divided into three tiers, and awarded rank and standing accordingly… [1]”
The military examination system, planned for many years, was finally to be established.
This also gave Situ Yang an opportunity. If he earned his rank in the military examination, at worst he could simply take his wife and children with him to his posting, and let his father and Madam Chen have no say over them any longer.