“Yes, but the third-in-command is always busy with overseas shipping and rarely appears in Yangzhou. I don’t know much about him,” the waiter replied. His information was common knowledge that anyone in Yangzhou could probably share. However, he did offer a useful suggestion: “If you gentlemen want to know more, you can ask our innkeeper. She knows everything that happens in Yangzhou, but she charges for information. Our innkeeper is very meticulous about money.”
Since it was paid information, it was likely not something easily obtained on the streets.
Buying and selling information near the docks was common, with most inns and restaurants engaging in the practice.
Chu Dijiang tossed another piece of silver to the waiter. “Please introduce us.”
The waiter had seen many well-traveled individuals at the Cui Linglong, but he had never encountered someone so generous with tips. At first, he gleefully accepted the silver, but then he wondered if even nobles were this extravagant. The thought made the silver feel hot in his hand. However, he quickly reasoned that he would soon pass this “hot potato” to the innkeeper, and if anything went wrong, someone above him would handle it. Why should he, a mere errand boy, worry?
“Please follow me, gentlemen,” the waiter said, his enthusiasm renewed. He thought to himself that the silver he had received in this short time was enough to pay for a wedding.
The two guests gathered their belongings and followed the waiter downstairs.
They passed through a long corridor and entered an inner courtyard.
The entire courtyard was built in the center of a small lake, surrounded by lotus flowers and drooping willows. The blue-tiled, white-walled buildings with their ornate eaves and bracket sets exuded an indescribable grandeur amidst the gentle beauty of the Jiangnan region.
The waiter asked Chu Dijiang and An Jiu to wait in a small pavilion by the entrance while he hurried into the building. “Innkeeper, we have a business!”
As soon as he spoke, a door opened, and a woman in a light blue gauze dress gracefully appeared. She glanced in their direction and exchanged a few words with the waiter before returning inside.
Shortly after, the woman emerged again, supporting a younger woman dressed in a plain dress with her hair in a married woman’s style.
This younger woman was slightly plump with a double chin. Her willow-like eyebrows and small eyes were individually delicate, but they seemed disproportionately small on her face, making the overall effect unattractive. Fortunately, her skin was fair and smooth, preventing her from being truly ugly.
An Jiu thought she had an ancient charm, reminiscent of Tang Dynasty beauties.
The woman walked to the pavilion and bowed slightly with her hands folded at her waist.
Chu Dijiang and An Jiu stood up and returned the greeting.
This woman didn’t reveal much, but An Jiu was surprised to sense that her martial arts skills were at the eighth level.
“I am Zhu Pianpian. What information are you looking for, gentlemen?” Zhu Pianpian gestured for them to sit down and continued, “There are no set prices here. I decide the cost, and it’s non-negotiable.”
This meant they had to pay whatever she asked – wasn’t that like robbery? Zhu Pianpian appeared gentle and refined, but her business practices were quite domineering, much like the impression given by the local architecture.
Zhu the Money Swindler? The usually serious An Jiu couldn’t help but give her a second look.
“As long as the innkeeper’s answers satisfy us, please name your price,” Chu Dijiang said. His pockets were full of money he was eager to spend.
An Jiu had never been good with finances either. In this respect, she and Chu Dijiang were two of a kind, both equally wasteful. She saw no issue with Chu Dijiang’s willingness to spend.
Zhu Pianpian clapped her hands lightly. Suddenly, she smiled, revealing deep dimples that greatly enhanced her appearance. “Since you gentlemen are so forthright, I will certainly tell you everything I know without reservation.”
She turned her head slightly and ordered, “Bring tea.”
The beautiful maid withdrew and soon returned with several young girls carrying tea and snacks before retreating again.
“We want to know about the Feng family’s shipping business in Yangzhou,” Chu Dijiang said.
“That’s simple. Three hundred taels,” Zhu Pianpian first quoted a price. Sensing that they weren’t intimidated, she poured tea and personally served it to the two guests, then began sharing the information, “The Feng family… you’ve asked the right person. Others might not know, but I do. The Feng family is just short of changing their surname now.”
“To Qin?” Chu Dijiang asked.
Zhu Pianpian nodded with a smile, “Yes. In recent years, government-run docks have been handling larger cargo volumes, and many new shipping merchants have emerged. The Feng family can no longer monopolize the river routes as they once did. Now, they mainly rely on income from other merchants docking and unloading cargo at their existing docks. That small amount of money isn’t enough to maintain the Feng family’s grand facade.”
“So the Feng family now relies on Qin Zheng’s overseas shipping to make up the difference?” Chu Dijiang inquired.
“Indeed,” Zhu Pianpian continued, speaking with a constant sweet and friendly smile that made the conversation feel casual and comfortable despite their unfamiliarity. “Qin Zheng is forty-four years old this year and was originally a scholar. As far as I know, he passed the child examination and later attempted the provincial examination as an adult. I heard he failed to pass because the chief examiner disliked his sharp words. After failing the exam, his family’s fortunes declined. His first wife fell ill, and his family could no longer afford his studies, so he gave up his business scholarship. He has quite a temperament and initially faced many setbacks, but he has a keen eye and great foresight. He was successful in the silk trade for a while, but his straightforward nature and reckless actions offended many people. In the end, he was ruined by a conspiracy of internal and external forces.”
She took a sip of tea and continued, “When Qin Zheng’s business failed, his first wife died of illness. He was left to support his eight-year-old son alone, almost penniless and living in a temple. Once, he encountered an enemy and was brutally beaten in the street. His five-year-old son was caught in the crossfire and his wounds became infected. In the pouring rain, he knelt before a medical hall, saying he had no money for treatment and would repay the debt by serving as a slave for life. By chance, the Feng family’s old master was passing by. Knowing of Qin Zheng’s reputation, he paid for the treatment. Unfortunately, his young son was too weak and couldn’t withstand the severe injury and high fever. He died before the medicine could take effect.”
An Jiu’s lips tightened into a line, thinking that Qin Zheng must have regretted his past actions in that moment of despair.
“In less than three months, he went from being a wealthy merchant to losing everything, becoming a lone man,” Zhu Pianpian sighed. “Despite his son’s death, he kept his promise and became a servant of the Feng family. The old master didn’t humiliate him, recognizing his business talent and keeping him close for guidance. Qin Zheng has been with the Feng family for seventeen years now, truly working like an ox or a horse, never remarrying. If Qin Zheng had been ungrateful, the Feng family would be the Qin family by now.”
This differed somewhat from what the waiter had said, so Chu Dijiang asked, “Wasn’t it said that both the first and second masters of the Feng family were very capable?”
“They are capable, but far inferior to Qin Zheng. Qin Zheng was extraordinarily talented in business from a young age, without any guidance. If not for his poor interpersonal skills, he wouldn’t have fallen so hard. After experiencing the pain of losing his wife and son, his sharp edges were somewhat smoothed. With the old master’s guidance, in terms of business acumen, no one in Yangzhou can match him,” Zhu Pianpian praised Qin Zheng highly while being lukewarm about the two Feng brothers. “Of course, the Feng family’s survival to this day is largely due to the efforts of the first and second masters. However, the first master is overly focused on superficial good deeds – today distributing porridge, tomorrow donating for road construction, and the day after casting a golden Buddha statue. The second master squanders money in pleasure houses, readily giving away thousands of taels at the slightest provocation or flattery.”
The two brothers were indeed alike, both extremely concerned with face, just in different ways.
“That’s the basic situation. I’ll have someone bring you all the information about the Feng family later,” Zhu Pianpian said.
Chu Dijiang placed a 300-tael government note on the table and then asked, “Does Madam Zhu know about matters outside of Yangzhou?”
Zhu Pianpian didn’t rush to take the money. “Knowing all about Yangzhou is like knowing a third of the world. What else would you like to know? If I have the information, I certainly won’t refuse to do business.”
With Yangzhou’s convenient water and land transportation, its information network was even more extensive than Bianjing’s. Zhu Pianpian’s statement was quite modest.
“If I wanted to hire an assassin in Yangzhou, where should I go?” Chu Dijiang asked.
“An assassin?” Zhu Pianpian looked up. “The best assassins in the Great Song are all in the Misty Mountain Villa.”
“How does one contact them?” Chu Dijiang inquired.
“Two thousand taels,” Zhu Pianpian replied.
“Why is it so expensive?” Chu Dijiang wasn’t dissatisfied, just surprised that this single piece of information was more expensive than learning about the entire Feng family. It’s worth noting that a Grand Councilor’s annual salary was less than ten thousand taels.
Zhu Pianpian explained, “The Misty Mountain Villa is also the largest information broker. If I reveal the method to contact them and something goes wrong, they might trace it back to me. I’m taking a risk too, aren’t I?”