In Pei Yan’s mind floated the image of Yu Tang’s eyes—black and white distinctly separated, clear as spring water.

Those eyes sparkled brightly whenever she looked at anything, filled with curiosity.

For a young lady like this, even if you kept her at home, she’d still manage to stir up some mischief, wouldn’t she?

Pei Yan tossed a peanut pastry into his mouth.

See—when not allowed to go out, she made peanut pastries at home instead.

If she stayed home a few more days, who knew what else she might send his way?

“A’Ming,” he said, “invite Miss Yu to the house for tea.” The moment the words left his mouth, he suddenly thought of the guests staying in the manor’s guest quarters and immediately changed his mind. “Actually, it would be better if I went to see Miss Yu instead. Have them prepare the most ordinary sedan chair—we’ll go quietly and return just as quietly.”

There was a welcoming banquet tonight.

A’Ming acknowledged and departed.

Two quarter-hours later, a small sedan chair with blue curtains slipped soundlessly out the back gate of the Pei manor.

The Purple Qi East Coming Pavilion used to receive guests at the Pei manor was called a pavilion, but was actually a complex of winding courtyards. Looking around, one saw flower-covered walls everywhere and small paths at every turn—being inside made it very easy for people to lose their sense of direction.

The eldest master of the Peng family stood before a window with its panels thrown wide open. On the left was a bamboo grove, on the right a Taihu rock garden—the scenery was picturesque.

“The Pei family is quite interesting,” he said with a light snort in an indifferent tone. “If we wanted to pay someone a visit, I’m afraid we’d get lost, wouldn’t we?”

He was a man around fifty years old, tall and jade-like in bearing, with a fair complexion and a long beard, heavy brows and large eyes, his temperament extremely refined, like a scholar well-versed in poetry and classics.

Behind him followed a man of twenty-five or twenty-six years, whose jade-like face bore a purplish-red scar slashing diagonally from the corner of his eye to the corner of his mouth. This not only made his appearance quite ferocious, but also added several degrees of viciousness to his expression, making people look at him askance.

“Elder Uncle,” hearing this, he said in a low voice, “then, should we still go visit the Wu family people from Huzhou?”

His voice carried a somewhat docile quality when he spoke, yet the murderous air revealed between his brows showed he was very impatient.

The Peng family and Wu family had once engaged in some unspeakable business dealings, making it easier for them to strike up conversations than others.

“Of course we must go,” the eldest master of the Peng family turned around and said to the young man. “Pei Yan’s whole auction scheme is nothing more than wanting to make the various families destroy each other. I heard the Wu family was the earliest to arrive. Given their nature, before the auction they’ll definitely be scrambling up and down trying to find people to join forces with—at minimum, they can’t let Pei Yan control the price. When the time comes, we’ll just join in.”

The young man seemed about to speak but stopped himself.

The eldest master of the Peng family said, “Eleven, you must remember—the court wants to abolish the Maritime Trade Office. Only through strategic alliances can we resist this crisis. The auction will begin in a few days. You shouldn’t show your face. Be careful when going out at night as well. The Pei family is not simple. If you’re discovered, think up your excuse early to avoid being misunderstood.”

In such a small courtyard, seven or eight prominent households had suddenly moved in. The relationships between them were intricately complex, and everyone had come for that priceless map. Wandering around the courtyard in the middle of the night without sleeping would easily make people think you had ulterior motives.

The young man called “Eleven” was precisely the “Master Peng the Eleventh” that Lin Jue had mentioned.

He respectfully responded with a “yes,” but raised his head and said unconvincingly, “No matter how formidable the Pei family is, they only produced a Pei You, and now that he’s dead, all that’s left are Pei Xuan who is weak and incompetent, and Pei Yan who is arrogant and overbearing. Moreover, Pei Yan is narrow-minded. After taking over the Pei family, instead of thinking about how to take the Pei family to the next level, he thinks about how to suppress the main branch. I say, even if the Pei family still has a few nails left, it’s nothing more than a rotten ship. Elder Uncle need not be concerned.”

The eldest master of the Peng family frowned slightly.

This nephew of his had literary fame in his youth. At a young age he had already passed the provincial examination to become a provincial graduate. The Peng family had expended great effort promoting him, having people compare him with Gu Chang of the Gu family from Hangzhou in those days as “the Bright and Dark of an Era.” Unfortunately, he later carelessly had his face disfigured and became unfit for an official career, only able to help manage mundane affairs. Gu Chang, however, had a smooth official career with flourishing prospects. This nephew of his had always been unhappy about this, even becoming cynical. Several matters that could have been resolved peacefully had been turned by him into bloodbaths, making people detest him.

But this nephew of his was truly intelligent.

Many things others couldn’t accomplish, he could handle perfectly. To discard him would be a waste, to employ him was worrisome.

Fortunately, he was still filial, sufficiently dedicated to clan matters, and sufficiently obedient to the clan’s elders. Even when he disagreed with the clan’s decisions, once the clan had made its determination, he would still carry it out.

This was also why the several elders in the clan all felt he should be cultivated more.

But he was also truly arrogant.

He casually critiqued talented people throughout the world, looking down on everyone.

But circumstances create heroes. No matter what Pei Yan was like or what Pei Xuan was like, they were proper two-level examination graduates. No matter how clever, how sharp, or how talented Eleven was, having learned civil and martial arts but unable to sell them to the imperial court, he could only watch others command the land and leave their names in history—he could only admit defeat, accept his fate!

However, now was not the time to discuss these matters with him. They would talk properly after returning to Fujian.

Otherwise he would truly think he could manipulate these people, not knowing the heights of heaven and depths of earth!

“This is the Pei family’s territory. Even if the Pei family is a rotten ship, you must not be careless,” the eldest master Peng instructed him. “Don’t forget—initially we also thought that painting should be easily obtained, and what happened?”

A flash of murderous intent crossed Master Peng the Eleventh’s eyes.

Back then, the Peng family, fearing they would alarm the Pei family and also fearing they would attract the covetousness of other aristocratic families, had decided to find some inconspicuous person to find a way to get the painting. He had been one of those who agreed.

“Elder Uncle, I understand,” Master Peng the Eleventh lowered his head and said. “This time there definitely won’t be any slip-ups.”

The eldest master Peng nodded.

When this nephew of his handled matters, he was still at ease.

“I’ll go meet with the Wu family people shortly to see what the Wu family thinks about the auction,” he said thoughtfully. “Perhaps we can even join forces with the Wu family.”

The portion of the map that the Pei family had taken out to show them was the same as the map they had in hand.

Now they had no way to determine exactly where the problem lay, or even to determine whether the map in their hands was real or whether the Pei family’s copy of the map was real. This forced their family to have to participate in the auction.

Old Master Pei was an honest man, but Pei Yan’s unruliness he had heard of long ago. This was his first time dealing with Pei Yan—he didn’t know Pei Yan’s depths. If Pei Yan was preparing to use this map as a cash cow, their family would probably have to bleed heavily.

None of this mattered much.

With loss comes gain.

What they feared was that the map they bid on would be exactly the same as the one their family had in hand, or that what the Pei family obtained was fake… that would make one vomit blood.

Although Pei Yan knew the Peng family had come with ill intentions, he just had the temperament of teasing cats and playing with dogs. The more families were like the Peng family, the more he wanted to provoke them. Whatever the Peng family people wanted to do, he wouldn’t treat it as facing a great enemy, so naturally he couldn’t be bothered to have people watch the Peng family.

Anyway, since they had already moved into the Pei manor, there was nothing he wanted to know that he couldn’t find out.

He had people stop the sedan chair in the small alley behind the Yu family’s back door.

Usually few people walked through here.

Especially in the afternoon—most of the men of Green Bamboo Alley were in their shops, and the womenfolk were either resting or doing needlework. It was extremely quiet.

He instructed A’Ming, “Be careful not to disturb Madam Yu. I don’t want to make a formal visit.”

A’Ming knew their Third Master didn’t like social obligations and repeatedly acknowledged, then went to knock at the front door.

The one who answered the door was Chen Pozi. Hearing A’Ming say he was a servant from the Pei household coming to find Yu Tang, and seeing he was plump, fair, and adorable, she was quite fond of him in her heart. Without asking much, she took him to Yu Tang’s quarters.

Yu Tang was very surprised to see A’Ming. After learning A’Ming’s purpose, she was uneasy for quite a while before managing to sort things out.

She sent Shuang Tao to get peanut pastries for A’Ming to eat, then lowered her voice and asked A’Ming, “You’re saying the Third Master wants to see me, and the sedan chair is right at our back door?”

A’Ming nodded repeatedly. Seeing Yu Tang wearing a madder-red Hangzhou silk jacket that set off her face like white jade, and with her smiling warmly, amiable and approachable, he tipped her off, “The Third Master is most likely here about your family’s forest land matter—before coming he even asked about it.”

Yu Tang had long wanted to see Pei Yan. This was perfect now—when drowsy, someone brings a pillow. Good for both sides.

“Wait a moment!” Yu Tang was also afraid of Pei Yan coming to the house. With his temperament, no one would be comfortable in his presence. Moreover, her mother had just taken medicine and laid down to rest. If she knew Pei Yan had come, she would without question get up to personally receive him no matter what. “I’ll tell the family, then go see the Third Master right away.”

A’Ming carried the peanut pastries Shuang Tao had given him and left happily. Yu Tang had Shuang Tao help provide cover, then slipped out the back door to see Pei Yan.

The weather was getting warmer day by day. Pei Yan wore a moon-white three-ridged fine cloth straight robe with a small green seal hanging at his waist, standing there like a jade tree in the wind with peerless bearing.

Yu Tang quietly admired him for two glances.

She hadn’t expected that seeing the real person would leave her with no thoughts at all.

“Why are you so slow?” Pei Yan said with displeasure. “I’ll ask you two questions then leave.”

Not a trace of gentlemanly demeanor.

Yu Tang grumbled inwardly.

If she hadn’t happened to be dressed “properly and appropriately” today, she wouldn’t have been able to get out the door this quickly!

However, thinking that A’Ming had said Pei Yan was here about their family’s forest land matter, she felt she shouldn’t be so petty and shouldn’t quibble with Pei Yan over these things.

“Third Master, what matter did you need to find me for?” she went straight to the point.

Pei Yan hadn’t realized there was anything wrong with his tone. Yu Tang’s directness also meant he didn’t need to beat around the bush, which put him in quite a good mood.

“Has your family decided what to plant on that forest land?” he said in a light, cheerful tone. “Spring plowing is already past. If you don’t decide soon, you’ll have to delay another season.”

Yu Tang had been wanting to probe Pei Yan’s thoughts, and this question was exactly what she wanted. She said, “I’ve always thought planting sea buckthorn would be good, but everyone tells me not to plant it. So I wanted to ask you—if our family’s forest land were sold to your family, what would you plant?”

What did she mean by this?

Because it was useless, she wanted to sell the forest land to his family?

Did he look like a sucker?

Pei Yan’s face darkened completely. He said, “You want to sell the forest land to our family?”

“No, no,” Yu Tang realized Pei Yan had misunderstood and hurriedly said, “I’m saying ‘if.’ If it were you, what would you do?”

This kind of hypothetical had no meaning whatsoever.

Pei Yan was displeased and said, “Haven’t thought about it. Don’t know.” After finishing, as if still not satisfied, he continued, “Unless your family’s situation became so dire you couldn’t survive without selling fields and land or people would die, and I saw fit to help out given we’re neighbors and fellow townspeople. If that forest land became mine because I decided to buy it, then to give my family an explanation, I’d have no choice but to hold my nose and figure something out. Then perhaps I’d think about it carefully.”