During this period, Jiang Chao had been unable to sleep at night and was mentally exhausted. Naturally, he no longer had his previous sharp observational powers. Moreover, he had just discovered a method that might possibly save him and was inevitably somewhat excited. Thus, he didn’t notice the hints of caution and probing that Old Master Wu inadvertently revealed when questioning him.
“No, no, no.” He said excitedly, “The reason Old Master Wang got into trouble—wasn’t it because officials protect each other? Doing business is sometimes like this. Without official protection, many troubles arise. I knew about the Pei family of Xiaomei Lane in Lin’an City before, but I only knew they had four jinshi scholars in one family. I didn’t understand much beyond that. Then last year, the Song family had a ship detained in Huai’an. You should know about the Song family of our Suzhou Prefecture, right? Their family has also been officials for several generations. They’re the most prominent wealthy household in our Suzhou Prefecture. Think about it—for such a family to have their ship detained in Huai’an, they must have committed a rather serious offense, maybe even a matter that reached the heavens. The family they sought help from was your Lin’an City’s Pei family. I was astonished for a long time when I heard this. I know about the four great surnames of Jiangnan—your Hangzhou City accounts for three of them, but the Pei family isn’t among these four great surnames. I didn’t pay much attention to it ordinarily. Later, after the Song family’s matter was resolved, I carefully inquired about the Pei family. I didn’t expect that the Pei family has had people entering officialdom generation after generation, yet they don’t make their reputation prominent. That’s impressive.”
Someone entering officialdom in every generation?
Both Yu Wen and Old Master Wu hadn’t noticed this.
Thinking about it carefully, the Pei family really did seem to have someone serving as an official in every generation. It’s just that whether the Pei family members became officials or passed the jinshi examination, they rarely celebrated grandly. Instead, no matter which branch added a new member, they would hold open banquets.
Four jinshi scholars in one family?!
In their memory, the three Pei brothers had all passed the jinshi examination, and Old Master Pei was a juren. The Pei family should be one family with three jinshi scholars… Actually, in the Pei family’s generation, there was one more jinshi—a collateral branch of the Pei family, the son of Old Master Pei’s cousin Pei Yi, named Pei Wang. However, Pei Yi didn’t involve himself in affairs and seemed to rely entirely on the Pei family’s common funds to live. After Pei Wang passed the jinshi examination, he quickly went to the Henan area to serve as an official. Because they were from a different branch, Pei Wang hadn’t returned when Old Master Pei died. At Old Master Pei’s funeral, Pei Yi didn’t say a single word from beginning to end. When Pei Yan took over the Pei family, he was even more like he didn’t exist, so much so that people in Lin’an City had no impression of this branch at all.
Old Master Wu and Yu Wen couldn’t help feeling somewhat ashamed.
They were Lin’an locals, yet they needed someone from Suzhou to remind them.
But they were, after all, local people.
Yu Wen couldn’t help saying: “I remember Pei Wang is several years older than the Pei family’s eldest master, and he passed the jinshi examination several years before the Pei family’s eldest master. After that, he’s been serving as an official outside all along. I don’t know what rank he holds now or where he’s serving? But I remember his son very clearly. He’s only half a year older than our daughter. When his son was born, they scattered coins at the entrance of Xiaomei Lane. That day I happened to be accompanying my wife to buy needles and thread at the shop by Meixi River. My wife even sighed, saying this child knew how to be reborn into the right family—the Pei family. She even touched her belly and said she didn’t know whether she was carrying a daughter or a son.”
Jiang Chao’s eyes lit up as he said: “This Old Master Pei of the Pei family is now serving as the prefect of Baoding Prefecture.”
Old Master Wu and Yu Wen were greatly shocked.
Although the Baoding prefect was only a fourth-rank prefect, Baoding Prefecture’s geographical location was special—it was the necessary route from north and south to the capital. Among officials assigned to posts outside the capital, the Baoding prefect was closest to the capital and was also the prefect most easily promoted to become a capital official.
Although there was a saying in court that only members of the Hanlin Academy could enter the Grand Secretariat, if anyone could break this rule, it would certainly be someone who could serve as Baoding prefect.
Not only did Lin’an City have no news about this Old Master Pei, but everywhere they were elevating the Li family’s Li Yi, who had previously served as prefect in Rizhao.
Yu Wen’s expression became slightly solemn as he said: “If I remember correctly, Old Master Pei Yi seemed to have served as a prefect before. Later, I heard he couldn’t adapt to the climate of his jurisdiction. He fell seriously ill and nearly lost his life, which is why he retired to return home to recuperate. Since then, he hasn’t gone out much. Even when Qiantang Academy invited him to be the headmaster, he flatly refused. I was still young at that time, having just passed the county examination but not yet obtained the xiucai degree. I had even discussed with my classmates, saying that if Old Master Pei Yi could go to Qiantang Academy to be headmaster, wouldn’t we Lin’an City scholars have an easier time entering the academy than others? After he refused the headmaster position, everyone even speculated whether he was bedridden and had not long to live.”
Unexpectedly, he lived even longer than Old Master Pei!
No wait—they really weren’t very clear whether this Old Master Yi of the Pei family was dead or alive.
Yu Wen glanced at Old Master Wu.
Old Master Wu had obviously thought of the same thing as Yu Wen. He quickly said: “He’s still around! When the old master of the Pei family passed, I saw him with my own eyes at the funeral. His hair looked completely white, but his spirits were still quite good. He wasn’t leaning on a walking stick, and he walked quite well too.”
Jiang Chao said: “Their family is too low-key. For a moment, I didn’t even think of their family.”
Thinking about it now, Old Master Wu and Yu Wen suddenly felt a sense of awe toward the Pei family.
The Pei family was truly an aristocratic clan. Not only did they benefit their hometown, but they were also modest, low-key, and cultured—truly incomparable to ordinary families.
Then, wouldn’t it be improper for them to disturb such a family?
Old Master Wu and Yu Wen exchanged another glance.
This time Yu Wen spoke first: “The several masters of the Pei family are still in mourning. For us to seek help from the Pei family for these matters…”
Jiang Chao felt as if he’d been doused with a basin of cold water in the dead of winter. He instantly wilted and said: “I know. Their family and the Song family are also related by marriage. The Song family has been rather unhappy since I found people to invest in Suzhou City, thinking I was stealing their family’s business. How could the Pei family possibly help us?”
The Pei family and Song family were related by marriage?
In Old Master Wu’s impression, the two families’ interactions didn’t seem very close.
He asked curiously: “What kind of marriage relation are the Pei family and Song family?”
Yu Wen said: “The Pei family’s old madam and the Song family’s old madam are maternal cousins.”
Old Master Wu and Jiang Chao looked toward him with piercing gazes.
Only then did Yu Wen suddenly realize that not many people in Lin’an City seemed to know that the Pei family and Song family were related by marriage.
Could this count as him inadvertently causing trouble?
Yu Wen smiled bitterly inwardly and quickly said: “I also heard this from someone. I don’t know if it’s true or false.”
Jiang Chao said: “It’s true! I have a good relationship with one of the Song family’s stewards. He told me.”
He also knew that although the Song family’s old madam and the Pei family’s old madam were maternal cousins, the two were nearly twenty years apart in age. When the Song family’s old madam married out, the Pei family’s old madam hadn’t even been born yet. The two weren’t emotionally close. Later, something seemed to have happened, creating a rift between the two families. In earlier years, their interactions were only for appearances. Later, after Old Madam Pei’s three sons all successively passed the jinshi examination, while the Song family’s side only had one younger member serving as an official, the Song family lowered their heads in deference, and the two families gradually began interacting again.
Even so, when the Song family got into trouble and the Pei family stepped forward once, they still managed to fish out both the people and the ship.
“Having people in court makes things easy!” He let out a long sigh.
Neither Old Master Wu nor Yu Wen responded.
Only then did Jiang Chao sense that the two men’s attitudes were somewhat evasive.
He smiled bitterly inwardly.
Having owed the two of them so much silver, with both of them neither pressing him for debt nor having saved his mother, and now even taking in him when he had nowhere else to go—he already owed these two a great debt of gratitude. To press them further to introduce him to the Pei family would be his fault.
He should think of other methods instead.
As Jiang Chao pondered, he changed the subject and asked about the origins of Zhaoming Temple.
Old Master Wu and Yu Wen both showed smiles.
Regardless of what the three men thought inside, they spent the day touring Zhaoming Temple with conversation and laughter. By the time they descended the mountain, the three had already begun addressing each other as brothers.
Upon returning to the Yu family, Jiang Chao tiredly went back to his guest room to rest first. Old Master Wu, however, took advantage of Yu Wen seeing him out to pull him aside at the door to discuss matters: “Brother Yu, tell me the truth—how did you know the Pei family and Song family were related by marriage? I’m someone of some standing in Lin’an City, yet I’ve never heard of this.”
Yu Wen’s face showed hesitation.
Old Master Wu immediately said: “Don’t use the same tactics you used to deflect Brother Jiang on me. I’m not some young greenhorn who knows nothing like him.”
Yu Wen rubbed his head, not knowing what to say.
Old Master Wu simply said: “I won’t force you anymore. Just tell me this—what’s your relationship with Third Master Pei like? If we went to ask the third master for help with the Wang family’s matter, would he agree to see us?”
Yu Wen felt relieved and spoke honestly: “I truly don’t know! Third Master—he may look young, but actually he has quite a temper. I’ve never troubled him like this before.”
For auctioning the maps, he felt the Pei family could also profit from it, which is why he dared to seek their help.
But in this matter, if the Pei family got involved again, it would purely be helping as a favor.
He didn’t know whether he had enough face for this.
“Could it be you want to make this connection for Brother Jiang?” Yu Wen said, “Merchants value profit over separation…”
Old Master Wu shook his head and lowered his voice, saying: “This is also a win-win matter! I think nine times out of ten we won’t be able to get our money back, but you know what Brother Jiang is like—eloquent and particularly good at moving people. If we introduce him to Third Master Pei, perhaps there will be another village after the mountains and rivers seem to bar the way. He might be able to stand up again using the Pei family’s influence!”
When all was said and done, he still wanted to have Jiang Chao earn back the money they had invested before.
If this matter only involved himself, Yu Wen definitely wouldn’t agree. But he had caused Old Master Wu to lose a large sum of silver, and Old Master Wu was asking him like this—he had to consider whether this matter was feasible.
“How about I try?” Yu Wen said hesitantly, “I also don’t know whether Third Master Pei will agree?”
If they could try, there was a chance.
Old Master Wu was overjoyed and said: “The fact that Third Master could take over the Pei family and make everyone in the Pei family quiet about it means he’s no pushover! Even if he were a pushover, he’d be one who hides a dagger behind a smile. Don’t think I’m doing this for those few taels of silver. I mainly want to interact more with the third master.”
Even when there was no business, one had to find business. How much more so now when there really was business to discuss?
Yu Wen could understand his feelings and kept nodding.
Old Master Wu instructed him: “Don’t tell Brother Jiang about this first. Only tell him after the third master is willing to see us.” Having said this, he even gave Yu Wen a meaningful look.
Yu Wen thought he was afraid of losing face. Actually, Old Master Wu wanted to mislead Jiang Chao into thinking they had a very good relationship with Pei Yan, so that later Jiang Chao would find ways to earn back the silver they had invested.