The Yin family gained much from this southern journey. Third Madam Yang and Miss Xu stayed in Hangzhou for another two or three days. After the Gu and Yin families formally exchanged betrothal gifts, they set off to return to the capital.
Before leaving, Miss Xu held Yu Tang’s hand reluctantly: “You definitely won’t make it to my wedding, but I’ll write you letters. You must reply—you can’t let us lose touch. If we both get married in the future and our children are similar in age, we could even arrange a marriage alliance between them…”
She had only just begun this sentence when Third Madam Yang glared at her fiercely, yanked her aside, and said in a low voice: “How old are you? Still saying such things.”
Whether the Yin family or the Xu family, neither would casually form marriage alliances with people, much less when they didn’t even know what kind of family Yu Tang would marry into.
Miss Xu felt Third Madam Yang was worrying unnecessarily and righteously retorted: “It’s precisely because I know what kind of person Miss Yu is that I say such things.”
Setting aside the fact that Yu Tang knew how to conduct herself properly, if both she and Yu Tang had several children, as long as it wasn’t the eldest son marrying the eldest daughter, and both had good character, what was wrong with forming an in-law relationship?
Third Madam Yang had a bit of a headache.
By Yin Mingyuan’s generation, the Yin family only had three males. Yin Hao needn’t be mentioned—his principal wife had given birth to three daughters, and his only son was born to a mistress. He couldn’t be brought into the main household or properly added to the family genealogy, much less inherit the position of clan head. Another was young and, due to a low-grade fever not being properly treated in childhood, had developed paralysis with one leg not functioning well—his future marriage would definitely be troublesome. Only Yin Mingyuan could read and study, and he had found a well-matched wife. The Yin family placed all their hopes on this couple. Naturally, once Miss Xu married in, she would represent the Yin family in public.
That she had such thoughts—Third Madam Yang simply didn’t know what to do. She resolved that once they returned, she would discuss with Madam Zhang or Madam Li. No matter what, they couldn’t let Miss Xu continue doing whatever she wanted like she did in her natal family.
Yu Tang naturally didn’t take Miss Xu’s talk of arranging a marriage alliance between their children to heart. In her view, this was merely Miss Xu’s fondness for her. Children had infinite possibilities as they grew up. Perhaps in others’ eyes, her children wouldn’t be worthy of children with both Yin and Xu family bloodlines, but to her, they would be her own flesh and blood, pieces of flesh fallen from her own body. She didn’t want them to suffer injustice—if Miss Xu’s children had poor character, she wouldn’t care for the match either.
She had Qing Yuan give the local specialties she had prepared earlier to A’Fu, who attended Miss Xu, and said to Miss Xu: “Rest assured, if I have the opportunity, I’ll definitely come to the capital to see you. If you have the chance to leave the capital, come see me too.”
For instance, if Yin Mingyuan was later posted externally as a magistrate of Zhejiang or Jiangsu.
Miss Xu nodded repeatedly, tears falling, before waving goodbye to Yu Tang.
Pei Yan, who had accompanied Yin Hao to see them off, breathed a sigh of relief.
This troublemaker had left. Now that Yu Tang was free, they could find time to exchange a few words, right?
Who knew Yin Hao would want him to accompany him to visit Wang Qibao.
Pei Yan naturally refused. He said righteously: “I’ve already retired from office. I won’t serve as an official again in the future. I can only help Wang Qibao this far. There’s still a pile of matters at home waiting for me!”
The Pei family’s children would soon be ending their mourning period. The others were manageable, but arrangements should begin for Pei Xuan’s return to office. Yin Hao understood this clearly, but Sun Gao’s matter wasn’t yet complete, and now Gu Chang had become his brother-in-law. No matter what, he had to help Gu Chang settle the remaining matters to demonstrate the Yin family’s capabilities, making Gu Chang feel this marriage alliance was worthwhile. His cousin would marry into the Gu family, and Gu Chang would have no choice but to regard her highly.
Pei Yan didn’t care how the Yin family’s daughter fared. After giving notice, he took Yu Tang and departed that very night by boat back to Lin’an.
By the time Yin Hao reached the dock, the Pei family’s boat had long disappeared.
Pei Yan stood contentedly by the ship’s railing, letting Hu Xing direct the maids and servants to messily tidy the cabins. He himself used the excuse that the sleeping quarters weren’t yet arranged to talk with Yu Tang at the bow.
“We left rather hastily,” he said quite politely, though without a trace of apology. “But we couldn’t not leave. It’s all trivial matters—they can manage without me. With me there, I’m just another person contributing labor. I figured it would be better for us to return to Lin’an earlier. In another few days, it will be midsummer, and it won’t be suitable to plant any fruit trees. That would be wasting a season’s harvest.”
He spoke as if he depended on this season’s harvest to live.
But Yu Tang was still grateful—after all, he was helping her family.
She smiled and thanked Pei Yan.
Pei Yan then discussed planting trees with her: “The sutra lecture gathering at Zhaoming Temple has concluded. Those monks should all be on their return journeys. The Wu and Song family members probably aren’t in Lin’an anymore either, but I still need to go back and review some accounts. Master Yu and Madam Yu haven’t seen you for some time and must miss you very much.
“I’m thinking we’ll each be busy for a day or two first, then bring Hu Xing and a few experienced fruit farmers to look at your family’s mountain forest and discuss what trees would be suitable to plant. Then you can go back and consult with Master Yu to settle the matter.”
Yu Tang thought about how after the Dragon Boat Festival, as the weather gradually heated up, the lacquerware shop entered its slow season. The work could be left to Xia Pinggui to oversee, and Yu Yuan would have free time. She nodded in agreement.
Having resolved this major concern, Pei Yan immediately became spirited, his speech becoming more casual.
“You’ve been busy all day today. Originally, we should have set out tomorrow, but I thought traveling at night would be better. Not only are there fewer people, but you can also take a stroll on the deck.” As he spoke, he pointed at the trees on both banks. “Look, that’s Xixi over there. After the previous Zhejiang Educational Commissioner Chen Min left office in Hangzhou, he didn’t return home but built a thatched cottage in Xixi, calling it ‘Xixi Grass Hall.’ He raised over a dozen red-crowned cranes in the nearby reed marshes, claiming they were immortal cranes. Every September, he held some sort of scholarly society gathering there, making quite a commotion. As a result, he offended the then Grand Secretary Yuan Meizhi. Not only was the scholarly society dissolved, but Chen Min was thrown into the imperial prison and died there. The grass hall here also gradually fell into disrepair. However, those dozen red-crowned cranes bred and multiplied, becoming over a hundred, turning into a scenic spot of Xixi. Unfortunately, it’s nighttime now. If it were daytime, you could see a few. If it were autumn, it would be even more spectacular. Over a hundred red-crowned cranes crying out to the heavens, earth-shaking, and when they spread their wings and fly high, they block out the sun like a cloud canopy overhead—a rare sight in Jiangnan.”
Yu Tang listened with yearning.
Pei Yan seized the opportunity: “Next time there’s a chance, I’ll bring you to see it.”
Yu Tang hesitated slightly.
She was already not young. After returning home, eight or nine times out of ten she would be betrothed. In the future, she didn’t know if she would have another opportunity to go out with Pei Yan.
However, Pei Yan meant well. She didn’t want to spoil his mood or explain too much to him, so she simply smiled and agreed “Alright,” then said: “What era were Chen Min and Yuan Meizhi from? Why have I never heard of them?”
To be thrown into the imperial prison must have been a major case, yet she had never heard people in Lin’an discuss it.
Pei Yan smiled: “It all happened fifty years ago.”
He still knew about something from so long ago?
Yu Tang was amazed.
Pei Yan smiled: “Since I was young, my father told me these stories—first to familiarize me with local historical anecdotes, and second to use the past as a mirror for the present, to keep me from doing foolish things.”
He began to tell Yu Tang the story of Chen Min and Yuan Meizhi in detail.
Actually, it was quite simple. Chen Min came from a wealthy family, but his father favored his concubine and neglected his wife. Chen Min suffered greatly as a child, and due to scheming in the inner chambers, even suffered intellectual damage. Even so, Chen Min managed to succeed through his studies. But after all, he was different from ordinary people—he was slower in understanding social nuances and offended many people. He served as Zhejiang Educational Commissioner for fifteen years without further promotion. Later, he simply began pursuing fame, wanting to establish himself as a renowned scholar before others. He established a scholarly society and took on ten so-called personal disciples.
Yuan Meizhi and Chen Min were examination classmates. Contrary to Chen Min, Yuan Meizhi came from humble origins and received much help along his scholarly path. His emotional intelligence was extremely high, his official career smooth. He rose all the way to Assistant Grand Secretary.
Chen Min was jealous of Yuan Meizhi and several times organized Jiangnan scholars to attack Yuan Meizhi, winning himself enormous prestige.
Yuan Meizhi had endured this all along, until he competed with another Assistant Grand Secretary for the position of Grand Secretary. To maintain his reputation for integrity and rid himself of the persistent nuisance that was Chen Min, he laid a trap. He made Chen Min mistakenly believe that the maritime trade ban was due to the Emperor listening to Yuan Meizhi’s slander. Instigated by students bought by Yuan Meizhi, Chen Min wrote a ten-thousand-word memorial and posted it on the wall in front of the Zhejiang Provincial Administration Commission, arousing the Emperor’s suspicion about factional disputes in Jiangnan.
Not only did he himself end up in the imperial prison, but Jiangnan’s prominent families were nearly all investigated.
The Gu family, one of Jiangnan’s four great surnames, was injured in this catastrophe and gradually declined.
Although Pei Yan’s language was humorous and witty, making this major event that shocked Jiangnan sound like a harmless neighborhood dispute, Yu Tang still frowned as she listened. She couldn’t help saying: “Injuring the enemy a thousand while damaging oneself eight hundred. This Minister Yuan’s methods were rather too ruthless. I’m afraid he himself probably didn’t end well either.”
Hearing this, Pei Yan’s eyes brightened.
That Minister Yuan indeed hadn’t ended well.
He said: “Why don’t you say that Chen Min went too far? Otherwise, Yuan Meizhi wouldn’t have struck so harshly.”
“I can understand Minister Yuan’s feelings.” Yu Tang simply felt sympathetic. “If it were me, I wouldn’t let Chen Min off either. It’s just that because of Chen Min’s matter, he implicated the Jiangnan prominent families. These families became victims and would definitely not support him afterward. Water can carry a boat but can also capsize it. In this world, one cannot succeed relying on oneself alone.”
Pei Yan’s eyes brightened even more. He probed: “Then what do you think he should have done?”
Yu Tang said: “After Chen Min’s matter, he should have immediately appeased the Jiangnan prominent families, had them first cast aside Chen Min, taken the opportunity to form an alliance with the Jiangnan families to advance and retreat together, and could have also constrained Chen Min’s so-called disciples to prevent blood feuds from forming.”
Yuan Meizhi was later indeed slandered to death by one of Chen Min’s disciples.
Pei Yan looked at Yu Tang with some infatuation.
Yu Tang couldn’t help feeling a bit uncomfortable. She said uneasily: “What’s wrong? Did I say something ridiculous? I, I’m just speaking casually. I don’t really know about these court matters. I just feel that it’s fine to strike back at others in retaliation, but it shouldn’t implicate other people…”