Tao Qing was in his forties, of medium height, thin build, with dark skin, high cheekbones, and an elongated face. His appearance was utterly ordinary—the type of person who would disappear in a crowd. Yet this very person, after losing his father at fifteen, had supported his younger siblings and widowed mother, stood out among all the Tao family descendants, and become the person in power of the Tao family, known as Guangzhou’s foremost household.
Not only did Tao An respect this elder brother, but Pei Yan also held him in high regard.
“Elder Brother!” He addressed Tao Qing following Tao An’s lead.
A hint of a smile appeared on Tao Qing’s stern, serious face: “Xiaguang, are you well?”
Since his father’s death, this was the first person to ask him this way.
Pei Yan’s eyes moistened slightly as he said, “I’m managing! Life must go on regardless.”
Tao Qing nodded and didn’t offer much comfort. Instead, he said, “It’s good that you can think this way. In a few years when you look back, these matters will be nothing more than a hurdle you’ve crossed. Once you’ve stepped over it, your gains will be even greater.”
“Thank you, Elder Brother!” Pei Yan said, inviting Tao Qing to sit at the round table. “I’ll remember your words.”
Tao Qing smiled and said, “You and Ziran are both clever people. I don’t need to say much—you both know what you’re doing. I trust you.” After finishing, he watched as the servants served them tea and snacks before withdrawing, leaving only the two of them in the room. Only then did he continue, “Don’t play those empty games with Ziran, and I won’t beat around the bush with you either. Tell me, what do you plan to do?”
Like Pei Yan, Tao An was the youngest son in the family. Both had experienced periods of rebelliousness in their youth. After meeting in the capital, they hit it off immediately and became good friends. Several times when Tao Qing passed through the capital on business to see Tao An, Tao An would bring Pei Yan along. Tao Qing saw Pei Yan as reminiscent of the young Tao An. Moreover, Pei Yan was extraordinarily handsome, and when he wanted to be good to someone, he was like the golden boy attendant of Guanyin Bodhisattva. Tao Qing liked him very much and was exceptionally warm toward Pei Yan.
Pei Yan could sense Tao Qing’s goodwill toward him, and naturally grew closer to the Tao brothers. Hearing Tao Qing speak this way, he didn’t hide anything and said frankly, “I obtained those maps by chance. Now there are two matters. First, I don’t know whether those maps are real or fake, and I’d like Elder Brother to help test-sail a section first. Second, these maps were originally sought after by the Peng family of Fuzhou. To obtain them, the Peng family expended considerable effort and even stirred up some trouble in Lin’an City. I want to know how the Peng family learned about these maps.”
When business reached the Tao family’s scale, it wasn’t merely about buying and selling goods anymore. One had to understand court trends as well, otherwise a single government decision could make a business built over generations unsustainable, or it might even change hands. This was why families like the Tao family and the Peng family painstakingly supported scholars in every generation.
If Tao Qing could manage the Tao family, he was no ordinary person. He immediately understood what Pei Yan left unsaid. He couldn’t help but ponder: “Test-sailing is a small matter. I’ll arrange it right away and have them forgo their holidays to give you word before the Dragon Raises Its Head festival. But as for the Peng family matter, I’m afraid you’ll have to figure that out yourself—these past two years, the Peng family has grown very close to the Third Prince. The fear is that they too are making wedding clothes for others. In court matters, our family isn’t as strong as yours. But since you’re telling me this, there must be ways our family can help. Just tell me directly. Given the friendship between our two families, we’ll help you accomplish it no matter what.”
The current emperor had three legitimate sons. The eldest legitimate son had already died young, the second legitimate son had been married for many years but had produced no sons, and the third legitimate son did have two sons but ranked third. The dynasty’s rule was to establish the legitimate heir and the eldest. With the emperor advancing in years, imperial censors frequently submitted memorials urging him to establish a crown prince, but the emperor treated them like wind past his ears, keeping them in the palace without issuing responses. Not only were court ministers troubled, but those wanting to choose sides were equally troubled.
Pei Yan said, “I too worry that the Peng family is making wedding clothes for others. So I had the Yin family help investigate. After all, these maps once fell into Zuo Guangzong’s hands.”
Zuo Guangzong’s death had not been honorable. Because he had offended the interests of most southern prominent families at the time, when the late emperor censured him, it was like walls falling with everyone pushing—not only did no one speak for him, but after his death, his several sons all died under mysterious circumstances during exile. Only after the current emperor ascended the throne was his reputation restored. The so-called Zuo family descendants now were merely the offspring of Zuo Guangzong’s cousins.
“If these maps had fallen into his hands back then, he couldn’t possibly not have brought them out,” Pei Yan said. “At the very least, that group of officials in Fujian and Guangzhou would have done everything possible to save his life.”
Hearing this, Tao Qing smiled and said, “Xiaguang, you’re like Ziran—you’ve both had smooth sailing from childhood, getting whatever you wanted. Sometimes your actions inevitably carry a bit too much compassion.”
Not only had Tao Qing said this, but Pei Yan’s mentor Zhang Ying had said it too.
Pei Yan disagreed.
Was smooth sailing somehow wrong?
Smooth sailing was also a kind of ability.
If one had the ability to sail smoothly, why would one deliberately seek suffering?
Tao Qing knew he wouldn’t listen and didn’t say more. Instead, he said, “You’ve been to our Tao family’s warehouse in Dasha, haven’t you? If I asked you who knows the warehouse’s affairs best, you’d certainly say the managing steward. But actually, the person who knows the warehouse best is the gatekeeper. What goods are in each storage room? When were they moved in? Who moved them in? Who led those movers? Who had the most strength? Which day saw the most goods moved…”
Pei Yan immediately understood Tao Qing’s meaning.
“You’re saying that unless these maps were drawn under Lord Zuo’s direction, otherwise Lord Zuo might not necessarily know where the maps came from or where they went?” He pondered and murmured, “Lu Xin’s father once served as Lord Zuo’s secretary. If he knew, wouldn’t there be others who also knew? Or perhaps he didn’t know, but there were others who did…”
Though he spoke vaguely, Tao Qing understood clearly. He said gently, “Exactly so. Rather than investigating in the capital, you’d be better off investigating these people’s connections. You might make new discoveries.”
If two princes were involved, no matter how profitable the business or how good the relationship between the Tao and Pei families, they wouldn’t touch it.
Pei Yan also understood this principle.
He said, “I was thinking earlier that those who understand an opponent best are usually their enemies, not their friends. That’s why I had the Yin family investigate the Peng family, but I was somewhat worried the Yin family might hide things from me, so I wanted to use your hand to verify whether the information the Yin family gives me is correct and complete. Fortunately, we thought of the same thing. I won’t say more. Whether these maps can be auctioned depends on how the Peng family learned about them.”
The Tao family had some business dealings with both the Yin and Peng families, but the Tao family were the “friends” Pei Yan spoke of. When it came to gathering information, they were also quite suitable.
Tao Qing smiled and said, “It’s best that you can think this way. I was worried earlier that you’d bring those official circle tactics into the business world.”
Being high-profile and willful in official circles was fine—after all, Pei Yan had a formidable mentor and several capable senior brothers. But the business world valued harmony bringing wealth. Sometimes being too high-profile could get one trapped without even knowing it.
Pei Yan managed the household affairs, which meant managing the family businesses, but what he found most tiresome was dealing with people.
Just thinking about it made his remaining years seem tedious.
Yu Tang’s smiling face suddenly popped into his mind.
That young lady was truly someone who could speak human words to humans and ghost words to ghosts. Even when caught red-handed spouting nonsense, she could continue fabricating without her heart racing or face flushing. Her skin was especially thick too—she could bow and scrape to achieve her goals without the slightest effort. Such a person would be suited for business, wouldn’t she?
Pei Yan sighed.
Just then, Magistrate Tang came to call. Of course he had no mood for it, and just like before, willfully declared “I won’t see him.”
Tao Qing strongly disapproved. He called out admonishingly, “Xiaguang,” and said, “That’s your local magistrate?”
Pei Yan waved his hand dismissively, “That depends on what kind of magistrate. This type of soft, senseless person—what does it matter if he gets turned away at my door?”
If only he dared to be like Miss Yu—accommodating him in everything on the surface, flattering him endlessly when they met, but behind his back doing whatever needed to be done anyway.
For instance, putting a door ring worth only two taels in a brocade box and presenting it to him as an antique.
For instance, after discovering that Wei Xiaoshan was killed by the Li family, daring to hold the Li family accountable.
Able to bow low, but also able to stand tall.
Then he’d respect this Tang fellow as a true man and treat him as an honored guest.
Thinking this way, Pei Yan looked down on Magistrate Tang even more.
“Don’t worry about these trivial matters,” he said. “You rarely come. Since you can’t make it back to Guangzhou for the New Year anyway, just spend it at my place.”
“How could that work?” Tao Qing didn’t want to spoil Pei Yan’s mood and went along with him. “It’s not as if I don’t have a residence in Hangzhou City. What would it mean to spend the New Year at your house? Alright, I came quietly, and you needn’t see me out—I’ll leave quietly too. As soon as I have news, I’ll immediately send someone to tell you.” With that, he stood up.
Naturally, Pei Yan couldn’t let him leave like this, but Tao Qing insisted, saying, “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re planning. If you really want to get rid of these maps, you truly can’t make a big show of seeing me off. As for the test-sailing, I’ll find a way to let the Yin family know. By the way, besides the Yin family, who else do you think should know? Otherwise, if I’m unclear about things and accidentally ruin your grand plans, won’t you be hopping mad?”
“If possible, tell the Li family as well.” Pei Yan chuckled, “Of course we should tell the Peng family too, but we can’t tell them now—we have to wait until after we’ve divided up these maps before telling them.”
This would also achieve Miss Yu’s objective.
“Done!” Tao Qing agreed readily.
Pei Yan saw Tao Qing off through the Pei family’s side gate.