Yu Tang naturally had no way of knowing what had happened on Gu Xi’s side, and even if she knew, she had no time to care and no mind to think about it.

Wei Xiaochuan had been appointed Tanhua, and she was overjoyed beyond measure. She took Wei Xiaochuan to the temple to hold a Buddhist service for Wei Xiaoshan, specifically told him about this matter, and only then did the two of them take a carriage and leisurely return to the residence.

Pei Yan had guests on his side.

So Yu Tang sat down with Wei Xiaochuan in the flower hall.

The capital in April was just when the morning breeze caressed faces and a hundred flowers bloomed.

Yu Tang spoke with Wei Xiaochuan about his marriage: “…There’s been a letter from your aunt’s side saying she had people make thorough inquiries. Miss Shen is quite sensible and reasonable. It’s just that being the youngest daughter, she’s inevitably somewhat spoiled. If you two were to marry, between husband and wife you’d probably need to show more tolerance. How this match should proceed still needs to be your decision.”

Wei Xiaochuan’s face flushed red. Thinking that Shen Fang conducted himself with considerable pride but had a good heart and was very reasonable, he said in a low voice: “I’ll leave everything about my affairs to Sister and Mother to decide.”

This meant he was willing.

But Yu Tang still feared he might harbor some reservations about Miss Shen in his heart, so she said gently: “People with bad tempers are usually straightforward in their actions, and straightforward people inevitably offend others easily. Some matters—you still need to experience them yourself and feel them out yourself to know what’s true and what’s false.”

Wei Xiaochuan nodded and said: “The Shen family began discussing this match when I was still insignificant. Just for this point alone, I’m willing.”

Yu Tang smiled and nodded repeatedly, sending someone to reply to Xu Xuan, asking her to step forward and discuss the marriage with Shen Fang.

Xu Xuan was skilled at dealing with people, so naturally when she spoke it was watertight. She didn’t mention that the Wei family had sent people to inquire about Miss Shen, only saying that Yu Tang feared wronging Miss Shen, so she wanted to wait until Wei Xiaochuan achieved success on the golden list before discussing marriage, so the Shen family would also look better.

Shen Fang had originally thought very highly of Wei Xiaochuan, feeling that even if he didn’t pass this time, after taking the examination a few more times he would certainly succeed. But unexpectedly Wei Xiaochuan was so formidable, and his luck was also good—in the first year after the Emperor’s ascension when the imperial examinations were held, he coincidentally was appointed Tanhua. This actually made it somewhat awkward for him to ask about his own younger sister’s marriage.

Now that Yu Tang had taken the initiative to bring it up, he was naturally willing.

Shen Fang hurriedly wrote a letter home.

The marriage between Wei Xiaochuan and Miss Shen was thus settled.

Just as Yu Tang had said, although Miss Shen was somewhat delicate in temperament, she was sensible and knew what was important and urgent. Added to this, Wei Xiaochuan, influenced by Pei Yan, never took concubines or kept chamber maids throughout his life, so the relationship between husband and wife was extremely harmonious. Miss Shen was exceptionally considerate toward Wei Xiaochuan and extremely attentive to all matters large and small in the Wei household. Wei Xiaochuan’s several nephews all received their elementary education at the Shen family school, and among their descendants emerged quite a few scholars. By the time Pei Jiang entered official service, the Wei family’s younger generation had Wei Xiaochuan’s support in front and Pei Jiang’s care behind, gradually changing the family’s status to become Lin’an’s second-ranking scholarly farming family after the Pei family.

The friendship between the two families also continued for several hundred years.

Of course, these were all matters for later.

What troubled Pei Yan now was Zhang Ying’s family affairs.

Old Master Zhang had originally thought very highly of Pei Yan, feeling his talent was exceptional and he should display his abilities in an official career and leave his name in history. He often sighed with Zhou Zijin that Old Master Pei had delayed Pei Yan’s prospects. When he learned that Pei Yan had taught a student like Wei Xiaochuan from a farming family background, his heart stirred even more, and he thought of the late Zhang Shao and Zhang Shao’s eldest son Zhang Yue.

He wanted Zhang Yue to become Pei Yan’s disciple and study under Pei Yan.

Pei Yan felt he’d failed his wife and children—he’d neither been able to ennoble his wife and provide for his children like Pei Xuan, nor had he left the position of Pei family patriarch to his children. He was pondering how to teach his two sons to study and ensure both sons could achieve scholarly success. He had not the slightest interest in teaching other people’s children or nephews.

Even when Zhang Ying came personally to ask, he didn’t want to agree.

But who was Zhang Ying? Someone who’d served as Minister of Personnel for twenty years. Seeing Pei Yan hemming and hawing, he immediately went to beg Zhou Zijin: “What do you think he means by this? Is he looking down on our Yue’er’s aptitude? Or does he have some other concerns? There are some things I can’t very well say—you go be the intermediary and help me ask clearly.”

The old master had personally taken action—how could Zhou Zijin dare refuse? He scurried over to the Pei household, first swindled several jars of fine wine that Pei Xuan had been hiding, then tricked Yu Tang into having their household’s cook prepare banquets for him for several days in a row. After listening to music, drinking wine, and luxuriating in fine dishes flowing like water for several days, only then did he pull Pei Yan aside to bring up the Zhang family matter.

Pei Yan didn’t hide anything from him and spoke frankly: “I need to teach my own two children—I’m afraid I won’t have the energy to manage their Zhang Yue. That child must be fifteen already, right? I heard Old Master Zhang personally gave him his elementary education, so studying shouldn’t be a problem. Why go seeking help from afar when it’s right at hand?”

Zhou Zijin just laughed and said: “You have your foolish moments too? Is Master Zhang asking you to teach Zhang Yue to study? He wants to take things a step further with your family! It’s a pity your two families don’t have children of appropriate age, otherwise Old Master Zhang would definitely arrange a marriage alliance with your family.”

Speaking of this matter, Pei Yan felt another headache coming on.

Fei Zhiwen had made things quite clear.

He wanted to marry their eldest daughter to their Jiang’er, but Yu Tang disagreed. She said the child was too young, and they didn’t know his character yet, so she was unwilling to betroth their two sons too early. No matter what, they’d have to wait until they were ten or so years old and could see what kind of people they were.

On this point, he and Yu Tang were of the same mind.

But Fei Zhiwen didn’t know what had gotten into him or what he said to Madam Fei when he went home. Madam Fei, on the other hand, would bring her two children to visit their household every few days. The son was easier to deal with since he was young, but the daughter had a gentle temperament, and being truly beautiful, she’d call “older brother, older brother,” softening Jiang’er’s heart a few degrees and making Xi’er willing to take her to see her cats every time she came.

If this continued, it wouldn’t just be the Fei family wanting to marry their daughter into his household—it would be his family’s sons at the mercy of the Fei family’s daughter to choose from.

Pei Yan couldn’t tolerate such a thing happening.

He made a decisive decision, bought a residence outside, and moved in with Yu Tang and his two sons, claiming he was finding a quiet place for his sons to study.

Zhang Ying simply sent Zhang Yue over.

Shen Fang and Fu Xiaowan both passed the Hanlin Academy examination and were observing governmental affairs at the Six Ministries. Zhang Hui and Pei Tong, under Fei Zhiwen’s care, went to the Ministry of Works and Ministry of Rites respectively. Everyone stayed in the capital. Zhang Hui even rented lodgings with Fu Xiaowan in a courtyard house, and on rest days having nowhere else to go, they’d simply visit Pei Yan’s courtyard as guests for a few drinks, some conversation, and to play with Xi’er. This made Pei Yan’s small courtyard even livelier than where he’d lived before, and Yu Tang had to frequently instruct the kitchen to add dishes and fetch wine, keeping her spinning like a top.

Old Madam Pei also had to come see her grandsons every few days.

Pei Yan was furious and moved back to the Pei residence again.

Fortunately Pei Hong was somewhat accomplished. After getting through the initial period of frantic confusion, with Steward Tong’er’s assistance he gradually got on track. Not only did he become increasingly familiar with the household accounts, he also began helping Pei Yan manage clan affairs.

The marriage between Pei Bo and Miss Xu was handled by him.

Everything was thorough with no errors.

Pei Yan simply urged Pei Xuan to find him a wife and sent him back to the Lin’an ancestral home.

The Second Madam was naturally reluctant, but Pei Hong himself was willing. He felt that taking his wife back to the ancestral home to live, with no elders above to oppress them, was infinitely better than being in the capital. He didn’t feel his mother’s reluctance and sadness at parting at all, and like going on a spring outing, happily returned to Lin’an. It wasn’t until Jiang’er passed as Chuanlü and he brought his wife and children back to the capital that he encountered Pei Fei on the road.

By this time Pei Fei had long lost his former spirited bearing as a young master from an aristocratic family. He’d become a silent and steady traveling merchant, and moreover had concealed his identity to settle in Wenzhou, where he married and had children, becoming a major merchant in the Wenzhou area.

Pei Hong, however, was being welcomed and seen off by postal station officials with great satisfaction because he was the Minister’s son and the older cousin of the newly successful Chuanlü.

The brothers passed each other by. Pei Fei recognized Pei Hong, but Pei Hong didn’t recognize this elder brother before him wearing a felt cap, dressed in coarse cloth clothes, and keeping his head lowered.

He was only concerned with instructing his wife to watch their youngest son carefully and not let him run around everywhere again, or they’d be searching the whole courtyard for him later.

He even turned back to say to the steward beside him: “How did they make Yin He the Zhuangyuan? How is Fourth Young Master feeling? But it doesn’t matter—he’s about to marry Miss Fei. Lord Fei treats him so well, no better than his own son would be treated. Yin He married the daughter of Censor Feng’s family, and with Censor Feng’s temperament, he’ll have it rough later. Just on this point, our Fourth Young Master definitely beats Yin He!”

“Exactly, exactly!”

The people around Pei Hong all smiled broadly and went along with what he said, respectfully clustering around him as they walked inside.

The most capable steward at Pei Fei’s side, however, knew of Pei Fei’s background. He watched Pei Hong surrounded by people front and back, and asked Pei Fei in a low voice: “We’re really not going to say hello?”

“No need!” Pei Fei pulled at his cap and said softly, “The people of the Pei family are no longer related to me.”

When he left home, he’d stayed three days at the temple where he used to live, but no one came looking for him.

Until this very moment, he still remembered his ice-cold limbs and numb fingertips.

He’d agreed to go with the people he’d originally done business with, traveling south together, doing whatever business they saw would make money, until they settled in Wenzhou and witnessed two major Wenzhou households fighting, and only then learned that the Peng family was thoroughly finished. Merchants from Fujian had caught wind of it and were dividing up the business the Peng family had left behind.

His intuition told him this was an opportunity. Relying on his understanding of the capital’s major power players, he earned his first family fortune.

He also learned that after his family had searched for him several times without finding him, they stopped searching.

“No need to say hello.” Pei Fei looked up at the dark clouds pressing overhead and the sky that looked ready to rain any moment, and said again: “Qi Niang is still waiting for me to come home!”

He’d become a father with a son and a daughter, and his wife was pregnant with another. He was about to be the father of three children. His son was already five this year, studying even better than his elder brother Pei Tong had at that age. In a few more years, he might very well become a Xiucai, Juren, or Zhuangyuan. Why would he need to wade into his own family’s murky waters!

Moreover, his own elder brother had been at the Ministry of Rites all these years and was still just a minor registrar. Even Fu Xiaowan, who had started at the same time as him, had now been posted externally to the Two Lakes region as an assistant prefect, yet he single-mindedly felt that being a capital official was dignified and insisted on building up seniority in the capital…

“Let’s go!” He urged the steward beside him again: “If we go any later, there might not be anything left for us!”

The Song family of Suzhou had also fallen.

The Wu family was stronger than their family, but not by much.

With his third uncle Pei Yan—those who followed him prospered, those who opposed him perished—the Wu family probably didn’t have many good days left either.

Speaking of it, he still acknowledged the good in this third uncle of his.

This time coming to the capital, he was acquiring several of the Song family’s shops through someone else acting as intermediary.

However, the biggest share should be going to the Yu family.

He didn’t know what the Yu family was thinking, but they conducted business very low-key. These past years they’d acquired quite a bit of property, yet in Lin’an they were silent and soundless, not letting slip half a whisper. Yu Yuan walking on Lin’an’s main street still had that same modest appearance as before.

If he hadn’t carefully studied the Yu family and encountered Yu Yuan several times in the business world, he wouldn’t have realized it.

However, none of this concerned him anymore.

This was his last time leaving Wenzhou. In the future, he would also be like his third uncle, personally teaching and raising his children. If he couldn’t produce a fourteen-year-old young Juren like Pei Xi, he should at least be able to produce a fourteen-year-old young Xiucai!

He was a descendant of the Pei family.

The blood of the Pei family flowed in his veins.

Thinking this, Pei Fei felt an ambition to swallow mountains and rivers in his chest, and his voice rose several degrees as he said: “Let’s go home!”

The people around him nodded repeatedly.

Pei Hong, who had already walked into the courtyard, frowned.

He seemed to have heard a familiar voice.

But if it was someone familiar, how could they not greet him?

He turned back and only saw a tall figure leading a group of merchants in a hurry.

Pei Hong pondered whether to have someone go inquire about the merchant group that had just left, but local officials who’d received the news had already arrived with their respective secretaries, calling out to him from afar as “Third Young Master Pei.” He remembered his third uncle’s instructions not to be negligent, and hurriedly returned their greetings respectfully with “Master Wang” and “Master Li,” throwing this matter to the back of his mind…