Investigating an outsider like Shopkeeper Gao who had come to the capital might be somewhat difficult for others, but for the Pei family or the Yin family, it was merely a question of whether it would take two days or three days.
Pei Yan and Yin Mingyuan investigated this Shopkeeper Gao’s background on the same day. Pei Yan hesitated about how to tell Yu Tang, but Yin Mingyuan didn’t think so much about it and directly told Xu Xuan about Shopkeeper Gao’s affairs, letting Xu Xuan handle this matter. After all, investigating Shopkeeper Gao was what Xu Xuan had requested.
That morning, Xu Xuan deliberately dawdled for a while before going to the Pei household. But unexpectedly, when she arrived at the Pei household, Yu Tang was talking with Yu Yuan in the study. Qing Yuan first led her to the small flower hall in Yu Tang’s courtyard, brought her fruit that had been delivered early that morning to eat, and said these were all Yu Tang’s instructions—if she came early, she should sit for a while, and Yu Tang would come keep her company after finishing her conversation with Yu Yuan.
“Has the maternal uncle’s young master not gone out these past few days?” Xu Xuan asked curiously.
Qing Yuan smiled and said: “He has gone out. But just to familiarize himself with the Hangzhou Commerce Association. Early this morning he sought out the Third Madam to discuss matters.”
He must have some matter to ask Yu Tang about.
Xu Xuan thought to herself, then comfortably reclined on the reclining chair, eating fruit while having a young maid read picture books to her.
On Yu Tang’s side, however, her brows were tightly furrowed as she confirmed with Yu Yuan: “Is your information accurate?”
“Definitely reliable!” Yu Yuan said excitedly. “I didn’t tell you before because I was afraid the rumors might be mistaken and it would cause an embarrassing misunderstanding. Yesterday I went to the Hangzhou Commerce Association and found the person specifically handling this matter. I asked him myself, and this is what he told me—that for His Majesty’s Longevity Festival, they’re holding a Thousand Elders Banquet, so all the tiered food boxes need to be re-lacquered and custom-made. The Imperial Household Department has already begun looking for capable merchants who can undertake this. If our family can get this opportunity, what business would we need to worry about in the future!”
The lacquerware from the Yu family shop could then carry the label of tribute goods.
But such business usually wasn’t profitable and might even require spending favors and silver.
Yu Tang said: “So how much silver are you planning to use for currying favor?”
Yu Yuan somewhat embarrassedly touched his head and said: “This is exactly where I wanted to ask my brother-in-law for help—I heard from Shopkeeper Gao that some large households in the capital raise carrier pigeons that can fly a thousand li in a day. From the capital to Lin’an is only four or five days. Before, I didn’t know if this matter was true or false. Never mind you—I didn’t even mention it to Father or Uncle. Now that I know this is real, I certainly can’t let the opportunity pass. I was wondering if I could have my brother-in-law help me borrow someone’s carrier pigeon so I can write a note home to see how much silver the family can mobilize, and try to secure this business.”
Just borrow a carrier pigeon?
Yu Tang said: “Currying favor with connections—however much silver you have can be used up. Besides, this kind of thing can’t be accomplished just by spending silver on favors. You also need to find people.”
Yu Yuan understood Yu Tang’s meaning. He laughed sheepishly and said: “I can’t let you be slighted or treated poorly in the Pei family. If my brother-in-law could quietly help our family borrow a carrier pigeon, that would be enough. As for the rest, I have my own plans and don’t intend to have my brother-in-law take the lead. He’s someone who does great things—how could he owe people favors over such a small business matter? You just don’t worry about it and take good care of your husband’s daily needs. Once my business is doing well, I’ll invite you back home to help manage the accounts.”
Was this because he feared owing the Pei family more favors?
Yu Tang didn’t particularly mind asking Pei Yan to step forward. After all, if the Yu family prospered, Pei Yan would have fewer burdens. But she had other considerations.
His Majesty’s Longevity Festival was certainly a rare opportunity, but since coming to the capital, she had discovered that the capital had quite a lot of various celebrations. Without the Longevity Festival, there was still the Qianqiu Festival. As long as one had the will, opportunities could always be found. But in her previous life, the Yu family had encountered problems very early, and Yu Yuan and her uncle had shouldered the family’s heavy burdens at a young age. At this point in her previous life, Yu Yuan had already dared to travel the Nine Borders alone. After her rebirth, she had changed the fate of everyone in the family, but this had caused Yu Yuan to lose many opportunities for tempering.
Perhaps letting Yu Yuan venture out on his own this time would be better for both the Yu family and for himself.
Yu Tang thought about it and agreed with Yu Yuan’s intention, saying: “Since you’ve made up your mind, then do as you think best. If there’s anything you need my help with, it’s not too late to ask me then.”
Yu Yuan was quite relieved.
He had been afraid Yu Tang would insist on helping him.
He wasn’t someone who didn’t understand. Before coming, he had already inquired—the Pei family’s Second Master had been promoted to Vice Minister of Revenue, one of the Nine Ministers, and might enter the Grand Secretariat any day. If he wanted to help, Yu Yuan could receive the Longevity Festival business without even getting out of bed. But if that happened, Second Master Pei would inevitably leave a handle for others to grasp. If someday someone used this handle against him, wouldn’t Yu Yuan have harmed Second Master Pei?
Yu Yuan had never planned to let the Pei family get involved.
In his view, rather than helping him with a few business deals, the Pei family would do better to guide his son in his studies.
He didn’t want to lose the greater for the lesser.
Yu Yuan said to Yu Tang: “You don’t need to worry too much. I’m still staying at the Pei household, which counts as borrowing the Pei family’s influence. Setting aside everything else, at least others won’t dare bully a newcomer. If I still can’t manage this well, then I’ll give up on this ambition in the future and stay contentedly in Lin’an.”
These words also made sense.
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
Only when her eldest cousin truly acquired real skills could he truly revitalize the family business.
Yu Tang smiled and asked how he planned to resolve the silver matter.
Yu Yuan smiled and said: “Your sister-in-law gave me five thousand taels of her private savings. I think asking Father and Uncle for another one or two thousand taels of silver will be enough. As for connections, I’ve already arranged to have lunch with people from the Hangzhou Commerce Association to see how the discussion goes.”
Since her eldest cousin had a plan in mind, Yu Tang said no more. After reminding him a few times about “being careful” and such, she personally escorted Yu Yuan out the door before going to see Xu Xuan.
Xu Xuan immediately said: “What did your elder brother want with you? Is there anything we can help with?” She seemed very enthusiastic.
Yu Tang told Xu Xuan about Yu Yuan’s purpose and plans.
Hearing this, Xu Xuan laughed and said: “Your elder brother is quite clever. He knows to stay at the Pei household. And his thinking is quite upright too. Perhaps he really will succeed in this matter!”
Yu Tang smiled and said: “So I’m letting go and not interfering. If he has any other matters, he can come find me then.”
Xu Xuan nodded, feeling that since the Yu family siblings could think this way, they would surely be able to stand on their own. She then mentioned Shopkeeper Gao’s matter: “That Shopkeeper Gao appears to be doing business on his own, but actually the Peng family stands behind him. The salt certificates he has this time should also be from the Peng family, but if he can get the Ministry of Revenue’s seal, the Peng family will probably give him one or two salt households as compensation.”
Yu Tang was displeased and said: “In other words, if our family helps him get the seal, we’re actually helping the Peng family.”
Xu Xuan nodded.
Yu Tang was somewhat puzzled and said: “Then why doesn’t the Peng family come directly to our door?”
There are only eternal interests, no eternal enemies.
The Pei family and Peng family didn’t have irreconcilable enmities like killing fathers or stealing wives.
Xu Xuan looked at her in surprise: “You don’t know? Your household’s Pei Xiaguang sent Peng Eleven to prison. The Peng family had great difficulty getting Peng Eleven released, and haven’t even settled accounts clearly with Pei Xiaguang yet—how could they have the face to immediately come asking the Pei family for help? The Peng family is probably even afraid the Pei family would take the opportunity to make things difficult for them!”
Peng Eleven was sent to prison?
When did this happen?
Why?
Why would Pei Yan do this?
These chaotic thoughts flashed through Yu Tang’s mind, and she suddenly thought of those things she had once deceived Pei Yan about.
Could Pei Yan have done this because she said Peng Eleven and Li Duan were going to harm her?
If so, then Peng Eleven had truly suffered an undeserved calamity!
The little person in Yu Tang’s heart wiped the sweat from her brow. She somewhat absent-mindedly accompanied Xu Xuan for the day. Finally, when Pei Yan returned home, she immediately pulled him over and asked what this was all about.
Pei Yan hadn’t expected Xu Xuan would tell Yu Tang about Shopkeeper Gao’s matter so quickly, and mention Peng Eleven’s affair in passing. This made his heart first tighten, then relax with relief.
This was actually good—it saved him from not knowing how to tell Yu Tang about these matters.
Pei Yan then changed his clothes, looking nonchalant as he said calmly: “It’s not really a big deal, so I didn’t mention it to you.”
He explained how he discovered that the bitter victim who killed Li Duan had been instigated by Peng Eleven, how Peng Eleven and Li Duan had unclear and ambiguous entanglements, how he thought of what Yu Tang had once told him about her dream, felt it was too dangerous to let Peng Eleven freely wander about outside, so he exposed some of the dirty deeds Peng Eleven had done for the Peng family and sent Peng Eleven to prison. He told Yu Tang everything one by one, and finally said: “I never expected Peng Yu would be promoted to Vice Minister of Justice. I was careless for a moment and let the Peng family fish Peng Eleven out. According to my thinking, it would be best to have this Peng Eleven sent to the northwest for exile, never to come within five hundred li of you for his entire life.”
When all was said and done, it was still because of what she had said.
Yu Tang was so moved her eyes grew moist. She hugged Pei Yan’s arm and said softly: “Why are you so foolish?” Sending Peng Eleven to prison must have taken so much energy and resources, and cost favors too—it was too uneconomical. “I’m right by your side—who would dare harm me?” As she spoke, she couldn’t help burying her head against Pei Yan’s chest and nuzzling.
That appearance was like an affectionate cat, showing how much she depended on him.
Watching this, Pei Yan’s heart was pleased. He reached out and rubbed Yu Tang’s head.
Yu Tang stiffened, very much wanting to tell him not to ruin her hairstyle, but thinking of the intimacy Pei Yan displayed when rubbing her head and the warmth she felt, she couldn’t help thinking somewhat self-destructively: forget it, better to let everyone be happy. As for the hairstyle matter, at worst she could just have Qing Yuan and the others help her redo it.
But what Pei Yan said about Peng Eleven constantly helping the Peng family do unsavory things—in her previous life… it should have been the same way.
So her death was because she stumbled upon a transaction between Peng Eleven and Li Duan?
Thinking of this, Yu Tang’s heart, which had been full of confusion and anxiety, slowly settled.
In her previous life, she hadn’t wrongly accused the Li family. In this life, she hadn’t done anything wrong either.
This was good.
Like being debt-free and light, she felt more relaxed than ever before.
“It’s still better to be careful.” Pei Yan said. “I feel the Peng family definitely knows I’ll investigate Shopkeeper Gao. Their family won’t just consider this matter settled with us. Try not to go out these next few days either. You’re porcelain—we don’t need to clash with their broken tiles.”
Peng Eleven had been stripped bare by him and could no longer help the Peng family do those unsavory things. He was equivalent to an abandoned piece—who knew if he might take desperate measures?