TL: Hua
Chapter 62: Chance Encounter – Xiao Pei goes to Enzhou (4)
In “Jade Sayings,” red jade is described as “red like a rooster’s comb, truly the most precious of all,” with nothing that can compare, and rarely seen in the world. Many of those present were either wealthy or noble, and not just a few were fond of jade and jewelry, leading to a prolonged bidding war.
Young Marquis Mei had a relaxed demeanor, seemingly confident of victory, as after all, the truly wealthy were nothing more than princes and marquises. Pei Xiting also waited for the Young Marquis to claim the beautiful jade. Unexpectedly, after everyone else had left the bidding floor, someone from the other side continued to chase and contend with Mei Xiu, neither willing to give an inch.
The price had already soared to five thousand taels. Pei Xiting estimated it was nearly over, but Mei Xiu clearly refused to admit defeat, and his opponent was equally unwilling to give up. The two sides went back and forth, the price steadily climbing, already exceeding ten thousand taels. Pei Xiting glanced at Mei Xiu; the Young Marquis was clearly caught up in the moment, determined to win it no matter what.
Yuan Fang looked at Mei Xiu as if he were a colorful little golden figure with more money than sense.
Mei Xiu noticed Yuan Fang’s gaze, raised his chin, and haughtily said, “You little thing, what are you looking at?”
In the Young Marquis’s eyes, Yuan Fang was clearly Pei Xiting’s little pet, whose every need for food, clothing, housing, and transportation depended on Pei Xiting. Little did he know that Pei Xiting was now penniless and had begun to rely on Brother Yuan Fang for a living.
Upon hearing this, Pei Xiting quickly spoke up for his benefactor. “He’s ignorant; of course, he’s awestruck by the Young Marquis’s confident demeanor.”
Yuan Fang didn’t refute the new label Pei Xiting had given him, and Mei Xiu didn’t suspect he was being tricked. He ended the unilaterally initiated “battle” prelude with a “hmph” and continued to focus on the bidding.
While the two sides were locked in contention, Pei Xiting finished his painting and left it to dry on the low table. He walked over and sat beside Mei Xiu, asking, “You like it that much?”
Mei Xiu, for some reason, felt a little awkward and said, “I want to bid on it to give to someone.”
Seeing his shy, hesitant look, not daring to meet his eyes, Pei Xiting was momentarily stunned, then directly asked, “It wouldn’t be for me, would it?”
Mei Xiu still had some sense of shame and said, “Since you guessed it, why say it out loud?”
Pei Xiting laughed, “You said I guessed it, so if I don’t ask, how can I be sure my guess is accurate?”
Mei Xiu couldn’t refute him and remained silent for a moment before awkwardly mumbling an “En.”
Oh my goodness, Pei Xiting didn’t feel bad about Mei Xiu’s money. After all, the Young Marquis had a substantial family fortune, and it wasn’t unheard of for him to spend lavishly in the past. He just didn’t want to owe him this kind of favor, especially since this favor wasn’t straightforward.
Pei Xiting couldn’t help but glance at Yuan Fang’s crow mouth and advised, “This price has been driven too high; it’s not worth it.”
Mei Xiu had always been a spendthrift. Upon hearing this, he said, “What I like, what I want, as long as I can get it, there’s nothing ‘not worth it’ about it… Fifteen thousand taels!”
Pei Xiting wholeheartedly agreed with this sentiment of Young Marquis Mei. But the current situation was that Young Marquis Mei had a screw loose, or perhaps he(Mei Xiu) was truly cursed by Yuan Fang’s crow mouth and actually developed a hint of “brotherly love” for him(Pei Xiting). Now, Mei Xiu was acting like he wanted to spend a fortune to win a beauty’s smile.
They had become acquainted through a confrontation, and after spending some time together, Pei Xiting quite liked Mei Xiu. The Young Marquis could sometimes be incredibly careless, but he was straightforward and loyal, always meaning what he said and never resorting to underhanded tricks. It was easiest and most pleasant to get along with someone like that. But if it were just brotherly affection, a give-and-take, neither would feel guilty. Yet, this was a “brotherly love” of a different kind, and he simply couldn’t reciprocate the Young Marquis’s feelings. Therefore, even if the bracelet was successfully bid on, he absolutely couldn’t accept it.
With that thought, Pei Xiting was about to advise Mei Xiu not to bid any further, when Young Marquis Mei had already furiously shouted “Twenty thousand taels,” and his opponent immediately raised it by another thousand taels.
Young Marquis Mei had a solid family fortune, and his opponent was clearly no pushover. The auction house was the ultimate winner. Pei Xiting walked to the curtain and peeked out, seeing the auctioneer’s face beaming with a delighted smile.
Pei Xiting walked back to Mei Xiu’s side and, feigning regret, said, “Twenty thousand taels! That’s enough to buy ten of the small courtyards I live in.”
He meant to convey that the price was ridiculously inflated and not worth fighting over. Unexpectedly, the Young Marquis misunderstood and said, “Your courtyard is rented? Why didn’t you say so earlier? I’ll buy you the deed when we get back.”
Pei Xiting: “…”
“Who exactly is the person on the other side? Are there such overbearing characters in Enzhou?” Mei Xiu rubbed his chin, his tone displeased.
“Enzhou is a large province, and countless wealthy individuals reside here. The other person doesn’t know your identity. If the two of you keep at it, the auction house could build several more floors.” Pei Xiting thought that he had to get Mei Xiu to stop first, so he employed a delaying tactic. “How about this: let the other party bid on it first, and then we’ll privately negotiate with them to see if we can buy it.”
“This person has been competing with me; either they have a lot of money, or they really want it. What if they refuse to sell it then? Wouldn’t we be giving the item away for nothing?” Mei Xiu found this tactic risky and refused to agree.
Pei Xiting’s plan was exactly that. If the other party stubbornly refused to sell, the Young Marquis would be helpless. Hearing this, he smiled and said, “But if you two keep going back and forth, you might get a result, but the price will definitely be ridiculously inflated. Even if the Young Marquis gives it to me, I wouldn’t dare wear it.”
Mei Xiu hesitated upon hearing this, but he still hadn’t completely given up hope, questioning, “What do you mean you ‘wouldn’t dare’? I don’t see you as someone so frugal.”
At this point, Mei Xiu suddenly felt a hint of doubt.
The Pei family had shallow pockets. Young Master Pei received only a few taels of monthly allowance in the Pei mansion. His father didn’t care, his legal mother didn’t love him, and his concubine mother had no family fortune herself, so there shouldn’t have been any subsidies. How did Pei Xiting manage to develop such a relatively lavish spending habit after living like that for over a decade?
His eyes showed confusion. Pei Xiting paused, then immediately guessed what he was doubting. So he smiled and naturally explained, “I don’t have much money at home; all my necessities are distributed from the storeroom. But I can earn my own money, and isn’t money for spending? What treasures can you save by constantly scrimping?”
This explanation was logical. Mei Xiu was no longer perplexed and said, “Then why are you stopping me?”
Pei Xiting said, “Since it’s your money, it’s different. Mei Xiu, I can’t bear this.”
Even the Crown Prince, whose status was more noble than Mei Xiu’s, had never called Mei Xiu by his given name in public, yet Pei Xiting had done so. Mei Xiu was not angry about this; on the contrary, he was rather pleased, thinking that Pei Xiting was becoming closer to him. But then he heard the phrase “can’t bear this,” and his face instantly fell. He wasn’t a complete fool; how could he not understand the meaning of those words?
It’s not that Pei Xiting couldn’t bear it; it’s just that he didn’t want to bear it at all. This was a blatant rejection!
“You… are you still thinking about that special someone?” Mei Xiu felt a mix of disappointment, grievance, anger, jealousy, and helplessness. His stomach churned, and he blurted out, “She doesn’t even like you, why do you insist on thinking about her?”
Pei Xiting had rejected Qu Zhen for his beloved, and now he was rejecting Mei Xiu. Who exactly was this heavenly fairy? Or some vixen who had captivated Pei Xiting’s heart!
Pei Xiting didn’t feel hurt. He said, “He did reject me, but I don’t plan to give up. I think I still have a chance.”
Mei Xiu’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You’re not giving up? You’re still going to fight to the death? Still going to take just one scoop from three thousand rivers[mfn] (弱水三千，只取一瓢饮). Chinese philosophy symbolized contentment. In love and relationship, it means among countless people, you choose only one to love faithfully.[/mfn]? Still going to hang yourself from that one tree in a vast forest? Still going to forcibly twist this one melon from a rich melon patch!”
“I like him, so naturally, I’ll fight for him with all my might,” Pei Xiting said. “Besides, he’s not entirely without feelings for me, otherwise, I wouldn’t bother him again.”
“If she has feelings for you and still rejects you, isn’t that just playing hard to get? She’s manipulating you, you naive simpleton, and you’ve really fallen for it!” Mei Xiu stared at Pei Xiting’s face, practically seething with frustration and pity for his foolishness. “Look at that pathetic smile! Look at it!”
“If he’s capable of such a high-level tactic as playing hard to get,” Pei Xiting thought for a moment and chuckled, “then I actually find it quite interesting.”
“…” Mei Xiu threw his head back, clutching his chest, as if he was about to spit out three liters of blood.
“Hey—” At this moment, Yuan Fang calmly said, “The bidding is over.”
Young Marquis Mei was immersed in his intense and complicated emotions and completely missed the auctioneer’s three final hammers. Pei Xiting and Yuan Fang had deliberately not reminded him, so the bidding ended without the Young Marquis’s knowledge.
“Damn it!” Mei Xiu slammed his hand on the table and turned to confront the maid outside the screen, “Why didn’t you remind me? Is this how your auction house treats guests? If you can operate, operate; if not, shut down!”
The maid flinched in fear, then pitifully said, “I did remind Your Lordship, but Your Lordship didn’t hear…”
Mei Xiu spun around once and then strode out, his demeanor clearly indicating he was going to confront the other side. Pei Xiting sighed at the sight, quickly had Yuan Fang pack up the painting, and got up to follow him.
Young Marquis Mei, moving as if on firewheels with a small fiery hat on his head, casually grabbed a waiter and asked for directions, then quickly walked to the opponent’s private room. The waiter at the private room entrance stared blankly for a moment as if seeing a god of fire charging toward him, yet Mei Xiu had already bypassed the screen.
“What kind of—”
His voice abruptly cut off. Mei Xiu saw the man sitting in the chair and gasped in shock, all his fiery anger extinguished by this sudden downpour.
Pei Xiting, who was a step behind in rounding the screen, also stopped, staring in surprise at the Crown Prince. Then his mind raced, and he abruptly slapped Mei Xiu’s back, lowering his eyes and head as he whispered, “Quickly, bow and apologize!”
Mei Xiu snapped back to reality, shuddered, and immediately cupped his hands in a bow, “Your Highne—”
“That’s enough,” Yu Shaoyun interrupted Mei Xiu and walked up to the screen to say to a group of people outside, “We’re all old acquaintances. There’s nothing for you to see here any more. You can all leave.”
He looked at the maid, “You too, leave.”
The waiters, guards, and shopkeepers gathered outside all breathed a sigh of relief. Those who came to the auction house were not ordinary people, and their temperaments were equally unusual. Occasionally, they would cause a ruckus that could smash the place up, although they would eventually grandly wave their hands and pay for repairs. But for those running a business, less trouble was always better.
The group of people who had been on high alert all retreated. The maid curtsied and quietly withdrew as well.
Yu Shaoyun turned sideways, looked at the tense Mei Xiu and Pei Xiting, and gave a half-smile before turning back behind the Crown Prince.
“What were you trying to clamor about just now?” The Crown Prince picked up his teacup and said calmly, “Continue.”
How could Mei Xiu dare? He said dryly, “Your subject didn’t…”
Seeing Mei Xiu stammering and unable to speak, Pei Xiting cupped his hands and said, “We were unaware that Your Highness was traveling incognito and also here. Our rashness startled Your Highness. Please forgive us.”
“We,” the Crown Prince repeated the word, looking at Pei Xiting with an unclear meaning. “Are you taking responsibility together?”
At this moment, it was indeed inappropriate to speak too much, but Pei Xiting couldn’t just watch. When he heard this, he lowered his head and said, “This humble subordinate knows his mistake.”
Mei Xiu quickly said, “Your Highness, this has nothing to do with Xiting. He came in to stop me.”
“I explain for you, and you make excuses for me,” the Crown Prince said. “You two are truly loyal friends, generous and righteous.”
His Royal Highness was speaking sarcastically, his mood unclear. The two stood by the screen, both with their heads bowed and ears drooping, not daring to utter a sound.
“The auction house is inherently about fair bidding, with the highest bidder winning. This is a clearly stated rule,” the Crown Prince asked Mei Xiu, “What were you clamoring about?”
Mei Xiu pursed his lips, not daring to speak.
“If it weren’t me sitting here today, what would you have done? Would you have pulled rank as Young Marquis Mei, to threaten or to seize by force?” the Crown Prince said calmly. “You were like this in Yejing, and you’re still like this now in Enzhou–-arrogant, overbearing, and impulsive. Little do you know that not everyone in this world fears your status and position. If you meet a truly ruthless character, they might kill you on the spot, and you’d only be able to continue your clamoring in the afterlife.”
Pei Xiting’s eyes flickered upon hearing this. If the Crown Prince intended to punish them, he wouldn’t need to say all this. Just one startle was enough to punish Mei Xiu. Rather than pleading guilty, it was more like a lesson.
Mei Xiu naturally understood. He walked up to the Crown Prince, lifted his robe, and knelt down, honestly saying, “Your subject knows his mistake.”
The Crown Prince took a sip of tea and said, “You begged Fushu to bring you here. But instead of doing proper business, you came to spend a fortune at an auction house. Is this the impression you want to give me?”
He didn’t tell him to rise, so Mei Xiu naturally didn’t dare to get up. Feeling a little nervous upon hearing this, he didn’t dare to argue and whispered, “Your subject knows his mistake. Your subject will definitely get up early tomorrow, follow Prince Ning, and go wherever he goes. I will never be lazy again!”
The Crown Prince asked, “Then what ‘meticulous preparation’ were you supposed to be doing today?”
“Ah… Oh, your subject will go find the prince immediately!” Mei Xiu got up to leave but was called back by the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince said, “I remember that Marquis Mei and Li Da are old acquaintances.”
Mei Xiu truthfully said, “Your subject didn’t know they knew each other.”
He never paid attention to his father’s affairs.
“Marquis Mei once recommended Li Da,” the Crown Prince said. “Li Da conspired with a cult to extort money and commit murder; his mansion must contain mountains of gold and silver. From today onwards, you will live there and find his mountains of gold and silver.”
“Yes,” Mei Xiu responded, then quietly added, “Your Highness, your subject came out this time without even a single attendant. So, um…”
The Crown Prince said, “You can’t handle things alone?”
“That’s not the case. But since this Li Da dared to conspire with a cult, he’s incredibly bold. What if his mansion also hides cult members? Wouldn’t it be a bit dangerous for your subject to be alone?” Mei Xiu said hesitantly.
“Aren’t you calling yourself Young Marquis Mei who no one dared to provoke?” the Crown Prince said. “Are you scared?”
Mei Xiu understood that His Royal Highness was deliberately teasing him. Hearing this, he dared not say anything more and honestly accepted the task. He turned to leave, then glanced at Pei Xiting. Pei Xiting blinked, signaling that it was fine. He still wanted to intercede, but Pei Xiting’s eyes stopped him, so he could only slink away.
The Crown Prince didn’t miss their eye contact and calmly said, “Shaoyun.”
Yu Shaoyun answered and went out to gather four close guards, quietly saying, “You two pairs, one overt and one covert, protect the Young Marquis well.”
Two plain-clothed guards nodded in acknowledgment and followed Mei Xiu out.
Since the Longhe Division and the Crown Prince himself had arrived in Enzhou, investigating the Li family was unnecessary for Mei Xiu. This was a task assigned to Mei Xiu for training purposes. However, the Crown Prince wouldn’t let Mei Xiu get into trouble at the Li family mansion. Yet, Pei Xiting found it somewhat strange. Mei Xiu could also be trained by following Prince Ning to suppress bandits; why insist on Mei Xiu undertaking a solo mission?
Pei Xiting’s eyes darted around, subtly looking at the Crown Prince, only to be caught in the act. Those deep, dark eyes were quietly watching him. Pei Xiting’s heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively retracted his gaze, continuing to stare at his toes.
He’s not even willing to look at him now? The Crown Prince held the tea cup expressionlessly and said, “What are you three sneaking around to investigate?”
Pei Xiting’s eyelids twitched. He feigned confusion and looked up, “This humble subordinate doesn’t understand Your Highness’s meaning.”
“You already entered the auction house, took your seats, then suddenly ran out together to the stationery shop at the front, and came back shortly after. But didn’t you already send Yuan Fang there alone once?” The Crown Prince tilted his head slightly, scrutinizing Pei Xiting’s face, and said calmly, “What are you investigating, or rather, what do you want Mei Xiu to see?”
His Royal Highness and Mei Xiu combined had 10,000 tricks up their sleeves, but Mei Xiu only accounted for one.
Pei Xiting’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He calmly said, “Reporting to Your Highness. From the second floor of the stationary shop, Yuan Fang accidentally glimpsed Fifth Young Master Zong conversing with a stranger. He mentioned it casually when he returned, and unexpectedly, Young Marquis thought there was something fishy about it, so we went to take a look together.”
The Crown Prince said, “Is that so? Even Mei Xiu thinks there’s something fishy about this. What about you?”
That word “even” was worth pondering. Pei Xiting smiled docilely and said, “Reporting to Your Highness, this humble subordinate thinks the same.”
The Crown Prince said, “Then what did you find?”
“We haven’t started investigating yet. This humble subordinate only sketched the stranger’s appearance and plans to ask someone to investigate it,” Pei Xiting paused, then carefully continued, “It’s not that this humble subordinate and Young Marquis Mei are being nosy, nor are we suspecting Fifth Young Master Zong of anything. But that stranger doesn’t look like an ordinary person; he doesn’t seem like a good sort, nor like Fifth Young Master’s friend. Fifth Young Master rarely goes out and has a quiet, gentle disposition. If he encounters any trouble outside, he probably wouldn’t seek help from us. The prince is busy with the bandits and doesn’t have time to look after his brother. This humble subordinate and Young Marquis thought we could secretly investigate without alarming the prince and Fifth Young Master. If there’s nothing, we’ll naturally be at ease. If there is something, it wouldn’t be too late to ask the prince to intervene then.” The Crown Prince didn’t seem to suspect anything, after all, no matter how many tricks His Royal Highness had up his sleeve, he couldn’t have imagined anything like transmigration.
In the original novel, Zong An didn’t come to Enzhou himself. It was Hui Dou who negotiated with Zhang Dazhuang, the bandit. Hui Dou offered Zhang Dazhuang an irresistible “price,” telling him about Zong Rui’s deployments. The two then collaborated, one inside and one outside, to trap and kill Zong Rui.
However, this plot was only a brief mention in the original novel, without much detail. Therefore, besides keeping an eye on Zong An and Hui Dou, Pei Xiting could only start with Zhang Dazhuang.
The toy shop owner, having received his money, was very efficient. He brought back news last night that Zhang Dazhuang had agreed to meet, but not until tonight at the earliest. He also mentioned that there was an auction during the day.
Those who buy and sell information are experts at extracting information from conversations. Pei Xiting didn’t doubt the clue the shop owner had obtained and then provided him. And the auction in the city today was indeed the Wanping Auction House.
It wasn’t unusual for a bandit to attend an auction, so Pei Xiting didn’t suspect much until Mei Xiu mentioned this morning that Zong An was instructing people to hitch a carriage. Zong An’s purpose in coming to Enzhou was for training, and he usually seemed very respectful of the prince. To maintain his persona, he should have been diligently attending to the prince and awaiting orders. Yet, today he didn’t go to Damang Mountain with the prince; instead, he was going out alone.
Pei Xiting didn’t know where Zong Yun was going, nor did he know if he was overthinking it, but he knew that if Zong An still planned to cooperate with the bandits and kill Zong Rui, he would definitely find an opportunity to secretly contact and trade with the bandits.
They had carefully examined the map of Enzhou, both inside and outside the city, on their way here, so they had a general idea of the layout. Pei Xiting remembered that the area around Wanping Auction House was near the city outskirts, relatively secluded, and close to a wild lake, making it suitable for a secret meeting.
Therefore, Pei Xiting suggested that he and Mei Xiu go together. Upon arrival, he had Yuan Fang investigate under the guise of buying something. Unexpectedly, they actually caught something.
Pei Xiting suspected that the tall, thin man was Zhang Dazhuang. He thought of having the toy shop owner identify him, and then having Mei Xiu secretly inform Zong Rui. This way, Zong Rui wouldn’t suspect his motives, and Zong An wouldn’t retaliate against Mei Xiu. As for how Zong Rui would deal with Zong An, that would be King Ning’s own family matter.
But he hadn’t expected His Royal Highness to guess so accurately. Pei Xiting could only tell him a story that was eighty percent true and twenty percent false.
“Indeed, Enzhou is currently a chaotic mix, plagued by bandits and cults, with who knows how many demons and monsters lurking about.” The Crown Prince seemed thoughtful but didn’t voice his full thoughts, merely saying, “Your concerns are understandable. Give the painting to Shaoyun.”
Pei Xiting assented, then turned and walked around the screen, taking the portrait from Yuan Fang’s hand before returning and handing it to Yu Shaoyun.
Yu Shaoyun opened the stack of paper, glanced at the portrait, and called a guard in, saying, “Make it quick.”
The Crown Prince knew that even if Mei Xiu were suspicious, he would only suspect Zong An of wrongdoing, not worry about Zong An getting into trouble or being bullied outside. Pei Xiting had no particular relationship with Zong An to be so considerate; he just chose his words carefully to avoid offending anyone.
Pei Xiting was always so frank, sometimes even reckless, yet he possessed a surprising amount of shrewdness and the ability to speak to people in their own language.
Now, Pei Xiting had also begun to handle himself with practiced ease in front of the Crown Prince, keeping his head and eyes lowered, appearing both respectful and proper.
The Crown Prince retracted his gaze, set down his teacup, and said, “Let’s go.”
Just as he was about to rise, Pei Xiting had already cupped his hands and said, “This humble subordinate takes his leave.”
With that, he retreated three steps, turned, walked around the screen, and left without looking back.
Yu Shaoyun: “…”
His eyes widened in alarm. He turned to look at His Highness’s unreadable expression and couldn’t help but say, “Your Highness, Pei-wenshu must have misunderstood your meaning. He thought you were dismissing him, and didn’t realize you meant for him to come with you. Also, he kept his eyes lowered and didn’t see you about to rise.”
The Crown Prince’s tone was airy and unfathomable, “Is that so?”
Yet, Pei Xiting had never misunderstood the meaning of “Let’s go” before.
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