Hua: Prince Ning and Prince Zong are the same person, referring to Zong Rui, and will be used interchangeably.
Chapter 63: Business – Xiao Pei goes to Enzhou (5)
At the early xushi period[mfn]7-9 PM[/mfn], the sunset was vibrant, grand, and diverse. Pei Xiting admired it for a moment at the door before looking away and entering the teahouse.
The private room was booked at the very end of the second floor. Yuan Fang knocked on the door three times, and after a moment, the door opened. A man looked at the two of them and stepped aside.
Yuan Fang entered first, glancing toward the window. Two men stood by the window, and the man sitting behind the tea table was very familiar—it was none other than the person who had spoken with Zong An by the lake, Zhang Dazhuang, whose identity Yu Shaoyun had confirmed.
Yuan Fang walked to the tea table, glanced at Pei Xiting, and after Pei Xiting gracefully took his seat, he moved half a step back and stood beside Pei Xiting.
Zhang Dazhuang glanced at Yuan Fang, who had a handsome figure but an ordinary face, looking in his early thirties. He then looked at the person opposite him. Pei Xiting was wearing a veiled hat, so his appearance was unclear, but from his pomegranate-colored robe and a pair of fair, slender hands, he was clearly a young master who never had to do manual labor.
Zhang Dazhuang rested his hands on his knees and said, “Haozi said you wanted to discuss something with me. What is it?”
Haozi was the “stage name” of the toy shop owner; true to his name, he was very slippery[mfn]耗子[hào zi]: Literally means rat[/mfn].
“Sir, you sound like a straightforward person, so I’ll get straight to the point as well,” Pei Xiting said. “You made a rather unfavorable deal with someone today.”
Zhang Dazhuang had made a business deal today, a secret one, known only to himself. Could it be that the other party had leaked the information? He narrowed his eyes and said, “What do you mean?”
“Isn’t my meaning clear enough?” Pei Xiting chuckled. “Someone boldly attempted to harm Prince Ning—and someone else, ignorant and fearless, actually agreed to this transaction. That’s courting death.”
One of the bandits behind Zhang Dazhuang immediately glared, “How dare you disrespect our leader—”
Before he could finish, the bandit choked, for he had met Yuan Fang’s gaze. The man’s expression was indifferent; his handsome, almond-shaped eyes were strikingly mismatched with his rugged face. But they were too bland and cold. Anyone who had seen blood knew that was killing intent. The bandit’s Adam’s apple rolled, and he was so scared that he took a step back and dared not speak for a moment.
The room fell silent, the atmosphere somewhat stagnant. Pei Xiting “swish” opened a bamboo-ink folding fan he had picked up from a stall and slowly fanned himself twice, saying nothing.
After a moment, Zhang Dazhuang broke the silence. “It seems you know quite a lot.”
“Otherwise, why would I dare to do business with you?” Pei Xiting said calmly. “The price the other party offered you was indeed tempting, but can he truly deliver?”
Zhang Dazhuang rubbed his knees and said, “The imperial court has sent people to suppress the bandits. Either way, it’s death. I might as well try this deal.”
“You’re throwing caution to the wind and trusting the wrong person,” Pei Xiting said unhurriedly. “The other party said that as long as you kill Prince Ning, they will petition the imperial court, claiming that you were forced into rebellion, thus saving the lives of the Damang Mountain bandits—with all due respect, isn’t that just fooling the fools?”
This time, no one dared to yell at Pei Xiting. Zhang Dazhuang’s face darkened slightly. He said, “I know, but we have no other way.”
“Even if you became bandits for a reason, as long as Prince Ning dies in Damang Mountain, none of you will survive,” Pei Xiting said. “Who is Prince Ning? Not only is he of imperial blood, but he is also the chief officer of this bandit suppression campaign. If you dare to kill him, that’s provoking the imperial court and the imperial family. With these two charges pressed, Damang Mountain won’t even have enough people to die. Moreover, will that person truly keep his word?”
Zhang Dazhuang gradually sat up straighter, saying nothing.
Pei Xiting said, “If Prince Ning dies in Damang Mountain, whoever dares to plead for Damang Mountain will be going against King Ning’s Mansion. Speaking of which, it’s quite a coincidence; the person you’re doing business with is precisely the Fifth Young Master of King Ning’s Mansion. Tell me, with his status, would he dare to stand up and speak for your grievances?”
Zhang Dazhuang’s expression drastically changed. “This is… a power struggle within the imperial family?”
His tone was astonished. Although wealthy families often had internal struggles between brothers, to use a bandit suppression campaign as a means to an end… this Fifth Young Master Zong truly stopped at nothing; he was maliciously insidious.
“I suspect you’re secretly slandering Fifth Young Master Zong’s character right now,” Pei Xiting chuckled. “Then it wouldn’t be hard for you to believe that this time, with Fifth Young Master Zong accompanying him to Enzhou, if something were to happen to Prince Ning, he’d probably be eager to petition to personally lead the suppression of you audacious bandits to avenge the prince, when in reality, he’s just seizing the opportunity to silence you. Am I right?”
Zhang Dazhuang’s face was extremely grim. Pei Xiting surmised that he naturally knew this was a dangerous transaction, but the price Fifth Zong offered was too tempting, and he was desperate, so he gambled on the “what if.”
“I know you were oppressed by the local government and forced to become outlaws. This time, seeing people from the imperial court, you’re both scared, angry, and aggrieved, which is why you fell for Fifth Zong’s trick,” Pei Xiting said. “But why should you be cannon fodder in their family’s power struggle? Frankly, if you want to air your grievances, wouldn’t it be safer to go directly to Prince Ning?”
Zhang Dazhuang’s face showed hesitation, and he self-deprecatingly said, “We’ve heard of the prince’s reputation. He rose in the Ministry of War by suppressing bandits, flattening strongholds quickly and ruthlessly, leaving no one behind. I heard that last year in the southwest, he even cut off bandit leaders’ heads and hung them on mountaintops. Such a decisive person, I probably wouldn’t even get a word out before he’d cut me down with a single strike.”
“Ah, those were vicious bandits who plundered, burned, and committed all sorts of evil deeds. Naturally, they had to be mercilessly suppressed without quarter; otherwise, how could justice be served for the persecuted innocent commoners? How could the rest of the petty criminals and scourges be deterred? But since you have your own circumstances, the situation is quite different,” Pei Xiting coaxed. “Compared to slaughtering a group of commoners whose crimes don’t warrant death, isn’t it a greater display of the imperial court’s benevolence to address your grievances, dismiss corrupt officials, and then announce it to the world? Prince Zong doesn’t enjoy killing; he naturally understands which choice is best.”
Zhang Dazhuang looked at Pei Xiting, his gaze hesitant through the veil. “Is Young Master Prince Ning’s person?”
“No,” Pei Xiting said honestly. “I simply don’t want anything to happen to Prince Ning, nor do I want you to face a complete end, but I also don’t want to openly interfere in the conflict between the two brothers. That’s why I privately invited you to meet and talk. What I just said, I believe you can judge for yourself.”
“…Indeed,” Zhang Dazhuang wiped his face. “Although our brothers are all rough people, many of whom barely recognize any characters and don’t understand imperial documents, we also know that being a bandit is not a good path. But if there were other ways, who among us would be willing to go to the mountains to be a bandit?”
Pei Xiting poured a cup of tea for Zhang Dazhuang, saying, “Brother Zhang, why don’t you elaborate?”
Zhang Dazhuang picked up the tea, drained it, and heavily set down the cup, saying, “At this point, I’ve got nothing to lose. I’m not afraid of you tricking me again. It’s all because of Prefect Li Da. Outsiders don’t know, but he’s a big corrupt official! A great villain! He’s simply an evil incarnate!”
“I’ve heard something about this matter,” Pei Xiting said. “But I don’t know what evil deeds this Prefect Li has actually committed?”
“This Li Da was acceptable before, but this year he suddenly became shameless, despicable, and insatiably greedy. I used to be a guard in the main courtyard of the Li mansion. I personally saw Li Da constantly associating with wealthy merchants in the city, officials colluding with merchants for mutual gain. Then, he would judge cases unfairly; as long as there was a distinction between noble and lowly plaintiffs and defendants, the rich would always win, and the poor would be beaten. Who knows how many wronged poor people were imprisoned in that government office.”
Zhang Dazhuang’s eyes were bloodshot as he spoke. He poured a cup of tea and drank it, then continued, “And that’s far from all. Li Da also forcibly seized commoner women. As long as he took a liking to one, wealthy merchants would exhaust every means to get the woman to ‘willingly’ climb into Lord Li’s bed to serve him. I’ve seen it many times: women go in perfectly fine and come out covered in blood, wrapped in straw mats, and tossed onto a grave mound without anybody noticing. These women were either sold by their families for tens of taels of silver, or sent to wealthy families as maids due to poverty, or simply had no parents at home, only blind grandfathers and disabled grandmothers. They died and were forgotten, making no ripple.”
Pei Xiting said, “I heard this Li Da used to be a good official. How did he suddenly change this year?”
“Who knows? People’s hearts change easily, especially those in official positions. After too many good days, who doesn’t want even better?” Zhang Dazhuang scoffed. “Then why did you leave the Li mansion and become a bandit?” Pei Xiting asked.
“It’s a simple story,” Zhang Dazhuang said, lowering his eyes. “My parents died young, leaving only my elder sister. She got married a few years ago but was bullied by her in-laws. Last year, she was even beaten. So I grabbed a knife and went to their house, forcing them to write a divorce agreement, and brought her back. I was a guard in the Li mansion, and she did needlework at home, selling it at a stall for money. We two siblings relied on each other, and life was tolerable. But this spring, Li Da suddenly approached me, saying he wanted my sister to enter the Li mansion as an embroiderer. I knew immediately that he had no good intentions, so I found an excuse to refuse. Unexpectedly, less than half a month later, Li Da sent me away one day, and when I returned, my sister had already been tricked into the Li mansion and was…”
Zhang Dazhuang roughly wiped his face, looking dejected. “When I entered the courtyard through the back door, I happened to see familiar people dragging out a straw mat. The mat was loosely wrapped, and the woman’s hand fell out of it. She was wearing a wooden bracelet on her wrist.”
He raised his hand, revealing a wooden bracelet on his right wrist, and said, “This was left by our parents; we each had one.”
Pei Xiting said nothing.
“I don’t remember my reaction at the time. When I came to my senses, I had already rushed into Li Da’s courtyard to fight him. But how could I fight him?” Zhang Dazhuang gave a bitter smile. “Two fists can’t defeat four hands. Li Da called over a dozen guards to beat me half to death. I was in terrible pain, and when I hugged myself, I suddenly felt the wooden bracelet on my wrist. I instantly sobered up. No, I couldn’t just die like this; otherwise, my sister would be lying in that remote corner of the graveyard. In a moment of desperation, I immediately pretended to stop breathing. Fortunately, Li Da didn’t think much of a lowly person like me and didn’t check carefully. He just told someone to wrap me up and also throw me in the graveyard.”
“You buried your sister properly and then went to Damang Mountain?” Pei Xiting asked.
“Exactly. But I didn’t go alone; I was picked up by my brothers. The graveyard is close to Damang Mountain, you see. Later, I recovered from my injuries in Damang Mountain and didn’t dare to return to the city. So, I became a bandit as well,” Zhang Dazhuang chuckled. “My martial arts were pretty good among my brothers, and I could read a few characters, so I gradually became the second-in-command. My brothers are all like me, forced by circumstances, with nowhere else to go. We deeply resent Li Da, but we could only sneak into the city and can’t leave the Enzhou area. What can we do to Li Da?”
Pei Xiting asked, “How do you usually live?”
Zhang Dazhuang said with considerable pride, “My big brother is a master thief, the best at stealing. He goes out and steals from those wealthy merchants once, and it’s enough for us brothers to live for about a month!”
To be able to enter the city, steal from wealthy merchants, and then return to Damang Mountain, he was indeed a master thief with such skill. Pei Xiting thought for a moment and said, “I heard that Deputy Magistrate Su Fan is quite a forceful person. Hasn’t he ever suppressed bandits before?”
It’s strange to say, but he really hasn’t.” Zhang Dazhuang was also quite puzzled. “To be honest, we were very peaceful in Damang Mountain. Besides stealing, we haven’t done anything else. We thought the deputy magistrate wouldn’t bother with us anymore, but unexpectedly, Yejing suddenly knew about us and said we were causing too much trouble, issuing an imperial decree to suppress bandits.”
More than just knowing. In Yejing, Pei Xiting had heard that “Enzhou is plagued by bandits burning, injuring, and plundering, causing great harm to the common people.” The situation was severe; otherwise, Zong Rui wouldn’t have personally made the trip.
The rumors were false; there must be a reason.
Was someone in Enzhou trying to use the imperial court’s bandit suppression? Or was someone’s target not the bandits but to attract people from the imperial court? If it was the latter, then who were they targeting? Thinking positively, it was to investigate Li Da. Thinking negatively, it was to target the people from the imperial court.
Pei Xiting pondered, then said, “You said Li Da only changed this year. When you were a guard in the Li mansion, did you notice any clues? For example, did anything new suddenly appear in the Li mansion this year?”
“Anything new?” Zhang Dazhuang thought for a moment. “Does Li Da taking on a new concubine count? Speaking of which, I haven’t met that concubine, but I heard Li Da especially dotes on her.”
Pei Xiting said, “Then does he still have the energy to forcibly seize common women?”
“Sigh, he’s just driven by lust, plus he has a bad habit. Many times I’ve heard women’s screams from his room…” Zhang Dazhuang remembered his sister and dared not think further or speak it aloud, vaguely saying, “But when that Concubine Fang is in the room, there are no screams at night.”
Pei Xiting’s eyes slightly narrowed. “Is that so?”
Would a lustful man with a cruel streak truly treat one woman completely differently and cherish her in every way? Pei Xiting didn’t quite believe it.
This Li Da suddenly changing his demeanor meant either he had been pretending for years and suddenly stopped, or something had happened. Pei Xiting leaned towards the latter.
“Young Master,” Zhang Dazhuang stared at the face behind the veil, “can you really help me?”
Pei Xiting said, “Of course.”
Since Yu Shaoyun had identified Zhang Dazhuang’s identity but gave no further instructions, it implied that he implicitly entrusted this task to him. For both public and private reasons, Pei Xiting was very willing.
“Since I already know your hidden circumstances, I will certainly inform the prince and ask him to make decisions for you,” Pei Xiting said.
Zhang Dazhuang leaned forward slightly and said, “What do I need to do? Should I go to see Prince Ning?”
Pei Xiting shook his head slightly and said, “No, I want you to continue this play, but your co-actor won’t be Fifth Zong; it will be me.”
Zhang Dazhuang scratched his head. “What do you mean?”
“It’s simple: use their own scheme against them, lure the snake out of its hole, and then,” Pei Xiting chuckled, “confront them face to face.”
“I understand, but,” Zhang Dazhuang said hesitantly, “what if that Fifth Zong doesn’t come? How will I expose him?”
“You don’t need to worry about that; he will definitely appear,” Pei Xiting said.
Zhang Dazhuang pondered for a moment and said, “I can do this business with you, Young Master, but I want to know who you really are. You’re so mysterious, it makes me really uneasy.”
Knowing his identity would make him feel at ease? Pei Xiting scoffed inwardly but didn’t say it aloud. These people were all rough and crude, not meticulous thinkers, and they were desperate; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been tricked by that black-hearted Zong An.
“Let me ask you,” Pei Xiting said, “in the world today, which government office is the most ruthless?” Zhang Dazhuang answered without hesitation, “The Longhe Division! It’s the government office personally established by the current Crown Prince. They say it’s incredibly powerful, with the authority to execute first and report later.”
As his words fell, a small, circular token, the color of the sky, suddenly appeared before him. The three characters “Longhe Guard” were clearly engraved on it.
“Monitoring all officials, apprehending criminals, and presiding over trials—these are the duties of my division,” Pei Xiting said. “Do you believe me now?”
Zhang Dazhuang and his brothers all looked astonished. After a moment, Zhang Dazhuang said in a low voice, “I believe you, my lord.”
—
After Zhang Dazhuang and the others left, Pei Xiting pushed open the window with his folding fan and said, “That Concubine Fang, we need to investigate her.”
Yuan Fang crossed his arms. “You think she’s suspicious?”
“I’m not sure, but it never hurts to check,” Pei Xiting said.
Yuan Fang said, “Didn’t Mei Xiu go to the Li mansion?”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” Pei Xiting said. “You go to the Li mansion tonight and have him find a way to see Concubine Fang and test the waters.”
Little did he know, Mei Xiu was already a step ahead.
—
Upon hearing that young Marquis Mei Xiu had arrived, Li Da immediately went out to greet him, his face wreathed in smiles as he invited him into the parlor, offering hot tea.
Mei Xiu took a sip of the tea, then spat it out, disgusted. “What kind of weeds did this come from? It’s horribly bitter.”
“My apologies, Young Marquis. This is already the best tea in my humble abode. I wouldn’t dare compare it to the fine tea of the Marquis’s residence,” Li Da apologized with a smile and said, “Please bear with me for a moment. I will immediately send someone to buy the best tea in Enzhou!”
Mei Xiu said nonchalantly, “Forget it, a little less won’t kill me of thirst. I brought my own tea from the palace; I don’t care for your lousy stuff.”
Li Da was more than happy to oblige. He quickly agreed and walked over to Mei Xiu in a few steps, saying, “May I ask what brings Young Marquis here? What can I do for you?”
Mei Xiu said, “Nothing much, I just remember my old man once recommended you, didn’t he?”
“Young Marquis remembers correctly. Marquis Mei has shown me the grace of being recommended, and I have always kept it in mind. Unfortunately, Marquis Mei really doesn’t need anything from me. I—”
“Who says he didn’t? Didn’t I come looking for you today?” Mei Xiu said with a smile. “You help me, and I’ll be sure to praise you to the Marquis when I go back.”
Li Da smiled and said, “Oh, look at you, Young Marquis. Even if you don’t mention the Marquis, as long as you say it’s your command, I’ll do my best.”
“You’re good, very polite.” Mei Xiu opened his folding fan and leaned back. “Actually, it’s nothing big. I just want to stay at your residence for a few days.”
Li Da was startled. “How could Young Marquis not have a place to stay?”
“I came with the prince to suppress bandits. The prince travels light and doesn’t want to stay in a golden cage when he’s on assignment, but I’m different. That room at the guesthouse is too small and too simple, and the bedboard is hard as a rock. How can I sleep?” Mei Xiu frowned unhappily and pointed his fan at Li Da. “I only know you in Enzhou. Can the beds in the inns outside compare to yours?”
Li Da said, “Young Marquis overestimates me. My house isn’t big either, nothing like the villas and estates outside the city for entertaining distinguished guests. How about this: I send people to clean up there for your stay? I’ll also carefully select servants to go with you, guaranteeing Young Marquis a comfortable stay.”
“No, are you trying to harm me?” Mei Xiu furrowed his brow. “How noble is the prince? He didn’t go to a villa, so how can I?”
Li Da quickly nodded. “Young Marquis is right; I was inconsiderate.”
“Since you know my father, let’s just say you insisted on hosting me during this Enzhou trip. In this case, it wouldn’t be good for me to refuse,” Mei Xiu winked. “Right?”
Li Da smiled and nodded, hesitatingly saying, “But what about the prince?”
Mei Xiu said, “The prince himself wants to stay in the guesthouse. How dare you disturb him? Wouldn’t that be kicking him when he’s down?”
“Young Marquis is right. In that case, I’ll have to trouble Young Marquis to stay in my humble abode,” Li Da said.
“I’ll make do; I shouldn’t have come to join the fun,” Mei Xiu sighed and instructed, “Clear out your best courtyard, replace all the furnishings with new ones, and pick a dozen young, pretty, quick, and obedient maids to serve me.”
“Yes, yes, I’ll go give the orders right away.” Li Da turned and walked to the parlor door, giving instructions to the steward. The steward nodded in agreement and hurried off to prepare.
Li Da returned to Mei Xiu and said, “Tonight, I will host a banquet at home and invite a group of fresh, young women to serve Young Marquis.”
“Oh,” Mei Xiu raised an eyebrow and smirked. “You’re living quite a life, aren’t you?”
Li Da looked embarrassed and said, “Young Marquis is joking. How could I have such interests? This is all for your enjoyment.”
“You still want to fool me?” Mei Xiu pointed his fan at Li Da’s face. “Look at your sallow complexion and dark circles under your eyes. You’re clearly overdoing it; your body is depleted!”
He opened his fan with a “swish” and said with a half-smile, “You’re this old, and yet you have more passion than I do, Lord Li. You’re not without interest; you’re too interested!”
If anyone else had said that, Li Da would have been startled, but Mei Xiu was different. This young marquis was famously known as a profligate playboy, cynical and idle.
“Oh, my young marquis, you have keen insight; I can’t hide anything from you. Please, have mercy and don’t expose my old face any further,” Li Da said with a smile. “But Young Marquis, don’t misunderstand; I really haven’t been acting improperly. It’s just that I’m deeply in love with my concubine at home, which is why… alas.”
“Oh, it seems this concubine must be exceptionally beautiful, a woman of peerless charm,” Mei Xiu said. “Call her out; I want to see her.”
Li Da hesitated and said, “This…”
“What is it?” Mei Xiu raised an eyebrow, speaking indifferently, “Is it an insult to her to ask her to pay her respects to me?”
“No, no, I didn’t mean that!” Li Da apologized and then said, “Young Marquis, please wait a moment; I’ll immediately send someone to call her.”
Mei Xiu snorted lightly and said nothing.
Li Da had the maid outside the hall call for Concubine Fang, then he turned back to Mei Xiu with an apologetic smile and stood by, waiting.
A moment later, Concubine Fang arrived, gracefully swaying in a long, dark green dress. Mei Xiu subtly straightened his posture, looking at the newcomer with surprise, but not because Concubine Fang was graceful and beautiful.
Concubine Fang walked up to Mei Xiu, curtsied, and said softly, “Greetings to Young Marquis.”
Mei Xiu’s heart stirred slightly because Concubine Fang was clearly a man!
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