Tang Guancha returned from the palace with a belly full of anger, feeling both anxious and scared, completely frightened. When he got home, he quickly took off his clothes and smoked a pipe of opium to calm his nerves. As he smoked, he thought to himself, "This whole mess was clearly caused by that unreliable guy San Dan! I didn't treat him badly; I counted on him to handle things, and yet he did this! If he had told me earlier that he couldn't do it, I could have found someone else. Why'd he have to make me look like such a fool today?" The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, but now he was stuck with him. Even though he knew he couldn't rely on him, he didn't dare to do anything to him, so he could only hold it in. After finishing the opium, it was time for dinner, but this meal made him even more upset. With nowhere to vent his frustration, he took it out on his son, scolding him from the moment he walked in the door until they finished eating.
San Dan, annoyed by the scolding, asked, "What about the matter of the twenty thousand yuan?" Tang Guancha replied, "What can you do? I'm screwed. I'm gonna lose money." With that, he sent a friend to the money lender to get twenty grand for San Dan. Before leaving, he bowed deeply to San Dan, "Brother, this time you must take care of my brother-in-law for me! He's got money, it's legit, and he's already paid a lot. I don't want anything out of this; I just want this sorted." San Dan felt the sting in his words, feeling uneasy, his face turning red and white alternately. He wanted to say something in response but couldn't find the words. After a while, he managed to say, "We're family, you think I'd screw you over? It's those guys, they won't budge. There's nothing I can do." Tang Guancha ignored him.
Forget about Cha Sandan and his friends getting the money for now. After about five hours, as it was getting dark, Tang Guancha saw that Cha Sandan had not returned yet and started to sweat. Just as he was about to send someone to look for him, Cha Sandan came back excitedly, saying "Congratulations." Upon hearing this, Tang Guancha's previous anger faded away, and he quickly asked, "We got the money? Did we give 'em the gifts?" Cha Sandan replied, "Of course, the money's sorted, and the gifts are delivered. I heard the higher-ups are really pleased, and the supervisor put in a good word for you. They gave you a promotion to a fourth-rank title." Tang Guancha said, "What fourth-rank title? I’m already a second-rank official. After sending these things, I should at least be bumped up to a first-rank title. How can it be just a fourth-rank title? Am I supposed to get demoted?" Cha Sandan said, "I'm not sure about that. But this is an imperial decree; either way, be grateful. Even if you originally had a red hat, it's different. That was donated; this is a special royal gift, totally different." Tang Guancha said, "I’m already a fourth-rank Daotai, so getting a fourth-rank title is nothing special." Cha Sandan said, "What's the big deal? Some people get a third-rank title and are even made acting governor or something! Are you saying an acting governor is lower than a third-rank title?" Tang Guancha was honest by nature, and after Cha Sandan's words, he had nothing to say. He wasn't exactly experienced in politics, so it was no wonder he didn't know that those granted the acting governorship with a third-rank title were selected from dismissed officials. Since receiving the news of being granted a fourth-rank title, Tang Guancha had been feeling unhappy. Cha Sandan advised him, "Regardless, it’s the Emperor's gift. It’s another title, don’t sweat it. Others can't obtain it even if they beg. You gotta go to the ceremony tomorrow. Don't disrespect the Emperor; you'll be sorry if he gets mad. Just do it." Tang Guancha had no choice but to comply. The next day after the gratitude ceremony, he went home bummed out and didn’t see any guests. He thought to himself, "I shelled out 150,000 taels and got practically nothing! What a rip-off!"
As he was thinking, the butler brought a calling card and said someone was visiting. Tang took a look and saw the name "Shi Lin" written on the card. Knowing it was another Manchu person, he was stunned and asked, "I don't know this person, who is he? What does he want?" The butler replied, "I asked as well, and they said he is a low-ranking official in the Imperial Household Department, the brother of the Assistant Minister. Apparently, Mr. Wenming took ten thousand taels of silver from you and didn't deliver. Now the officials in the ministry know about it and sent his brother to investigate. His brother is too busy, so they sent his fourth uncle. After all, they are family and more reliable." Tang was feeling pretty cheesed off about wasting the money, and upon hearing this, he thought, "How did the officials in the Ministry of Internal Affairs find out about this? If they used my money, there must be benefits; if they didn't, then it would reveal Mr. Wen's corruption. It's better to invite him in and ask." So he ordered, "Please come in."
It was June, the perfect time to wear light clothing. Mr. Shi walked out of the carriage wearing a light beige silk robe over a green shirt, his hat perched jauntily atop his head, and boots with layered soles. He was practically jingling with jade ornaments, perfume sachets, and all manner of trinkets hanging from his belt. He also had a small tobacco pouch in his lapel pocket. As he entered, he was fanning himself with a delicate folding fan and sporting large round spectacles. When Tang came out, Mr. Shi quickly took off his glasses, handed the fan to the butler, and bowed deeply. Tang also quickly returned the bow.
After the ceremony, the two sat down and chatted. Fourth Master Shi was very eloquent, and when he saw Tang Erluanzi, he laid it on thick, saying that he had long admired Tang Erluanzi's reputation. He then said, "My brother often mentions you and has always regretted not having the chance to meet. Today, there's some business at the office, and my brother is too busy to get away, so he sent me. You should know what specific matters are being investigated, right?" Tang Erluanzi said, "I know, thanks to you and your brother's efforts, I am truly grateful! I apologize for not being able to visit you and your brother earlier!" Fourth Master Shi said, "We are all family, don't say that!" Tang Erluanzi asked, "My brother and I are from the same office, right?" Fourth Master Shi said, "I work in the silver vault, while your brother handles some minor issues outside. Although we are in the same office, we are in different departments. I have only heard of him. Now the higher-ups know about this matter. To be honest with you, this kind of thing is common; my brother and I often help others deal with such situations. The higher-ups were very angry when they found out, saying, 'This matter has become big; wouldn't it damage our office's reputation?' He was about to fire the person surnamed Wen and punish him. Later, my brother came up with an idea, saying, 'The money that the person surnamed Wen received, he should still have it. Instead of taking action against him immediately, let's scare him privately, deceive him into returning the money, and then ask the higher-ups to let him off. This way, we can preserve his reputation, return the money to the original owner, and demonstrate our office's efficiency.' The higher-ups thought this was a good idea and agreed. However, although my brother agreed, he is busy all day and has no time for such small stuff. This matter has been dragged on for three days, and the higher-ups still remember it and asked about it today. So, my brother specially sent me to understand the detailed situation first and come up with a solution." Tang Erluanzi said, "You are really putting in a lot of effort!" Then, he detailed the matter of the person surnamed Wen and said, "Actually, I am not reluctant to give up the ten thousand taels of silver (a significant sum), but I feel that the handling of this matter is unreasonable." Fourth Master Shi said, "Yes! I'll let my brother know and get back to you."
" "
The two of them chatted about other things. Tang Erluanzi kept complimenting Sir Shi Si, saying, "Now the court has loosened up censorship. Just yesterday, there was an edict allowing people from the Imperial Household Department to recommend censors. In the future, your yamen (government office) will have another way out." Shi Si frowned and said, "What's so good about that? It may look good on the surface, but in reality, it's a loss. The textile workshops in Guangdong, Huai'an, and Jiangning have all been shut down. Calculate how much less money you'll be making in a year. Even if you become a master, don't you still need to spend money? Even if you add a thousand more masters, it still won't compare to the earnings of two supervisors and one textile factory. This is a demotion in disguise." Tang Erluanzi asked where he lived, and Shi Si said, "My older brother and I are mostly not at home. If you need anything, just come directly to me, don't be polite." After saying that, he stood up to leave. Before getting in the car, he bowed repeatedly, telling Tang Erluanzi not to return the gesture. Tang Erluanzi had to agree. After Shi Si left, Tang Erluanzi pondered to himself, "Losing ten thousand taels without a peep—it's infuriating! I didn't expect the officials from the Imperial Household Department to know about this. It seems there is still hope to get this money back. Money is a small matter, but it's good to keep a lid on things." Thinking of this, he felt much better. Because Shi Si repeatedly told him not to return the gesture, he followed suit. He figured he'd treat Shi Si to dinner later to show his gratitude.
Early the next day, Fourth Master Shi came in casual clothes and said, "After I went back yesterday, I told my older brother about this matter, and he immediately brought in someone named Wen. Do you know who Wen is?" Tang Er said, "I don't know." Fourth Master Shi continued, "He's Fu Zhongtang's nephew. His uncle has become successful now, and even before entering the court, he was promoted to the rank of a Plain White Bannerman. Because his nephew is useless and doesn't work properly, he just lets him be and fend for himself. He often uses his uncle's name to deceive people and cheat for money. When Fu Zhongtang found out, he beat the hell out of him and locked him up. I don't know when he'll be released. Our officials, out of respect for his uncle, often assign him small tasks to earn some money, but they dare not let him handle big matters, fearing he'll cause trouble. Now, he’s out again deceiving people in the name of an official. When my brother thought about it, he realized that if this matter is really handled, we will be implicated, and Wen can't bear it. We will also suffer losses. To be honest, Fu Zhongtang isn't happy about this. Although he hates his nephew, when something happens, he always sides with his own people. We don't want to offend Fu Zhongtang because of this. So when my brother heard it was him, he wanted to keep everyone happy. After finding him, it wasn't convenient to speak in the yamen (government office), so my brother invited him to a restaurant. Only halfway through the meal did he reveal the matter to him. At first, Wen wanted to deny it, but later he was set straight by my brother and had nothing to say, admitting his mistake. He said he was confused for a moment and asked my brother to help him think of a solution. Seeing that he was softening, my brother scared him, saying, 'You’re too confused! The plaintiff's already filed a complaint against you, and the documents to arrest you will come soon. The official received the news this morning and was furious, already informing your uncle. When the court documents arrive, to save face, we have to handle this matter officially.' This scare frightened the kid. Regardless of who was around, he dropped to his knees, begging for my brother's help. My brother was startled and said, 'Hey, where are we? Let's talk standing up, it's not good if someone sees.' My brother asked him, 'Have you touched the money?' Wen said, 'I just got it and have been too scared to touch it. I only used over nine hundred in the past two days.' My brother said, 'Okay, bring the remaining over nine thousand. I will help you in front of the official and ensure you are safe.' Wen replied, 'We must first suppress Tang Er's matter.' My brother said, 'With the two of us pleading for you at Tang's office, there is still some face to be had.'"
There is no text provided for translation.
Tang was very satisfied to hear that he could recover more than nine thousand taels, and he said repeatedly, "Nine thousand or a bit less, I'm happy either way. As long as you two brothers say a word, I gotta show my appreciation somehow." Fourth Brother Si said, "We're family, no need for all that. Let's not talk about it, it's embarrassing." Tang said, "Fourth Brother, you say that, but I insist." Fourth Brother Si continued, "I haven't finished yet. Big Brother saw he was willing to pay up, so he kept him on a tight leash. After eating, we will take the carriage home together and have him hand over all the money. Big Brother counted it, and it was correct. Then Big Brother went to the yamen to find me, asking me to deliver a message to you first. He asked me to tell you that a man surnamed Wen took ten thousand taels from you, and both of our yamen's top brass know about it. Later, Big Brother came up with an idea for Wen to return the money and plead his case to preserve his reputation. Now the higher-ups have agreed. Big Brother has also received the money from Wen. But he used more than nine hundred taels and couldn't make up for it, which is hard to explain to the officials. If Wen loses his position because of these nine hundred taels, his uncle would lose face, and Big Brother promised to ensure his safety, so he can't break his word now. But the officials can't return the more than nine thousand taels to you. I'm a bit strapped for cash, so I covered the nine hundred taels for Wen to save face. I just wanted to let you know that once you get the money, you can return the nine hundred taels to me, no need for interest, we're mates, there's nothing that can't be understood. I'm always broke, what with all the socializing. The guy running the treasury couldn't even scrape together nine hundred taels – you wouldn't believe it! If we weren't familiar with each other, I really wouldn't have the nerve to say this." Tang said, "You're kidding me! You've already helped so much, how can I let you pay again? I'll eat the nine hundred taels; I can live with losing that. You don't have to cover for him, and Wen doesn't have to return it. It's to save face, and besides, we're mates. Get Fourth Brother to tell the yamen guys that even if I, Tang, don't want these nine hundred taels, they shouldn't pursue this matter."
Officer Si quickly explained, "You wouldn't worry about a measly nine hundred taels, right? We know that. However, Mr. Wen has to hand over the full ten thousand taels to the magistrate, who will then pass it on to you. That way, everyone saves face. If even a copper coin is short, Mr. Wen won't be able to explain to his superiors, and they won't be able to explain to you. Even if you don't mind, it'll still look bad on the yamen. The magistrate doesn't know Mr. Wen's brother helped him out with the nine hundred taels, so my brother told me to ask you for a loan of nine hundred taels to tide Mr. Wen over until he gets the full ten thousand. Don't worry, it'll all be returned to you. This way, Mr. Wen gets his good name, his uncle saves face, and the yamen keeps its reputation clean. The whole yamen owes you one! As for that 'hard work fee,' we've been more than well looked after by you, sir. We wouldn't dream of asking for more. So, we couldn't possibly accept anything else."
Tang Erluanzi listened to his words, pondered for a while, and muttered to himself: "Nine hundred taels for nine thousand? And he's giving me back my nine hundred? Sure, they need it temporarily... but this Shi guy, second time I've met him, you can't trust anyone. His brother's a big shot, and he's in charge of the treasury? No way he can't get nine hundred taels. I've wasted enough time; gotta be careful. Better lose two thousand than nine hundred. Let's call it a thousand Wen took; I'm not getting that back. Nine thousand, I'll give his brothers a thousand for their trouble. And why involve the magistrate? Let's handle this quietly." With a decision in mind, he tactfully expressed his thoughts to Old Man Shi. Shi Si also knew that he was reluctant to part with more than nine hundred taels, but couldn't lose face, so he remarked, "This isn't your fault. We’re new acquaintances, and it’s hard to believe that Wen didn’t get back the nine thousand taels and instead asked you to advance more than nine hundred." Tang Erluanzi quickly explained, "It's not that I don't trust you, Brother Si; it's just for convenience, to avoid the magistrate knowing." Shi Si replied, "This matter was assigned by the magistrate; how can we not report it? It was my mistake not to consult you first about advancing the silver. Let's not talk about anything else for now. The more than nine hundred taels used by Wen don’t need to be repaid by him. I’ll go back and discuss with my brother; we must find a way to gather the full ten thousand taels and make it clear in front of the magistrate. Since you’re unwilling to intervene in front of the magistrate, my brother and I have agreed that I will send the ten thousand taels of silver notes over in the future. I won’t be rude; just prepare a one thousand taels silver note to give back to me. Although I’ll earn a few dozen taels more and reward some people in front of the magistrate when I go back, that’s only fair. As for the kickback, I absolutely can’t accept that." Tang Erluanzi saw him say this and felt reassured. He immediately agreed. Shi Si asked again, "Whose notes did you give Wen for the ten thousand taels of silver?" Tang Erluanzi replied, "They’re from the Hengli family." Shi Si said, "That’s the best. We also deal with Hengli, so we’ll go to Hengli tomorrow to issue a ten thousand taels note." With that, he took his leave.
Tang Er Luanzi did indeed draw a one-thousand-liang bank note from Hengli, ready to return it to Master Si the next day. He also wrote another one-thousand-liang note, saying that since someone had helped him so much, he had to give a little something extra. Who knew that the next day, he waited and waited, but Master Si did not come. Tang Er Luanzi was anxious, thinking, "He was so sure, he definitely wouldn't not come. Could something have gone wrong, something changed?" He paced and fretted, feeling restless. Finally, when it got dark, Master Si arrived. Tang Er Luanzi was overjoyed, quickly welcoming him in, offering him tea and a smoke. Master Si said, "I should have come earlier, but unfortunately the hall official insisted on seeing you, blaming you for many things, all of which my brother took on for you. You don't need to go now, the money has also been brought, and this matter need not be mentioned. I haven't eaten all day because of this." Tang Er Luanzi quickly said, "Let's go to a restaurant together." Master Si replied, "I still have official business; I'll explain the matter and come back another day." Tang Er Luanzi insisted repeatedly, but seeing that he was unwilling, he had to give up. So Master Si took out a large pile of silver notes from his boot, ranging from a few thousand to several tens of thousands, a total of over a dozen. After fumbling around, he finally found a ten-thousand-liang note. Just as he was about to hand it to Tang Er Luanzi, he said, "Yesterday we agreed on a Hengli note; this one is not it." So he took it back, rummaging through the notes again, and finally found a ten-thousand-liang Hengli note, letting Tang Er Luanzi confirm it. Tang Er Luanzi saw that he had a lot of silver notes and thought, "Wow, these Internal Affairs guys are loaded. He said he was short yesterday – what a fibber!" Master Si also realized this and hurriedly explained, "These are all given to craftsmen by the higher-ups. If I had so much money, I would have made a fortune long ago; why would I still be serving as an official here?" In the midst of the conversation, Tang Er Luanzi also took out two one-thousand-liang notes he had written and gave them to Master Si. Master Si, upon seeing the two notes, asked in a hurry, "What are these one-thousand-liang notes for?" Tang Er Luanzi said, "Your brother and you are busy with official duties; I haven't even offered a toast. Just a little something for your trouble." Master Si frowned and said, "We agreed not to. If you insist like this, how can I possibly take that?" Tang Er Luanzi said, "What's the big deal! I'll be needing your help again sometime!" Master Si replied, "Since you've said that, I can't be too stubborn; I'll accept it." He pocketed the notes, mumbled something about urgent business, and practically ran out the door. Before he left, Tang Er Luanzi asked for his address, planning to visit him the next day. Master Si mumbled an address.
Tang Er Luanzi was cock-a-hoop, bragging to anyone who'd listen about his newfound riches. He even told this to Cha Sandan with a smug look on his face. Cha Sandan just sneered, wondering to himself: "Bloody hell, even *that* bloke gets lucky? Go figure!" Unexpectedly, the next day when he went out to visit, he couldn't find the family with the surname Shi as per the address given by Old Man Shi. Tang Er Luanzi scolded the coachman in vain, and after returning, sent people to inquire at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the treasury, but still couldn't find anyone with the surname Shi. Now Tang Er Luanzi panicked, quickly took out that ten thousand yuan note and asked a friend to cash it at Hengli Bank. The teller gave it a good look, checked the stub, and said, "Where did you get this note from?" The person replied, "Someone gave it back to me. What's the problem?" The teller sneered, "This is a dodgy note! Lucky we know each other, or you'd be in a right mess. Hurry back and tell your employer to investigate the source of this note. Passing off a fake note like that? You'll be in court!" The person's face changed color in fear and quickly went back to inform Tang Er Luanzi. Tang Er Luanzi was so anxious that he stomped his feet, cursed the person with the surname Shi, and immediately reported to the authorities to help catch the culprit.
After that, Tang Er Luanzi stayed home, moping for over ten days. Cha Sandan found out about this and joked about him behind his back, but didn't expose him to his face. After a period of time, on the day of introduction, Tang Er Luanzi attended. He was due a transfer to Hubei, and should have got his posting papers. But the court was tied up, and never called him in. He'd splashed out 150,000 silver coins on bribes, only to get a measly fourth-grade post – nothing else. Tough luck, mate!
Alright, let's get to the point. Tang Er took the transfer order to Hubei for his new post and spent days traveling by train and boat. Passing through Shanghai, he revisited the old place and couldn't help but have a blast with his old pals for more than ten days before taking a Yangtze River boat to Hubei. It is said that at that time, the Governor of Huguang was a Manchu named Tuan Duohuan. This man had a whole harem, with as many as ten concubines, and the people of Hubei gave him the nickname "The Governor's Ten Beauties." The year before, a subordinate wanted to brown-nose him, so he specially bought a couple of beauties from Shanghai to give to him. Tuan Duohuan was overjoyed and immediately accepted them, thus he had twelve concubines from then on. The people of Hubei then called him "The Governor's Dozen," and the nickname "The Ten Beauties" fell out of use. Before Tuan Duohuan took in those two concubines, among his ten concubines, the ninth concubine was the most favored. This ninth concubine came from the backyard of the Tianjin Marquis's family; she was tall and thin, with a long face and big, honey-tongued eyes. She looked pretty good, but she was a real firecracker. She spoke sweetly, which made people love and hate her at the same time. But if you crossed her, she could really lay into someone. She always flattered the governor, acting like a snake in the grass, saying bad things about this concubine and that concubine. At first, Tuan Duohuan listened to her and vented his frustration on the other concubines. However, although Tuan Duohuan was confused, he would eventually come to understand. He was sick of her nagging. One day, the ninth concubine was talking about how bad the first concubine was. Tuan Duohuan got annoyed and coldly said, "I'm tired of hearing you run others down. What's so great about you? I can't just get rid of everyone else and keep only you. Besides, the first concubine served my parents; even my late mother liked her. Out of respect for her memory, I'll overlook her faults. Since you hate her so much, you live in the back, and she lives in the front. Problem solved."
Aunt Nine has always indulged Duo Huan because of her mischievousness, but today she helped someone else, which made her very angry! Before Duo could finish speaking, Aunt Nine's eyebrows shot up, her eyes blazing, and she used her long, slender fingers to slap herself repeatedly across the face. While doing so, she scolded herself, "I know I said the wrong thing. How can I compare to her? They've served the family for years; of course, the master will treat them differently. Since they want to elevate her, why not let her be the main wife now that the mistress has passed away? We might as well all die and leave her to it!" Duo Huan is addicted to opium, and there is opium in every aunt's room. Aunt Nine snatched up a box of opium and shoved it in her mouth. She collapsed, rolling on the floor, clawing and kicking, her hair coming loose, her jade hairpin shattering, all the while screaming and cursing.
Duo Huan was angry, resentful, and anxious. He was furious at her unreasonable behavior, enraged by her suicidal threat, and terrified by her opium overdose. Desperate, he called a doctor, but after administering a lot of medicine, Aunt Nine clenched her teeth and refused to swallow. In his desperation, he coaxed her, saying, "I will send Aunt Big back to her hometown in Beijing so she won't stay here anymore." He thought this might dissuade Aunt Nine from seeking death, but it did no good. From the evening until four in the morning the next day, there were only three hours left. After these three hours, she would not be able to be saved, and they could only wait for her to die and be buried. Duo Huan was exhausted from her torment. Sometimes he would hate her for her bad temper, and sometimes he would secretly shed tears thinking of her kindness. The maids and servants huddled around her, awaiting the inevitable, while he lay heartbroken in the next room.
I was thinking of a way, but I had no clue at all. Suddenly, I saw one of Ninth's personal maidservants coming in. A pretty girl, maybe twenty-seven or twenty-eight. Girls her age often have their own ideas. Unfortunately, Tuan Zhitai was a lustful person. When no one was around, he would always stare at this maid with shifty eyes. The guy was into her, and she was somewhat moved, but she was afraid of Ninth and dared not show any signs. Although unspoken, there was always a lot of affection hidden in her eyes. Tuan Zhitai wasn't blind; he knew what was going on.
Seeing the maid come in alone, he immediately vented his anger on the maid instead of Ninth. Under the pretense of asking about Ninth, he tried to flirt with her. After a few words, Tuan Zhitai suddenly pointed to the room opposite and said, "Wow! Everyone dies eventually. When she dies, I will let you take her place, are you willing?" And with that, he went to grab her hand.
The maid saw this and was afraid of being seen, so she quickly retracted her hand and said, "Hang on a sec. You think she’s gonna kick the bucket right away? She'll probably be just fine! Besides, she might be perfectly alright after eating it!" Tuan Zhitai's eyes widened in surprise, "You mean she didn't eat opium? I clearly saw her take it from the smoking tray!" The maid said, "Listen, keep this on the down low." Tuan Zhitai heard this and quickly got up from the bed, knelt by the bedside, and swore, "May I drop dead if I tell anyone!" The maid said, "Whoa, no need to swear an oath over this little thing." Tuan Zhitai didn't quite catch that and kept nagging the maid to repeat it. The maid said, "Three months ago, Ninth Aunt pretended to be pregnant, saying her belly was getting bigger. The master was tickled pink and gave her tons of medicine, including a whole jar of motherwort cream, asking her to drink it with hot water every day. Two months later, Ninth Aunt's stomach stopped hurting, so she said she wasn't pregnant and stopped taking the medicine. She threw the remaining half jar of motherwort cream into the drawer, and no one touched it. The day before yesterday, when she was cleaning the drawer, she took it out, and Ninth Aunt saw it and snatched it away. Yesterday, Ninth Aunt and Eldest Aunt came back from a screaming match, and Ninth Aunt especially hated Eldest Aunt, saying, 'The master's gotta get rid of Eldest Aunt, or I'll kill him!' Then she said, 'My life ain't worth nothin' to him. If I croak, it'll be a load off his mind!' As she spoke, she took out a small cigarette case, put some motherwort cream in it, and prepared to die with the master. It was just me there, and she made me promise not to tell a soul. So the master's worrying over nothing. I'm telling you the truth, Ninth Aunt ain't dying."
Tuanzhi Tai finally understood and said, "That rotten wretch is actually pretending to be dead and extorting me!" He wanted to say something to the maid, but she had already broken free and ran away, saying, "Gotta run!" Tuanzhi Tai could only watch her leave, fuming with frustration. Knowing that Jiu Yitai was pretending to be dead, he decided to ignore her and left on his own.
Jiu Yitai saw that Tuanzhi Tai was ignoring her and thought the master figured she was faking it and gave up on her. Things were spiraling out of control, and she regretted deeply, not expecting the maid to say so much behind her back. The more she thought about it, the more hopeless she felt. After waiting for a long time without the master showing up, she realized that if she didn't die, she would be exposed. Hesitating for a long time, she faked a coughing fit, retched for a while, and vomited some foam. The people serving beside her said, "She's fine, she coughed up the smoke." At that time, several old women were a whirlwind of activity, one patting her back, another massaging her chest, while others rushed to fetch soup and hot water. Then they heard Jiu Yitai retching again, vomiting out the soup she had just drunk. She said to herself, "If I swallowed the smoke, why can't I just die on my own? Why do I have to be saved and become a pain in the neck?" Saying this, she burst into tears. When everyone saw that Jiu Yitai had woken up, they immediately sent someone to inform the master. They swept up the mess, discovering it was all water, with no smoke at all.
Tuanzhi Tai dozed off in his office. Just as he was sleeping soundly, an old woman came to report that Jiu Yitai had woken up, waking him up. Tuanzhi Tai was so angry that he scolded the old woman and said, "I knew she wouldn't die, what's all the fuss about?" The old woman left in embarrassment.
From that day on, Ninth Aunt feigned a serious illness and did not leave the house for more than ten days. The Governor was also angry and did not receive any guests or visit the main house during that time. After all, Ninth Aunt had pretended to be gravely ill, and feeling insecure, these days were actually more peaceful than before.
Since the Governor heard what the maid said, he no longer cared about Ninth Aunt and focused on making a move on the maid. However, the maid was afraid of Ninth Aunt and did not dare to act rashly. The Governor was also concerned about causing more chaos at home, so he had to give up. But since Ninth Aunt fell out of favor, he ignored the other concubines and felt listless and glum all day.
It's said that the Master is lucky as hell! These days, the yamen has been refusing visitors; after all, they are the big cheese of the province, and every word and action must be careful. There was a deputy magistrate named Guo Qiao, who heard that the Master was refusing guests because of this. Although Guo Qiao had not been in the province for long, he was a real smooth operator. When he caught wind of this, he didn't tell anyone or consult with others. It only takes over three days to travel from Hankou to Shanghai by boat. He took a month off, brought over ten thousand taels of silver, saying he was going for fun, but really to scout for talent. After more than twenty days of searching, he found nothing. Seeing that his vacation was almost over, he quickly sent a telegram asking the Hubei government office to extend his leave for another twenty days. After greasing a few palms and spending eight hundred taels, he bought a woman in Suzhou and brought her back to Shanghai. The Master thought, "Gotta bring a pair to impress the boss." However, he didn't find any of the courtesans in Shanghai appealing. Eventually, someone recommended a place where there was a woman named A Mao, who had charming eyes and a bit of a plump figure. The Master immediately liked her and settled down with her.
One day, Ah Mao went to the old master's house to play and saw the woman bought from Suzhou, thinking she was a relative of the old master. Later, it was explained that she was the concubine procured for the Hubei governor. When this matter reached Ah Mao's mother's ears, she envied it greatly, saying, "She must've done something really good in a past life!" The old master said, "If you're up for it, I'll send both you and your daughter to be the governor's concubines. What do you say?" Before Ah Mao's mother could speak, Ah Mao grabbed the old master's braid and slapped him twice across the face, saying, "You think I'd be your concubine? No way I'm becoming that governor's mistress!" Two days later, it was Ah Mao's mother who played matchmaker, introducing her niece—also a prostitute named Ah Tu—to the old master. The old master was pleased upon seeing her. Ah Mao's mother said, "The only thing is, she's got rather big feet." The old master laughed in Shanghainese and said, "Nah, it's cool. The governor's Manchu, he's seen bigger." He then asked how much money was needed. Ah Mao's mother said, "She had a man before, but now she has broken up with him. With all expenses added up, it will cost a total of 1,200 dollars." The old master said yes immediately and paid the money the next day. A few days later, the old master saw that everything was settled, and he was chuffed he hadn't spent much. He then spent thousands of dollars on clothes and jewelry, dressing up both women beautifully, and bought them some gifts.
Everything has been arranged. Old Man Guo bought the official cabin ticket for Jiang Yu's steamship and returned to Hubei. Coincidentally, Tang Er Luanzi, Hubei's acting governor, had just finished his time in Shanghai and also booked the dining cabin on the same ship to return to the province. Tang Er Luanzi's steward and Old Man Guo's steward were fellow villagers, chatting about their masters' official positions and careers. Tang Er Luanzi's steward came back and told his master that Old Man Guo was escorting the family of the Governor of Hubei. Being new to officialdom, Tang Er Luanzi was anxious about being courteous enough, so he quickly sent his steward with a business card to pay respects to the Governor's wife in the official cabin, saying, "If the Governor's wife is uncomfortable in the official cabin, I'm happy to give up the dining cabin for her." After seeing the business card, Old Man Guo asked his steward and learned that the dining cabin was occupied by the Governor's superior, so he had to go and pay respects. After they met, Tang Er Luanzi felt that Old Man Guo must have a special relationship with the Governor, so he was very polite, asking, "When did the Governor's wife arrive in Shanghai?" Old Man Guo, wanting to boast a bit, didn't tell the whole truth, saying, "It wasn't the Governor's wife who came, but two concubines." Tang Er Luanzi replied, "Wife or concubine, it's all the same. Why not invite them to stay? I smoke, so staying in the official cabin is inconvenient." In the end, Old Man Guo firmly refused, and Tang Er Luanzi had to give up. Tang Er Luanzi recognized that Old Man Guo could escort the Governor's family, so he placed great importance on him. Old Man Guo also thought that since Tang Er Luanzi was the Governor of the province, he might be useful in the future, so he was also very polite to him.
After traveling for several days, they finally arrived in Hankou. After crossing the river, Tang Er Luanzi went to find the official residence on his own. As for Old Man Guo, he returned home with the two women and vacated the main room for the two new concubines to stay. The Governor's aide, who was a sworn brother of Old Man Guo, helped him convey the matter to the Governor and also sent along a generous selection of gifts from Shanghai.
This big shot, without someone to keep him company recently, is feeling unhappy. Upon hearing this, he was thrilled and asked excitedly, "How much did it cost? I’ll cover it." The patrolman replied, "This is a little something extra from the boss, nah, I can't take the money; he provided all the clothes and jewelry." The big shot frowned and said, "He must have spent a whole lot of dough, right?" The patrolman said, "Around twenty to thirty grand; the boss can easily cover it. He works under the General, and the General wants to promote him. It's peanuts to him! He'll be stoked if the General goes for it. Let’s find a day for them to come in." The big shot said, "Forget the date, bring 'em in tonight!" When the big shot married his tenth concubine, the ninth concubine threw a real fit, and it took six months to cool down. This time it was his own fault, so he didn’t avoid it and snagged two more concubines at once. The ninth concubine had no choice but to bottle up her anger and take it out on the maids and her mother. The big shot ignored her.
The master's two concubines, one was bought from Suzhou, older and more down-to-earth, ranked eleventh; the other, named A Tu, ranked twelfth, was incredibly resourceful and scheming despite her youth. In less than half a month after entering the yamen, he kept his eyes and ears open, and with the guidance of the Tuanzhi Tai (probably referring to a certain official position), he figured out all the shady business of selling offices and bribery. When he first arrived, everyone wrote him off. Besides the master, he had no one else to rely on, so he wanted to repay the master. Tuanzhi Tai, remembering the master's kindness in sending concubines, first gave him some paperwork, along with two other tasks to tide him over, waiting for better tasks in the future. The master was unfazed by this, but he didn't expect the twelfth concubine to keep asking the other concubines, "How much money can we earn in a year?" Someone told her that only the ninth concubine used to earn a lot, pulling strings and doing the most backdoor deals, earning at least five hundred, and sometimes even tens of thousands. Upon hearing this, she wanted to worm her way into the ninth concubine's favor and learn her tricks. The ninth concubine had already fallen out of favor at that time and was naturally annoyed when she saw these two newcomers. A Tu tried to cozy up to her, which made her quite happy. The ninth concubine was straightforward in character and let it slip about all her past deeds to A Tu. A Tu was delighted and quickly went to Tuanzhi Tai to lay out her plan, first asking for a good task for the master, and the best one at that. Tuanzhi Tai couldn't say no, and the next day he told the Fanzhi Tai (probably referring to a certain official position) about this matter. In less than three days, he got the job.
Since becoming an official, the master has quickly established connections with everyone in the yamen within half a month. He even befriended a servant by the side of the Provincial Governor, becoming an insider and frequently passing information to the Governor's twelfth concubine. This time, when he received a task, he secretly gave the twelfth concubine five thousand silver coins as a bribe through that servant. The servant spread the word outside, saying that as long as there are tasks, they must give him money every year. This was the twelfth concubine's first "deal." She tasted the sweetness, and after the master took office, she got in cahoots with several members of the yamen and gatekeepers; as long as they could please the Governor, they would follow his orders and benefit from it.
Tang Erluanzi has been in the province for a month, and all the necessary procedures have been completed. However, when he first arrived, he was completely lost and didn't know his superiors, and his superiors didn't know him either. Although they had met, it was just a quick glimpse, and his superiors didn't pay him any attention. Therefore, for newcomers to the province who want to find a job, it's as difficult as climbing to the sky without connections. Fortunately, he was easy-going and liked making friends. He met the master on the road, and they frequently interacted after arriving in the province. However, in the first month, the master hadn't settled his own position and influence, so how could he have time to put in a good word for others? After finally enduring until the twelfth concubine had taken care of the master's affairs, the master was about to be reassigned and couldn't stay in the provincial capital for long. Two days before leaving, Tang Erluanzi hosted a farewell banquet for him at home. After three rounds of drinks, the master told Tang Erluanzi about the connection with the Governor's servant and even helped him make connections.
From then on, Tang Erluanzi had an insider; as long as he was willing to spend money, tasks would naturally come easily. In addition, the twelfth concubine was shrewd and capable, and in less than two months, she had learned the ropes. She wouldn't do anything without money or benefits—a real go-getter! What happens next? Find out next time!
