Young Master Jia from the Jia family, through sheer luck, forged a letter from Zhou Zhongtang, deceived the River Authority, and became the general manager of the downstream river works. He was overjoyed and quickly went to thank the River Authority, while also drinking a few bowls of "bribe." He thought to himself, "After this project is completed, I will be able to make a name for myself! Although I saved money on bribing and schmoozing, I still need to secure a good position for it to be considered successful." He also thought, "To get promoted, you must pull strings; to pull strings, you must spend money." Therefore, as soon as he took office, he found fault with the original staff members and replaced them all with his own people, making it easier for him to manipulate things to his advantage. The former general manager of the downstream area, seeing how arrogant and domineering he was, was very unhappy and complained to the River Authority several times. The River Authority was in a difficult position due to saving face, and when Jia, the general manager, found out, he blamed him instead and claimed that the former general manager was deliberately causing trouble for him. He even handed a letter to the River Authority, requesting the removal of the former general manager so that he could have absolute authority. The River Authority had no choice but to transfer the original general manager. Now, Jia the general manager was all-powerful and even more unscrupulous.
You should know that the Yellow River generally floods during the flood season. At this time, the water rises sharply, and if one is not careful, the embankment could be breached. However, after the flood season, the water recedes, and the breached area might dry up. Therefore, no matter how big the breach is, it can always be repaired in the end. As long as those in charge turn a blind eye, the river workers, even if they work hard for several months, can still expect a promotion and a fortune. Since Young Master Jia became the general manager, as long as he is willing to spend money on materials to repair the necessary areas, get through the flood season unscathed, he will be fine. Even if there is a real problem, no one above will hold him accountable; at most, they will just change the name and sweep it under the rug. Those who have always worked on river projects understand this trick, so Young Master Jia had it in the bag.
Time passed quickly. A few days later, although the levee breach was not completely dry, the water gradually calmed down, making repairs easier. Commander He was afraid of being held accountable and urged day and night. Although Young Master Jia was pampered, he had no choice but to endure hardship with the workers at this time, which wasn't easy for him. When the project was nearing completion, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The downstream project was managed by the overseer, who selected a good day for completion. In the wee hours, Young Master Jia changed into new clothes, led the team, and rode a steed to the construction site to supervise the work. When the auspicious time arrived, the project was completed, and the overseer led everyone to worship the River God, followed by congratulations to him. The overseer then reported the completion of the project to Commander He, who received him and promised him generous rewards. All the fuss and bother that followed need not be detailed here.
After the project was completed, Young Master Jia returned to his hometown in the provincial capital. Not long after, the telegraph office received an imperial decree stating that Young Master Jia, for his contributions to the river project, was summoned by the court and granted the title of Provincial Magistrate. This news naturally caused a buzz of excitement. As Young Master Jia was the son of Jia Neitai and a colleague's son, although he had not yet received the official document, the imperial decree had been issued, so Jia Neitai was notified by letter. Jia Neitai instructed his son to first thank the River Supervisor and the Governor. By this time, both the River Supervisor and the Governor had resumed their positions and received accolades from the court, so they were also very pleased. When the formal report was made, in addition to rewarding the workers, Young Master Jia also took the opportunity to recommend more than a dozen of his brothers, relatives, and friends for positions. The River Supervisor did not have time to carefully review them and approved them all. That was just the way things were done on these projects – nobody ever tried to fix it.
Right, let's get down to business. Let's talk about Young Master Jia's recent work on the canal project. He has made enough money, become an official, and a promotion is imminent. He is truly satisfied with his achievements. After resting at home for two months, he planned to go to Beijing for his new position. He first told his father, Jia Rui, who naturally had no objections. He asked his former sponsor for a letter of introduction, chose a departure date, and sent 100,000 taels of silver to Beijing through a money exchange. He also asked a friend to rent a large mansion in Beijing. Once everything was in place, he set off with his concubine, steward, accountant, and a large group of servants, totaling more than thirty people. Young Master Jia and his concubine rode in their own carriage, while the others rode in official carriages. After a dusty journey, they finally arrived in Beijing and settled into the mansion prepared for them by a friend on Nan Heng Street outside Shunzhi Gate.
Young Master Jia went to Beijing to make friends, so he decided to cultivate relationships. After arriving in Beijing, he visited various connections one by one, taking seven or eight days to finish. Every day when he went out, he rode in his own carriage, which he had bought for five hundred taels of silver from Henan. The coachmen wore plumed hats, hemp robes, pouches at their waists, and shoes with tiger-claw-shaped decorations on their feet. They sat up straight on the shafts of the carriage, not moving the tassels on their hats. This was called "one stick of incense to the sky" (a gesture of respect), a custom highly valued in the capital, so Young Master Jia intentionally imitated it. Before arriving at each place, the steward would dismount and deliver a letter. Some of the people he visited he met, some he did not, some invited him for meals, some returned the visit. Young Master Jia did not mind, as the most important visits were to his teacher, Zhou Zhongtang, and a money-lender known as "Fatty Huang." On the second day in Beijing, he went to visit them.
Zhou Zhongtang was resting at home that day when he saw the invitation with the words "humble student" written on it, accompanied by a note stating that it was the son of Jia, the Henan Provincial Judge. Zhou Zhongtang immediately understood. This old official had always served in Beijing and had never worked in other places. He depended entirely on gifts—charcoal in winter, ice in summer, formal visits, and parting gifts—from former students and officials to make ends meet. Knowing that the young master of the Jia family had arrived, he already had an idea in his mind and immediately received him. After a half-hour wait, Zhou Zhongtang finally emerged. Jia Dashaoye bowed to him several times, and Zhou Zhongtang merely returned a slight bow and asked him to sit down. Jia Dashaoye knew that Zhou Zhongtang's seat was not one that ordinary people could sit in, so he sat down on a nearby chair. Zhou Zhongtang's face clouded over; he only asked about his father, "How is he?" before complaining a bit and then asking, "Why did you come to Beijing?" With that, Zhou Zhongtang dismissed Jia Dashaoye.
After Jia Dashaoye left, he quickly went to the bustling shops of Qianmen to find Huang Panggu. Huang Panggu, a Shaoxing native long resident in Beijing, spoke perfect Beijing dialect. People from all walks of life in Beijing knew him, and his relationship with officials from other places was also good. His plump figure and leisurely manner led everyone to call him Huang Panggu, a nickname that everyone recognized. Jia Dashaoye got out of the car at the entrance of his shop, and without waiting for an announcement, he rushed in and shouted, "Is Panggu around?" which made the assistants laugh. One of the assistants led him to a guest room. A burst of laughter erupted—it was indeed Huang Panggu.
As soon as Huang Panggu saw Jia Dashao, she shouted, "My dear sir, when did you arrive? You worried me sick!" Jia Dashao wanted to bow to her, but Huang Panggu grabbed his hand and wouldn't let him, she was incredibly enthusiastic. They sat and chatted. Just as they sat down, Huang Panggu stood up and asked, "How is the old man?" Jia Dashao also stood up and replied, "Good." Then they sat back down to continue chatting. Huang Panggu wanted to invite Jia Dashao to eat, but Jia Dashao said, "I have guests to visit today, let's do it another day." Huang Panggu asked, "Which guests are visiting today?" Jia Dashao said, "I just came from Zhou Zhongtang's place." Huang Panggu said, "This old Zhongtang is in hot water now, why did you go find him?" Jia Dashao was shocked and quickly asked what happened. Huang Panggu said, "He recently recommended someone in error, which displeased the higher-ups, and he was severely criticized, almost losing his position. Fortunately, a prince interceded for him, so he didn't lose his position, but he's likely to be transferred to the military office. So these days he's on leave at home. Just think, what's in it for him at the military office?" Jia Dashao thought to himself, "No wonder Zhou Zhongtang's house is so desolate, his complexion is not good, and he complained, so that's what happened." Then he asked, "Who did he recommend?" Huang Panggu said, "Zhou Zhongtang is such an idiot! Why would he recommend someone from the reform party? He's asking for it!" Jia Dashao anxiously said, "Oh dear! How can Zhou Zhongtang be so clueless! By recommending the reform party, others will suspect that he is also from the reform party." Huang Panggu said, "Exactly, that's the reason." Jia Dashao said, "In that case, I won't be able to visit him regularly in the future, to avoid being suspected of being a reformer." Huang Panggu raised her thumb and said, "My dear sir, you're a clever man! I admire your wisdom! Besides, there's no point in sucking up to someone so down on their luck." Jia Dashao listened and fell silent for a while.
Huang Panggu is very shrewd and had long seen that Young Master Jia had lost his source of income, feeling a bit regretful. She said, "The matter with Zhou Zhongtang is something he brought upon himself; we don't need to worry about him. Sir, we're in this together, and I can help you with your affairs. I'm pretty tight with a few friends on the inside. Don't you worry, I'll take care of it and guarantee your success." Upon hearing this, Young Master Jia was really touched and it cheered him right up, saying repeatedly, "I have many things to ask for your help with... We can talk more about it later." After saying this, he got up and prepared to visit other guests. Huang Panggu was afraid that someone else would snatch it up, so she refused to let him leave. She first made an appointment with him to have dinner at Bianyifang the next day, and then said, "Sir, when you go out to visit guests tomorrow, you can change into casual clothes at the restaurant, and we can have some fun." Young Master Jia immediately agreed. Just as he was about to get in the car, he suddenly smiled and asked Huang Panggu, "Any good news recently?" Huang Panggu replied, "Yes, yes, I will tell you tomorrow." After that, they each went their separate ways. Huang Panggu returned to the shop and immediately wrote invitations for the guests. The guests she invited were: newly appointed Hanlin Qian Yuntong (Qian Taishi); Class A official Wang Zhankai (Wang Lao Ye); a member of the royal family named Aixinjueluo Puhua, ranked fourth, known as Fourth Master Pu; a silver furnace owner surnamed Bai, named Taoguang; the manager of a bookshop in the Liuli Chang area, surnamed Hei, named Boguo—he was a real chatterbox at banquets, and once he started talking, he wouldn't stop; everyone called him Hei Bage; and a person who had recently opened an antique shop outside the front gate, surnamed Liu, named Houshou, who'd recently bought himself a cushy job at the Guanglu Temple and loved to show off his new white hat. Except for Qian and Wang, who were relatively upright individuals, the others were all good friends of Huang Panggu, with wide social connections and specialized in networking. Huang Panggu was keen to land this deal with Young Master Jia, so she rounded up all her contacts. After counting, including Young Master Jia, there were a total of seven people. After the invitations were written, people were sent to Bianyifang to make reservations and to invite the guests; she had it all sorted.
The next day, just after eleven o'clock, Huang Panggu had someone send for a carriage while she went to Yifang Restaurant first. About forty-five minutes later, Hei Bage was the first to arrive. The second was Zongshi Pusi, who warmly greeted Huang Panggu as soon as he entered. Although Jia Dashao visited many people along the way, he did not delay and arrived shortly after. Everyone greeted each other by name, and Huang Panggu introduced them to one another, exchanging a few polite phrases like "I've heard of your great name." Later, when it came to Pusi, Huang Panggu said, "Brother Jia, our dear Pusi is the smartest guy in the imperial family!" Then she laughed, "Who doesn't know about the famous scholar Pusi in Beijing? I once playfully tested his knowledge. I drew a vertical line with two dots on paper, and he recognized it as the character '小'; then I added two horizontal lines on top of the '小', and he even recognized it, saying it was the character '示'; then I added a roof on top of the '示', and he said this was the character '宗' for our imperial family. These aren't surprising, but when I added the character '山' on top of '宗', he was completely stumped. What do you think he read?" Before Jia Dashao could respond, Huang Panggu interjected, "He said this is the character '哈' for Hada Gate! Sir, you see, thanks to his good memory, he remembered this is the character '哈' for Hada Gate!" Jia Dashao understood that Chongwen Gate in Beijing is commonly known as Hada Gate, a colloquialism. Pusi probably just got them mixed up, seeing as '哈' and '崇' are so similar and he's so used to seeing and saying '哈'. Jia Dashao knew Huang Panggu was teasing Pusi, but it was their first meeting, so he could only smile and not respond. Looking at Pusi again, he had a look of mock-indignation, a smirk playing on his lips, as if he wanted to laugh but was holding it back.
Everyone was chatting, and Bai Taoguang, Liu Houshou, and Qian Taishi also arrived. It was already past four, and they were just waiting for Mr. Wang. Huang Panggu said, "It's getting late. Let's all sit down and save the best seat for him." Just as they sat down, someone announced that Mr. Wang was here. Everyone stood up to welcome him. Mr. Wang came in, all spiffed up. He bowed to the host, then to everyone, and Huang Panggu asked him to take off his coat and sit. Among the people present, Mr. Wang only knew Qian Taishi and the antique shop owner Liu Houshou. Qian Taishi had passed the exam two years after him, so he wasn't worried. But Liu Houshou was different. He'd been working for Hua Zhongtang, the Grand Secretary and Minister of War, for years and made a killing. Even though he'd quit his job, he still frequently served at Hua Zhongtang's residence. When Mr. Wang took the imperial exam, Hua Zhongtang was the top grader, and he'd visited several times but never managed to see him, only getting as far as Liu Houshou's waiting room. Liu Houshou didn't recognize him, but he remembered Liu Houshou's appearance. "A minister's servant is practically a high-ranking official himself," they say. Besides, he'd also gotten a sixth-rank position himself — the same rank as Hua Zhongtang! Who wouldn't want to be in his good graces? Seeing Liu Houshou sitting down below while he was at the head of the table made him uncomfortable, so he insisted they switch places. Liu Houshou refused. "Hey, it's not just me," he said, "There are other people here too." Mr. Wang tried to get someone else to switch, but no one would budge, so he sat down grumbling.
Then, he asked the names, official positions, educational backgrounds, and offices of those he did not know one by one. When he asked about Jia Dashao, Jia Dashao replied, "My surname is Jia, and my style name is Run Sun." Huang Panggu interrupted, saying, "This is the son of Jia Xiaozhi, Henan's provincial judge. We are very good friends." Wang Zhushi said, "So you are such a devoted family. How lovely to have everyone gathered together!" Then he asked, "What exam did you pass?" Jia Dashao blushed and couldn't answer. Huang Panggu had to speak for him again, "Mr. Jia was recommended in last year's disaster relief case, and this year he was recommended to the court by the Hetan. His reputation is very good, highly appreciated by the emperor. After the introduction, he will soon have an official position." When Wang Zhushi heard that he did not come from the imperial examination, his expression immediately changed, and he stopped talking to him. Only Qian Taishi at the table could chat with him for a few sentences. Wang Zhanshi is the head of the "Shuchang San," and Qian Yuntong is the new Shuchang, so when Qian Yuntong saw Wang Zhanshi, he called him "sir" and referred to himself as "young man." Wang Zhushi was flattered and pleased. Unexpectedly, after chatting for a while, Liu Houshou suddenly asked Wang Zhushi, "Mr. Wang, you look familiar. Have we met somewhere before?" This question stunned Wang Zhushi. Wang Zhushi blushed with embarrassment, and after a while, he stammered, "Brother Liu, you really have a lot of important people and forgetful. After the imperial examination that year, I went to visit the high official three times, and each time I sat in your room. How could you forget?" Liu Houshou said, "Don't mind, don't mind! There are many people looking for the high official every day. I can't remember so many people, let alone... " He didn't continue. Huang Panggu quickly interrupted, "This Brother Wang is a Justice Ministry official, handling Guizhou affairs. In the future, you'll need to put in a good word for him with the high official!" Liu Houshou smiled. Wang Zhushi felt even more embarrassed and restless.
Jia was bored at the banquet, so he flirted with Huang. She understood his meaning, knowing he wanted to order a boy. Seeing everyone was bored, she suggested they order some boys. Everyone agreed. Huang asked the waiter to bring paper and pen. Pu Sier was the first to grab the pen, asking Wang Lao Ye who he wanted to summon. Wang Lao Ye said "Erli." Pu Sier wrestled with the character "Li," finally giving up and letting Wang Lao Ye write it. Then everyone started writing down the names of the boys they wanted to order. Liu Houshou sent for one named Xiaofen; Hei Boguo called for one named Qiyun; Bai Taoguang said he didn't know anyone and didn't want to order. Huang didn't mind, but unexpectedly, Pu Sier insisted that Bai Taoguang call one. Bai Taoguang said if they wanted him to make an exception, he would have to leave. Afraid of him leaving, they had to agree. Qian Yuntong said he didn't dare be reckless, but Wang Lao Ye ignored him and had already written one for him. Pu Sier was the happiest, ordering two, one named Shunquan and one named Shunli. Finally, it was Jia's turn. Wang Lao Ye looked down on him for being nouveau riche, ignoring him and only asking Huang who her friend wanted to call. Jia asked Huang to recommend someone. After some thought, Huang remembered a gentleman named Kuiguan from the Hanjiatan Xichuntang. Although she hadn't called him before, they often greeted each other when they met, so she remembered him. She recommended Kuiguan to Jia. After everyone had written down their choices, Huang also called for a young gentleman named Hongxi to accompany her. Once everyone had their boys picked out, the feast began.
After a while, the runner opened the door curtain and came in, bowing his head, saying, "The guys we've sent for have arrived." Upon closer inspection, the first one to arrive was Qian Taishi's lover. This young man was a real looker and called everyone "uncle." Most of the people present did not recognize him. Master Wang introduced him, saying, "He is Zhuang's apprentice, who only arrived in June. The first guest is an example of Qian Yunweng's generosity. Did you not see that Yunweng recently gifted him eight screens with gold leaf, all inscribed in standard script, which took two days to complete? There was also a pair of couplets, all written by him. After they were delivered, the next day, Minister Xu hosted a banquet at his home, and those screens were hung in the room, which caught the eye of the prince, who greatly appreciated them." Qian Taishi modestly said, "My calligraphy's nothing special; it's just a hobby." Master Zhanke said, "This was personally told to me by his master Zhuang; it's true. Zhuang said Yunweng has a promotion next year." Everyone congratulated Qian Taishi.
Just as the atmosphere was lively, everyone's guests arrived one after another, with only Jia Dashao's Kui Guan yet to arrive. Jia Dashao looked glum seeing everyone else with their guests. Huang Panggu noticed this and said, "Where's Kui Guan?" Just as she was about to send someone to urge him, Kui Guan walked in. Huang Panggu pointed out Jia Dashao to him. Kui Guan came over to pay his respects and sat down, saying, "Today is my mother's birthday; I was accompanying guests at home, so I arrived late. Sorry I'm late, guys." Fourth Master Pu said, "He was about to go nuts waiting for you!" With that, he raised his glass.
The invited guys started playing games and were having a blast. Jia Baoyu took the opportunity to pull Kui Guan aside and asked him about his age, what kind of roles he plays in Peking opera, if he had completed his apprenticeship, where he lives, and who is in his family. Kui Guan answered one by one: "I'm twenty, I play painted-face roles, I finished my training at eighteen, I live by myself, and there's only my mother at home. I got married last December, but my wife passed away this spring. I live in Hanjiatan, diagonally across from the Xiaojiaotiantan owner. After you finish eating, please come over and visit." Jia Baoyu agreed with everything. Kui Guan took out a snuff bottle for Jia Baoyu to smell and then gave him some tobacco to smoke. Jia Baoyu was busy switching between smelling the snuff and smoking the tobacco. He looked around and noticed that the other entertainers who were invited weren't as enthusiastic as Kui Guan, which made him feel quite pleased. Huang Panggu saw this and nodded at Jia Baoyu, then winked at Kui Guan; Kui Guan got the hint and deliberately walked slower when everyone was leaving. Huang Panggu quickly asked Jia Baoyu, "So, what do you think? How'd you like him?" Jia Baoyu smiled and didn’t answer. Pu Sier shouted that Jia Baoyu should invite him for a drink, saying today was Kui Guan's mother's birthday, and since they got along so well, Jia Baoyu should go to Kui Guan's place. Bai Taoguang also chimed in, saying he wanted to drink together. Heibo Guo teased him, saying, "Don't be so eager! We haven't even gotten to the entertainment yet, and you're already thinking about the drinks!" Everyone laughed. Jia Baoyu had no choice but to agree to go to Kui Guan's home and asked Huang Panggu to help invite others. Wang Laoye said he had official business tomorrow and needed to head to the yamen early, so he declined. Liu Hou Shou said he couldn't stay up late and had to go home by nine. Huang Panggu mentioned that Liu Hou Shou's wife was strict, so she didn’t dare to push him. Then she told Qian Taishi that he probably had nothing to do tomorrow and could join them. Jia Baoyu wanted to show off with Qian Taishi, saying they got along well and he should definitely come. Qian Taishi had no choice but to agree. Wang Laoye wanted to stop Qian Taishi from going, but seeing that he had agreed, he had no choice and left with Liu Hou Shou.
Around eight that night, the party wrapped up. The host paid up, everyone said their goodbyes, and then all piled into a car for Hanjiatan. The drive to Hanjiatan was short, and they arrived quickly. After getting out of the car, Master Jia noticed a black sign with gold lettering at the entrance that read "Xichuntang." A door lamp hung below the gate, and several servants stood there respectfully, calling out, "The master's here!" Although it was night, the house was brightly lit and looked like a courtyard. Three guest rooms were off the main gate. In the courtyard, partitioned by bamboo, there were many flower pots with various flowers planted in them. It was Kui Guan's mother's birthday. Through the screens, one could see the party area set up inside, with two candles lit. It was dimly lit, and there were a few women dressed in red and green, presumably Kui Guan's relatives. Apart from them, there were no other guests; it felt pretty lonely. Kui Guan came out to invite everyone into the guest hall. Master Jia looked around. The calligraphy and paintings on the walls were old and faded. The furniture was a bit shabby. He sat down while Pu Sier and Bai Taoguang yelled, "Chow down, then we're outta here!" The host had no choice but to order some food and drinks. He yelled for food, and the servants scrambled into the kitchen. The food arrived pretty quickly, and the host asked everyone to sit down and start drinking and playing games; no need to get into the rules.
Young Master Jia drank some alcohol and got in the mood, first tossing back shots with his friends, then setting up a drinking game with ten bowls by himself. Unknowingly, he drank too much, feeling hot all over, sweat beads forming on his head, each as big as peas. Kuiguan asked him to take off his shirt, bare-chested, and even helped him tidy his hair. Unfortunately, this young master had a problem: he had a strong case of B.O., making people want to vomit when they caught a whiff. Everyone at the table started feeling uncomfortable; some sniffed snuff, while others smoked pipe tobacco. Kuiguan even lit some incense, trying to dispel the smell. But the more Jia sweated, the stronger the odor became. Unable to stand it, everyone hurriedly left before finishing their meal, leaving only Huang Panggu behind. Kuiguan didn't want to sit too close to Jia, but Jia insisted Kuiguan sit next to him, despite Kuiguan's reluctance. Jia reached out and pulled him over, forcing Kuiguan to cover his nose with a handkerchief. Jia knew the rules of this place, and after drinking too much, he actually grabbed Kuiguan's hand and even fingered Kuiguan's palm. Kuiguan felt uncomfortable with the stench, but considering Huang Panggu's feelings, he couldn't directly drive Jia away, so he pretended not to notice and tried to talk about something else. Jia didn't know what to do. Huang Panggu understood the situation, got up, and left. Jia didn't even try to stop her.
Kui Guan saw that Huang Panggu wanted to leave, afraid that if he left, it would be even more difficult to deal with Young Master Jia, so he said, "Mr. Huang, wait a moment. Our master is drunk, so let's get the carriage and send him home together." Young Master Jia flipped his lid when he heard about getting a carriage! He was holding a wine pot and was just about to let Huang Panggu drink, but upon hearing this, he threw the wine pot towards Kui Guan with a thud. Although he didn't hit him, the wine spilled all over him. Immediately after, with another crash, the dishes and chopsticks on the table fell to the ground, the soup splattered everywhere; fortunately, the table didn't flip over. Seeing the situation was not right, Kui Guan said, "Master, you're drunk!" Young Master Jia, beet red and sputtering, pointed at Kui Guan and cursed, "You little shit! What's wrong with me compared to others! You want to get the carriage to drive me away! It's only because of Mr. Huang that you're not getting it worse. If it wasn't for Mr. Huang's introduction, you guys would have screwed me over!" While cursing, he paced around the room. Despite Huang Panggu's strong persuasion, he wouldn't listen. Finally, Kui Guan couldn't stand it anymore and said, "Mr. Huang, look at what he's saying! I was just trying to help! I had someone get the carriage to send the master back for a good sleep!" Young Master Jia said, "I don't accept your good intentions!" Kui Guan continued, "No offense, but things like this gotta be a two-way street." Young Master Jia became even angrier upon hearing this, "Bullshit! Look at your face in the mirror! You look like a toad, yet you act all high and mighty, I don't care!" Kui Guan said, "I was called by the master; it was the master's own will, I didn't force you." Young Master Jia was about to lose it and deck him.
Huang Panggu was worried about causing a scene and losing face, so she quickly came over and held Jia Dashao with both hands, saying, "Hey, bro! Give me some face, okay? What's he matter anyway? Don't get yourself worked up!" Jia Dashao said, "It's still early; I have nothing to do if I go back." Huang Panggu said, "Want to grab some tea?" Jia Dashao had no choice but to put on his coat. Kui Guan, knowing better than to cross Huang Panggu, quickly helped out and even got them to eat some congee before they left. Jia Dashao ignored it, and Huang Panggu said, "I can't eat." It wasn't far, so Huang Panggu suggested, "Let's just walk, it's close by." So Kui Guan called a waiter to bring a lantern and personally escorted them out, said his goodbyes, and headed back.
After the two of them left, they turned south, walked for a while, headed out of Outer Nanying, went east all the way, and then walked north to Shanxi Lane, arriving at the home of Sai Jinhua. As soon as Huang Panggu entered the door, she asked, "Is Second Master Sai at home?" A servant replied, "Second Master Sai had a stomach ache this morning, called a doctor, took some medicine, and just fell asleep." Huang Panggu said, "Since he's asleep, let's not disturb him. Let's go to another room and sit for a while, and then leave." Someone led them to sit in a room. Huang Panggu asked, "Where is the young lady?" The reply was, "Miss Huabao's out with someone." Huang Panggu had nothing more to say, so the two sat there and chatted.
Young Master Jia has always disliked that Kuiguan. Huang Panggu recommended Kuiguan herself, so she couldn't argue with him and said, "To be honest, Kuiguan is too stubborn, and Young Master, you are too impatient. Just treating him to a meal and wanting to befriend him—no wonder he is suspicious. Why don't you try buying him dinner tomorrow?" Young Master Jia said, "Forget it, I couldn't care less about him! I have plenty of money; I don't need to give it to him!" Huang Panggu said, "You're right. Let it go; why keep holding onto it? If it works, it works; if not, find another. There are plenty of others; you can choose whoever you want; no one can control you!" Young Master Jia said, "You got that right! If it weren't for your sake, I would have taken care of that kid a long time ago!" Huang Panggu said, "Don't say that; let's talk business. What brings you to the capital this time?" Young Master Jia leaned in close to Huang Panggu's ear and whispered about wanting to use the back door, then said, "When I was in Henan, the old folks often said there was a nun outside the front gate with a lot of influence—even the princess worshipped her as a teacher. The old folks mentioned her name, but I can't remember it at the moment. This nun often goes to the palace; her word carries a lot of weight, and the people above listen to her a lot. They say that monks and nuns are compassionate and convenient; whatever she says, they have to give face. In fact, this nun is also after money. But going through her is much easier than others. She can get you the same thing for half the price. As long as you know her, you won't spend a penny unjustly. Otherwise, you'll get ripped off."
Huang Panggu heard this, and she nearly jumped out of her skin, thinking to herself, "If he knows about this lead, my business will be ruined!" In fact, Huang Panggu was well aware of this nun's background and had dealings with her. To make a quick buck off Jia Dashao, she could only pretend not to know and said, "Since you know about this lead, it's right there. Why don't you just go find her yourself?" Jia Dashao said, "Before I set off, I asked the old man, and he said, 'When you get to Beijing, inquire around. She's so well-known, you'll find her easily enough.' So I came to ask you, how is she now?" Huang Panggu hesitated and said, "You got me there. Not to toot my own horn, but everyone in Beijing knows me, Huang Panggu. I really haven't heard of any nun having dealings with the palace. Are you sure it wasn't a monk or a Taoist priest?" Jia Dashao said, "It's definitely a nun! The old man mentioned it; I forgot." He instantly regretted saying that. Huang Panggu said, "Since she lives outside the front gate, you might as well try your luck. With this lead, you won't have to run around everywhere. We're all in this together; I'll inquire for you." Jia Dashao said, "I appreciate it!" They sat for a while, smoked two pouches of tobacco, and the girl they sent out hadn't returned yet. Jia Dashao looked at his watch and said, "It's getting late, let's go back." Sai Jinhua never showed up; only a few old ladies saw them off. They gave each other a quick bow, hopped into their respective carriages, and drove off.
Young Master Jia returned to his residence and had a quiet night. The next day, he went out to visit guests and tried to find out about the nun mentioned by the old man. He asked several friends, some knew a little, others nothing. Because these friends were either minor officials or not local, they had no dealings with the nun in question. This really frustrated Young Master Jia, thinking to himself, "I could leave this matter to Aunt Huang, but she'd definitely take a cut, meaning it would cost more. If I could find that nun and ask for her help, things would be much easier. The old guy wouldn't lie to me. I wish I'd asked more questions before I left, so I'll have to search slowly." He sat there in the carriage, mulling it over.
Later, he went to the home of his sworn brother, Uncle Hu. Uncle Hu was very generous and welcomed him warmly, treating him like a nephew. Young Master Jia couldn't wait to talk about the goings-on in the palace, not directly mentioning wanting to use connections, but saying, "The situation in the palace is deteriorating day by day. Can you believe that a nun dares to enter the homes of the nobility, helping others plead their case? That's outrageous!" Uncle Hu replied, "Indeed, the palace trusts nuns the most. With the current situation, there’s nothing we can do but sigh." Young Master Jia said, "Hey, Uncle, you're an official now, why not write a memorial to impeach her? That'd be a great story! Maybe you don't know the name of the nun in the convent, so you haven't taken action?" Uncle Hu said, "I know her name, sort of, but the palace is run by eunuchs these days, so speaking up would just get me in trouble. Therefore, I must be cautious and not get involved." Young Master Jia said, "Even you, an official, are this cautious? No wonder the court is deteriorating day by day. Since there is such a person in the capital, I want to know her name. It'd make a good story." Uncle Hu thought for a moment and said, "The nun's name is Jingkong. Why do you want to see her? If you must meet her, just enter through the front gate, walk along the city wall, and take a few turns. Someone told me, but I've forgotten the directions."
Young Master Jia, having found out where to go, felt chuffed. He didn't need to say anything to the old geezer, so he scarpered. It was still early, so he told the driver to head straight for the front gate. The driver asked where they were going, and Jia gave him the address, just as Old Man Hu had told him. The driver said "got it," cracked the whip, and drove the carriage quickly, entering the front gate in no time. After turning seven or eight corners, they arrived at a place. They saw a red wall, with several sturdy locust trees in front of the gate. A plaque hung above the gate, with the words "Wenshu Temple" written on it. The main gate was shut, so they went in through a side one. Not a soul or a carriage in sight.
Young Master Jia got off the carriage, with the driver leading the way, guiding him into a small courtyard. Right in front was a wisteria arbor, thick with leaves, shading the courtyard like a roof. There was another small door to the west of the courtyard, leading to the main hall courtyard. Three rooms faced the gate (south), with the main hall to the north, a guest hall to the west, and the Guanyin Hall to the east – twelve rooms in all. There were two brick flowerbeds, and below them, two dragon-claw locusts. It wasn't big, but it was peaceful and pretty.
Young Master Jia walked all the way to the guest hall. A nun came over and greeted him. Young Master Jia said he came specifically to visit Master Jingkong. The nun said, "Please have a seat, I will inform her." Shortly after, the nun led an elderly nun out. The elderly nun saw Young Master Jia, put her palms together, recited "Amitabha," and asked, "What is your honorable surname, sir? What brings you here?" Young Master Jia then stated his name and official position, saying, "I am here in the capital on official business and have long admired the Master's reputation, so I came to visit." Hearing that he was a district magistrate, the nun immediately showed respect and repeatedly said, "I did not know that you were coming, I am truly disrespectful..." Young Master Jia said, "Not at all!" and asked, "How many years has the Master been ordained? When did you arrive in Beijing? There must be a lot of worshippers at this temple; are there many visitors?" The nun said, "To be honest, I am originally from Beijing and became a nun in this temple. I ordained at 25 and am now 65. The capital is a world of red dust. The three of us—my master and I—have been practicing in seclusion, so besides a few ladies who donate and come to make offerings and eat vegetarian meals, there are not many other visitors. It is truly rare for you to come today!" Young Master Jia felt something was amiss, pondered for a moment, and asked, "Is the first character of the Master's Dharma name the 'mirror' character from 'Water, Moon, Mirror, Flower,' and the second character the 'emptiness' character from 'All is Vanity'?" The nun said, "The second character is correct, the first character is 'quiet,' not 'mirror.'" Young Master Jia knew he had made a mistake, hurriedly asked, "Is there someone with a Dharma name that sounds similar to the Master's, but with 'quiet' replaced by 'mirror'? Do you know this person?" The nun said, "Beijing is so big, with so many temples and monasteries, how could I know everyone?" Young Master Jia realized he had come to the wrong place, chatted for a bit, bid farewell, and left. The nun wanted to offer him vegetarian noodles, but Young Master Jia took out some silver as a donation to the temple, bowed, and left in a hurry.
After Young Master Jia got on the carriage, he asked the coachman, "Hey, how do you know this nun?" The coachman replied, "I used to serve Xie from the Ministry of Households outside Shunzhi Gate on Nan Heng Street. I've been here a few times with Xie, so I know her. There are two young nuns in this nunnery, both quite pretty. Last year, when Xie entertained here, that young nun even came out to drink with us. Maybe because it's the first time the master is here today, she didn't come out. This place is kinda shady." Young Master Jia was intrigued by this and leaned out of the carriage window to look back, only to see the Taoist priestess who had just informed him peering around. Young Master Jia panicked, originally wanting to leave the city, but after hearing the coachman's words, he wanted to meet the young nun. He wanted to get out, but it was getting dark, and he was worried about making it out of the city before nightfall. Seeing him hesitate, the coachman stopped and waited for him. After pondering for a while, Young Master Jia said, "I didn't see Jingsong today, but unexpectedly found such a good place. Let's go back and tell Huang, my gal, we'll come together another day. He's been in the capital for a long time, and no one dares to bully him. I've been around, and I really want to see what this nun is like!" After that, he let the coachman drive the carriage out of the city and come back tomorrow. The coachman followed suit, cracking the whip and driving the carriage, and the mule trotted away. Young Master Jia kept sticking his head out of the window to look back until he turned a corner and then retracted it.
They soon arrived at their residence and got off the carriage to change clothes. The steward brought two invitations and a letter. Young Master Jia looked at the invitations, one from Master Hei inviting him to have lunch at Zhimei Hall tomorrow afternoon, and the other from Pu the Fourth inviting him to have dinner at his lover Shunquan's house tomorrow night. There was also a letter from Huang. Young Master Jia glanced at it, his face changed; after reading it, he was even more shocked! What exactly was written in the letter? What happens next? You'll have to wait and see!
