Young Master Jia had actually thrown back Wang Shiye's covers! When Wang Shiye returned and saw this, he was furious but held back his anger. He was usually simple and unassuming, originally from Hangzhou and didn't have many friends in Beijing. He liked to hang out with the guys from back home, grab a bite, and unwind at the Renqian Club. That day, when he returned from the club and saw the situation, he knew he had to get out of dodge. He was just bumming around on the street, thinking about whether he should move to the club. He was worried about losing his room, but he was also worried about what the guys back home would say. But if he went back, thinking about Young Master Jia's cocky attitude, he couldn't bear it, especially since he was asked to share a room with the steward—that was just too much! The more he thought about it, the more troubled he became, stressing out and not knowing what to do.
As he was all worked up, someone suddenly lightly patted his shoulder! Wang Shiye nearly jumped out of his skin, turned around, and saw that it was his fellow villager Wang Bogao. Wang Bogao was a big shot at the Ministry of Revenue, had no family in Beijing, and also lived at the Renqian Club. They saw each other every day. That evening, Wang Bogao had nothing to do, so he went to a alley off Luomashi Street to visit his friend, and he bumped into Wang Shiye, who was slumped along the street, head down. After patting him on the shoulder and seeing his startled expression, Wang Bogao also felt that something was up.
Wang Bogao is straightforward and asked directly, "Hey, what's the matter? What are you doing wandering around by yourself?" Wang Shiye was stunned and stared at him blankly for a long time without saying a word. Wang Bogao, who was usually impatient, became even more puzzled when he saw this situation and said, "You look like you've seen a ghost! Come on, let's go to the doc and have him check you out!" Wang Shiye still didn't say anything. Wang Bogao called a sedan chair, helped him into the chair, and got in himself. When they arrived at Renqian Club, he helped him out of the chair and into his room. When Wang Shiye saw the bed, he collapsed onto the bed, sobbing uncontrollably. Wang Bogao asked him why he was crying, but he refused to say, only saying that he had bad luck. Wang Bogao blew up, "If you don't tell me, scram! You're not allowed to sleep on my bed!" Wang Shiye then spilled the beans, repeatedly urging Wang Bogao not to spread the word, afraid of being laughed at by their fellow villagers.
Before Wang Shiye could finish, Wang Bogao went ballistic, scolding, "This is outrageous! Who does that Jia Dashao think he is, treating his friend like a servant! That's not right! I won't stand for it! Tomorrow, let's meet with our fellow villagers and sort this out!" Seeing Wang Bogao angry, Wang Shiye quickly begged, "Don't make a fuss! It's all my fault for speaking too soon! If you make a scene, I'll lose even more face, and I might end up on the streets. You're not exactly rolling in it; who will lend me money to go back to Hangzhou?" Wang Bogao said, "You're still afraid of offending him, no wonder he looks down on you! Since we know, I'll help you out! If you're worried about losing your place to stay, we'll all chip in to get you back to Hangzhou!"
Wang Bogao said as he instructed the steward to go to Young Master Jia's house to move Mr. Wang's luggage out, and also told this matter to other fellow villagers in the guild. Everyone felt that Young Master Jia was acting like a total jerk. Pretty soon, the steward brought back the luggage. Wang Bogao asked the steward, "Did you see Young Master Jia?" The steward said, "I laid it out at the Jia place, and their servants replied that it was Mr. Wang who resigned, not Young Master Jia. They said if Young Master Jia fired him, they'd pay his way home, but since he quit, that was that." Wang Bogao became even angrier upon hearing this, "What did you say to him?" The steward replied, "I didn't argue with him; I just brought back the luggage." Wang Bogao became even more furious upon hearing this, "That guy's got a serious Hangzhou problem! Tomorrow, I'm going to the yamen to see Master Xu and get him to chew out Young Master Jia. Let's see how long that guy lasts in Beijing!"
Now, about this Master Xu? That's Master Xu, aka "Liuli Dan." He's from Hangzhou, and he's the Minister of Revenue now. Wang Bogao is his subordinate. When Wang Bogao passed the imperial examination and became a scholar, Master Xu was his chief examiner, hence he called him Master Xu. However, this Xu has the smallest courage and never likes to meddle in other people's affairs, not even his own family matters, let alone matters concerning fellow villagers. But all the Hangzhou folks in Beijing see him as their big man, always running to him with their problems. Basically, unless it involves money, he doesn't lift a finger.
Last night, Wang Bogao was so angry that he didn't sleep at all. He and Wang Shiyé spent the night hashing things out and came up with a few ideas. The next day, he went to the yamen as usual, but luckily, Minister Xu wasn't in. Wang Bogao left the yamen and went directly to Minister Xu's house, telling the gatekeeper it was urgent and he needed to see the Minister. Minister Xu had no choice but to invite him in. Wang Bogao then detailed the incident of Wang Shiyé being bullied by Jia Runsun. He said, "Jia Runsun tossed Wang Shiyé's bags to the gatekeeper. It was a blatant display of disrespect—treating him like a slave and showing he doesn't respect us Hangzhou folks! I was so furious, I got Wang Shiyé out of there and into a guesthouse yesterday. So I'm here to ask for your help in dealing with Jia Runsun. He needs to learn his place!"
Xu Dajun listened, silent for a bit, stroking his beard before saying, "I've got so many folks from back home asking for favors, I can't keep up. When you work outside, you have to be patient, and every employer has their own difficulties. Getting angry and quitting over trivial matters will make it hard to find another job in the future." Wang Bogao said, "He didn't quit on his own this time; it was his students who couldn't stand it and asked him to move out." Xu Dajun replied, "Brother, you are wrong! 'Trouble comes from talking too much, and more trouble from sticking your neck out.' Do you not even understand this common saying? The last thing you want to do is stick your neck out. Not to mention you, even though I am a minister and can handle everything, if I don't need to worry about it, I never do. Now, because of Wang's matter, you insist on meddling, and as a result, Wang lost his job. You can't stay in this city without a job. If Wang ends up on the streets, we're in trouble." Wang Bogao said, "His students are getting the villagers to chip in to send him back to Hangzhou." Xu Dajun interrupted him and said, "There are tons of folks from back home here, and my salary ain't enough to help them all. I will not get involved in this matter. Your salary's not great, and this isn't the time for charity, so don't go spending money you don't have. And that kid from the Jia family? He's no angel, but we don't need to pick a fight over him. So, you think I'm right?"
Wang Bogao listened, became even angrier, and thought to himself: if he refuses to help, is this whole thing going to go down the drain? Now that things have gone wrong, he couldn't stomach it. After thinking for a while, he remembered that Master Xu only cared about money. He found out how that little Jia runt tried to flatter Huazhong Hall and investigated the gift-giving situation. Jia Runsun barely gave Master Xu a fifth of what he lavished on Huazhong Hall, let alone the Chief Eunuch. He figured he'd have to spill the beans and add a bit of spice to get Xu's help. He made up his mind and said, "Teacher, that Jia brat not only looks down on people from Hangzhou, but also looks down on you!" This woke up Master Xu, who asked, "Why does he look down on me? Who hasn't been gossiped about? You can't believe everything." Wang Bogao said, "Without evidence, I dare not speak out of turn. But that Jia Runsun is a real snake in the grass! In his eyes, apart from the Chief Eunuch and Huazhong Hall, there is no one else. He thinks he can climb the ladder using those two and doesn't need anyone else." Master Xu said, "We're supposed to decide promotions in the Military Affairs Office. Those eunuchs are stealing all our business! Not to mention him, he is close to the top, speaks louder than us, and we have to give him some leeway. As for Huazhong Hall, although he is in the hall, when I entered the Military Affairs Office, he was still a deputy commander. He's not senior to me. How can he look down on me?" Wang Bogao said, "That's why I couldn't stand it and came to tell you, sir." Then he explained how Young Master Jia greased some palms, sent gifts to Huazhong Hall on holidays, and the money was provided by Huang Panggu, the money-lender. Jia Runsun had to borrow tens of thousands, supposedly to bribe the Chief Eunuch and Huazhong Hall – several tens of thousands each. Master Xu asked, "Where'd you hear that? Is it true?" Wang Bogao said, "Of course it's true! I agree with you, sir. The Chief Eunuch is one thing, but Huazhong Hall is a military minister just like you, and he's treating you differently. That's not right!"
Xu Dajun, upon hearing this, was gobsmacked for ages, stewed over it for a bit, and the more he thought about it, the angrier he got; his face turned red. Wang Bogao saw that he was angry and said, "That Jia brat's got a long rap sheet. He's just a low-level clerk in the river works, but the River Supervisor's clearly got his back. He made a lot of money in the river works, came to the capital, with a whole harem of women and hangers-on. After coming to the capital, he's been hitting the brothels, picks fights and gets into brawls—he's a real handful. If such a person gets promoted and becomes a high official, that whole province's government will be a shambles!" Xu Dajun said, "I don't care about the rest, but how much grease did he pay Huazhong Hall? Mate, you must help me find out clearly. If he shortchanges me by a single penny, he'll regret it!" After saying this, he sent him away. Wang Bogao went home.
Minister Xu didn't sleep well all night. Early in the morning, he rushed to the Grand Council and met with Minister Hua. As soon as he arrived, he said, "Congratulations on getting a student who's rich and powerful!" Minister Hua looked puzzled and quickly asked who it was. Minister Xu sneered, "It's the son of Jia Xiaozhi from the Niesi in Henan. Isn't he the one who just became your student?" Hua angrily replied, "So what if I take on a few students? Don't we all rely on our students to keep us afloat? The best man wins!" Minister Xu said, "I don't mind taking on students, but although Jia Xiaozhi's son looks good, he's too slick. I don't like that kind of person." Hua said, "There aren't that many good people! Senior, let's just look the other way." Minister Xu said, "I get angry when I see bad people! I'm not as tolerant as you. You're Minister Hua, you know – you're very tolerant, but I have a bad temper by nature." Hua said, "Since you don't like him, just be polite to him when he comes, and don't let him come to your door in the future. Rich or poor, if they're broke, am I supposed to starve too?" Hua wanted to say more, but the other military ministers were afraid they would start arguing, which wouldn't look good if it reached higher authorities, so they quickly stopped him. Minister Xu said again, "Send word to the Jia family, tell them to wait, wait another month, and I guarantee to arrange a real position for him." Hua became even angrier, "Appointments are the Emperor's prerogative. No one else calls the shots!" Just as they were arguing, a message came from above to summon the military ministers. They were summoned, and that was that.
Wang Bogao boasted in front of Supervisor Wang. Although he offended Mr. Xu and fell out with Huazhong Hall, he still felt unhappy, always sensing that this matter was not over. He figured he needed to goad Mr. Xu again or call Master Jia to give him a hard time; otherwise, he would have to spend some money to get a piece of the action before this matter could be considered settled. After thinking it over, the next day he went to see Mr. Xu again. Seeing that Mr. Xu's face was not good, he knew he was still angry. After making small talk, Wang Bogao mentioned Master Jia again. Mr. Xu said, "Just because of this kid, I almost fought with Huazhong Hall yesterday." Wang Bogao was surprised. Mr. Xu continued, "Huazhong Hall is pulling rank, not knowing how much money they’ve taken from Master Jia, going to bat for him, no matter what, and not even caring about face." Wang Bogao knew that the opportunity had come and quickly said, "Master, Master Jia must have given Huazhong Hall a lot of money, so they helped him. This kid, ever since he got close to the Head Black Servant and Huazhong Hall, has been arrogant, not putting you in his eyes at all, and even badmouthing you behind your back—his friends told me this, and now there are witnesses." Although Mr. Xu usually didn't get angry, he couldn't help but ask when he heard that Master Jia was speaking ill of him, "What did he say?" Wang Bogao replied, "He's a foul-mouthed fellow, but his students can't say exactly what he said." Mr. Xu asked, "He cursed me too?" Wang Bogao exclaimed, "That's outrageous! His students were so angry they didn't eat all day!" Mr. Xu pressed, "What did he say about me? Tell me!" After hesitating for a long time and being urged twice by Mr. Xu, Wang Bogao finally said, "He called you a 'gilded rice bucket' behind your back." Mr. Xu didn't understand and asked, "What is a 'rice bucket'?" Wang Bogao explained, "It means someone who only knows how to eat and doesn't do anything else. 'Gilded rice bucket' means that it looks shiny on the outside, but in fact, it's worthless—like calling someone a 'gilded turd'."
Master Xu was really angry this time, saying, "He said I'm useless! I have to do something to show him, to see if I'm an incompetent fellow! This is outrageous!" His face darkened, hands cold, and beard raised, he sat in the chair without saying a word. Wang Bogao was afraid that he would get sick from anger, so he quickly persuaded, "Teacher, don't be angry with this kid; what does he count for? You are the pillar of the state; it's not good to get angry. We can deal with him later and make him admit his mistake." Master Xu asked, "How should I deal with him? Just making him admit his mistake, can I be satisfied?" Wang Bogao had already figured out a plan, walked up to Master Xu, and whispered a few words. Although Master Xu usually pretended to be confused, he was very clever at the moment. Every time Wang Bogao said something, he responded accordingly. After Wang Bogao finished speaking, he remembered everything and said with a smile, "I'll do as you say. Should I write this memorial here or take it back for you to write? In my opinion, there are many people at the guesthouse, and it's not convenient to take it back, so it's better to write it here, making it easier to keep secret." Wanting to impress his teacher, Wang Bogao quickly said, "Teacher is right; I'll write the draft here before going out." Master Xu immediately had someone take him to his study. After the memorial was written, the two of them revised and polished it, and then Wang Bogao took the draft and left, without returning to the guesthouse, and went directly to Huang Panggu's moneychanger's at the front door of Dazhalan.
I arrived at the shop front, without even giving my card, and barged in. The shop lads saw how flustered I was, and several of them came out to ask my name and who I was looking for. I said my surname was Wang and I was looking for Old Huang. The lads asked me to sit in a guest seat and went inside to inform Huang the Fat One. Huang the Fat One looked through the crack in the door curtain, had never seen me before, and asked the lad to go out and ask the driver. Only then did she find out that I was Wang from the Treasury, who had just come from Xu's. Huang the Fat One understood that my identity was not simple and thought to herself, "Something must be up." She quickly came out to greet me. After a quick chat over tea, I asked her first, "You know Jia Runsun and Jia Guancha, right?" Huang the Fat One knew immediately that there was more to my question and wasn't about to spill the beans, saying, "We know each other, but it was through a friend's introduction. We don't have much contact, and he doesn't come to our shop often." I said, "Has he conducted any business through your shop?" Huang the Fat One hesitated to say no and mentioned, "Just a few things, favours mostly." I said, "Right then." Then I asked her, "Got somewhere private? Let's find a place to talk properly." She said, "Certainly!" and led me to a private room at the back of the shop.
This room is specifically for discussing secret matters. After we both sat down, I took out the memorial from my sleeve and said, "This was given to me by my Master Xu. I have always admired your reputation since coming to the capital, but have not had the opportunity to visit, so I specially brought it from my teacher to deliver a message to you. Everyone knows my Master is someone who just wants to keep his head down, never showing favoritism or engaging in corruption. This memorial was drafted by my fellow student, Master Zhou, and after consulting with my teacher, I brought it to you. You will understand as soon as you see it." Huang Panggu took the memorial and carefully read it. It turns out that Zhou Du accused Jia Runsun, implicating herself as well. The memorial read, "Mr. Jia is in charge of river works, with exaggerated accounts and false pretenses; after arriving in the capital, he lives it up, flaunting his wealth; he also conspires with the unscrupulous Huang, engaging in underhanded dealings everywhere. Demanding Jia's dismissal and Huang's arrest and interrogation, thoroughly investigate to set an example." Attached to the memorial is a list of how much silver was given to the chief eunuch, how much silver was given to which minister, all of which was handled by Huang Panggu, but the amounts were a bit off.
After Huang Panggu finished reading, she was already an old hand, having seen many such things. Many poor officials used this to shake someone down, and she had long been used to it. This time, Wang Bogao came, clearly setting a trap. Although she didn't care in her heart, she thought to herself: "I did help Jia Runsun with some things, and Wang Bogao came from Mr. Xu's side. I can't hide this from him." She also thought: "Let's keep this quiet; Jia Runsun will pay for this. When Jia Runsun comes up with some money again, we can resolve this matter peacefully." So she said, "Thank you, Wang, for your concern. I'm grateful! I did handle some things, but I have no control over those ministers. The memorial is somewhat exaggerated. But since you're helping, this matter should be resolved. I trust you to take care of it. I know how to handle Mr. Xu, you, and Zhou. I'm just a small businesswoman; where would I get the money? Honestly, I have to wait for Jia Runsun to come and provide some money. Look, I'll do my part, and you gentlemen will understand." When I heard this, I couldn't help but laugh and said, "You're a straight shooter. It's better to see each other than to hear about each other. I will have to come to you for advice in the future..." Then Huang Panggu agreed to give a reply tomorrow, and I agreed. Huang Panggu copied the important parts, removed anything that implicated her, and gave me the edited version to take back.
After waiting for me to leave, Huang Panggu instructed someone to find Young Master Jia and bring him to a secret room to explain the situation in detail and show him the memorial. Young Master Jia had been busy arranging various matters in the past few days, about to be promoted, and had nothing to do in his heart, partying it up all day long. Just as he was enjoying himself, this whole thing blew up, leaving him stunned and unable to say a word. Huang Panggu said, "Brother, it's fortunate that it's me. If it were someone else, they would have freaked out long ago." She then temporarily handed the matter over to Wang Bogao to handle the bribing of Xu, Wang Bogao himself, and Zhou Du. After discussing it, they would have him come back tomorrow to wait for news. She told Young Master Jia everything. Young Master Jia asked, "How can we do our best?" Huang Panggu said, "You have a good relationship with the Minister of War, Mr. Xu, so toss him three thousand taels; Wang Bogao has been working hard, so at least slip him a thousand taels; as for Mr. Zhou Du, just ask Wang Bogao to give him two hundred taels. In total, five thousand taels will solve the problem." Young Master Jia, seeing that he didn't have much savings and had to take out five thousand taels, was gutted; but for the sake of promotion, he had no choice but to comply.
The next day, I went to inquire about the results. I said, "I have already explained to Mr. Xu, so he won't pursue it. Mr. Zhou Du can also be more or less calmed down. However, it has now been discovered that this matter was stirred up by one of Jia Rensun's buddies, a man surnamed Wang from Hangzhou. Jia Rensun looked down on his friend, so the man surnamed Wang went to Zhou Du to accuse him; if the accusation fails, the man surnamed Wang will appeal. It is crucial to handle the man surnamed Wang now. He is currently idle in the capital, so this ain't over. This is also the suggestion of my teacher, advising Jia Rensun to offer two thousand taels of silver, with us acting as intermediaries, to make it look like Jia Rensun gave Wang a cushy job in the capital, and then my teacher will help him find a job. Once he has a job, he won't give Jia Rensun grief anymore." Huang Panggu had no choice but to say, "Let's hash this out later." I then bid farewell and left.
Huang Panggu went to see Young Master Jia again to discuss money matters. As soon as Young Master Jia heard that he had to spend money again, he flat-out refused. Huang Panggu badgered him before finally convincing him to add another thousand yuan, give three thousand to General Xu Dajun as a bribe, not a penny less; five hundred to Wang Bogao; five hundred to Zhou Dulaoye (a title/honorific) and his subordinates in total, and then take out two thousand more for greasing palms for Wang Shiye. They prepared the silver notes, agreed that Wang Bogao would come in three days, and they’d get everything straightened out. Wang Bogao took Young Master Jia to see General Xu Dajun again, threw a feast, and apologized to Young Master Jia and Wang Shiye.
Two days later, General Xu Dajun called Wang Bogao again, gave him a few hundred yuan, saying that he had bought the lowest level official position for Wang Shiye; gave him two hundred yuan in cash, saying that he could use it for clothes and such at the office. Of the remaining more than one thousand yuan, General Xu Dajun said to Wang Bogao, "Brother, you have worked hard. Young Master Jia gave me three thousand yuan, so I won't be polite with you. This is the money left over from Wang's donation; take it, think of it as a thank you." Wang Bogao never expected that by helping others he could make over a thousand yuan; he was so happy in his heart, feeling that doing good deeds would bring rewards.
Anyway, after the falling out between Huazhong Hall and General Xu Dajun, things got frosty. Even if they wanted to help Young Master Jia, they didn’t dare to do so out in the open. Therefore, Young Master Jia's matter was put on hold. Two months passed without any news. During this time, he felt that he had strong connections, with a black overseer as his backing and Huazhong Hall outside; he felt stable. Even if Zhou Dulaoye said a few words behind his back, he wasn't afraid. His courage grew, causing trouble everywhere, hitting the brothels, running with a rough bunch, becoming even more reckless than before.
After staying in Beijing for more than two months, Huang Panggu's saved money is almost spent, leaving only over a thousand yuan, and the government job is still far away. Huang Panggu came to him again and said, "Wait another month; Shi Xiaoren's one hundred thousand yuan will be due soon. You need to come up with a plan." When Jia Dashao heard this, he became anxious and talked to Huang Panggu about the job: "Now that all the money has been spent, why are there so many vacancies and none of them for me? Please help me find Liu Houshou and ask him to help me out." Huang Panggu replied, "There are over a thousand people who have applied to be government officials in the past two years. You say you spend money, but there are others who spend even more. You'll have to wait your turn; eventually, it will come." Jia Dashao had no choice but to wait in Beijing.
The one hundred thousand yuan managed by Huang Panggu is almost due, and Huang Panggu himself does not show up. Every day, he sends someone to urge him: "The deadline is approaching, Jia, you need to figure something out quickly. When it's due, you have to return the money to Xiaohao (a middleman), and Xiaohao has to return it to Mr. Shi. If you miss the deadline, Xiaohao's reputation will be ruined; this is serious!" Jia Dashao was annoyed by the daily reminders, but he had no choice. On the day before the deadline, Huang Panggu settled up with the remaining few hundred yuan of Jia Dashao, sent him a promissory note, and had the assistant deliver it. Then he took back the promissory note, saying it was to settle the debt. Jia Dashao was furious! He was in a panic and at a loss. He quickly sent telegrams to the old man in Henan, as well as relatives and friends, to raise money. The result was that only a childhood friend sent five hundred yuan, which was peanuts. There was no news from anywhere else, and he was so desperate that he wished the earth would swallow him up.
The next day was the day to repay the money. Early in the morning, Huang Mama sent people to watch over Jia, taking turns to return to the store to eat. But those people just stood guard, not saying a word. In the evening, when Jia wanted to go out, the people Huang Mama sent were afraid he would run away, so they hired a car to follow him. When Jia went to a friend's house, those people followed; when Jia came out, they were right on his tail, never far behind. At eleven o'clock in the evening, Huang Mama sent two more people, still shadowing him. Jia couldn't escape, so he ran to Huang Mama's store to discuss things, but she avoided him, and the staff ignored him. With no choice, Jia took a cab home. The men were still tailing him; it was already 2 AM.
As soon as Jia entered his home, he saw Huang Mama and the two acquaintances who had previously guaranteed for him come in together. They cut straight to the chase and asked for the money. Jia had no choice but to speak kindly and begged Huang Mama to give him two more months, but she firmly disagreed, saying, "Look, it's not personal. I'm on the hook, too. If you don't pay up, I'm screwed. I'll be out of business, and out of luck in Beijing." After Jia pleaded repeatedly and the two guarantors also begged, Huang Mama scolded them both.
Seeing that dawn was approaching, Huang Mama realized he really had no way out and said, "Two months is too long; the small store can't wait. Since you two guaranteed, I'll give you another month of extension. But the interest has to go up—at least by two points, a total of four and a half points." Jia had no choice but to agree. Another written agreement was made, the guarantors signed, and handed it to Huang Mama. Jia said, "There's no way out in Beijing; I have to go back to Henan." Huang Mama knew he could find a way out by going back to Henan, but she didn’t agree, saying, "If you leave, who will I ask for my money?" In the end, the two guarantors came up with an idea for Huang Mama to send someone to accompany Jia to Henan to collect the money, with one guarantor staying in Beijing, leaving the day after tomorrow. Huang Mama finally agreed, bid farewell, and left. Find out what happens next time!
