When it came to Ping Peilun, Xue Baochai was not very familiar with him.
She only vaguely knew that this was the name of the Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture.
But if Leng Xin was mentioned, she could say that she knew him extremely well.
Old Master Leng had originally been nothing more than a farmer from a village in Weiyang. Through his skill in managing his household, he had accumulated a vast family fortune. He had no sons, however, and only one daughter.
Leng Shi was both talented and beautiful. She became acquainted with the gifted woman Shan Dai, and although the two called each other friends, they treated each other like sisters. Leng Shi was personally appointed a female scholar by imperial decree from the Retired Emperor and was granted a marriage to the palace laureate Ping Ruheng. Thanks to his daughter’s good fortune, Old Master Leng was also bestowed an official rank in the Secretariat and given the title of Purple Star Secretariat Scholar.
Leng Xin had been born a poor commoner, but after his daughter married the palace laureate, her status brought honor to her husband, and Leng Xin naturally rose along with them.
However, to understand how Leng Xin made his fortune, one had to go back more than a decade.
More than a decade earlier, corruption had repeatedly been discovered in the Imperial Household Department’s purchasing operations. The Retired Emperor was enraged and resolved to reform the corrupt purchasing system. He abolished the position of purchasing agents and established imperial merchants instead. These merchants were responsible for both purchasing and selling, and at the end of each year, their remaining profits were evaluated and divided into three grades according to their earnings.
The two merchants who received the highest grade would personally receive commendations from the Retired Emperor.
The number of merchants in the middle grade was not fixed. They had neither distinguished themselves nor committed any major faults, so they were permitted to continue handling Imperial Household Department business the following year.
One merchant would receive the lowest grade, meaning the one who had earned the least profit that year.
If someone was ranked last for three consecutive years, their failure to perform their duties would be investigated. Their title as an imperial merchant would then be revoked, and another qualified merchant would be selected to replace them.
When the Retired Emperor first established the imperial merchant system, Xue Baochai had not yet been born.
But by the time she was old enough to remember things, the system had already become firmly established.
Xue Baochai remembered that when she was still young, the imperial merchants who received the highest grade every year were always the same two people. One was the head of the Xue family, and the other was Old Master Leng.
The Xue and Leng families were far more powerful than the other imperial merchants. The Xue family had abundant capital and the support of Jinling’s prominent clans, while Leng Xin was also highly skilled at commerce. Moreover, his son in law was at the height of his career at the time, so the Leng family did not fall behind in the slightest.
The two families had remained evenly matched for years, until the balance was finally broken five years ago.
That year, the head of the Xue family died, and Xue Pan took over.
Although Xue Baochai was Xue Pan’s younger sister, she could not deny that her brother was a thoroughly spoiled young master who knew absolutely nothing about business. During his first year in charge, he reduced the profits of the Xue family’s business by a full tenth.
A tenth might not sound like much, but considering the enormous scale of the Xue family’s business and the vast profits involved, the actual loss was considerable.
Some of this was certainly due to Xue Pan’s poor management. But when the servants beneath him saw that their new master was simple minded, some of them naturally began entertaining crooked thoughts.
Xue Baochai watched as several unscrupulous people tasted the benefits of their schemes, while others seemed ready to follow their example. She immediately had her mother contact Lady Wang, borrowing the influence of the Rongguo Household to suppress the growing corruption.
Even so, the profits of the Xue family’s business continued to decline year after year. No matter how diligently the servants worked, it was difficult to expand a business with someone like Xue Pan as its master.
Xue Baochai could only watch helplessly as the Xue family declined under her brother’s management. In just five years, they had fallen from being one of the merchants capable of competing with Leng Xin for the highest ranking to being merely middle grade at the end of the year.
If the foundation laid by the former head of the Xue family had not been so strong, then given Xue Pan’s reckless behavior, they would probably have already fallen into the lowest grade and been at risk of losing their imperial merchant status.
The Leng family, however, could almost be described as the exact opposite of the Xue family.
After losing the Xue family as a powerful competitor, Leng Xin stood alone at the top. He became an unquestioned first grade imperial merchant, receiving commendations from the court every year while accumulating an immeasurable fortune.
To be fair, the Leng family’s current wealth was probably no less than that of the Xue family.
And she had actually taken silver to bribe Leng Xin’s grandson!
Xue Baochai drew a deep breath, her gaze trembling slightly.
The Xue family could not remain in Jinling for long.
If word got out that she had attempted to bribe Ping Peilun, not only would the Xue family become a laughingstock, but her own reputation would be ruined as well.
Fortunately, she had already advised her mother to go to the capital while trying to calm her down earlier. Bringing it up again tomorrow would not seem abrupt.
Late at night, with the household silent, Xue Baochai quietly put down the book and gazed at the full moon outside the window.
For the time being, the Xue family had best avoid provoking Prefect Ping again. Whatever he said, they should simply obey.
Thinking about the message Ping Peilun had sent through his servant, Xue Baochai hesitated for a moment before finally making up her mind.
Xiangling might be beautiful, but she was ultimately only a servant. It was not as though there were no women in the world more beautiful than her.
Xue Pan loved her, but it was the love one had for a plaything. No matter how deeply he seemed to love her, once he found something better, he would grow tired of the old and turn his heart elsewhere.
Whatever happened, they had to put this lawsuit behind them first. As long as the matter could be settled, abandoning Xiangling was no great loss.
She could simply claim that she was acting for her brother’s own good and return Xiangling to the two plaintiffs. With her mother supporting her, even if her brother was dissatisfied, he would not make too much trouble with her.
The next day, in court.
The plaintiff and defendant had both arrived. After the formal court calls were completed, Ping Peilun threw down a wooden tablet and pointed toward Xue Pan.
“Twenty strokes. Beat him!”
Ever since being beaten ten times the previous day, Xue Pan had realized that Ping Peilun truly dared to beat him. The Xue family’s reputation could not protect his backside, and he had immediately lost his nerve. He no longer dared shout at Ping Peilun.
But today, the moment court opened, Ping Peilun ordered him beaten before even asking a question. Xue Pan was still deeply unwilling to accept it.
“Your Honor, you already beat me yesterday. Why are you beating me again today?”
Ping Peilun smiled faintly.
“I beat you yesterday because you showed contempt for the law. Today’s beating has nothing to do with you.”
Xue Pan nearly cursed. “If it has nothing to do with me, then why are you beating me?”
Ping Peilun answered with perfect justification. “Your mother and sister are responsible for this fine mess. If you want someone to blame, blame them for their foolishness.”
Xue Pan was completely confused. His first thought was that his mother and sister had made some terrible mistake and expected him to take the blame. He hurriedly said, “Your Honor, everyone should be responsible for their own actions. If my mother and sister did something wrong, you can tell them what they did wrong and teach them to correct it. Why torment me?”
Ping Peilun said nothing more. He merely looked at Xue Pan with an amused smile.
“Your mother and sister certainly showed great concern for you.
Unfortunately, they showed it in the wrong direction. They sent silver to this official in the middle of the night!”
Xue Pan’s eyes widened. He could not understand why the Prefect was saying this.
Was he complaining that the silver was insufficient?
Afraid of suffering more physical punishment, Xue Pan immediately tried to flatter him.
“Your Honor, please do not take offense at them. They are women with limited knowledge and do not know how to properly show their respect to you. They certainly did not intend to look down on you.”
“If you think the amount was too little, just say so. Whatever amount you want, I will make sure you receive every tale…”
Ping Peilun was so exasperated by the Xue family’s thinking that he almost laughed.
Could there truly be no such thing as justice in this world? Did everyone have to be bound by the chains of wealth and power just to be allowed to survive?
He could not be bothered with Xue Pan anymore. He struck the bench with his wooden paddle.
“Beat him. Beat him properly!”
The constables immediately pinned Xue Pan onto the long bench. After a burst of sharp smacks, Xue Pan was sobbing uncontrollably. Tears and mucus covered the bench as he cried for his parents and begged for mercy.
When Zhang Gui brought Xiangling to court, this was the scene that greeted him. He was both shocked and furious.
He was furious because Young Master Xue had been pampered from childhood, yet this heartless official was now tormenting him like this.
He was shocked because this Prefect truly seemed to have no regard for the law or the Xue family’s standing.
He actually dared to beat the eldest young master of the Xue family while serving as an official in Yingtian Prefecture. Did he no longer want his official hat?
But when one was beneath another person’s roof, one had to bow one’s head. Zhang Gui knew that if he dared argue with the Prefect, he might very well be dragged into court and beaten as well.
This corrupt official even dared to beat Young Master Xue. What did an ordinary servant like him amount to?
Zhang Gui hurriedly pushed Xiangling forward and knelt in court.
“Your Honor, the girl whom the households were fighting over, has been brought here. Please examine her.”
Ping Peilun looked Xiangling over and could not help secretly nodding. The girl’s beauty was certainly extraordinary. No wonder three households had fought so fiercely over her.
He struck the wooden paddle again.
“Three households competed for one girl. This matter should have been discussed peacefully. Xue Pan ignored right and wrong and relied on his influence to seize her by force. His conduct was truly reprehensible.”
“His mother secretly attempted to bribe this official, which is also against the law. However, considering her advanced age and her desperate concern for her son, I shall not pursue the matter further.”
“Since this girl had to be forcibly seized, it is clear that Xue Pan was in the wrong and could not obtain her through proper means, which is why he resorted to such an outrageous course of action.”
“Today, this court shall return the girl to the two plaintiffs. You may take her yourselves and discuss how to proceed. Xue Pan shall receive reimbursement for the money he paid to the kidnapper.”
“This case is concluded. Court dismissed!”
Over the previous two days, Xue Pan had received a total of thirty strokes.
His trousers were already showing faint traces of blood. At this point, he had no time to think about Xiangling anymore. He could only groan and lament the state of his backside.
Zhang Gui had no time for anything else either. He quickly helped his young master home.
When Xiangling and Feng Yuan were reunited, their joy was beyond words.
Ping Peilun stroked his beard and watched the two of them with a smile.
Then he suddenly remembered something.
“As the saying goes, when you help someone, you should help them all the way, and when you send a Buddha on his journey, you should send him to the western paradise. From this official’s observation, this girl’s appearance and bearing are far beyond those of an ordinary village girl. Now that she has escaped the kidnapper, it would be even better if she could find her family.”
“Does anyone present in this court know anything about this girl’s origins?
If anyone comes forward with information, this official will reward that person with one hundred taels of silver.”
Ping Peilun did not know why Yan Xianzhi had asked him to say this, but it was hardly difficult. He had simply mentioned it in passing.
Unexpectedly, the moment he finished speaking, a gatekeeper beside him stepped forward and called out loudly.
“Your Honor, this servant knows this girl’s origins.”
Ping Peilun: …
Does anyone in the courtroom really know?
By the time Yan Xianzhi received another letter, everything had already been settled.
With the help of the gatekeeper and Ping Peilun, Xiangling had found her family. Although Zhen Shiyin had already disappeared, her mother and maternal grandfather were still there. Madam Feng was naturally overjoyed. Feng Su had often resented having such a daughter, but when he saw his granddaughter and her husband returning home together, and noticed that the young man was handsome, refined, and from a wealthy family, even his anger turned into delight, and he began entertaining them warmly.
Xiangling paid her respects to her mother and maternal grandfather and resumed her original name, Zhen Yinglian. Since she was a respectable girl who had been kidnapped, the matter was reported to the authorities and her status as a commoner was formally restored. She then married Feng Yuan openly and honorably.
Throughout the entire affair, Liu Escort had also been busy helping them from beginning to end. Zhen Yinglian and Feng Yuan were deeply grateful for his kindness. After hearing Liu Escort explain that he and Liu Matron had no children, the couple discussed it and decided to recognize Liu Escort as their adoptive father and support him and Liu Matron in their old age.
This was naturally a wonderful outcome, and Yan Xianzhi was happy to see it happen. Not only did she agree to the arrangement, she also sent five hundred taels of silver as a wedding gift and another five hundred taels to Liu Escort as compensation for his efforts, allowing him and Liu Matron to live comfortably in their old age.
However, something Liu Escort mentioned at the end of his letter caught Yan Xianzhi’s attention.
The day after the lawsuit was settled, the Xue family had already set off for the capital?
Why did that sound so rushed?
If Feng Yuan had been beaten to death and Xue Pan had hurried to the capital to avoid the lawsuit, that would have been understandable. But Xue Pan is not facing a lawsuit now. He had merely received thirty strokes. Why was he not staying home to recover? Why had the entire family packed up and traveled all the way to the capital?
Yan Xianzhi thought about it for two days without figuring it out. Then Ping Peilun’s letter arrived.
After reading Ping Peilun’s letter, Yan Xianzhi could barely keep from laughing.
This really was the Xue family’s style. Every problem was solved with money. If money could not solve it, then they simply had not spent enough.
The Xue family’s methods were absurd, but since the matter had already been settled, Yan Xianzhi did not want to create further complications.
If the Xue family was willing to coexist peacefully with the Yan and Lin families after entering the capital, that would naturally be best.
If they were unwilling, then she would be happy to give the Xue family a little publicity.