Pei Hening told the servants to be very strict when making the list:
families of low status were not allowed, ugly girls were not allowed, bad zodiac matches were not allowed, poor writing skills were not allowed…
Even so, many people still wanted to marry their daughters to Pei Shuye. Those who liked shortcuts tried every trick to get their names on the list.
Merchant Zhao Jin was one of them.
After using many connections, he finally bribed a small gate guard of the Pei family and asked him to bring his daughter’s name card inside. With his family’s status, his daughter could never be the main wife, but even becoming a concubine would be fine.
People said Zhejiang merchants were clever and always thinking about money, so a business of helping people get close to the Pei family quickly appeared. But many were cheated after paying large sums. Recently, Ningbo had many scammers. One called “Bei Luocha” was especially scary. People said he could change faces and steal money when no one expected it. So Zhao Jin was very careful when spending money.
When he proudly walked into the Pei family gate, he felt pleased with himself. He thought he was much smarter than those fools who did not even know where the Pei family gate was.
Zhao Jin handed his daughter’s name card to the Pei family steward. The steward looked at the unfamiliar name and politely asked, “Has Master Zhao received a Ruyi Invitation?”
There was doubt in his voice.
Zhao Jin felt embarrassed and quickly said, “Young Master Zheng said he would invite me last time, but I was away buying goods. Otherwise, I would already have one.”
So he did not have it. The steward had seen many people like this.
Still polite, he said, “Please place your daughter’s portrait over there.”
Zhao Jin looked and saw two piles of paintings. One pile was neat, with fine wooden rollers that looked expensive. The other pile was messy, with different sizes and cheap rollers, clearly full of people trying their luck. The steward pointed to the messy pile.
Zhao Jin’s heart sank.
He knew what would happen to those paintings. Most would be burned as kitchen firewood. Important people would never even open them.
The Ruyi Invitation was the gate to high society. Only those who passed it could rise in status. And he was not good enough.
This was the cruel difference between social classes.
Zhao Jin went in proudly but came out discouraged. His new carriage driver saw his sad face and said, “Boss, shall we go drink at Yongjiang Spring?”
Yongjiang Spring was the biggest restaurant in Ningbo, built by the north bank of the river. Red lanterns hung outside, shining like a palace over water.
Zhao Jin wanted to drink, but once inside, he noticed something strange on the second-floor corridor.
The main hall was noisy, but the usual salt merchants were gone from upstairs. Big guards stood by the stairs, looking serious. Zhao Jin saw fish-scale armor under their sleeves—special protection worn by government officers.
Zhao Jin had a good nose for powerful people. Anyone who could book a private room here with official guards was not ordinary.
While he was thinking, a maid in light green rushed upstairs carrying a painted box, but she tripped over a red ribbon on the stairs. The box fell, and a sweet smell spread through the hall.
Small personal items scattered on the floor. Zhao Jin felt disappointed, but then his heart jumped. Among the hairpins, he saw a corner of a red card with gold dust. He had seen it before many times—that was the Ruyi Invitation!
“Careful, miss,” Zhao Jin said, helping the maid up. At the same time, he pressed down on a small red seal that rolled near a pillar. The seal was fine and smooth. He quietly slipped it into his sleeve.
The maid quickly gathered her things and did not notice anything missing. She thanked him and went into a private room by the river.
Less than a moment later, the door opened again. A man in blue rushed out angrily. He looked ordinary, but his official boots showed he was a government clerk. Zhao Jin became even more curious about who was inside.
“Brother, why are you so angry?” Zhao Jin asked.
The man complained loudly.
He worked for the Salt Office and was waiting for a new imperial inspector. But the inspector was delayed, and his favorite concubine arrived first. The Pei family had sent an invitation to the inspector, but since he could not arrive before April twentieth, his concubine could not attend alone.
The clerk wanted to buy the unused invitation. He had treated the woman with food and wine for days and today offered fifty taels of silver, but she said it was too little and kicked him out.
The invitation had a name on it, but the banquet only checked the card, not the person. Everyone knew that invitations could be sold or given away, though few people did that. Zhao Jin felt excited. The woman did not refuse to sell—she only thought the price was too low. If he could buy the invitation, his daughter could meet Pei Shuye. What if Pei Shuye liked her?
Zhao Jin touched the seal in his sleeve and felt his palm sweat. This was too lucky. He decided to check first.
He went to the private room and knocked. The door opened Alittle. Inside, a beautiful woman lay lazily on a bamboo couch, with soft eyes and red makeup.
No wonder the inspector loved her so much. Zhao Jin did not dare to stare. He bowed and gave back the seal, saying he found it on the stairs.
“Thank you, Master Zhao,” the woman said. “My lord carved this seal for me himself. I would be very sad if I lost it. You silly girl, be more careful next time.”
“I was wrong,” the maid said, kneeling in fear.
“Get up,” the woman said kindly.
Seeing she was in a good mood, Zhao Jin spoke again. “That clerk from the Salt Office was rude to you. He does not know good things. Many people outside would value you more, madam. Please don’t be angry with him.”
The woman laughed and picked up the Ruyi Invitation. Zhao Jin’s heart jumped. He saw the gold words “April 20,” but she only glanced at it and spoke proudly.
“Everyone wants to attend the Ruyi Harbor banquet. Even with lots of money, if your status is not enough, you still cannot go. My lord is stuck in Nanjing, so I cannot use this invitation. I thought of helping that clerk, but he tried to get it cheap.”
“Yes, yes… may I ask what price you want, madam?” Zhao Jin asked carefully.
The woman lifted her shoe above the warm stove, playing with the tassel. She looked calm, as if she did not care.
“It’s not about money. It’s about respect for my lord. Pay what you think shows your respect, Master Zhao.”
Zhao Jin knew she was raising the price. He wanted the invitation badly, but he could not look too eager. He thought of leaving to check more first. This was too lucky to be true.
But just then, the woman sighed and moved the invitation toward the candle.
“I wanted to do something kind, but instead I was insulted. I’ll just burn it.”
The edge of the card caught fire. She was serious.
“Please wait!” Zhao Jin cried and put out the candle with his hand.
“If you’re going to destroy it, please sell it to me. I offer three hundred taels.”
He knew he had already lost the price fight, but this was better than watching it burn.
The woman smiled gently. “If my lord knows I sold it, he may be angry. Maybe it’s better not to make trouble.”
Zhao Jin wiped sweat from his forehead. “Five hundred taels! I will pay five hundred!”
The woman looked at him and said softly, “You really want it. If I refuse, it would be unkind…”
Zhao Jin nodded quickly.
She leaned closer and whispered, “Add another one hundred as my silence fee. Then just say you are my lord’s friend. Everyone wins.”
Zhao Jin clenched his teeth. “Deal. Please wait. I will get the money.”
She knew people like him always carried large bills. He wanted time to think, but she would not give it.
“If you leave this door, the deal is over,” she said, tapping her shoe impatiently.
Zhao Jin panicked.
Yongjiang Spring was bright with lights and music. Guests laughed and drank while soft music played. Zhao Jin stumbled out of the restaurant holding a red card worth six hundred taels of silver. By pure luck, he had crossed into high society.
The river wind cooled the sweat on his face. He laughed loudly, feeling like all the lights in the water were shining just for him.
He did not hear that nearby guests were now talking about the new salt inspector, Lord Zhang, and whether he was married.
Someone said, “That inspector is a foolish young man. He does not even have a concubine, so he is not married.”
If Lord Zhang had no concubine, then who was the woman in the private room?
Once the door closed, the shoe that had been held over the stove dropped down.
“Ow, that was hot!”
Xu Miaoxue collapsed on the couch and pulled off the tight fancy skirt. Her pink shoes flew onto the carpet.
There was nothing elegant about it. Her foot had been burning, but she had to keep posing and shaking the tassel.
Ali laughed. “Miss, your hand pose looked like a crab pinched you!”
“Didn’t you see my back was soaked with sweat?” Xu Miaoxue grabbed the cold teapot and was about to drink when Ali stopped her.
“Your clothes!”
Xu Miaoxue quickly took off the fancy dress, then drank. Tea ran down her chin, and she wiped her face, removing all makeup and showing her real, plain face.
Ali folded the clothes and packed them away, then cleaned the room.
Xu Miaoxue took off all her jewelry and said with half a cake in her mouth, “Take everything we paid for—tea, soap pods, towels, extra candles, and that fan too. The work is good.”
Soon the room was empty. A plain carriage left quietly from the bright street.
“Go to Nongchao Alley.”