Without money, what is the point of being a traitor?

Chapter 368 An unexpected gain
A few days passed in a flash, and it was the day for Pei Yuan to take a concubine.

Cheng Leixiang also rushed back from Tianjin.

Yun Buxian and some new people who were promoted later were also excited about holding a lively party.

However, many old members of the Jinyiwei, such as Tan Tai Fangtu, Si Kong Sui, Cheng Leixiang, Chen Toutie and others, all expressed that they should keep a low profile to reduce the impact, otherwise they might displease Captain Pei.

Such contrasting remarks surprised Yun Buxian and others, but those old people were very secretive about it.

Pei Yuan, a military household born in the market, was very lucky to be able to marry into a family whose "father and grandfather were Hanlin scholars". Yet he was so shameless as to take Jiao Yan'er as his concubine. What was this bastard's plan? His confidants knew it all.

Therefore, in order not to cause trouble for Captain Pei, everyone decided to keep a low profile.

Pei Yuan took a walk around Zhihua Temple and saw the united, lively, serious and tense atmosphere of the Jinyiwei. He nodded in satisfaction.

The etiquette of taking a concubine is relatively simple and can basically be summarized in one sentence.

——The etiquette that the wife has must not be followed by the concubine, but the others can do whatever they want.

Considering that some of the guests had to be on duty, Pei Yuan simply scheduled the banquet for the evening.

Pei Yuan first took people to Zhang Lian's home to pick up Jiao Yaner.

Zhang Lian's wife came forward to help take care of the matter.

Pei Yuan had someone prepare Jiao Yan'er's dowry in advance, which included many land deeds, farms, and shops, as well as some gold, silver, and silks.

These are Jiao Yaner's personal disposable assets. After she gets married, Jiao Yaner will feel more at ease with the money to support her expenses and rewards.

Since it was just a ceremony for taking a concubine, there was naturally no such thing as a phoenix coronet and a bridal robe.

Pei Yuan looked at Jiao Yan'er, who was crying in grievance in her colorful clothes, and could only pretend not to understand. He welcomed her over and had a maid accompany her to the sedan chair.

When the curtain of the sedan chair fell, Pei Yuan paused silently for a while, but ultimately said nothing.

Their union was Jiao Yan'er's misfortune, but Pei Yuan's luck.

Pei Yuan could hypocritically give Jiao Yaner other choices, but why not possess her?

Pei Yuan is a man without moral sense.

If he can do whatever he wants, he will never hide his greed.

No matter whether the process and past are decent or glorious, it is no longer something that needs to be faced now.

Now, I got her.

So be it.

Pei Yuan came to his senses and went to say goodbye to Madam Zhang.

After all, this disturbance really caused trouble for the Zhang family.

Mrs. Zhang didn't think there was anything wrong.

Thinking about her daughter's marriage and the fact that she might never get married, Mrs. Zhang felt a mixture of emotions and was very sad.

Pei Yuan was about to leave when he suddenly heard a familiar laugh.

Glancing sideways, I saw Song Chunniang, Zhang Yunjun and some maids watching the fun behind a clump of flowers in the courtyard.

Although Song Chunniang was smiling, her emotions were somewhat complicated.

Pei Yuan’s words a few days ago made her think for a long time after she returned, but her conclusion was that she didn’t want to be this man’s concubine.

However, seeing Jiao Yaner getting married now, I still feel a little complicated.

Zhang Yunjun had no idea what this bad couple did that night.

She thought she had concealed it from Pei Yuan, and when she saw Pei Yuan looking at her, she glanced away at the right time, showing the reserve that a lady from a noble family should have.

Pei Yuan smiled and looked away.

After bringing Jiao Yan'er back to his residence in Dengshikou, Pei Yuan arranged for Jiao Yan'er to live directly in the main room in the backyard.

Seeing that Jiao Yan'er was in a bad mood, Pei Yuan called a few more maids in to keep her company, while he went to the front yard to welcome tonight's guests.

Not long after, the first guest came, it was Pei Yuan's Sleeping Dragon Huo Tao.

Huo Tao was a scholar and had nothing to do, so he came early to join in the fun.

He had a good impression of Pei Yuan.

When it comes to the matter of Liang Ci's death, the two of them basically hold the same stance.

Moreover, Huo Tao was very impressed by Pei Yuan's drive to take action.

Especially after the confrontation at Da Ci'en Temple, Pei Yuan acted arbitrarily and without being punished, which made Huo Tao quickly realize that this Jinyiwei was not simple.

After Liang Ci's death, Liang Chu frantically threatened revenge, which made Huo Tao aware of the danger and instinctively tend to stand with a more powerful ally.

After Pei Yuan hinted to him that there might be an imperial examination this year and asked him to prepare well, Huo Tao felt more and more that Captain Pei was very well-connected.

So when he received Pei Yuan's wedding invitation, inviting him to attend the wedding banquet for taking a concubine, Huo Tao accepted it without hesitation.

Huo Tao did consider Pei Yuan's identity as a Jinyiwei, but he was only a juren now and did not need to worry about his reputation for the time being.

Pei Yuan and Huo Tao exchanged a few pleasantries when another person came to visit. It was Liu Zhishu, the doctor of the Ministry of Justice, with whom he had a brief exchange last time.

Pei Yuan was very happy that Liu Zhishu had given him face and came over.

Even though he is only a fifth-rank official, he is a civil servant!

Pei Yuan's political resources were extremely lacking in terms of civil servants.

For people like Huo Tao and Tian Fu, even if they passed the imperial examination this year, it would take them ten years to get a job as a doctor in a big government office like the Ministry of Justice.

If you are unlucky and have to start from the local level, it will take even longer.

Therefore, every civil servant with a slightly higher rank is a relatively rare political resource. This is also the reason why everyone likes to use the censors as cannon fodder in every political struggle.

Because as long as you pass the imperial examination, you can directly arrange your own people into the Censorate.

Even if the charge fails and we suffer political retaliation, we can just lie dormant for a few years, which we can totally afford.

If you take a gamble with small investment and big profit, you might be appreciated by a noble person and get on the fast track to promotion.

Pei Yuan warmly welcomed Liu Zhishu in, and then asked, "Brother Liu, how come you are free today and come so early? Have you finished the work at Sanhe Posthouse?"

Liu Zhishu laughed after hearing this and said, "Brother Pei, it's not very authentic for you to say that."

"The Jinyiwei you sent a few days ago ran away. Don't you know what's going on over there? The various government offices are just going through the motions now. As for Liu..."

Liu Zhishu said modestly, "Because of my outstanding talents and courage to take on responsibilities, I have been valued by Lord Yang and selected as the prefect of Hangzhou."

Upon hearing this, Pei Yuan immediately smiled and complimented, "So Brother Liu has been promoted."

"Hangzhou is a good place to go. People say 'It's a place with Taoist temples, poetry parties, and the eternal West Lake, where it's heaven on earth.' Brother Liu went to Hangzhou, and I'm really envious of you." Liu Zhishu was demoted and directly promoted from a fifth-rank official to a fourth-rank prefect, which was a very important leap in his official career.

Liu Zhishu laughed and said quickly, "No, no, I just feel that the burden on my shoulders is heavy, and I don't know how to benefit the people."

Pei Yuan flattered again, "A big city like Hangzhou is not something that ordinary people can get the opportunity to do. I'm afraid Brother Liu won't be able to enjoy this peaceful life for long."

When Liu Zhishu heard this, his smile faded and he quickly asked, "What do you mean? Brother Pei, do you know any inside information?"

Pei Yuan said, "Suzhou and Hangzhou are both big cities in Jiangnan. Hangzhou has a banknote gate. As long as you work hard, it will be easy to make achievements. I can assert that with your talent, it won't be long before you can sit on the left or right political advisory position in Zhejiang. By then, the welfare of the entire Zhejiang may rest on your shoulders. Therefore, I'm afraid that you won't be able to enjoy this peaceful life for long."

After hearing what Pei Yuan said, Liu Zhishu's emotions reached their maximum and she laughed so hard that her back teeth were exposed.

If one could really become a left or right councilor, or even a governor, he would be a big shot in a region.

Liu Zhishu quickly laughed and said, "I dare not think about it."

Pei Yuan smiled and said, "Brother Liu, why should you be so modest? Since you are the prefect of Hangzhou chosen by the Ministry of Personnel's Heavenly Official Yang Yiqing, you will certainly be cultivated in the future."

Liu Zhishu whispered the truth to Pei Yuan, "Yang Yiqing and I don't have a very close relationship, and I don't know why he values ​​me so much this time."

Pei Yuan was slightly stunned. If this guy wasn't a follower of Yang Yiqing, then how could he be so lucky to become the prefect of Hangzhou?
Pei Yuan subconsciously started logical deduction.

First, let’s assume that Yang Yiqing has no good intentions.

Secondly, …

After thinking for a while, Pei Yuan slapped his forehead and said, "This has nothing to do with me."

Pei Yuan thought that Liu Zhishu had come so early today, so he changed the subject and asked, "Brother Liu, have you already handed over your work at the Ministry of Justice and are you ready to take up your post at any time?"

Liu Zhishu replied, "Yes, everything has been handed over. I am not comfortable staying with the new doctor in the Ministry of Justice, and my former subordinates are not comfortable either. It would be better for me to come and have a drink with you, my brother."

Pei Yuan smiled and said, "It's a good opportunity to have a good exchange with Brother Liu. I have been to Jiangnan twice to handle cases, and I have some experience with Jiangnan affairs."

Liu Zhishu was very interested. "Oh, tell me about it?"

Seeing that there were no customers at the moment, Pei Yuan immediately picked up some trivial things about his experience in the south and chatted about them.

Then he casually said, "Zhai De'an, the governor of Suzhou, and I have some friendship. If Brother Liu is free, you can go to Suzhou first and then go to Hangzhou to take up your post. If you can investigate the local humanities in advance, it will also facilitate Brother Liu's governance."

Liu Zhishu didn't expect such an unexpected gain.

Suzhou and Hangzhou have always been known as the two great cities, so the best reference for him as the prefect of Hangzhou is naturally the prefect of Suzhou.

If he could gain some experience from Suzhou's prefect's many years of service, perhaps he could sort out Hangzhou's government affairs more quickly.

Liu Zhishu immediately bowed sincerely and said, "Thank you, Brother Pei, for your introduction."

Pei Yuan smiled and said, "It's not that complicated. When you get to Suzhou Prefecture, just tell Zhai Dean that you are my friend. He will definitely help you."

"Okay!" Liu Zhishu quickly agreed.

Pei Yuan was afraid that Liu Zhishu might be careless and end up getting into trouble, so he immediately said, "Things in Jiangnan are a bit troublesome. If Brother Liu encounters bad people or bad things in a hurry, you can mention my name. This may be useful, but I dare not guarantee it."

It is not known whether it is Lu Dahua who works for those local tyrants.

Last time, before the big operation of transporting silver, I deliberately helped Lu Dahua find an excuse to leave.

Lu Dahua was not at the scene at the time, so he should not be implicated too much.

Pei Yuan and Lu Dahua have some friendship with each other, so maybe they can help Liu Zhishu at a critical moment.

When Liu Zhishu heard this, he couldn't help but look at Pei Yuan with admiration.

If we only talk about the matter of the Suzhou prefect, Liu Zhishu would have only thought that Pei Yuan had dealt with Zhai De'an, but she didn't expect that Pei Yuan had such a wide range of friends in the south.

He quickly thanked him again.

Seeing that Liu Zhishu was smiling sincerely, Pei Yuan thought to himself that he might as well send her off to the west.

Then he added, "If there really is trouble that is difficult to resolve, and the Hangzhou Prefecture's personnel are not obedient, Brother Liu can go find Xu Feng, the Hangzhou Vanguard Commander, and Xu Feng will take care of those matters when the time comes."

When Liu Zhishu heard that Pei Yuan had connections in the garrison, he subconsciously asked, "Can I just mention my brother's name?"

Pei Yuan smiled and said, "It's just a small favor. I hope I can help Brother Liu."

Liu Zhishu was an official in the Ministry of Justice and was considered to be a thoughtful person. Seeing that Pei Yuan was so deeply rooted in the faraway Jiangnan, he couldn't help but re-examine Pei Yuan.

He was still wondering in his mind when Pei Yuan changed the subject and introduced Huo Tao who was standing nearby.

When Liu Zhishu came in just now, she was wearing casual clothes, and Huo Tao didn't pay much attention to it. When Pei Yuan and Liu Zhishu were talking, Huo Tao didn't avoid them deliberately, so he heard everything they said.

As Huo Tao listened, his heart was filled with even greater turmoil.

He studied hard for a long time just to become an official in the court and show his talents.

Unexpectedly, a fourth-rank prefect still made Huo Tao feel like he was being reminded in front of Pei Yuan.

Huo Tao was not in the officialdom and had not thought much about it before.

When he saw it with his own eyes and had this fourth-rank official as a yardstick, he finally realized how big the gap was between himself and his good friend Pei Qianhu.

When Huo Tao heard Pei Yuan introduce Liu Zhishu to him, he hurriedly bowed respectfully.

When Liu Zhishu saw that he was a young candidate and was brought by Pei Yuan, he immediately treated him as a senior and junior in the imperial examinations.

Just then, Tian Fu also came in with Chen Toutie, Cheng Leixiang and others.

Pei Yuan hurriedly called Tian Fu over and introduced Tian Fu to Liu Zhishu.

Pei Yuan smiled and said to Tian Fu and Huo Tao, "You two are both outstanding people in Guangdong. I don't think I need to introduce you further."

The two had the same goal in the Liang Ci case, but because of their place of origin, it was difficult for them to stand on the same side.

But there is some sympathy between them.

Now that Liang Ci'ou was dead, there was no need to avoid suspicion. The two of them were interested in each other and got close to each other right away.

After the three of them got to know each other, Pei Yuan saw Cheng Leixiang still standing obediently by the side waiting, and thought to himself, after all, Cheng Leixiang was now the commander of a guard, and also his trusted subordinate, it would be bad to just focus on introducing Tian Fu and Huo Tao and leave him there.

Wouldn't that make me, Pei Qianhu, seem like I'm fickle?

So he waved and asked Chen Toutie and Cheng Leixiang to come over.

Pei Yuan then introduced Liu Zhishu, Huo Tao and Tian Fu, "This is the commander of Tianjin Guard. He used to be my trusted general commander."

Then he said to Cheng Leixiang, "This brother Liu is the new prefect of Hangzhou. Huo Tao and Tian Fu are both outstanding people of the time."

Cheng Leixiang immediately smiled and clasped his fists to greet the three people.

Pei Yuan continued to do his best to help Liu Zhishu, saying, "If Brother Liu encounters trouble in the area between Tianjin and Dezhou when he goes south, just look for Cheng Leixiang."

(End of this chapter)