Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 363 Living in Pingkang, without treading the three bends.

Although Pei Zhen looks down on his luck, the Pei family is very wealthy. This guy may not have seen much money yet, but once the old man gets rich, he will suddenly become extremely wealthy.

Of course, the Pei family's wealth was not accumulated by Pei Guangting. His family was also a true Guanzhong old money family, with several generations of high-ranking officials. After many years of accumulation, their wealth had long since transformed from money and silk into more stable industries such as land and estates.

Take the Wei family of Jingzhao, which can be called the leading family of Guanzhong today, for example. Wei Anshi was ostracized and died in the early years of Kaiyuan. His two sons, Wei Zhi and Wei Bin, were resentful and stayed at home for eight years, but they still did not have to worry about making a living.

Despite not having entered public life for several years, Wei Zhi immediately assumed the prestigious position of Magistrate of Luoyang upon his return to officialdom, and last year he entered the court as a Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. Zhang Dai's mentor, Yan Tingzhi, on the other hand, only reached this position in his fifties, and even then, it was only due to the power struggles among the prime ministers that he had the opportunity.

Wei Zhi was fond of extravagance, and his carriages and clothing were all extremely luxurious. He was always surrounded by dozens of maids and eunuchs, putting on an even grander show than Zhang Dai, his enemy, who had a large following throughout the capital. Such confidence and pomp naturally came from the Qian family's influence.

Compared to these long-established and prestigious Qian families, the Zhang family, a newcomer, is undoubtedly much less distinguished.

Although Zhang Shuo once held immense power in the court, he also left behind a notorious reputation for corruption and bribery. Even though he was very good at making money, his family only had a considerable cash flow and lacked sufficient accumulation. When it came to real family wealth, it could not compare with those famous families that had accumulated wealth for generations.

Of course, this only refers to a few top-tier and enduring aristocratic families, while most other prominent families are currently no match for the Zhang family.

That's why Zhang Shuo got so angry in front of his son Zhang Ji. He had truly accomplished something that many prominent families and their ancestors for generations could not achieve on their own. Zhang Ji, on the other hand, was just a flashy but ineffective son-in-law and dared to glare at his family at home. He was really too arrogant and ignorant.

In short, these old-timers from Guanzhong were truly a case of "the meat in the bun is not on the pleats."

Ordinary people often use the phrase "sharing the fate of the nation" to praise their family's prosperity, but when used to describe the wealthy, it's an insult. They truly embodied the idea that the nation's decline meant the family's prosperity, and they reaped rich rewards by choosing sides with each change of regime.

In particular, the Northern Zhou, Sui, and Tang regimes all established their power in the Guanzhong Plain, and the regimes treated them with the utmost favor in order to win them over, thus granting them a more superior status and a more advantageous situation.

Pei Zhen was clearly unaware of his family's financial situation. After all, his father was a cunning old man who preferred to keep his thoughts to himself rather than reveal them. Even now, his wife and children were unaware that he was striving to become prime minister, let alone tell his son, who was not yet mature enough, about his family affairs.

"Do you think everyone is as wealthy as yours? If I had even more money to spare, why would I need your help and advice on financial matters?"

Upon hearing Zhang Dai's question, Pei Zhen was initially somewhat embarrassed, but then said, "Even this money was raised by my family through exhausting all their resources. They also instructed me to only work with you, and if I dared to use it as an excuse to divert funds elsewhere, I would be severely punished! How confident are you in your words? If the capital is lost, my family may have to starve!"

Seeing the incredibly nervous expression on the face of this rich man who knew nothing about the world, Zhang Dai was secretly amused. He then said, "Twenty thousand strings of cash it is. Send it to me as soon as possible so I can start calculating the dividends sooner."

His real purpose was mainly to siphon off a portion of the Pei family's cash reserves, preventing his aunt from making big moves to help Li Linfu pay off his debts. As for helping Pei Zhen get rich, that was just a side effect.

For an old-money family like the Pei family, 20,000 strings of cash could not be their entire fortune, but it was by no means a small amount. Even with the salary of a third-rank official, it would take many years to accumulate such a sum.

While losing such a sum of money wouldn't lead to the dire situation Pei Zhen described, it would certainly affect the family's cash reserves. If his aunt really wanted to help Li Linfu, she would need to take more steps to raise the cash.

The more manipulations one makes, the more flaws one will reveal. With Pei Guangting's meticulous mind, he should be able to detect them.

However, this is not always the case. The more familiar people are with each other, the lower their guard will be. Therefore, if one spouse cheats, it is often the other spouse who is the last to notice. The key is that people usually don't waste too much energy carefully observing and guarding against the people and things close to them.

The enmity between Zhang Dai and Li Linfu was growing deeper and deeper, and there was no possibility of easing the conflict between them. Moreover, Li Linfu's ability to scheme and plot was not to be underestimated. Therefore, Zhang Dai had to weaken Li Linfu's access to assistance as much as possible in order to avoid being retaliated against.

"Of course I will send the money to you, but you must also tell me where this money will be used! I would never dare to do anything such as committing crimes, abusing my power for personal gain, or lending money for profit!"

Pei Zhen quickly added, "Since you've paid me, I naturally need to give you an explanation when I get home so you can have peace of mind!"

“Of course, even if you don’t ask, I will write to you, Vice Minister Pei, later so that he may know about the business we are doing together!” Zhang Dai said with a smile after hearing this.

In fact, Pei Zhen was quite surprised that he could take out 20,000 guan to invest with him. After all, it was not a small amount. Pei Guangting was willing to give up this money without knowing his plans and let his son do whatever he wanted. This was undoubtedly out of appreciation and optimism for him.

It seems that their time working together has allowed Pei Guangting to fully recognize Zhang Dai's talent and wisdom, leading to his recognition and trust. This is certainly a good sign, as Pei Guangting will be a reliable ally for the next few years.

Upon hearing Zhang Dai's words, Pei Zhen stopped pressing for details and instead asked, "Where will you be going later? I will be going to the provincial capital to serve at the beginning of the month, so I will arrange for my family to send money to your home in the next couple of days."

It is now late February, and in a few days it will be the Shangsi Festival on the third day of the third lunar month. All the government offices will be closed for the holidays. Pei Zhen, as an attendant, still has to go to the palace to serve, which makes him feel a little regretful.

"Sure, just have someone deliver it directly. I'll arrange for my family to handle it."

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Dai said, "I have some family members from the Eastern Capital coming to the capital to report on some matters. I will be receiving them in the North Lane of the neighborhood. Why don't you come along? During the meal, we can chat about various things, and you can learn about some of the people and businesses under my patronage, so you can understand that I am not deceiving you."

"Of course I trust you, otherwise how could I dare to pay such a huge sum of money!"

Pei Zhen first expressed his opinion, then blushed and turned his gaze northward before returning it to his own. He said softly, "Why don't you all come to my house? We can have food and drink and enjoy ourselves together. The northern part of the village is full of lewd and obscene things; it is not a place for gentlemen to stay for long."

"Does my home lack food and drink? It is precisely because I enjoy the pleasures and entertainment here that I am feasting! You live in Pingkang Lane, yet you do not visit the Three Bends?"

Zhang Dai was taken aback when he heard this. He sighed inwardly that this guy was the other extreme of the upbringing of a powerful family's son. He had been suppressed to the point of being abnormal.

He put his arm around Pei Zhen's shoulder and said earnestly, "Brother Pei claims that he can be considered refined and upright by not venturing into places of pleasure, but that is nothing but self-deception. Are castrated men and gelding horses, which do not approach women, necessarily virtuous gentlemen?"
Human affairs require immersion to discern right from wrong. True cultivation lies in passing through a lush forest untouched by a single petal. True composure lies in remaining unmoved by the myriad forms and appearances of the world, allowing oneself to be moved when desired and departing when satisfied.

“You’re right, I was too attached to appearances! Even if this place is a den of debauchery and a demonic realm, if I don’t stay, who can stop me? My current hesitation is not because I am truly virtuous, but because I am afraid of my lack of self-cultivation and cannot advance or retreat with composure!”

After listening to Zhang Dai's advice, Pei Zhen pondered for a while before speaking with a serious expression. He then looked at Zhang Dai as if he had made a great decision: "I will go with Liu Lang!"

Seeing his expression, Zhang Dai was speechless. He couldn't help but think to himself, "Am I inviting you to a brothel or to attack Xuanwu Gate? Do I have to be so bitter and resentful?"
His cousin and the others had already left for a while, and Zhang Dai was too lazy to say anything more. He immediately walked out of the alley and headed straight for the Three Bends on the north side of the street.

Pei Zhen hurriedly followed, but when he passed his own courtyard wall, he deliberately walked on the east side of the street, which was further away. He also used the movement of Zhang Dai's entourage to cover himself up, looking like he was trying to hide his embarrassment.

Seeing this, Zhang Dai couldn't help but worry. Would this visit to a brothel open a new world for the kid, leading him to frequent brothels and never return home at night?
Although Pingkangfang Sanqu is famous, it does not occupy a large area in the ward. The entire Sanqu is not even as large as the old house of Li Lingwen in the south of the ward.

Of course, what truly captivates here isn't the buildings themselves, but rather the vibrant and alluring beauties residing in each household. When the mood strikes, a simple bed and chair are sufficient; no grand or expansive architecture is necessary to enhance the experience.

Since arriving in Beijing, Zhang Dai had frequented Pingkangfang several times and was quite familiar with the area. After crossing the street, he went directly to Nanqu.

At the entrance of the alley, Ding Qing and several servants from the brothel were waiting. When they saw Zhang Dai approaching, the servants rushed forward, kowtowed, and said loudly, "Thank you for your patronage, Sixth Master! The women in our household are all applying makeup, waiting for you to enter and present your finest attire to win my favor!"

It was still early afternoon, far before the nightlife began, but the loud shouts of these servants still attracted the attention of the families on both sides of the alley. Immediately, many men and women poured out of their doors, greeting Zhang Dai and warmly inviting him to their homes.

"I've already made a reservation at Aunt Lü He's house. We'll visit your homes another day!"

Zhang Dai smiled and waved to these people, signaling them to step back and not block the way.

(End of this chapter)