The Black Sails of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 99 The Peony Pavilion

Early in the morning, the sound of opera singing drifted from the backyard of the Lin family mansion.

"Golden dust is scattered in the gallery, and moss grows green in the pond."

……

Even at the Peony Pavilion, the sound of the cuckoo echoed, a scene of congealed blood.

"Stop! Stop! Today is the old master's birthday. Why are you singing such inauspicious songs?" Lin Zhili, the second son of the eldest branch of the Lin family, waved his hand and angrily rebuked the opera troupe.

The troupe leader repeatedly apologized and dismissed his actors.

"Second brother, the opera 'The Peony Pavilion' is performed every day in the city. It just so happens that the opera troupe came to the manor today, and my younger brothers also wanted to hear it, so I asked them to sing a piece for me."

Lin Zhili looked at the person who was speaking and saw that it was a junior from the third branch of the family named Lin Zhiyin, or something like that, he couldn't remember. Behind him stood the younger brothers from the other branches of the family.

In short, once the old man dies, all the other branches of the family will eventually have to move out. They'll only visit each other during holidays, and it won't matter whether they recognize each other or not.

So Lin Zhili, adopting the airs of the eldest son, lectured him: "You are all still young. You should focus on your studies, pass the imperial examinations, and enter officialdom to bring glory to the Lin family. Don't waste your time on these lewd and obscene songs!"

Lin Zhili's tone was stern, and his younger brothers dared not refute him, so they could only bow and agree.

After dismissing his brothers, Lin Zhili strode to the main gate, ordered the servants to open it, and stood outside to wait.

A servant stepped forward and reported: "Second Young Master, this autumn is cold and the harvest is poor. More than a dozen tenant households are unable to pay their rent."

Lin Zhili glanced at him sideways and said coldly, "If you don't hand over the taxi, I'll beat you. Do I need to teach you that rule?"

The servant whispered, "They are all tenants who came last year. They already have grudges against our family. If someone dies in the fight, it will probably cause trouble."

Lin Zhili was annoyed. When they rented the land, they agreed that the rent would be one tael per mu, but when it came time to pay the rent, everyone made excuses. They were really cunning and treacherous people!

"Go to the accounting office and withdraw some silver. Ask the county government to send some yamen runners to collect the rent. If anyone doesn't pay the rent, have the yamen runners arrest them and put them in jail."

"Second Young Master, hiring yamen runners is probably more expensive than waiving the rent for lowly people."

Lin Zhili's face was as cold as ice: "How could I not know? Rules cannot be broken. If we save money this year, we'll just have to delay payment next year. We have to teach these scoundrels a lesson this time! Go!"

"Yes."

Not long after, another young man dressed as a gentleman walked out of the door.

Lin Zhili cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Elder brother."

The visitor was none other than Lin Zhishu, the eldest grandson of the Lin family and the future successor of the Huangyan Lin clan.

"Hmm." Lin Zhishu simply nodded.

It was still early; the guests had not yet arrived, and the elders had not yet left the house. There were only a few servants hanging lanterns in front of the gate, so there was no need for formalities.

Seeing Lin Zhishu also standing in front of the mansion gate, Lin Zhili tactfully took half a step back, not standing alongside him, his lowered eyes filled with suppressed resentment.

Not long after, accompanied by several servants, Lin Jiren, the head of the Lin family's main branch, walked out of the mansion gate.

"father."

"father."

Lin Zhishu and Lin Zhili bowed to their father.

Even though it's just one word, "father," the way they call him is inconsistent, with some saying it first and others saying it later.

Lin Jiren walked to his eldest son's side and smiled kindly as a father: "I received a reply from Magistrate Huang yesterday. My son's writing has improved greatly. If this continues, he will surely pass the imperial examination next autumn and bring glory to our Lin family."

"Father, you flatter me. I will certainly work hard and live up to your teachings," Lin Zhishu replied calmly, displaying the detached and scholarly demeanor of someone who is neither elated by external gains nor saddened by personal losses.

The second son, Lin Zhili, listened expressionlessly, inwardly sneering: "A pedantic scholar who has taken the imperial examinations for over a decade and still hasn't passed, yet he shamelessly claims to have improved his writing skills. How laughable."

Do you really think that scholar's degree was earned through exams? It wasn't bought with money.

"If it weren't for me managing things for your household, without the annual allowances for antiques, gifts, writing fees, and engraving expenses, even Magistrate Huang would find Lin Zhishu's rubbish writings disgusting!"

After saying this, Lin Jiren stood between his two sons, waiting for the guests to arrive.

It was still early, and the streets were deserted.

So Lin Jiren glanced sideways and turned to his second son, Lin Zhili, and asked, "Has Xie Er's ship not returned yet?"

Lin Zhili bowed and replied, "Father, the sea is unpredictable, which may cause some delays."

Lin Jiren frowned and scolded, "First the ship in Yuegang was delayed, then Xie Er's ship was delayed. If it keeps getting delayed, what will we eat and use? If you don't know how to manage a household, you should just step down now!"

Lin Zhili replied cautiously, "It is my fault that Father is so worried. I will personally urge you to handle this matter after the birthday banquet."

Just then, a carriage appeared on the road in the distance. The father and his two sons fell silent, straightened their clothes, and waited patiently.

The carriage stopped when it approached. The servant who was driving got off the carriage, laid out a footstool, and then went inside to help out an elderly man with white hair and beard.

The old man, with his white hair and beard, leaned on a cane and got off the car with trembling steps.

Lin Jiren hurriedly stepped forward to help him up, a warm smile on his face, and called out, "Third Uncle."

"Third Grandpa."

"Third Grandpa."

Shu and Li called out again, one after the other. The old man, being quite old, smiled and nodded to his nephew and grandnephew, saying nothing more, and went straight to Lin Zhishu, saying, "Good child, which book are you reading?"

"I've been rereading Mencius lately," Lin Zhishu replied calmly.

"Yes! Reading Mencius cultivates a noble spirit and leads to a promising future!" the old man exclaimed in praise. Then he said to those around him, "My Lin family has upheld the tradition of combining farming and scholarship for over four hundred years since the Southern Song Dynasty without interruption. In the last ten years or so, our literary spirit has been somewhat lacking, but fortunately..."

Seeing that the old man was rambling on and on, Lin Jiren quickly said, "Third Uncle, let me help you inside first. Let's sit down, have some tea, and talk slowly."

After the old man entered, other guests gradually appeared on the road, most of whom were members of the Lin clan.

Although they were all dressed in finery, none of them wore square scarves or blue shirts.

The other guests were mostly wealthy merchants and gentry from the surrounding area; not a single official or guest of honor came.

On the surface, with only ten days of national mourning, banquets should not be too ostentatious.

However, over the past hundred years, customs and traditions in Jiangnan have changed, and officials and common people alike have become fond of pleasure. It is already difficult enough to observe the mourning period for twenty-seven days, let alone to hold banquets and make merry after the mourning period ends.

Lin Zhili understood that since no one in his Lin family had passed the imperial examinations for more than a decade, the officials and dignitaries who used to be his guests were gradually becoming distant from him.

In the Ming Dynasty, all those so-called aristocratic families were just empty words.

Only fame and fortune matter!
Now his useless older brother has no hope of passing the imperial examinations, but fortunately, he has made some money in the past few years by dealing in maritime trade.

To demonstrate the family's wealth, Lin Zhili spent a great deal of money and effort on this birthday banquet.

He personally oversaw and arranged every step of the process, and personally selected every play and every dish.

They bought two hundred colored lights for illumination, twenty bolts of various colored silk fabrics for framing, and stockpiled an entire warehouse of firecrackers, enough to keep the noise going all night, determined to leave a deep impression on all the guests.

At the same time, it is also necessary to make relatives and guests understand that the Lin family's main branch does not only have one son, Lin Zhishu.

He, Lin Zhili, is equally capable of leading the entire family!
Soon it was morning, and in the morning all the younger generation paid their respects to the birthday celebrant of the Lin family.

At noon, a birthday banquet was held, with all sorts of delicacies from land and sea served in a continuous stream, leaving the guests overwhelmed with the variety.

In the courtyard, there were also various flowers, most of which were spring and summer flowers, bought fresh from the earthen cellar and fire pit, and would wither after only two or three days.

A huge incense burner was placed in the courtyard, allowing precious incense to scatter into the air.

The guests at the banquet had never seen such extravagance before. When they congratulated the host, their faces were flushed and they kept showering the guests with compliments.

This brought a smile to the face of the old patriarch of the Lin family, who praised the eldest son's family for the grandeur of the birthday banquet.

Fifty years ago, such extravagant and ostentatious displays of wealth would not only have been disapproved of by scholars and intellectuals, but also by neighbors.

Now that times have changed, seeing such a lavish display, all that remains on people's faces is envy.

After the birthday banquet, the guests moved to the stage in the west courtyard, where the opera troupe performed a traditional opera.

The servants in the mansion frequently served tea and snacks to each table, providing attentive service without drawing attention or causing annoyance.

The prestige of a noble family can be glimpsed from how it trains its servants.

Today, Lin Zhili selected three plays: "Full Bed of Tablets", "The Story of Bai Shun", and "The Golden Seal".

All of them are auspicious birthday banquet plays, encompassing all four blessings: fortune, prosperity, longevity, and happiness.

However, these are all old plays, performed too many times, and the guests inevitably get tired of them.

By the time the three plays were finished, it was just evening.

The sky was dark, and a northerly wind blew by, bringing a slight chill.

Lin Zhili directed his servants to light the stove, set up curtains, and bring cloaks, blankets, and other items to cover the guests.

The guests were immediately full of praise for the arrangements made by the Lin family.

Lin Jiren blushed with praise and looked approvingly at his second son.

Lin Zhishu, the eldest son who had been overshadowed all day, snorted coldly, unable to keep up the act any longer. He got up with another cold snort and went to the backyard.

Fortunately, it was already late, and not many people saw him leave.

Seeing this, Lin Zhili felt even more pleased and asked the opera troupe for a copy of the play to serve Old Master Lin in choosing a play.

Old Master Lin was getting on in years, and he only watched the play for the sake of entertainment, so he asked the people around him what they wanted to say.

The younger generation of grandchildren surrounding Grandpa Lin were all talking at once, saying they wanted to hear "The Peony Pavilion".

The surrounding guests nodded in agreement.

The play "Peony Pavilion" was first performed in the 26th year of the Wanli reign. As soon as it was staged, it became popular throughout the country and has remained so ever since.

People of all ages love to watch it, and even though the opera troupe has performed it again and again, it still draws huge crowds.

Master Lin readily agreed and chose The Peony Pavilion, casually selecting three plays: "The Girl in the Girls' School," "The Stroll in the Garden," and "The Startled Dream," instructing the troupe to prepare.

Upon hearing that these were the three plays, Lin Jiren, who had been chatting and laughing with the guests, gradually froze with a smile.

He glanced involuntarily at the corner of the courtyard, where pots of peonies were placed against the wall, blooming profusely and magnificently, but the tips of the flowers were already faintly scorched after being removed from the earthen cellar and fire pit.

A chilly autumn wind blew by, and a vibrant peony flower fell from the branch, crashing to the ground, its petals scattering and shattering.

(End of this chapter)