Chapter 88 Tao Qing
Tao Qing was in his forties, of average build, thin, tanned skin, high cheekbones and a long slim face. He was quite an ordinary-looking person. He was the kind that who would be lost amongst the crowd, but yet such a person, after the loss of his father at the age of fifteen, was the sole breadwinner for the family’s younger siblings and widowed mother. He emerged as the head of the Tao family among all the others, taking up the patriarch position and solidified their position as the number 1 Tao family in Guangzhou.
Not only did Tao An respect this sibling, but so did Pei Yan.
“Eldest brother!” He followed Tao An in his address of Tao Qing.
Tao Qing’s cold and stern face revealed a hint of a smile, “Xia Guang, are you doing okay?”
Since the death of his father, he was the first one to ask him this.
Pei Yan’s eyes got slightly misty as he replied, “I’m fine! We all have to move on with our lives.”
Tao Qing nodded and did not try to comfort Pei Yan, but said instead, “It’s good that you can think like this. When you look back in a few years’ time, these things would only be a bump in the road. Stepping over it, you will gain even more.”
“Thank you, big brother!” Pei Yan said. He gestured for Tao Qing to sit down in front of the round table and added, “I will bear your words in mind.”
Tao Qing smiled as he replied, “You and Zi Ran(TL: Tao An) are both smart people. There’s no need for me to speak further, you both know what to do. I trust you.” After saying that, he watched as the attendant served them the tea and withdrew, leaving only the two of them in the room. He then said, “Stop playing those mind games with Zi Ran. I won’t beat around the bush with you either, so tell me, what are you planning to do?”
Tao An, like Pei Yan, was the youngest son of the family. When the both of them were young, they had a rebellious and unruly streak. Thus, after the two of them met in the capital, they immediately became good friends. Whenever Tao Qing passed by the Capital several times a year, he would visit Tao An, and Tao An would always pull Pei Yan along to join him. Therefore, Tao Qing always viewed Pei Yan just like the child Tao An, moreover, Pei Yan was exceptionally handsome, and if he wanted treat someone nicely, he was just like the golden child the Bodhisattva favoured. Tao Qing liked him very much, and thus was very affectionate to Pei Yan.
Pei Yan could feel Tao Qing’s goodwill towards him as well, and naturally got close to the Tao brothers. Hearing Tao Qing saying this, he did not try to conceal it but said straightforwardly: “I happened to obtain this nautical chart by accident. Now there are two matters at hand. First, I do not know whether this nautical chart is genuine or not and therefore need to ask eldest brother to help test the actual route. Second, this nautical chart is wanted by the Peng family in Fuzhou. In order to obtain this nautical chart, the Peng family spend considerable effort and even created trouble in Lin’an City. I want to know how the Peng family came to know of this nautical chart.”
For the Tao Family, business had grown beyond merely selling of goods. They need to be clear about the direction of the imperial court. if not, with just one wrong decision, it is likely that their business will die out after a few generations, and they may even lose their monopoly. This is why regardless of whether it was the Tao family or the Peng family, each generation had to work hard to produce a few scholars.
Tao Qing as the patriarch of the Tao family, was not an idle person. He understood PeiYan’s unspoken message. He contemplated, “The test run is simple enough to do. I’ll instruct them to sail out immediately and forego their vacation, and they will be back just in time to deliver the results by the New Year’s. However the matter involving the Peng family, I’m afraid you’ll have to find your own solution. These two years, the Peng family formed close ties with the third prince, and it may be possible that this may be related to the imperial family. My family is not as strong as yours in the imperial court. However, since you shared this with me, there must be something my family can help with. You can just tell me. With our friendship and familial ties, we will help you in any way possible.”
The current emperor had three legitimate sons. The eldest son died young, the second son got married but has yet to have an heir even after so long, the third son had two sons, but was the third in line. Following the rules of the dynasty, this position should be passed down from the oldest to the youngest. The emperor was already advanced in age, thus the imperial historian often urged the emperor to choose his successor, but his counsel fell on deaf ears. This made things difficult for everyone – those ministers who planned to stay neutral and also those who planned to take sides.
Pei Yan replied, “I am also worried that the Peng family is helping someone else. I asked the Yin family to help inquire. You know, this nautical chart once belonged to Zuo Guangzong.”
Zuo Guangzong’s death was a dishonourable one. During that time, he offended the interests of the majority of the powerful families of the south. Therefore, when he was punished by the previous emperor, he and his household fell almost immediately. No one spoke up for him and even after his death, his sons all died mysteriously during their exile. It was the new emperor who reinstated his title after ascending the throne. Today, the so-called descendants of the Zuo clan were merely the heirs of Zuo Guangzong’s cousins.
“If this nautical chart had fallen into his hands in the first place, he would have taken it out as his life preserving item.” Pei Yan said, “At least the bunch of officials in Fujian and Guangzhou would have tried to keep him alive by any means.”
As Tao Qing listened, he laughed and replied, “Xia Guang, you are just like Zi Ran. You grew up in peaceful conditions without suffering much trouble. Whatever you wanted to have, you always got. Therefore sometimes your actions will be more compassionate then others.”
This observation was not only made by Tao Qing, but was also previously made by Pei Yan’s mentor Zhang Ying.
However, PeiYan didn’t take much note of it.
Is having a smooth sailing life wrong?
Having everything go well for you is also an ability.
If you have the ability to lead a comfortable life, why do you want to suffer?
Tao Qing knew he wouldn’t listen, and didn’t continue further on the subject. He said, “You were at our warehouse in Dasha, right? If I were to ask you, who do you think is the one who knows best about what’s going on inside the warehouse, you would definitely say it is the head supervisor. However, in actuality, the one who is the most knowledgeable about the warehouse’s affairs is the door attendant. What goods are placed in each storage room? When was it transported? Who moved it? Who was the person in charge of the people moving them? Who was the strongest mover? Which day would have the most goods ……”
Pei Yan instantly understood Tao Qing’s meaning.
“You’re saying that unless this nautical chart was drawn up by minister Zuo himself, he may not necessarily know where this map came from and where it went?” He mused and murmured, “Lu Xin’s father was once Minister Zuo’s retainer, if he knew about this, could there also be others who know? Or, if he doesn’t know, but someone else does ……”
He spoke rather vaguely, but Tao Qing understood. He said gently, “That’s exactly it. Instead of going to the capital, you should check the relationship of the people involved. Perhaps there will be new discoveries.”
If this matter involved the two princes, then this business was no longer profitable. No matter how good the relationship between the Tao family and the Pei family was, they will never touch it.
Pei Yan also knew this.
He replied, “I previously thought, the one who understands the other party the most would be his enemy and not his friends. Therefore, I recently asked the Yin family to check on the Peng family, but I was a little worried that the Yin family would hide some information from me, so I wanted you to help in verifying the information given to me by the Yin family. It is good that we shared the same opinion. I will not say any further. Whether this nautical chart can be auctioned or not depends on how the Peng family knew about this nautical chart.”
The Tao family also has some business dealings with the Yin family and the Peng family, but the Tao family is what Pei Yan viewed as a “friend,” so if it was just to ask for information, they were a suitable choice.
Tao Qing laughed: “It’s best if you can think of it that way. I was worried that you would take the attitude you had in the Imperial Court to the business world.”
In the imperial court, if you were cold, arrogant and wilful, it did not matter much, since PeiYan had a strong mentor backing him and many powerful senior brothers. However, the business world was about maintaining peaceful relations and continual prosperity, so sometimes your arrogance may unwittingly lead to your downfall.
As the patriarch, PeiYan was in charge of the family’s affairs and had to manage all the family’s business ventures. He didn’t mind it that much, but what he hates the most was dealing with people.
He thought about it and felt that the rest of his life would be uneventful and boring.
Yu Tang’s smiling face suddenly popped up in his mind.
That young lady really had a way with words. She could change her tune according to who she was dealing with. Even if he caught her speaking utter nonsense, she could still continue speaking without batting an eyelid just to achieve her goals. Such a person, ought to be suitable for business, right?
PeiYan sighed.
It was at this time that the Tang governor came to visit, and as he was not in the mood, he rejected his request unreservedly as he capriciously did before.
Tao Qing disapproved of his action. He admonished him saying “Xia Guang. That is the official in charge of your area.”
Pei Yan waved his hand unconcernedly and said, “That also depends on what kind of official he is. Such an indecisive, weak and ignorant person, even if I rejected him, what can he do?”
If he were to obey him in everything like Lady Yu, flatter him with all sorts of compliments, and yet behind his back still did whatever she pleased.
For example, getting a door ring that is only worth two taels, putting it in a fancy brocade box and presenting it as an antique to him.
For example, finding out that Wei Xiaoshan was killed by the Li family, and boldly going after the Li family, refusing to let it go.
She can lower herself, but can also hold her ground.
Should he be respecting this man surnamed Tang and treating him as an esteemed guest?
When Pei Yan thought of this, he no longer held the Tang governor in high regard.
“Don’t worry about such trivialities,” he replied, “It’s rare for you to come over for a visit and there is no way for you to return to Guangzhou before the New Year either, so you can just spend it here with me.”
“How can I do that?” Tao Qing didn’t want to ruin the mood, so he went along with Pei Yan’s words and said, “It’s not like I don’t have a place to stay in Hangzhou City, so there’s no need for me to stay at your residence for the New Year’s. Anyway, I came here in secret, so you do not need to send me, I’ll just leave quietly. When I have any updates, I will have someone inform you immediately.” After saying that, he stood up to leave.
Pei Yan didn’t want to let him leave just like that, but Tao Qing insisted, adding, “Don’t think that I’m unaware of your plans. If you really intend to get rid of this nautical chart, you can’t afford to send me off openly. As for the test voyage, I will find a way to let the Yin family know about it. By the way, besides the Yin family, who else do you think ought to know? Otherwise if I inadvertently spoil your plans, you might get upset with me.”
“Send word to the Li(利 TL: different from Li Duan’s) family as well.” Pei Yan chuckled as he continued, “Of course we need to inform the Peng family, but not now. We’ll wait until we have shared this nautical chart with the various parties before informing them.”
This would also achieve Lady Yu’s objective.
“Understood.” Tao Qing readily agreed.
Pei Yan sent Tao Qing away through the Pei family’s hidden side gate.
Chapter 88 Tao Qing
Tao Qing was in his forties, of average build, thin, tanned skin, high cheekbones and a long slim face. He was quite an ordinary-looking person. He was the kind that who would be lost amongst the crowd, but yet such a person, after the loss of his father at the age of fifteen, was the sole breadwinner for the family’s younger siblings and widowed mother. He emerged as the head of the Tao family among all the others, taking up the patriarch position and solidified their position as the number 1 Tao family in Guangzhou.
Not only did Tao An respect this sibling, but so did Pei Yan.
“Eldest brother!” He followed Tao An in his address of Tao Qing.
Tao Qing’s cold and stern face revealed a hint of a smile, “Xia Guang, are you doing okay?”
Since the death of his father, he was the first one to ask him this.
Pei Yan’s eyes got slightly misty as he replied, “I’m fine! We all have to move on with our lives.”
Tao Qing nodded and did not try to comfort Pei Yan, but said instead, “It’s good that you can think like this. When you look back in a few years’ time, these things would only be a bump in the road. Stepping over it, you will gain even more.”
“Thank you, big brother!” Pei Yan said. He gestured for Tao Qing to sit down in front of the round table and added, “I will bear your words in mind.”
Tao Qing smiled as he replied, “You and Zi Ran(TL: Tao An) are both smart people. There’s no need for me to speak further, you both know what to do. I trust you.” After saying that, he watched as the attendant served them the tea and withdrew, leaving only the two of them in the room. He then said, “Stop playing those mind games with Zi Ran. I won’t beat around the bush with you either, so tell me, what are you planning to do?”
Tao An, like Pei Yan, was the youngest son of the family. When the both of them were young, they had a rebellious and unruly streak. Thus, after the two of them met in the capital, they immediately became good friends. Whenever Tao Qing passed by the Capital several times a year, he would visit Tao An, and Tao An would always pull Pei Yan along to join him. Therefore, Tao Qing always viewed Pei Yan just like the child Tao An, moreover, Pei Yan was exceptionally handsome, and if he wanted treat someone nicely, he was just like the golden child the Bodhisattva favoured. Tao Qing liked him very much, and thus was very affectionate to Pei Yan.
Pei Yan could feel Tao Qing’s goodwill towards him as well, and naturally got close to the Tao brothers. Hearing Tao Qing saying this, he did not try to conceal it but said straightforwardly: “I happened to obtain this nautical chart by accident. Now there are two matters at hand. First, I do not know whether this nautical chart is genuine or not and therefore need to ask eldest brother to help test the actual route. Second, this nautical chart is wanted by the Peng family in Fuzhou. In order to obtain this nautical chart, the Peng family spend considerable effort and even created trouble in Lin’an City. I want to know how the Peng family came to know of this nautical chart.”
For the Tao Family, business had grown beyond merely selling of goods. They need to be clear about the direction of the imperial court. if not, with just one wrong decision, it is likely that their business will die out after a few generations, and they may even lose their monopoly. This is why regardless of whether it was the Tao family or the Peng family, each generation had to work hard to produce a few scholars.
Tao Qing as the patriarch of the Tao family, was not an idle person. He understood PeiYan’s unspoken message. He contemplated, “The test run is simple enough to do. I’ll instruct them to sail out immediately and forego their vacation, and they will be back just in time to deliver the results by the New Year’s. However the matter involving the Peng family, I’m afraid you’ll have to find your own solution. These two years, the Peng family formed close ties with the third prince, and it may be possible that this may be related to the imperial family. My family is not as strong as yours in the imperial court. However, since you shared this with me, there must be something my family can help with. You can just tell me. With our friendship and familial ties, we will help you in any way possible.”
The current emperor had three legitimate sons. The eldest son died young, the second son got married but has yet to have an heir even after so long, the third son had two sons, but was the third in line. Following the rules of the dynasty, this position should be passed down from the oldest to the youngest. The emperor was already advanced in age, thus the imperial historian often urged the emperor to choose his successor, but his counsel fell on deaf ears. This made things difficult for everyone – those ministers who planned to stay neutral and also those who planned to take sides.
Pei Yan replied, “I am also worried that the Peng family is helping someone else. I asked the Yin family to help inquire. You know, this nautical chart once belonged to Zuo Guangzong.”
Zuo Guangzong’s death was a dishonourable one. During that time, he offended the interests of the majority of the powerful families of the south. Therefore, when he was punished by the previous emperor, he and his household fell almost immediately. No one spoke up for him and even after his death, his sons all died mysteriously during their exile. It was the new emperor who reinstated his title after ascending the throne. Today, the so-called descendants of the Zuo clan were merely the heirs of Zuo Guangzong’s cousins.
“If this nautical chart had fallen into his hands in the first place, he would have taken it out as his life preserving item.” Pei Yan said, “At least the bunch of officials in Fujian and Guangzhou would have tried to keep him alive by any means.”
As Tao Qing listened, he laughed and replied, “Xia Guang, you are just like Zi Ran. You grew up in peaceful conditions without suffering much trouble. Whatever you wanted to have, you always got. Therefore sometimes your actions will be more compassionate then others.”
This observation was not only made by Tao Qing, but was also previously made by Pei Yan’s mentor Zhang Ying.
However, PeiYan didn’t take much note of it.
Is having a smooth sailing life wrong?
Having everything go well for you is also an ability.
If you have the ability to lead a comfortable life, why do you want to suffer?
Tao Qing knew he wouldn’t listen, and didn’t continue further on the subject. He said, “You were at our warehouse in Dasha, right? If I were to ask you, who do you think is the one who knows best about what’s going on inside the warehouse, you would definitely say it is the head supervisor. However, in actuality, the one who is the most knowledgeable about the warehouse’s affairs is the door attendant. What goods are placed in each storage room? When was it transported? Who moved it? Who was the person in charge of the people moving them? Who was the strongest mover? Which day would have the most goods ……”
Pei Yan instantly understood Tao Qing’s meaning.
“You’re saying that unless this nautical chart was drawn up by minister Zuo himself, he may not necessarily know where this map came from and where it went?” He mused and murmured, “Lu Xin’s father was once Minister Zuo’s retainer, if he knew about this, could there also be others who know? Or, if he doesn’t know, but someone else does ……”
He spoke rather vaguely, but Tao Qing understood. He said gently, “That’s exactly it. Instead of going to the capital, you should check the relationship of the people involved. Perhaps there will be new discoveries.”
If this matter involved the two princes, then this business was no longer profitable. No matter how good the relationship between the Tao family and the Pei family was, they will never touch it.
Pei Yan also knew this.
He replied, “I previously thought, the one who understands the other party the most would be his enemy and not his friends. Therefore, I recently asked the Yin family to check on the Peng family, but I was a little worried that the Yin family would hide some information from me, so I wanted you to help in verifying the information given to me by the Yin family. It is good that we shared the same opinion. I will not say any further. Whether this nautical chart can be auctioned or not depends on how the Peng family knew about this nautical chart.”
The Tao family also has some business dealings with the Yin family and the Peng family, but the Tao family is what Pei Yan viewed as a “friend,” so if it was just to ask for information, they were a suitable choice.
Tao Qing laughed: “It’s best if you can think of it that way. I was worried that you would take the attitude you had in the Imperial Court to the business world.”
In the imperial court, if you were cold, arrogant and wilful, it did not matter much, since PeiYan had a strong mentor backing him and many powerful senior brothers. However, the business world was about maintaining peaceful relations and continual prosperity, so sometimes your arrogance may unwittingly lead to your downfall.
As the patriarch, PeiYan was in charge of the family’s affairs and had to manage all the family’s business ventures. He didn’t mind it that much, but what he hates the most was dealing with people.
He thought about it and felt that the rest of his life would be uneventful and boring.
Yu Tang’s smiling face suddenly popped up in his mind.
That young lady really had a way with words. She could change her tune according to who she was dealing with. Even if he caught her speaking utter nonsense, she could still continue speaking without batting an eyelid just to achieve her goals. Such a person, ought to be suitable for business, right?
PeiYan sighed.
It was at this time that the Tang governor came to visit, and as he was not in the mood, he rejected his request unreservedly as he capriciously did before.
Tao Qing disapproved of his action. He admonished him saying “Xia Guang. That is the official in charge of your area.”
Pei Yan waved his hand unconcernedly and said, “That also depends on what kind of official he is. Such an indecisive, weak and ignorant person, even if I rejected him, what can he do?”
If he were to obey him in everything like Lady Yu, flatter him with all sorts of compliments, and yet behind his back still did whatever she pleased.
For example, getting a door ring that is only worth two taels, putting it in a fancy brocade box and presenting it as an antique to him.
For example, finding out that Wei Xiaoshan was killed by the Li family, and boldly going after the Li family, refusing to let it go.
She can lower herself, but can also hold her ground.
Should he be respecting this man surnamed Tang and treating him as an esteemed guest?
When Pei Yan thought of this, he no longer held the Tang governor in high regard.
“Don’t worry about such trivialities,” he replied, “It’s rare for you to come over for a visit and there is no way for you to return to Guangzhou before the New Year either, so you can just spend it here with me.”
“How can I do that?” Tao Qing didn’t want to ruin the mood, so he went along with Pei Yan’s words and said, “It’s not like I don’t have a place to stay in Hangzhou City, so there’s no need for me to stay at your residence for the New Year’s. Anyway, I came here in secret, so you do not need to send me, I’ll just leave quietly. When I have any updates, I will have someone inform you immediately.” After saying that, he stood up to leave.
Pei Yan didn’t want to let him leave just like that, but Tao Qing insisted, adding, “Don’t think that I’m unaware of your plans. If you really intend to get rid of this nautical chart, you can’t afford to send me off openly. As for the test voyage, I will find a way to let the Yin family know about it. By the way, besides the Yin family, who else do you think ought to know? Otherwise if I inadvertently spoil your plans, you might get upset with me.”
“Send word to the Li(利 TL: different from Li Duan’s) family as well.” Pei Yan chuckled as he continued, “Of course we need to inform the Peng family, but not now. We’ll wait until we have shared this nautical chart with the various parties before informing them.”
This would also achieve Lady Yu’s objective.
“Understood.” Tao Qing readily agreed.
Pei Yan sent Tao Qing away through the Pei family’s hidden side gate.
