The Moon Over Tang Dynasty

Chapter 75 The Secret History of the Pei Family: Wealth and Disasters

Mrs. Yu didn’t expect that she looked like this?

Liuli paused at her feet, not knowing what to say. Fortunately, the lady didn't show off and continued on her own, "When Shou promised to talk about you, he always said that you have a tough temper and that you are the toughest person he has ever seen. A woman who is different from the customs, I still thought about how pure and proud you were, but I never imagined that you are so weak and follow the rules!"

Liuli had mixed feelings for a moment. Is this how he sees himself? She has a tough temper and is unconventional... but Mrs. Yu is obviously not satisfied with herself. Is she planning to meet a red-haired girl? After thinking about it, she could only smile and say, "Mrs. Liulijiao is disappointed, I'm really sorry."

Mrs. Yu's voice had a hint of surprise, "You are someone who is not afraid of honor or disgrace."

Liuli couldn't help but smile, "Actually, I was surprised, I'm just used to it." She endured three years in the Kudi family, and another two years between the market and the palace. She went back and forth between life and death, honor and disgrace. If she could still It's really strange to feel happy and angry because of a few comments from others.

Mrs. Yu was silent for a moment, then suddenly took a step forward, walking side by side with Liuli, turned her head and looked at her carefully, nodded and said, "Don't blame me for being meddlesome. Keeping promises is different from others. Where you come from. , I don’t value it as much as the world does, and it doesn’t matter if you are a serious foreigner, but if you are weak-tempered and don’t have much intellectual courage, I will not agree to keep the promise under any circumstances, lest I end up messing with you. She is just another Lu family lady. She has harmed you as well as him. Now I might as well ask you straight to the point. I heard that you are even looked down upon by the prince of Hedong Gong and the second son of the Wei family of Pei Du. If you don’t want to join the palace as a noble person, why do you fall in love with this evil star who is keeping the promise?”

Liuli was stunned for a moment, what does another Lu family lady mean? Why did she fall in love with Pei Xingjian? What kind of problem is this? After thinking for a long time, he could only say, "He is not a lone star in the sky. In Liuli's eyes, he is the most trustworthy man in the world."

Mrs. Yu raised her eyebrows in surprise, and then laughed, "Could this be fate? We should let Shou Yue come and listen to this."

Liuli was moved in her heart. Is it really fate? I remember that the first time I saw Pei Xingjian, I felt a strange sense of familiarity. Later, when I actually got to know him, I clearly felt that there was a distant temperament behind his gentleness, but when I looked at him, I felt... a little friendly. In fact, from that time on, in my heart, he was different from others, right? That's why she would think of looking for him later when something happened. Even when she didn't know that he was Pei Xingjian, she would trust him in such a life and death matter. Could it be that I have actually fallen in love with him for a long time? There seemed to be a strange feeling coming from her fingertips. Liuli clenched her fists quickly and gathered her thoughts, not daring to think about it anymore.

Mrs. Yu saw Liuli's suddenly red cheeks, and her eyes became a little gentler, "Your affection for Shou Yue is supposed to be good. He has indeed been through a lot of hardships in recent years. But given his situation, , the more seriously you take him, the more likely you will be in trouble in the future. Let me ask you, how much do you know about the covenant-keeping family? "

Liuli thought for a moment and then said, "Liuli knew that he was lonely and had heard people talk about it. He had spent several years in the Hedong Duke's Mansion and the Wulingling Mansion, but it seemed that he was not very happy. I have suffered a lot of troubles, and even my career has not been smooth in recent years, which is also related to this aspect. "

Mrs. Yu nodded, "It seems that you also have intentions. Do you know why?"

Liuli hesitated for a while and shook her head. Madam Yang had said that although it was related to the family property or the position of the clan leader, the Pei clan would naturally not tell outsiders what kind of privacy there was.

Mrs. Yu sighed and remained silent for a long time. The two of them walked all the way and arrived at the small lake in Wu Mansion. Half of the willows on the shore were already bald, and the white lotuses in the distance had become a patch of remnants. The early winter sun shone on the lake, and the ripples seemed a little bit... Coolness.

After walking silently for a few steps by the lake, Mrs. Yu spoke again, "The Pei family is not a branch. The one who keeps the promise is the middle dependent Pei. Our ancestors have been princes and generals guarding one side for generations. The same is true in the Pei family. The most prosperous one. As for the most prominent one in our dynasty, it is the Xijuan Pei branch, from which the prime ministers Pei Ji and Pei Ju come."

Liuli was slightly surprised to hear her talk going so far, but she immediately listened attentively.

"You also know that the father and brother who kept the promise were killed by Wang Shichong because they planned to surrender to the Tang Dynasty. Only his mother escaped and moved to Chang'an. Among the clan members who kept the promise, all close relatives were slaughtered. The distant family was not in the capital. At that time, Pei Jixiang, the leader of Xijuan clan, was the most prestigious and generous to others, so Shou Yue's mother was entrusted to him. At the end of the year, Shou Yue gave birth to his posthumous son. Unexpectedly, the late emperor would be pacified the next year. Wang Shichong, Emperor Gaozu, had an old relationship with Shou's father, so he immediately granted him a posthumous title. It is said that at the suggestion of Prime Minister Pei, some of the property of the Pei family was returned because Shou was still in his infancy. He entrusted it to Prime Minister Pei."

Liuli suddenly understood. She was a little confused at first. Even if Pei Xingjian, an orphan and widower, could bring some house and land deeds with him, why would he have trouble with the powerful Hedong Duke's family property? It turns out there is such a connection! Pei Xingjian's family has been a prince for generations, and they have always guarded one side in troubled times. The wealth they have accumulated is an astronomical figure. No wonder...

Mrs. Yu glanced at Liuli and saw that she just nodded silently, then continued, "Prime Minister Pei himself was born as an orphan, and he has always taken great care of his tribe. It was when the holy love was at its strongest, and his eldest son married Princess Linhai, and his daughter She was the Princess of Zhao. The Pei family lived together near the Duke's Mansion in Hedong, with four courtyards facing each other, playing drums and eating. It was a major attraction in Chang'an City. The orphans and widows who kept their promises lived there. Naturally, no one thought there was anything wrong with it. Good. But things are unpredictable. In the second year after Shuu Yue was born, Prime Minister Pei was released to his native place for committing a crime. Two or three years later, the late emperor even exiled him to another place, although he was later recalled to Chang'an. , died soon after, and the Hedong Palace went downhill.

"Although there is no support from Prime Minister Pei and most of the food estate has been cut off, the mistress of the Hedong Duke's Mansion is the eldest princess of Linhai after all. The days of bells and pans for food will continue to go on. It seems that the income is more than the income, and gradually the income is getting smaller. After depleting the family fortune, it was inevitable that he would have other ideas. When he was about ten years old, the young men in the family invited him to play ball and play games all day long, and even got into a fight with him. His mother didn't look like it, and she was ruthless. He found an excuse and had a big quarrel with his fellow clan members, so he moved out of Chongrenfang. At that time, two of his relatives, Pei, also went to Chang'an to serve as officials, so their mother and son were entrusted to the same clan. Later, they kept their promise and married Hongwen according to the law. Health, this is the right path.

"It's just that the clan members of Zhongjuan Pei were always concerned about the property and negotiated with the Hedong Duke several times. However, the Hedong Duke insisted that the eldest son should abide by the contract. The Pei family's property in Luoyang also belongs to his family and must be handed over to him when he reaches adulthood. The entrustment of Emperor Gaozu was fulfilled in his hands. When the clan members look back, they will inevitably blame their mother and son for choosing the wrong person, causing the clan property of Zhongjuan Pei to fall into the hands of other clans. They are often forced to go to the Hedong Duke's Mansion, and their relationship is also compromised. It became more and more stiff. The mother who kept the promise was already in poor health and became ill due to depression. She fell ill within a few years.

"Shou promised to be young and energetic, and he also fell out with the clan members of Zhongjuan Pei. He devoted himself to studying. When he was less than 18 years old, he took up the Ming Dynasty and became an official, and got the ninth-rank official position of Zuowei. At that time, my family Seeing his extraordinary talent, the general accepted him as his disciple and gave him a courtyard next to my house. He also helped him find the daughter of the Lu family, the Minister of War, who was a very gentle and gentle person. Very satisfied with keeping the promise. ”

Liuli couldn't help but feel heavier and heavier as she listened all the way. She knew that Pei Xingjian had a rough life, but she didn't expect it to be to such an extent. When she heard the next few words, she felt something strange in her heart. Mrs. Yu didn't know what she thought of, and she didn't speak again for a long time. The two of them walked to a pavilion and sat down. The stone bench was cold, but no one cared. After a while, Mrs. Yu let out a long sigh, "To be honest, we were careless. Seeing that they were about to get married, I don't know how the two tribes negotiated. However, the Hedong Duke's Mansion found the promise and took out a property list, saying that The money repaid back then was not much. The mother and son kept their promise and lived in Hedong Gongfu for these years. They spent all the money on food, clothing, housing, transportation, medical treatment, and gambling on cockfights. Although the houses in Luoyang were large, they were not easy to maintain. The Duke of Hedong didn't know how much he had to pay for it, and he couldn't use it to keep the promise, so he gave him a house in Chang'an and hundreds of maids and slaves to keep the promise, saying that he couldn't let outsiders live in the house when the eldest son of the Pei family got married. The yard was too disgraceful. As for the dozens of manors and shops in Luoyang, the deeds were returned to the promise keeper, and they were said to have well-arranged people to take care of them, and the promise keeper would reward them with a bowl of rice. Just eat it. Later, somehow, the eldest princess even accepted the young lady of the Lu family as her goddaughter.

"At that time, my general felt that there was something wrong with this matter, but the Lu family had already agreed, and Shou also told us that he had no intention of asking for the money back. Since he had paid it back, why bother about what he was getting back? We also It’s hard to talk. Before we got married, Shouyu moved into the house prepared by Hedong Gongfu. We went to see it and it was really full of lights and beautiful women. My general was worried that Shouyu wouldn’t be able to withstand such wealth. He was forced to learn the art of war and swordsmanship all day long, and he kept his promise and studied harder than before. At that time, he was also very attentive to his errands and was often too busy to go home. Fortunately, the Lu family's wife soon As we were pregnant, every time we went to see her, she was always smiling, and we naturally felt that everything was fine. Even though the first child who kept the promise was too weak and died soon after, we didn’t think too much about it. It wasn’t until the next year that Mrs. Lu got pregnant again, but she became increasingly pale and haggard, that I realized something was wrong!”

Liuli was suddenly startled and couldn't help but raise her head, only to see Mrs. Yu's eyes looking at nowhere, but her eye circles were slightly red.

"I am a straight person, and Mrs. Lu refused to say anything to me, so I found the wife of Mr. Lu and forced her to ask. Gradually, I found out that those Zhuangzi shops in Luoyang had been losing money for two years. Mrs. Lu wanted to When someone else was put in charge, the eldest princess came over and asked her, how could she, as Pei's wife, be known as a harsh servant just for a little money? The family's expenses were so high that Mrs. Lu couldn't maintain it, so she sold several shops. She didn't know why. When the people on Zhongjuan Pei's side heard about it, they said that she couldn't manage the household and had ruined the property. Madam Lu didn't dare to tell anyone, so she secretly used her dowry to fill it. Gradually, it was not enough and she had to cut down some expenses. , she was complained by the servants about being stingy, how can she be like a woman from a noble family? She was suffering like this. When we discovered something was wrong, her body couldn't hold on anymore, and she finally failed..."

Mrs. Yu's voice slowly dropped, and Liuli couldn't help but feel sad. The strangeness before turned into sadness.

"When I kept my promise, I was only twenty years old, and I had such a life experience. I was only thinking about building a career, reviving my family's reputation, and making my wife a wife. I didn't pay attention to the affairs of the back house. Madam Lu was also very preoccupied with these things. She refused to tell her mother anything about the matter, and Shou Yue's family naturally kept it a secret. After what happened, Shou Yue blamed himself extremely, and drank every day to drown his sorrows. The general gave him a hard lesson, and then he slowly cheered up. From then on, he seemed to be a different person. He looked at everything indifferently and became more experienced in doing things. First, he sold off all the hundreds of slaves in the house. With the money she got, she built a manor and a clan school next to the ancestral hall of Pei Hedong, closed the house, and moved back to this old home. When the eldest princess heard about it, she was disobedient, saying that the slave was an elder. How could the house be sold? The house is our own property. Should the eldest son of the Pei family still want to protect an outsider? Or I just couldn’t bear to listen and scolded the thieves and the shopkeeper for their actions before letting her live there. Mouthed.

"After that, the property in Luoyang complained about losing money. They kept the promise and sold it, and the money was given to Zhongjuan Pei's clan school. This only happened two or three times. Zhuangzi's shop did not lose money. Those shops The head shopkeeper would come over from time to time to give some gifts, and Shou Yue would leave immediately. The people on Zhongjuan Pei's side got benefits and had nothing to say. Shou Yue's relationship with the tribesmen on both sides had eased. But somehow, Tian. But Sha Guxing’s name gradually became known to everyone, and no matter how good he was at left back, he was still unable to get promoted by the official department... until more than a year ago. "

 “Shou promised to tell us, it’s all because of meeting you.”

Liuli was startled and raised her head. Mrs. Yu looked at her, her eyes still a bit probing, but they no longer seemed so sharp. Liuli couldn't help but shook her head, "How could it be because of me? With a man in his pocket, he will naturally show his talents sooner or later. Can Hedong Duke's government still suppress him for the rest of his life?"

Mrs. Yu sighed if she felt something, "It's hard to say. There are very few people in this world who have thousands of books in their chests and never achieve anything great in their lifetime."

Liuli was stunned for a moment, and immediately understood that Mrs. Yu was talking about her husband Su Dingfang. After thinking about it, she finally said, "Madam, why should you be discouraged? An incorruptible man in his eighties can still go on an expedition. General Su is an unparalleled genius, but his luck has not come yet." , maybe an opportunity is just around the corner."

Mrs. Yu glanced at her in surprise, and a smile suddenly appeared on her face, "I just realized that you really seem to keep your promise. You look indifferent and don't like to talk. But when you say it, you really hit the heart."

Liuli felt a fever in her ears. She just remembered that Su Dingfang only achieved some amazing achievements after he was in his sixties. She thought it would take a long time, so she said it smoothly. How could she compare with Pei Xingjian?

Mrs. Yu seemed to have finally discovered Liuli's shining point again, her eyes became gentler, and she nodded, "Now I have said everything about the Pei family. If you want to be a wife who abides by your promise, in your capacity , I’m afraid that the troubles you will encounter will be a bit more than those of the Lu family back then. Do you have the courage to deal with these things? "

Liuli was silent for a moment and smiled faintly, "Of course I have the courage."

Mrs. Yu sat up straight, stared at her sharply, and asked, "Then according to your ideas, how will you deal with the future?"

  p.s. Thank you dear Youfeng, kevin1 and my classmates for casually sending me some pink. Thank you DM for the tip. There will be an update before 7pm.

I recommend a very interesting Red Mansions novel. The author loves textual research as much as I do: "Red Mansions Bagua Weekly" tells a story about the Red Mansions that goes astray from the perspective of a non-mainstream traveler. Let’s watch the time-travel version of Qingwen break into Rongguo Mansion, watch the characters in Red Mansion, and complain about the original Red Mansion.

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 (End of this chapter)