Chapter 46: with translation of chapter title

The plan to lay out Jiangnan, under the direction of Wang Hui (Wang Xiu), proceeded secretly and in an orderly manner.

The Wang Family Trading House's southbound contingent was like a drop of water merging into the great river, causing no ripple in the city on the Yang side of the Luo River.

Meanwhile, another matter that seemed like a family affair, yet stirred a great commotion in the upper society of the city on the Yang side of the Luo River, arrived unexpectedly.

Wang Hui's full-blooded younger sister, Wang Zhi, is already seventeen this year, at the age to discuss marriage.

As the legitimate daughter of the deceased Duke and Household Department Minister Wang Jin, the younger sister of the current fifth-rank Court Gentleman for Dispatch Wang Hui, and also the precious daughter of the Wang Family, the wealthiest in the region, Wang Zhi's marriage naturally attracted much attention.

Since the end of Wang Jin's mourning period, matchmakers coming to the Wang Family to propose marriage have nearly worn out the threshold.

Those seeking marriage are either rich or noble. Some are new nobles at court, wishing to form a strong alliance with the Wang Family; some are old aristocratic families, eyeing the Wang Family's vast wealth; even among the imperial clan, there are branch princes who have sent people to sound out the situation.

In everyone's view, Wang Zhi's destiny was certainly to marry into a high-ranking noble household, becoming an important pawn for the Wang Family to consolidate its political standing.

However, Wang Hui (Wang Xiu) politely refused every marriage proposal.

His reason was simple: his sister is still young, and he wants her to stay at home for another two years.

Although this reason is somewhat far-fetched, Wang Hui currently enjoys great imperial favor, and his relations with figures like Gao Lishi and Li Bai are not bad, so no one dares to press the matter.

Everyone simply thought it was due to Wang Hui's deep sibling affection, reluctance to see his sister marry early, and thus let it drop, waiting two years before bringing it up again.

They did not know that Wang Hui (Wang Xiu) had already, in his heart, chosen for his sister a match that, in their eyes, was absolutely impossible.

Lu Wen.

The Lu Family in Yangzhou is also a modestly known merchant clan, mainly dealing in tea and Silk, with a comfortable household. As for this young man Lu Wen, Wang Hui (Wang Xiu) had long, through the Wang Family Trading House's southern channel, conducted a detailed investigation of him.

He is about twenty years old, with a refined and scholarly appearance; more remarkably, though born into a merchant family, he bears not a trace of vulgar greed. From childhood he has immersed himself in poetry and books, especially loving the classics and histories, his insight extraordinary, possessing somewhat the bearing of a 'scholar-merchant'. After taking over the family business, he displayed astonishing commercial talent, and in just two years he expanded the Lu Family's business by more than double.

This person is about twenty years old, with a refined, scholarly appearance; what's rarer is that, although he comes from a merchant family, he bears not a trace of vulgar greed. From childhood he has read extensively the poetry and books, especially loving the classics and histories, his knowledge extraordinary, possessing somewhat the bearing of a 'scholar-merchant'. After taking over the family business, he further displayed astonishing commercial talent; in just two years he expanded the Lu family's business by more than double.

In Wang Xiu's view, this is practically the ideal son-in-law tailor-made for his own 'lay out the south of the river' plan!

If Lu Wen could be recruited to his side and made the Wang Family's agent in the south of the river, then his plan would undoubtedly proceed a hundred times more smoothly; and marriage would be the best way to bind him completely to the Wang Family.

The only problem is that, in the scholar-farmer-artisan-merchant hierarchy, merchants are at the bottom.

In this era, a daughter of an official family marrying a merchant is unheard of. This is not only Wang Zhi's own grievance, but also a 'disgrace' to the entire Wang Family's pedigree.

Wang Xiu knows that the resistance to this is extremely great, and it must be pursued gradually.

He first, on the pretext of a trading house collaboration, invited Lu Wen to the city on the Yang side of the Luo River for a meeting.

Lu Wen had long heard of the great reputation of the Wang Family Trading House, and he also held deep respect for Wang Jin, who wrote the 'Pacify the South Strategy'; upon receiving the invitation, he gladly came.

In several meetings at the Wang mansion, Wang Hui (Wang Xiu) personally conversed with him, ranging from the classics, histories, philosophers, and anthologies to the way of merchants; the more they talked, the more they found common ground. Wang Hui discovered that this Lu Wen's insight and breadth far surpassed that of ordinary merchants of the era. And Lu Wen was utterly convinced of the young Head of Family Wang Hui's abilities.

After becoming acquainted, Wang Hui (Wang Xiu) 'unintentionally' arranged several 'chance encounters' between Lu Wen and his sister Wang Zhi.

Sometimes in the garden of the Wang mansion, Wang Zhi was admiring flowers when Lu Wen 'coincidentally' passed by.

Sometimes on the painted barge at the Yi River Manor, Wang Zhi was playing the zither when Lu Wen 'coincidentally' was also boating.

Wang Zhi was not a secluded maiden ignorant of worldly affairs. Under the deliberate cultivation of Wang Jin and Wang Xiu, she had also been exposed to the family's businesses and could even understand some simple accounts. She naturally had little fondness for those aristocratic youths who only knew how to chant about the wind and moon and boast emptily.

Upon first seeing Lu Wen, she was attracted to this young man whose speech was extraordinary, whose eyes were clear, who understood the classics and could explain business principles clearly and logically.

And Lu Wen was even more smitten at first sight with this Wang Family lady whose appearance was beautiful, whose bearing was refined, and who had no trace of arrogance.

The lover has feeling, the beloved has intention.

Wang Hui (Wang Xiu) saw this in his eyes and knew the moment had ripened.

Thus, on a fine and sunny afternoon, he formally proposed to Lu Wen the intention of forming a marriage alliance.

"Brother Lu, I see that you and my younger sister are mutually attracted and make an excellent match. I wonder, would you be willing to take my Wang Family's daughter as your wife and become connected by marriage?"

Upon hearing these words, Lu Wen was completely dazed.

He was so excited that he didn't know what to do with his hands and feet, and could hardly believe his own ears.

"Marry a Wang Family lady? This…… this is impossible! Their Lu family is merely a merchant household!"

"Wang…… Brother Wang, you…… you aren't joking, are you?" Lu Wen stammered.

"I never joke." Wang Hui (Wang Xiu)'s expression was utterly serious, "I only ask you: are you willing? Can you guarantee that you will treat my sister well for life?"

"I am willing! I am willing! I, Lu Wen, swear to heaven: if I can marry Lady Wang Zhi, I will surely not fail her in this life; if I violate this oath, may heaven strike me with thunder!" Lu Wen, excited, knelt on the spot and pointed to the heavens as his oath.

"Willing! I am willing! I, Lu Wen, swear to heaven: if I can marry Miss Wang Zhi, in this life I will surely not let her down; if I violate this oath, may heaven strike me with thunder!" Lu Wen, excited, knelt on the spot, pointing to heaven as his oath.

However, when Wang Hui announced this decision within the family, it was as if a bombshell had been detonated.

The first to oppose were those elders of the Wang Family clan, who were old-fashioned and feudal.

"Head of Family! Absolutely not!"

"Our Wang Family is an official lineage; the Marquis Wenzheng served as Minister and was posthumously ennobled as a Duke, and you yourself are a fifth-rank Court official! How can we marry the family's legitimate daughter to a mere merchant's son?"

"If this gets out, where will the Wang Family's face be? Wouldn't it become a laughingstock of the whole world?"

Several white-haired elders knelt in the Wang Family's ancestral hall, tears and voices flowing, earnestly urging restraint.

Several white-haired elders knelt in the Wang Family's ancestral hall, voices and tears streaming down, earnestly urging.

The entire upper society of the city on the Yang side of the Luo River was thrown into an uproar.

"Have you heard? The Wang Family is going to marry their precious daughter to a merchant from Yangzhou!"

"Has he gone mad? Is Wang Hui's brain addled from making too much money?"

"With so many noble lords and ladies available, to choose a merchant? That's pure self-degradation! He's slapping his father Wang Jin in the face!"

All kinds of rumors and gossip ran rampant. Those families whose marriage proposals Wang Hui had previously rejected were even more delighted at the misfortune, spreading everywhere talk detrimental to the Wang Family.

For a time, the Wang Family became the laughingstock of the entire city on the Yang side of the Luo River.

Wang Hui (Wang Xiu) bore an unprecedented enormous pressure.

His younger sister Wang Zhi locked herself in her room, washing her face with tears all day. Although she had affection for Lu Wen, the label 'marrying down to a merchant' was, for a woman raised in an official lineage, truly too heavy a burden.

That day, Wang Zhi's personal maid hurriedly came to find Wang Hui.

"Head of Family, it's terrible! The young lady…… she has locked herself in her room, saying…… saying that if she is forced to marry a merchant, she will dash her head against a wall and die!"

Head of Family, it's terrible! Miss... she... she locked herself in the room, saying... saying that if you force her to marry a merchant, she'll bang her head to death!

Wang Hui (Wang Xiu) frowned tightly.

He knew, the most difficult gate had arrived.

He not only needed to convince the clan elders, withstand external pressure, but more importantly, he needed to untie his sister's heart-knot.

He took a deep breath, stood up, and walked toward Wang Zhi's courtyard.