Chapter 76: Playing Both Sides

No matter how enlightened Fei Yinghuan might be, no matter how resourceful Madam Lou was, they could not make the final decisions in the Fei household.

The father guides the son — when it came to truly important matters, the Old Master's word was law!

Nor could they take the initiative to demand a division of the family estate. While the parents were still alive, dividing the family and splitting the property was deemed unfilial.

Unfilial conduct was a grave offense, far more serious than corruption. If someone brought an impeachment charge over it, one could be summarily stripped of office, with no way to defend oneself.

Without the Old Master's nod, Fei Rulan could forget about properly and honorably marrying Zhao Han.

Then they would simply have to do it by stealth.

Mother and daughter reached an accord, and the matter was settled.

Fei Rulan suddenly felt light and free all over, like a bird whose sun-dried feathers were ready to lift it soaring into the clouds. She straightened herself and knelt properly, bowed her head to the floor, and said, "I beg Mother to bestow five mu of land upon Brother Han."

"You've already looked into exactly how a refugee registers for a household?" Madam Lou said, amused. "They all say a daughter's heart turns outward, and you haven't even married out yet."

"Please, Mother, make the decision!"

Wearing a radiant smile, Fei Rulan once again straightened herself and kowtowed.

The Great Ming had relevant laws: if a refugee possessed fields in a different locality, they could apply for a household registration at the local government office.

During periods when refugees existed in large numbers — for instance, at the beginning of the Chenghua Emperor's reign — in order to resolve the problem of millions of refugees, one did not even need to produce a title deed. So long as one had actually reclaimed wasteland, the government office would register a household for the refugee.

In the mid-to-late Ming, powerful household slaves mostly took money to buy land in other places, then bribed the local government to obtain registered household status. However, once their former master discovered this, he could slap the indenture contract down before the local prefectural or county magistrate, and the powerful slave's new status would be instantly voided.

If Madam Lou bestowed five mu of land, Zhao Han could take the title deed to the county yamen and establish his own independent household.

Madam Lou fetched several documents and handed one to Fei Rulan. "This is Brother Han's indenture contract. Take it."

Fei Rulan received it with both hands, folded it, and placed it inside her clothes.

Madam Lou then handed over several more title deeds. "My dower lands are all in Jiujiang. These are properties under your father's name, all of them lands commended by local villagers when he passed the juren examination. They are only subsoil rights, with no surface rights, and the rent collected is low. Take them and give them to Brother Han. I will also send a household slave to accompany him and bribe the private secretary, so that his commoner household registration is properly settled."

Commendation meant that peasants voluntarily gave their land to aristocrats, officials, and gentry, and then became their tenant farmers.

The root cause was that after the Single Whip Reform, corvée labor was converted into a corvée labor silver payment. More and more people evaded service, and the corvée labor fees became concentrated on a shrinking number of peasants, so that the annual corvée labor silver they had to pay actually exceeded the land tax they had to pay.

And officials and degree-holders happened to be exempt from corvée labor. Wasn't that a perfect match?

A capital official of the first rank could only exempt thirty shi of grain tax, but could exempt ten thousand mu of land from corvée. This did not mean those ten thousand mu were tax-free; it meant that all corvée obligations attached to those ten thousand mu of land could be directly waived!

Fei Yinghuan, as a juren, could only exempt two shi of grain tax, but could exempt twelve hundred mu of land from corvée obligations.

Thus, many peasants gave their land to Fei Yinghuan free of charge, in order to escape the heavy corvée labor fees. But these lands could not be arbitrarily taken away from the tenants; they could only be rented to the original landholders to farm. To do otherwise would be utterly shameless and would utterly destroy one's reputation!

Transferring ten mu of land to Zhao Han was actually of no consequence. The government would not alter the Fish-Scale Register, and those who evaded corvée could continue to do so.

Fei Rulan received the title deeds with both hands and carefully placed them inside her clothes.

Madam Lou then took out twenty taels of silver and instructed, "For a refugee to register a household, this should be enough. The private secretary will certainly agree. Do not alert the County Magistrate. The County Magistrate's appetite is larger, and he will inevitably make things difficult."

Fei Rulan accepted the silver and kowtowed three times to her mother.

Madam Lou smiled. "Once all this is settled, when you marry in Jiujiang, I will give you many more fields as dowry. I certainly won't let you go hungry."

Both shy and delighted, Fei Rulan blushed and said, "Mother is so good."

Madam Lou smiled. "Have your younger brother escort you, and deliver the indenture contract in person. Brother Han will surely be moved, and from now on he'll treasure you like a precious jewel in the palm of his hand."

"Mm, your daughter will go to Hekou right away." Fei Rulan turned and ran.

Madam Lou called out, "It's nearly evening. Can't you wait until tomorrow?"

"Better to go early and return early," Fei Rulan said.

Madam Lou laughingly stopped her. "Go tomorrow. If you are this impatient, people will look down on you and think you can't find a husband!"

Fei Rulan could only obediently return to her room. She tossed and turned all night, utterly unable to sleep.

She would be eighteen the coming year. Any other woman would already be married. An older leftover maiden like her, even if she wasn't a widow whose fiancé had died before the wedding, would still find it very hard to get a suitable husband, and would most likely end up as a second wife for some respectable family.

That being the case, why not find someone she herself liked? What did his background matter?

Fantasizing about leaving the clan and living a happy little life in Jiujiang, Fei Rulan fell asleep with a smile still on her face.

The next morning, at daybreak.

Fei Rulan called for her maid Xiyue and ran next door to find her younger brother. "Ruhe, quickly, come with me to Hekou Town."

Fei Ruhe asked, "Elder Sister, do you know about Brother Han's situation?"

"Of course I know. Mother already has a plan. Hurry and come with me to find him," Fei Rulan said.

Fei Ruhe said happily, "That's wonderful. Let me change my clothes."

Calling for Fei Chun and slinging his bow and arrows across his back, Fei Ruhe said as he walked, "When I see Zhao Han, I want to compete with him in archery. This young master has been improving at lightning speed lately!"

"Brother Han has never practiced archery. Why don't you compete with a farmer at plowing fields?" Fei Rulan retorted.

…

Dingsheng Restaurant, kitchen.

"Master, we never have enough chili peppers," said the head chef Peng Zhengxiang. "We've used up all the locally grown chili peppers. Now that Goose Lake Town has set up another customs station, the chili peppers shipped from Zhejiang have gotten even more expensive. Could you teach us a few dishes that aren't spicy?"

"No problem," Zhao Han said, then instructed, "The price of chili peppers is getting higher and higher. Next year, many farmers will surely plant them, and then there won't be any shortage."

Peng Zhengxiang smiled. "I've saved a lot of chili pepper seeds and told my nephew to plant over a dozen mu of them next year!"

Zhao Han was in the middle of teaching new dishes when he suddenly heard Fei Ze say, "Brother, the young master and the eldest young lady are here."

Zhao Han threw down his wok spatula, untied his apron, and followed Fei Ze upstairs.

He walked into the private room and heard Fei Rulan say, "All of you, leave for now."

Fei Chun and Xiyue immediately left, leaving only Fei Ruhe standing there foolishly like a third wheel.

Fei Rulan said, "You go out too."

"Me?" Fei Ruhe looked baffled.

"Yes, you too, out," Fei Rulan repeated.

Utterly confused, Fei Ruhe muttered to himself as he left the private room.

Only a lone man and woman remained in the room. Fei Rulan's heart pounded wildly. Blushing, she took out the document and said, "Please accept this, sir."

Zhao Han didn't understand what she meant. He took the documents and looked — his expression instantly turned strange.

He had barely managed to break free of his moral shackles, and now he found himself indebted to the kindness of Widow Lou and her daughter!

The personal indenture and the land deed had lain against Fei Rulan's bosom for a long time, still carrying a maiden's faint fragrance and lingering warmth.

He could not refuse.

Fei Rulan had already thrown caution to the wind, casting aside all reserve and inhibition. If he rejected her now, how could she ever face herself again?

Suddenly, Zhao Han's mind cleared. A warm smile appeared on his face, and he gazed at Fei Rulan with tender eyes.

A man resolved on rebellion, yet bashful and hesitant in matters of the heart — wasn't that even more cowardly than a girl secluded in her chambers?

Fei Rulan dared not meet his eyes. She lowered her head and turned away, saying, "I'll go home first."

Zhao Han abruptly reached out and pulled her back into his arms, holding her tight. "Do you know what I intend to do?"

The words carried a double meaning. Fei Rulan did not grasp it, both shy and afraid. "You… let go of me."

"Let me hold you a while." Zhao Han closed his eyes, breathing in the fresh scent of her hair, and his whole body relaxed.

Truly relaxed. Every day he thought too much, his nerves stretched taut. Now, at last, he need not tax his mind with schemes.

Fei Rulan's whole body went rigid. She had never even touched a man's hand, let alone embraced one. Feeling the warmth of Zhao Han's body, the hot breath by her ear, her body gradually went soft, as though treading on cotton, as though floating in the air.

Neither spoke again. They simply held each other in silence.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!

Suddenly, Fei Ruhe pounded on the door. "Elder Sister, what's the matter? Aren't you done talking yet?"

"I'm leaving!"

Fei Rulan shoved Zhao Han away violently, her face burning red, and fled — like a startled young deer.

Two more days passed. Fei Lin, the head steward of Jingxing Court, personally accompanied Zhao Han to the county yamen to register his household.

Someone from the Fei clan had to show their face; otherwise, twenty taels of silver would not settle the matter. If the authorities did not know the background, they would not readily grant household registration to refugees, for fear of offending some powerful local family.

Arriving at the county yamen, they spent two taels of silver bribing the gatekeepers and were soon ushered in to see the County Magistrate's private secretary, He.

The County Magistrate had been replaced, and naturally the private secretary had been replaced as well.

The private secretary was named He Can, a man of about forty. He very graciously agreed to join them for a drink.

Zhao Han played the part of the obedient youth, not uttering a single word throughout.

After three rounds of wine, Fei Lin stated his purpose. He tore up the personal indenture on the spot, then produced the land deed and said, "This lad Han has earned the master's considerable favor and has been granted his freedom. Here is the land deed as well. We beg the secretary's kind convenience — please, raise your noble hand and help us establish his household registration."

He Can glanced sidelong at the documents, then suddenly asked, "Could this be that expelled child student, Fei Han?"

"How does the secretary know?" Fei Lin asked in surprise.

He Can laughed. "The expulsion of a child student is no small matter. The old master of your household personally came to invite the County Magistrate to a banquet, and I was there in attendance. I was also the one who ran the errand to the county school — I witnessed the expulsion with my own eyes. It would be strange if I didn't remember."

Fei Lin brought out the silver. "Please accept this with a smile, Secretary."

He Can swept a glance over it, then merely continued eating his food and said nothing more.

He was holding out for a higher price — the silver offered was too little.

Zhao Han had no choice but to dip into his own purse and add another ten taels, saying with an apologetic smile, "Please take this for wine, Secretary."

"This matter is easily handled." He Can promptly pocketed the silver.

Having eaten and drunk his fill, He Can led them back to the county yamen and swiftly drew up the household registration certificate.

Just then, He Can smacked his own head. "Aiya! The official seal is with His Honor the Magistrate. Come back after the New Year to collect it."

Fei Lin was instantly dumbfounded and turned to look at Zhao Han.

Zhao Han understood perfectly. He could only produce another ten taels of silver. "Secretary, please raise your noble hand."

He Can pocketed this silver as well and explained with a smile, "The seal truly is with His Honor. I shall find an opportunity to fetch it and stamp the document next time."

Zhao Han said, "We can wait a few days here in the county seat."

"I really can't say when that might be," He Can continued to stall.

Zhao Han flew into a towering rage, wanting nothing more than to stab this scoundrel to death with a single thrust. He had never seen such insatiable greed!

A matter that should have cost twenty taels at market rate had already inflated to forty, and even after pocketing the silver, the man still was not satisfied.

It was simply because He Can knew Zhao Han was an expelled child student and suspected there must be more to the story. Seeing Zhao Han's free-spending ways, he wanted to keep extorting bribes until he had probed out Zhao Han's bottom line.

Zhao Han forcefully suppressed his fury, cupped his hands, and asked, "May I ask what it will take to obtain the household certificate?"

"Another hundred taels. Every office in the yamen must be greased," He Can said.

Where was Zhao Han supposed to find a hundred taels? He spread his hands at once. "Return the silver. I won't register the household."

"What silver?" He Can began playing dumb.

Fei Lin could hold back no longer and demanded angrily, "Secretary He, do you not fear offending the Fei clan? Zhao Han was personally brought home by Juren Fei, and Juren Fei is now a County Magistrate himself!"

He Can smiled. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

Of course this fellow was not afraid. Fei Yuanyi had personally called upon the County Magistrate to have Zhao Han's child student status forcibly erased — clearly, there was discord within the Fei clan itself.

Seeing that they truly could not produce a hundred taels, He Can probed again. "Fifty taels?"

Zhao Han did not answer, only glared at the man.

He Can sighed. "Forget it, forget it. Another ten taels. You wait at an inn in the county seat — just a few days, that's all. I'll find a chance to get the seal from His Honor."

Zhao Han took out ten taels of silver but did not hand it over. "Three days from now, I will come to the yamen to collect the household certificate. I'll give you these ten taels then."

"Rest easy and wait," He Can said with a smile.

As soon as the two men left the yamen, He Can immediately wrote a letter and summoned a clerk. "Take a boat to the Fei estate at Goose Lake at once. Deliver this letter to Old Master Fei."

This scoundrel was utterly black-hearted. Knowing there was conflict within the Fei clan, he secretly sent word to the other side.

If Fei Yuanyi was willing to pay, he would turn hostile at once, refuse to register Zhao Han's household, and swallow all the silver he had already taken.

If Fei Yuanyi was unwilling to pay, he would accept the final ten taels and smoothly hand over the household certificate to Zhao Han.

He would not favor either side. In Secretary He's eyes, there was only silver!

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(End of chapter)