Chapter 33: Peizhi Enters the Tiger's Den to Probe the Case — Li Feng Sets Out for Jiangxi to Arrange Bribery

Now, Lin Dayou presented his plan. "Juexing has already gone to Hunan, and Xilai has vanished without a trace. If Tianlai's petition to the throne is approved and an imperial commissioner is dispatched, waiting until the commissioner arrives before trying to bribe him would be far too late. And if the bribery should fail, we would truly be sitting here waiting to die. We must send someone this very moment to wait at the Jiangxi border, and when the commissioner passes through, approach him there. If the bribe goes through, all is well; if it does not, the man can ride back at full speed to warn us. We will already have a sea-going vessel on hire, and the moment the alarm sounds, we board ship and put to sea — sail to Macao at the nearest, and if need be to Singapore further afield. Let the commissioner try to catch us then!" Peizhi clapped his hands and said, "A superb plan! And in any case, I believe no commissioner ever refuses money. As the saying goes, 'a black-eyed man who sees silver' — who could remain unmoved?" Guixing said, "But the man we send to Jiangxi must be absolutely reliable. Who should go?" Lin Dayou also stood there pondering, and could think of no one. Guixing turned to talk further with Peizhi — fate-reading, astrology, and so on — for quite some time, and had Peizhi divine the outcome of the lawsuit. Peizhi held forth at length with oracular fluency, and Guixing was left beaming and dancing, deeply regretting that they had not met sooner.

Guixing immediately invited Peizhi to stay on, to help devise a plan against both Tianlai and the commissioner. That evening he laid on a banquet as well. In the course of the conversation, Peizhi casually brought up the history of the lawsuits. Guixing duly produced all the case files and let Peizhi look through them. Peizhi read each volume and asked questions about it — how much had been paid in bribes, and to whom — and when he reached the file on Investigating Censor Xiao, he mentioned Li Feng. It suddenly struck Guixing that for the mission to Jiangxi to bribe the commissioner, no one was more suitable than Li Feng. He accordingly asked Peizhi to stay the night, and they agreed to go together to the provincial capital the next morning. Peizhi was glad to accept. The two talked until deep in the night before resting.

The next morning Guixing sent the assembled ruffians off first, with orders to rendezvous in the provincial capital, while he and Peizhi took a boat straight there, arriving together at Sande Inn. Guixing first sent someone to fetch Li Feng, and Li Feng was not long in arriving. Guixing made introductions between him and Peizhi, and then ordered a banquet. Laughing, he said, "Today I am doing two things at once: welcoming Brother Su on one hand, and seeing Brother Li off on the other!" Li Feng said in surprise, "I have no plans to go anywhere — what do you mean, seeing me off?" Guixing laughed. "I am afraid I shall have to trouble you with a little errand." Li Feng said, "So it's one of your commissions again! What is it this time?" Guixing said, "I fear you don't know about this matter yet. When you hear it, I suspect it will give you quite a shock. This journey concerns me, but in fact it also concerns you." Li Feng said, "Just say what it is — why must you speak in such riddles?" Guixing said, raising his voice, "Liang Tianlai has gone to Beijing to petition the Emperor directly!" Li Feng said in alarm, "Is this true?" Guixing said, "Would I invent such a thing? And this is Brother Su here who actually encountered him, to boot." Li Feng said, "He has that much nerve!" Guixing said, "He has the nerve, so I must show some ingenuity. That is why I need to trouble you to make a journey to Jiangxi. Wait there for developments. If his petition is approved, a commissioner will surely be sent to investigate — you intercept the commissioner there and make arrangements. As for expenses, whatever is needed, name the sum and I will provide it." Li Feng said, "Why not go all the way to the capital to make arrangements there?" Guixing said, "Ah! How I wish we could! First I had Xilai carry money to Nanxiong to bribe the way, and also took a letter from Kinsman Qu to the local thousand-captain, to have him intercede and arrange to block Tianlai on the road and pin some charge on him right there on the spot..." Li Feng said, "That would have been very good!" Guixing said, "Indeed it would have been. But that villainous Xilai suddenly had a change of heart, ran off with the money, and has not been found since..."

Li Feng slapped the table. "What a disaster!" Guixing said, "After receiving that news, I again entrusted Kinsman Qu with funds to go to the capital and make arrangements there. As I happen to have a contact in Beijing — a Hanlin academician I knew in the old days who lives near my house — I thought of using him as an intermediary..." Li Feng said, "Something went wrong there too, I'll wager!" Guixing said, "What do you mean?" Li Feng said, "Never mind, go on." Guixing said, "But then Kinsman Qu, on reaching Nanxiong, met this Brother Su here, who is skilled in physiognomy and told him that within a hundred days he faced prison, and advised him not to go to the capital. So Kinsman Qu has gone to Hunan to lie low. He wrote yesterday through Brother Su to say he will go to the capital once the hundred days are past. But with three months to wait, the situation might change — which is why I want to trouble you to make the trip to Jiangxi." Li Feng said, "When do I go?" Guixing said, "Naturally as soon as possible — we have to be there before him, not wait for him to come to us." Li Feng said, "Going too early would also be pointless. What if I go home today and entrust a courier to ask around in Beijing for news of whether Tianlai's petition has been approved? The moment they hear it has, he can come back and tell me at top speed, and then I can set out without delay — that would be time enough." Guixing said, "What if we don't have time?" Li Feng said, "There will be plenty of time. Even after a petition is approved, the Censorate must hold two hearings; and since this complaint goes all the way from the Mudeli Inspection Station up to the Governor-General of Guangdong, a case of this magnitude will need further reports and an imperial rescript. Then the Emperor must appoint a commissioner; the commissioner must receive his instructions after appointment; there may also be a list of accompanying officials to be drawn up. Only then can the party set out from Beijing — how could we not have time? But I will say: it is a tremendous stroke of fortune that Kinsman Qu did not go to the capital. That Hanlin academician you mentioned — would he be the one who was once disciplined?" Guixing said, "That's the one." Li Feng said, "That man is a swindler! The genuine academician who was disciplined died long ago. This man is the academician's brother, using his dead brother's name to go about cadging money from people. I would not have known myself, but: when the academician was in Beijing, he knew Censor Xiao, who sent a condolence gift when the man died. Then this impersonator showed up here and had the audacity to send Censor Xiao a pair of couplets and a copy of the Palace Examination essay. The Censor was baffled — how has So-and-so come back to life? He sent someone to investigate and found it was an impostor. He then summoned the county magistrate and directed him to arrest the man. Fortunately, the Nanhai County magistrate is from the same home province as the impersonator and interceded on his behalf, so he was not arrested — merely told to go home at once. This person is likely not even in Beijing now. If he were, relying on him would be ruinous!" Guixing stamped his foot. "Why didn't you tell me sooner! I fell for his trick!" Li Feng said, "But your kinsman never went to the capital — where is the harm?" Guixing said, "You don't know the half of it — I'd already been tricked." And he recounted the story of purchasing the examination connections in full. Li Feng clapped his hands and laughed uproariously. "How remarkable that you were not more frightened — you, a government student! You don't even know the most basic rules!"

Guixing said in bewilderment, "Are there rules to this as well?" Li Feng said, "Of course! In examination matters, whether it is hiring a ghost-writer or a 'connection note' — they never hand over money up front. You simply write a promissory note. Say your year was the Bingwu year: the note reads 'borrowed a certain amount from a certain person for post-examination expenses,' and specifies a repayment date, with the notation at the bottom: 'Bingwu year candidate, So-and-so.' If you pass, the lender presents the note and collects. You cannot deny it. If you fail, he cannot press you!" Guixing said, "Why can't he press you? What if he tears up the agreement — after all, it's in your own hand!" Li Feng said, "You truly are an innocent! If you fail, you are no longer the Bingwu year candidate!" Guixing slapped his forehead. "To think such an elegant method exists — I have learned something new today!" And the two of them went on chatting away, while Peizhi, seated beside them, quietly smiled to himself.

Before long the banquet was laid, and Guixing rose to offer the seats. During the meal Guixing spoke his mind freely. Peizhi joined in with pleasantries, and then offered some remarks on fate-reading, weaving in flattery about Guixing, who was soon beaming and swaying with pleasure. They also fixed a date for Peizhi to examine the feng shui on Guixing's behalf. Peizhi agreed, and Li Feng also pestered Peizhi to read his face, which Peizhi duly did. The talk turned to the Jiangxi matter, and Peizhi asked what plan they had for making the approach. Li Feng said, "This is a matter of improvising on the spot — there is no way to plan it in advance. But I wonder: how much is Qibo willing to spend?" Guixing said, "I have already said — whatever amount is needed, I will comply without question." Li Feng said, "In that case you can simply write out banknotes — no need for cash on the spot. And don't do it the clumsy way you did in Zhaoqing. That prefect of the time was also blinded by greed, and had all the silver hauled in through the front gates in great heaving loads. What kind of spectacle is that for outsiders to witness?" Guixing said, "But which banks here in the provincial capital have exchange connections to Jiangxi?" Li Feng said, "There you go again! Can't you use notes drawn right here in the provincial capital? The commissioner is going to come here in any case — do you think he will turn back in Jiangxi after receiving your gifts?" Peizhi said, "In my humble opinion, Brother Li would do better to set out as soon as possible. Tianlai is probably already in Beijing by now — it may be a matter of days before the petition is approved or rejected. If we wait for a courier to go and return, I am afraid we truly will run out of time." Guixing counted on his fingers and said, "True! Good thing Brother Su reminded me — if we wait for the courier to come back, we will certainly miss our chance. Better to set out at once!" Peizhi added, "Brother Li's complexion is excellent, and this year you have entered your 'official seal' fate-cycle — the most favorable period. This trip to Jiangxi may bring unexpected good fortune." Li Feng said, "If you say so, then I'll go." Guixing said, "When? I need to have the notes prepared." Li Feng said, "Tomorrow is too soon — the day after tomorrow." Guixing was delighted. They drank a while longer and then the company dispersed. Peizhi made to leave, and Guixing pressed him to stay; Peizhi said he had business and would return for another visit. Guixing asked his address and also sent ten taels along as a consultation fee. Peizhi refused to accept it, and left. He returned to his inn and went about his own real business.

After sending Peizhi off, Guixing continued talking with Li Feng, working out the amount of the drafts. Guixing also told Li Feng about Lin Dayou's plan. Li Feng said, "That precaution is also indispensable — better to have it and not need it than the reverse." Guixing nodded in agreement. Li Feng took his leave, and they arranged for Guixing to bring the drafts to him the next day. The next day the drafts were indeed ready, along with a further two hundred taels in travel expenses, which Guixing personally delivered. Li Feng received them; Guixing then returned to the inn. One day later, Li Feng set out on his journey, and Guixing personally saw him off for a distance. His parting instructions were: "If things do not go smoothly, by all means come back at once so we can make plans to flee in good time." Li Feng agreed and waved farewell.

Guixing returned to the inn and sent for Lin Dayou to come and discuss the matter of hiring a sea-going vessel. Dayou said, "If we commit to this course, all the brothers will want to follow the master, and we will need to bring the family as well — one boat may not be enough. Why not hire two? One for the master, and one for the rest of the brothers. I have thought it through: Macao won't do — it had better be Singapore. We can even take some cargo along, and the master can set up a trading house there." Guixing said, "The trading house can wait — hiring the boat is what matters now." Dayou said, "That's easy. Let me go tomorrow and get prices." He said goodbye and left. Guixing suddenly also thought of Su Peizhi and sent someone to the address Peizhi had given to invite him over.

What would Guixing want to discuss with Peizhi when he came? Read on to the next chapter.