Chapter 159: Surrender
Pei Qinghe settled down and rested for half a day. In the evening, Old Master Shi held a family banquet and sent Shi Yan to invite her.
Pei Qinghe chuckled: “I now understand where all your capability comes from.”
Her posture could be tough or soft, her methods flexible. Clearly all inherited from Old Master Shi.
Shi Yan, teased and joked with, felt not the slightest bit embarrassed and grinned: “When I was fifteen, my grandfather said I was even better than the master.”
Pei Qinghe smiled faintly: “Fine, since you came personally to invite me, I definitely have to give you this face. Wait a moment, I’ll change into a clean set of clothes.”
For ease of movement, Pei Qinghe never wore skirts, just a gray cloth outfit. Her hair was too long and inconvenient to manage, so it was cut shorter and shorter, then braided into a braided pigtail. Going to the banquet, it was inconvenient to bring bow and arrow or long saber, so she hid a sharp dagger in her sleeve, with a soft whip wrapped around her waist as a belt. In a crisis, the dagger and soft whip could both be used for self-defense or killing.
This of course didn’t quite fit the rules for attending a banquet.
Now Sixth Sister Pei ran roughshod in Yan Prefecture, and no one was qualified to point fingers at her.
Pei Yan also went to the banquet together. She was tall and sturdy with thick arms, dark skin, and eyes like copper bells; standing there, she was a female warrior. Next to her, the spirited Pei Qinghe even seemed petite.
Old Master Shi led the Shi Family Members in warmly welcoming them.
The Shi Family direct branch had few people, but the branch family members were quite numerous. Those attending the family banquet today were mostly the heads of the various branches and houses.
Everyone held awe toward Sixth Sister Pei, who had a fearsome reputation for killing like flies, and treated her with utmost respect.
Pei Qinghe smiled and said: “Everyone, no need to be formal. Please sit!”
Only then did everyone secretly breathe a sigh of relief and take their seats.
Pei Qinghe naturally sat at the head seat, with Old Master Shi and Shi Yan, grandfather and grandson, seated to her left and right.
Old Master Shi proactively stood to toast her. Pei Qinghe smiled and stood to return the toast.
After the family banquet ended, Old Master Shi invited Pei Qinghe to the study room to talk. Pei Qinghe and Old Master Shi sat facing each other, while Shi Yan and Shi Li, the two brothers, stood to the side.
What Old Master Shi spoke of was the Zhan Family coming to seek refuge: “A skinny camel is still bigger than a horse. The Zhan Family’s illicit salt mine was taken by the Fanyang Army, and their family business was also robbed. However, Zhan Fei has trade routes operated for decades, and over two hundred personnel under him. All of this would be greatly useful to the Pei Family Army.”
“I’m shamelessly pleading for Zhan Fei, and I also hope Sixth Sister can fully bring the Zhan Family Members under her own use.”
Pei Qinghe nodded slightly: “I have the same intention.”
“What I value is the Zhan Family’s salt selling team. They’ve been outside the passes, are familiar with the terrain outside the passes, and have dealt with Xiongnu Barbarians.”
“I want them to continue going outside the passes. With no illicit salt to sell, they can sell tea, wine, or cotton cloth; I’ll provide the supplies, and he’ll lead the people outside the passes to exchange for horses and bring them back.”
Old Master Shi was startled: “So Sixth Sister has already thought of this step.”
Pei Qinghe smiled: “What the Pei Family Army lacks most right now is warhorses. The Jing Dynasty doesn’t produce horses, so every army lacks warhorses. To get good horses, you have to go outside the passes.”
“Going outside the passes to buy horses carries considerable risk. Old Master Shi, you might hint this to Zhan Fei. If he’s willing to risk his life for me, Pei Qinghe, not only will I give the Zhan Family a way to survive, but I’ll also help them rise again. If he only wants to cling to life, then there’s no need for him to see me again. Staying in Yan Prefecture, the Pei Family Army won’t touch him.”
“I’ll give him five days to consider.”
Old Master Shi exhaled, nodding in agreement: “Good, I will certainly relay Sixth Sister’s words to Shopkeeper Zhan.”
How he chooses is up to Zhan Fei himself.
……
“Do I even have a choice?”
Half a shichen later, Zhan Fei, summoned to the study room, gave a wry smile: “Our Zhan Family accumulated a family business over decades, all robbed clean. We offered up our daughter to exchange for the old and young of the family to keep their lives. I, Zhan Fei, was prominent for most of my life, and now I’m like a homeless dog.”
“This enmity unavenged, I swear not to be human.”
“I don’t want to cling to life; I want to rise again and revive the Zhan Family. I’m willing to go outside the passes to buy horses for Sixth Sister.”
Old Master Shi sighed: “You’d better think it through. Before, when you went outside the passes to sell illicit salt and brought back cattle and sheep, you made a fortune in silver. Xiongnu Barbarians don’t care about selling cattle and sheep, but they won’t have a good face for buying horses. You might go out and end up buried outside the passes, never to return.”
Zhan Fei gritted his teeth: “I still have to go. With no other path left, just this one remains; I have to fight for it with all I’ve got.”
Old Master Shi looked at the red-eyed Zhan Fei, feeling bad in his heart.
The Shi Family and Zhan Family had been friends for many years, both with luxurious family businesses, jokingly called the two great magnates of Youzhou. The Zhan Family was forced nearly to family ruined, nation destroyed by the Fanyang Army, while the Shi Family remained steady as a rock. Though they had to offer up large amounts of grain, they gained the Pei Family Army’s protection in exchange. Compared to the Zhan Family, it was one in the sky and one underground.
If he were Zhan Fei, he wouldn’t be willing to fade away like this either. With a chance to rise again, he absolutely couldn’t miss it. So what if it’s fighting to the death? If not for Sixth Sister Pei, Zhan Fei wouldn’t even have the chance to fight to the death.
“Good! I’ll relay it to Sixth Sister for you.” Old Master Shi sighed: “I hope all goes as you wish.”
Zhan Fei swallowed his tears, cupped his hands in thanks, then added: “No need to wait five days. As long as Sixth Sister is willing to see me, I’ll come to seek an audience tomorrow.”
Since Zhan Fei was willing to risk his life for a future, Pei Qinghe was happy to see him.
The next day, Zhan Fei came to seek an audience.
Pei Qinghe kept only Shi Yan and Pei Yan, with the rest guarding outside the door. Zhan Fei still wanted to kneel, but Pei Qinghe raised her hand to stop him: “We’re all our own people from now on; no need to kneel all the time.”
“Sit and talk.”
Zhan Fei sat down, overwhelmed with gratitude.
Without waiting for Pei Qinghe to ask, Zhan Fei spoke the words he’d pondered all night: “Sixth Sister, our Zhan Family secretly sold salt outside the passes just these past ten years. All three illicit salt teams have gone, but unfortunately the Fanyang Army killed most of them; now only over a hundred people remain.”
“I’ll divide the over a hundred people into two teams: I’ll lead one, and have my third brother at home lead the other. After the two teams exit the pass, they’ll go separate ways. I’ll take cotton cloth, third brother will bring several carts of tea, and we’ll make a run first to see how many horses we can exchange back.”
There was no salt left, and wine wasn’t easy to transport. Cotton cloth and tea were both hot commodities outside the passes, and both were goods suitable for long-term storage without spoiling.
As expected of a magnate who’d done business for decades; even with the family business robbed away, no one could take the experience and eye for business.
Pei Qinghe nodded approvingly: “I don’t know much about doing business. You can discuss these matters with Steward Shi.”
Shi Yan picked up: “The Wang Family provides the cotton cloth, the Zhan Family provides the personnel, and all the warhorses exchanged back will supply the Pei Family Army. Rest assured, we won’t let Shopkeeper Zhan risk his life for nothing; the Pei Family Army will buy the horses at market price. The Wang Family gets thirty percent profit, the Zhan Family gets seventy percent.”
“For the tea merchants, I’ll handle the negotiations. Have the tea merchants provide the tea and take thirty percent share.”
Zhan Fei’s spirits lifted, and he cupped his hands again: “I have one more thing to request: Sixth Sister, please send some personnel to go along. Opening a trade route isn’t easy; bringing more personnel will be safer.”
