Chapter 9

As the night deepened and a fine rain began to fall, the Wu family's small courtyard near Sweet Water Lane, close to Bian River Street, still had its lights on. Feng Erniang and her son Wu Haowen were sitting opposite each other in the study. A woman in her fifties, who still had some charm, pushed the door open and placed two bowls of freshly prepared tea, which still had a layer of milky white foam on the surface, in front of the mother and son. She sighed lightly and was about to leave, but was stopped by Feng Erniang at the door.

"Wang Po, you go to sleep first. I still have things to talk about with Er Lang."

The woman called "Wang Po" by Feng Erniang was a servant of the Wu family. She had been serving Feng Erniang since she was a courtesan, and she had also raised Wu Haowen.

Watching Wang Po close the door and leave, Feng Erniang said to Wu Haowen, "Er Lang, don't go to the painting studio anymore starting tomorrow."

"Not go?"

"Your father's idea is that the matters of the painting studio will be handled by your elder brother from now on..."

"But can Elder Brother handle it?"

"What's the point of whether he can or not?" Feng Erniang rubbed her temples. "You don't still think the family's painting studio can continue, do you?"

"Can't continue?" Wu Haowen looked at his mother in surprise.

Feng Erniang smiled bitterly and lowered her voice. "This is also your father's idea... This time, the family can't avoid a major setback. But don't worry, Er Lang. When your father is released from the prison in Kaifeng, he will divorce me. The house in Sweet Water Lane and the painting 'Tian Nu San Hua' left by your grandfather (referring to Wu Zongyuan) will be given to you and me. This way, even if those villains continue to persecute your father and your elder brother, they won't be able to harm us for a while. With the painting as a stepping stone, I will ask for help from Mr. Pan. I will make sure you can enter the Imperial College. Once you are in, those people won't dare to touch you."

It turned out that Feng Erniang had already discussed the family's future with her husband Wu Cheng during her visit to the prison. Wu Cheng, who had spent his entire life in the Kaifeng painting and calligraphy industry, knew that the Wu family's painting studio could not be saved. Even if Wu Haogu could sell the collections and mortgage the studio to raise enough money to return to the palace, it would only be a temporary reprieve.

Therefore, Wu Cheng decided to use the method of cutting off his arm to save his life. He would divorce his wife Feng Erniang and leave the house in Sweet Water Lane and a valuable painting to his wife and second son. He would then use the valuable painting to help his second son Wu Haowen enter the Imperial College. As long as Wu Haowen could enter the Imperial College, Wu Cheng and Feng Erniang would be safe.

After all, during the Northern Song Dynasty, the true power was not held by the eunuchs and the nobility, but by the scholar-officials. The Imperial College was one of the important sources of scholar-officials. According to the "Three Halls System," as long as one was promoted to the Upper Hall, they would at least receive the treatment of "exemption from the preliminary examination." If they performed well in the Upper Hall examination, they could be exempted from the Ministry of Rites examination.

The imperial examinations of the Northern Song Dynasty were divided into three levels: the preliminary examination held in the prefectures and counties, the Ministry of Rites examination, and the palace examination, which was theoretically presided over by the emperor. However, those who passed the Ministry of Rites examination were rarely eliminated in the palace examination.

Therefore, as long as one could enter the Imperial College and be promoted to the Upper Hall, they would have one foot in the prestigious ranks of the scholar-officials. A scholar-official who graduated from the Imperial College or passed the imperial examination would be a Junior Rank Ninth Grade Official, which was not something that eunuchs or nobles with military titles could easily manipulate. Even the lower hall or inner hall students of the Imperial College, who had no immediate opportunities for official positions, were not easy to bully. The Imperial College was known as the "Imperial Censorate without Officials" in the Northern Song Dynasty. Once the Imperial College students started to protest collectively, even the current prime minister would be nervous, let alone the eunuchs and nobles with no real power.

Therefore, Wu Cheng, who was imprisoned in the Kaifeng prison, could only think of a way to send his second son Wu Haowen to the Imperial College. As for himself and his eldest son Haogu, they were both in the painting and calligraphy industry and could only grit their teeth and bear the difficulties of the industry...

...

The night in Kaifeng, with the rain, seemed somewhat cold. The number of pleasure boats on the Bian River was only half of what it was the previous night, and the taverns under Xingguo Temple Bridge were also deserted.

However, the cold business was convenient for those who wanted to meet secretly and talk in private.

Zhao Tieniu sat down in a tavern, wearing a white brocade robe and a scholar's cap on his head.

However, his appearance and his bold sitting posture had nothing of a scholar's elegance; he looked like a bandit dressed as a scholar.

He ordered a corner of wine, a pound of square-cut roasted pork from Daxiangguo Temple, and a few small dishes.

The Northern Song Dynasty's Daxiangguo Temple actually had a shop selling cooked meat! It was quite famous in Kaifeng, known as the "Daxiangguo Temple Roasted Pork Shop." The head monk of the "Roasted Pork Shop" was called the Roasted Pork Shop Monk, who was an excellent cook. He was the master of Wu Haogu's friend, Monk Fu.

The roasted pork from the Roasted Pork Shop was not only sold retail in the food shops opened by Daxiangguo Temple but was also sold wholesale, so many taverns and restaurants bought the roasted pork from the Roasted Pork Shop to sell.

When the food and drinks were served, the person Zhao Tieniu was waiting for arrived.

The man was in his forties or fifties, not very tall, with fair skin, regular features, and a few long mustaches. He had a refined and elegant appearance. He was dressed as a scholar, wearing a black Dongpo cap and holding a folding fan, walking in slowly.

"Mr. Chen, over here."

Seeing the man, Zhao Tieniu quickly raised his hand to greet him.

The man nodded slightly and smiled warmly.

"Brother Zhao, it was hard to find you."

The man called Mr. Chen quickly walked forward and sat down at the table.

"Come, come, come. The Dongpo Pork from the Roasted Pork Shop has just been served. You came at the right time."

Although Su Dongpo was now exiled to Danzhou (on Hainan Island) and had lost his political power, the Dongpo Pork he created was very popular in Kaifeng.

Zhao Tieniu warmly greeted the man, pouring wine and serving meat, showing no trace of his usual arrogant and domineering demeanor. The man did not refuse, drinking and eating with a grand manner.

"Good meat! It's indeed the Roasted Pork Shop's work."

"Hehe, the Dongpo Pork from the Roasted Pork Shop is the best in the capital," Zhao Tieniu said with a sycophantic smile. "It's said that the head monk of the Roasted Pork Shop was a cook in Su Dongpo's household before he became a monk, and his cooking skills are unparalleled."

"Is that so?"

Mr. Chen smiled but did not continue the conversation. Instead, he asked calmly, "Brother Zhao, has Wu Daglang mortgaged the painting studio?"

"No, no..." Zhao Tieniu shook his head.

"No?" Mr. Chen was surprised. "Could he dare to deny my appraisal document?"

This man was Chen Youwen, a待诏 (imperial painter) of the Imperial Painting Academy. The scroll of Zhang Fang's "Guardian of the Dharma" that Zhao Tieniu had brought in the evening was appraised as a fake by him.

"How could he dare to deny your document?"

Zhao Tieniu smiled flatteringly. "You are the authority in the Kaifeng painting and calligraphy industry. If the Wu family denies it, will they still be able to do business?"

Chen Youwen frowned. "Could the Wu family have come up with 7,200 strings of coins?"

"They don't have the money," Zhao Tieniu sneered. "If they had that much money, they would have used it to save Wu Cheng first."

"Then what happened?"

"Someone vouched for the Wu family."

"Vouched for the Wu family?" Chen Youwen was surprised. "Who is so righteous?"

"The person claimed to be a minor official under the imperial son-in-law Wang Cishi, named Gao Qiu."

"Imperial son-in-law Wang Cishi... Wang Shen?" Chen Youwen became nervous. "Does Wang Shen have a connection with the Wu family?"

"No, I've never heard of it," Zhao Tieniu shook his head. "I only know that the Wu family has some connections with the Pan family, the military family."

Chen Youwen waved his hand indifferently. "Pan Xia'an is not a direct descendant, so he can't protect the Wu family."

The Pan family, starting from Pan Mei, had been passed down for over a hundred years. Now, there were more than a thousand male descendants. Ordinary Pan family members were not very valuable, only the direct descendants were precious. For example, Pan Yi, who was about to marry the Princess of De (the youngest daughter of Emperor Shenzong), was a nephew of Pan Xia'an and Pan Qiaolian, and could protect the Wu family.

Wang Shen, on the other hand, was a son-in-law of the imperial family and a close friend of the heir to the throne, Prince Duan, Zhao Ji. He was indeed a powerful and untouchable noble.

"For how long?" Chen Youwen asked.

"One month."

"Good!" Chen Youwen nodded. "We'll wait for one month... If Wang Shen stands up for the Wu family, I will let them off. If Wang Shen doesn't stand up, then the Wu family's painting studio and the official broker's license will all be mine. At that time, you won't be left out either.

But don't worry too much about Wang Shen. He is interested in the item, not the Wu family. If they don't have the item to offer, how would he stand up for them? And I believe the Wu family most likely doesn't have the item. Otherwise, why would Wu Cheng still be in the Kaifeng prison?

He is an old hand in the painting and calligraphy industry. Has he never seen anything? Why would he risk his life and fortune for a treasure?"

It turned out that what Chen Youwen, the待诏 (imperial painter) of the Imperial Painting Academy, and Zhao Tieniu, the ruffian leader of Panlou Street, were after was not the Wu family's treasures, but their shop and the official broker's license.

Zhao Tieniu asked a bit worriedly, "But what if the Wu family comes up with 7,200 strings of coins within a month?"

Chen Youwen snorted. "7,200 strings of coins are not enough... Wu Cheng is still in the Kaifeng prison. Would Wu Haogu not care about his father's life?

Moreover, where would he find so much money? Who on Panlou Street would dare to help his family's business?"

Zhao Tieniu was still a bit worried and said in a low voice, "On Panlou Street, it's your word, Mr. Chen, but there's also the Ghost Market..."

"What about the Ghost Market?" Chen Youwen sneered. "Do you think the people in the Ghost Market don't recognize me, Chen Youwen? Besides, do I not know what the Wu family has? I will have someone keep an eye on it and ruin their plans."

"That's right, that's right." Zhao Tieniu finally felt relieved. "Indeed, Mr. Chen is wise and resourceful. The Wu family on Panlou Street can't escape the trap you've set for them."

Chen Youwen smiled lightly and picked up a piece of glistening Dongpo Pork. "This trap wasn't set by me, but by the fate of the painting and calligraphy industry. I just went with the flow..."