Chapter 1489: Brother Feifei Side Story (Part 1)
Brother Feifei had just arrived in Shandong, knowing no one, with no choice but to compromise. The result of compromising was that he, along with his attendant Ah Shan, found themselves penniless, and the innkeeper, knowing Brother Feifei had no money, forced him to pay for his room. To pay for the room, Brother Feifei pawned his clothes, using the remaining two taels of silver to rent a private house.
To make a living, Brother Feifei sent Ah Shan out to work for others, while he himself went out to sell his calligraphy. Brother Feifei’s calligraphy was quite good, earning him a considerable sum; and the money Ah Shan earned daily was enough to support the two of them, allowing them to get by. However, because of this, in the eyes of other scholars, Brother Feifei was just an ordinary student from afar. But Brother Feifei was very talented; scholars value those with potential for development, so they did not look down on Brother Feifei. Soon, Brother Feifei met a man named Zhou Yi.
Zhou Yi was two years older than Brother Feifei, from a modest background, but very talented. After getting to know him, Brother Feifei felt a special connection between the two of them. Moreover, not long after they met, Zhou Yi introduced quite a few other scholars to Brother Feifei, further endearing himself to Brother Feifei.
Shandong has a rich cultural atmosphere, where talent is abundant. It was in this place that Brother Feifei felt his horizons widened. Thus, Brother Feifei stayed in Shandong for three years. During these three years, Brother Feifei and Zhou Yi forged a brotherly friendship. Alas, no matter how deep the friendship, once interests are involved, things can easily change.
An opportunity arose when Zhou Yi and Brother Feifei met with Prefect Liu Hetai. Soon, Zhou Yi learned from a friend that Prefect Liu admired both him and Brother Feifei and considered choosing one of them as a son-in-law. A prefect is a fourth-rank official, representing an excellent opportunity for Zhou Yi—marrying the prefect’s daughter would undoubtedly give him significant support.
Had Zhou Yi told Brother Feifei about this, even as a test, as long as Brother Feifei knew of the matter, Zhou Yi would realize that Brother Feifei was not interested in marrying Prefect Liu’s daughter. Yet Zhou Yi said nothing. And just at that moment, Prefect Liu invited Brother Feifei over.
Prefect Liu, a seasoned figure in the officialdom, had keen eyes. Having met once, he surmised that Brother Feifei might not be from an ordinary family. Although Brother Feifei claimed his family had fallen on hard times, this might deceive ordinary people, but not an old fox who has maneuvered through the career politics for over twenty years. Words may be false, yet the unintentional revelations cannot be faked, not to mention Brother Feifei’s casual attitude when meeting Prefect Liu. However, Brother Feifei was using the identity of a branch of the Ma Family, not his real one. Hence, Prefect Liu could not uncover Brother Feifei’s background. Under such circumstances, Prefect Liu deliberately sought out Brother Feifei to talk, and during the conversation, expressed his wish to marry off his daughter to him.
Brother Feifei refused outright. He wouldn’t marry Prefect Liu’s daughter regardless if she was illegitimate or legitimate. Brother Feifei tactfully declined, claiming that marriage matters should be decided by his parents.
Prefect Liu, exceedingly shrewd, could tell from Brother Feifei’s demeanor that he looked down upon his daughter. The more this was Brother Feifei’s attitude, the more Prefect Liu felt his guess was correct, so he did not make things difficult for Brother Feifei, invited him for a meal, and then sent him home.
Zhou Yi, upon getting the news, hurried to ask Brother Feifei why Prefect Liu had invited him. Brother Feifei didn’t mention Prefect Liu’s intention to marry his daughter, as this involved the girl’s reputation, and mentioning it wouldn’t be appropriate, not even to a close brother.
Brother Feifei’s attitude made Zhou Yi increasingly uneasy. Meanwhile, Prefect Liu’s attitude towards Brother Feifei grew increasingly favorable, to the point where everyone believed that Prefect Liu wanted Brother Feifei as his son-in-law.
To prevent Brother Feifei from blocking his path, Zhou Yi collaborated with another person jealous of Brother Feifei, framing Brother Feifei for illicit exchanges with a girl. Scholars cherish their reputation most dearly; once it’s ruined, their future is ruined too.
Once the incident arose, Brother Feifei’s reputation immediately plummeted, turning him into a reviled figure. Upon hearing of this, Prefect Liu immediately investigated the matter, clearing Brother Feifei’s name. Prefect Liu did this for a reason; even if he was wrong about Brother Feifei’s identity, clearing his name was a trivial effort. However, if his guess was correct, then Brother Feifei would owe him a favor.
Ah Shan explained the cause and effect to Brother Feifei, but Brother Feifei refused to believe it. He couldn’t believe that Zhou Yi, who had always seemed like a brother, would inflict such harm. Facing undeniable evidence, Brother Feifei still found it hard to believe; he personally confronted Zhou Yi, and the outcome left him deeply shocked.
Soon after, Brother Feifei left Shandong and went to Jiangnan. During his two years in Jiangnan, Brother Feifei made many friends but never opened his heart to anyone again. Having spent two years in Jiangnan, Brother Feifei then went to Haikou, from Haikou detoured to the Northwest, and finally returned to the Capital City from the Northwest.
