Chapter 14: A Deluge of VIPs

May 15th was the 60th birthday of Lady Gu of the Zhang family. A month earlier, they had sent out invitations to various distinguished guests, so from early in the morning, the alley in front of the Zhang family’s mansion was completely blocked. A long line of palanquins stretched all the way outside the alley, and even then, people kept arriving from all directions.

Ever since the entire Zhang family opened the main gate to welcome the envoy from Nanjing and joyfully received the imperial decree conferring the title of Second-Rank Lady, even those who hadn’t received invitations tried to take the opportunity to build connections. How could there not be so many people?

As a result, those greeting guests at the entrance of the Zhang family’s mansion had their faces twisted in smiles, those taking registrations were hoarse from talking, those recording gifts and names trembled with exhaustion, those running around delivering tea and water developed blisters on their feet, and even the kitchens and tea rooms, which had doubled their staff, were operating at full capacity… Yet, for triple the monthly pay and bonuses, everyone gritted their teeth and kept working nonstop.

At that moment, Zhang Xin was in Ruiqing Hall, smiling brightly as he talked with several VIPs. Though he said many pleasant words, his eyes kept drifting outside. Seeing this, others couldn’t help but look outside as well, wondering—what on earth was he looking at and waiting for?

Zhang Zhuo had no official position or title. Since the guests in Ruiqing Hall were all officials, he naturally couldn’t mingle among them in plain clothes. So he attended to his relatives in the two side halls. Although he was part of the main branch of the Zhang family, among them were scholars and those who had once held official positions. As a scholar admitted through familial connections, most of the time he could only listen to others’ eloquent speeches while offering polite smiles.

“Father!”

Hearing this call, Zhang Zhuo immediately turned around. Looking down, he saw his son Zhang Yue and his heart skipped a beat. Glancing around to ensure no one was watching, he quickly pulled him aside near a side door.

“Weren’t you told to stay with the old lady? Why did you come outside?”

“Fourth brother is over there. Why do we still need to be here?”

Zhang Yue pouted and then pointed to the corridor nearby. “Second aunt found an excuse to leave. First brother and second brother also slipped away. Even first sister and second sister quietly left. Am I supposed to stand there like a statue? Fourth brother composed three poems in a row, and all those ladies and attendants praised their unique style. How could grandmother pay attention to anyone else now?”

At this moment, he thought to himself that if it weren’t for the few poems written by Zhang Jiu, of which he had no memory at all, he might have suspected that this prodigy-like cousin had also come from another world. Whether it was his arrogance, his temper, or other aspects, that seemingly innate haughtiness only led him to consider that possibility.

“Being too showy from a young age isn’t necessarily a good thing,” Zhang Zhuo shook his head, then remembered that he shouldn’t say such things in front of his son, so he quickly changed the subject. “Since there are many guests at the old lady’s place, Chao Ge and Qi Ge have also left. It shouldn’t matter if you’re not there. Your mother is probably busy back there; you might as well go check on her. If there’s anything you can do, offer your help.”

Zhang Yue had originally planned to do the same, but instead of leaving right away, he said with a smile, “Father is busy entertaining guests and surely doesn’t have time to drink water. I happened to have Qiu Hen prepare tea. It’s probably just the right temperature now. Father might as well take a few sips to moisten his throat.”

Seeing Zhang Yue pull back his folded sleeves to reveal the purple clay teapot in his hands, Zhang Zhuo couldn’t help but smile. Though touched by his son’s filial piety, he still didn’t forget to give him a lesson after taking the teapot. “Your uncle is also responsible for entertaining guests. Don’t focus only on me. Don’t forget to send a good pot of tea to your uncle as well.”

Uncle? Did his uncle really need his efforts? Just now, when he passed by Ruiqing Hall, he saw those officials bending over to flatter him, while those of lower rank had already taken on the task of bringing tea and water. Wouldn’t going there just invite criticism? He didn’t want people to point at him and say he was unlearned.

Though he said this, in front of his father, Zhang Yue obediently agreed, but as soon as he turned around, he forgot about the instruction. After walking through the corridor, he spotted Zhang Chao and Zhang Qi discussing something not far away. With a quick thought, he decided to take a different route. Those two kids were at least once their grandmother’s favorites; it didn’t matter if they caused trouble. If he got involved, he’d only bring trouble upon himself.

Then again, were they really planning to push Gu Bin to fight against Zhang Jiu? Wouldn’t that harm the kid?

Lost in thought, Zhang Yue became distracted and didn’t notice someone approaching quickly from the opposite direction. He bumped straight into their arms. When he raised his head, dazzled, he was stunned. The person wearing a black cloth cap, a white robe, and green shoes couldn’t be anyone other than Mr. Du from the clan school.

“Mr. Du…?”

The moment he saw that person, Zhang Yue suddenly remembered that he hadn’t been to the clan school since the last monthly exam and had no idea how his grades were. Facing Mr. Du’s signature stern expression, he felt uneasy. To his surprise, however, the usually unsmiling tutor actually had the corners of his mouth slightly raised, showing a rare smile.
“You’ve spent little time in class these past years, yet you managed to finish that book in a month and even complete that test paper. Your talent and perseverance are quite impressive.”
If Mr. Du had scolded him, Zhang Yue wouldn’t have been so surprised, but facing such genuine praise, he was truly stunned. Yet this moment of distraction was brief; once he regained his composure, he thought of his father’s instructions and was about to speak when suddenly there was a lot of shouting outside.
“Scholar Shen has arrived!”
Although Zhang Yue had never met those officials, he had seen many noblewomen at his grandmother’s place, including a few of rank three or higher. Seeing such a fuss over just a scholar, he found it strange. Suddenly, he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. Turning around, he saw Mr. Du looking at him with a half-smile.
“You’re not in Nanjing, so you probably don’t know this Scholar Shen’s fame. At the age of eight, he already mastered The Book of Filial Piety, The Analects, and Mencius. By ten, he could write in both regular and cursive script—he’s a true prodigy. After the current emperor ascended the throne and valued scholars, he and his brother Shen Du were summoned to the Secretariat. In Nanjing, the two brothers are revered as the Great and Lesser Scholars and are highly respected by students. It’s quite an honor that he took the time to come personally to congratulate your great-uncle on his birthday.”
His great-uncle wasn’t just gaining honor—he clearly had ulterior motives! Even a child could figure this out: Zhang Jiu had only been back for half a month, yet his reputation as a prodigy had already spread throughout Xiangfu County and even the entire Kaifeng prefecture. Since Scholar Shen, who had also been a prodigy in the past, was here, Zhang Xin could easily find a renowned teacher for Zhang Jiu and use this birthday banquet to boost his son’s reputation—what a win-win situation!
Zhang Yue frowned in deep thought, gradually forming a cold smile, unaware that Mr. Du had been watching him the whole time. So when he raised his head again with an expression of childlike curiosity, he missed the strange smile on Mr. Du’s face.
“Speaking of which, I’ve long heard of Scholar Shen’s fame. Could you take me to Ruiqing Hall to see him in action?”

If these words had come from someone else, Zhang Yue might have believed them, but when Mr. Du, who was as cold as an iceberg, said he admired someone else, it sounded utterly strange to him. Still, he himself was eager to see what would happen, so without thinking, he nodded and said with a smile, “If the master gives the order, the disciple certainly dares not refuse. Since Scholar Shen has caused such a stir upon arrival, Ruiqing Hall must be packed with people. I’ll lead the gentleman through the corridor; we should be able to find a good spot.”

With that, he bowed and took the lead, while wondering what astonishing performance Zhang Jiu would put on in front of everyone—since the stage was set, the hype was at its peak, and all the guests had arrived; everything was ready except for the main event. His cousin surely wouldn’t mess things up, right? He was really looking forward to this performance.

Ruiqing Hall was the main hall of the Zhang family, and it was already crowded with distinguished guests. Now that Scholar Shen had arrived, even outside the hall, there were many guests, mostly distant relatives who wanted to see the spectacle. After all, the Zhang family already had a Duke of Britain, so military officials coming to pay their respects were not unusual. But it was rare to see a famous civil scholar come by.

“I heard Scholar Shen came all the way from Nanjing just for this.”

“Heh, lately, everyone in Kaifeng Prefecture has been talking about that prodigy of our Zhang family. Now, these two prodigies have met.”

“Brother Jiu is really lucky to have such a capable father. He’s bound to succeed in the future!”

The side door of Ruiqing Hall, which was usually used by maids to bring in tea, was now occupied by Zhang Yue and Mr. Du. Seeing the crowd outside and hearing the flattery drifting from inside the hall, Zhang Yue couldn’t help but scowl, then turned his gaze toward Zhang Chao, Zhang Qi, and Zhang Jiu, who had just been brought in. Of course, he also spotted Zhang Zhuo; seeing his father looking around as if searching for him, he instinctively tucked his head in.

In the crowded Ruiqing Hall, there was no sign of the figure who liked to wear extremely clean white clothes. Sure enough, Zhang Chao and Zhang Qi’s plans wouldn’t work—how could a poor relative’s son take the stage in such an occasion?

Compared to Zhang Chao and Zhang Qi, Zhang Jiu was dressed extremely strikingly that day. He hadn’t reached the age to tie his hair in a topknot, so his shiny black hair was simply tied with a red velvet ribbon adorned with a piece of white jade. He wore a robe with rose-purple patterns of bats, clouds, and the phrase “Blessings Descend from Heaven,” with a green jade fish hanging at his waist and long vermilion tassels below. Coupled with his naturally fair complexion, spring-blossom-like features, he resembled a celestial boy descended from heaven.

At this moment, Zhang Jiu appeared gentle and clever, devoid of the arrogance he often showed in front of certain people. Guided by his father, he bowed to Scholar Shen, and after standing up, politely addressed him as “uncle.” Scholar Shen, himself handsome and graceful, smiled warmly upon seeing such a youthful prodigy and praised him, saying, “It’s been years—once a baby in swaddlings, now grown up. The young phoenix sings clearer than the old one; Brother Zhang is truly fortunate!”

Zhang Yue, standing nearby at the side door, heard these words and immediately thought of the scenes in *Dream of the Red Chamber* where the gentlemen flattered Baoyu. He couldn’t help but smile slightly, then glanced oddly at his right shoulder. Just then, Mr. Du’s hand suddenly rested on his shoulder. This sudden display of familiarity made him feel uneasy, as if something was about to happen.

After Zhang Xin led his son and two nephews to greet the distinguished guests, the polite exchanges in Ruiqing Hall came to an end. Many of the honored guests had brought their talented children with them, and many had heard of Zhang Jiu’s prodigious abilities. Now that the renowned Scholar Shen had praised Zhang Jiu, some naturally wanted to bring glory to their own children, so someone suggested gathering the six or seven children present to compete.

Zhang Yue stood there, shaking his head involuntarily. His uncle had been worried about lacking opportunities, yet now someone was voluntarily stepping into danger. Seeing those powerful figures smiling as they thought of questions, seeing Zhang Xin and Zhang Jiu smiling confidently, seeing Zhang Chao and Zhang Qi fidgeting anxiously as if infested with lice, and seeing the other children and youths filled with fear, he felt grateful for his own intelligence.

It was a stage set up by others; if he went there, he would only serve as a backdrop. Why bother?

Yet at that very moment, he suddenly felt someone give him a gentle push from behind, causing him to take two involuntary steps forward. With those two small steps, he knocked aside the curtain in front of him and suddenly appeared before all the guests in the hall. When he had been peeking in the darkness earlier, it hadn’t seemed problematic, but now, facing countless scrutinizing eyes, it was somewhat blinding. He was stunned for a moment before putting on a composed expression.

What the hell? Why on earth did Mr. Du push him out?

As he pondered this puzzling question, he suddenly saw Scholar Shen, who was seated in the upper seat, staring intently at him—more precisely, at his back. Faced with those mixed expressions of surprise, confusion, astonishment, and disbelief, he was puzzled when he suddenly felt someone behind him, realizing immediately that Mr. Du had come out as well.

With two people appearing out of nowhere, Zhang Xin, the host, immediately frowned. He glanced at Zhang Zhuo, whose face was full of surprise, then sharply ordered Zhang Yue, “Brother Yue, where have you been?”

This was the first time Zhang Yue had received everyone’s attention at once. Noticing his father giving him repeated signals, he calmly bowed and replied, “Uncle, I met Mr. Du from the family school back there, so I spent some time talking with him.”

Mr. Du? After thinking for a while, Zhang Xin finally remembered that the uncle in charge of the family school had mentioned such a tutor before. Yet even though this man was a teacher to several younger members of the family, what kind of place was Ruiqing Hall today? For Mr. Du to boldly barge in like this was truly arrogant!

Given the presence of all the guests, he couldn’t show any obvious displeasure, so he simply nodded at Mr. Du and said, “Mr. Du, you’ve worked hard over the years teaching these mischievous kids at my Zhang family school.”

As soon as Mr. Du appeared, Zhang Yue wisely stepped aside to make room. Looking around, he saw that everyone in Ruiqing Hall was dressed in red, dark blue, and purple official robes, making Mr. Du in his white robe and green shoes stand out sharply. And when Zhang Xin revealed Mr. Du’s identity, he clearly saw disdain on many faces.

Yet at that very moment, he saw Scholar Shen suddenly stand up and walk quickly toward him. Before he could figure out his intentions, the figure in the crimson robe bowed deeply toward the person next to him.

“Brother Yishan has been missing for years. My elder brother and I sent people to search throughout eastern Zhejiang, never expecting you to end up in Henan!”
This bow stunned all the hosts and guests in Ruiqing Hall, while Zhang Yue quickly regained his composure after the initial surprise. As the saying goes, the great hermit hides in court, the medium hermit in the city, and the minor hermit in the wild. He had already guessed that Mr. Du must be someone important, but this sudden fame seemed a bit too quick, didn’t it?