Chapter 46: The Sky Has Fallen

It was the second time Zhang Yue had come into close contact with the Jinyiwei, the top secret service agency of the Ming Dynasty, since he first saw them four years ago. The leader was still Mu Ning, whom he had met before; the only difference was that the former Baihu had now become a Qianhu of the Henan Garrison of the Jinyiwei, yet he still wore the same bright red satin robe embroidered with a qilin on the shoulder. Four years hadn’t left any trace on this Jinyiwei leader—even his dark, cunning eyes remained exactly as they were before.

If it weren’t for the fact that Zhang Xin, Zhang You, and Zhang Zhuo happened to be away, and Zhang Chao was taken by the Dongfang family to try out the newly tailored clothes, while Zhang Qi had no interest in handling external affairs like receiving guests, and Zhang Jiu was still too young, Zhang Yue wouldn’t have had to take charge of the reception. Yet now, facing Mu Ning, who was examining him with keen interest, he felt his eyelids twitching and grew uneasy.

If it were just a regular visit, why dismiss the maids who served tea?

“The third young master was more perceptive than others even as a child. At thirteen, he began his studies, and at fourteen, he easily achieved first place in the annual exams—truly a young hero.”

Zhang Yue didn’t believe that a high-ranking Jinyiwei official would come just to praise him. Nervous, he forced a humble smile. Although he had received Mu Ning’s kindness before, times had changed. After returning home, he had asked his father, Zhang Zhuo, about his initial suspicions, only to find Zhang Zhuo utterly shocked and insisting that there had never been any connection with the Jinyiwei. So how could he now treat this top spy as an adult? No matter how he tried to figure it out, he couldn’t guess the purpose of their visit.

Finally, after some back-and-forth talk, Mu Ning slowly got to the point: “It’s quite coincidental. Just as the Duke of Yingguo returned from his four campaigns in Jiaozhi, another major incident occurred in Nanjing, one that involves our Jinyiwei. Ji Gang, the commander, betrayed the emperor’s trust and plotted rebellion; he was executed in public, implicating many others. Fortunately, Yuan Qianhu of our Henan Garrison has always remained upright and impartial, and now he has been promoted to the Northern Pacification Commission. Thanks to Lord Yuan’s favor, I have taken over his position as Qianhu.”

What does this change in the Jinyiwei’s hierarchy have to do with my Zhang family?

Though it seemed somewhat puzzling, Zhang Yue had no choice but to offer his congratulations. Before he could probe further, the other party suddenly shifted from euphemisms to directness, saying with a forced smile, “I am here on orders from the Northern Pacification Commission, to ask Lord Zhang Xin, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works of your household, to make a trip. Of course, our small place in Henan cannot accommodate such an important figure, so we will assign suitable guards to escort Lord Zhang to Nanjing.”

Although he had been wary earlier, hearing such news now still left Zhang Yue’s mind reeling as if struck by thunder. Fortunately, he was an adult wearing the mask of a fourteen-year-old, so after that brief shock, he immediately stood up, asking gravely, “If Lord Mu really came to take my uncle, why did he talk about other things instead?”

“Let’s handle personal matters first and then official ones. Even the Jinyiwei understands human feelings, doesn’t it?”

Mu Ning stood up with a smile, flicking his robe’s hem, but the smile gradually faded, replaced by an innate sense of gloom. Yet in an instant, that chill disappeared, and a warm smile returned to his lips, though his words remained sinister.

“The Northern Pacification Commission has always handled cases by imperial decree, and this time is no exception. However, even if Lord Zhang has committed any acts of corruption or favoritism, it’s different from others. The emperor, out of gratitude for his meritorious officials, won’t pursue it too closely, nor will he harm others. In Lord Zhang’s absence, the third young master might as well show me the old lady, so as to avoid causing bigger problems by meddling.”

Zhang Yue keenly noticed that Mu Ning emphasized the phrase “causing bigger problems” as if warning him of something. But there was no time to ponder further. Quick-thinking, he gritted his teeth and said, “Please wait a moment, Lord Mu. I’ll go see my grandmother right away.”

“Very well. I’ll wait here.”

Seeing Mu Ning stroll away, Zhang Yue hurried out the door. Just as he stepped outside, he suddenly heard a voice behind him.

“Third young master, the emperor’s will is unpredictable. Your branch of the Zhang family isn’t particularly important anyway—it’s better not to get involved. Don’t worry; the Northern Pacification Commission isn’t necessarily a place that devours people. They won’t do anything to your uncle.”

Zhang Yue hesitated for a moment upon hearing this, but soon quickened his pace and left Ruiqing Hall like a gust of wind. Before leaving, he glanced at the twelve young maids standing outside like pillars and once again instructed them, with trembling voices, not to enter Ruiqing Hall without being summoned. Only then did he hurry out through the Inner Court Gate. It was not until he passed through the corridor that he finally let out a long sigh.

During the severe floods in Kaifeng last time, his uncle Zhang Xin had managed to stay unharmed. So what serious matter now required the intervention of the Jinyiwei? The Beizhenfu Si handled only cases assigned by the emperor. Could it be that Emperor Yongle had some dissatisfaction with his uncle? One small issue could affect everything… What did this all mean?

In a dazed state, Zhang Yue rushed straight toward the main hall, not even stopping to greet a few young maids he encountered along the way. Upon reaching the entrance to the main hall, he didn’t wait for the maids to lift the curtain; he pulled it aside and rushed in. Yet inside, it wasn’t just his grandmother, Lady Gu, present—Lady Feng, Lady Dongfang, and Lady Sun were all there, and even Feng Lan was sitting at the back, chatting.

“Brother Yue, weren’t you receiving guests outside? Why did you come in in such a hurry?”

Zhang Yue glanced at Lady Dongfang who had spoken, then composed himself and bowed to Lady Gu at the center. “Grandmother, Lord Mu from the Jinyiwei has an urgent matter he wants me to convey to you. It’s very important. Could you please give me some time to speak to you alone?”

Lady Gu, who had been smiling, frowned upon hearing this. Being in her fifties, she instinctively sensed that something was wrong. She nodded slightly at her three daughters-in-law and Feng Lan. “You three, stay with Auntie.”

After saying that, she stood up with Lingxi’s help and said to Zhang Yue, “Brother Yue, come with me to the inner room.”

Seeing Zhang Yue follow her into the inner room, Lady Feng and Lady Dongfang looked uneasy. Although Lady Sun appeared embarrassed, she was also puzzled, unsure of what her son was up to. Feng Lan, on the other hand, was visibly agitated. Though she kept talking casually with others, her eyes kept drifting toward the inner room. Unfortunately, the curtain was tightly drawn, blocking not only any view but also any sound.

After a long while, the curtain finally made some noise. It was Lingxi pushing it aside, and Zhang Yue helped Lady Gu out. Feng Lan observed her carefully but found that Lady Gu still looked exactly as before, though she moved more slowly. Lingxi remained as silent as ever, and nothing could be read from Zhang Yue’s face either. She wanted to stay a bit longer, but Lady Gu smiled apologetically after sitting down, saying she felt unwell. Feng Lan wisely took her leave, deciding to investigate what was going on later.

As soon as Feng Lan left, the usually talkative Lady Dongfang couldn’t hold back anymore and immediately complained, “Madam, why are you and Brother Yue acting so mysteriously? It’s just a thousandth-ranking officer from the Jinyiwei—what’s the big deal?”

“A thousandth-ranking officer? Even if his rank is low, can you stop someone who’s been ordered to handle a case?” Lady Gu could no longer pretend to be calm. She slammed her hand hard on the gilded table beside her, causing the teacups to tremble. Without even looking at the three shocked daughters-in-law, she ordered Lingxi in a stern voice, “Hurry up and send someone to bring all three masters back as quickly as possible! Brother Yue, help me to Ruiqing Hall. We can’t leave that person waiting there!”

Only after Zhang Yue came to support her right arm did the white-haired Lady Gu sigh deeply. “I only hope he’ll show some mercy for the sake of an old woman like me and explain things clearly… Otherwise, the Zhang family’s world will collapse!”

The words “the Zhang family’s world will collapse” shocked the three daughters-in-law so much that they were stunned for a long time, not even noticing that Lady Gu, Zhang Yue, and Lingxi had left one after another—what kind of situation could possibly lead to such a catastrophic outcome?