Chapter 61: Between High and Low Status

Since ancient times, the people of the capital could boast to outsiders that they lived at the feet of the emperor, yet this place has never been easy to inhabit. Take Nanjing at the end of the year as an example—countless officials from other regions flocked there, adding to the already large number of civil and military officials, resulting in a land filled with the powerful and elite. Ordinary people had to be extra careful when going out to buy New Year’s goods, lest they “intrude” on the nobles riding through the streets.

That day was particularly cold. The howling wind carried snowflakes that cut painfully like knives against people’s faces. Winters in the Jiangnan region are already damp and cold, making one feel chilled to the bone, and the snow only added to the chill. Yet even so, during this holiday season, there were still many pedestrians on the streets and alleys, all wearing large hats with their hands tucked in their sleeves. A few laborers standing on the street looking for work had their faces and hands red from the cold, yet they kept their eyes fixed on the people passing by.

Traveling in such cold weather was tough even for those on horseback. Though they were wrapped in thick clothes, the cold wind managed to seep in through their collars and sleeves. When the snow grew heavier, Zhang Yue finally stopped his horse, brushed off the thick layer of snow from his clothes, and glanced around before asking Lian Sheng beside him, “Are you sure you didn’t get the place wrong?”

“Young master, I’m not that incompetent,” Lian Sheng replied. It was his first time in Nanjing. Though he was shivering and rubbing his hands vigorously, he still smiled and said, “I invited the gatekeepers at the Duke’s mansion to drink, and in no time I found out everything. If you don’t believe me, ask Lian Hu—he was there too, so it can’t be wrong.”

Zhang Yue glanced sideways at Lian Hu, who was patting his chest to assure him, then brushed more snow off his hat before spurring his horse forward. Yet his worries turned out to be true—after circling the entire Deng Mansion Lane, he still couldn’t find the so-called Du Mansion. He glared at his two attendants with displeasure.

“Maybe… maybe Mr. Du has moved away?” Lian Sheng mumbled hesitantly. Seeing Zhang Yue tapping his left hand with his whip, he grew anxious. Noticing a man who looked like a laborer standing under the eaves of a house on the street, he suddenly had an idea. “Young master, wait here a moment. I’ll go ask over there.”

Seeing Liansheng pull over that ragged middle-aged man, Zhang Yue felt both annoyed and amused. He immediately snapped, “We’re looking for someone, not someone to come home and build chimneys or fix houses! He can already stay dry under the eaves from the snow—why bring him here?”
“Young master, I’ve already asked him. He knows where the Du family’s house is!” Liansheng said, pushing the man around while speaking in a rough voice. “Our young master is asking you questions. Didn’t you just say the Du family moved away just three days ago?”
The man’s face was swollen from the cold. Glancing at Zhang Yue’s luxurious and warm clothes, he replied naively with a smile, “That Mr. Du did indeed live here when he first arrived in Nanjing. But a few days ago, he was promoted and given a large mansion, so of course he left this small place. The new house is next to the Zhongshan Prince’s Mansion, on Xufu Street. It might be hard for the young master to find it right away. I can show him the way—for just ten coins… no, five coins!”
Lian Hu rolled his eyes impatiently. “It’s just Xufu Street. How could we not find it? Young master, let’s go!”
Zhang Yue glanced down and saw that the man was wearing torn straw sandals, while the three of them were on horses. He immediately gave up the idea of having him show them the way. Yet, facing the man’s hopeful gaze, he still ordered Liansheng to give him ten coins and asked in detail about the location of the Du family’s new house. Then he turned his horse around and rushed off with the two of them.
As the three of them left, the man happily hid the still-warm ten coins in his bosom. Looking at the gloomy sky, he gave up the idea of seeking more work and quickly disappeared into a dim alley nearby. Half an hour later, he returned to his shabby house excitedly, holding a paper bag. Pushing open the door, he exclaimed eagerly, “Cui Er’s mother, Cui Er, come quick! I bought some warm sesame cakes!”
A gaunt figure on the bed in the corner moved slightly, and another agile figure rushed over. Seeing the bag with five cakes, they were overjoyed and rushed to the bed, shouting, “Mother, Father brought back something delicious!”

The woman in bed coughed violently for a while, then reached out to gently touch her daughter’s head. When she saw her husband come over and sit at the head of the bed, she asked in detail what had happened. Only after hearing that her husband had shown someone the way to the Du family and received payment did she realize it. Noting that the young man had a Kaifeng accent, she was slightly stunned and said thoughtfully, “I heard that Lord Du is from Kaifeng. I remember the gentleman who helped us back then also had the surname Du… By the way, what did the young man you met today look like?”
“Ah!” The man was taken aback, letting go of the paper bag holding the baked bun, almost dropping it on the ground. After racking his brain to recall, he gently pounded his head with his left hand and said with frustration, “No wonder I found that young man familiar—he’s actually the gentleman who helped us! It’s all because of my poor eyesight…”
“It doesn’t matter if you didn’t recognize him. Even if you had, what could you have said to him? Last time, he not only helped us but also gave us those silver coins. Without them, our family wouldn’t have been able to move from Kaifeng to Nanjing and escape those people… It’s a shame my health is so poor; otherwise, our Cuier would have been married by now.”
“Mother…”
Four years are enough to change a person. The little girl who used to be as thin as a reed stick was still somewhat frail now, but she had grown quite pretty. If dressed nicely, she would surely resemble a delicate young lady. Because of this, the woman felt heartbroken upon thinking that due to her illness, she had used the two silver coins she had intended as a keepsake for her daughter to buy medicine. In a daze, she even felt a hint of cynical anger.
With such an honest and kind husband and such a smart and obedient daughter, could heaven really be blind enough to take away even this little bit of happiness from her? If heaven truly had eyes, why was that woman who committed murder for money still living a carefree life?
At the same time, Zhang Yue finally found the Du family’s residence on Xu Mansion Street. In fact, he didn’t even need to search. As soon as he stepped onto Xu Mansion Street and passed by the once-glorious Zhongshan Wang Mansion, he could see the grand courtyard with its black plaque and stone lions guarding the entrance. Although it wasn’t yet crowded with visitors, there were quite a few people around, but almost all of them were turned away at the gate. Doubtful, he dismounted his horse and asked a neatly dressed passerby a few questions, receiving this reply.

“This Lord Du is truly extraordinary. I heard that both Scholars Shen recommended him for his solid knowledge and excellent handwriting. The emperor, following procedure, appointed him as a Clerk of the Seventh Rank. Yet one day, during a banquet, Lord Du composed a poem in response to Grand Secretary Yang, and the emperor summoned him personally. In no time, he was promoted to a Scholar of the Fifth Rank at the Hanlin Academy, and who knows—he might even enter the imperial cabinet any day.”
Even though Zhang Yue was somewhat prepared after seeing that grand mansion, hearing about being a Hanlin Scholar or entering the cabinet still shocked him greatly. Though he knew Du Zhen was talented and insightful, and that he was by no means just an ordinary teacher confined to an academy… yet arriving in the capital so quickly and standing out so sharply was vastly different from Du Zhen’s calm words before leaving—while Emperor Yongle’s habit of promoting officials at lightning speed was even more astonishing.