Chapter 65: Training the Younger Brother

The quiet room contained only the two brothers. Zhang Jiu had unknowingly stood up. Though he stubbornly held his head high, he dared not meet Zhang Yue’s gaze and gritted his teeth before speaking first, “Before I left, Mother told me that there were still two hundred taels of gold hidden in the old house, and she asked me to go get it. I’m just afraid…”
“What are you afraid of?”
Zhang Yue cut him off with a cold laugh, stepping forward two paces and standing right in front of Zhang Jiu. Due to his fragile nature since childhood, he had not neglected physical training while studying. Even after Peng Shisan returned to Nanjing, he continued his training, so he was already a head taller than Zhang Jiu, adding to his condescending attitude.
“There’s money in the old house. You could tell Uncle or Aunt. Why do you have to disguise yourself as a servant to get it yourself? Even if everything goes smoothly there, you should know how heavy two hundred taels of gold is. You should also realize that there are only two of us today, and you know exactly how much trouble such a large sum of money can cause! A single copper coin can provoke a crowd of beggars to fight over it, one tael of silver can lead to bloody fights, and a hundred taels of silver is enough to drive strong men to commit murder. What about two hundred taels of gold? You can’t trust your own family but rely on your own strength, and you only brought one follower?”
At this point, he suddenly raised his voice, “Grandmother once said that Uncle is not just your father. He is her legitimate son, my father’s and Second Uncle’s elder brother, and my elder brother’s and Second Brother’s uncle. It’s not just you who cares or worries! Today, you tried to tear off the Jinyiwei’s seal in the old house. Luckily, someone stopped you. If you had really done it, do you know what the consequences would have been?”
As the eldest grandson of the eldest branch and hailed as a prodigy, Zhang Jiu had been spoiled by his parents and had almost always had an easy time with his grandmother. Even when others tried to discipline him, they had to be indirect, and the only severe scolding he had received was that once from Lady Gui. At first, he was stunned by Zhang Yue’s words, but once he recovered, he immediately became angry.
“Each person must take responsibility for their own actions. Even if something goes wrong, I won’t drag you all down with me!”
Smack—

A clear voice rang out, and not only did utter silence descend upon the room, but it was the same outside as well, even beyond the curtain. Zhang Jiu covered his face in disbelief, forgetting even the burning pain. All he could think was—he had been hit… He, who had never had a finger tapped at by anyone, had actually been hit!
“You… why did you hit me!”
Zhang Yue shook his slightly numb palm. Hearing these words, he felt both angry and amused—what right did he have to talk about qualifications after already hitting him? Though he had regretted slapping him at first, he now felt relieved. Although he had not been close to this awkward fourth brother, he knew Zhang Jiu had a bad temper but was not inherently evil, so his initial dislike had long faded.
“You just said that one must take responsibility for their own actions, and that no one else should be affected if something goes wrong. Then tell me, what about Fang Cao and Yao Xiang, who are half-dead in that room over there? Why didn’t you cry or rush over when they were being beaten, saying ‘one must take responsibility’ and that you’d bear the punishment alone?”
Seeing Zhang Jiu’s pale face, he grew even angrier. Pointing at the kid’s nose, he scolded, “Your uncle inside might not really be suffering yet. If you really tear off that seal today, not only will you send yourself in, but do you think your mother and we can stay out of it? Your great-uncle kindly let us live here and went through so much trouble for us, and this is how you repay him with ‘one must take responsibility’? Where did all those teachings from the classics you’ve learned go?”
“Xiao Si, remember this—you’re never alone! You have not only your parents but also your grandparents, uncles, aunts, siblings. The entire Zhang family is behind you. You can’t bear the consequences of your mistakes alone! Even those girls like Fang Cao and Yao Xiang, and the servants who follow you, regard you as their god—not to be abandoned at critical moments and then made to take the blame! You can complain about this slap to whoever you want, but let me tell you—if you keep saying such stupid things and doing such foolish acts, I’ll hit you again!”

With that, Zhang Yue didn’t even glance at the dazed Zhang Jiu before turning and walking away. But as soon as he lifted the curtain, he was stunned. The doorway wasn’t empty as he had imagined; instead, there were several maids in red and green, with Lady Wang standing at the front. Facing Lady Wang’s strange gaze, he was momentarily taken aback, but quickly bowed as usual.
“Elder Sister-in-law.”
Although Lady Wang had heard her husband mention that the three cousins visiting this time seemed to be led by Zhang Yue, she hadn’t taken it seriously. Yet today, Zhang Jiu, who she always thought was sensible and clever, had done such a foolish thing, infuriating her greatly. Now, hearing Zhang Yue’s incisive rebuke, she felt deeply moved.
With Xi Yu’s help, she stepped over the threshold and saw Zhang Jiu standing there, one side of his face swollen and red. She turned to look at Zhang Yue and said reproachfully, “As an elder brother, it’s only right for you to discipline your younger brother. But Jiu is still young—your slap was a bit too hard. I heard everything you said earlier; it was very sensible and saved me the trouble of speaking.”
Then she turned back to face Zhang Jiu and said slowly, “Jiu, you really disappointed me today. It’s not a big deal to make mistakes, but if you don’t even realize where you’re wrong and still insist on your own views, then all those years of studying have been in vain! You’re not a child at twelve anymore. If you continue to act without thinking, I’ll have to send you back to your grandmother!”
“Biluo, go get some good medicine to apply to Jiu’s wound, and also bring a few bottles for Fangcao and Ya Xiang. Tell them not to let their master act willfully anymore; otherwise, this won’t be the last time!”
Lady Wang and her entourage arrived quickly and left just as fast. After they left, Zhang Yue gave Zhang Jiu, who was utterly devastated, one last deep look before turning and walking away without looking back. He fully agreed with what Lady Wang had said earlier. If a slap still couldn’t wake up this unrepentant younger brother, the only solution was to send him back to Kaifeng.
Nanjing simply couldn’t tolerate a fool who acted without thinking!