Chapter 81: Greater Doubts

Zhang Yue had indeed speculated about why Captain Yuan viewed him differently. Ever since the great flood in Kaifeng four years ago, when the Jinyiwei came to him first and left a few officers to protect his safety, he had sensed something was amiss.

His father was just a minor scholar who had managed to pass the exams the year before last through some unknown means. Since he firmly denied knowing the Jinyiwei, there shouldn’t be any connection. It didn’t make sense either that Captain Yuan wanted to curry favor with Duke Zhang Fu—unless someone was foolish enough to sacrifice their future, they wouldn’t do such a stupid thing. As for the absurd idea that his background hid some secret, he hadn’t even considered it—after all, four years had passed since his rebirth, and his parents treated him exactly as any parents should, with no other possibilities.

Of course, he wasn’t arrogant enough to think that others believed he had a bright future because of his good looks, so they were trying to ingratiate themselves with him early on.

So, he simply replied calmly, “I thought Captain Yuan merely wanted to show goodwill to the Zhang family. But since you keep reminding me about it, it seems aimed at me, which naturally raises my doubts. I was just an unremarkable member of the third branch of the Zhang family—why would the Jinyiwei go to such lengths to help search for me? If the matter involving my uncle affected the entire Zhang family, why would a message be sent to me? And why would Captain Yuan hint at it while the Crown Prince was inspecting the Imperial Academy? With all due respect, I really can’t figure it out.”

Captain Yuan casually picked up the teacup beside him and took a sip as if no one else was around. But he suddenly avoided answering that question instead, smiling slightly and saying, “Does the third young master know that since Ji Gang was executed, no one has taken over as the commander of the Jinyiwei?”

Before Zhang Yue could reply, he continued on his own, “Ji Gang was originally just a low-ranking student who won the emperor’s favor through cunning and flattery. After the emperor ascended the throne, he appointed Ji Gang as commander of the Jinyiwei, hoping he would remove some troublesome elements. But unexpectedly, such a person still harbored improper ambitions. Fortunately, his downfall led to the downfall of many high-ranking officials in the Jinyiwei. Otherwise, a mere captain from a small garrison in Henan like me wouldn’t have ended up in charge of the Northern Pacification Commission, let alone hold the position of commander…”

Although the last sentence was rather vague, Zhang Yue was filled with shock. The commander of the Jinyiwei was merely a third-rank official. In Nanjing, where officials of high rank abounded and even vice ministers were considered inferior to dogs, a third-rank official held little significance. But the problem was that if the commander of the Jinyiwei could control the Beizhenfu Si, it would be like a sword hanging over countless people’s heads—its fall could claim many lives. Even if it was just a dog, an emperor’s dog was far different from an ordinary one.

Now, did this Captain Yuan intend to use the power of the Duke of Yingguo to rise quickly? No—from his words, it seemed he was quite confident that he could fill that position as commander of the Jinyiwei.

“The first two times we met in a hurry. Today, with the third young master here, I can finally take a good look at him.” Yet Captain Yuan seemed no longer interested in answering Zhang Yue’s questions. With a gentle shake of his sleeves, he stood up, a gentle smile on his face. “The third young master needn’t worry too much. The Jinyiwei isn’t idle; they’re not constantly watching over the Zhang family. Your uncle’s actions were ordered by the emperor, and everything that follows is my instruction. Mu Ning was promoted by me, so he naturally must follow my orders.”

After saying that, he strode toward the door. Just before lifting the curtain, he stopped and added, “You don’t need to guess randomly. Since you’re still striving for success, it’s better not to know certain things. But since the Duke of Yingguo has no heirs now, if you truly want to make a name for yourself, don’t focus on that ducal position. Being a duke brings only honor, not real benefit to you.”

Even after the curtain fell again, Zhang Yue still couldn’t recover from the shock. He never expected that instead of revealing the truth, the other party had left him with an even bigger mystery. Moreover, although the Duke of Yingguo, Zhang Fu, had no heirs now, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t have any in the future. Besides, he didn’t want to abandon his parents, who had always cared for him so much, for wealth and glory. Yet the most pressing issue at the moment was that he still couldn’t find any reason why Captain Yuan might treat him differently.

Before long, the curtain was lifted again, this time by the old man and Liansheng Lianhu. The old man was one thing, but when Liansheng Lianhu saw his master unharmed, he breathed a sigh of relief and quickly stepped forward to stand on either side of Zhang Yue, standing tall and proud with an air of loyal protection.

Seeing the main person leave so casually, the old man knew that there would be no mistakes with the conversation he had arranged for the day, and his anxious heart finally settled. Now, as the host of the place, he acted like a servant, standing aside rubbing his hands and smiling apologetically.
“Third young master, I was indeed reckless today. But since I’ve met the person in person, I hope you’ll forgive my mistakes and not take it to heart. I’ve prepared ten pieces of patterned satin, a fine white fox fur coat, and four pieces of silk robes with intricate embroidery. Please accept them as a gift from me.”
As the saying goes, no reward without effort. Zhang Yue was still confused and unwilling to accept anything for free. Moreover, knowing that all merchants are somewhat deceitful, he was especially cautious of them, so he politely declined and prepared to leave. But then the old man bowed repeatedly, pleading with him, and in the end, Zhang Yue had no choice but to accept the four pieces of patterned satin and the white fox fur coat.
As they walked him out, the old man kept talking nonstop, while Zhang Yue listened indifferently. Only then did he learn that the shop owner’s name was Xu Chang, who used to be a servant in the Zhongshan Prince’s mansion and lost his status during the Jianwen era. As the Xu family declined, he lost all connections as well.
Xu Chang had worked at this silk shop for over a decade, rising from an employee to the owner, and had accumulated some wealth—though all the prosperity outside belonged to the real owner, not him. He didn’t know Yuan Qianhu’s true identity; he thought he was a noble from the court who had helped him several times. It was only now that he followed orders to send out the invitation.
Seeing that there were many items to carry back, which were difficult to transport on horseback, Xu Chang arranged for a cart and personally saw Zhang Yue and his entourage to the door. The young employees, seeing the shop owner treating the customer so well, were amazed but also helped serve them from both sides of the cart until they left. Only then did one of the young employees ask a few curious questions.
“This time, you must remember me well. If these people come again, sell them everything at cost!” Xu Chang ordered sternly. Seeing the employees gasp, he added, “Don’t worry about the owner’s side; I’ll cover any shortfall! Remember, these are genuine members of an aristocratic family—give them the utmost attention!”

At this moment, Zhang Yue was riding on horseback. The usual bitterly cold wind, which he usually feared like a tiger, blew straight at him, yet it made him even more alert. Since he arrived in Nanjing, various opportunities had kept emerging, all of them beneficial and harmless. While this was certainly good, if too many good things piled up at once, he couldn’t help but wonder if extreme prosperity might lead to decline. Just as this thought crossed his mind, he suddenly heard a few cries in his ears. Upon looking closely, he saw dust billowing ahead, as if dozens of riders were charging towards them. At that moment, someone with sharp eyes in the distance shouted, “Move aside quickly! It’s people from the ZhaoWangfu!” No sooner had those words faded than Zhang Yue heard an even louder shout from behind: “People from the HanWangfu are coming!” With wolves in front and tigers behind, Zhang Yue hurriedly ordered Lian Sheng and Lian Hu to take the carriage and hide temporarily, while he himself spurred his horse to the side. Not only him, but also the small vendors and ordinary people shopping along the road scattered in all directions. Before long, the area in the center was empty, with dozens of riders speeding from both sides, about to collide.