Chapter 100: Different People, Different Fates

Four groups of people, twenty military generals—although none suffered life-threatening injuries, the scars on their bodies were real. Thus, despite being overjoyed to reunite with Peng Shisan after a long separation, Zhang Yue had no time to indulge in sentimental talks.
Learning that Zhang Fu was accompanying the emperor in the palace, Lady Wang also went inside to visit Concubine Zhang. With no one in charge of the household, he immediately ordered his servants to take care of the injured, sent people to Hui Chun Tang to summon doctors, and specifically asked for the old doctor who had treated him before. The rest of the servants busied themselves cleaning up the mess and wiping away the marks on the stone lions on the steps. Fortunately, Zhu Zhanqi, the Prince of Hengshan, was cautious enough not to damage anything seriously, and the entrance soon regained its former elegance.
As before, the doctors from Hui Chun Tang arrived quickly, this time in four. Though it was the servants who were injured rather than the master, no one dared complain, given the prestige of the Duke’s household and the generous fees. The lead doctor even carefully inquired about Zhang Yue’s injuries. Only after confirming that no lasting damage remained did he relax, leaving behind a jar of wound-healing ointment before departing.
Yet as soon as the doctors left, Peng Shisan, who had been forced to lie in bed as a “patient,” quickly got up and snapped, “What’s the big deal about such a minor injury? Back when I followed the Duke of Yingguo to suppress rebellions in Jiaozhi, getting injured was routine. I had dozens of wounds—just applying some gold-based medicine was enough. There’s no need to make such a fuss!”
Peng Shisan spoke carelessly, but Zhang Yue could tell he was full of resentment. In fact, earlier he had seen everyone covered in whip marks, yet whenever he visited, they all insisted they were fine. Only Peng Shisan showed annoyance in front of him. At that moment, Zhang Yue couldn’t help but touch his left shoulder, a cold smile appearing on his lips.
After venting his complaints, Peng Shisan finally calmed down. Compared to the others, he had been at the front line and had even been slapped by Zhu Zhanqi, losing a tooth, not to mention the injuries he sustained. If not for being a lifelong servant of the Zhang family, having served three generations of the Zhangs in battle—brash though he was, he still respected hierarchy. Under such circumstances, he wouldn’t have settled for mere complaints.

“I just got back this morning and ran into this misfortune. Tomorrow, I really have to go to Qixia Temple or Jiming Temple to burn incense to ward off bad luck!” After blurting out those words, he took a careful look at Zhang Yue before smiling and saying, “Back when I first met the third young master, you seemed like you could be blown over by a gust of wind. Now you seem much stronger. Well, since I’m back this time, shall I stay and hang around with you?”
Though his words were rough, Zhang Yue found them comforting. Zhang Fu had said similar things before, so he replied with a smile, “My uncle once mentioned it would probably be like that. Actually, I’ve always had a question.”
After hesitating for a moment, he asked, “Lao Peng, you’ve fought bravely alongside my uncle in many battles and have achieved great military merits. Even after leaving the army, you’re still an officer. Why then…”
Before he could finish, Peng Shisan cut him off sharply, “Third young master, don’t bring this up. Without the old prince, there would be no grandfather of mine, and without him, there would be no Peng Shisan. How can one forget their master-servant relationship after achieving merits? Even if it were my son or grandson, they would remain members of the Zhang family for generations. Loyalty and righteousness are paramount—one must never forget their roots! The duke has suggested it several times, but I’ve refused.”
Having lived in this era for so long, Zhang Yue already had a deep understanding of the concept of a lifelong servant. Now he experienced it once again. He didn’t think such people were stubborn; instead, he felt a hint of respect for Peng Shisan—earning a rank through military achievements was still far better than being a slave. To later generations, loyalty and righteousness might seem laughable, but to them, it represented righteousness itself.
After chatting a bit, Peng Shisan started talking animatedly about the customs and traditions of Jiaozhi. Just as he was describing the suppression of rebellions, Zhang Jiu pushed aside the curtain and rushed in. Glancing at Peng Shisan, he said, “Third brother, the eldest brother has returned. He’s in the next room with those household generals. A few words from him made him furious—he almost rushed out to settle accounts. It took me a long time to calm him down.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the curtain was flung open, and Zhang Chao stormed in angrily, starting with, “I’m so pissed off!” Then he stared at Peng Shisan on the bed, his eyes widening in shock, “No way—even Lao Peng is in such a mess? If I had known, I would have come back earlier to confront that so-called King of Hengshan in front of the emperor. Otherwise, others will think the Zhang family is easy to bully!”

Before Zhang Yue could retort, Peng Shisan sneered quietly, “The young master had better stop deluding himself. Arguing with an imperial prince—anyone with a little sense can tell what the outcome will be. Anyway, we kept that person outside today, and the commander of the Jinyiwei arrived just in time, so the damage suffered was minimal, and no one died. In any case, the Prince of Hengshan has to go to Le’an Prefecture with the Prince of Han. Once the news reaches the emperor, he’s bound to suffer. We’ve just suffered a temporary loss.”

“Are you just going to let this go?” Zhang Chao was still seething with anger. Glancing at Zhang Yue, he said resentfully, “Last time, my third brother was beaten for no reason, and as the eldest brother, I could only endure it. Endure, endure… This capital is so suffocating. I’d rather go fight the pirates in Jinxiang Guard sooner—it’s more satisfying!”

Though all four of them deep down didn’t want to endure, even Zhang Chao was merely voicing his frustration; the others were even less so. After a while, each of them went their own way. Zhang Yue returned to his room and chatted casually with Hu Bo Qiuhen, but his mind was still preoccupied with what had happened earlier.

Although the Prince of Hengshan, Zhu Zhanqi, caused a ruckus at the Duke of Yingguo’s mansion, the Duke of Yingguo, Zhang Fu, and his wife didn’t return until dusk. They had already heard about what had happened at home. The wife went straight to the small meeting hall to hear from the maids and servants and assign tasks for handling the aftermath. Zhang Fu asked about Zhang Yue’s actions, nodded in approval, ordered that all the injured be given special care, and personally visited his loyal generals and servants who had fought in many battles before returning to the main house.

“Today’s situation was thanks to Yuan Fang, the new commander of the Jinyiwei. If not for him scaring away the Prince of Hengshan, things might have gotten out of control. Even I wouldn’t have been able to stay out of it.”

Zhang Fu got straight to the point, his face showing undisguised anger. “The emperor is already angry with the Prince of Han. Who would have thought the Prince of Hengshan would be so insensitive? When Yuan Fang came to report, the emperor smashed a cup on the spot. The Prince of Anyang knew how to read the situation at the time—he revealed everything about the Prince of Hengshan’s violent acts on the street last time and also mentioned how Brother Yue was beaten. The Prince of Zhao added a few words of incitement, and the emperor was so angry that he immediately sent someone to summon the Prince of Hengshan for questioning and ordered the Jinyiwei to administer twenty strokes of the court rod. The crown prince tried to intercede, but the Prince of Zhao refused, saying the Jinyiwei would surely be lenient with an imperial prince. In the end, the emperor sent his trusted eunuchs to carry out the punishment and supervised it personally. Those twenty strokes were severe—likely the Prince of Hengshan won’t be able to get out of bed for a month or two.”

He paused for a moment before looking at Zhang Yue and saying, “The Emperor learned that you were beaten just the day before he was supposed to meet you. Considering your behavior that day, he immediately praised you for knowing what was appropriate. Plus, Chao Ge’er spoke in your favor, and the Crown Prince also backed you up, so there will likely be an imperial decree granting rewards tomorrow as compensation for the hardships you endured earlier.”
At that moment, Zhang Yue was truly stunned. Although they had all been beaten, Peng Shisan and the others only received leniency, while he received an imperial reward. Indeed, different people have different fates. Though this might be described as ‘a misfortune turned into good fortune,’ it still seemed utterly absurd to reap benefits from such a situation.