Chapter 106: Marriage Is Nothing But Interest

Though not everyone was completely happy, the poetry gathering that afternoon could still be considered a success for both hosts and guests. When it was time to part, Zhu Wen, the younger sister of Duke Cheng, took Zhang Qing’s hand to express her gratitude, adding with a smile that she hoped to visit often if she had time in the future.

Not only her but also other noble ladies were delighted, all saying they had had a wonderful time. Some even urged Zhang Qing to hold more poetry gatherings in the future. As the group of beautiful women left Qinfang Garden, everyone was smiling happily. Even Zhang Ke, who had lost the bet, wore a cheerful expression, seemingly untroubled by her loss.

After a busy afternoon, Zhang Yue returned to the east wing room, drenched in sweat. He took a comfortable bath and changed into clean clothes. After today’s events, he swore to himself that he would never write poetry unless forced—after all, he couldn’t recall a single poem about winter jasmine from ancient times, yet today he had composed one on the spot.

Thinking of this, he picked up the piece of mutton-fat jade he had won. He hadn’t had time to examine it closely before, but now, observing its texture, he found it lustrous and smooth, with a balance of hardness and softness. He silently praised it, realizing that though there were many golds and jewels these days, jade was the most precious. A palm-sized piece of flawless mutton-fat jade like this was truly priceless, something usually found only in the palace.

Qiu Hen had followed them out just to join in the fun, but ended up going through a scare. Seeing Zhang Yue looking at the jade, she couldn’t help but scowl and say, “Miss Ke is really strange. Even if she likes the sable coat of the young master, why does she have to resort to a bet in public? Princess Zhang is her own aunt—couldn’t she just ask for it from the palace?”

“Sister, you’re oversimplifying things. Is sable easy to come by?” Amber looked much better than in the morning or afternoon. She offered tea and, seeing Zhang Yue hand over the jade, quickly took out a silk pouch from a small drawer and carefully placed the jade inside. Then she asked, “Since the jade was given to Miss Ke by the princess, isn’t it inappropriate for the young master to take it today?”

“I know it’s inappropriate,” Zhang Yue said thoughtfully, frowning briefly before smiling. “With so many people watching the bet today, it’s not good for her to back out, and I can’t just refuse it. Once we return to the Duke of Ying’s residence, let the eldest uncle or aunt handle it. Hmm, you guys should be more careful—today’s incident wasn’t that simple after all.”

Qiu Hen was puzzled, sensing something vaguely but not clearly, and dared not ask further. Meanwhile, Amber felt clear-headed but showed a faint bitter smile. Back when her family was noble, everyone vied for that prestigious position; yet once things went wrong, how many people cursed the one who had once brought glory to the family? Now that Duke Zhang Fu was over forty without an heir, it was no wonder everyone was eyeing that highly sought-after ducal title.

The events of that afternoon’s poetry gathering naturally reached the ears of the elders in the Marquis of Baoding’s household, but they only provoked a gentle smile from them. After all, they were all noblewomen, and poetry was merely a pastime for idle children. While the sisters-in-law and aunts played bone games for fun, Meng Xian and Meng Ying discussed the matter privately in the study, offering a different perspective.

“That girl from the Zhang family, Ke, is notorious in Nanjing for being difficult to deal with. Whenever she sets her sights on something good, she uses her skill in composing poems as a weapon in competitions. Since she usually faces uneducated playboys, she succeeds every time. It’s rare for that Zhang boy to win.”

“She can even handle herself in front of the emperor and the crown prince—what’s a little girl compared to that?” Compared to Meng Ying, who dealt with high-ranking officials like dukes and marquises in Nanjing every day, Meng Xian spoke more bluntly. “Second brother, I could tell from Jun Ge’s wife about the education in the Zhang family of Xiangfu. And this time, the eldest son of the Zhang family showed his prowess in the military drills, while the third son is courteous and talented… Hey, we also have three daughters of marriageable age at home. Haven’t you considered them?”

Meng Ying hesitated. “Though that’s true, they’re not the legitimate descendants of the Duke of Yingguo. Chao Ge is fine—his father is already a lieutenant general. Even though he’s just a hundredth-ranked officer this time, he’ll surely be promoted if he earns merits. But Yue Ge’s father is only a provincial scholar; his future depends on the imperial examinations, so it’s hard to say what his prospects will be.”

“That’s not how it works,” Meng Xian said slyly. “That girl challenged them directly today—most likely at her father’s instigation. Since the Duke of Yingguo still has no heir, Zhang Fei and Zhang Jue have been eyeing that position closely. Now that two new competitors have appeared, they must be worried. We both know what kind of people Zhang Fei and Zhang Jue are; otherwise, the emperor would have already chosen an heir for the duke. In my opinion, it’s very likely that either Chao Ge or Yue Ge will inherit the ducal title.”

“Even if that’s true, it’ll be Chao Ge—after all, he’s a military officer.”

Meng Ying pondered for a moment and grew somewhat interested. At first, he had thought that his daughter-in-law did not come from a direct lineage of meritorious officials, but after she moved in, he discovered many advantages to having her as a daughter-in-law, which also led to a close relationship with Zhang Fu. His colleagues and subordinates in the Left Army Command all treated him warmly and respectfully. At this point, he went through his daughters in his mind and came up with a candidate.

Meng Xian smiled again and said, “You’re not wrong. Even if the emperor really wants to appoint an heir for the Duke of Yingguo, it would most likely be Chao Ge. However, Yue Ge is young but steady, and it’s said the Duke of Yingguo values him highly… With the support of high-ranking officials, it’s not impossible for him to rise to a high position at a young age. Anyway, if he marries Min Er, the Duke of Yingguo will surely favor us over the next few years…” He muttered the latter part very softly, and Meng Ying didn’t hear it. Since his half-brother clearly favored Zhang Yue, Meng Ying became even more determined. If his own daughter became the Duchess of a duke, the Meng family’s marquis title would surely remain secure. Although the current emperor wasn’t as ruthless as Emperor Hongwu in killing meritorious officials, there had still been precedents in recent years of revoking hereditary titles.

After staying at the Meng family’s house for a few days, Zhang Yue finally got to know all his siblings. However, after the poetry gathering, he hardly saw those peers again, except for a distant glimpse of Meng Min once when he went to see the Duchess of Baoding. Zhang Qing was also busy all day long, only having some free time after serving her mother-in-law at night. Seeing Meng Jun and her get along harmoniously, he didn’t dare disturb them too much and mostly just entertained his young nephew.

Five days later, when he returned to the Duke of Yingguo’s residence, upon entering the west gate, Zhang Yue was surprised to see many people busy packing things. He asked one of the servants, and then learned that Emperor Zhu Di was planning a northern inspection, and Zhang Fu was one of the princes appointed to accompany him. Although Chen Gui, the Marquis of Taining, had just been appointed to oversee the construction of Beijing and a large number of prisoners had been sent there, Beijing had once been the capital of the Yuan dynasty, so the day of the capital relocation was likely near. Thus, after his initial surprise, he came to terms with it.

When he hurriedly arrived at Lady Wang’s place, Zhang Fu was there as well. Upon seeing him, Zhang Fu smiled and said, “This time, the Crown Prince will be acting as regent during the emperor’s northern tour. Prince Zhao is already stationed in Beijing, so it’s only fitting for him to join the expedition. Prince Zhou will accompany them only as far as Kaifeng. Most of the imperial grandsons and high-ranking officials will follow as well. Your teacher Du Yishan and Yang Rong are both among those accompanying the emperor, while Yang Shiqi is left to assist the Crown Prince. By the way, your father is expected to arrive in a few days. The imperial examinations are scheduled for next year. If you and your father aren’t worried about your studies, you could come north with me to gain some experience—after all, reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles.”

The proposal made sense, but Zhang Yue had already visited all the beautiful lands in the Central Plains. Thinking of the huge entourage of officials on the northern tour and the endless formalities to deal with, he realized that standing out might not be a good idea. Joining Zhang Fu’s group would also be unjustified, so after much consideration, he politely declined.

Zhang Fu wasn’t upset at all. Instead, he smiled cheerfully and said, “You still need to take the provincial examinations this year. This trip will last at least half a year. It would be difficult for you, a young scholar without any honors or titles, to mix among them. By the way, I heard you wrote a poem better than that girl from the second family, Ke, and even won back her precious sheep-fat jade token?”

Unexpectingly, Zhang Fu was aware of this as well. Zhang Yue was momentarily stunned. Seeing Lady Wang’s smiling face and Zhang Fu’s calm expression, he realized some of his earlier guesses were correct. He then took out the jade token wrapped in a silk pouch and handed it to her with a smile, explaining that he had taken it to avoid offending Ke.

“That girl, Ke, has been spoiled by her second uncle since childhood and is usually hard to control. This time, she asked her mother to bring her to me, saying it was something she cherished very much and wanted back. As a result, I scolded her,” Lady Wang said. She took the jade token from Zhang Fu and handed it to Bi Luo to keep safe before continuing, “A setback teaches wisdom. This time, you’ve shown her that there are always those better than her. Maybe she’ll become more restrained in the future. Otherwise, with her temper, she’ll suffer if she gets married.”

Zhang Fu stopped asking about it and, putting away his smile, nodded at Lady Wang. “Madam, officials accompanying the emperor are not allowed to bring their families. In case of emergencies, you can’t rely on my second or third brothers. Since Brother Yue is staying in Nanjing, there will be someone there if anything happens. It’s not the first time the Crown Prince is acting as regent, and you must remember what happened before. In short, you’re in charge of everyone at home. You can’t interfere in the affairs of my second and third brothers—just let them handle it. We’ll discuss everything when I return.”

“Yue Geer, staying here, you might as well focus on your studies. I’ve met the sons of the Fang and Sun families; they seem honest and straightforward, so they could be good companions. As for that Wan Shijie… well, his family is poor, but unlike some people who say one thing but mean another, one shouldn’t judge someone based on a momentary impression but over a lifetime. Just pay close attention. In short, if you choose to pursue a literary career, I can’t do much to help; it all depends on you.”
Faced with these words addressed solely to him, Zhang Yue felt a chill and hurriedly bowed in agreement. In fact, even if Zhang Fu said he couldn’t help, his status as a member of the Zhang family was what made him stand out at first glance whenever he met Zhu Zhanji or Zhu Di. From this perspective, the influence of one’s family truly cannot be underestimated.