Chapter 149: The Crown Prince’s Gift

Qingshui Hutong was not a very wide street. If it had not been for the quiet and secluded grand mansion located there, Emperor Yongle, Zhu Di, would never have granted such a place to Duke of Yingguo, Zhang Fu.
Compared to the spacious streets in front of other ducal and marquis residences, only two carriages could pass back and forth in front of the Duke of Yingguo’s mansion in Qingshui Hutong. Fortunately, this suited Zhang Fu’s low-key personality and had never caused any trouble before. But times change—when Zhang Yue and his father returned on horseback with their entourage, they found the entire alley in front of Qingshui Hutong blocked by carriages, making it impossible to enter!
As the saying goes, good fortune never comes alone, but misfortune often does. Yet the Duke of Yingguo’s mansion was currently brimming with good news—although Zhang Zhuo and Zhang Yue were not strictly speaking part of the mansion’s family, Zhang Fu and Lady Wang considered them as such, so naturally others did too. Some time ago, the news of Lady Wang’s pregnancy had reached the Zhao and Anyang princely residences, followed by visits from palace officials and wives of various dukes and marquises. If not for the intervention of the elderly Lady Gu, these visitors would have overwhelmed the mansion, and Lady Wang would have been utterly overwhelmed. Yet now, even though several days had passed, it seemed there were even more people.
Zhang Yue stared at the crowded traffic and wondered aloud, “Are they all here to visit my aunt?”
“Not necessarily. They might be here for you,” Zhang Zhuo replied, giving his son a meaningful look. Seeing Zhang Yue’s disbelief, he laughed. “I was just joking. People respect you only because of the Duke of Yingguo’s influence. You’re not that highly sought-after. Since it’s hard to get in here, let’s take the back door!”
The group rushed to the back door. Unexpectedly, it was just as busy. Unlike the luxurious carriages and fine horses coming in and out of Qingshui Hutong, those entering here were all women dressed in fine silk robes, arriving in carriages or palanquins—clearly servants from wealthy families. Puzzled, Zhang Yue dismounted with his father and ordered Liansheng and Lianhu to lead the horses inside, planning to enter through the back door.
“Oh, Uncle and Young Master Yue are back!”

Inside the back door lived several old servants from the British Duke’s household. It was an elderly woman who spoke at that moment. Zhang Yue looked closely and saw that it was Yang, Zhang Fu’s wet nurse. Not wanting to be impolite, he hurried forward and called out to her cheerfully as “Mother Yang.” Though this greeting seemed ordinary, it made the few maids who had just entered turn to stare at him, some of their looks making his heart tremble.

Zhang Zhuo, however, was quick-witted. He greeted Yang and quickly pulled Zhang Yue along, hurrying inside. Men naturally walk faster than women, and after a few turns, they left those behind. Only when they reached the corridor leading to Lady Gu’s main room did he release his grip and say with a half-smile, “If those women pester you, you won’t be able to get away easily. Fortunately, they don’t know yet that you’ve passed the imperial examinations as a second-class scholar. Otherwise, even pulling you along would be difficult. After all, even if your aunt gives birth to a rare child in ten months, it could still be years before you get married.”

Thinking of those stares earlier, Zhang Yue suddenly realized—they were eyeing him as a potential husband! Although he believed his grandmother and parents wouldn’t be as superficial as Feng Lan, nor would they decide his marriage like livestock for sale, he still felt uneasy. He took a few more steps and asked, “Father, what’s your opinion on that matter?”

“That matter? Which matter?” Zhang Zhuo looked at his son with amusement. Seeing him look at him so confidently, he cleared his throat and said, “Don’t worry. Your aunt and elder sister have already reported to the old lady that the fourth daughter of the Meng family and the daughter of the Du family are the most suitable. Other families will politely decline one by one. Your mother and I only have you as our son, and now that the old lady has a high opinion of you as her grandson, this marriage matter certainly won’t be rushed. But don’t be too anxious either. It will be your turn after your elder brothers are married.”

Seeing his father walk ahead smiling after saying this, Zhang Yue felt frustrated. It was clearly Lady Zhang Qing and his own grandparents who were anxious, yet now his father was telling him not to rush?

The father and son arrived at Lady Gu’s main room, which was already crowded with people. Those who came to deliver the good news were indeed fast-footed, having arrived half an hour before Zhang Zhuo and Zhang Yue returned. Soon after, people from various families also came to offer their congratulations. Add to that the guests who came to the front door to give gifts to the pregnant Lady Wang, and the threshold of the British Duke’s household was almost trampled underfoot that day.

At this moment, Lady Gu was sitting on the kang on her right, her face beaming with joy. Passing the imperial examinations was a great celebration, and achieving the second rank she had anticipated was even more wonderful. Thus, she didn’t bother to deal with the piles of flattering words from the visitors outside and simply asked her second daughter-in-law, Lady Dongfang, to receive them instead, waiting here for her son and grandson who had also passed the exams. Yet as she looked at Zhang Zhuo and Zhang Yue, despite having countless words to say, they all turned into earnest instructions.

“Tomorrow is the day of announcing the successful candidates in the imperial palace. Go to bed early tonight and eat well in the morning. This ceremony won’t end in a moment, and it takes place in front of the emperor with all officials present. The slightest mistake could be considered a breach of etiquette, which would affect your future prospects. Fortunately, Brother Yue has met the emperor three times before, so he won’t be nervous. But you, the third son, need to be more careful.”

Zhang Zhuo opened his mouth to say something, but Lady Gu frowned and immediately decided to wait until Zhang Fu returned in the evening to give him further guidance on what to expect during the audience. Watching this scene, Zhang Yue couldn’t help but recall his first encounter with Zhu Di, and then thought of Zhu Zhanji, who was only a few years older than him but already well-versed in the ways of showing favor. Yet as this thought crossed his mind, someone announced from outside, and soon a managing daughter-in-law rushed in.

“Madam, there are more… more people bringing gifts outside. They say…” The managing daughter-in-law, usually very sharp and efficient, stammered slightly. After taking a deep breath, she continued, “It’s the crown prince’s envoy who brought the four treasures of the study, saying it’s a congratulation on Young Master Yue achieving the second rank!”

This news shocked everyone in the room greatly. Not only Zhang Yue but even Lady Gu stood up abruptly. Her title as a second-rank noblewoman had been granted due to Zhang Fu’s special request for favor, so even though Zhang Xin had been demoted, it didn’t affect her status. During her time living in the Duke of Ying’s residence, as the elder lady and with Lady Wang being pregnant, she often received guests in the Small Flower Hall, while those from higher-ranking families were received in the Large Flower Hall. But what should she do this time?

“Third son, take Brother Yue to the Wuying Hall ahead to meet the guests. Inform Rong Shan to accompany them—he’s the head steward and experienced, so he’ll ensure nothing goes wrong.”

This mansion was originally a separate residence of Zhu Di when he was the Prince of Yan, with extremely luxurious facilities. Early in his northern inspection, he decided to bestow this place on Zhang Fu, the Duke of Ying. Thus, the original main hall was demolished and rebuilt, making Wuying Hall a truly imperial-built structure. At that moment, the eunuch Huang, who had been sent there, immediately wore a bright smile—without mentioning anything else, if it weren’t for representing the crown prince, he would never have been allowed to enter Wuying Hall.

With his father present, Zhang Yue, the rightful owner, could only stand aside. Fortunately, the eunuch Huang wasn’t pretentious and spoke in a straightforward and brisk manner. The so-called “Four Treasures of the Study” were actually not as valuable as those given by others—the inkstone wasn’t a Duan inkstone, the ink wasn’t Huizhou ink, the brush wasn’t made of wolf hair, and the paper wasn’t adorned with gold or silver. Yet, upon seeing these four gifts, Zhang Yue couldn’t help but recall the umbrella Zhu Zhanji had given him at the entrance of the imperial examination hall, which stirred his emotions.

Seeing that the eunuch Huang was about to leave, he hurriedly said, “Eunuch, please wait a moment. I still have something to return to the crown prince.”

Without time to explain to his father, he quickly whispered instructions to Rong Shan, who was standing on the other side. Sure enough, the eunuch Huang stopped smilingly, showing no urgency, until Rong Shan rushed back carrying two oil-paper umbrellas, which surprised and puzzled him greatly.

It wasn’t strange for Zhang Yue to send a gift in return for the crown prince’s generosity, but what were these oil-paper umbrellas for?

“Eunuch Huang, these were given to us by someone sent by the crown prince at the entrance of the imperial examination hall. Thanks to these two oil-paper umbrellas that day, my father and I were spared from the wind and rain. Please take them back and deliver them to the crown prince, and convey my message that helping someone in need is better than adding luxuries. I remember everything that’s happened before and will never forget it. These Four Treasures of the Study are very useful, and I will carry them with me wherever I go from now on.”

The eunuch Huang had expected Zhang Yue to write a written reply, but instead, he delivered such words. Having spent most of his life in the palace, he couldn’t read written letters, but he understood these words perfectly after careful consideration. So when Zhang Yue personally saw him off from the Duke of Ying’s residence and even generously gave him a string of nanmu incense beads, he accepted them smilingly without hesitation, thinking the young man was sensible and understanding.

So, after returning to Changchun Palace and reporting to Zhu Zhanji, he recounted Zhang Yue’s words word for word, adding nothing nor omitting anything. When Zhu Zhanji asked how Zhang Yue had reacted upon seeing the four essential writing tools, he pondered for a moment before coming up with an answer: “The Zhang father and son were quite surprised at first, but it seemed to me that Zhang Yue later appeared somewhat pleased. After all, it was a gift from the crown prince, which meant great honor for them.” Zhu Zhanji paid no attention to anything else, but upon hearing that eunuch Huang said Zhang Yue was pleased, he immediately laughed. Looking at the two oil-paper umbrellas that had been specially sent back, he felt even clearer about things. Giving and bestowing gifts are entirely different concepts; Zhang Yue must have fully understood the meaning behind the items he was given.