Chapter 247: The True Thunderstorm

It was not until April that the weather in the north truly shed its coldness. There were more fragrant flowers and wild grasses by the roadsides, and the trees that had lost their leaves through autumn and winter now bore lush greenery. Pedestrians on the roads had replaced their thick cotton coats with lighter garments. As for the wealthy families, they crafted brightly colored silk and gauze robes and placed potted flowers in their courtyards, creating a vibrant scene.

The Zhang family’s grand mansion, located next to the Marquis of Wu’an’s residence, now looked brand new. Thanks to his contributions in suppressing rebellions, Zhang You, the second master of the Zhang family, had been promoted to a second-rank general in charge of national defense and served as the deputy commander in Jiaozhi. The original three-bay, five-door gate with black tin rings was replaced with a new one of the same design but in green, adorned with animal-faced tin rings. Everything about the gate—its structure, nails, and even the uniforms of the servants—had been updated, and the entire interior had been thoroughly transformed.

It is said that a wife rises with her husband’s status. Dongfang Shi had initially been most worried that her uncle Zhang Xin’s demotion might affect her husband’s career. Now that Zhang You’s career was soaring, her concerns faded, and she spoke less harshly, even trying to emulate the grace and magnanimity of the elderly matriarch. Her only dissatisfaction was that her daughter-in-law gave birth to a daughter in her first pregnancy. But since the young couple was still young, she didn’t dare say much, though she paid more attention to traditional methods for having sons and occasionally criticized her daughter-in-law.

The eldest wife, Lady Feng, was now in poor health, the third wife, Lady Sun, was far away in Jiangning, and the matriarch, Lady Gu, ignored household affairs. Thus, Dongfang Shi became the de facto head of the household. She delegated some tasks to her daughter-in-law but refused to relinquish control over finances. The two older maids in her service were skilled at managing accounts. One day, when the expenses for new clothes for everyone were presented, she found two minor issues and rejected them, only then leaving the meeting room satisfied.

“Madam, the second young lady’s marriage is approaching. Since the dowry has been arranged, should we consult the matriarch?”

Although Linglong was already quite grown up, Dongfang Shi, considering that the matriarch had favored Zhang Yue, decided to inform Lady Gu and arrange for Linglong to become Zhang Chao’s concubine. After all, it wasn’t right for the daughter-in-law to fail to bear a son. Hearing this, she frowned slightly before sighing.

“The marriages of the third generation in our family have always used the family funds. Although Yi is not my child, she is marrying into a noble family, so we must maintain dignity at all costs. I’ve prepared the dowry list based on the standard used for Qing when she got married; I’m sure the old lady won’t object. Well, since I’m free now, let’s go take a look.”

Gu lived in the main house in the north courtyard. Though she wasn’t a strict vegetarian, she would fast for a few days each month. At that moment, she was watching Zhang Jiu carefully copying Buddhist scriptures at the table by the kang. As the eldest grandson of the legitimate line, she observed him attentively, her expression a mix of melancholy and relief—melancholy because her eldest son still hadn’t been pardoned, and relief that Zhang Jiu was finally sensible.

So when Dongfang came to discuss the dowry for her second granddaughter, she didn’t pay much attention. She glanced briefly at the dowry list and then said approvingly, “It’s good that you’ve thought of everything. After all, she’ll have to call you mother. If she marries with dignity, it’s also a matter of honor for our Zhang family. Her biological mother is weak-willed; after she marries, it’s likely she won’t be able to take care of her. You might as well be a bit more generous with the expenses. With the second son away these years, it must be hard for her to live on her own.”

Dongfang felt pleased with the initial praise, but she became somewhat dissatisfied upon hearing the latter part—moving the family to Beijing already incurred large expenses each year, and now extra funds were needed for just one concubine. Wouldn’t the other concubines feel entitled to more? However, under her mother-in-law’s authority, she didn’t dare speak openly and merely agreed vaguely, assuming Concubine Luo wouldn’t dare complain to Gu over such a trivial matter.

After chatting with Gu for a while, she shifted the topic to her son Zhang Qi. Zhang Qi was only two years younger than Zhang Chao, and his marriage had already been arranged—he was to marry the niece of Marquis Anyuan Liu Sheng. Compared to the marriage of the illegitimate daughters, Zhang Chao’s marriage was what concerned her most at the moment. Mentioning the already set wedding date, she said smilingly, “Now that the marriages of the three children from the second branch have been arranged, logically, Yue should marry before Yi. But the emperor himself has given his word. Next, it will be Jiu’s turn. I wonder which noble family girl in Beijing will be so fortunate!”

Zhang Jiu bowed as Dong Fang Shi entered and then continued to copy Buddhist scriptures earnestly, as if he hadn’t heard the elders’ conversation at all. Hearing those words now, his hand holding the pen trembled slightly, almost causing ink to drip onto the nearly completed page. At this moment, he had no desire to write anymore and simply straightened up to rub his wrist.

Gu Shi had been paying close attention to the marriage of her own grandson since arriving in Beijing. Instead of responding to Dong Fang Shi, she casually replied, “Children have their own fortunes. He’s still young and needs to achieve something first. By the way, the second son has now earned military merits. If things go on like this, he’ll likely be able to leave a hereditary position for his son. Chao Ge is already a thousand-household officer, and Qi Ge is also making progress. That’s what’s best about our children—they have potential!”

It sounded like praise for all the grandchildren, but in reality it was meant to praise her own sons. Dong Fang Shi was naturally overjoyed and almost showed her pride on her face, but after a while she managed to suppress it and humbly agreed with Gu Shi’s tone.

Taking advantage of her mother-in-law’s high spirits, she added with a smile, “I have another matter to report to the old lady. It’s been over a year since Chao Ge got married, and he still only has one daughter. The first two concubines were sent away when he married, and it’s time to find a few proper ones to serve in his household. Linglong was raised by me personally. What do you think…”

Linglong had already heard Dong Fang Shi mention this before and wasn’t happy about it. Although Zhang Chao wasn’t a bad master, he was always fond of novelty. The previous concubines were affectionate when things were good between them, but after a while they treated each other normally. Even if they were married off to lower-class families or given to servants, it would be better than this arrangement. However, she knew very well Dong Fang Shi’s temperament and understood that she couldn’t defy her. So when Gu Shi’s sharp gaze swept over her, she quickly lowered her head in silence.

“Linglong is okay, but have you and Chao Ge’s wife discussed this?”
Seeing that Gu Shi seemed unobjectional, Dong Fang Shi cheerfully replied, “Chao Ge’s wife isn’t the kind to be unkind. Besides, this is for the sake of future generations. If they have a son right away, that would be a good omen, wouldn’t it…”
“Old lady, the eldest wife is here!”

Just as Lady Gu was pondering, a maid’s announcement came from outside. At that moment, everyone in the room was somewhat surprised, and Lady Gu glanced at Lady Dongfang. Soon after, the fragrant wooden curtain was lifted, and a graceful young woman stepped through the threshold. She wore a bright red Lu silk jacket with a front closure, a honey-colored gauze skirt embroidered with phoenix patterns and gold threads, a pearl hairpin tilted on her bun, and a pearl headband with a jade forehead band—looking dignified and elegant.

After greeting everyone upon entering, she stood beside Lady Dongfang, exchanged a few words, and then mentioned the reason for her visit, her face slightly flushed: “Last month, due to my poor health, I sent my chief maid, Huixiang, to serve here, treating her as part of the household, though I didn’t report this to the mistress and increase her monthly allowance. Last night, she suddenly felt nauseous and vomited, and it worsened this morning. After consulting a doctor who took her pulse, we found out she was pregnant. I should have told you right away during this morning’s visit, but I wasn’t sure at the time, so I waited until the doctor left before coming to inform the old lady and the mistress.”

“This is indeed good news! Good girl, you handled this well!” Lady Gu was overjoyed and nodded, saying, “Hiring a maid is a minor matter; there’s no need to keep reporting unless necessary. But now that she’s pregnant, it’s only right to inform everyone. Your mother-in-law just mentioned wanting to add more servants for Boy Chao, and now we have this good news. Is that maid’s name Huixiang? Send two reliable maids to take care of her; they can live outside your quarters, and she’ll receive the same monthly allowance as a concubine.”

Lady Dongfang never expected such a good thing to suddenly encounter complications, let alone that her daughter-in-law’s chief maid would bear fruit first. She felt inwardly annoyed. But since Lady Gu had already spoken, it was not appropriate for her to say anything. She quickly agreed and tried to bring up Linglong’s matter again, but her mother-in-law waved her hand.

“I know Boy Chao’s temperament. Linglong has been with you all along, and he must have seen her many times. If he really wanted her, he would have asked for her long ago, rather than waiting until now. A few days ago, the household manager, Gao Quan, mentioned wanting to hire Linglong for his son. I forgot to bring this up.” Glancing at Linglong, Lady Gu smiled kindly and said, “Linglong, why don’t you tell us yourself—do you want to get married or serve your eldest young master for life?”

How could a servant even dare to speak on such matters? Though Linglong was deeply moved by Lady Gu’s proposal, she didn’t dare express it outright. She quickly knelt down respectfully and bowed three times before whispering, “It’s entirely up to the old lady and madam to decide.”

“You’ve served your own wife for so many years. If Brother Chao treats you poorly in the future and wrongs you, that would be unfair,” Lady Gu said, glancing briefly at Lady Dongfang before smiling. “I’ve met that son of the Gu family; he’s quite clever and would make a good match for you. I’ll prepare your dowry for you. Go back and tell your parents, and get ready to move in.”

Only then did Li Yun realize that her mother-in-law had originally planned for Zhang Chao to marry Linglong, and her expression changed slightly. Although she wasn’t the type to argue at every turn, she had been pampered by her siblings at home, and her sister-in-law had taken great care of her before her marriage. Naturally, she didn’t want her mother-in-law to send someone close to her husband. At this point, Lady Gu’s arrangement suited her wishes perfectly.

After Lady Dongfang and Li Yun left, each preoccupied with their own thoughts, Lady Gu sighed. Seeing Zhang Jiu staring at her blankly, she concernfully adjusted his clothes and began nagging, “Once you finish copying the Buddhist scriptures, go back and study hard. These days, getting a civil position is even harder than a military one. I wonder how your third brother is doing. Shandong is in chaos right now. Zhang Jue went there full of enthusiasm but returned in disappointment. And your great-uncle isn’t in Beijing either…”

“Is grandmother here?”

Hearing that rash voice outside, Lady Gu was startled. Soon after, a figure rushed in through the sandalwood curtain—it was Zhang Qi. He was drenched in sweat and, without even bothering to bow, spoke eagerly, “Grandmother, something terrible has happened! I heard there was trouble in Qingzhou Prefecture! After Brother Jue returned, he said there were mobs causing chaos in Le’an County, even kidnapping prisoners. The King of Han only gave them ten days, right? But then my third brother… he borrowed three hundred soldiers from the military office, surrounded a fortress in Yidu County, and with help from insiders inside the fortress, captured hundreds of White Lotus rebels! That Du prefect also arrived in Qingzhou somehow. He mobilized two thousand soldiers from Qingzhou’s guard force, captured hundreds of rebels in various villages, and found many standard weapons in two villages in Le’an County.”

Now that Zhang Fu was no longer in the court, the Gu family was not as well-informed as before, so hearing this news made her feel uneasy at first. But soon she became suspicious and retorted, “Since your third brother captured the main culprit in one go, he has clearly done nothing wrong. What exactly is the problem?”
“The problem is…” Zhang Qi had been running hard all the way and was now out of breath. “The problem is that others have accused your third brother of privately mobilizing troops and, after capturing the stronghold, releasing those evil members of the White Lotus Sect under the pretense of fulfilling his duties! Also… they accused Du, the provincial administrator, of daring to handle military affairs as a civil official, claiming he has ulterior motives. Liu Zhong, the commander of the Shandong military, as a local military leader, mobilized a large army without reporting to the court—this is treason! The one who made these accusations is the imperial censor of Shandong. I heard there’s another claim—that the soldiers from the military office boldly stormed several fields belonging to the Han royal family and captured many people!”
Only then did Lady Gu gasp in shock. At this moment, she didn’t have time to ask where Zhang Qi got such detailed information. She stood up and began pacing back and forth in the room. After walking for a long time with no solution in sight, she hurriedly ordered someone to prepare a carriage and went to the inner room to change into appropriate clothes for guests. Just as she was about to leave, she saw Zhang Jiu standing there in a daze, which made her hesitate again.
Zhang Yue was usually so cautious—how could he suddenly engage in such a risky act? And Mr. Du, who was always extremely steady, why was he acting so recklessly this time? With Zhang Fu absent from Beijing and his close ally, Duke Cheng Zhu Yong, still in Nanjing, even those with high status might not be able to help. If they acted rashly in such a critical situation, it might only harm Zhang Yue and even everyone else.
She needed to stay calm. The sky had already fallen once before; this time it couldn’t be worse!
“Brother Qi, how did you know about this? And how did you get back today?”
Zhang Qi wasn’t expecting his grandmother, who was about to leave, to sit back down on the kang and ask such questions. He grew anxious immediately. “Grandmother, it was my brother-in-law who told me—it’s absolutely true. We can’t just watch as our third brother is framed. We must find a way!”
“Your brother-in-law told you, but did he tell you to ignore everything and rush home?” Lady Gu slammed the kang table angrily and said slowly, “You now hold a military position and should prioritize loyalty and righteousness. How can you neglect your duties over such a trivial matter? Go back and apologize immediately! Stop interfering with your third brother’s affairs!”
“Grandmother!”

Zhang Qi still wanted to try to dissuade them, but seeing Gu’s unyielding expression, he could only bow in frustration and walk away angrily. As soon as he left the courtyard, he clenched his fists, determined to find Zhang Chao and discuss things properly. Even if the elders wouldn’t intervene, they younger ones were united in their resolve—they would never stand by and watch their third brother being manipulated by others!
Volume 7: Joys and Sorrows
Being with a ruler is like being with a tiger; it takes but a moment to go from peak to trough, and from imprisonment to prominence is just one step away. When Zhang Yue finally lifted the red veil on his wedding night, he didn’t know whether to feel sad or happy.