Chapter 282: Is the Marriage Decided?

Even in the most strictly governed households, private discussions are hard to completely prevent. At this moment, two second-class maids working in the Zhang family’s tea room took the opportunity while waiting for the water to boil to whisper to each other.
“Have you heard? The third young master has returned and is currently staying at an inn outside Xuanwu Gate.”
“Since he’s back, why isn’t he returning to the mansion? He was away for a month—how could any inn compare to home?”
“You’re uninformed! This time, the third young master is an imperial envoy. After returning, he must submit official documents and wait for the emperor’s summons—he can’t just go home easily. Besides, today Madam Du and Miss Du came to see the old lady. I think the marriage of the third young master is almost certain. It’s a shame we can’t sneak a peek; Sister Lin raved about it when she returned.”
“I don’t know about Miss Du, but that Mr. Du before… well, who would have thought that a stern teacher from the local school would turn out to be someone important? But now that Mr. Du is in prison, how would the old lady agree to this marriage? After all, the third young master is at the peak of his career, and the nobles in Beijing should be eager to form a marriage alliance with our family.”
As the two continued their chatter, their voices grew louder. Due to the boiling water on the stove, they didn’t even notice when the door curtain of the tea room was lifted and someone entered. It wasn’t until a cough sounded behind them that they turned around, only to turn pale with panic at the sight of the visitor.
“The main house is waiting for the water, yet you’re here slacking off and gossiping! The affairs of the third young master aren’t something for you to discuss!”
Linglong had married the son of the house manager, Gao Quan, and now served as a key manager in the household, in charge of the affairs related to the old lady in the northern courtyard. Even the Eastern family couldn’t order her around easily, so she acted more decisively than before. She scolded the two maids harshly. When they pleaded for mercy with sad faces, she warned them, “I happened to hear you today. If someone else catches you, you’ll get a beating right away! From now on, keep your mouths shut and stop talking nonsense! The water is boiling—hurry and take it to the old lady to make tea!”
Only then did the two maids feel as if they’d been spared. After expressing their gratitude repeatedly, they quickly picked up the copper kettle and followed Linglong to the main house. There, they went into the side room to help pour water and make tea, while Linglong went straight into the main hall.

On ordinary days, the main hall was already bustling, but now even more women from the family gathered there. At the east end of the kang sat Lady Gu, while Lady Qiu sat at the west end. Du Wan sat on the first chair on the left side, while Lady Feng, Lady Dongfang, and Zhang Yi occupied the three seats on the west end. Li Yun, the eldest daughter-in-law, stood there, chatting. Several maids stood behind their respective masters with their hands hanging down, yet all their eyes were curiously fixed on Du Wan’s face. If it weren’t for Zhang Chao and Zhang Qi being on duty in the military camp and Zhang Jiu being forced by Lady Feng to stay in the room reading, there would have been even more people.

At that moment, Lady Gu sighed with lingering fear: “When the news came a few days ago, I was truly shocked. Going to Qingzhou to commit murder was already terrifying enough, but who would have thought we’d encounter such an ordeal along the way? It must have been very difficult for Lord Du to handle that situation, yet he still ended up being accused. But please rest assured, Lady Du—the emperor surely won’t wrong those who truly do good deeds.”

Hearing Lady Gu’s words, Lady Qiu also felt relieved and smiled, saying, “Thank you, Madam, for your kind words. My husband is stubborn by nature; he acts without considering consequences, following only his own heart, which is why he ended up attracting accusations from others. I often try to advise him, but he always uses grand principles to overwhelm others and never knows how to adapt. Yet he is honest and upright. If someone else faced such a situation, they might have just run away. Fortunately, Yuanjie has learned classics and history from him, but not his temperament. He handles people with perfect propriety, which is truly fortunate.”

Hearing others praise her grandson, Lady Gu was naturally happy, though she still spoke modestly. After chatting with Lady Qiu, she couldn’t help but ask Du Wan a few more questions. Judging from her behavior and speech, Lady Gu grew even more satisfied and smiled even wider.

Having entered last, Linglong stood by the door. When she saw the door curtain move, it was a maid carrying in five teacups on a rosewood inlaid lacquered tea tray. She waved at the maid, who quickly handed over the tray, after which she stepped forward. Bai Fang, who was beside Lady Gu, saw the tea arrive and promptly brought a cup to Lady Qiu first, followed by Lady Gu, Du Wan, Lady Feng, and Lady Dongfang.

Lady Gu glanced at the color of the tea and then explained, “It’s not that we intend to neglect our guests. We really didn’t dare serve those coarse teas. This Xin’an Songluo tea can only be brewed to its full fragrance with freshly drawn spring water, which is why it took some time. Today, Brother Yue is going to see the emperor and might return at noon. Lady Du and Miss Wan might as well stay for lunch. By the way, it’s getting cooler these days. How about we have the meal in the garden behind? It’ll be more lively for everyone!”

Qiu thought there was nothing serious about going home, so she readily agreed. Since there were too many people in the house, Gu instructed Feng and Dongfang to handle matters in the small meeting room, and told Li Yun and Zhang Yi to take Du Wan for a tour of the house, leaving Qiu to talk with her. On one side was an elder who had seen much in half a lifetime, and on the other, a kind housewife who had raised her daughter with hard work—so they could get along well. Gu thought Qiu had a good temper and excellent upbringing, while Qiu found Gu, the matriarch, kinder and more talkable than she had expected. Thus, both were satisfied and gradually lost their initial restraint.

This visit was originally arranged by Gu, but since it was Du Wan’s first time at the Zhang family home, facing countless curious gazes, even though she was usually calm, she still felt uneasy. It wasn’t until she met Li Yun and Zhang Yi, who were around the same age, that she felt relieved. As Li Yun started talking about old stories from the Jiangnan region, she unconsciously began to recount her own experiences in the rural areas of eastern Zhejiang. Zhang Yi, who had only been to Kaifeng and Beijing in her life, was very curious about the water towns of Jiangnan.

Although one was a newly married wife and the other two were unmarried girls, with only a one- or two-year age difference, there was no restraint between them. After chatting cheerfully for a while, Du Wan found Li Yun shy and gentle, and Zhang Yi timid and quiet—both easy to get along with—so she became a bit distracted. Having no siblings and few peers since childhood, she had only lived with the Meng family in Shandong for a while, giving her some experience of such a large family life. Today, as she visited with her mother and faced Gu’s scrutinizing gaze, even a fool could understand what it meant. Though she didn’t panic, she still felt uncomfortable.

“Sister Du, I’m giving you this purse.”
Du Wan snapped out of her thoughts and saw Zhang Yi holding a purse, looking at her with bright eyes. She quickly asked, “Sister Yi, what is this…?”
“Although it’s my first time meeting you today, I think you’re a kind person… just like my sister-in-law. I embroidered this purse myself, and it contains rose scent I prepared personally. I also gave one to my sister-in-law.” Zhang Yi was usually quiet, and seeing Du Wan’s surprise, her face turned red. “I’m not good at speaking or thinking. If I say something wrong, please don’t blame me. Anyway, this is just a small token from me. Please accept it, Sister Du.”

Seeing Li Yun nodding smilingly beside her, it was Du Wan’s turn to blush. However, under Zhang Yi’s clear gaze, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse and could only put away her gift, then untie a sandalwood-colored ribbon from her waist as a reply. Watching Zhang Yi fiddle with it affectionately, she couldn’t help but think it was Chunying who had made it as a toy, while her own sewing skills were hardly visible to anyone, causing her to sigh inwardly.
Her mother had always indulged her in such matters, but if she were to get married, she would have to put more effort into it… Yet, it seemed the Zhang family intended to arrange a marriage already—was it because the Meng family had suffered a great tragedy and Meng Min had to observe mourning for three years? Even if it were arranged by their parents, what did Zhang Yue himself think?
With guests in the house, the servants in both the inner and outer courtyards were naturally more diligent in their work. Even the gatekeepers at the west gate didn’t dare idle away their time as usual, fearing being seen by the managers coming and going. As the sun rose higher and noon approached, news came that the old lady had invited the Du family mother and daughter for a meal, causing them to feel relieved and whisper among themselves. Just as they were about to take turns going for lunch, suddenly the sound of hurried horse hooves came from the front gate.
“It’s the third young master back!”
After a shout, one of the gatekeepers rushed to report in the inner courtyard, while the others hurried out to greet him. Zhang Yue didn’t wait for anyone to hold his horse or stirrup; he leaped down skillfully and brushed off the dust on his clothes. Seeing a group of people surrounding him with smiling greetings, he nodded with a smile. Just as he was about to enter, one of the gatekeepers reminded him,
“Third young master, the Du family’s wife and daughter came to visit today. The old lady has already prepared a meal. Your return just happens at the right time.”
Zhang Yue had gone to Beijing the day before and met the emperor today—already extremely lucky compared to many officials who could never even see the emperor. Moreover, today’s meeting went more smoothly than expected. Zhu Di didn’t throw sudden, startling questions at him like before, nor did he ask a word about the murder in Qingzhou. Instead, he questioned him in detail about the attack he encountered on his way back, ending with a menacing remark:
“Coming from a military family, one must know how to kill.”

At this moment, he was still recalling what had happened in the cool hall. It was only after entering the west gate and taking a few steps that he realized what the previous statement meant, and he immediately stopped in his tracks. He turned around and called back to the gatekeeper, asking in disbelief, “You just said that Mrs. Du and her daughter came as guests, and the old lady had already prepared food for them?”
“Replying to the third young master, Mrs. Du and her daughter indeed came as guests to their home. Initially, the palace bestowed peach blossoms, and the old lady ordered a basket to be sent to the Du family. After that, she often sent food and snacks, and Mrs. Du would often return gifts in return.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yue couldn’t help but take a deep breath—so, had his grandmother already made up her mind?