Chapter 284: Weighing Gains and Losses

Although she had anticipated that the Qiu family would not refuse, hearing such a response still relieved Gu Shi of a burden. Zhang Chao and Zhang Qi had chosen daughters from distinguished families—firstly because both were of military backgrounds, and secondly because Zhang You had a promising future, making it a suitable match. Yet, when choosing between the Du and Meng families, she did so not because of the Du family’s background, but because Du Zhen was Zhang Yue’s mentor, and that mentor was of the highest moral character and wisdom.

Seeing Qiu Shi’s gaze directed at her and Du Wan also looking at her, Zhang Yue took a deep breath. He had long known that his family was arranging his marriage between the Meng and Du families. He first met Du Wan in the Peach Blossom Forest, then again at the Meng family’s poetry gathering, followed by traveling together to Shandong and the unforgettable experiences in Qingzhou. She was extremely intelligent, yet possessed an admirable resilience. Over time, she had helped him countless times without hesitation or complaint.

He truly felt fond of her. That was why he had given her the gold-inlaid fan earlier, and why he had pleaded with his grandmother upon returning to the capital—stating that the marriage still had to be chosen between the Meng and Du families. In fact, he already knew, given his grandmother’s wisdom and experience, which family she would choose.

Now that Meng Xian had been released from prison, his mentor Du Zhen remained in the Jinyiwei prison, his fate uncertain. He didn’t want to watch his mentor suffer like Yang Pu—free from danger yet imprisoned for over a decade. Zhu Di had told him not to interfere with Du Zhen’s matter, but at this time of discussing marriage, if he could meet the emperor, it might remind him of Du Zhen’s merits.

But he decided to accept. Would Du Wan agree? Did she have feelings for him?

Before he could speak, Gu Shi gently broke free from him and Zhang Jiu, then said to Du Wan, “Miss Wan, it’s still early. Would you like to walk with me for a while? I have something to tell you.”

Du Wan was already in a state of turmoil. When Gu Shi invited her, she quickly agreed and stepped forward to support Gu Shi’s arm. Then Gu Shi turned around and instructed, “Brother Jiu still needs to study this afternoon, so he should go back and get ready. Brother Yue, stay with your mother-in-law. It’s a pity it’s not yet the time when osmanthus flowers bloom; otherwise, the fragrance of the flowers in the garden would be delightful.”

Seeing Du Wan supporting Lady Gu forward, Zhang Yue really didn’t know what the old grandmother had to say to her, and she felt deeply uneasy. By the time she came to her senses, Zhang Jiu had already disappeared without a trace, leaving only Lady Qiu looking at her with a kind expression. Recalling the first time she met this mother-in-law, who had also been friendly and gentle without any animosity, treating him like a son, he quickly stepped forward and said with guilt, “Mother-in-law, when I returned to the capital from Shandong, I couldn’t go to Jinan Prefecture with Sister Wan…”

“It’s all in the past. You still remember it?” Lady Qiu interrupted Zhang Yue with a smile, then gestured for him to walk slowly with her in another direction. She continued, “Wan has told me everything. Lady Meng was seriously ill at that time, and since your families are related, you couldn’t just abandon her to take care of me. Even your father would approve of your actions. Wan has had her own opinions since childhood, and though she’s a bit too firm-willed, she’s reliable in critical moments.”

At this point, Lady Qiu paused and suddenly shook her head. “It’s all because I indulged her too much. She hasn’t put much effort into sewing or cooking. She needs to make up for that before getting married. But I know you shouldn’t care about such things.”

Zhang Yue felt quite embarrassed after hearing Lady Qiu’s words. He gritted his teeth and asked, “Mother-in-law, Sister Wan is indeed a rare and good woman. I’ve always admired her resilience. But today, with the grandmother suddenly proposing this marriage… is she really willing?”

“Why would you worry about that?”

Just then, a breeze blew by. Lady Qiu, with her silver-threaded bun, only had a few strands of hair disheveled on her forehead. She smiled faintly as she pushed the messy hair aside before speaking earnestly, “Although it’s arranged by parents and matchmakers, as parents, who doesn’t want to find the best match for their children? Besides, Wan and you have spent a lot of time together and know each other well. You probably don’t know, but she has read all the essays you submitted for the imperial examinations and the small collection you published. Naturally, she has been paying attention to you. But as a woman, she’s too shy to show it easily.”

The osmanthus trees in July were lush and green, but it wasn’t yet the season for their flowers, so it was hard to see any golden specks on the branches. Lady Qiu casually pushed aside a longer branch. Turning back, she saw Zhang Yue’s surprised face and smiled again. “Yuanjie, your husband and I only have her as our daughter. We’ve always wanted to entrust her to someone reliable and hope you’ll treat her well in the future. I trust your character and knowledge. Even if your husband finds out, he’ll surely approve of this marriage.”

If Meng Xian had still been in office, losing his wife would have been considered a major tragedy, and countless colleagues and friends would surely have come to offer their condolences. Yet now that he himself had just escaped prison, most of his former colleagues merely sent ten taels of silver through their family members, while those with even worse intentions pretended not to know about the incident at all.

When Marquis of Baoding, Meng Ying, heard of the death of his sister-in-law, he shed a few tears of sympathy. But since the beginning of summer, he had been unwell and resting at home, so he entrusted Lady Lu and his daughter-in-law Zhang Qing to handle the funeral arrangements, without going to assist personally. Most of the meritorious officials who had been granted titles were annoyed by Meng Xian’s excessive behavior; although they sent condolences, few came in person. Lady Wang was pregnant, and Lady Gu was old, so the Zhang family sent Zhang Chao and Zhang Jiu together to offer a hundred taels of silver. The civil officials, having no relationship with Meng Xian, naturally did not come either. Only Du Wan, accompanied by two family members, came to offer condolences and sent twenty taels of silver. Even Zhu Gao Sui, the King of Zhao who had once valued Meng Xian highly, was afraid of angering Zhu Di and merely sent two hundred taels of silver through the royal household manager.

Thus, although the Meng family’s large mansion was kept in order by people from the Marquis of Baoding’s household, there was hardly any traffic or activity in front of the door. The two pale lanterns hanging above the entrance conveyed a sense of deep sorrow and desolation.

Since Lady Wu had not yet been buried, the Meng family’s children naturally went to the mourning hall every day to weep. Faced with such a sudden upheaval, not only were the servants panicked, but even the children were at a loss. Meng Tao and Meng Fan, who used to be lively and playful, became silent and reserved. Even those who were usually disobedient could tell something was wrong when they saw how poorly their mother’s funeral was handled. As for the younger children, they behaved properly. The youngest, Meng Bai, had once whined to Meng Xian because the mourning was too hard, only to be slapped hard in return. As a result, the others remained silent, afraid to be disrespectful anymore.

Lady Liang, who knelt at the bottom, cried many times with the others, but by now she had no tears left and could only utter hollow cries, each of them plotting their own interests. The Meng family was a prominent clan, but there was no hope for a concubine to be legitimized. Meng Xian was just over forty, and he would surely remarry. If he took in a powerful second wife, her life, having given birth to only one daughter, would likely become even harder! Thinking of this, her cries carried a hint of genuine sorrow—but it was for herself.

It was the 37th day since the death, and after the mourning ceremony, guests came to pay their respects. After that, Meng Xian met this unexpected guest in the flower hall of the Meng family mansion. After examining him from head to toe, his tone turned sharply sarcastic: “Since Second Brother has something to instruct, why didn’t he come here instead? Does he think I’m now a venomous beast that could harm his prospects as the Marquis of Baoding? It’s already the 37th day since your great-aunt passed away, and the Zhang family still sent Zhang Chao and Zhang Qi to offer their condolences, yet you, Jun Ge, are visiting for the first time. Tsk tsk—people say distant relatives are not as good as close ones, but it seems even close relatives are nothing special!”
“I was sent by the military governor’s office to Xuanfu earlier, and I just returned before coming here. If my great-uncle blames me for being unreasonable, I have nothing to say.” Meng Jun, in his early twenties, had spent nearly two years under the military governor’s command and now appeared quite composed. He added, “Father didn’t give me any messages to convey. He just said that although the Meng family has split up, there are still some properties in Nanjing that haven’t been dealt with. Since my great-aunt has just passed away and needs money, he asked me to bring the land deeds.”
Meng Xian sneered and retorted coldly, “Now that I’ve lost my position, your father suddenly becomes so kind. Probably trying to draw a line to avoid being implicated by me in the future, right? Very well, keep the land deeds. They belong to me anyway.”
Before coming here today, Meng Jun had already braced himself for a cold reception, so these words didn’t surprise him. Just as he was about to take his leave, he heard a voice outside the flower hall.
“Master, the third young master of the Zhang family has come to pay his respects.”
Hearing this, Meng Xian in the flower hall froze for a moment before smiling faintly and saying sarcastically, “Zhang Yue is thoughtful—still willing to see my wife one last time, unlike others who avoid coming. At least he sees things through to the end.” He paused briefly before ordering in a stern voice, “Tell the third and fifth young masters to treat him well. I’m too overcome with grief to meet him.”
After sending the servant away, he stood up, walked back and forth in the study, then turned to see Meng Jun’s expression changing. With his hands behind his back, he stepped forward and asked, “Jun Ge, aren’t you going back?”
This was clearly an order to leave. Meng Jun had already planned to go, so he stayed no longer and stood up to bid farewell with a deep bow. As he left the flower hall and walked along the corridor toward the funeral hall, he called over a servant and, learning that Zhang Yue was still paying his respects, waited for a while. Soon, he saw Zhang Yue coming out of the funeral hall and hurried over.
“Third Brother!”
“Brother-in-law?”

Zhang Yue had informed his grandmother, Lady Gu, in advance about his visit today. Since Zhang Chao and Zhang Jiu had already sent condolence gifts, he merely offered a stick of incense as a token of his regards. To his surprise, Meng Tao and Meng Fan seemed to have grown up a lot. What he didn’t expect was that today was Lady Wu’s 37th day of mourning—normally a time for a grand memorial service. Yet when he arrived at the Meng family’s residence, he saw almost no one outside, and only the Meng family members were in the mourning hall. The funeral was held in a very quiet manner. It was then he saw Meng Jun, and he realized that it was thanks to the Baoding Marquis’s household sending many helpers that the Meng family could somehow get by otherwise.

Meng Jun chatted with Zhang Yue for a while before walking out with him, sighing as they went, “Although my uncle has been released, there was an order initially to send him to Xuanfu as an official. But since he needs to mourn my aunt for a year, he probably won’t take up his post for now. Seeing the current situation really makes me feel uneasy. By the way, my mother and your elder sister have mentioned you several times. Why don’t you come to the Baoding Marquis’s household? I have something to discuss with you.”

After some thought, Zhang Yue sent Liansheng back home to give an update. Once they left the Meng family’s residence, he and Meng Jun mounted their horses and headed to the Baoding Marquis’s household. Thinking of what he had heard from a few familiar people at the Meng family’s place and seeing the desolate atmosphere, he couldn’t help but feel the fickleness of the world.

Even a family of renowned heroes ends up in such a state once they offend someone.

According to tradition, the Baoding Marquis’s family should observe a five-month period of minor mourning for Lady Wu. However, since this was different from the formal mourning rules, the Baoding Marquis’s household did not shut its doors to guests. The lanes in front of the residence were bustling with activity, and many people came and went through the east and west side gates. As Zhang Yue and Meng Jun dismounted at the east side gate, a gatekeeper immediately came forward to greet them. The two who had just entered also turned around, recognized Meng Jun, and came out to greet him with smiles. Seeing Zhang Yue’s status, they asked him several questions.

With Zhang Yue around, Meng Jun didn’t have time to engage in idle talk with the scholars his father had recruited. After exchanging a few brief words, he pulled Zhang Yue inside. It wasn’t until they passed the hanging-flower gate that he slowed down and explained, “I don’t know who instigated this, but Dad ended up keeping these people—people who can’t fight or understand military affairs, only know how to flatter others. It’s annoying just to look at them!”

At that point, he suddenly changed the subject, “I heard from your elder sister before that the old lady once ordered a basket of imperial-mandated peaches to be sent to the Du family. Since then, the two families have often interacted. Could it be that the old lady has a preference for the Du family’s daughter? Now that you’re back, is the marriage already settled?”

“That’s indeed the case,” Zhang Yue said straightforwardly upon hearing Meng Jun’s question. “Grandmother officially brought it up to the master’s wife yesterday, and the two families will likely exchange betrothal letters in the next few days. However, before the marriage is finalized, I still want to try to see the emperor once. Mr. Du has taught me for so many years; though my life is now safe, the Jinyiwei prison isn’t a good place at all. If the emperor could understand that Mr. Du’s actions were out of loyalty, that would be ideal.”

“You actually want to plead with the emperor for this? Do you also plan to use this to get your teacher out of the Jinyiwei prison?”

Meng Jun was shocked and stared at Zhang Yue for a long time before forcing a wry smile. “The emperor is usually stern and unforgiving, scolding anyone who makes even the slightest mistake in his presence. Even high-ranking officials often dare not approach him casually. How dare you plead for Lord Du… Do you really think it’s easy to see the emperor? Unless it’s a formal court session, officials below the fifth rank hardly ever get to see him. Even those above the fifth rank, aside from the ministers of the six departments and the scholars in the Grand Secretariat, can only wait to be summoned.”

Zhang Yue shrugged honestly and said, “The Jinyiwei keeps an eye on all officials. With our family and Mr. Du’s family interacting frequently over these days, even the Duke of Yingguo’s household has been alerted. Naturally, the emperor will know. If I can’t meet him now, I’ll wait for a summons. I just hope the emperor will give me this chance.”

“You’re really thoughtful!”

Even Meng Jun was amused—considering that he had taken into account the Jinyiwei, who surveils all officials. How bold was this young brother-in-law? Thinking of Meng Xian’s vague attitude before, and though he knew it wasn’t the right time to say it, he couldn’t help asking, “Although it’s arranged by parents and matchmakers, what about you? To say something I wouldn’t dare let your elder sister hear—when I first met her, I was truly in love at first sight and was torn for a while. Otherwise, even if I married her as ordered by my parents, I would surely end up with multiple wives… You spent some time with Miss Du—do you really like her?”

“Since my brother-in-law says he was torn back then, why shouldn’t I be the same now?”