Chapter 288: Returning Home in Glory

“Why is there still no news?”
In the main house of the Zhang family’s northern courtyard, even the usually composed Lady Gu could no longer hide her worry. Although it was Zhang Yue who first requested this marriage, she had also thought it through carefully before agreeing, with her own plans in mind.
Now in her early sixties, she could maintain such a large household while she was alive, but who would take care of it after she passed? With continuous rebellions in Jiaozhi, there were frequent reports of officials sent by the court being killed. If something happened to the eldest son, Zhang Xin, the entire family would instantly become orphans. Though Zhang You, Zhang Chao, and Zhang Qi were not heartless, the future was uncertain, especially since Lady Dongfang was not easy to deal with. Therefore, she could rely most on the loyal Zhang Yue.
Of course, no one else could know Lady Gu’s thoughts. Unable to deal with Fang Shuixin, Lady Dongfang had to take out her anger on others. She had just given a lazy daughter-in-law twenty lashes in the small meeting hall when she heard Lady Gu’s words, which filled her with resentment. In terms of status and her wife’s family background, Zhang Chao was no worse than Zhang Yue. Even in terms of father, Zhang You was far more accomplished than Zhang Zhuo. Yet the old lady was so biased, focusing all her attention on Zhang Yue these days.
She then walked up slowly, smiling and saying, “Grandma, don’t worry. It’s just an audience with the emperor. Brother Yue has been to see the emperor before—he knows how to handle it. Nothing will go wrong.”
“What do you know?”
Lady Gu was in a bad mood and became angry at Lady Dongfang’s words. “If meeting the emperor were that easy, why would those officials outside be so fearful? Though Brother Chao seems steady now, how many times has he actually met the emperor alone? Ask him—does he not get leg cramps and break out in sweat when facing the emperor, afraid of saying the wrong thing? Meeting the emperor and asking for such an important matter—any mistake could be serious!”
Scolded so harshly by Lady Gu, Lady Dongfang felt embarrassed. Not only was Lady Feng present, but her daughter-in-law, Li Yun, was also there to serve, along with a bunch of maids. Back home, she used to have absolute authority—Auntie Luo never dared speak against her, and the maids obeyed her blindly. Now, with her husband finally back, she had an overbearing auntie who often undermined her in front of her mother-in-law. How could she bear it?

At that moment, she grumbled discontentedly, “Marriages have always been arranged by parents and matchmakers. The Du family is in such a state now—they’re not even from a prominent background. Why does Brother Yue insist on choosing them? Just because of this, the whole family has to worry and take such risks. Why go to all this trouble?”
She cleverly included the whole family in her criticism. After saying that, when silence fell around her, she realized something was wrong. Looking up, she saw Gu’s expression was utterly strange, her gaze sharp as a knife, as if she were furious. Panicked, she quickly stammered, “Please don’t take it ill, Grandma. I’m just naive and spoke without thinking.”
As Gu’s face remained as stern as water, as if ready to explode, and the room was filled with a suffocating tension, suddenly a voice filled with shock and joy came from outside: “Grandma, the third young master has sent someone back!”
Hearing this, Gu, who had been sitting angrily on the kang, immediately stood up, refusing the maid’s help. She rushed to the door and lifted the curtain herself. Seeing a maid manager standing below with a joyful expression, she immediately understood that everything must have gone smoothly, and a huge weight was lifted from her heart.
The maid had come to bring good news. Seeing Grandma come out in person, she was startled and quickly bowed, then hurriedly said, “Grandma, the third young master just sent Liansheng back, saying everything went well. The emperor even rewarded him with ten bolts of golden silk. Since the emperor sent several eunuchs to the palace treasury to fetch items, he had to wait at the palace gates. Fearing Grandma would worry, he sent Liansheng back first to give an update.”
Most of those who had followed her were overjoyed at these words, except for Dongfang, who was both shocked and jealous. Since Zhang Xin had been exiled to Jiaozhi, Feng had become much more subdued. Coupled with Gu’s reminder about the importance of connections, she was now happier than anyone else. She stepped forward and supported Gu’s arm, smiling as she said, “Brother Yue is truly blessed. Not only was this matter handled smoothly, but he also received a reward. Yesterday, when I visited the Duchess of Yingguo, she just mentioned that the silk from the south had arrived in Beijing a few days ago, and the emperor hadn’t yet given any rewards. Who would have thought Brother Yue would get the first prize!”

“Old Madam, you’ve been fidgeting nonstop since just now. Now that the third young master has received good news, you should feel relieved.” Bai Fang, believing herself to be the most prominent maid by Gu’s side, also smiled as she supported Gu’s other arm. “Just now, the kitchen brought some pastries made personally by the eldest madam. Since you didn’t have an appetite earlier, it’s time to give them a try—after all, they’re the result of her hard work all morning.”

It was already the end of July. Although it was nearly noon, the sun wasn’t as scorching as in the height of summer. Yet after standing in the sun for a short while, Gu still found it glaring. Hearing Feng Shi and Bai Fang’s words, she turned back and went inside. Sitting down on the kang, she smiled at Li Yun and said, “I’ve been worried all morning and almost failed to appreciate your filial piety. Although the weather is getting cooler, working in the kitchen must have been tough for you. There’s no need to go to such lengths just to show your devotion.”

By then, Bai Fang had already brought over a covered tray with painted floral patterns, containing four neatly arranged pastries: shrimp crystal dumplings, yellow rice jujube cakes, rose pine flower cakes, and glutinous rice shumai. Gu tasted two of them and praised them highly, then asked Bai Fang to take the tray to Feng Shi and Dong Fang Shi to try as well—everyone agreed they were delicious. As she chewed the shumai, Dong Fang Shi glanced sideways at Li Yun, who blushed with a smile, though she felt slightly dissatisfied inwardly.

She only knew how to flatter the old madam—why didn’t she make something special for her?

“I reckon Brother Yue will be back in a while. You all go back to your rooms to eat. There’s no need to follow rules here. Tell the eldest daughter-in-law to tell Brother Jiu to study hard this afternoon—there’s no need for him to worry about me.”

After sending her daughters-in-law away, Gu instructed Bai Fang, “Go and tell Lingxi, Qiuhen, and Hupu to come here. I have matters to assign them. Oh, and tell the servants outside the second gate that when Brother Yue returns, he should come straight to me. Ask the kitchen to prepare a few of his favorite dishes. Since we’re going to the palace today, we don’t know what to expect—this will be a good way to pass the time.”

At noon, Zhang Yue finally returned home. He had taken four attendants when he left, but only three were with him when he returned, though he was followed by a large cart. The two gatekeepers at the west gate had already been informed and hurried over to help carry the goods. Ten bolts of golden satin were unloaded from the cart. The two eunuchs accompanying the cart were about to leave when the butler Gao Quan personally came out, giving each of them a generous reward. The two eunuchs were overjoyed and left with heartfelt thanks.

“The high-ranking officials are truly meticulous.”
Hearing this, Gao Quan quickly turned around and saw Zhang Yue smiling at him. He promptly lowered his hands and replied with a smile, “After all, they’re from the palace. We can’t let them go empty-handed. The old lady ordered that this gold brocade not be stored in the official warehouses for now but sent to her house instead. It will be useful for sewing clothes for the young master’s wedding. I’ve already sent someone to deliver it. Honestly, the third young master has really had great luck this time—this is the first time such a thing has happened in all of Beijing!”
The shock he experienced was also the first time of its kind!
Zhang Yue smiled bitterly inwardly. Just as he was about to head to the inner courtyard, a steward hurriedly reminded him, “Third young master, the old lady just ordered that you go to the north courtyard first after returning. It seems she’s preparing a meal for you.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yue glanced down at his sweat-soaked clothes and gave up the idea of going back to change first. He entered the west gate and headed along the corridor toward the second gate. As soon as he left, the stewards who had just finished their tasks began discussing among themselves. Some said the third young master had turned misfortune into fortune, others said the emperor still valued the Duke of Yingguo and his relatives, and still others said the emperor appreciated the loyalty of the Zhang family over generations. Finally, Gao Quan interjected irritably, “There are many members of the Zhang family, and the Duke of Yingguo has his own legitimate brothers and nephews. If it weren’t for the third young master handling things well and pleasing the emperor during the memorial, he wouldn’t have been able to get past all those dukes, marquises, counts, and high-ranking officials! Stop talking nonsense. It seems the third young master’s marriage is almost settled. There are countless things to take care of later—why not get back to work?”
As soon as he entered the north courtyard, Zhang Yue heard a maid announcing his arrival. He hurried up the steps into the room. He was already drenched in sweat. Outside, there was still some wind, but inside the room it was even hotter. His wet clothes clung tightly to his body, feeling greasy and extremely uncomfortable. But since this matter was extremely urgent, he had to stay focused and explain everything in detail to Lady Gu.
“That’s great!” After hearing Zhang Yue’s account, Lady Gu let out a long sigh. Seeing the fine beads of sweat on his forehead and the damp spots on his robe, she smiled and handed him a handkerchief. “Even people twice your age often get nervous when meeting the emperor. It’s admirable that you handled everything so well and even received a reward. I originally planned to keep you for lunch, but seeing you so sweaty, go back and bathe and change first. I’ll have someone deliver lunch to you in a box.”

Zhang Yue also felt that sitting like this was disrespectful, so he quickly agreed with a smile and got up to leave. Just as he reached the door, he heard Mrs. Gu’s voice behind him and turned around promptly.
“I almost forgot. I’ve already sent someone to Nanjing. Your father, due to his official duties, can’t return, but your mother will definitely come to help with the preparations. If the wedding takes place, the west courtyard will be too small. There’s a small annex at the west end of my courtyard, just a few steps away from the west courtyard. I’ve ordered it to be renovated and prepared as your new bridal chamber. I’ve already instructed Lingxi and the other two to pick a few reliable maids and servants for you to use; if you have anyone in mind, just tell them.”