Chapter 303: A fortunate encounter with the emperor

Dozens of people were granted titles of duke, marquis, or earl for their contributions to the Jingnan Campaign, but most of these military leaders were now either sick or dead, no longer in their prime. Those still in charge of garrisons or leading campaigns were mostly second- or third-generation heroes. Thus, Zheng Heng, the Marquis of Wu’an, though over sixty, remained vigorous and was one of the few remaining great generals, highly favored by Zhu Di. Yet, after initial joy at the emperor’s sudden visit, Zheng Heng grew anxious and urged Zhu Di to return to the palace.

Zhu Di examined Zheng Heng, who had not led troops since the northern campaign in the 12th year of the Yongle era. His gaze fell on Zheng Heng’s gray hair, which seemed somewhat glaring to him. But when he saw Zheng Heng’s still strong physique and rosy complexion, he quickly dismissed that sense of sadness. If Zheng Heng, four years his senior, could still ride, draw a bow, and fight, what more could he do?

“At first, the Jingnan army suffered repeated defeats, and everyone suggested retreating to Beiping. Only you and Zhu Neng persuaded me against it. How come you’ve become so timid now? Today, I visited several households—Meng Ying lacks Meng Shan’s sense of responsibility; seeing Chen Yu reminded me of the recently deceased Chen Gui. But Liu Sheng is still in the prime of his life… Seeing that you’re still as vigorous as Lian Po, I’m relieved.”

Back when Zheng Heng was the deputy commander of Miyun Guard, he had secretly pledged loyalty to Chen. Since then, he had fought in countless campaigns without any dissent. Hearing such praise from the emperor, his face turned red, and he declared loudly, “Your Majesty, I’m just as strong as before—able to eat, run, ride, draw a bow, and fight on foot! Wherever You Majesty orders, I’ll go!”

“Good, good! Take good care of yourself. In the future, I’ll surely lead you old generals on another northern campaign to conquer that grassland!”

Even after Zhu Di left the Marquis of Wu’an’s residence with his entourage, Zheng Heng, standing at the door to see him off, was still in shock. Though he knew the emperor was a rare and brave general with an insatiable drive, how could he still be so eager for war at his age? It didn’t matter if an old man like him was left in some remote corner, but for the emperor himself to frequently lead campaigns… Suddenly, he saw the emperor’s guard cavalry stop abruptly in the street—a shock that was truly immense.

Since he was traveling incognito, Zhu Di wore only a robe adorned with golden cloud patterns today, covered with a silver mink cloak. He left the palace with 120 Jinyiwei guards, simply wanting to see those loyal heroes who had fought alongside him in battles across the land. The Duke of Ying’s mansion, lacking its master, was certainly not his destination, and the Zhang family’s residence, adjacent to the Marquis of Wu’an’s estate, was even less qualified. Yet as soon as he mounted his horse to return to the palace, Hai Shou, the supervisor of the imperial stables, rode up and reported with utmost loyalty that the guards had stopped the Zhang Yue brothers. Thus, the large convoy stopped after traveling a short distance.

Since the emperor was returning to the palace, the street had already been cleared thoroughly by the Jinyiwei guards, so the lone carriage standing there stood out sharply, even more so did the three people standing in the snow. Waving his hand to signal the guards to stay behind, Zhu Di tightened the reins and rode forward with Hai Shou, stopping a few steps away from the three men. Seeing them hurriedly bow, he thoughtfully tapped his whip lightly in his hand.

He had already recognized Zhang Yue and glanced past the driver in the brown cotton jacket, instead examining Zhang Jiu carefully before ordering, “I’m traveling incognito this time, so there’s no need for such formalities. It’s cold in the snow—get up. Zhang Yue, is that your brother beside you?”

If it weren’t for the guards at the front refusing to let them in or go, Zhang Yue would never have waited outside in the bitter cold. After getting up, he quickly replied to the emperor’s question, “Your Majesty, that is indeed my younger brother, Zhang Jiu.”

“Zhang Jiu… Your older brothers are both in the army. Is this probably Zhang Xin’s son? Hmm, your family is quite remarkable—both older sons are skilled in martial arts, while the younger ones prefer literature. Look at his frame—it’s even thinner than yours! Although it’s natural to favor literature in times of peace, scholars shouldn’t be weak! Yang Rong and Jin Youzi followed me on northern campaigns, enduring hardships without even complaining. How could they have survived without a strong physique? I’ll tell your grandmother that experiencing some hardship at a young age isn’t bad.”

Since it had been sunny when he left in the afternoon, Zhang Jiu wasn’t wearing much clothing, and standing in the harsh winter wind in the evening, he appeared rather thin. It was his first time seeing the emperor. He had heard people describe the emperor as majestic, stern, and intimidating, but those were just words—nothing tangible. Only when the emperor spoke up right in front of him did he feel that overwhelming pressure that made it hard to breathe. He didn’t dare even look up, let alone speak.

Zhang Yue was well aware of Zhu Di’s temper. Glancing sideways, he saw Zhang Jiu’s face turn pale from nervousness, so he stepped forward, bowed, and replied on his behalf, “I will strictly follow the emperor’s orders. Though my brother and I focus on literature, we have been trained in martial arts since childhood by the guards sent by the Duke of Ying. We dare not neglect martial skills because of our literary pursuits. Although my brother lacks talent in martial arts, he does practice boxing every day and is not as weak as he appears now. It’s just his first time meeting the emperor, and he’s overwhelmed by your majesty’s presence, which explains his awkward behavior. Please forgive him.”

“You’re quite good at speaking up for your brother!” Zhu Di, in a good mood, pointed his whip at Zhang Yue and snapped sarcastically, “He’s about the same age as you were the first time you met me. I still remember clearly—it was also a heavy snowfall, in the plum garden of Yang Shiqi’s house. You talked at length about literature and martial arts, and even recommended your elder brother. Am I wrong? It’s good to always maintain fraternal respect—very good! Haishou, give that kid a coat he doesn’t need!”

When Haishou dismounted and draped a coat over Zhang Jiu’s shoulders, seeing Zhang Yue stand there stunned and at a loss, Zhu Di found it extremely amusing. He waved for Zhang Yue to come forward again.

“Protecting your brother should have limits. His lips are already purple from the cold, yet he claims to be overwhelmed by my majesty’s presence. Don’t use such tactics in trivial matters! In three days, I will convene the six ministries and the cabinet to discuss lifting the sea ban. Prepare a detailed report on the pros and cons, along with all relevant specifics, and present it to me… Never mind, I’ll have someone go to your house to get it. I heard you discussed writing those notes with your newly married wife? That’s truly a case of ‘like father, like daughter’—a fine story. But remember, try not to make a fuss about those notes.”

Had the emperor already ordered the Jinyiwei to investigate this matter? Zhang Yue was shocked, but quickly replied respectfully. Watching Zhu Di turn his horse away with Haishou, followed by the Jinyiwei guards and personal troops, the grand procession soon disappeared into the night streets. He let out a sigh of relief and turned to look at Zhang Jiu.

It was likely a coat once worn by Zhu Di itself—half old, half new. When draped over Zhang Jiu’s shoulders, it almost dragged on the ground. What was even more amusing and frustrating was the boy’s bewildered expression, as if he still hadn’t recovered from his extreme shock. It wasn’t until Zhang Yue waved his hand in front of Zhang Jiu’s face and patted his shoulder that a gasp was heard.

“I just now actually saw the emperor… Oh no, I couldn’t say a word at that moment…?”
The snow was falling even harder now, with the cold wind carrying snowflakes straight into people’s necks. Zhang Yue had already felt his clothes turn stiff from the cold; he had no mood to chatter with Zhang Jiu, so he didn’t reply and simply pulled him onto the carriage before ordering the driver to set off. After holding Zhang Jiu’s hand over the heater for a while until his stiff fingers finally started moving, he glanced at the boy and saw his extremely depressed expression. Thinking Zhang Jiu was upset about his poor performance in front of the emperor, he comforted him a few more times.
After all, used to a life of comfort, even if they practiced martial arts every day to stay strong, how could they compare to those tough warriors who had fought on the battlefield? Even he himself had his hands and feet frozen stiff after standing in the icy snow for half an hour.
The news that the Jinyiwei had blocked the entire street had already alarmed everyone in the Zhang household. For a while, everyone assumed it was a raid, and all the family members, old and young, gathered in the main room in the north courtyard, their faces grim. There were constant footsteps in the outer courtyard as people tried to gather information, but no one dared to speak loudly. Until an older woman rushed into the courtyard quickly, lifting the curtain to enter.
“Reporting to the old lady, the Jinyiwei blocked the street because the emperor went incognito to the Marquis of Wu’an’s residence. Now the emperor has returned to the palace, and the guards along the road have left.”
Hearing this, Lady Gu finally felt relieved. Though she had seemed very certain while sitting on the kang earlier, she had actually been sweating profusely. Now that she had calmed down, she reproached herself for overreacting. Meanwhile, Lady Dongfang, after her initial tension, felt a bit envious, thinking about how glorious it would be if the emperor visited the Zhang household as well.
Since the men in the family were either on duty in the palace or visiting friends outside and hadn’t returned yet, Lady Gu ordered dinner to be delayed and sent Bai Fang to bring tea and snacks. Everyone took some food and chatted casually. After about fifteen minutes, another voice from a housekeeper came from outside: “Old lady, the third and fourth young masters have returned together… They met the emperor at the street corner, and the emperor even bestowed a robe on the fourth young master!”

This unexpected news immediately caused quite a stir in the room. The Dong family reacted fastest, being the first to greet the Gu and Feng families with a smile and a string of auspicious words. Compared to the Feng family’s obvious joy, the Gu family, having experienced more, thought that since the emperor had met both Zhang Yue and Zhang Jiu, there was no reason for him to favor Zhang Jiu alone, so they began to ponder carefully. When she saw the two brothers enter one after another, their hair and clothes covered in snowflakes, she quickly set aside these thoughts, ordered them to go downstairs to change, and then sent Du Wan over to take care of them with a smile.

She handed Zhang Yue’s wet clothes to Ling Xi standing nearby. Seeing Zhang Yue dry his hair with a towel while Qiu Hen combed his hair from behind and Amber wrung out a hot towel, and since there were no outsiders in the room, she stepped forward and asked in a low voice, “How strange to run into the emperor outside! Your clothes and your fourth brother’s are completely soaked from the snow. What exactly happened?”

“Don’t worry, it was just an order from the emperor,” Zhang Yue said, holding Du Wan’s warm hand with his right hand and smiling. “I didn’t expect the emperor to know about you helping me review my essays. He even praised the Du family for its profound academic heritage and spoke highly of you.”

“And what about the rewards your fourth brother received…?”

Zhang Yue smiled slightly. “That was just his good luck. I’ll explain everything to you in detail when we get back.”