Chapter 350: It’s Not Just Affectionate Glances

It was not until the sun set that Zhang Yue left the palace. Tian Wen and the other three had already been returned to Zhu Zhanji, and Zhao Hu and the others had also been sent away. Now, only Hu Qi accompanied him back, while Lu Feng had long returned to the imperial envoy’s residence on Ma Fu Street. If it weren’t for that unexpected news, he would have been grateful to the emperor for allowing him to reunite with his family and spend the New Year together. Yet now, he felt irritable, and even riding at full speed couldn’t dispel this mood.

Nearly three years had passed—how could Zhu Di still remember that sable fur coat?

As dusk fell, two lanterns had already been hung in front of the Zhang family’s residence. He stopped just in front of the door before dismounting. A middle-aged gatekeeper rushed over, grabbed the reins, and said with a smile, “Young master, you’re finally back! Master and madam have sent people to inquire several times. They’re all waiting in the main room.”

Though preoccupied, Zhang Yue didn’t want to show it on his face. He told Hu Qi to go rest first and then headed straight inside. Entering through the second gate, a young wife came forward to greet him. He could also hear someone announcing his arrival inside. Exhausted both physically and mentally, he suddenly felt lighter on his feet. When he reached the porch, seeing that Pearl outside had already raised the curtains high, he hurriedly stepped over the threshold.

The main room was brightly lit. Besides the lampstand on the table, there was also a magnificent palace lantern in the shape of a carp leaping over a dragon gate hanging from the beam. Zhang Yue casually removed his gold-threaded embroidered velvet coat, as well as his fur hat and sable ear warmers, and handed them to Ling Xi beside him before going forward to greet his parents. After standing up, he stood close to Du Wan, quietly reaching out with his right hand to hold hers, ignoring whether anyone was watching.

“It must be tough for you to run around in such cold weather!”

Madam Sun, who always doted on her son, examined Zhang Yue from head to toe. Seeing that he had clearly lost weight again, she sighed. She thought of all the hidden threats others faced, yet her own son encountered only overt difficulties. She was about to offer more comfort when she noticed her husband’s gaze and realized he would surely dismiss her as being too indulgent. So she changed her words.

“This gold-threaded embroidered velvet coat seems new. Did someone give it to you, or did you buy it because you’re cold?”

She didn’t expect her mother to be so perceptive. Zhang Yue smiled bitterly inwardly but kept a smile on his face. “It was when I entered the palace to meet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince today. He saw that my agarwood and blue cloud satin cloak was old, so he bestowed one on me. Not only me—Eunuch Lu also received one exactly the same. Each of the four guards sent by the Crown Prince received two bolts of silk and ten pieces of cash.”

“His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is truly generous.”

Zhang Zhuo ignored Sun Shi’s remark and stared at the sable fur earmuffs for a while before suddenly saying, “This gold-embroidered velvet cloak was a gift from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. If I’m not mistaken, these sable fur earmuffs don’t seem to be yours either—they must be gifts from the Crown Prince.”

Seeing Zhang Yue nod, he felt a throbbing pain in his temples and gently rubbed them with his right thumb and index finger, wondering why the two people in the Eastern Palace would act like this after receiving the emperor’s orders—did they know something, or were they trying to convey something?

Du Wan never expected Zhang Yue to suddenly grab her hand as he stepped forward. She tried to pull away but noticed his hand was very cold, which puzzled her. After hearing that Zhang Yue had received such benefits just from a single visit to the palace and seeing Zhang Zhuo’s expression, which seemed more worried than happy, she felt a deep sense of unease.

The three of them, each lost in their own thoughts, didn’t show any of it in front of Sun Shi. Sun Shi, who wasn’t interested in outside affairs, ordered the cloak and earmuffs to be brought over for closer inspection before instructing Ling Xi to put them away. Soon after, Shao Yao came in and said with a bow, “The food in the kitchen is ready. Madam, shall we set the tables in the back room or right here?”

“No need for the back room—just do it here. Bring that black wooden table over and eat together around the kang. You guys set up a round table downstairs so everyone can join in the fun! Do the same on New Year’s Eve in a few days. With so few people in the family now, it would be even more desolate if it’s empty!”

Since she wasn’t in Beijing where so many eyes were watching, and with no need to worry about rules or etiquette, Sun Shi simply gave such orders. Naturally, everyone was happy. Zhenzhu and Shao Yao cleared away the small table and, together with Ling Xi and Hupo, moved the black wooden table onto the kang. Qiuhen then quickly brought over a round table. In no time, the two young wives entered with food trays. At first, they were a bit surprised by the scene, but soon they smiled.

As the two daughters-in-law uncovered the food box layer by layer, a variety of dishes gradually filled the table—six hot dishes including crystal goose, stir-fried gluten, stewed pigeon chicks, sour bamboo shoot soup, smoked meat, and fish in vinegar sauce, along with two desserts, crispy pastries and sugar cakes. All were arranged steaming hot on the table. The portions for the maids were also placed on the round table, and Zhenzhen poured wine into each cup using the hot wine pot.

Seeing Zhenzhen fill all the cups and take her seat, Zhang Yue gave Du Wan a subtle signal, and together they raised their cups: “Father, Mother, let me and Sister Wan raise this first cup to you both. Over the past few years, I’ve been busy outside and haven’t shown enough filial piety. I hope this cup can make amends.”

Seeing her son and daughter-in-law raise their cups, Mrs. Sun drank first as a sign of respect. She felt that all her worries over the past half of her life had been worth it, and her eyes moistened. In that brief moment of distraction, she saw Zhang Zhuo had already drunk his cup in one gulp. She glared at him angrily before finishing her own drink, then stared at Zhang Yue and Du Wan again before suddenly smiling.

“If you two truly care about filial piety, just work hard. Whether it’s grandchildren or not, I’m just waiting to hold them!”

“Don’t worry, Mother. We will definitely work hard,” Zhang Yue replied with a bright smile, only to feel a pain in his waist. Knowing it was Du Wan taking her anger out on him, he kept a calm expression. He then picked up the blue-and-white octagonal hot wine pot decorated with the pattern of the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea, filled Du Wan’s cup first, then filled his own, before setting down the pot and raising his cup with both hands.

“This second cup is for my dear wife. While I’ve been away, you’ve had to take care of our parents and handle other matters, working hard. Thank you for all your efforts.”

Feeling a gentle kick from under the table, Du Wan knew it was Zhang Yue playing tricks. Seeing him drink his cup without a word, she glared at him irritably before raising her neck to drink and revealing the bottom of her cup. When Zhang Yue jokingly poured a cup for the curious Zhang Jing, she couldn’t help but smile. Zhang Zhuo, Mrs. Sun, and the maids all laughed as well. At that moment, she couldn’t help but recall the Spring Festival she had spent with Zhang Yue in Qingzhou. Wasn’t it even more lively now?

With so much toasting going on, the two wine kettles were soon empty. Though everyone was still in high spirits, they dared not drink too much. Since there were too many dishes on the blackwood table, Lady Sun picked out a plate of crystal duck and gave half of the crispy pastries and sugar cakes to the maids to eat. Once everyone was full, she asked the head cook’s wife to distribute the remaining food. After rinsing their mouths and drinking tea, Lady Sun intended to send Zhang Yue off to rest early, but Zhang Zhuo suddenly spoke up.
“Yue, come with me to the study. I have something to tell you.”
Lady Sun naturally didn’t realize this was an excuse. Seeing Zhang Yue follow Zhang Zhuo out, she complained to Du Wan irritably, “What can’t wait until tomorrow? He’s already grown up, yet he still can’t shake his impulsive nature… Wan, you should go back too. Organize yourself and wait a while; Yue should be back soon.” Then she instructed Zhenzhu, “Find those two embroidery patterns sent by the Duchess of Cheng last day. It’s a good time to trace them now. Let’s see how long those two can delay things!”
Zhang Zhuo’s study wasn’t large, but the bookshelves on all four walls were neatly filled with books, along with a complete set of desks and chairs. After entering, he placed the lampstand on a high shelf aside and sat down at the desk. Hearing Zhang Yue outside instructing Hu Qi to wait outside, he patiently waited until Zhang Yue came in and closed the door. He waved him to sit down and first mentioned that white sugar had been sent from Fujian and delivered to the Mansion of the Duke of Cheng. Then he got straight to the point.
“You must have heard in the palace that the emperor wants you to wear your full set of attire when returning to the capital for an audience. I know you certainly wouldn’t accidentally break the emperor’s sword, but that sable coat is a problem. It’s been over two years since it was bestowed, and I don’t know who’s been keeping an eye on you and brought this up again. Who do you think leaked the news?”
Zhang Yue, who had shown no reaction in front of his mother, sighed upon hearing his father’s words. “My aunt is very meticulous. It definitely can’t be someone from the Mansion of the Duke of Ying. This matter probably involves my second uncle. Moreover, if it’s traced back to the damage of an imperial gift, even if my second uncle is blamed, my aunt will also be implicated. The person who started this is truly despicable! There are fixed rules for such rewards; even close relatives can’t borrow them to get by. Not only did they leak the news, but they also implicated others.”

Seeing his father Zhang Zhuo’s brows knitted together, he felt even more that this sudden situation was far from simple. After a pause, he said, “Last year when I was in Qingzhou, many fur traders from beyond the Great Wall brought furs as gifts, including fox fur, gray mouse fur, and lynx fur. It’s a pity that I heard the sable fur is a tribute required by the imperial court from the Jurchens, so it’s impossible to obtain.” Hearing that Zhang Yue had actually investigated this matter, Zhang Zhuo couldn’t help but sigh bitterly. “Do you think I haven’t thought of it? Although there has never been a Jinyiwei in Liaodong, your uncle Yuan also tried to send people beyond the Great Wall to investigate. The sable fur comes from the deep forests of Baishan and Heishui beyond the Great Wall, but the Jurchens can hardly supply enough sable fur each year, let alone sell it to those fur traders. A single sable pelt is less than a foot square; at least sixty such pelts are needed to make such a heavy coat… Well, anyway, you go and spend the New Year with your mother. I’ll think of a way.”