Chapter 352: A Momentary Firework Display

For comfort, the best way to travel from Beijing to Nanjing was by boat. But if speed was desired, one had to take the postal routes via Beijing, Zhuozhou, Dezhou, and Xuzhou. Although it was a journey southward, the bitter cold made riding at full speed extremely grueling. Even though Rong Shan was physically strong, by the time he reached Nanjing, his body felt as if it had fallen apart. After his four servants were settled down, he was helped to wash his face and change clothes, then sat on the warm kang in the east wing room. After drinking a bowl of scalding ginger tea, his frozen body finally warmed up, though his feet remained stiff.

Just then, a young servant entered carrying a copper basin, placed it at his feet, and knelt down to remove his shoes and socks. Not daring to be presumptuous, Rong Shan quickly refused. Only after hearing Zhang Yue’s instructions did he sit back down.

After removing his shoes and socks, the servant used both hands to massage his feet to restore blood circulation until his insteps turned red. Then he soaked his feet in hot water, continuing to massage and press them, changing the water three times. After drying them, the servant carefully applied ointment to the frostbitten areas, then brought new socks and shoes for him to put on, explaining, “Madam said these shoes might not fit well. Manager Rong, please make do with them for now. As for the cotton boots, they can’t be worn yet—they need to be dried in the sun first.”

Although he had always been highly respected in the British noble household, being served with such care made Rong Shan feel deeply grateful. Soon, he heard voices outside, and then Zhang Yue entered the room. He quickly stood up and bowed respectfully.

“Manager Rong, no need for such formalities.”

Zhang Yue stepped forward, supported his arm, and gently seated him. Seeing the bloodshot eyes and exhausted appearance, and recalling what the servant had said about his frostbitten feet, he said sincerely, “You’ve traveled so quickly in this cold weather—only five days from Beijing to Nanjing. You must be exhausted. Tomorrow is the first day of the lunar new year. Why not stay here to celebrate the Spring Festival and return to Beijing with me? You can rest for a few days.”

“Thank you, Young Master Yue, for your kindness. But I can’t stay. My wife is waiting for my reply.”

Seeing Zhang Yue sitting across from him on the kang, Rong Shan then sat down at an angle. Noticing no one else in the room, he picked up the bundle behind him and handed it over solemnly with both hands. “The lady said she never expected things to escalate to this extent. Upon reflection, it was all due to her carelessness and lack of proper supervision at first. She secretly sought skilled craftsmen who were good at mending clothes. First, she had several fox and silver vole fur garments punctured by knives repaired, and though the craftsmen were quite skilled, they needed the original fur to mend them properly. Since sable fur was hard to find, the lady gave up hope and could only find something similar now.”

The Duke of Yingguo’s household really did send holiday gifts, so there was no need for Rong Shan, the steward in charge of external affairs, to handle it personally. Thus, Zhang Yue had already guessed it was related to the matter of the sable fur coat. After receiving the bundle, he didn’t rush to open it and asked, “Sable fur has always been a tribute, and the garments made from it are almost always used in the palace. Where did my aunt get this coat?”

Seeing Zhang Yue’s sharp gaze, Rong Shan, who had initially intended to claim ignorance, could only sigh and tell the truth, “It was bestowed upon my lord by the emperor years ago. My lord has many such items, and he hasn’t worn this coat very often. The lady said that although the style is somewhat different, it should be fine to deceive people for now, and we can think of a solution later.”

“Although my aunt has good intentions, we must not act rashly. Otherwise, if it’s discovered, it could harm the Duke of Yingguo’s household.” Zhang Yue waved his hand to indicate that Rong Shan didn’t need to persuade him further. Without even looking at it, he handed the bundle back. “I’m grateful that you went through all the trouble to deliver this. But since someone has deliberately reminded the emperor of this matter, they will surely keep a close eye on the Duke of Yingguo’s household. If the emperor ends up thinking that our household is also deliberately deceiving him, it will only backfire.”

“But…”

“I will surely write to my aunt to explain the situation. She definitely won’t blame you.”

Rong Shan had also heard some rumors about what had happened that day. Although only a maid was executed by flogging and one concubine died, it was the first time such a thing had happened under the usually lenient Lady Wang, causing a great shock in the inner palace. Sent out on this mission, he was somewhat worried—although it was a matter related to the Duke of Yingguo’s household, if things went according to Lady Wang’s plan, it might lead to even greater consequences. Yet he also knew that if Duke Zhang Fu of Yingguo were in Beijing, he might go straight to the palace to confess his faults, so he didn’t dare advise Lady Wang. Unexpectedly, the young Zhang Yue saw through everything so clearly and refused without hesitation this opportunity that could save his life for now.

After much thought, filled with mixed emotions, he raised his head again and said, “Madam secretly inquired earlier. That year, the Jurchens in Jianzhou outside the Great Wall submitted over 300 sable furs. The emperor ordered imperial craftsmen to make four coats from them—one for himself, one each for the crown prince and Prince Zhao. The remaining one was stored in the treasury until, after hearing about Young Master Yue’s situation, she decided, on a whim, to bestow it. In previous years, although sable furs from outside were also used to make coats, aside from being given to princes like Prince Qin, Prince Jin, and Prince Qi, only the Dukes of Yingguo and Cheng received such rewards; almost no other nobles did.”

Zhang Zhuo had only told Zhang Yue who currently owned the three similar coats, without mentioning that they were exclusive to princes. Even so, it didn’t make much difference. Even if they were in the imperial treasury, could he really order someone to steal them? He couldn’t rely on the emperor or other princes, and not even Zhu Zhanji could be asked for such a thing. Otherwise, that young and intelligent crown prince would surely think, “If you can deceive the emperor today, won’t you try to deceive me tomorrow?”

Fortune or misfortune—what’s meant to be can’t be avoided.

Sighing deeply, Rong Shan shook his head. His hand accidentally touched a bundle beside him, so he quickly placed it on the kang table and began untying the blue silk wrapping to unfold the garment inside. “Madam also asked me to bring this damaged coat along. It was targeted last time, so she kept it in her own chest, fearing it might be tampered with again.”

After that coat was stolen, Zhang Yue never took it back; it remained in the Duke of Yingguo’s household. Now, after receiving it and unfolding it, he examined the irreparable damages and felt furious—even if he had the courage of Jia Baoyu and the help of Qingwen, a clever woman can’t cook without rice. No amount of mending could fix those damages.

Being constantly troubled by this unpleasant matter naturally made one feel bad. So Rong Shan saw Zhang Yue silently fold the tattered cloak and put it back into the bundle. He could only cough lightly to change the subject: “Madam is extremely happy to have a child in middle age this time. The ‘three washes’ ceremony was already very lively, and this full moon celebration lasted for three days. Even the emperor bestowed many gifts. I only hope heaven will bless them this time and keep both children safe.”

“With the character of the eldest uncle and his wife, heaven will surely protect the younger cousin.”

Although Zhang Yue said this with a smile, he didn’t believe it at all. If heaven really cared, why were there still so many evil people in the world, and why did good people suffer? Moreover, even though there was a highly skilled doctor in his own family’s backyard, it wasn’t appropriate for him to act as the host, and he knew that medical skills couldn’t guarantee anything. So he decided to keep quiet for now and think about it after returning to the capital. However, when Rong Shan mentioned that Hui Xiang had given Zhang Chao another son while Fang Shuixin unfortunately had a miscarriage, he couldn’t help frowning.

Although he didn’t have a good impression of his second aunt Dong Fangshi or Fang Shuixin, his second uncle Zhang You had always been generous and kind to him, even closer than his first uncle Zhang Xin. But with Zhang You and Zhang Chao leading troops on a campaign, two of their concubines—one happy to have a son and the other suffering from a miscarriage—left him wondering what the father and son would feel when they returned.

Upon learning that the Duke of Ying had sent Rong Shan, Zhang Zhuo, who had returned from the government office in the evening, went to see him personally. Seeing that the kitchen had already brought the New Year’s dinner to the side room for Rong Shan and his attendants, and that there was plenty of firewood in the house, he finally felt relieved. After chatting for a while, he went straight back to the main room.

It was rare for the whole family to be together, so the New Year’s dinner that night was extremely lively. Thick candles illuminated the entire room as brightly as day. The family members sat on the kang, while a group of maids sat around the round table below. There were no usual rules at such times—laughter and joy filled the air. Even Lady Sun paid no attention to Hong Luan, who sat in the corner. While comforting her lively and cheerful daughter, she also took care of her son, who was with her for once. Her smile was brighter than ever. After drinking cup after cup of hot wine, her face turned red, looking extremely charming.

After finishing a lively dinner, the whole family went outside together to set off firecrackers and fireworks. Zhang Yue held Du Wan in one hand and Zhang Jing in the other. As soon as they reached the back door, a few observant servants started shouting. A young servant quickly lit the firecrackers that had been prepared in the alley, and they burst into loud crackling sounds. Despite wearing mink ear warmers, Zhang Jing, who was most afraid of loud noises, was still startled. When she tried to find her sister-in-law as usual, she found Zhang Yue standing aside with Du Wan. Before she could react, Mrs. Sun picked her up.
“Xiao Jing, don’t disturb your brother and sister-in-law’s happy moment!”
Compared to the noisy firecrackers, the various fireworks were even more astonishing. Although the Zhang family usually didn’t indulge in extravagance, they set up many fireworks displays in the open space this time—there were flag-shaped fireworks, barrel-shaped ones, as well as ground rats and box fires. The explosions sounded like thunder, with flowers, fish, insects, birds, and animals competing in beauty, creating countless dazzling images in the night sky, turning the darkness into day. The most eye-catching was a perpetual light tower gifted by the Duke of Chengguo. It was five stories tall, with each floor displaying different fireworks—pagodas, figures, and more. The top floor even emitted a shower of glowing flowers, so bright it was dazzling. The sounds of music and voices blended together, while the colors of light illuminated everything beautifully.
Seeing that Du Wan seemed a bit cold, Zhang Yue tightened the sleeveless cloak around her and pointed at the colorful fireworks, smiling, “Tonight’s fireworks are more beautiful than those we set off in Qingzhou. No wonder people say they wish New Year could last every day!”
“If only these fireworks didn’t last just for a moment,” Du Wan said, eyes wide as she watched the splendid display. She noticed Zhang Yue’s arm stiffen briefly before he turned to her with a smile. “Can we watch fireworks every year? Mom, Dad, and I are all counting on you!”
Volume 9: Dance of Demons
Princes and princesses, nobles and dignitaries, powerful eunuchs—behind the chaos of demons dancing, there are more than just a pair of vigilant eyes.