Chapter 365: The Sincere Husband Has No Ambition for High Rank; the Keen Husband Is Surprised by What He Hears

In the winding alleys, a thin horse pulled a carriage slowly forward. As the wheels turned, creaking noises could be heard from time to time. The wooden walls of the carriage were peeling, and the shafts had shown their original color. In front of the carriage was an old man driving it, wrapped in a gray-brown thick cotton coat. He stared straight ahead but kept his ears tuned to what was said inside.

“Honey, looking at your cousin’s official robes, it seems he’s a fifth-rank official?”

Wang Yu was indeed puzzled. Having lost both parents, he had always relied on his uncle’s care. Eventually, he managed to secure a minor position in the Changshan guards—a trivial and unimportant job. As a result, he had delayed getting married, unable to find someone suitable either above or below his status. It was only after his uncle acted as a matchmaker that he married his current wife. Although she came from a humble family with a widowed mother, Wang Yu always sensed something was off from her behavior, but since he treated her very well, he never suspected anything. Yet today’s encounter made him doubt again.

“That’s why I said we’re poor relatives and can’t aspire to match them,” Jin Su said, her hands tightly clenched inside her sleeves. Seeing her husband still staring at her, she forced a smile. “Besides, our family once did something extremely wrong and offended them badly. Now that they’re in power, how could we dare to aspire to be close to them? Thankfully, we met a reasonable third cousin today. If it had been someone else, we might have been embarrassed on the spot.”

“I see… But it’s rare to see your cousin reach such a high position at such a young age,” Wang Yu said with a smile as he took his wife’s hand. It was shockingly cold, so he comforted her gently, “Since it’s something from the past, don’t worry too much. I was just curious and asked casually. I have no intention of flattering them to advance my own career. I’m sorry for letting you down—given my abilities, I really can’t offer you a glorious marriage.”

“I’m not that kind of vulgar woman. Who cares about such things?”

The couple chatted idly along the way. Soon, the carriage turned into an alley wide enough for just one vehicle, flanked by neatly arranged tile-roofed houses. Nowadays, most high-ranking officials lived in the West City, while the East City was filled with pavilions built by the imperial court. Due to the low rent, most officers preferred to rent houses there. Wang Yu, having to support his mother-in-law, and his uncle, who often stayed for a few days, decided to rent a small house with its own courtyard.

The three rooms in the north wing of the house were occupied by the couple, while the east wing was lived in by Feng Lan and a maid. Since she now practiced Buddhism and ate vegetarian food, she rarely went out. The west wing was usually empty; when Wang Yu’s uncle, Gao Zheng, came, he would stay there for the night. As soon as the couple entered, a middle-aged servant they had hired stepped forward and said that Uncle was waiting in the west wing.

“It’s been several days since Uncle last visited.”

Although the Wang family was only moderately well-off, since Jin Su entered the household, she had managed finances wisely, keeping everything in order and gradually adding several valuable items. Since the west wing was a place Gao Zheng frequented, its furnishings had been completely replaced. When he saw Wang Yu enter, Gao Zheng stood up smiling and pointed to the large desk beside him. “Since your wife came into the family, things here have improved a lot. You can even afford a rosewood desk now?”

Seeing Wang Yu’s puzzled look, Jin Su quickly explained, “Uncle, how could we afford rosewood? This is elm wood—just purple elm. Someone happened to be selling wood, so I bought it and had it crafted. Besides this desk, the big bed and bookshelves inside are also made from this purple elm. I had those old pieces dismantled to make various useful items; it just costs some labor, so we can’t waste it.”

“It’s the Mid-Autumn Festival today. I just came to check on you. Since you know how to manage a household, I’m relieved.”

Jin Su sat with them for a while before getting up, saying she needed to go to the kitchen to prepare meals, leaving the two uncles to talk. Although he had said earlier that he didn’t care in front of his wife, Wang Yu was still curious about his wife’s wealthy relatives from her family. So he told his uncle about the chance encounter at Qianweizhai that day and finally asked, “Back then, the mother and daughter lived in hardship. Even if they are distant relatives with some past grudges, it would be only right to help them out. Why did things turn into such estrangement?”

Gao Zheng stared at his nephew for a while before suddenly sighing. “I also put a lot of thought into your marriage. If I were to look among officers, many would be rude or inexperienced—someone you might disapprove of, and so would I. But those with good family backgrounds often demand hefty dowries. That’s why when I met your wife and her mother, I took an interest. To my surprise, they agreed right away; I was puzzled for quite some time. It was only recently that I found out they were driven out by their family.”

“Driven out by their family? How is that possible… Your mother-in-law is a devout and kind person, and your wife is sensible too. Could it be a dispute over inheritance, or did the family reject them after your father passed away?”

“It’s a long story.” Gao Zheng pondered for a moment before deftly changing the subject. “Her family originally came from an official background; her father once served as the governor of Kaifeng, holding the highest position in their large clan. Her parents arranged a good marriage for her sister, but suddenly something went wrong, and in their panic, they broke off the engagement, causing quite a stir. Later, when her family tried to recover, her father got into legal trouble, and the elders blamed her mother for everything. Last July, when her father died, the Jin family drove her and her daughter out.”

Wang Yu frowned deeply, about to ask questions, but Gao Zheng waved his hand. “Don’t ask about these things. In short, your sister-in-law was originally meant to marry into a top-tier family. It was your parents-in-law’s grave mistake, no wonder they were heartless. The person you met today is still quite reasonable. If not for him interceding, your father would have died in prison. Stop thinking about this. Your direct superior is about to take office, so you need to perform well.”

Although still worried about his wife’s family, Wang Yu nodded when Gao Zheng told him not to interfere. Hearing the words “direct superior,” he was stunned. “Uncle, are you saying Colonel Luo is being transferred?”

“Useless! How would I care about some minor colonel!” Gao Zheng snapped irritably before saying seriously, “I’m talking about Lord Meng, the commander of the Central Guards in Changshan. After leaving his post, he faced dismissal and lost his wife. Now that he’s back in office, things will surely be different from before. He’s looking for people right now. If you perform well, your future won’t be limited to just being a regular commander.”

“Lord Meng is the commander, how could I, just a standard bearer, meet him?” Wang Yu was filled with confusion. Then, forcing a smile, he added, “For my future, my uncle has already gone to so much trouble. In truth, I have no great ambitions; I only hope to save up some wealth so that my children can live a prosperous life in the future.”
Hearing this, Gao Zheng immediately grew angry and snapped, “A true man must have ambition! After all, Prince Zhao is the emperor’s own son, and most of the Changshan guards are elite soldiers. Everyone strives to advance, yet you show no interest at all! I still work hard at my age so that your aunt and your cousins can enjoy wealth and honor in the future. You’re already married now—how can you imitate those aimless commoners?”
Seeing Wang Yu’s face turn red as he lowered his head, Gao Zheng stepped forward and said slowly, “Opportunities don’t come often. Lord Meng will take office in three days—seize this chance. As for whether he’ll meet you, don’t worry; I’ll find a way. Just remember: taking one step forward means a bright future. That’s all that matters.”
Meanwhile, the Zhang family was happily celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival. Since Lady Gu didn’t like to travel much, and Zhang Jiu had returned from the imperial academy, she simply arranged a feast in the three side rooms of the main house in the northern courtyard. To keep things lively, she ordered that there be no need for elaborate dishes—instead, she asked everyone to list two or three dishes they preferred, and the kitchen would prepare them accordingly. Everyone ate comfortably. The three boxes of mooncakes brought by Zhang Yue, with their rich and not-too-sweet fillings, were also eaten up completely by everyone, especially Zhang Chao, who devoured three in one go. Thus, the feast continued until late at night.
“Third brother.”
Zhang Yue was about to return to his room with Du Wan when he suddenly heard a voice behind him. Turning around, he saw Zhang Chao walking up quickly. He stepped forward, only to see his elder brother looking troubled, as if there was something difficult to say. Du Wan, standing behind, thought for a moment before signaling to Lingxi Hupo and Qiuhen. The four of them stepped aside first.
“Third brother, I need to borrow some money. Would it be possible?”
Hearing this, Zhang Yue was extremely puzzled. “Elder brother, where do you need the money for?”

Zhang Chao hesitated for a while before finally mustering up the courage to explain everything in detail: “Do you still remember the time I took you to Sishui Street? Although I never found her again after that, by chance this time I met a woman who looked extremely similar to her. Even though I knew they weren’t the same person, I just couldn’t let it go, so I brought her back to Beijing and settled her outside. My grandmother’s farmlands were under my mother’s care, and the other minor income was taken care of by your sister-in-law. It wasn’t hard for me to get a few hundred strings of gold coins or exchange some gold bars from the treasury, but if it was more…”
At that moment, Zhang Yue felt his head throbbing. Back then, Zhang Chao had almost gotten into trouble because of marriage, and now, two years later, how could he even think of keeping someone outside the household? He glared angrily at Zhang Chao until the latter shyly turned away, after which he said irritably, “Now that you’re married, if you really like her, you should bring her into the family. Keeping her outside like this, without clarity, aren’t you afraid that the censors will criticize you?”
“But her status is rather unclear. My grandmother and mother won’t agree. Besides, you saw that house on Sishui Street empty two years ago. I don’t even know where she went or whether she’s alive or dead!” As Zhang Chao spoke, his face showed a conflicted expression. He even punched a tree hard before finally looking up and saying, “In short, little brother, will you help me or not?”
At that moment, Zhang Yue could easily tell of the frustration in his heart, but he didn’t know how to advise him, let alone scold him. He couldn’t help but sigh, then said seriously, “I can’t just agree to this at will. Besides taking on responsibility, I need to know what kind of person she is. How about this—take me to meet her another day.”
After running into Jin Su today and hearing Zhang Chao’s words, Zhang Yue felt a mix of emotions even as he entered his own courtyard. The desire for more is inherent in men, and Zhang Chao was no exception. Yet still, he couldn’t help but think of his sister-in-law Li Yun, and even more so of his second aunt Dong Fang, who had been waiting at home for years. With heavy thoughts, he walked to the door. Before he could lift the curtain and enter, he heard voices coming from inside.
“Xiao Wu, don’t just talk nonsense!”

“Miss, you underestimate me too much! I’ve studied under Doctor Feng for over half a year—he specifically taught me how to identify the pulse of pregnancy! If I hadn’t been too busy these days to check your pulse, I wouldn’t have realized it until now!”
“Sister Xiao Wu, you said it yourself—it’s only been half a year. What if there’s a mistake? Wouldn’t the young mistress be disappointed?”
“You still don’t believe me… Fine, I won’t argue with you. I’ll go out myself and bring back a doctor!”
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhang Yue felt the door curtain ahead being flung open abruptly, and someone rushed straight into his arms. After stepping back a few steps to steady himself, he didn’t even bother with Xiao Wu, who was rubbing her nose in frustration. He rushed inside. Seeing Du Wan standing up from the chair in the middle, he quickly stepped forward, placed his hands on her shoulders, stared at her for a moment, then simply pulled her into his arms.
Xiao Wu peeked outside for a while before suddenly saying something utterly inappropriate, “Miss, groom, do you still want me to go to the pharmacy and bring back a doctor?”
Even the usually composed Ling Xi and Hu Bo couldn’t help but laugh. Qiu Hen snapped, “It’s the Mid-Autumn Festival tonight. We need to let them enjoy the holiday properly. If we need to bring in a doctor, wait until tomorrow morning. Besides, can’t you see how happy the young master is? If there’s a mistake, wait and see how he and the young mistress deal with you!”
Zhang Yue paid no attention to what the four maids were chatting about. At that moment, he hadn’t even considered the possibility that Xiao Wu might have made a mistake. His mind was entirely focused on his first child in this life and the previous one. After a while, he finally loosened his grip. Seeing Du Wan’s face flushed with joy, he felt an even greater surge of happiness and pressed his lips firmly onto hers.