Chapter 436: It Never Ends

Since the Imperial Observatory had already reported that there would be a solar eclipse on the first day of the eighth month, the Ministry of Rites had prepared decorations and incense altars in advance, with gongs and drums set up on both sides. When the eclipse arrived as scheduled, officials dressed in court robes bowed one after another. Not only did the drums and music of the Ministry of Rites play, but many commoners in the streets also beat gongs and drums. Just as they finished their ceremonies and were about to disperse, the ministers were suddenly informed of the death of the fourth grandson of the Crown Prince, Zhu Zhan’yan, leaving them all in shock.

Although the Imperial Observatory could now predict when solar eclipses would occur and end, the rituals to deal with them were still regarded as a major affair by the court, and the rituals themselves could not be taken lightly. So when Zhang Yue returned home that day, he inwardly blamed feudal superstition for causing harm. Yet seeing the butler Gao Quan directing the servants to pack up the gongs and drums, and recalling how the whole city had been filled with the sound of drums during the previous eclipse, he could only sigh.

Anyway, it’s good for people to have a sense of reverence!

When Gao Quan turned around and saw Zhang Yue about to enter, he quickly stepped forward to pay his respects. After glancing around, he personally guided Zhang Yue inside. Once they passed the screen door and found no one around, he whispered, “Third young master, you’re finally back! During the chaos caused by the drums and bells during the eclipse, a serious problem arose at home. Aunt Fang somehow disguised herself as a servant and slipped away through the back door. When the second madam found out, she didn’t report it to the old lady first but checked her own room to see if anything was left behind. By the time she reported it, it was already too late.”

“How is that possible!” Zhang Yue was shocked. “Even if she managed to escape, how could she leave the city without a pass? And even if she tried, it would be impossible to move forward!”

At that moment, Gao Quan’s face showed some embarrassment. “I really don’t know. It was only after the incident that I went to check each city gate and found out that Aunt Fang had already left through Xuanwu Gate using a pass. The old lady is extremely angry this time. She first flew into a rage in the main house in the northern courtyard, and all three madams were humiliated. Dinner hasn’t even been served yet. I hope the third young master can go and persuade her. Fortunately, few servants are aware of this matter. When I went outside to inquire, they only said that a maid had run away.”

Although Zhang Yue found the whole situation extremely strange, now was not the time to dwell on it. What mattered most was that his grandmother, Lady Gu, was already very old. If she fell ill because of this, it would be a serious disaster. He didn’t have the time to talk much with Gao Quan, so he simply nodded and hurriedly entered through the second gate. When he reached the main house in the northern courtyard, he saw only a few maids in the hall. At that moment, Bai Fang pulled back the curtain and came out from the inner room.

“Third Young Master has returned!” Seeing Zhang Yue, Bai Fang was overjoyed. She quickly stepped forward to pay respects and then whispered, “The old lady won’t listen to the persuasion of the third young mistress or Sister Lingxi. She sent them away and just now sent the servants out as well. She says she has no appetite to eat. You should go in and take a look quickly. She’s as stubborn as iron or steel—how can she go without eating?”

Zhang Yue merely nodded and entered the inner room. He saw Lady Gu leaning back in the kang chair, her expression unreadable—neither sad nor happy. He stepped forward and gently called out to her. Only then did Lady Gu turn her head. Recognizing it was Zhang Yue, she gave a cold smile and said, “So you know too? Well, nothing like this has happened in our family for decades. Now it’s truly undignified. One claims to be from the second branch but actually acts like the master, says a few words, and leaves just like that; the other is already a high-ranking concubine of the uncle, yet in such a situation, she first starts packing her things, not even knowing what’s important! The son is like this, and so are the parents—complete messes!”

Thinking of Fang Shuixin’s status and Second Uncle Zhang You’s current whereabouts, Zhang Yue couldn’t help but worry. Duke Mu of Qian State was stationed in Yunnan, and whenever wars broke out in Jiaozhi, he would provide support from the rear. Now, it was said that due to excessive conscription, the southwestern tribes were becoming unstable. Seeing there was still hot tea on the kang table, he persuaded Lady Gu to drink half a cup. Seeing that his grandmother was no longer as furious as before, he began to reason with her.

“Since things have already happened, please calm down for now. What’s most important is figuring out how to handle this situation. We need to find out how she left and why she left. You said she left a few words—what did she say?”

“What else? Previously, the Tusi of Mangshi sent someone to convey a message to her, asking your second uncle to secure more cotton cloth and tea for their tribe. Your second uncle managed to get the cotton cloth, but tea was hard to come by, as the imperial court had prohibitions in place. She left a message for the young girl who served her, saying that since your second uncle had left, she didn’t want to stay at the Zhang family either. She preferred to go to her father’s place, hoping to persuade him not to make mistakes due to the harsh treatment from the court… The worst part is that the girl even said Fang Shuixin had been vomiting for days without saying anything! If she were really pregnant, how could she have survived the journey of thousands of miles? That utterly foolish woman really doesn’t care about her life. Even if she had a pass and jewelry as provisions, who knows what dangers might await her along the way!”
Zhang Yue wasn’t a fool. Hearing this, he stopped asking silly questions like where such a pass could come from and comforted Lady Gu gently. Lady Gu had already calmed down quite a bit. Now, seeing Zhang Yue personally bring out the food box and arrange everything on the kang table, and even offering to eat with her, she reluctantly picked up her chopsticks. But after drinking most of the bowl of porridge, she put it down and watched him eat those simple meals as if they were delicacies.
Since he had been severely affected by the solar eclipse, which he had predicted but couldn’t avoid, Zhang Yue ate faster. By the time he noticed his grandmother was watching him intently, he had already finished a bowl of rice. Although he didn’t care about the principle of eating sparingly, it wasn’t right for him to focus only on his own meal at this moment.
“It’s good that you can eat. What’s there for me to worry about?” Lady Gu sneered irritably before sighing deeply. “As long as you understand the situation this time, that’s enough. If things get worse, the entire Zhang family will lose face. Your second uncle was made a count, and I thought the family would thrive. Who would have thought the troubles would never end? Do you know that before leaving this time, your second uncle even hinted to me that Chao Ge’s concubine couldn’t be kept. Now it’s turn… Well, as parents, they’re decisive in making decisions, but what kind of example is that for their children? A real man must take responsibility for everything he does!”

At this point, Lady Gu no longer had the energy even to scold. She simply gave a calm instruction: “Pay more attention to matters related to Jiaonan at the Ministry of War. As for Fang Shuixin, I’ll naturally send someone to investigate her whereabouts; I hope it’s not too late. Your mother will be leaving in a few days. I’ve already told her to keep Jing here this time. Since your wife doesn’t need to worry about household chores, let her teach this young niece properly. There are several children of similar ages in our family, so they can keep each other company in the future. If it weren’t for your eldest sister’s aversion to the past events, I would have wanted to bring Brother Ang over too. Sigh…”
After chatting idly with Lady Gu after dinner and accompanying her outside for a while to aid digestion, Zhang Yue finally returned to his own courtyard. As soon as he entered, he saw that only Xiao Wu was there, which puzzled him. After all, she was now his sister-in-law and no longer lived in the Zhang household. Why hadn’t she returned to the Du family so late?
“Xiao Wu, where’s your sister?”
“Brother-in-law, you’re back!”
It was the third time he’d heard those words that day. Zhang Yue couldn’t help but want to smile bitterly, but when he saw Xiao Wu jump up suddenly and look around, he sensed something was wrong. The girl was usually cheerful; even if she had something to say, she wouldn’t avoid others. Sure enough, after confirming there were no outsiders in the room, she pulled Zhang Yue onto the kang and made him sit down before whispering, “My sister now has the position of Jingguan and has to take care of Jing as well—she’s extremely busy, so I didn’t dare tell her… Actually, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop; it was just a coincidence both times…”
The more hesitantly she spoke, the more anxious Zhang Yue became. He quickly interrupted, “What exactly happened?”
“A few days ago, Minister Xia Yuanji came to see Father. Since I happened to be delivering something as ordered by Mother, I overheard a few words. It seemed they were discussing the allocation of grain rations from the national treasury…” Xiao Wu brought a small stool and sat across from Zhang Yue before looking up and saying, “I don’t understand these matters, so I didn’t pay attention. But yesterday evening, Scholar Yang also came to see Father. I happened to be returning from Dr. Feng’s place and saw Father seeing the guests off at the door. I heard Scholar Yang say to Father that the emperor despises cliques, and as a cabinet minister, he should be even more cautious. As soon as he left, when Father and I went inside, he told me that even if one can’t be unyielding, at least they should have a clear conscience.”

At this point, she paused briefly before casting a guilty glance at Zhang Yue. “I just felt that the way Dad spoke to me was so decisive, as if it were an instruction or something he said to himself. It sounded rather awkward. Brother-in-law, does Dad think I overheard him talking with Lord Xia that day?”
“Why would my father be so suspicious?” Zhang Yue smiled scornfully before asking, “Which Yang scholar is that?”
“Hm? The one who is on good terms with Dad—Grand Secretary Yang Shiqi.”
Learning it was Yang Shiqi, Zhang Yue frowned thoughtfully. Yang Shiqi was known for his calmness and mediocrity. If he had given such a warning, it meant he must have heard some rumors. After all, Du Zhen had clearly been tasked with working with Xia Yuanji to reorganize the customs and redefine trade taxes, so some interactions were normal. Besides, if his father-in-law were part of a faction, then everyone in the world would be part of factions.
Still, it would be better to be cautious about this… This year has been extremely strange, with endless issues at court. Hopefully, there won’t be endless problems at home too!