Chapter 450: Worry Not About the Collapse of Heaven, But About a Changed Heart

In the records of military achievements, campaigns in the north were always regarded as the most prestigious. However, Zhang Fu missed the second northern expedition due to his mission in Jiaozhi, which left him with lingering regret. Thus, though he was skeptical about the emperor’s decision to lead another expedition, he still spared no effort in preparing. At that moment, after personally cleaning his armor, which he hadn’t worn in ages, in his study, he ordered Peng Shisan to help him put it on, along with the imperial sword bestowed upon him.

Yet just as he finished these preparations, the door to the study was suddenly pushed open. Filled with anger, he was about to rebuke them when he recognized the people who entered and was stunned speechless. After a long pause, he finally realized he shouldn’t be standing there, but the heavy half-plate armor made it impossible for him to kneel. In a panic, he ordered Peng Shisan to help him remove the armor. As he glanced aside, he saw his trusted personal general already kneeling on the ground.

Zhu Di, who had entered the inner study, looked at Zhang Fu, clad in armor and at a loss, and all traces of gloom vanished from his face. Instead, he burst into laughter. Seeing Zhang Fu awkwardly trying to kneel, he waved his hand cheerfully and said, “No need to bother. With the armor on, there’s no need for formalities. There’s no need for such ceremony between us! It seems I’ve come to the right place today. I haven’t seen you in this heroic armor for a long time! Zhang Fu, do you still remember the poem ‘Song of Peace in Nan’ that I composed for you?”

The armor was extremely difficult to remove, and Zhang Fu alone couldn’t take it off. He could only bow deeply. Hearing the mention of the poem, his face turned red instantly, and he replied loudly, “I can still recite it to this day!”

“Good that you remember. No need to recite it!” Zhu Di laughed in amazement at Zhang Fu’s immediate readiness to recite it. “I’m not that foolish Prince Zhao from before. I’m not asking whether an old Lian Po can still eat—after all, I’m still able to fight at over sixty. You’re only in your forties; you shouldn’t be inferior even to me! Also, remember to teach your son horseback riding and archery well, just as I trained the imperial grandson. He must become a capable person!”

“I shall obey your orders. But how could my humble son compare to His Highness the Imperial Grandson…”

Seeing the harmonious relationship between the emperor and his subject, Zhu Ning couldn’t help but take a look at the valiant and resolute crown prince mentioned by Zhu Di. Noticing that Zhu Zhanji’s face was slightly red, she smiled. After taking a soft breath, Zhu Zhanji also realized that Zhu Ning was watching her, so they exchanged a glance and quietly left the study. Since there were dozens of Jinyiwei in the courtyard, along with their commander Yuan Fang, the two simply stepped out of the courtyard and stood in the empty alley.

“From the emperor’s tone just now, it seems this northern expedition might again require you, the crown prince, to accompany us?”

Recalling the northern expedition in the 12th year of Yongle, Zhu Zhanji had no pleasant memories of it. Having lived in the palace for a long time, he felt no trepidation toward his aunt, who was four years younger than him. He sighed and said, “Seven years ago, it was my first time on the battlefield. Perhaps seeing blood made me lose control—I chased the remaining Oirat forces all the way to Jiulongkou. I ended up trapped in a siege, and to this day I still have nightmares. Without experiencing such situations, one can’t imagine the hardships of fighting against the Mongols. You can only defeat them, not completely eradicate them; the slightest carelessness could lead to being defeated in turn.”

Hearing this, Zhu Ning’s playful attitude vanished instantly. Zhu Zhanji paused for a moment before saying with a bitter smile, “Moreover, what remains most vivid in my memory is that on our return from that expedition, many soldiers ran out of food halfway. If it weren’t for Scholar Yang’s idea of letting soldiers borrow food from each other and having the authorities repay it double once we returned to the Central Plains, we likely would have collapsed along the way. Every expedition involves hundreds of thousands of soldiers, placing a huge burden on the national treasury.”

As a princess raised within the walls of the royal mansion, although Zhu Ning had once sneaked out to see the relief efforts for the victims of famine at Daxiangguo Temple, witnessed the terrifying scene of the Yellow River bursting its banks in Kaifeng, and even seen people selling themselves in the markets of Kaifeng, she still didn’t need to consider such heavy topics. At that moment, she faintly sensed Zhu Zhanji’s disapproval of the northern expeditions and smiled self-mockingly.

“It’s all because of my ignorance. I actually joked about such serious matters.”

“It’s the first time I’ve said such things to another woman besides my mother. If Aunt Ruoning is ignorant, then there are probably few insightful women in the world. Enough about that. I disagree with Aunt Ruoning—Grandfather wanted me to gain experience that time, but after that he realized how merciless the battlefield can be, so he likely won’t take me there again. However, from what Grandfather just said to Lady Du, it seems Zhang Yue will definitely accompany us, and perhaps not just as an attendant…”

Zhu Zhanji was extremely perceptive. As he carefully considered Zhu Di’s words, which clearly held implications, various possibilities popped into his mind one after another, only to be dismissed one by one. Thinking of his grandfather’s apparent preemptive move in placing Zhang Yue in the Ministry of War, he grew even more convinced it was intentional. With the information he had heard a few days ago, he gradually formed a vague idea. Yet this was different from sending Zhu Ning to deliver a message last time. After much deliberation, he ultimately decided not to say anything more.

Although Du Wan didn’t want to dwell too much on meeting the emperor at the Duke of Ying’s residence that day, there were too many people present, so when she returned home to report to Lady Gu, Zhao Fen recounted everything. Though Lady Gu was now the wife of the eldest uncle and had once attended the memorial service for Concubine Wang, she had only seen Zhu Di from afar. So, when she learned that her three granddaughters had accidentally encountered the emperor in disguise, she naturally became very attentive. Thus, Zhao Fen had no choice but to explain the whole story in detail before giving Li Yun a subtle nod.

“The emperor indeed asked whether the third sister-in-law would be willing to put her husband in great danger for the sake of her father. I didn’t exaggerate at all. If you don’t believe me, ask the eldest sister-in-law!”

Under Lady Gu’s intense gaze, Li Yun couldn’t resist and could only stammer, “What the second sister-in-law said is indeed true.”

To put one’s husband in great danger for the sake of one’s father… What did that mean?

Suddenly, the room fell silent. Not only was Sun Shi, as a mother, filled with anxiety, but even Lady Gu felt uneasy. Seeing Dong Fang Shi sitting there silently but with an air of schadenfreude, Feng Shi thought of her husband, who was still in that dangerous place, and felt annoyed. She simply cleared her throat lightly.

“Yue Geer has always been blessed—good people are protected by fate. The emperor probably just wanted to give a reminder; the old lady needn’t worry. Even Lord Du managed to escape once before, and since he hasn’t really done anything wrong this time, it’s impossible for him to be kept locked up forever. Now, the ones who truly need attention in this household go unattended, while those who don’t need concern are the ones everyone worries about.”

Upon hearing this, Lady Dongfang sneered, “What are you talking about? Although the eldest master is currently away, isn’t my husband the same? My elder brother can simply serve as a civil official in peace, but my husband has to lead troops to suppress rebellions—who knows what dangers he might face!”

“At least the second master has soldiers from the court by his side, but my husband only has a few attendants!”

“Don’t forget—this title of Marquis of Yangwu and all this wealth in our family were earned by my husband through his military achievements!”

“If it weren’t for my husband’s close relationship with the Duke of Yingguo after he entered officialdom, how could the second master have such good opportunities?”

Seeing the two ladies engaging in bitter sarcasm and arguments, the maids looked at each other in confusion. Seeing their words becoming increasingly absurd, Lady Gu became furious, smashed her prayer beads on the ground, and shouted, “Stop arguing! The younger generation is all here—what kind of example are you two setting? The title and wealth were earned by the second son. Do you mean that except for the second branch of the family, everyone else should move out so as not to interfere with your wealth? This title is hereditary—if you keep acting so ostentatiously, sooner or later nothing will be left. Think about all the foolish things you’ve done before!”

Seeing Lady Dongfang’s face turn red, Lady Feng felt satisfied, but unexpectedly, her mother-in-law glared at her angrily. In the next moment, a torrent of scolding poured down on her.

“You’re the same—speaking in veiled threats. Do you think I can’t tell? As long as I’m still here and the family hasn’t been divided, we all rise and fall together. It’s true that your husband is at fault, but he’s also my son. Don’t you want your eldest son to return and take care of me as his mother? Although the eldest son isn’t here, who in this household has ever treated the eldest branch unfairly? Why learn to be cruel and extreme? Go back and cultivate yourself properly!”

“And the third daughter-in-law—now that there’s a grandson, you should hurry back to Nanjing. What’s the point of leaving your husband there? Jing stays behind; you set off in a few days.” Lady Gu lashed out at Sun as well, then turned to the three daughter-in-laws with an even stricter tone, “How dare you question what the emperor says? If others find out, they’ll think our Zhang family has no discipline. All of you, go back to your mothers-in-law and think carefully about how to support your husbands, raise children, and be filial to your in-laws!”
It wasn’t until all the daughters-in-law had been driven out that Lady Gu sat there in a daze, suddenly clutching her chest in pain. Bai Fang, who was nearby, was terrified. She quickly sent a maid to inform the other rooms and summon a doctor, while also ordering someone to bring hot water. After much effort, she managed to open Lady Gu’s mouth and pour half a cup of hot water in, but there was still no improvement. Since the heads of the other families hadn’t arrived yet, she became even more panicked. Just as she was at her wits’ end, someone suddenly pushed aside the curtain and rushed in.
“Miss… Miss Xiao Wu!”
As soon as Xiao Wu entered through the gate, she encountered an old woman shouting outside for a doctor, so she ran over at full speed. Without even taking a breath, she checked Lady Gu’s pulse and saw that she was already having difficulty breathing. She quickly took out silver needles from her bag and instructed Bai Fang to lay Lady Gu down and unbutton her clothes. After accurately inserting needles at the Neiguan and Zusanli points, she gently twisted and pulled them, then inserted needles obliquely at the Xinshu and Sanyinjiao points. Soon after, she inserted needles at the Feishu and Lieque points, repeating this process in sequence. It took a long time before Lady Gu regained consciousness, by which time a large crowd had rushed into the room, all too frightened to make a sound.
The old lady was almost seventy—nothing could happen to her at such a time!