Chapter 530: A Joyful Minor New Year Amidst Worries

Although Zhang Yue had long forgotten about this Minor New Year, since Qiu Hen had come all the way, he let her hustle around busily. With this rare day off and light snow falling outside, he settled his mind to write a few letters home, then began drafting a memorial to present to the emperor soon. Before long, Peng Shisan came in to report on the arrangements for three days later. Zhang Yue carefully inquired about every detail. As soon as Peng left, Xiang Long entered the room.

“Young master…”

Regarding the matter mentioned in Du Wan’s letter the previous day, Zhang Yue felt uneasy no matter how he thought about it. Recalling Xiang Long and Liu Bao’s behavior these days, he even suspected they were hiding something from him. Otherwise, even if they wanted to coordinate with the Jinyiwei to stage various schemes, they wouldn’t vanish so often. So now that Xiang Long was back, he decided to test him. Without waiting for him to speak, he gestured for him to come forward and asked in a low voice, “There’s something I need to ask you. Why didn’t you mention anything about Lord Yuan being in trouble?”

Zhang Yue asked such a question right away. Unprepared, Xiang Long was momentarily stunned before forcing a smile. “Why does the young master suddenly ask this? Lord Yuan is a high-ranking commander of the Jinyiwei, even granted hereditary status by the emperor. How could he be in trouble? Even if he were, he would surely resolve it himself…”

“Don’t try to deceive me with that. Though Lord Yuan is indeed highly trusted, he’s still not as powerful as Ji Gang back then. Even Ji Gang, with his immense power, couldn’t withstand just one word from the emperor, let alone him?” Sensing Xiang Long’s forced tone, Zhang Yue’s expression turned stern. “I just received news from the capital. There’s no way such matters would be joked about in a family letter!”

“Third master? Impossible. He would rather hide this from you at all costs…”

After blurting out most of his words, Xiang Long immediately shut his mouth. Yet, facing Zhang Yue’s inscrutable and determined expression, he knew he had been tricked. But Hu Qi had specifically gone to Xuanfu to inform him of this, and he really didn’t want to reveal the information himself. After hesitating for a long time, he heard a thud coming from ahead.

“Favors change with rulers. Don’t forget—although Lord Yuan currently holds great power as the commander of the Jinyiwei, if anything were to happen in the future, he would be the first to be targeted. Since he has entrusted you to me, it means he believes I can secure a bright future for you. At a time like this, why still hide things from me?”
Seeing Zhang Yue slam his hand hard on the table, his face no longer showing its earlier smile but instead a stern expression, Xiang Long couldn’t help but feel uneasy. He had been following Zhang Yue under Yuan Fang’s orders for almost three years now. Though this man seemed kind-hearted most of the time, he was never hesitant in critical moments. If he didn’t tell the truth now, he might truly lose that trust in the future. Gritting his teeth, he cast aside all his hesitations.
“Someone is secretly investigating Lord Yuan’s background, and… someone is also probing into the relationship between the Third Lord and Lord Yuan at the Kaifeng Prefecture.”
“Alright, I understand!!”
Zhang Yue could no longer sit still. He jumped down from the bed and began walking back and forth on the floor anxiously. The position of commander of the Jinyiwei was extremely delicate. In the past, Zhu Yuanzhang had used the Jinyiwei to handle cases like the Lan Yu case and the Hu Weiyong case, and the two commanders who handled them, Mao Xiang and Jiang Rong, were killed after achieving success. As for Ji Gang… that fool was nothing but a nouveau riche who had suddenly risen to power. Once he gained influence, he started associating with the Prince of Han, completely forgetting where his power came from. Although Yuan Fang had always remained low-key, his presence as the commander of the Jinyiwei made him stand out greatly!
“If there are any more important matters like this, don’t hide them from me again.”
He turned around, staring intently at Xiang Long, and said word by word, “You’ve been with me for so long—you should know my temper. If you’re worried that I’ll be caught between choices because of this, there’s no need. I know what’s important. I won’t act rashly when I’m not sure, nor will I throw eggs at rocks. But as long as there’s a chance, I’ll surely do my best to help wherever I can. This is the first time, and I don’t want a second time!”

Faced with Zhang Yue’s unprecedentedly stern expression and tone, Xiang Long couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, thinking that his boss really had made a mistake. He quickly bowed in response. Next, he reported all the intelligence gathered by the Jinyiwei over the past few days, and only then said, “Everything Luo Qian mentioned has been investigated. He himself isn’t a good person—he’s known for usury in the Pingyao area. His claim that the Wang family has Tartars is probably just nonsense, but it’s true that the Wang family holds the largest share in the black market outside the city. There’s some credibility to the claim about them having connections with the Tartars.”

At that moment, Zhang Yue was secretly glad that Zheng Heng had warned him earlier; otherwise, even if he had come up with this good idea, he might still have been deceived and wouldn’t have thought of using a counterespionage tactic. So he waved his hand and said, “Whether it’s the Wang family or another family, the plan now isn’t aimed solely at the Wangs of Taiyuan Prefecture. Whether Luo Qian’s words are reliable no longer matters. What’s important is that in three days, no matter what methods you use, you must keep a close eye on those key merchants, and try to figure out the rest as well. In short, Lao Peng is in charge of mobilizing troops from the military headquarters, while you’re responsible for deploying the Jinyiwei. This matter is of great importance—success is non-negotiable!”

After Xiang Long left solemnly, Zhang Yue sat down on the kang and then lay down. Having a second chance at life was already extremely lucky, not to mention that living it all over again had been incredibly exciting. The time in Xinghe was the closest he had come to death, but now, instead of lingering fear, he felt enthusiasm. The same was true now—he even felt a hint of anticipation for the adventure in three days.

“Young master!”

Recognizing it as Lian Sheng’s voice, Zhang Yue was too lazy to get up and simply shouted, “Why hide? Come in!”

Lian Sheng tiptoed in, lifting the curtain. Seeing Zhang Yue lying on the kang, he understood that his master was in a good mood, so he approached with a smile and said eagerly, “Young master, it’s Lesser New Year today. Miss Qiu Hen is making dumplings. Lian Hu and I originally wanted to help, but we were sent away. It’s not easy to get a meal of dumplings when we’re away from home…”

From being tutors back then to becoming his attendants now, Zhang Yue could almost guess what these two clowns were up to just by hearing them start talking. He cut them off impatiently, “Stop beating around the bush. Get to the point!”

“Yes, yes, get to the point. I’ll get to the point… Um, if the young mistress could come to Xuanfu before the New Year, could we have our two wives accompany her? Well, I mean, she needs someone to take care of her on the journey…” Before he could finish speaking, Lian Sheng saw Zhang Yue sit up abruptly. As he hurriedly fell silent, he received a heavy blow on the head. Holding his head in pain, he stepped aside, utterly disheartened, and planned to leave to help with the work. But just as he turned around, he heard something unexpected. “If you miss your wives, just say so directly. Don’t beat around the bush. As a man, what’s there to be ashamed of? Go tell Lian Hu that I’ve agreed. If the young mistress comes, I’ll definitely bring your two wives along! Also, if your two wives give birth to sons, don’t forget to ask me for names!” “Hey, great! Thank you so much for your kindness, young master!” Overjoyed, Lian Sheng jumped three feet high, knelt down to pay his respects, and then rushed out. Soon, loud cheers from the brothers could be heard in the courtyard. Hearing these joyful sounds, Zhang Yue’s face couldn’t help but smile—those who are content are happy. Though this world was cruel, people still found ways to enjoy themselves, it just depended on whether one could find them or not. Glancing at the several letters already written on the table, he was about to call someone in when the curtain was pushed open again—this time it was Lian Hu’s big head that appeared. “Young master, the young lady and the eldest son-in-law have arrived!” Meng Jun had struggled to find a house, thinking he could enjoy a sweet time alone with his wife. But after an intense night together, he still had to bring her to Zhang Yue’s place. The reason was simple: he hadn’t brought a cook when he came to Xuanfu, and he couldn’t stand the unappetizing food around their new home, especially since it was Lesser New Year. Zhang Qing had said she wanted to come and make dumplings with Zhang Yue, so he naturally agreed without hesitation. Although they were now grown up and married, Zhang Qing still acted like an older sister toward Zhang Yue, asking many questions before washing her hands and going to the kitchen with the two maids to help. With these three extra hands, by noon, large plates of steaming cabbage-and-meat dumplings were distributed to everyone on time. Eating the thin-skinned, filling dumplings eagerly, those who usually ate outside were all full of praise.

Having been away for over two months, now that the plate of dumplings was brought over, Zhang Yue ate one after another and finished the whole plate in no time. Meng Jun, on the other hand, sucked in cold air as he burned his mouth while stuffing the dumplings into his mouth quickly, as if he hadn’t eaten in eight lifetimes. Qiu Hen had initially found it amusing, but upon hearing what Zhang Yue suddenly said, she became even happier.
“No wonder everyone says home-cooked food is never boring to eat—it’s all because of that familiar home flavor.”
“That’s right. I haven’t tasted your elder sister’s cooking in almost a year. Hmm, your wife’s skills have improved…”
Zhang Qing was laughing at Zhang Yue’s words when she heard her husband’s remark, and she couldn’t help but slap his back fiercely. Seeing Meng Jun almost choking, she quickly helped by pouring water and cleaning up. Watching this scene, Zhang Yue almost laughed himself breathless. Seeing Qiu Hen still smiling nearby, he reminded her to eat while it was hot and cheerfully pushed a plate of vinegar over to her. As the four of them were in a flurry, Lián Hǔ’s shouting came from outside again.
“Young master, someone from the general’s residence has come. They say they’re setting up a stage there tonight, and the marquis wants you all to go celebrate the Lesser New Year together!”