Chapter 540: Lovers Who Support Each Other Through Hard Times, Family Who Understand Each Other Deeply

Xuanfu was filled with a joyous atmosphere on New Year’s Eve. Although the government offices were sealed, some urgent matters still needed to be handled. Since the logistics for transporting supplies for the northern campaign had been arranged, and the four major granaries in Xuanfu continued to receive grain shipments, Zhang Yue, who should have been at home with Du Wan, went to the commander’s residence that morning. By the time the clerks had stamped all the special warehouse receipts, it was nearly noon. He ordered them to be sent to the four granaries before locking the door and leaving. As soon as he stepped down the stairs, a bodyguard rushed forward, bowing with a smile.
“Sir, the marquis sent word that since your family has arrived, he wants to invite everyone to his office for a gathering at noon. He has already sent people to invite the young marquis and his wife from the Baoding Marquis family; they should arrive soon. You’d better go back quickly to pick them up!”
The intense intimacy earlier that morning left Du Wan unable to get out of bed all day, and the mess on the kang took a lot of effort to clean up. It was a rather awkward New Year’s Eve, so Zhang Yue, the culprit, felt embarrassed and didn’t bother with proper etiquette, thinking it would be fine for Du Wan to visit the commander’s residence on New Year’s Day. But now that Marquis Wu’an Zheng Heng had sent people to invite him, along with Zhang Qing and Meng Jun, he couldn’t find any reason to refuse and had to agree.
Sure enough, when he told Du Wan upon returning home, she gave him a disdainful look and punished him by hitting his soft flesh in the waist—though he didn’t dare show pain. When his wife came out dressed for guests, he tried to offer his help, but Du Wan glared at him harshly, forcing him to stand still.
Lingxi was the last to step down the stairs, then said with a smile, “Qiuhen will go to the commander’s residence with the young master and young mistress. I and Hupo will stay here. It’s New Year’s Eve tonight—carelessness won’t do. We can help Sister Li out. The young master might as well be more considerate this time and keep Liansheng, Lianhu, and their families, along with Brother Xiang and Brother Liu. We’ve also brought plenty of guards; a large group is enough to keep watch.”

Zhang Yue and Du Wan both knew that Lingxi Amber was always reliable, so there was no objection to keeping them behind. Although it was only a few steps from the entrance to the general’s residence, it was highly inappropriate for women to show themselves in public. Moreover, Du Wan still found it difficult to move around, so a carriage was naturally prepared. When the carriage stopped in front of the general’s residence, another carriage stopped across the way. Meng Jun dismounted gracefully from his horse, tossed the reins to a servant who came out to greet him, and then went to help Zhang Qing out of the carriage.

Coincidentally, Zhang Yue did the same. The attendants from both families couldn’t help but smile secretly at the identical actions of the two brothers-in-law. Since the two families were closely related, they entered together after greeting each other. Zhang Yue deliberately fell a few steps behind and entered alongside Meng Jun. By chance, he caught a glimpse of his elder sister Zhang Qing’s walking style and immediately wore a strange expression.

Well, it seems he wasn’t the only one in a hurry!

Noble families often intermarried. Needless to say, the Zhangs and Mengs were related. Zheng Heng’s nephew married the niece of Lady Lu, the wife of the Marquis of Baoding, making them relatives as well. The family banquet was held in three halls within the compound. One hall housed the women, while the other three held the men. The tables on both sides were filled with a variety of hot and cold dishes. Separated only by a curtain, the sounds of laughter and conversation flowed freely, adding to the festive atmosphere.

Unlike many noble families where power had passed to the second or third generation, Zheng Heng, the Marquis of Wu’an, who was over fifty, was still in his prime—full of energy and vigor. His concubine had only been in Xuanfu for a few days, yet he already looked radiant, with a stronger voice and often laughing heartily, completely unlike his serious demeanor when handling official matters.

“The reason for holding it at noon is that you all came here with your families after much effort. This New Year’s Eve should be a time for you to spend together as a family. It’s only right that I, as an elder, not intrude and take up your time. Your wives are sensible when needed and shrewd when required—many families envy them greatly. But since we’re part of an ancient noble family, having descendants is still crucial. My son, though inferior in every other way, has one advantage over you: at roughly the same age as you, he already has four children—two sons and two daughters!”

Zhang Yue and Meng Jun never expected Zheng Heng to suddenly say such things. They exchanged glances for a moment before both tried to deflect with drinking. Yet Zheng Heng downed his cup in one gulp and then said with a smile, “While you’re young, have more children. When you get old, you might not have the strength. In my household, those who gave birth to me back then produced seven or eight boys and girls in total, but only three survived. In this life, one is constantly faced with hardships; if the family line is cut off, even great wealth becomes worthless. Among the meritorious officials who helped quell the rebellion, Marquis Chengyang Zhang Wu originally held a higher rank than me, but because he had no sons, once he passed away, his prestigious title was on the verge of being lost.”

Although discussing such topics on New Year’s Eve was somewhat inauspicious, knowing Zheng Heng meant well, Zhang Yue and Meng Jun naturally agreed. The interior of the house was lively at that time.

Although Concubine Zhang was not the legitimate wife of Marquis Wu’an, she was young and beautiful. Moreover, she had given birth to a son the year before last, making her highly respected in the family. She often went to visit other noble families as well, being very adept at navigating social situations. Though only five or six years older than Zhang Qing and Du Wan, she was far more skilled at reading people’s expressions. Knowing that Zhang Qing and Du Wan were the legitimate wives, she always referred to them as “my lady,” showing humility without being overly modest.

Zhang Qing, seeing her in a small jacket of blue-trimmed green silk and a purple-green armor suit, with only a silver hair bun on her head, thought she knew her place and spoke more casually. Meanwhile, Du Wan felt sore all over as she sat there. Though she joined in the jokes, her mind was still on the madness of the previous day. On the surface, she blamed Zhang Yue for being reckless, but who could remember propriety at that time?

The meal lasted over an hour before Zhang Yue and Du Wan finally returned home. Upon entering the house, Du Wan’s first task was to take off her formal clothes and jewelry and put on a simple jade-colored satin jacket, tying her hair loosely. Since Qiu Hen had gone to help in the kitchen, only the couple was left in the room. Seeing Zhang Yue staring at her from the kang, unable to sit cross-legged, she could only lean against the back of the kang chair, deliberately avoiding his gaze.

“Sister Wan, it’s been over two years since you married me. Normally, there should be no secrets between husband and wife. But you know my temper. That letter you first had Qiu Hen deliver…”

“I naturally know your temper—you just like to take on everything by yourself and keep things to yourself, don’t you?” Du Wan finally raised her head, glanced at Zhang Yue with a mix of annoyance and amusement, and then said indifferently, “If you want to talk to me about what I mentioned in that family letter earlier, there’s no need at all. The man should handle external affairs while the woman takes care of the home. Not only is this my father-in-law’s private matter, but even if it were your secret affairs outside, as long as they’re legitimate, I wouldn’t ask a single question. I just feel it’s inappropriate for me to get involved and am worried something might go wrong, so I’m just giving you a warning.”

Zhang Yue had been hesitating about how to get Du Wan to go back and explain things to his mother so as to cover up the situation. Hearing her words, he immediately felt relieved. It wasn’t that he couldn’t tell Du Wan directly, but some aspects were even he himself only half-understood—perhaps it was a complicated matter. Why burden her with those concerns?

With that thought, he put the matter aside for now. Although it was New Year’s Eve, thinking of what had happened the previous day, he simply moved the table closer and sat a bit further forward.

“There’s one more thing I want to talk to you about—about Qiuhen and the other two. Qiuhen has grown up with me since childhood, and I’ve never hidden anything from her. Amber has a pitiful background; she’s been with me for nine years and has gone through many harrowing times. Lingxi was given to me by my grandmother; she’s always taken care of everything, both inside and outside, and is extremely reliable. After all these years, it’s become a family-like bond—this applies to them as well as to me.”

Du Wan, who had been lazily leaning back, sat up straight as soon as she heard the beginning. Her hands instinctively intertwined. Back during the family reunion in Qingzhou, she had already known Zhang Yue treated the three maids differently. At first, she had gone to Qingzhou at her father’s orders to help out. Although she indeed had a good impression of Zhang Yue, seeing that he seemed to have feelings for Meng Min, she never imagined that their marriage would end up tying her to him. When she married into the Zhang family, with no dowry or servants, Lingxi, Amber, and Qiuhen continued to take care of all her daily needs.

Two years of spending time together day and night were enough for her to understand the thoughts of the three of them. Love grows over time—she could see that without anyone having to say it, especially since the bond between those three had already existed before she arrived. She had gotten used to Qiuhen’s carefree nature, Amber’s quiet attentiveness, and Lingxi’s sharpness and competence… Over these two years, the three of them had spent more time with her than with Zhang Yue. This time, the person personally chosen by the Gu family, Qiuhen, hid her feelings carefully in front of her, but her joy was impossible to conceal. Though she was mentally prepared, she still felt hesitant when she entered the house yesterday, eventually turning it into inexplicable anger, which ultimately turned into madness.
Now that Zhang Yue mentioned it again, she asked with a half-smile, “Is it just out of familial habit?”
If earlier it was the explicit hints from her grandmother and mother, now Zhang Yue finally realized that the trust he had built with Qiuhen and the other two since childhood was no less than the love given to him by his parents and relatives in this life. After a moment of silence, he said slowly, “Wanmei, you are my beloved partner through thick and thin. I trust you as much as I trust my own heart. But those three of them, I also consider them as close family members.”