Chapter 577: Repaying Kindness with Kindness, Putting Oneself in Others’ Shoes

Among the many civil and military officials imprisoned by the Jinyiwei, Yang Shiqi was the first to be released. It had only been ten days since he was imprisoned, and not even the winter clothes prepared especially by his family, Zhang Yue, and his descendants had been used. Even the prison wardens who had worked in the Jinyiwei’s prison for over a decade treated this remarkable minister, who had never spent more than ten days in prison twice, with great respect. The governor of the Beizhenfu even personally saw him to the door.

Along with the order of his release, a decree restoring him to his position as Grand Secretary of the Left Chunfang was issued. Though it merely meant he was reinstated in his post without any additional compensation or comfort, it still reassured Yang’s family, who had been living in fear. Seeing Yang Shiqi gazing at the sky outside the Beizhenfu, his butler, Yang Zhong, quickly brought over a thick cloak and carefully draped it over his master’s shoulders.

“Master, though you’re safe now, please take care of yourself. Your wife and the two young masters are back in our hometown, and only a few of us are here to serve you. If anything happens to you, how can I face them?”

The late autumn sky was clear blue, with a slight chill in the wind. Yang Shiqi casually fastened his cloak, then rubbed his temples with his thumb and middle finger before comforting Yang Zhong a few more times. After getting into the carriage, he asked about his family’s situation and learned that many relatives and friends had brought various gifts, which made him smile slightly. When Yang Zhong mentioned the death of Zhang Yue’s grandmother, he was stunned. Recalling the items delivered by the prison wardens, he immediately ordered them to head to the Wuanhou Hutong.

Since it wasn’t a special festival day, there weren’t many visitors coming to pay respects at the Zhang family home. Only a few carriages and horses could be seen in the entire hutong, a stark contrast to the bustling traffic of previous days. It was nearly evening, and the two white lanterns at the entrance appeared particularly glaring under the setting sun, making the otherwise plain Zhang residence seem gloomy.

As everyone knew about Yang Shiqi and others being imprisoned, the Zhang family was completely unprepared to see this former high-ranking minister suddenly appear. Fortunately, the butler in charge of welcoming guests, Gao Quan, quickly realized that this highly favored minister must have been released. He sent someone inside to announce his arrival while inwardly marveling at how fortunate he was.

After all, Huang Huai and others, who were imprisoned in the 12th year of the Yongle era, were still locked up in dark cells to this day!

Although Yang Shiji’s rank was not high and he had just been released from prison, Zhang Xin still went out to welcome him along with his son Zhang Jiu and nephew Zhang Yue. After Yang Shiji finished his prayers at the memorial tent, he made an excuse and ordered only Zhang Yue to see him off. Watching the figures of the old man and the young man, he recalled his own days as vice minister of the Ministry of Works, when he thought his career prospects were bright. He couldn’t help but sigh.

It was only after suffering such a severe setback that he truly realized that if not for Zhang Fu’s outstanding contributions in his three campaigns against Jiaozhi, he would never have been able to rise to the position of vice minister so quickly. Success in one’s career was nothing extraordinary; what was truly remarkable was someone like Yang Shiji, who could recover despite setbacks. At that time, he still lacked such self-awareness.

Walking Yang Shiji out through the main gate, Zhang Yue was grateful to learn that he had come to pay his respects just after being released from prison. Yet as soon as he began to express his thanks, Yang Shiji spoke first: “Life in the imperial prison is always difficult. In the past, some officials imprisoned there died of cold and hunger because their families couldn’t provide for them. When I was imprisoned for just two days, you and Wan Shijie sent me supplies. If there’s anyone to thank, it should be me for your kindness.”

Zhang Yue had always been grateful to Yang Shiji for introducing him to other scholars and guiding him in his studies. Even his close friend Wan Shijie was someone he met at Yang’s residence during literary gatherings. Hearing Yang Shiji’s words, he quickly said sincerely, “Mr. Dongli and my father-in-law are close friends, and they have also guided me in the past. When I heard you were imprisoned, all I could do was try to help a little. If you ask me to say thank you, it would make me feel utterly ashamed.”

“When your father-in-law was imprisoned, all I could do was hint to the emperor about his merits. I really couldn’t be of much help, and now I feel ashamed thinking about it. I must admit that when it comes to persuading the emperor to show mercy, I am far inferior to Yang Mianren. Although he is somewhat impatient and unable to tolerate others’ mistakes, even those who are at odds with him will still try to persuade the emperor gently if they’re in trouble. He also interceded on your father-in-law’s behalf. Xia Yuanji and Wu Zhong were able to survive thanks to his efforts.”

Yang Shiji, dressed in a plain cloth robe, suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned his head sideways. “You made great contributions defending Xinghe earlier, yet the matter of rewards has been delayed for a long time. The joint decision of the five provincial officials was to transfer you from a civil position to a military one and appoint you as a commander, but the emperor rejected this. The decision of the six ministries was to promote you to the Tongzhengsi or the Taichangsi; even absurd places like the Imperial Academy were mentioned, but the emperor still rejected them. It was only when the Cabinet discussed it that Yang Mianren suggested making you the governor of Xuanfu, with rewards postponed, at which point the emperor was satisfied. Although he previously disapproved of your rapid promotions, this was also out of kindness—after all, he was your mentor, and that would never change.”

Since his uncle Zhang Xin was worried that the younger members of the family might not hold out, they took turns resting last night, with each person getting a few hours of sleep. As a result, Zhang Yue was not as dazed as in the previous days and was fully alert. Although he had heard something about the origins of the rewards, he hadn’t experienced it firsthand like Yang Shiji, so how could he know such detailed details? He was a man who pondered things deeply and had always thought Yang Rong was too shrewd and difficult to deal with. Now, it seemed he still owed that man a great debt of gratitude.

To repay evil with evil and kindness with kindness—this was his principle in dealing with people. Immediately, he bowed respectfully to Yang Shiji and said, “Thank you, Master Dongli, for reminding me. Otherwise, I might have accepted your kindness without even realizing it.”

Seeing Yang Shiji nod with a smile and continue walking slowly, he suddenly remembered an important matter and hurried after him. He knew that Yang Shiji still hadn’t brought his wife and children to live with him, and there weren’t many family members to serve in the palace residence granted to him. Although this showed integrity, he remembered from historical records that Yang Shiji’s eldest son was sentenced to death for his illegal actions, forcing Yang Shiji to resign, and eventually, the son died of grief. Therefore, he naturally didn’t want this renowned official to end up like that.

“Master Dongli, I heard that my elder brother is still staying in the countryside. Why doesn’t he come to the capital?”

When talking about his son, Yang Shiji immediately showed a melancholic expression. Having been an official for many years, although he had sent letters back home, he hadn’t had the chance to return to Taihe for over twenty years. His eldest son, Yang Ji, had only visited him three times. After each brief reunion, he would urge his son to return to the countryside immediately. Though they were father and son, they could only communicate through letters.

“The capital is bustling, and it can easily corrupt the character of young people. In Taihe, there are many prominent families. The Yang family has always valued kindness and virtue. With his mother’s supervision, I don’t have much to worry about, and it’s good for both mother and son to have each other’s company. Besides, I send letters to him from time to time, and he often writes back. It’s a pity he isn’t cut out for studying; after all these years, he still hasn’t even passed the entrance exams for scholars.”

“Mr. Dongli, although this is your family matter and I shouldn’t interfere, it’s not right that you haven’t returned to your hometown for over twenty years, relying only on letters to maintain a father-son relationship. There are many scholars in the capital, and your family is surrounded by learned men—no commoners at all. Perhaps they could help your elder brother make progress. Although many sages throughout history have sacrificed their families for the country, the principles of cultivating oneself, managing one’s family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world are still fundamental truths.”

The Yang family was originally from a prominent clan in Taihe, Jiangxi. They had been a distinguished family since the Song Dynasty. Yang Shiji’s great-grandfather had even served as a scholar in the Yuan Dynasty and was quite famous at the time, but the family’s fortunes declined toward the end of the Yuan Dynasty. Therefore, ever since Yang Shiji was recommended to enter the Hanlin Academy and rose through the ranks, he placed great importance on his family’s reputation. Most of the letters he sent back were meant to instruct his descendants, but he never brought his wife and children to the capital. Not only him—most of the civil officials in the capital left their families in their hometowns and served alone in the court. Yet, when Zhang Yue mentioned that his family was surrounded by learned men and no commoners, Yang Shiji began to consider it.

“Since you say so during the Yuan Festival, I’ll think about it again later.”

After seeing Yang Shiji off, Zhang Yue felt relieved. Most of the others who were imprisoned this time had little to do with him. He wasn’t all-knowing or all-powerful and couldn’t manage everything. It was enough that Yang Shiji had been released. Moreover, if Yang Shiji could bring his eldest son to live with him, keeping him under constant supervision, such violent acts might not occur.

After dinner that day, everyone took turns keeping vigil according to the plan set the previous evening. Lady Wang’s sincere words had persuaded the Dong family, and now the inner courtyard was much neater than before. Everyone was too afraid to slack off or hesitate. The men outside also no longer had to worry about the eldest brother, freeing them from extra distractions.

Zhang Yue and Zhang Jiu were on duty for the second half of the night. They planned to take a short rest in a room set aside next to the mourning tent. But as soon as they entered the room, someone came to inform them that Zhang Fu wanted to see them in the study. Not understanding what was going on, they hurried there and found Zhang Fu along with his fourth brother, Zhang Jiu. Zhang Fu’s expression was fine, but Zhang Jiu’s face showed clear displeasure.

“Yue, although Auntie has passed away now, Jiu’s marriage was settled long ago. All the necessary procedures have been completed; all that’s left is the wedding itself. Auntie’s last wishes have also been submitted. His marriage was Auntie’s greatest wish, so both my uncle and I felt there was no need to wait a full year of mourning period—getting married during the intense mourning period would comfort Auntie’s spirit in heaven. But this stubborn kid just refuses to agree. I’m too lazy to scold him; as his elder brother, you should teach him a lesson!”
After Zhang Fu said this and walked away, Zhang Yue was instantly stunned. It wasn’t until the two green-lacquered lattice doors were firmly shut that he came back to his senses. He glanced at Zhang Jiu, whose face showed reluctance. Somehow, he suddenly remembered the time when the three brothers went to Nanjing together. Back then, the young Zhang Jiu had secretly returned to their sealed home. Upon learning of this, Zhang Yue slapped him hard and then scolded him thoroughly. Six years had passed in the blink of an eye, and now Zhang Fu had assigned him such a task.
“Xiao Si, since both my great-uncle and uncle have made up their minds, why won’t you agree? I know you’re very sad about Grandma’s death, but even until her last moment, she was still thinking about your marriage. If you really care, you should fulfill her last wish.”
Zhang Jiu, dressed in coarse linen mourning clothes, stood silently without answering Zhang Yue. Only when he felt a weight on his shoulders, as if pressed by someone’s hands, did he lift his head to see Zhang Yue staring at him intently. Over the years, despite Zhang Yue’s frequent travels, their relationship as brothers had always been good. Thinking of the rumor he had overheard by chance that day, he gritted his teeth.
“Third brother, it’s not that I don’t want to fulfill Grandma’s last wish by getting married—it’s just that the timing isn’t right! Grandma has just passed away, and Father is in mourning. Right now, I’m just an unappointed scholar, while she is the daughter of Marquis Wu’an. Marquis Wu’an is guarding Kaiping and not in the capital. Some say this marriage was decided by Marquis Wu’an’s wife on her own. With Grandma now dead…”
“Stop talking!”

As soon as Zhang Jiu spoke, Zhang Yue immediately realized that the kid had once again become stubborn, so he snapped at him irritably. Giving his head a firm tap, he finally said with a stern expression, “It’s the decision of parents and matchmakers. The Lady of Wu’an Marquis must have already informed the Marquis. How could it be that she acts on her own? After the marriage was arranged, your father agreed as well. Not to mention the marriage contract, all other rituals have been completed—how could there be any changes? She is indeed the daughter of the Wu’an Marquis, but don’t underestimate yourself. If she didn’t think well of you, would she have agreed to this marriage?”

After being scolded and lectured by Zhang Yue, Zhang Jiu was momentarily speechless before stammering, “But I heard from them that the Lady of Wu’an Marquis did it because she was dissatisfied with the Marquis favoring that Concubine Zhang…”

“Just hearsay after hearsay. Do you really believe such rumors?” Zhang Yue was furious inwardly, vowing to punish those gossipy women when he got the chance, but he showed none of it on his face. Instead, he adopted an even more authoritative tone as an elder brother. “Without the Marquis’s approval, how could the Lady act on her own? Anyway, the elders will arrange everything for you. Your sister-in-law has already gone to meet that girl for you. Her character and appearance are both first-rate. Stop being so stubborn! Alright, it’s still our turn to keep watch tonight. Go rest quickly while we still can!”

Dragged by Zhang Yue, Zhang Jiu followed him out involuntarily. Once they entered the simple room and he lay down on the mat on the floor in his clothes, he couldn’t help but start thinking again. After being lost in thought for a moment, he felt his head grow heavy, and darkness enveloped his vision. In a panic, he pulled hard a few times before pulling off what was over his head, realizing then that it was Zhang Yue who had thrown another blanket over him.

“Remember well—you are the eldest grandson of our branch. Get some rest. It’s cold at night; cover yourself well so you don’t catch a cold. Otherwise, you won’t be able to sleep when we go out later.”

“Mm, thank you, Third Brother!”

Seeing Zhang Jiu nod firmly and then obediently turn over to lie down, Zhang Yue couldn’t help but smile. Although Zhang Jiu was now eighteen, in his heart he would always remain that little kid who often acted up, and he sometimes remembered the nickname he had given him as a child—“Eyes Looking Up.” His grandmother’s wish was nothing more than harmony and prosperity in the family, and he would surely keep that in mind.