Chapter 590: One Must Take a Chance in Life

It was early April now, and pedestrians on the streets were dressed in various spring outfits, among which the most popular were the latest styles from the Jiangnan region. When it came to silk, the Luchou silk from Luzhou Prefecture was no worse than that from Jiangnan, but fashion trends always originated in the south and spread to the north. Just for skirts alone, there were many types such as trailing skirts, gold-embroidered skirts, and lace-trimmed skirts. Giving a set of fashionable clothes as a gift would bring great prestige among relatives and friends.

Small families would buy ready-made clothes, while wealthy families either had their own tailors or hired top-notch craftsmen at high costs, producing batches of spring and summer clothing continuously. Among the noblewomen, they often competed in terms of clothing and jewelry, as no one wanted to be outdone. As a result, from March to April, the sales of high-quality silk in the capital’s silk shops doubled compared to usual.

At sunset, Zhang Yue, who had left the Minister’s Office, did not head home immediately. Instead, he took two attendants to Dade Silk Shop. He had rarely gone out since beginning his mourning period and usually avoided such places. So when he saw the crowded scene with colorful silk fabrics being sold rapidly, he was shocked. It was only after a salesperson approached to pitch products that he understood what was going on. Although he stayed at home, he was still aware of some developments. If it weren’t for the Duchess of Chengguo and the Duchess of Xiangcheng wearing several sets of newly designed clothes, which in turn influenced the higher-ranking nobles, how could it have spread to ordinary people as well?

Now that he had four men under his command, he thought Yuan Fang might be short of staff, so he temporarily sent back Hu Qi and the others, keeping only Zhao Hu to handle daily affairs. A few days ago, he had heard some clues from Hu Qi and considered visiting the Fang family, but showing up empty-handed wouldn’t be appropriate. That’s why he came here to select something suitable, following the principle of “letting the benefits stay within one’s own family.”

“Young master, this one with the goldfish and crabapple pattern is called ‘Abundance of Gold and Jade,’ which is very auspicious. If it’s for a celebration or to give to elders, this would be perfect—lotus, osmanthus, and evergreen plants together symbolize lasting prosperity. Given your age, you might take the imperial examinations next year. This lotus-shaped stirrup paired with yellow background silk would be ideal for achieving success…”

Spoken to in such an eloquent manner by that talkative young man, Zhang Yue couldn’t help but recall his experiences before first meeting Yuan Fang at Dade Silk Shop. He quickly waved his hand, saying it was just for giving to friends and elders—something substantial and generous would suffice. He chose two pieces of silk with auspicious patterns and two pieces of Hangzhou silk with “immediate promotion” motifs, then had them carried to the carriage before leaving right away.

The Fang family lived in Wei Jia Hutong, east of Shichahai. Knowing that his father and brothers were heartless, Zhang Yue found it even less interesting to visit them. He had only gone there once before, when he learned that Fang Ling had been dismissed from the Imperial Academy, and even then it was Sun Ren who showed him the way. He didn’t even get inside before Fang Ling dragged him elsewhere to drink.

This time, following his vague memories, he found the area and noticed several new households in the hutong. Their gatehouses looked quite imposing, and though not as grand as those of officials with three rooms and five columns, they still exuded a certain elegance. Amidst these new houses, the Fang family’s courtyard, though belonging to a hereditary third-rank military commander, seemed rather unremarkable. From a distance, he recognized the estate and saw someone seemingly seeing off guests at the east gate, so he ordered the carriage to stop nearby. When he saw the strange way that person got into the carriage, he had an idea and casually instructed Zhang Bu outside, “Go quietly and follow them to find out who they are.”

Seeing Zhang Bu nod and dismount, Niu Gan scratched his head in confusion and asked, “Why didn’t you send me?”
“Zhang Bu isn’t as talented in martial arts as you, but he’s smarter,” Zhang Yue said. Seeing Niu Gan nod in understanding without showing any dissent, he smiled and asked, “I heard Gao Quan has arranged marriages for you guys. Are you getting married by the end of the year?”
“It’s all thanks to you, young master!” Back when they were living in dire straits in the north, Niu Gan never imagined he’d ever be able to live freely again. He naturally considered his current life like heaven. Thinking of the sewing samples the matchmaker had shown him, he felt so happy he couldn’t help but grin. “It’s the daughter of a good family down the street. She makes a living by sewing. I might not be good enough for her, but it seems her parents like my integrity, and you’re taking care of me too.”

These days, when a woman gets married, she looks for a good family background, character, and future prospects; mutual compatibility is often the last consideration. After all, there’s plenty of time to develop a close relationship once married. So Zhang Yue wasn’t surprised to hear Niu say such things. After joking around a bit, he didn’t insist that the girl must be willing—it was after all arranged by Gao Quan, so it surely wasn’t forced marriage. After waiting for a while in the carriage, Zhang Bu returned and came to the carriage.

“Young master, I’ve found out. Those who just came were messengers from Princess Yongping’s residence!”

Messengers from Princess Yongping’s residence? Upon hearing this, Zhang Yue immediately frowned. Although princesses held a high status, their influence had diminished greatly since the Song and Yuan dynasties. In the Han and Tang dynasties, there had been several remarkable princesses, but after the Song dynasty, hardly any left a name in history—this could be seen from the structure of the officials in the princesses’ residences. During the Hongwu era, the princely residences even had officials of the second rank, such as kings and ministers, while the princesses’ residences only had a household supervisor of the seventh rank, who now had become a mid-level official. As for Princess Yongping, she had long been disfavored due to her son’s issues, yet she still persisted in seeking trouble.

With intelligence from the Jinyiwei, Zhang Yue felt that there must be some hidden reasons behind Fangling’s expulsion this time. Since the people from Princess Yongping’s residence had just left, he didn’t rush in immediately but sat in the carriage, pondering for another while. After about fifteen minutes, he ordered the driver to move forward and instructed someone to go ahead and announce his arrival at the west gate of Fangling’s residence.

Although Zhang Yue hadn’t been there often, his name still carried weight. The young gatekeeper, who had initially seemed puzzled, rushed inside to report immediately. Soon, a tall and thin supervisor came out. Upon learning that Zhang Yue was there to see Fangling, his expression stiffened slightly before he forced a smile and said, “The second young master has returned, but he was injured during today’s military drills. So his wife ordered…”

Before he could finish speaking, he saw Niu Gan and Zhang Bu coming up with the wrapped silk, which surprised him. The Fang family had managed to maintain a decent standard of living mainly thanks to the considerable wealth accumulated by the late patriarch, Fang Shengji. But now, although the master was a military commander, his salary was far too low, and he wasn’t good at managing other affairs, so they were always in deficit. As a result, no matter what kind of silk clothes were available outside, there were few in their home. Recalling that the princess’s palace had also sent a valuable gift earlier, and now these four pieces of the latest silk, he thought for a moment before immediately changing his words.

“Although the madam asked the second young master to rest well, since Lord Zhang is his close friend, it shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll have someone take you in right away. Lai Wang, hurry up and take Lord Zhang to see the second young master!”

After sending someone to lead Zhang Yue in, the tall and thin steward took the four pieces of silk and then called two reliable men to carry them, going inside to report to the madam himself. He knew well that the madam had always disapproved of Fang Ling. It was only later, when this illegitimate second young master happened to gain favor with the Eastern Palace, that she calmed down. Recently, taking advantage of his misfortunes, she had said many harsh words. Now that Zhang Yue had sent such a gift, it would surely ease her anger.

Zhang Yue had assumed they would meet in the outer courtyard, but the guide led him straight to the hanging flower gate that separated the inner and outer areas. After entering the second gate, another dull-looking old woman took over as the guide. After asking just a couple of questions, he realized he wouldn’t get anything out of her, so he stopped wasting time. However, when she stopped in front of a very small courtyard and said this was Fang Ling’s residence, he couldn’t help frowning.

There were no servants visible in the courtyard, and the old woman left, so he simply pushed the door open and entered the main house. Looking around nervously, fearing he might encounter something he shouldn’t, he coughed and called, “Brother Fang, are you here?”

As soon as his words faded, a corner of the curtain in the inner room was lifted, and a head poked out. After glancing at Zhang Yue, the fairly pretty girl quickly withdrew, and soon voices came from inside. A moment later, the girl helped Fang Ling out of the room, his upper body exposed with white bandages wrapped around it.

“Yuanjie, how did you come to see me?”

“How come I can’t come to see you?” Zhang Yue curled his lips irritably, his gaze immediately falling on the bandages, his expression darkening instantly. “What exactly happened to you? Going to the front ranks of the imperial army is one thing, but why are you in such a mess?”
“Just bad luck. It was an accident; nothing serious!” Unlike before, when he pretended everything was fine but then became wildly aggressive after getting drunk, he now seemed quite carefree, as if unbothered by his situation. “The front ranks of the imperial army aren’t ordinary places—even those who want to get in might not be able to. I was already lucky to be allowed in at all.”
The delicate girl who had helped Fang Ling out saw no chance to interject and quietly stepped back, bringing tea again. She had originally wanted to fasten Fang Ling’s clothes buttons, but seeing him shake his head at her, she silently returned to the inner room. Once she left, Fang Ling said to the silent Zhang Yue, “Don’t worry. I’m fine. I won’t be like before, blaming others and being useless. I chose this path myself. You’ve already done everything you could to help. Don’t worry about me.”
Though his words were brief, Zhang Yue could sense something. Combining this with the information he had earlier, he narrowed his eyes slightly and then said slowly, “I know you’ve always wanted to achieve something. Just one thing—don’t take too many risks. Even if your family doesn’t care about you, we friends aren’t heartless!”
“Nonsense! When did you become as nagging as Sun Han?” Fang Ling stood up smiling, giving Zhang Yue a light tap on the shoulder as before, then whispered, “I know you’re smart and quick-witted. Even if you find out something, don’t show any signs. Also, don’t come here anymore. It’s better for both of us! My family hasn’t had peace these past few days. After all, isn’t life all about taking a chance?”