Chapter 676: Unshaken, the Joy of a Idle Man

When the crown prince arrived in Nanjing, the officials who had enjoyed a leisurely life for three or four years suddenly became highly motivated and busied themselves incessantly. Those who should be busy tried their best to show their diligence, while those who shouldn’t also sought out some notable tasks to make an appearance—after all, everyone knew that this prince had once been the heir apparent, and none of the current princes could rival him. Even those who favored the Han King put aside their ambitions at this moment and worked tirelessly, showing no signs of their true feelings.

In short, every official in Nanjing was on high alert.

Yet, exceptions always existed. Zhang Yue, the deputy magistrate of Ying Tianfu, was not the official in charge, so even if there were matters to handle, it was Zhang Xu, the prefect, who took care of them, leaving Zhang Yue no need to exert effort. Since he had no connection to the five ministries or the Six Departments, nor was he involved in meetings at Wenhua Hall, he continued to focus on the local school, handling only minor official tasks. With nothing much to do, he would take turns having two students accompany him, teaching them how to handle correspondence or discussing literature, leading a more carefree life than anyone else. Rui Yixiang and Li Guoxiu, who had stayed at the school for three months, now followed him daily, adding even more liveliness to his days.

One day, as he walked around the school with his entourage, he told the white-haired, bearded professor to take advantage of the good weather and have the house repaired, drawing cheers from everyone. Suddenly, there was considerable noise outside. Curious, he sent Zhang Bu to investigate. Moments later, Zhang Bu returned in a hurry and whispered something in his ear.

“Sir, Liu, the chief censor of the Censorate, has already arrived at the Ying Tianfu government office. They’ve sent a messenger asking you to return immediately.”

Hearing this, Zhang Yue bowed to the confused professor and gave a brief explanation before leaving the school. As soon as he mounted his horse, a student approached, puzzled, and asked, “Sir, the Censorate and Ying Tianfu are not under the same authority. Besides, there’s Master Zhang in charge of the government office—why do they insist you return?”

Having spent these days guiding these young people around, Zhang Yue felt much more relaxed, so he smiled and said, “Not under the same authority? Censorial officials oversee civil and military officials—the Left Censor is like a sword hanging over all of them. Isn’t that authority enough? If you ever enter official service, remember these five words: ‘The censor’s pen is like a knife.’”

Seeing both of them nod repeatedly, Zhang Yue noticed Li Guoxiu and Rui Yixiang whispering to each other. He smiled slightly but didn’t explain further. With a shake of the reins, he spurred his horse away. Since Zhu Zhanji arrived in Nanjing, he spent his days at the local academy, handling official matters as they came up without delay. His colleagues, superiors, and subordinates at the Yingtianfu government office had grown accustomed to this. Given Zhang Xu’s personality, he would only be summoned unless absolutely necessary.

Indeed, as soon as he entered the main gate of Yingtianfu government office, he found the usually bustling first courtyard eerily quiet. Behind the Jieshi Pavilion, he could faintly see the wooden fence in front of the main hall on the terrace. Walking a bit further, he saw government clerks standing in two rows with their hands at their sides in the main hall, among whom were a few officials wearing black gauze hats and plain clothes. He quickened his pace up the steps leading to the terrace. Since the clerks had already announced his arrival, he stepped inside as soon as a voice called out.

The governor of Yingtianfu was different from ordinary provincial officials—not only was his status high, but his rank was also one tier above that of ordinary city governors. Therefore, even though Liu Guan was a high-ranking censor, his face showed no trace of arrogance, and his speech was warm and approachable. Yet, the officials present were all seasoned veterans with many years of experience in government service, fully aware of the significance of the Censorate. Especially Governor Zhang Xu immediately sent someone to call Zhang Yue back when Liu Guan asked about him—although Liu Guan’s question about prisoners held at Yingtianfu had nothing to do with Zhang Yue, having an extra person present was still beneficial.

After bowing in greeting, Zhang Yue sat down next to Zhang Xu. Seeing the numerous clerks in the hall, he had thought Liu Guan had come to conduct a trial in an authoritative manner. But Liu Guan kept sidestepping the main topic. Noticing that the six vice-governors of varying ages, though standing upright, gradually seemed distracted, he found it even more strange. Sure enough, after half an hour of tangential talk, an important statement suddenly reached his ears.

“Yingtianfu, located in Nanjing, is inherently a complex place. Getting involved in such a baffling incident is like suffering an undeserved misfortune. By the way, Vice Governor Zhang, I heard one of your relatives is among those brought out by the Jinyiwei?”

“Reporting to the Chief Censor, there indeed is one such person.” Seeing that many of his colleagues present looked surprised, Zhang Yue bowed slightly and said, “His father asked me for help through intermediaries some time ago. But since it was the work of the Jinyiwei, I naturally couldn’t interfere, so I could only write a letter to inform the Duke of Yingguo. As for after that person entered the yamen’s supervision office, since there were no further issues and two judges were handling the case, I stopped paying attention.”

Liu Guan’s eyelids twitched, and his smile became even more humble. “Even if it’s to avoid suspicion, Deputy Zhang doesn’t need to be so cautious. The law is ultimately based on human relations. As long as one doesn’t act selfishly and undermine national laws, what’s the harm in meeting him? The two judges will surely be understanding.”

Upon hearing this, the others present were fine, but Zhang Xu sneered inwardly. These words originated from a conversation between Liu Guan and Right Censor Wu Zhong when Liu Guan was still Deputy Censor-in-Chief. Yet those who knew the ins and outs well knew that when faced with Chen Ying, the Left Censor-in-Chief notorious for his cruelty, Liu Guan would speak boldly about national laws being as sacred as heavenly decrees, allowing no room for favoritism. He glanced at Zhang Yue, seeing him frown slightly, and grew concerned about his response.

“The Chief Censor’s words make sense, but to be honest, that relative is quite distant anyway. Moreover, that Prince Wang is extravagant and arrogant—I really can’t stand dealing with him. So I merely sent a letter to his father to let him know I was safe. Besides, as a deputy censor, I only assist Lord Zhang and oversee the local school. The two judges have already been working hard these days. I trust they’ll fulfill their duties; why burden them with personal matters?”

The two judges in Ying Tianfu were both of the seventh rank, yet they were older than Zhang Yue by quite a bit. Due to those influential figures involved, they had to deal with countless nobles all day long, leaving them with headaches. Hearing Zhang Yue’s sensible words, they exchanged glances and found his praise pleasing, so smiles appeared on their faces.

Liu Guan had heard about Zhang Yue’s dispute with Wang Quanbin during his trip to the south. Seeing him bring this up, he couldn’t ask any further questions and simply chuckled before shifting to other topics. Only at the end did he say he wanted to bring all those people to the Dali Temple for interrogation. Since he was an imperial envoy acting on orders, Zhang Xu naturally had no objections and immediately instructed the two judges to handle the arrangements. By the time he escorted Liu Guan to the grand entrance, he hadn’t had time to breathe a sigh of relief when, unexpectedly, the Censor-in-Chief who had ruled the Censorate for nearly ten years suddenly stopped and turned around.

“Although the emperor ordered me to handle this matter, the crown prince also has serious doubts about it as he travels to Nanjing to pay respects at the imperial tombs. Yesterday, he even said he wanted to send a suitable person to investigate this case. Since Deputy Zhang is not busy and is someone the crown prince trusts, why not simply borrow you from Lord Zhang to handle it? Since you were able to act impartially before, it’s hard for others to find fault with you.”

These words came as a great surprise to everyone, even Zhang Yue was stunned. Remembering that Huang Run hadn’t mentioned anything like this before, he suddenly realized that Liu Guan was just talking nonsense. But if he were to expose this, it would undoubtedly mean he already had approval and knew the true intentions of the crown prince. Considering Liu Guan’s attitude during their previous conversation, he understood that Liu Guan had already laid the groundwork back then. Filled with dread, he deliberated for a long time and felt that no answer would be appropriate. After all, although Liu Guan was asking him, the real decision-maker was Zhang Xu, the governor of Ying Tianfu.

“Lord Liu, Brother Zhang isn’t some idle person. Previously, people from the Imperial Academy came to ask Ying Tianfu’s school to select students for the imperial examinations, and he’s in charge of that matter. Moreover, the buildings in the school are old, and since they’re next to the examination hall, he’ll inevitably have to deal with disputes with the Ministry of Rites in Nanjing. All these matters depend on him. Although Brother Zhang is a well-known figure, investigating cases isn’t his strong suit. Lord Liu, please don’t put too much pressure on him.”

Since Ji Zheng, the previous governor of Ying Tianfu, was demoted during the Yongle era, Zhang Xu had held the position steadily, often seen as someone who preferred stability over ambition. So when he directly rejected Liu Guan’s request, not only was Liu Guan himself surprised, but other officials were also shocked. Yet Liu Guan only showed a slight change in expression before nodding with a smile: “Since Lord Zhang won’t release him, I’ll consult the crown prince first and then decide.”

With that, he left with his entourage. His figure in plain clothes, black hat, and black boots stood out sharply against the lush green surroundings of spring. It took a long time before the officials of Ying Tianfu dispersed in front of the ceremonial gate. Zhang Xu didn’t say anything else to Zhang Yue either; he just nodded and returned to the second hall. Zhang Yue went back to his office, where he usually handled affairs, and his expression immediately darkened.

He knew that Zhu Zhanji came from an imperial family and was truly mature for his age. But compared to the once most favored and privileged crown prince, the position of crown prince itself was already extremely challenging! What exactly did Liu Guan have to back him up, allowing him to act in such a way?

He casually picked up a piece of ink, poured water into the inkstone, and ground it carefully. As the ink gradually thickened, he still didn’t stop, continuing to grind mechanically with his wrist. It was only after what seemed like a long while that he finally let out a deep sigh. At this point, it was still the policy he had set from the beginning: if others moved, he wouldn’t move; he would remain unmoved first, then adjust accordingly.

With half a month left until the Dragon Boat Festival, every household began preparing to wrap zongzi with green bamboo leaves, and the Zhang family was no exception. That evening, as soon as Zhang Yue entered the second gate, he smelled the fresh scent of bamboo leaves. He couldn’t help but ask Aunt Cui, who came forward to greet him, “A few days ago, I saw you preparing baskets full of green bamboo leaves. How come they’re already wrapped and being cooked today?”

“Yes. Today, the young mistress led everyone to do it themselves. Even the second young lady came. More than a dozen people worked together and wrapped hundreds of zongzi in just one afternoon. These are the first batch being cooked—all meat zongzi. Though there are so many, once cooked and divided among everyone, each person will only get a few!”

As Aunt Cui spoke enthusiastically, Zhang Yue was about to reply when he saw a small figure peeking out from behind the door of the upper room. The figure quickly pulled its head back behind the curtain as soon as it saw him. Smiling, he nodded at Aunt Cui and strode forward. At the door, he saw a pair of tiger-head shoes clearly visible through the blue patterned curtain. Annoyed, he shouted, “Come out!”

After a while, a little kid wearing a tiger-head hat and tiger-head shoes, looking quite chubby and cute, slowly emerged from behind the curtain. Seeing Zhang Yue’s stern expression, he became nervous, hesitantly calling out “Dad” before kneeling down to kowtow. As soon as his head touched the ground, he was pulled up abruptly, and before he could react, someone tapped him on the forehead. In an instant, he felt as if he were flying into the air.

Holding his son in his arms and seeing how frightened he was, Zhang Yue couldn’t help but smile. “Why hide from me?”

“I… I want to eat zongzi!” he said in a childish voice. Then he tilted his head back. “The second mistress said that if I can’t recite those ancient poems, Dad won’t let me eat zongzi. That’s why I’m afraid of Dad!”

Zhang Yue was just playing with his three-year-old son; he never expected the boy to come up with such an excuse as soon as he opened his mouth, which made him both annoyed and amused. At that moment, the door curtain moved, and Qiuhen Amber stepped out. Both of them had heard Jingguan’s last words, so Amber said with a smile, “We were making zongzi this afternoon, but the little boy kept making a fuss and insisted on helping. Sister Qiuhen had no choice but to coax him to recite poems and scare him a bit. Who would have thought he’d remember it so clearly!”
“Compared to how stubborn the young master was when he was little, this isn’t anything. Back then, he would worry about the sweet candies before bed and insist on counting them all before going to sleep. The next day, as soon as he woke up, he would demand to eat them, driving his mother crazy.”
Qiuhen couldn’t help but mutter. Seeing Jingguan blinking at her, she took the chance to scowl at him and stick out her tongue when no one was looking. Only when she noticed Du Wan also leaving the room did she quickly step aside. Du Wan, holding a letter, saw that Zhang Yue still wasn’t putting down his son, who was wriggling around and trying to grab Zhang Yue’s black hat, and couldn’t help but laugh.
“People say that a gentleman should hold his grandson rather than his son to maintain his authority. But you often hold him, yet the child fears you greatly. When he makes a fuss, he ignores everything. Jingguan, come down. He’s already three years old—don’t tease your father. Look what his hat has become!”
Jingguan had already taken Zhang Yue’s hat off. When he saw his mother’s stern face and his father’s dark eyes fixed on him, he panicked and quickly put the hat back on Zhang Yue’s head. In his haste, the brim hit his own little head. By the time Zhang Yue angrily took off the hat and set the boy down, Jingguan quickly hid behind Mother Cui, looking terrified of being punished.
“That naughty boy! Mother Cui, take him downstairs to wash his hands and get ready for dinner.”
Zhang Yue casually handed the hat to Qiuhen beside him and took off his coat to give it to Amber before stepping forward to take the letter from Du Wan. Without rushing to read it, he asked directly, “What does the letter say?”
“It’s from Father. Since it was sent by Sister Ning at Xiao Wu’s request, it arrived faster and more safely than usual. First, he mentions that the three tribes of the Oirats are in chaos and there’s no news from Shijie. Then he talks about the rankings in the imperial examination. Your fourth brother ranked in the top three. As for your cousin from the Gu family…” Du Wan paused before adding with a smile, “He ranked second in the provincial exam, second in the metropolitan exam, and now second in the imperial exam too! I guess the good news sent by your grandfather should have arrived by now.”