Chapter 732: Good News Arrives

Foshan Town, Guangzhou Prefecture.

In Guangdong, the hot and rainy seasons in summer and autumn are unfavorable for cotton production and sericulture. As a result, most of the cotton and silk used for weaving in the province comes from other places. Within Guangdong itself, Foshan is the most prosperous area for silk and cotton weaving. The town originally had only a few hundred households, but with the establishment of the Guangzhou Maritime Trade Office during the Yongle era, many weavers who lost their land flocked here, followed by blacksmiths, potters, and others. Though still called a town, it had in fact grown to the size of a medium-sized county.

It was already night, yet in many weaving workshops in the western part of the town, the constant sound of looms could still be heard. Although noisy, the surrounding residents had grown accustomed to this harsh noise over the years and had already fallen into deep sleep. Thus, in this unquiet night, the creeping darkness around them went unnoticed.

“Tang Qianhu, are you sure this is the right place?”

Although he was a Qianhu of the Jinyiwei, Tang Le did not dare to neglect the provincial military commander who held military power. He quickly said politely, “Commander Li, it’s definitely correct. I’ve already sent my spies to investigate. More than twenty people are locked inside. With the loud noise from the looms outside, no one outside will know if anything happens inside. With the looms still running late at night, they certainly won’t notice us outside.”

“And even if they did notice, what? Could they openly resist the authorities?”

Li Long arrogantly pressed the sword at his side, thinking that if it weren’t for his hope of gaining some benefits from Zhang Qian’s Maritime Trade Office, he wouldn’t have to deal with such trivial matters personally—just sending a Qianhu or Baihu would suffice. Glancing at the large mansion with faint lights visible, he ordered his bodyguards in a deep voice, “Give the order—storm in separately. Remember, bring those captives out intact. If even one of them is hurt, you’re on your own!”

“Understood!”

Suddenly, countless torches lit up the darkness, surrounding the mansion tightly. In an instant, a burly man holding a torch kicked the door open and led a group of men inside. As they rushed in, cries of alarm filled the mansion, but after a few harsh commands, it fell silent again, with only the sounds of rummaging and kicking doors heard. After some time, more cries came from inside, followed by incessant sobbing.

Hearing these chaotic noises, Li Long, who was standing at the door, didn’t show much reaction; he was simply pondering his business plans. Last time he dealt in grain and made a hefty profit. After sharing the profits, he still had quite some money left, enough to cover his expenses for the rest of the year. But to live a truly comfortable life, this amount was far from sufficient. He heard that the treasure ship was set to set sail for Japan soon, carrying a large load of goods overseas. Although this was a business deal for the imperial court, if he could get involved, it shouldn’t be too problematic. After all, the court had previously restricted the use of treasure ships, so there might not be enough porcelain, silk, and other goods available, leaving plenty of gaps.

“Who’s there?”

Just as he was lost in his thoughts, he suddenly heard the shouts of the guards nearby. He quickly snapped back to reality. Seeing that many people in the surrounding houses were sticking their heads out to look, and some even came outside, he said impatiently, “Isn’t it troublesome to shout at each one? Just say it’s the government handling a case and tell them to go back inside and sleep!”

At his words, a loud-mouthed soldier immediately started shouting loudly. Soon, the message “The government is handling a case—non-essential people, step back!” spread far and wide. Those who had been curiously looking back retreated and closed their doors tightly. Whether they could sleep peacefully with torches lit outside was something only they knew. The two night watchmen who were already detained there exchanged glances, thinking they had seen the government handle cases before, and those officials were usually rude and domineering. But the scale of this investigation was truly enormous!

Two hundred soldiers had been deployed—was this to prevent rebellion?

Before dawn, Guangzhou City awoke from its slumber, and more pedestrians appeared on the streets. Shopkeepers opened their doors to clean and get ready for business, while those in the transportation industry fed and cleaned their horses early. Only establishments that served late-night customers, such as restaurants and brothels, kept their doors closed. The government offices, including the three ministries and local county offices, also became busy early on. After reporting for duty, there was a morning meeting where subordinates presented their reports, and the work continued until early morning before they could rest. After that, some officials went home to rest and eat, while others bought snacks and chatted in the office premises—in short, they had about an hour to rest.

Although getting up at the third hour of theYin (the third hour of the Chinese zodiac) hour every day was indeed exhausting, it was much easier compared to attending court in the capital city every day, often having to leave at the same time and wait outside the Meridian Gate of the Forbidden City regardless of weather. Moreover, each of the morning, noon, and evening court sessions lasted only an hour, so overtime was rare. The common people rarely came to the county or prefectural offices to file lawsuits by beating drums. Since the food prices had stabilized after the previous floods and the people were now pacified through labor-intensive projects, Zhang Yue’s life had become much more relaxed. Between the morning, noon, and evening court sessions, aside from going out frequently, he would occasionally return to the back office to spend time with his family.

This morning, he received good news from Foshan Town, which naturally lifted his spirits. Yet upon returning, he found the courtyard completely quiet, with not a single person in sight, which puzzled him. When he pulled back the curtain and entered his mother’s room, he saw only a maid cleaning there. He asked, “Why is it just you? Where is the lady?”

The maid turned and, seeing it was Zhang Yue, quickly bowed and addressed him as the third young master. Then she pointed outside and said, “After the third young mistress and the two aunts paid their respects and left, someone came to report that a doctor had been summoned over there. Worried, the lady immediately took people there. The other sister stayed behind to prepare tea, leaving only me here.”

Hearing the word “doctor,” Zhang Yue was momentarily stunned. He thought everyone had been fine that morning—why would a doctor be summoned suddenly? Realizing he couldn’t get much more information from the maid, he stopped asking and headed off. As soon as he reached the entrance to his own courtyard, he saw Mother Cui talking with an old doctor as they came out.

“What a coincidence! We just invited Doctor He a few days ago, and now we have to trouble you again. Thankfully, it’s all good news!”

“That’s because Lord Zhang is kind and honest, and he cares about the common people. Such blessings surely come from heaven. Although that aunt inside is strong, she might be suffering from acclimatization issues, plus the heat, so we need to be careful. I’ve prescribed a treatment to try for ten days. If nothing happens, that’s best. If there are problems, just call me again… Huh?”

The two walked to the center of the courtyard. It was then that Doctor He noticed the person who had entered through the gate, and Mother Cui also raised her head and saw them. She quickly left Doctor He behind, walked over with a smile, bowed, and said, “The young master is overjoyed—Madam Qiu is pregnant! Early this morning, you went to the government office to handle affairs, and the young mistress took the others to pay respects to the master and mistress. After returning, after a short conversation, they found her asleep in her chair. These past few days, she has been extremely sleepy, often falling asleep at noon and not waking until dinner time. Although she thought it was nothing serious, they still invited Doctor He to examine her, and only then was the diagnosis made.”

Previously, during Du Wanhuai’s two pregnancies, it had always been a time of turmoil in the family. Now that things had finally settled down, there was no good news again. Every time Zhang Yue thought about it, he felt like fate was playing tricks on him. So, upon hearing what Mother Cui said, he couldn’t help but freeze for a moment before instinctively asking, “These past few days, I’ve also noticed her being more sleepy, but there were no symptoms like vomiting or nausea. Is it really true that she’s pregnant?”

The last time Doctor He came to check Lingxi’s pulse, Zhang Yue was not there. Only now, after hearing Mother Cui speak to him, did he realize what was going on. He quickly stepped forward to bow. Seeing that Zhang Yue’s tone seemed skeptical, he had to explain further, “At the beginning of pregnancy, most people do experience nausea and vomiting, but there are also a few who don’t have such symptoms and instead suffer from sleepiness and sensitivity to cold. If you’re not convinced, I can come back in a few days to check her pulse again. I’m not boasting—over the years, I’ve examined many pregnant women, and not a single case has gone wrong.”

Seeing his firm assurance, Zhang Yue breathed a sigh of relief. After bowing in thanks, he hurried into the room behind. Indeed, the main room was already crowded. Sun Shi, sitting in the main seat, was beaming with joy. Upon seeing Zhang Yue enter, she scolded playfully, “What a timely messenger! You came so quickly! When the doctor confirmed it just now, everyone was overjoyed.”

Zhang Yue glanced at Qiu Hen, who was sitting on a cushion nearby. Her eyes were indeed slightly swollen, but her expression was extremely happy, which made him smile. Noticing Du Wanhuai raising an eyebrow at him beside Sun Shi, he stepped forward and stood on the other side of his mother, deliberately looking around. “If Father heard this news, he would surely be delighted too. By the way, did Father go out early again?”

“Isn’t that so? I’m busier all day long than you, who are in charge as an official—always in a hurry and looking energetic. If people didn’t know, they might think it’s you who holds the position of governor.” Lady Sun complained irritably, then looked up at Zhang Yue and Du Wan, before staring at Qiu Hen’s amber for a while before sighing, “I’m getting old. All I want is to hold my grandkids and live a comfortable life as an elderly noble. I can’t imitate the old lady’s hard work. I don’t have the strength for that. As long as you all are safe and happy, that’s enough for me.”

Lady Sun spoke sincerely. Seeing a few maids beside her biting their lips to hold back laughter, her expression darkened immediately, and she said irritably, “Though I can’t imitate the old lady, the rules remain the same. Now that we’re away from the capital, I’m not so strict about etiquette. But if you forget the basic rules and proprieties, then there’s no point in staying here. Now that Qiu Hen is pregnant, assign someone else to take care of her daily needs. Be careful with everything she eats and uses! If there aren’t enough people to handle the work, report it in advance so I can adjust accordingly. But if nothing is arranged at the last minute, don’t blame me for being harsh!”

She rarely spoke in a harsh tone. After scolding them, she sent all the maids away. Seeing Qiu Hen struggling to stay awake, she asked Amber to send her back to her room and had Zhang Yue go check on her. Once everyone had left, she sent Aunt Cui out with the two children to play, even dispatching her own trusted maids. Only then did she ask Du Wan to sit beside her and took out a piece of paper from her sleeve and handed it to her.

“Mother, what is this…?”

“Wan, you now have both sons and daughters—your fortune is much better than mine back then. But I wasn’t by your side during your first two pregnancies, and you always dealt with hard work, so it’s inevitable you suffered some harm. This is a prescription I’ve cherished all along. I managed to get it from a famous doctor when I first joined the Zhang family. Soon after, Yue was born. Originally, since both pregnancies were smooth, I didn’t need to give it to you. But now that the family is at peace, find a good doctor and see if you can adapt it. You’re still young—have more children, and soon you’ll have a house full of grandchildren.”

Hearing what Lady Sun said, Du Wan was momentarily stunned, but soon smiled again and nodded gratefully. As expected, Lady Sun’s instructions weren’t just that. After she finished writing out the prescription, Lady Sun began to share her years of wisdom on nurturing both body and mind. Finally, she said with a smile, “It’s not like in those novels where love is everything between husband and wife. The only thing that truly matters is trust. When I was young, I envied the romantic scenes in those plays, but after getting married, I realized they were all made up. If it were really that simple, why would stories about lovers finally getting together end there? Real life begins after they marry—daily chores, responsibilities, and even deep affection fades over time. All that remains is duty and trust…”

In the east wing of the left courtyard, seeing Amber help Qiu Hen lie down on the bamboo bed, and noticing that though Qiu Hen kept yawning, her eyes remained fixed on her, Zhang Yue couldn’t help but laugh. “If you want to sleep, close your eyes and lie down quickly. Things are different now; you need to take care of yourself. You’ve always loved children, and now your wish has come true.”

“The young master is right. Heaven has been very kind to me,” Qiu Hen nodded happily. Seeing Amber cover her with a quilt, she started fantasizing again, “It doesn’t matter whether it’s a boy or a girl, as long as they look like the young master.”

Seeing her state, Zhang Yue couldn’t help but chuckle. He stayed there for a while, comforting her, and soon her voice grew softer until she fell asleep. After instructing the two maids to keep an eye on her, he waved at Amber. Once outside in the corridor, seeing no one around, he whispered, “In three days, I’ll go to Caiyun Tower in Huangpu Town to meet those merchants. Your second uncle will probably be there too. Arrange a carriage so you can meet them there or in a hidden place across from it—so you can fulfill your long-held wish.”