Chapter 788: Turmoil in Southern Yunnan

Duke Mu Sheng was in charge of all military affairs in Yunnan, and even administrative matters had to be reported to him in detail. After meeting Zhang Yue, he went to the military headquarters and then hurriedly left the city for the garrison. After all, he and Zhang You and Zhang Zhuo were peers, so it didn’t matter if he showed a bit of humility. As for Zhang Yue, though his future was bright, he was still younger, and it would be inappropriate for a duke to stay at his own residence without reason. He also wanted his eldest son, Mu Bin, to have more opportunities to interact with Zhang Yue. With Lady Cheng present, he felt somewhat at ease leaving.

Just like the main Mu family mansion, the Cuihai Mu residence also closed its gates at the beginning of the watch period, with the second gate locked by noon. Although it locked later than other noble families, this was because Yunnan was different from other regions in the Central Plains—tribes often caused unrest, and the rebellion led by the Si family had not yet been completely quelled. Urgent military reports could arrive at any time. Though this wasn’t an emergency report, Lady Cheng in the back yard was quite flustered, pacing back and forth in the room.

“Madam, it’s really hard for you to make a decision like this. It would be better to send someone to inform Lord Mu right away!”
“Even if we send someone at full speed, it will still take an hour to and from. And since Lord Mu has gone to the garrison, it’s uncertain whether he can be found quickly. If he doesn’t return in a while, news will spread! If that happens, those initial actions will become widely known. How will Lord Mu face people then? Why does this cover-up, which was so hard to maintain, have to be exposed now? How does Su Ming handle things? He should have brought people to drive them away the moment they spoke!”

The middle-aged woman who spoke understood Lady Cheng’s mood and didn’t dare say anything reasonable. She waited until Lady Cheng vented her anger before whispering, “Please forgive me for saying something unpleasant, but most of them are subordinates of the old chieftain. Now that the new chieftain has died suddenly without leaving any heirs, perhaps Madam should agree to their demands first. Once Lord Mu returns, they have always been respectful to the Mu family. If they try to cause trouble, they’ll think twice. But the most urgent thing is to consult Lord Yangwu. After all, he is of the same bloodline. It’s better to let him decide whether to allow him to inherit the position of chieftain of Mangshi. If planned well, this might not be entirely disadvantageous.”

While Lady Cheng and her servants were discussing matters, Zhang Yue, having been called away because of Bai Shao, chose only a young girl to accompany him. The courtyard of Zhang You and the other two was not far to the north from here, even closer to the back door of the other courtyard, and it was usually quite quiet. But after taking just a few steps, he saw a sturdy-looking maid rushing towards him. When she got closer, she paused for a moment, then quickly bowed, without even having time to speak before rushing off again.

Despite his confusion, glancing at the young girl still in her childhood attire behind him, Zhang Yue knew it was pointless to ask, so he simply continued walking. When he reached the entrance of the other courtyard, he happened to see his father, Zhang Zhuo, stepping out of the doorway, so he hurried over. Seeing him, Zhang Zhuo smiled and said, “I heard some noise outside just now. I was worried it might disturb your second uncle, so I came out to check. I also sent someone to see if anything had happened there. I didn’t expect you to come just then. Come in quickly.”

It was already close to midnight, yet Zhang You hadn’t gone to bed yet. Seeing Zhang Yue follow Zhang Zhuo inside, he merely nodded briefly and glanced at Zhang Zhuo, asking, “I told you, there’s no need to worry about those noises outside. It’s after all the family affairs of the Duke of Qian. We’ve been staying here for months already, causing them a lot of trouble. If they really knew something, it wouldn’t be good news.”

During lunch at the waterside pavilion today, Zhang Yue hadn’t had time to observe Zhang You closely. Now, upon taking another look, he noticed that in just a few months, deep signs of weariness had appeared on Zhang You’s face. The wrinkles from past battles were even more prominent now, and strands of white hair mixed among his dull black hair further revealed an air of aging. His words also carried a sense of despondency, lacking the sharpness he once had.

The injury he suffered in Jiaozhi earlier was merely superficial, but what he went through here must have been a great strain on Zhang You as well. After all, people are not plants. Even if they’re not deeply in love, they still can’t be completely heartless. Moreover, since he died for someone else, it’s inevitable that he would think of her virtues whenever he dreamed at night.

“Second uncle is right. It’s not our place to interfere in others’ family affairs. But since we’re all living here, we don’t know if it might affect us anyway. It’s just better to be prepared.”

Zhang Yue smiled and spoke up for his father, then sat down to chat with Zhang You for a while, skillfully steering his thoughts back to their home in the capital. He mentioned how Zhang Chao now had both sons and daughters, and how Zhang Qi was about to be transferred to the imperial army for training. Only at the end did he utter the most crucial sentence: “Your second uncle fought abroad for so many years, shielding his wife and children. Now that you’re not fighting anymore, your sons and grandchildren will work hard to secure a good future so you can enjoy a peaceful life. In this world, what could be more gratifying than seeing one’s descendants succeed?”

“You little rascal, hearing you speak like that, I feel like you’re talking about yourself and your father.”

Zhang You finally smiled and glanced at Zhang Zhuo beside him, then turned to Zhang Chao and sighed, “You’re right. Even if I build a huge fortune or gain a prestigious title, if my descendants are worthless and ruin everything, all my hard work will be in vain. Although Chao and Qi aren’t as capable as you, at least they’re not wastrels. They know to correct their mistakes. Once I return, I’ll teach them well, and they can achieve more… The past is behind us; from now on, it depends on them…”

Hearing his father say this, Zhang Chao couldn’t help turning away and taking several deep breaths to calm himself down. At that moment, Zhang Zhuo couldn’t resist joining in the conversation and pushed Zhang Chao to sit on a small stool. Just as the room was lively, a fearful voice came from outside, seemingly from a young maid sent out first.

“Your servant pays respects to the Lady of Qian State.”

Upon hearing this, the four members of the Zhang family exchanged glances. As the saying goes, there are differences between men and women. Although they lived here, even when Lady Cheng came to deliver things during the day, she usually sent her trusted maids or the eldest son, Mu Bin, instead of coming in person herself. It was rare for her to ask someone to go and meet her. Now that it was already past midnight, why would the Lady of Qian State come in person?

After a moment of shock, Zhang Zhuo called Zhang Yue to get up and go outside. There, they saw a maid lifting the curtain—it was Mu Bin personally helping Lady Cheng in. The father and son went to greet her. Zhang Yue glanced at Lady Cheng and noticed that she was dressed very simply, wearing a green satin dress over a slightly worn light blue embroidered jacket. Her hair was tied up with a not-so-shiny gold hairpin, and she wore a string of prayer beads around her neck. She appeared kind and gentle. After greeting each other, Lady Cheng smiled apologetically.

“I came here so late without sending word, disturbing your family’s conversation.”

As Lady Cheng intended, she naturally couldn’t just reveal everything as it was. But after Mu Bin, who had learned of the situation, rushed over and spoke his piece, he managed to persuade her. Now it wasn’t them asking her for something, but her asking them. Besides, it was she who had done wrong regarding Fang Shuixin’s matter earlier. What use was being aloof now? If it caused others to dislike her, it would only end up costing her more. So, not only did she soften her stance, but her tone was also unusually gentle.

Although Zhang Zhuo had been there for a few months, he had hardly seen Lady Cheng. But now he sensed that she seemed to have something else to say. Sure enough, he politely invited her and her son to sit down. The renowned noblewoman then sighed and said, “To be honest, I came here tonight because I have something to discuss. You must have heard the noise outside—something serious has happened in the south. The Tusi of Mangshi died suddenly, leaving behind his tribe’s people. The tribal elders are at odds with each other, unsure of who to follow. Someone must have heard rumors and came straight here. My husband is usually well-informed, but this time he didn’t even know the Tusi had died. Although we’ve sent someone to the mansion with a message, he has already left the city for the military post…”

As she spoke, Zhang Yue kept glancing at the thin curtain separating the inside from the outside, and he quickly understood her purpose in coming. Fang Shuixin’s death might not be a major or minor issue, but what mattered was her status. In other words, if this matter came to light, it would be a huge weakness! Before he could come up with a plan, the Tusi of Mangshi died suddenly—why did he have to die at such an inopportune time?

Just then, the thin white silk curtain painted with ink wash paintings was pulled back, and Zhang Chao pushed Zhang You out from inside. Both father and son had complex expressions on their faces. After Fang Shuixin committed suicide, the child was taken care of by a few reliable maids and a nanny sent by the Duke of Qian. They only visited occasionally—him out of despondency, her out of shame and embarrassment. Yet even so, hearing such news, they couldn’t stay away any longer.

Before Zhang You could speak, Zhang Yue frowned and asked, “Madam, is Mangshi Tusi’s territory adjacent to Luchuan Tusi’s?”

At that moment, Mu Bin spoke up, “That’s exactly right. The Si family in Luchuan has always been the most resistant to imperial rule among the indigenous people in all of Yunnan. But places like Mangshi and Nandian, which border them, are very obedient to the court, and our lord often meets with them. After all, although the Si family’s rebellious tendencies are unclear at present, there is still a hidden threat—they keep trying to expand outward, so we need these chieftains to keep them in check. Moreover, to give them the strength to confront the Si family, my grandfather and father have invested a lot of effort, so we must appease them. I came here with my mother to seek out our two uncles and elder brother just to come up with a good solution. After all, not to mention that Qu Ge is too young to inherit a chieftainship, even the court wouldn’t appoint a chieftain so easily. And the funeral in the capital was the most crucial factor.”

Hearing this, Zhang You couldn’t help but glance at Zhang Chao. Seeing his eldest son bow his head in shame, he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. He was well aware of the Dongfang family’s temper, yet he also felt guilty toward her. Having been away at war for over a decade, leaving her at home to take care of their mother and raise their children, he didn’t want to be too harsh on her, but handling this matter so carelessly was unacceptable. After thinking carefully, he turned to Zhang Yue and asked, “Brother Yue, do you have any good ideas?”

Seeing that his father Zhang Zhuo and elder brother Zhang Chao were looking at him without speaking, and even Lady Cheng and Mu Bin were staring at him, Zhang Yue felt extremely frustrated. He wasn’t Zhuge Liang, who could come up with plans at the slightest frown, nor was he Ikkyu, full of clever strategies. He only had a slight understanding of Yunnan’s geography because he had paid attention to Fang Shuixin’s affairs before. How could he come up with a good idea in such a hurry? Just as he was about to decline, he suddenly thought of something extremely important.

The Mangshi chieftainship was about a thousand miles away from Kunming County in Yunnan Prefecture, and it was impossible for the indigenous people to have such extensive information networks. Not to mention that everyone, starting from Lady Cheng, kept Fang Shuixin’s affairs a secret—even if the news leaked, how could it be the Mangshi chieftainship to discover it first? Moreover, he had already felt that the death of the current Mangshi chieftain was too coincidental! Connecting this with the fact that Mu Ying and Mu Chun had previously conquered Luchuan, he couldn’t help but link the two events together.

When things deviate from the norm, it’s likely there’s something suspicious. After a brief pause, he voiced his doubts. As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang You, who had spent a long time in the southwest, grew solemn and gasped, saying, “If it really is the Lu Chuan Si family doing this, then the southwest could change very quickly. If Madam doesn’t mind, could I meet those clan elders from Mangshi? Although Shui Xin has left, she was still my wife and the father of our child.”

Hearing that Zhang You was willing to step in, Lady Cheng immediately felt relieved. Still, she glanced at her son Mu Bin before standing up to express her gratitude repeatedly. She then ordered someone to take Zhang You and his son Zhang Chao to meet those people right away. Once they left, she spoke a few words to Zhang Zhuo and Zhang Yue before proposing to leave. However, Mu Bin happened to nod at Zhang Yue with a smile at that moment.

“Yuanjie, Bai Shao, who serves you, was originally my maid. Though clever, she’s too young and likely doesn’t know how to serve properly. I’ve called her back today; I’ll send two more experienced and reliable women to you later.”

Lady Cheng was shocked upon hearing this, but since Mu Bin had already spoken, she couldn’t say anything else. When Zhang Yue thanked her with a smile, she quickly took Mu Bin and left. It wasn’t until they were outside the courtyard that she angrily asked, “What are you doing? I spent so much time choosing someone with excellent looks and, most importantly, a pure family background and unwavering loyalty. Why do you want to bring her around without considering the consequences? What kind of attitude is that—having one foot in the pot and one eye on the rice?”

“Mother, what is Bai Shao compared to this? I’m doing this for your and Father’s sake!”

Seeing that the attendants had wisely stepped back, Mu Bin calmly explained in a low voice, “You could tell from Zhang Yue’s expression just now—he really doesn’t care! A secret report just arrived from Jiaozhi this evening. Marquis Anyuan Liu Sheng sent him a beautiful woman before the New Year, but he didn’t even touch her. Instead, he used her siblings’ help to select better candidates to present to the court. A young man from such a prominent family who suddenly rose to power, with only one wife and two concubines—can’t you see his intentions? At a time like this, it’s better to avoid trouble. Isn’t the matter with Shui Xin already troublesome enough?”