Chapter 810: Late at Night

In summer, it gets dark late; the sun does not set until the first hour of You, and the sky remains not entirely dark. All nine gates of the capital city had already been closed, and in just over half an hour, the curfew would begin. As a result, everyone on the streets hurried along. Thus, the group rushing toward Donghua Gate did not draw much attention, even though their attendants were all dressed in brocade uniforms—after all, among the people living in the capital, one could see many things, but the brocade-clad Imperial Guards were a common sight on the streets.

After the emperor left Yingguo Park, Zhang Yue and Zhang Qi also bid farewell to Zhang Fu and Lady Wang. Before leaving, the two brothers spoke highly of Tian Ci for having shown great skill in front of the emperor. Even Zhang Fu, who usually scolded his son sternly, expressed some appreciation for his only son after hearing what Zhang Yue had described about the events in the garden, though he refused to show it on his face. After giving a few words of advice, he asked Lady Wang to take him, Zhang Jing, and Zhang Tian inside.

“Brother Yue, if you’re free tomorrow, come and stay here for the night. I have something to discuss with you.”
Previously, it was to avoid suspicion, but now Zhang Yue knew it was no longer necessary to be cautious, so he immediately agreed. Together with Zhang Qi, he mounted their horses and left Tieshi Zi Hutong. Seeing few people on the dim streets, they naturally sped up. Passing through Andingmen Street and the Northern Military Command, crossing Haizi Bridge, then along the Imperial Wall North Street on the north side of Shichahai, and after passing Taipingcang, they reached the intersection of Xuanwumen Street and Wu’an Hou Hutong. When they turned into the hutong, they noticed that the three houses deep in the alley seemed to have more lanterns hung than usual.

The Zhang family had three residences in a row, from east to west: the Residence of Yangwu Bo, Commander Zhang’s Residence, and Little Zhang’s Residence. The gatekeeper waiting at the west corner entrance of the Yangwu Bo Residence was relieved to see Zhang Qi and Zhang Yue returning together. Just as he was about to welcome Zhang Qi inside, Zhang Qi waved his hand and said, “Send someone to inform my wife first. Tell her that my younger brother and I have something to discuss. We’ll have dinner there and be back soon. Just keep the west corner gate open.”

With that, the manager could only stammer, “The capital is in chaos today. My wife and the second young mistress are extremely worried…”

Zhang Yue smiled and said, “Brother, go see my aunt first. It’s not too late to come over after dinner.”

Hearing Zhang Yue speak this way, Zhang Qi had no choice but to enter first. As Zhang Yue walked further, he found that there were also people waiting outside his uncle Zhang Xin’s house. The doorkeeper first took hold of Zhang Yue’s reins before saying, “The fourth young master ordered that we wait at the door and announce your arrival immediately. He will come out shortly.”

Knowing that Zhang Jiu might have received some instructions from Yang Shiqi today, Zhang Yue thought it wouldn’t hurt to wait a while, so he led his horse and waited there. After a short while, Zhang Jiu hurried out. Seeing Zhang Yue still at the door, he grumpily complained to the doorkeeper, “I only asked you to give a notice. I’m going to my third brother’s place later—how can I expect him to wait outside?”

“It’s a trivial matter; there’s no need to be so fussy. Have you eaten, fourth brother?”

“Not yet. I plan to borrow a meal from my third brother today.” Holding his lantern, Zhang Jiu smiled, as if fearing Zhang Yue might disagree, and added, “If you’re not prepared, just have some noodles served.”

“If anyone hears this, they might think I’m treating my brothers poorly. Even if there’s nothing prepared at home, we can at least gather a couple of dishes to accompany the drink… Oh, my second brother has arrived too!”

Zhang Qi went in quickly and came out just as fast. He had changed out of Zhang Fu’s ill-fitting old clothes and was now wearing a sapphire-blue plain robe. He rushed out right away, leaving the servant carrying the lantern far behind. Seeing Zhang Yue and Zhang Jiu standing side by side, he smiled and said, “Fourth brother, you’re here too! Come, let’s go drink with our third brother!”

The three of them chatted as they headed to the last house. Gao Quan, who had heard the commotion, was already waiting at the door. Seeing them arrive, he smiled and said, “I heard the three young masters were having a good time, so I skipped a few steps—too lazy to go and bother them. The kitchen has already been instructed to prepare everything needed. The Marquis of Wu’an even sent over some deer meat earlier. If the three young masters wish, they can eat it grilled under the grape arbor in front of the study.”

“See? This is how my third brother lives—nothing needs to be mentioned, as someone else takes care of it all. Unlike our family’s steward, who only knows how to flatter and nudge things along like abacus beads! You, third brother, really know how to choose people—having capable helpers makes everything easier!”

Hearing Zhang Qi say this, Zhang Jiu couldn’t help but take a look at Gao Quan. Though it was only the faint light from the lanterns, he could see that Gao Quan stood straight with a much more energetic appearance than before, which filled him with a sense of melancholy. Gao Quan had originally been one of the old servants used by their grandmother, but in the end, it was the third branch of the family that took care of him. To this day, Gao Quan still held the power as the head butler in charge of all household affairs, unlike the few old servants from their own family, most of whom had been sent to live on the outer farms.

“You’re getting more and more skilled. As long as we roast it and eat it, you can slack off, right?” Zhang Yue kept walking inward. After passing through the screen door, he turned to Gao Quan and said with a smile, “Even if it’s roasted deer meat, don’t think about slacking off. Go call Lian Sheng and Lian Hu—tell them not to hide and come over to help.”

Hearing this, Gao Quan knew Zhang Yue must have something to say and quickly agreed. As soon as Zhang Yue entered, he immediately ordered someone to go to the row of side rooms in the east back there, while he himself went to the kitchen to give more instructions. Finally, he followed the boy carrying the food box toward the study. Upon entering the courtyard, he saw a small square table, a charcoal stove, and rattan chairs set up under the grapevine trellis. The bluish stone floor, moistened by well water, was cool and perfect for enjoying drinks in the shade.

He took the food box from the maid who brought the meal, told her to go back first, then gave a subtle signal to the two sons he had called over, instructing them to wait outside. Only then did he carry the food box forward and arrange the dishes and drinks one by one. Soon, Lian Sheng and Lian Hu, who had been sent for, arrived as well, and the two quickly helped Gao Quan serve.

Seeing the charcoal stove that had already been lit, Zhang Qi and Zhang Jiu realized everything had been prepared in advance, and they exchanged a glance. Sure enough, Zhang Yue poured a drink for them both and then said with a smile, “This is the tribute wine bestowed by the palace when I set out two years ago. It had been buried under the crabapple trees. Since we’re brothers drinking together today, I had it dug out.”

Only then did Zhang Qi realize the drink was actually tribute wine. Although their own family was also noble and received gifts of wine, meat, treasures, and silverware during festivals, he was an experienced drinker who could tell the difference in quality. Knowing it was far beyond ordinary tribute wine, he put down his glass and said, “Third brother, we’re not outsiders. Wouldn’t it be better to save this wine for Uncle and Aunt to drink when they return?”

“Things like wine and meat are best enjoyed when the mood suits, why wait until a specific time?” Zhang Yue and Zhang Jiu both stared at him suspiciously, so he spoke calmly, “You two now know what happened today. Second brother also met the emperor before; although the emperor joked about making you the heir, you refused. But once second uncle returns, he will surely be pleased.”
Gao Quan and Lian Sheng Lian Hu, who were serving nearby, knew it wasn’t the time to speak up and kept quiet. Sure enough, the next moment, Zhang Qi sighed, “Apart from the late Prince Xin and the Qian Guogong family guarding Yunnan, I’ve never heard of any other noble family having an heir appointed. So the emperor was just mentioning it casually—how could I take it seriously? Besides, this title should have gone to the eldest brother… Enough about that. What I really want is to be transferred to the capital army.”
Only then did Zhang Jiu realize that after meeting the emperor today, he had been directly transferred to the capital army. His eyebrows lit up with joy, “Then congratulations to second brother! I also received good news today—I’ll be appointed as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy.”
“That’s why, while today may not mean much to others, it’s a great day for our family. Since we’ve opened a fine bottle of wine today, let’s enjoy it to the fullest.” Zhang Yue smiled, filling another cup for Zhang Qi and Zhang Jiu, urging them to drink. After finishing his own cup, he said calmly, “Since grandmother moved our family from Kaifeng to Beijing and second uncle was made a noble, now each of us has a promising future—we can say we’re quite prominent. But the more prominent we become, the more we need to plan for the future. Not to mention we haven’t separated our families yet, but even if we did, could two people with the surname Zhang really exist independently?”
At this point, seeing Gao Quan and Lian Sheng Lian Hu bring over the roasted deer meat, Zhang Yue asked them word by word, “I heard today that some servants of noble families in the capital are mining coal in Xishan. Is that true?”
Hearing this, Gao Quan and Lian Sheng Lian Hu exchanged glances. Lian Hu quickly explained, “It was initiated by a manager from the Marquis of Ningyang, who invited several families. This happened over a year ago. Since the young master said we should focus on managing the family school and estates and not interfere in other matters, none of us got involved.”
Zhang Qi and Zhang Jiu were surprised. As the saying goes, men handle external affairs while women take care of household matters. They both focused on external affairs and ignored family affairs. Moreover, when it came to interactions with relatives and friends, they never discussed the activities of their servants. Though they weren’t fully aware of the pros and cons of coal mining, they knew the significance of Xishan—after all, there were two imperial tombs in that area!

“Second brother and fourth brother, there’s no need to worry. The servants from your families did have such plans; it’s said they even went to see my great-aunt and second great-aunt. But since those people refused to share the profits, the matter faded away. Fortunately, when the emperor was strolling in the British Park today, he brought this up and spoke highly of me. But my first uncle wasn’t so lucky. All the servants from my second uncle and third uncle were involved in that scheme, and they even dragged one of my first uncle’s managers into it. Because of this, the emperor rewarded Tian Ci and then gave my first uncle a warning. It’s a pity my first uncle sacrificed his reputation earlier to secure positions for his two nephews!”

After raising his wine cup and drinking it all in one gulp, Zhang Yue ordered Gao Quan, Lian Sheng, and Lian Hu, “Many servants have joined the British Duke’s household in recent years. I think our family must also have such people, and there will be more recommended from other families. I couldn’t deal with these matters before as I was away, but now that I’m back, I won’t tolerate it. The three of you, together with the two left by our father, should start cleaning things up starting tomorrow. Those who are lazy, greedy, and opportunistic, recommended by others, should all be sent to the farms to work. Those who are diligent and honest should be taken by Lian Sheng to learn skills in the orchard. Everyone staying in the family must be screened thoroughly, and our external connections must also be checked—nothing that could bring trouble to the family must remain!”

Zhang Yue spoke sternly. Gao Quan, Lian Sheng, and Lian Hu couldn’t sit still on their stools and quickly got up to kowtow in agreement. Realizing that their family’s problems probably weren’t too serious, Zhang Yue didn’t scold them further and waved his hand, instructing the three to handle it themselves. When only Zhang Qi and Zhang Jiu were left, he recounted in detail what had happened after meeting the emperor in the British Park, emphasizing the words he had said to Zhu Zhanji. Only at the end did he glance at the completely dark sky.

“On the surface, it seems like Gu Zuo offended too many people, and Yan Ai, who fled from Liaodong, wants to regain his position by bringing him down. But considering the repeated setbacks of the Censorate and the imprisonment of Dai Lun and Lin Changmao, things are likely much more complicated. The reason I told my second brother to bring Yan Ai here immediately upon catching him was to avoid trouble. If this matter is really investigated deeply, who knows how many people will be implicated? Wang Jie, the commander of the Jinyiwei, acted without reporting this time—his audacity is truly extreme.”

“He’s bold, but those civil officials are just as ruthless!” Zhang Qi cursed in anger. Then he remembered that his two younger brothers were also civil officials, and he felt a bit embarrassed. Still, unwillingly, he muttered, “People often accuse this or that noble of seizing peasant land, yet these guys happily accept bribes in amounts no less than those of us nobles!”
Zhang Jiu thought further than Zhang Qi. Suddenly, he asked, “Third brother, you just said that Yan Ai might implicate many people. Do you already know something?”
“Yan Ai handed over the evidence he fabricated against Gu Zuo to that Zhao Da, who is a lowly servant in the Former Army Command. What do you think the emperor will think? Even at the Baoding Marquis’s residence, someone tried to persuade them. Thankfully, the Baoding Marquis eventually listened to my advice and told me what they had learned. He also advised other nobles. This shouldn’t be the worst case! Moreover, as far as I know, the nobles aren’t really causing trouble; at most, they take advantage of the situation to extort a little money or issue a few warnings.”
Zhang Qi gasped in shock when he realized it was he who had captured Yan Ai that day. His face turned pale. The Former Army Command was under the control of Marquis Ningyang, Chen Mao. Didn’t that mean he was now on the opposite side of those nobles?
“Second brother, I couldn’t find anyone else to do this. Since I turned to you, it’s because there are only advantages in this matter. The emperor must have made a decision already. Don’t worry. As for what the decision is, we’ll have to wait until tomorrow’s court session. If I’m not mistaken, this is probably meant to intimidate others, while those who will be used as examples are likely another group.”
Just as he said this, suddenly voices were heard outside the courtyard. Soon, Gao Heng, Gao Quan’s second son, poked his head in. “Young masters, there’s suddenly the sound of horses running on the street outside. It seems like a large group of Jinyiwei!”