Chapter 876: Do Not Leave a Curse for Future Generations

Ever since the Espionage Division of the Ministry of War was officially established in Yangzhou Hutong, Zhang Yue had not set foot there once. The reason was simple—he was far too eye-catching, both in the past and now. Rather than let that unusually low-key office attract countless attentions, he preferred to have Hu Qi go there frequently to report matters. After all, although the Espionage Division did not belong to the four main departments of the Ministry of War, there was no reason anyone could object to their official communications. So, he resisted the urge to head straight to Yangzhou Hutong and instead took Hu Qi back to the Ministry of War on horseback.

The two entered through the three gates one after another. As soon as they were inside, Zhang Yue ordered the servants to stay outside and led Hu Qi into the room. Sitting down in his chair, he nodded and said, “Go ahead and speak directly.”

“Fearful of delaying matters, I kept someone around to take notes during the interrogation. It would be best if you read while I explain.”

Since Hu Qi said so, Zhang Yue took the oil-paper wrapped package he handed over. It was still warm in his hands. Unwrapping it, he took out a stack of small slips of paper and several letters, examining them carefully one by one. Whenever there were unclear points or inconsistencies, Hu Qi would explain them. As he read through everything, his brows grew increasingly furrowed until they finally formed a tight knot.

For a moment, he even wondered if the person who should have died was actually still alive and capable of causing trouble.

Opening one of the envelopes, he pulled out the yellowed letters. Skimming through them quickly, he put them down and moved on to the next. After going through them all, he stood up, threw them heavily onto the table, rubbed his temples hard, and asked in a deep voice, “You’ve experienced many of these things. What’s your opinion?”

“When Zhu Zhan Tan died, the Ministry of Rites sent people to handle the funeral, and Emperor Taizong bestowed an posthumous title. There’s absolutely no possibility of anything suspicious.”

Zhang Yue had thought the same thing. After all, Tang Sair had hinted to him that since Zhu Zhan Tan had sought her help to cure himself, it would be strange if she hadn’t managed to cure him—after all, King Han Zhu Gaoxu had died at Tang Sair’s hands, not to mention his son. Therefore, he gently pointed at the old letters on the table and instructed word by word, “Take these letters and examine them carefully. Try to find Zhu Zhan Tan’s old handwriting for comparison.”

Hu Qi nodded and stepped forward to carefully pack up the items. Just as he was about to leave, Zhang Yue called him back: “You said earlier that those two were tortured severely. The one who knew martial arts could endure the pain but couldn’t be made to reveal anything, while the manager of the Prince of Jin’s mansion answered all questions but only claimed he was acting on orders and had never actually met his master?”
“Yes, I interrogated him repeatedly—there’s no doubt about it. As for the one who knows martial arts, he might survive one night, but not necessarily three. Besides, no one knows it was our people who captured him; it’s only a matter of time before he talks. I think he knows even more, and judging from last night’s situation, he seems determined to silence us.”
“Good. Use this to force the manager of the Prince of Jin’s mansion to reveal more. Don’t forget to find out where his family is. Remember, at this point, they might kill his family to cover their tracks. Also, the Prince of Liang… Though he brought this upon himself, this letter is truly despicable. Leave some clues for the Jinyiwei and the Dongchang to investigate as well.”
After watching Hu Qi stride out, after a long while, Zhang Yue suddenly slammed his hand hard on the table, the force causing the pen holder to jump. Fortunately, he caught it with his hand; otherwise, it would have fallen to the ground. Though he quickly suppressed his anger, he simply couldn’t stand doing nothing.
All these princes of the imperial family were nothing but troublemakers! In the end, it was all because they watched Emperor Yongle, Zhu Di, sweep across the land with his forces from Beiping, so everyone wanted to seize power through schemes and intrigues, without thinking about how few times such attempts had succeeded in the five thousand years of history! More than half of the Ming Dynasty’s downfall was caused by those powerful imperial clans. If they didn’t take advantage of this opportunity to clean house, things would become irredeemable in another thirty or fifty years! Yuan Fang had warned against becoming the one to deal with the imperial clans, but some things couldn’t be ignored!
Surely he couldn’t leave those troublemaking princes to his descendants, expecting future emperors to deal with them!
After calming his mind, he remembered the letter delivered by Du Wan yesterday, along with Jing Guan’s note… At that time, the capital was in chaos, and he didn’t have time to send someone to check. Now that things had temporarily settled, he couldn’t pretend to know nothing.

On this day, the entire capital was in a state of unrest, yet the residence of Minister Zhang in Wuanhou Hutong was filled with a joyful and festive atmosphere. Early in the morning, when Du Wan paid her respects to Zhang Zhuo and Lady Sun, she suddenly showed symptoms. Under Lady Sun’s persistent questioning, she could no longer hide it. Though already a grandmother to four children, Lady Sun, filled with joy, immediately sent people to inform the two neighboring households. They had originally planned to wait until things calmed down before going to the Duke of Yingguo’s residence to share the good news, but while Lady Sun happily went to the kitchen to arrange meals, Zhang Zhuo and Du Wan exchanged just a few words before sending someone to Yingguo Park. Less than an hour later, Lady Wang arrived by carriage.

Although Zhang Zhuo had given some hints, Lady Sun was still caught off guard. She personally went to the second gate to welcome Lady Wang out of the carriage, unable to help but say, “With everything so chaotic outside, why did you come in person, sister-in-law? I was away for just a while, and already my husband sent someone to deliver the news without telling me, and Du Wan didn’t even try to stop him.”

“I’ve been bored at home these past few days, so I came to check things out. Besides, with soldiers everywhere, it’s actually safer than usual. Who would dare offend under my husband’s name?”

Lady Sun found this reasonable, but when she saw Lady Wang get out of the carriage, followed by Tianci, Zhang Yue, and even Zhang Jing who had been taken there earlier, she widened her eyes in surprise. This certainly didn’t seem like a visit to see Du Wan—it looked more like an entire family coming as guests! Though she didn’t deal with external affairs, she wasn’t foolish either. She quickly smiled and welcomed them inside. As they walked, with the maids and servants far away, she couldn’t help but ask, “Sister-in-law, what brings you here today…?”

Lady Wang smiled gently and released Tianci’s hand. “The children are bored being locked at home. Tianci is constantly thinking about your son Jingguan, and Girl Jing misses you all too. So I brought them along. They can stay here for a few days while taking advantage of this situation, and it’s cheaper for them to go to school. You might not know, but since the noble children were having fun in the small academy, they’ve been causing a ruckus lately due to being confined at home. Classes are likely to resume tomorrow.”

At this moment, Sun Shi was preoccupied with the idea that all these children from the British noble family would have to stay in her own home, and she was thinking about how to arrange the housing, bedding, and other necessities. She hadn’t considered any security measures at all, so she remained confused even after entering the house, not understanding what was going on. Lady Wang also didn’t explain in detail; after asking Du Wan a few questions and presenting a gift, she shifted to talking about household matters. Sun Shi initially stayed, but soon Zhang Zhuo sent someone to call her away, leaving her seething with anger as she left.

Normally, Zhang Zhuo would discuss everything carefully, but today he just kept shuffling her around!

After a while, only Lady Wang and Du Wan were left in the room. Lady Wang glanced at Du Wan’s still-flat belly and her smile grew even wider. “Wan-er, you’re truly fortunate. Your in-laws dote on you, your husband and you get along well, and not only that—your children are also perfect. Even Brother Yue can’t do without such a virtuous wife.”

Although she wasn’t a newlywed and hadn’t heard such things for the first time, Lady Wang spoke with such sincerity that Du Wan naturally wore a warm smile, followed by a few humble remarks. Lady Wang then asked if she had informed Zhang Yue. Du Wan was shaking her head, saying it was better to wait until things calmed down outside before he returned home. Just then, Aunt Cui’s voice came from outside.

“Young mistress, madam, the young master sent someone with a letter. The master was worried, so he checked it first before allowing us to bring it in.”

Hearing this, not only Du Wan but even Lady Wang was shocked, thinking there must be some serious issue on Zhang Yue’s end. So when Aunt Cui brought in the letter, Du Wan didn’t hesitate to pass it to Lady Wang across the table. But once she unfolded the letter and saw those words that seemed to pierce through the paper, even though she had seen much in her life, her face immediately turned red as if she had a fever.

“My wife Wan-er, last night, upon hearing the news from Jing Guan, I was overjoyed. Yet, due to the urgency of the situation, I could only wait at the office. Now that everything is settled, I can’t return home for now. I can only send a message through a messenger. Please take care of yourself and leave everything to your father-in-law. Also, since the plums at home aren’t ripe yet, I’ve attached some specially preserved plums from Bajinzhan Fang for you to try.”

If Lady Wang hadn’t been there, Du Wan might have laughed out loud, but now she felt extremely embarrassed, deeply regretting that she had invited Lady Wang to watch without even checking first, thinking it was some major external event. She didn’t even dare lift her head. To her surprise, after reading it, Lady Wang didn’t tease her but instead said directly to Mother Cui, “Brother Yue’s letter said he also sent other things. Why not bring them over?”
“That thing is too heavy. A few maids are carrying it—it’s a really large box…”
Hearing this, Du Wan had no interest in listening to Mother Cui any longer. She quickly dismissed her in a mumbled manner, fearing she might say something even more frightening—sending salted plums in a box instead of a jar? As soon as Mother Cui left, she rushed to say to Lady Wang, “Auntie, though he holds such a high position, he sometimes acts foolishly. The family is used to it… It must be Jingguan who told his father something in the letter. It’s all my fault for not checking carefully.”
“What kind of foolishness is that? He’s still young. Husband and wife can’t always treat each other like guests, can they? Alright, alright, I’m not mocking you. Don’t slump your head—your father-in-law has already seen it.”
Though Lady Wang spoke jokingly, she felt somewhat melancholic inwardly. When Zhang Fu was young, during the Jingnan Campaign, he would also send letters back from the battlefield, always talking about how many battles he won, how many enemies he killed, and his military achievements, never mentioning any injuries he sustained. Yet she still kept those letters buried under boxes. Apparently, circumstances differ but principles remain the same—husbands and wives are alike after all.
After some joking, the two naturally shifted to serious matters. Lady Wang hadn’t come just to visit the pregnant Du Wan. First, she mentioned that after the small academy resumed classes, Zhu Yong would temporarily send troops to protect Wuanhou Hutong and the adjacent Menlou Hutong in Mingyu Fang and Caoxi Fang. Then she said, “I know you probably have something to discuss with me. I also thought, with so many matters at home these days and the grand ceremony just half a month away, I should send the children here so they won’t be neglected. Since you’re pregnant, I’ll have to trouble your mother. It’s good that Jing girl can take care of things. If it weren’t for the need to prevent trouble, I wouldn’t have let her live with me. After all, it’s not easy to support so many military officers and servants here—it’s not as securely guarded as Yingguo Park.”
Only then did Du Wan understand where Lady Wang’s sudden decision to move came from. After smiling, she spoke seriously, “I made an excuse to invite Auntie here today because I have something to ask. I heard that Aunt Wu, who is pregnant in the mansion, has heart problems. Is that true?”

Madam Wang now has both sons and daughters. She knew that having a large family had always been Zhang Fu’s wish. So as soon as Concubine Wu was found to be pregnant, she immediately assigned a proper nurse to take care of her. Unexpectedly, half a month ago, a serious heart disease was diagnosed. Worried, she promptly sought out a renowned doctor. On the day of the cotton armor incident, she finally managed to get one. After staying in the mansion for a few days, Concubine Wu’s heart condition improved significantly. Since this wasn’t a secret and there was nothing to hide, she nodded immediately.
“Yes, that’s true. It was recommended by the Duchess of Chengguo. It is said that she suffered from chest pain earlier and was cured by him. Many nobles and dignitaries in the capital also sought his treatment, which is why they sent out invitations to invite him. Now that Doctor He has almost cured her, this morning, the Duke of Chengguo himself came to invite him, saying someone in his family fell ill. Thinking that she was already recovered and the prescription was left, I thanked Doctor He generously.”
Zhang Bu had brought back news about the Empress Dowager’s heart disease the day before last—naturally, it was in a sealed document using wax seals—so Du Wan noticed this detail after another round of summaries last night. Now that Madam Wang mentioned it, she wasn’t relieved but became even more suspicious.
Calculating the timing, Duke Zhu Yong of Chengguo must have learned of the Empress Dowager’s illness. Since there was such a skilled doctor for treating heart diseases, he naturally wanted to recommend him to higher authorities. But it was highly suspicious that such a skilled doctor suddenly appeared just before the Empress Dowager suddenly fell ill. Thinking of this, she sat forward and asked, “Aunt, could you please think more carefully? Who else has he cured? Or who first said he was good at treating heart diseases?”
“Well…” Although Madam Wang was usually sharp, this question stumped her. After much thought, she said uncertainly, “I seem to remember the Duchess of Wuding mentioning it once… Ah, the Duchess of Chengguo also said that the Queen of Yue and the Queen of Xiang also consulted this Doctor He. He’s truly an expert!”