Chapter 881: Father-in-law and Son-in-law, Husband and Wife

In Du’s study, the father-in-law and son-in-law had originally been sitting across a desk from each other, but now Zhang Yue could no longer hold back and stood up. Faced with his father-in-law’s calm expression, as if he were merely discussing some trivial matter, Zhang Yue, after being utterly shocked, blurted out, “Sir, such an important matter—why didn’t you tell me first? I also have a similar petition, but after several drafts, I still haven’t decided to submit it. This matter is truly of great significance!”

Before Du Zhen returned, Zhang Yue had already drafted several versions of an order regarding the succession of imperial relatives at the Ministry of War, but he hadn’t finalized it yet, nor had he discussed it with anyone. No matter how the story of the Ming Dynasty’s downfall due to natural disasters was passed down in later generations, it could be said that the three issues of officials refusing to pay taxes, the large number of imperial relatives, and the lack of combat capability among military households were the first straws that broke the camel’s back.

Thus, he had to consider things carefully over and over again. He had thought about submitting the petition through others, and he also knew of people who were bold enough to speak out. It wasn’t that he underestimated scholars in general—those who were willing to passionately criticize the powerful and impeach high officials most of the time would often remain silent in the face of such serious problems. Only true men would dare to take such action. He had once admired their integrity, but even though he considered himself far from a good person, he still refused to do something that could ruin others’ futures. Moreover, if the person submitting the petition wasn’t influential enough, it would be in vain. After much thought, he realized that aside from himself, he really couldn’t rely on anyone else.

But unexpectedly, his father-in-law had taken the lead!

Du Zhen remained calm: “As you know, though I’m a solitary person, I’m not one who dares to speak out boldly—after all, I’m not among those who can do so in the entire court. But such matters can’t be resolved just by being bold; even among all the civil and military officials, no one dares to bring this up, simply because of the old traditions—those traditions alone are enough to silence countless people.”

He gestured for Zhang Yue to sit down again before continuing, “Emperor Taizu granted titles to imperial relatives. Fifty or sixty years have passed now—some of those titles have been extinguished, while others have given rise to numerous branches, far more numerous than before. Among those overly complex branches, it’s easy to find those who have committed crimes. These can be easily stripped of their privileges to serve as a deterrent. Although demoting imperial relatives has been a practice since the Tang and Song dynasties, it’s not easy to apply this rule now. Therefore, strict regulations must be set—no land grants other than stipends are allowed. With just 20,000 bushels of annual grain as a stipend, how dare they keep producing more descendants?”

Zhang Yue originally thought Du Zhen intended to demote the feudal princes. Upon hearing these two detailed points, his eyes lit up immediately. First, targeting their branches, and then restricting the manors of the princely estates—this was indeed a practical solution. After all, the emperor was currently auditing all the lands in the country. As for ancestral traditions, it was Emperor Taizong’s policy that princely estates should only receive stipends without manors. When Du Zhen showed him the thick copy of the memorial, he immediately stood up, went to the candlelight, and began to read it carefully.

First, children born to maids and servants not listed in the registry would not be included in the family genealogy; second, if a branch committed a crime due to the prince’s failure to discipline them properly, the prince’s title would be demoted by one rank; third, princes could choose either stipends or manors, but not both; fourth, sons born out of wedlock below the rank of general were not allowed to inherit titles… After reading it from beginning to end, he frowned at times and relaxed at others before finally putting down the thick memorial.

“Sir, if children born to concubines not listed in the genealogy are not included in it, that may not matter much to the feudal princes, but for those people, it might be… troublesome. However, the clause allowing those below the rank of General Who Stabilizes the Nation to take the imperial examinations and engage in farming is good. I had actually thought of adding commerce and industry as well.”

“I naturally understand that prohibiting sons born out of wedlock not recognized in the genealogy from inheriting titles is indeed strict, but there’s no other way. The court has established rules for the concubines of the feudal princes. Yet they keep indulging in lust, relying on the court to support them all their lives—how can the court afford that?” Du Zhen detested unrestrained indulgence deeply. Shaking his head, he said firmly, “The court already spends a great deal each year on stipends for the feudal princes, not to mention in the future. Moreover, giving them generous stipends isn’t to encourage them to harbor malicious intentions! Remember, at the beginning of the Xuande era, the money and grain granted to Prince Liang were twice that of the other princes!”

Zhang Yue had already hinted to Zhu Zhanji before, and the proposal he prepared was meant to be secretly submitted to the emperor. He never expected his father-in-law to beat him to it, and even make it public. But since the memorial had already been sent to the General Administration of Government Affairs, it was irreversible. So he quickly asked the frowning Du Zhen to sit down and carefully examined each point of his proposal, preparing to face potential attacks the next day.

As they talked, night fell. Finally, Zhang Yue said softly, “There’s one more thing. I’ve indirectly hinted to the emperor through others that it’s not a good thing for the feudal princes to be superior to the imperial family itself.”

The so-called claim that vassal princes are superior to the imperial family refers to the more than twenty relatives enfeoffed by Emperor Taizu. Among Emperor Yongle’s three sons, the Han lineage’s enfeoffments were discontinued, and the Zhao lineage only had one weak successor. As for Emperor Renzong’s descendants, although there seemed to be many sons, now another one was involved, while almost none of the rest had sons—even the emperor himself had only one son and two daughters. Add to this Wu, who was pregnant—wasn’t this the greatest concern?

Du Zhen saw that Zhang Yue spoke of these unorthodox actions with a calm expression, showing no aversion. To be fair, he had never been a Confucian scholar obsessed with loyalty to the legitimate line; what mattered most to him was his own conscience. Still, he said seriously, “Yuan Jie, you often act without regard for convention—sometimes boldly, sometimes taking unconventional paths. Using unconventional methods well can still be effective, as long as you don’t forget your goal. As for what you mentioned about Chen Rujing, logically, since he’s about to retire, pursuing his past actions isn’t very meaningful. But if he’s behind the rumors, I can overlook it. However, if it’s related to Yang Shiqi’s eldest son, that would be taking a wrong path that leads straight to disaster. Do you understand?”

Zhang Yue knew that Chen Shan’s request to retire must have already reached the emperor’s desk. Even though Chen Shan had been removed from the cabinet, Zhu Zhanji still had familial ties with him, so he likely wouldn’t be severely punished. Yang Shiqi was the kind to step back for greater benefits, Yang Pu didn’t handle affairs, and Jin Youzi, after traveling for days, was now ill. Naturally, these three wouldn’t object. But since Du Zhen had spoken so strongly, clearly despising such despicable character, Zhang Yue smiled bitterly before nodding.

“Sir, I’ll keep your teachings in mind.”

Knock, knock, knock—soft knocking sounds finally came from outside the door. Realizing it couldn’t be Mingdi and Moyu, who were supposed to be serving in Du Zhen’s study, Zhang Yue quickly stood up, pulled back the curtain to open the door. Seeing his mother-in-law, Lady Qiu, and Du Wan, he hurriedly took the heavy tray from her hands and called inside, “It’s my mother-in-law and Sister Wan!”

Du Zhen and Lady Qiu had been married for many years. With a gentle breath, she detected the sweet scent in the air and smiled, “It must be osmanthus-flavored small tangyuan. Am I right?”

“Right, right, right. I’ve been preparing snacks for you at night for so many years—it would be strange if you got it wrong!” Qiu Shi glared at Du Zhen. Seeing that Zhang Yue had already placed the food on the small round table in the corner, she fetched a cushion and scolded Du Zhen into getting up, then pulled Du Wan along to sit as well. She then said irritably, “You two, father-in-law and son-in-law, just keep talking nonstop the moment you meet—don’t you even check what time it is? One is always busy in the cabinet until late at night, the other never returns home from the Ministry of War, and the same goes at home! Hurry up and finish eating, wash your face, and go to bed—it’s already the third watch of the night!”
In those times, night life wasn’t as abundant as in later eras. Both Du Zhen and Zhang Yue were unfortunate to have to rise early for court meetings, so staying up late meant they’d have to get up in less than an hour to get ready. Zhang Yue couldn’t help but sigh inwardly at the water clock outside—the moment he wasn’t paying attention, he forgot about it. It seemed really inconvenient without a watch. Seeing Du Wan throw him a furious glance as well, he immediately realized he should think of his pregnant wife and quickly flashed an apologetic smile.
After drinking most of the bowl of osmanthus-filled dumplings, Zhang Yue suddenly remembered something and couldn’t help asking, “Where’s Xiao Wu?”
“That girl is such a sleepyhead—how could she stay awake? She’s probably already dreaming of reaching Tongzhou.” Du Wan remembered checking on Xiao Wu’s room earlier; she was curled up like a kitten, sleeping soundly. She smiled again, “She doesn’t even sleep properly—still dreaming, complaining about you, and worrying about her family back home. Next time, assign fewer missions to her brother-in-law.”
Was that me who assigned them?
Zhang Yue could only smile bitterly. Under Du Wan’s glare, he raised his hands in agreement. After finishing the snacks, Du Zhen didn’t keep Zhang Yue for a long talk either. After giving a few instructions, he left with Qiu Shi. Zhang Yue also returned to his room with Du Wan. Although the mansion was newly bestowed, rooms had already been prepared for Du Wan and Xiao Wu. So, once the couple entered the room, he gently closed the door and then lazily stretched widely, letting out one yawn after another, as if he’d been holding them back all along.
“You may not have inherited your father’s aloofness, but your seriousness in doing things is just like his—only you’re lazy behind the scenes.”

Seeing Du Wan staring at him with bright eyes, Zhang Yue smiled and led his wife inside. It was already late at night; although there were maids in the inner room, they had also started dozing off. When Zhang Yue saw Du Wan about to call for help, he shook his head at her and quietly entered the room. He helped her sit down. Before they came in, a maid had already brought hot water outside, so he went back to fetch more water to wash his face and warm his feet. Only after the couple sat on the bed under the covers did he sigh in relief and turn to look at Du Wan.

“What are you looking at me for?”

“I thought that now that those elders had returned, my burden would finally lighten. But who would have thought that even at an advanced age, you’re still so energetic? Tomorrow… no, it should be today’s court meeting will surely be full of chaos. In comparison, I’ve long been used to being cautious and lack the courage to move forward boldly.”

Du Wan didn’t ask what he meant by “energetic.” Zhang Yue reached out to pull her close, and she didn’t resist. She simply looked up at the canopy above and then chuckled, “You have so many nicknames outside—some even call you ‘Zhang the Bold.’ But in the end, you have too many things you can’t let go of. How can you compare to Father? Not to mention now that I’m married to you, he no longer has any worries. Even back then, when did he ever truly fear anything? Even I used to complain about Father a lot as a child, but after all these years, I truly respect and admire him. It’s hard to realize his qualities from a distance, but once you get close, you can truly feel them… So even you can’t persuade Father to change his mind.”

“How dare I try?” Zhang Yue smiled bitterly. He thought to himself that from childhood to adulthood, whether it was in academics or handling major matters, this mentor and father-in-law had always been stubborn—no amount of persuasion would work. It was the same in Shandong, and it improved a bit after returning to the capital, but the memorials he submitted often involved complex political issues. Unconsciously, he pulled Du Wan closer and said slowly, “I also have a memorial related to the military examinations to submit today. Add that to my father-in-law’s, and people will surely say that father and son love to cause trouble.”

“Fighting in battle is your duty as men. You don’t need to worry about household matters; I’ll take care of them. It’s just…” Du Wan remembered staying silent on New Year’s Eve and, after thinking for days, decided to remind Zhang Yue. “Although the Empress Dowager’s illness has improved, the doctor who treated her, Dr. He, suddenly rose to fame in the capital. He used to practice medicine only in the Jiangnan region, where he had a good reputation, especially for treating heart diseases.”

Zhang Yue pondered for a while before memorizing it, saying nothing more on the matter. He simply reminded Du Wan to take good care of herself at home, as the early stages of pregnancy were the most crucial. Just before turning off the light, he suddenly remembered the box he had sent home and said with a smile, “How are the salted plums from Bajinzhang?”

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a sharp pinch on his waist. Looking up, he saw his wife’s face flushed red, looking exceptionally adorable. He couldn’t help but bend down and kiss her, then said with a smile, “I happened to have someone visit the office the other day. They not only had the salted plums that pregnant women like, but also peanuts, chestnuts, red dates, and sunflower seeds, all of which are very good for pregnant women. Their preparation method is different from other roasted snacks, so I bought a whole box without even realizing it for the New Year.”

“How dare you say that! You’ve made me lose face in front of my aunt!”

“What does it have to do with my aunt? Can’t I buy things for my wife?”

Seeing Zhang Yue’s innocent face, Du Wan felt furious, but since his hand was tightly holding hers, she could only watch as he smiled, blew out the light, and then whispered in her ear to go to sleep quickly. She then lay in his arms as usual and slowly closed her eyes. Perhaps having someone by her side finally, she slept extremely soundly. When she opened her eyes again, she found the bed empty. Through the Korean paper windows, she could tell that the sky was already brightly lit.

The court meeting… must have already started.