Chapter 887: Everything Achieved Without Effort

Such a remarkable event had occurred in the capital, and with the Empress Dowager ill in the palace, the emperor’s return led to severe reprimands for eunuchs like Fan Hongjin Ying from the Imperial Secretariat and Lu Feng, head of the Eastern Depot. Each was fined one year’s salary. Though no physical punishment was inflicted, it was still a deeply humiliating experience, prompting even more people to curry favor with Wang Jin, the eunuch in charge of the imperial workshops. Those older than him claimed him as their adopted son, while those around his age shamelessly called themselves his adopted grandsons. With constant comings and goings, the threshold of the small courtyard where Wang Jin worked was almost worn out.

“Those blind fools don’t even know when to keep their eyes open. Is now really the time to fight for power?”

Wang Jin took another impatient sip of tea, worried about the emperor’s condition these past days. The Empress Dowager’s illness had improved significantly. That noon, the emperor hosted a banquet for all officials at the Guanglu Temple, and in the evening, he took the Empress Dowager in a carriage to the Donghua Gate tower to watch the lanterns. Though he saw the affectionate mother-son scene, his mind kept drifting to Concubine Sun, the Crown Prince, and Lu Shanggong, who, according to Fan Hongjin Ying, had died under mysterious circumstances. Setting down the scalding tea, he wiped his forehead, covered in fine sweat, as he pondered the cause of today’s events.

With the night curfew lifted and the palace gates unlocked later than usual, many eunuchs took the chance to go to the lantern festival. In previous years, when the emperor first ascended the throne, Wang Jin had accompanied him there. Yang Shiqi had repeatedly warned him against it, but staying confined to the palace all year long was unbearable for anyone. That evening, after helping the Empress Dowager retire early, the emperor said he wanted to go to the lantern festival, so Wang Jin naturally followed. But the emperor first went to the Prince’s mansion. After staying in the room for a while, he left Wang Jin behind through the back door, leaving him standing there with the Jinyiwei guards!

The princess was usually extremely cautious, yet this time she allowed the emperor to act recklessly! And Fangling even sent people to support the emperor from behind!

Wang Jin was worried that this gap might be exploited. Thus, the people in the princess’s mansion thought the emperor and the princess were in a serious discussion, while he was there on orders to find Zhang Yue. So he could only stay put for now. He could only hope Zhang Yue would be lucky enough to bring them back soon.

At the lantern market, Zhang Yue looked at Liansheng. His originally cheerful expression instantly turned furious. Wang Jin was really being reckless—always following the emperor’s people, yet now he had lost them and even came to Zhang Yue’s house asking for help in searching. Why didn’t he go to Shuntianfu or the Five City Military Bureaus? Though angry, thinking that Zhu Ning was with them, he managed to suppress his urge to curse. He asked in a low voice, “Did Eunuch Wang say who else was with them?”

Liansheng hesitated for a moment, shook his head, and said in a quieter voice, “Eunuch Wang didn’t say. But judging from his appearance, perhaps the emperor didn’t bring many people with him!”

Zhang Yue was now truly frightened. He immediately asked, “Who else knows about this matter besides you?”

“Nobody else!” Liansheng quickly shook his head vigorously, his voice even lower. “The head of the household is old, and he fell ill just before the New Year. So my master asked me to take care of the household. Since everyone in the family went to the lantern festival, it was me who received Eunuch Wang when he arrived. He asked for my name and immediately told me to come to the lantern market to look for the young master. I was also puzzled—since Eunuch Wang took the trouble to come here, why didn’t he bring more people to search at the market?”

“You don’t need to worry about that. Go back and tell Eunuch Wang that I’ll do my best to bring people to search, but I can’t guarantee the timing.” Zhang Yue figured out why Wang Jin didn’t want to make a big fuss and became more alert. He instructed Liansheng, “Tonight, have fireworks set off everywhere, and lights lit. Go back and tell everyone to be extra careful to avoid fires.”

The middle-aged shopkeeper, who still hadn’t left, saw the newcomer whisper to the young man for a while before the latter waved his hand, and soon more than a dozen people gathered around. He was even more convinced that this man must be someone important. After giving orders there, he walked up with a smiling face, holding the lacquered box. First, he thanked the other party for not pressing further about the colored decorations, then invited the young man to sit in Qiongfang Tower. Seeing no interest from the young man, he reluctantly retreated, muttering to himself, “Our Qiongfang Tower isn’t some filthy place. It’s full of distinguished guests. Even Wan Shucao from the Ministry of War used to come here. Right now, the elegant seats are filled with important people. It certainly won’t disgrace you!”

Zhang Yue was too far away to hear clearly, but Xiao Wu had extremely sharp ears. She, who had been standing beside Du Wan, rushed forward in an instant, grabbed the middle-aged shopkeeper, and asked, “Who is that person you just mentioned? That Wan Shu Cao from the Military Ministry’s Department of Geography—could it be that Wan Shiji?”
The middle-aged shopkeeper didn’t dare look around, but a hint of pride appeared on his face. “That’s right, it’s that Wan Shu Cao! Not only has he dined upstairs with several high-ranking officials from the Military Ministry, but he also wrote a calligraphy piece for our shop, which is still hanging in the hall on the second floor! Just now, a group of nobles came by, and the young man at the head praised the calligraphy, saying it was even better than that of the famous Minister Zhang in the capital. Our master was overjoyed, though the elder of that young man made a few jokes about it!”
Zhang Yue was worried about where to find Zhu Zhanji and Zhu Ning. Seeing Xiao Wu still arguing with someone over there, he felt both annoyed and amused as he walked over. But when he heard the shopkeeper mention that someone had compared his calligraphy with Wan Shiji’s, an idea suddenly popped into his mind. When the shopkeeper mentioned “elder” as well, he immediately asked, “Was that elder of the young man about the same age as him?”
“Huh? Could it be someone the young man knows?” The middle-aged shopkeeper saw Zhang Yue hesitate for a moment before nodding slightly and quickly replied with a smile, “That’s right! I happened to be serving nearby at the time and heard the young man call her ‘aunt’.”
“Alright, everyone, come back!”
Zhang Yue raised his hand to stop Niu Gan, Zhang Bu, and the others from searching everywhere. He then smiled at Du Wan and the others, who were wearing veils, and said, “I thought we’d have to search far and wide, but it seems it didn’t take any effort at all. Since Old Wan has been here before, let’s go take a look and see what he wrote for this Qiongfang Tower.”
Before Du Wan could respond, Xiao Wu grumbled resentfully, “Of course we should go! That guy…”
Fortunately, Du Wan pulled her aside, and she managed to swallow the rest of her words—no need to scribble random inscriptions outside and cause a fuss!

During the day, this lantern market is a bazaar with hundreds of shops selling everything imaginable, but at night, these shops close down naturally, replaced by various restaurants and eateries. It is now the early hours of the night; due to the lifting of curfews and lantern riddles, several buildings are crowded with people of all kinds. Qiongfang Lou is not the tallest or most magnificent, and it even seems rather unremarkable among the many three-story restaurants. Yet, Qiongfang Lou has the most colorful lanterns and riddle sheets in front of it, along with twelve extremely delicate lanterns hanging there. It is said that those who solve the most riddles can take these lanterns home.

These folk games involving riddles and bets are extremely popular. The riddles offered by the restaurants change every year, with only a few being simple; the rest are obscure and difficult to solve. More people participating in the riddles brings more popularity to the place, not only enhancing its reputation but also attracting those with extra money to drink, eat, and watch the excitement—so why not?

These riddles range from sophisticated to simple, suitable for people of all ages. However, the best experts have already been hired by the restaurants at high salaries to create riddles, so they naturally won’t undermine their own businesses. Scholars, on the other hand, usually disdain to compete over such trivial gains, making it a game for ordinary people. The twelve lanterns in front of Qiongfang Lou are all extremely gorgeous, with delicate multicolored silk gauzes, colored glass beads, and shiny ornaments. Though not quite masterpieces, they are still rare to see.

Zhang Yue received an imperial lantern made by the imperial workshop before the festival, while Du Zhen got two. Other women and children had seen many such exquisite items before, so they merely glanced at them before going upstairs. Only after stepping onto the second floor did he realize that it was a corridor shaped like an inverted L, with several neatly arranged private rooms, leaving only the outer walkway. Sounds of music and singing could be heard everywhere. Yet his gaze immediately fell on the wall directly above the stairs, where a very eye-catching inscription hung.

“The freshest in the world!”

Unlike Zhang Yue, who came from a wealthy family, Wan Shi Jie traveled across the country in his youth, making a living by selling paintings and calligraphy. Thus, unlike Zhang Yue, who was only good at regular script, he was also skilled in cursive script, running script, and even seal script. The neatly framed painting hanging on the wall was in running-cursive script, with bold and dynamic brushstrokes that exuded a powerful presence. As a result, everyone stopped for a moment until the owner spoke, and then Zhang Yue turned his gaze away.

“This young master, what do you think? I wasn’t lying just now, right? The goods here are indeed genuine. After all, Wan Shu Cao is a well-known figure in the capital—who would dare to forge them? Would you like to reserve a separate private room, or go and visit…”
Zhang Yue had originally come looking for someone, so he took a moment to admire Wan Shiji’s calligraphy masterpiece. Hearing the shopkeeper’s question, he asked him to lead Du Wan and the others to a private room on the other side, while he would go meet the group he had mentioned earlier. Sure enough, after walking a few steps and turning at a corner to that door, he saw several familiar faces. Fang Ling, who was at the front, was startled upon seeing him and immediately walked to the door, whispering, “Young master, Master Zhang… Master Zhang has arrived.”
“What quick ears and quick legs!” came a surprised voice from inside, followed soon by an order, “Let him in. How could we possibly turn him away?”
By the time they spoke inside, Zhang Yue had already exchanged a few brief words with Fang Ling. Learning that the emperor had indeed arranged for Fang Ling to wait at the back door of the princess’s residence, he couldn’t help but sigh at Zhu Zhanji’s stubbornness, then entered as instructed. The private room had one wall and one side facing a window, offering a perfect view of the brightly lit Lantern Market Alley, crowded with visitors. Zhu Zhanji was sitting right by the window, accompanied by a young eunuch whose face seemed somewhat familiar. On the chair on the other side was Zhu Ning.
Seeing Zhang Yue about to bow, Zhu Zhanji snapped at him irritably, “What place is this? If outsiders see us, who knows how much gossip there will be. Enough with these formalities. I want to ask you—how did you know we were here?”
“It was pure coincidence.”
Zhang Yue didn’t hesitate. After Zhu Zhanji pointed out a seat for him, he went straight ahead and sat down, then recounted how Wang Jin had rushed to his house and the incident of guessing lantern riddles outside. Hearing this, Zhu Ning, looking helpless, glanced at Zhu Zhanji and sighed, “I didn’t expect you to be guessing lantern riddles with your family. As soon as he arrived, he eagerly asked the staff to bring over a stack of riddles. He got quite a few right, but many others had already been guessed by others. In the end, he got upset, and after all the arguing, he only received three silver hairpins, while the banquet cost several strings of copper coins.”

“Going out on the Lantern Festival is precisely to bring good luck and celebrate, right? There are already too many worries these days. When faced with major issues, one feels helpless, and over trivial matters, one gets annoyed. Otherwise, this trip for relaxation would be pointless. I even went to great lengths to shake off Wang Jin and the others.” Zhu Zhanji nodded, and the young eunuch beside him quickly brought tea. After taking a sip, he said to Zhang Yue, “He’s the newly arrived Ruan Lang. You must have seen him at Jingyi Hall before; he used to work at Neishu Hall.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yue remembered him but gave it only a brief thought before forgetting about it. Since the second floor wasn’t actually divided into fully enclosed private rooms—only the outer doors and partitions were used, with screens separating the spaces—sounds from various areas could be faintly heard. The group couldn’t discuss anything important, just chatting casually.
As they spoke, Zhu Ning asked about Du Wan and the others. Learning that Zhang Yue’s entire family, including his wives, concubines, and children, had come, Zhu Zhanji showed a slight interest and signaled Zhang Yue to call them over. Without waiting for him to refuse, he grew serious.
“Although your eldest son isn’t as old as he was when you met me back then, he’s not young either. Stop hiding at home all the time. Let me see if he’s promising. If he really is good…”
Zhang Yue didn’t dare wait for the emperor to finish his sentence. He quickly stood up and agreed, then slipped out of the room in no time. Zhu Ning glanced at Zhu Zhanji with a half-smile and said softly, “I’ve met his daughter Jingguan. She’s indeed obedient and clever. Wan has raised her very well. But if you intend to make a move, it might be easier with Zhang Yue’s family than with others.”
“You’re right. Family connections aren’t something that can be formed just by wishing for it.”
Though Zhu Ning’s words were straightforward, Zhu Zhanji understood their meaning all too well. Otherwise, why would Zhu Ning prefer to adopt two children rather than marry easily? Seeing that Zhang Yue still hadn’t returned, he pondered for a while before whispering to Zhu Ning, “Since we happen to meet his family here, after meeting them, let’s go to your place as well. I have something to talk to Zhang Yue about.”