Chapter 896: Disadvantageous Situation

The property in Xipailou Alley that Zhang Yue acquired first now housed, in addition to Fang Jing, several young men from the small academy who couldn’t afford rent. They simply shared the accommodation for free. Originally, Fang Jing lived here with Xia Ji from Wanshijie. Later, Xia Ji was assigned to another post, and Wanshijie got married not long after and went to the frontier. After achieving success there, he accumulated some money and bought a three-section house, so he moved out. Thus, after Fang Jing returned from Guangdong, he was the only one living in that house in Xipailou Alley. It was Zhang Yue’s private property, but since he was merely a provincial graduate and had been away from home for a long time with few assets, he stubbornly refused to reduce the rent. He even tried, like Wanshijie before him, to sell paintings at Buddhist temples and Taoist temples.

He wasn’t truly poor. After all, since his elder brother Fang Rui recognized him, he had sent him money and gifts over the past two years. Yet Fang Jing kept them carefully hidden and never used them casually. Only when arranging the betrothal ceremony with Lady Wang did he use a pair of extremely rare South Sea pearls obtained by his brother from abroad. After all, he understood that many people must have tested Zhang Yue’s tolerance, and he also knew how many noblewomen had seen Zhang Jing at the Duke of Britain’s residence. Yet the entire Zhang family favored this poor boy instead. He couldn’t possibly appear too destitute.

However, on the Lantern Festival that day, when Zhang Yue entrusted him to take Zhang Jing to see the lanterns, it made him sweat profusely in the cold weather. It was not only due to being squeezed by the crowded crowd but also from fear. Although the Lantern Festival was a nationwide celebration, even more popular than New Year’s Day, and even young ladies usually confined to their homes would go out to see the lanterns, his constitution was different. So, despite Zhang Jing having many attendants and two maids with her, he still didn’t dare to be careless. That night, he forgot everything else, but the only thing he would never forget was the lantern Zhang Jing won for him by solving a riddle.

“Younger brother! Younger brother!”
The person across from him called out twice before he finally snapped out of his daze. Seeing Fang Rui looking at him angrily, he quickly sat up straight but couldn’t recall what Fang Rui had said, so he lowered his head. Seeing his state, Fang Rui shook his head and demanded, “I’m asking why you didn’t set the wedding date during the betrothal ceremony.”

Fang Jing was stunned and speechless. After hesitating for a while, he stammered, “She… the third daughter of the Zhang family is still young…”

They say the eldest brother is like a father. Fang Rui felt ashamed for not fulfilling his duties as an elder brother. So when he heard that Fang Jing was engaged to Zhang Yue’s sister, although he was surprised, he didn’t say much at first. Naturally, this marriage was Fang family rising to a higher social status. He was confident in his younger brother’s merits, but if the Zhang family was willing, couldn’t they find a man of even higher status in the whole capital? Besides, as an elder brother, he could hardly help Fang Jing in the future, but Zhang Yue was different. However, it wasn’t until he rushed back to the capital in early January that he remembered the age difference and realized even more that his younger brother was far too young for Zhang family’s daughter.

At that moment, he couldn’t help frowning and said, “But you’re not young anymore!”

Seeing that Fang Jing remained silent, Fang Rui felt a heavy weight in his heart. If not for abandoning his brother in pursuit of illusory wealth, if not for making such mistakes when leaving home, with the protection of the Duke of Yingguo’s family, he might not have had to take such a detour. Even if poor, he wouldn’t have lacked prospects. Now that he had amassed great wealth, so what?

“I’m not forcing you to get married soon; I just want you to set a date and prepare properly. After all, the Zhang family isn’t an ordinary family—countless people in the capital are eyeing them. Although you’re the headmaster of that small academy and have some reputation, in the eyes of those who look down on others, you’re naturally not good enough for Zhang family’s daughter. The more so, the more careful we need to be. I remember this house belongs to the Zhang family, right? You used to be a distant relative of theirs, so it made sense for you to live here. But if this continues, people will gossip. I’ll arrange a proper house for you, have it renovated first so you can move in, and it’ll also be suitable for you after you get married.”

Faced with his brother’s unyielding tone, Fang Jing hurriedly shook his head repeatedly, saying, “Brother, no need to go to such lengths. I already have…”

“I only have you as a brother. Do you still refuse to acknowledge me as your brother?”

“No, it’s not that…” Fang Jing wasn’t good with words. Anxiously, his face turned red, and it took him a while to explain, “Everything you gave me over these two years, I’ve saved. After the engagement was finalized, I asked a manager from Third Brother Zhang’s family to find me two houses—both three-story buildings, right next to each other, so we can live together in the future. I also had the houses renovated and furnished. And since I couldn’t attend your marriage because I married my wife, I used the money I saved from selling calligraphy over these two years to buy a plum blossom headdress as a gift. So, I really am not short of money…”

After listening to Fang Jing’s long explanation, Fang Rui felt even more uneasy. Back when he was in the Han Prince’s Mansion, he had secretly given Fang Jing money and gifts, but his brother had always refused to accept them. When they met again in Guangzhou, the brothers had talked things through, and from then on, the gifts he gave were never returned. He had always thought that these would allow his brother to live without relying on others, but never imagined that Fang Jing had been saving every penny, clearly planning to make ends meet on his own!

“You should know that things from back then can’t be resolved so quickly. There are still people in the capital who recognize me; it’s impossible for me to live there…” Though extremely reluctant, Fang Rui had to say these words firmly. Seeing Fang Jing’s face turn extremely pale, he sighed and said, “Your sister-in-law still wants to return to Shandong to see her family, but I don’t dare accompany her. It was all my mistake caused by carelessness back then. Even coming to see you this time was done secretly.”

“Brother, stop talking. It’s better to correct one’s mistakes—that’s what Brother Zhang San always says.”

Fang Jing wasn’t good at comforting others. After awkwardly offering some words of advice, he didn’t know what else to say. After some thought, he finally stood up, put the hat on his head from the table, and said, “Brother, I need to check on the academy. After all, there are so many noble children there; someone needs to keep an eye on things. I’ll go talk to Brother Zhang San personally about your return to the capital. You might as well bring your sister-in-law here to stay. Inns are crowded and full of gossip; it’s not as convenient as here. Besides, you’ll be leaving in a few days. The people here are reliable and won’t spread rumors.”

Coming all this way only to stay in an inn—Fang Rui knew it was unavoidable, but it was to avoid burdening his brother. Hearing Fang Jing say this, he felt relieved and nodded in agreement. After Fang Jing left, he sat for a while before putting on the large cloak he had brought and leaving after saying goodbye to someone.

However, not far after leaving, as he turned the corner, Fang Rui habitually kept an eye on what was behind him. Suddenly, he saw a shadow seem to flash in front of a house and immediately became alert. After all, he was used to hiding and staying hidden; even the slightest clue seemed significant to him. Once suspicious, he dared not take any chances. After struggling through the streets to shake off his pursuers, he rushed into a silk shop.

Seeing the clerk come up eagerly, he said little, casually tossed a silver coin at him, and added indifferently, “Take the four best brocaded fabrics to the Sihai Inn and deliver them to a lady named Fang. Tell her that the head of her family has some matters to attend to and cannot return for now, so she should go back to her hometown to visit relatives first—there’s no need to wait for him. This is the deposit; she’ll give you the rest.” With such a large order arriving suddenly and a deposit paid in advance, how could the clerk not be happy? He quickly agreed repeatedly. Thus, when Fang Rui suggested leaving through the back door, he agreed without hesitation. After all, even if the visitor had some troubles, he just wanted to do business and wouldn’t face any problems. Once the goods were delivered to the Sihai Inn smoothly and he received the due payment, he completely forgot about that person.

However, Xi Er in the east courtyard of the Sihai Inn didn’t even glance at the four brightly colored brocades on the table—she had been to the West and done business there, having seen plenty of gold, silver, jewels, and silk, so she was no longer the kind of person who once envied wealth. What concerned her more was that Fang Rui had clearly made an appointment with his brother to set out early in the morning. So why was such a message suddenly sent? Could something have happened?

After much thought, Xi Er grew more convinced that something was wrong. She had heard Liu Da mention something about Fang Rui’s past, knowing it wasn’t a good path, so she stayed indoors most of the time even after arriving in the capital. Now, with no sign of him and the use of such a method as sending brocades, the situation might indeed be serious. After pondering for a while, she called a young maid who followed her, had her change into formal clothes for guests, and dress up slightly before leaving the inn.

She took a mule cart straight to Fang’s residence in Xipailou Alley, only to find it empty. Learning that Fang Jing had gone to the small academy first and Fang Rui followed, she grew suspicious. After a brief pause, she headed straight to the small academy in Menlou Hutong. Since arriving in the capital, she had gone to the academy more often than Fang Jing and was familiar with the route. Upon arriving, seeing several guards at the entrance and many vendors and students’ attendants along the walls, she didn’t rush to see them. Instead, she found a small teahouse, ordered a pot of tea, and asked the tea master to gather some information.

The tea master had been in business there for many years. Since Xi Er only asked about matters related to the small academy and offered generous rewards, plus her elegant clothing and refined speech, he assumed she must be a wealthy lady wanting to send her child to study. So he became even more attentive, constantly praising the advantages of the academy.

“This lady, I’m not boasting—if you truly want your child to succeed, sending them here is definitely the right choice. Aside from the sons of noble families with hereditary titles, many ministers also send their children here, so that they can get to know each other and support one another in the future. It doesn’t matter if they lack official titles; there’s an entrance exam held here every year. Those who perform well not only get free tuition but also receive rice and grain monthly, almost on par with the stipends given to scholars by the court. The only rule is that only young students are accepted; those over fifteen are not admitted.”

Xi Er felt a bit uneasy upon hearing the tea master keep mentioning children. After all, though she wasn’t young herself, she had been unmarried for so many years and had just gotten married—how could she have children? So, she shifted the topic along with the tea master’s lead and asked about Fang Jing: “I heard that the headmaster of this small academy is also quite young?”

“Isn’t that right? That Headmaster Fang is young but already holds the title of ‘ju ren’. If it weren’t for failing the last exam, he might already be a ‘jin shi’ and serving as an official!”, the tea master said eagerly, going to fetch several plates of preserved fruits. He added with a smile, “Lady, you might not know, but some time ago, Headmaster Fang and the daughter of the Zhang family got engaged, which caused quite a stir in the whole capital. You know what kind of family the Zhangs are—both a duke and a marquis. Young Master Zhang is already a vice minister; what will he become in the future? With such a prominent family, there were many suitors, but they chose Headmaster Fang. That’s why everyone says he’s bound for great wealth and success. How could Young Master Zhang make a poor choice?”

At first, Xi Er thought the tea master was just repeating what he’d heard, but gradually she noticed the casual tone and suddenly remembered past events. As she was lost in thought, she suddenly heard a call from over there. Soon after, the tea master excused himself to attend to it. She had sharp ears, and though it was far away, she still caught a few key words. So when the tea master returned with a large copper kettle to refill the water, she deliberately glanced over and saw that the person had left. She tossed a few coins to have more fruits brought and asked, “What was that person asking about?”
“Ah, they were asking about Headmaster Fang, just like you, lady. But that person was strange—they were asking about Headmaster Fang’s brother… It’s really odd. We’ve been in the capital for so long, and we only know that Headmaster Fang is a distant relative of the Duchess of Yingguo. We’ve hardly heard of him having a brother…”

Xi’er had no heart to listen to the rest of what was said. After all, she wasn’t a girl raised in seclusion; having spent so much time outside, she was adept at various tricks. Her first thought was that her husband’s identity might have been exposed. Remembering the four bolts of brocade her husband had given her at the inn, she hurriedly left to take a carriage back. Upon arriving at the inn, she ordered the staff to deliver those four bolts intact to Fang’s residence in Xi Pai Lou Alley, instructing them to say they came from Sihai Inn, and that she had returned to her hometown in Shandong to visit family. She would leave as soon as the items were delivered. Not long after she left, several people came to the inn to inquire, but it was too late.

Fang Jing didn’t see those four bolts of brocade until he returned home in the evening. Hearing the news from his family, he found it strange. After asking further, he grew even more puzzled. After much thought, he sent someone from his hometown to Sihai Inn to investigate, only to find out that his sister-in-law had said she had returned to her hometown, while his elder brother had not gone back at all. This made him instinctively think of the worst possibility: could someone be trying to harm his elder brother?