Chapter 920: Father-in-Law and Sons-in-Law Have a Heart-to-Heart Talk

Du Zhen was busy with matters in the cabinet and had not returned home yet. Du Wan remained seated on the cushion, while Xiao Wu helped out. As soon as Wan Shijie returned, he went to the Ministry of War first and then straight here. Everyone in the Du family was greatly surprised, but they quickly welcomed the two sons-in-law cheerfully. Although the Du family lacked a young master to lead them, they walked with their heads held high. The reason was simple: among the sons-in-law of the Du family, it was hard for young people throughout the capital to find anyone who could compare to them.

At this moment, Qiu Shi, who had come out upon hearing the news, saw her two sons-in-law bowing in greeting and felt immense joy. She quickly pulled them up. Zhang Yue had been in the capital these days and was someone she saw often, so she pulled Wan Shijie aside and asked him with great concern. Seeing frostbitten cracks on his hands and face, and that he looked darker and thinner than when he left, she felt sorry for him. But seeing Wan Shijie act as if nothing had happened, recalling her husband’s saying that a man should aspire to great things, she could only hide her emotions.

After joking around for a while, Wan Shijie looked around and then sighed regretfully, “I had thought it would be perfect to drink and chat in the courtyard at night in the capital—wanting to get my father-in-law and Yuanjie completely drunk. But it turns out my father-in-law hasn’t returned! My drinking ability was only mediocre before, but during these six or seven months I was at the Nurhaci Commandery, I turned into a real drinker. Mother-in-law, do you have any wine at home? If not, we can just find a small tavern and buy seven or eight jin!”

Qiu Shi already felt sorry for Wan Shijie’s condition. Hearing him say he wanted to drink, and even seven or eight jin at that, she was shocked. She then said irritably, “If you were still at that Nurhaci Commandery, I wouldn’t care how much you drank. But now that you’re back, you need to take good care of yourself. Cold wine harms the liver, and hot wine harms the stomach. It’s better to drink less of such harmful liquor… Enough, enough. You men just love alcohol. I still have a jar of osmanthus wine made by Xiao Wu himself, with many nourishing herbs added. It’s the best for health—just drink that!”

Wine made by Xiao Wu?

Wanshi Jie knew well his wife’s skills—her cooking was passable these days, her ability to manage household affairs was decent, and she could handle accounting fairly well too. But brewing wine was something she had no experience with at all. Before he could come up with an excuse to avoid it, Qiu Shi turned and left, forcing him to look at Zhang Yue for help. Zhang Yue and Wanshi Jie were not only brothers-in-law but also good friends and colleagues from the same year. He knew exactly what kind of person Wanshi Jie was, so he cleared his throat and said, “Xiao Wu may be a beginner at brewing wine, but she’s quite skilled. You’ll know once you try it. Even my parents really like her osmanthus wine.”

With Zhang Yue’s assurance, Wanshi Jie finally breathed a sigh of relief. Soon, a servant came to ask whether to set the tables outside or in the hall. Seeing Wanshi Jie’s eager eyes, Zhang Yue ordered the tables to be set in the courtyard, and someone went to light the lanterns there. By the time the two of them went outside, Qiu Shi had already brought the wine with her maid. It wasn’t an ordinary clay jar but a exquisitely designed gemstone-red porcelain jar. Wanshi Jie was surprised upon seeing the jar and studied it for a while before asking, “This seems to be new official porcelain, right?”

“It’s newly produced official porcelain, commonly known as Xuande porcelain. It’s called gemstone red because its color resembles the sky after rain, hence it’s also called ‘clear red.’ With such uniform coloring, it must be top-quality,” Zhang Yue replied with a smile, though his gaze on the jar seemed somewhat strange. The Song Dynasty had five famous porcelain kilns, and Xuande kiln was regarded as the best in the Ming Dynasty. Such a piece would be a rare treasure in any auction house, yet many high-ranking officials owned several of them. Xiao Wu even used it as a jar for wine—such was life’s irony.

“Xiao Wu likes it. Her father said these items are just sitting there unused; it’s better to put them to use rather than let them waste away in the storage.” Qiu Shi came from a scholarly family. Though she couldn’t name every famous porcelain kiln, she could still tell the quality of items. When Du Zhen acquired those porcelain pieces, Xiao Wu insisted on using this jar for wine. She had hesitated at first but soon realized its value. Seeing Wanshi Jie tapping his fingers thoughtfully, she smiled and said, “Things are meant to be used, not just displayed.”

Wanshijie wasn’t truly attached to the goods; having lived in poverty, he had some bad habits, such as thinking in his heart about exchanging these fine items for ordinary wine jars and then figuring out how much money he could get for them. But when Qiu Shi mentioned it, and he saw Zhang Yue looking at him with a half-smile, he quickly put away that expression and took it cheerfully. Just as he was about to ask his mother-in-law if they could drink together, Qiu Shi shook her head and said, “I’m making a pair of shoes for the master right now. Besides, we’ve already had dinner. You two go ahead and enjoy it slowly. Drink slowly—although this wine is good for health and has a mild effect, it still needs to be consumed in moderation.”

After seeing Qiu Shi off with her smiling face, Zhang Yue and Wanshijie sat down again. Now, only the two of them were left in the courtyard. The servants of the Du family, like their master, knew that the two sons-in-law had great prospects, but they didn’t fawn or flatter them; they only did what needed to be done when necessary, so there was no need to worry about eavesdroppers. After drinking three cups in a row and seeing Wanshijie grimacing, Zhang Yue laughed and said, “What, used to strong liquor from the north, not used to this soft, sweet fermented grain?”

“You’re right. I really am not used to this sweet fermented grain. I should have known that osmanthus wine is just like this!”

Though his face showed discomfort, it didn’t stop Wanshijie from sipping slowly from the small wine bowl, savoring Xiao Wu’s craftsmanship. After a while, he finally sighed in satisfaction and said to Zhang Yue, “As you know, I’m from Fujian, but I’ve been in Beijing for several years. I thought I was used to the cold in winter, but it wasn’t until I went there by boat that I realized just how cold it really is. The water is ice, and even driving stakes into the frozen ground with a heavy hammer only leaves a few white marks. Most of the tribes, aside from growing crops, hunt in winter. You wouldn’t believe it—on such cold days, many of them can wrestle bare-chested, fighting without any fear for their lives. Somehow, I just remembered an old saying.”

Zhang Yue knew that Wanshijie must have something to say after returning from the Nurgan Commandery, so he asked with a smile, “What old saying?”

“The Jurchens are by no means invincible.” Seeing Zhang Yue smiling, Wan Shijie tilted his head back and drained his wine in one gulp before sighing. “I know. Ever since the rise of the Mongol Yuan dynasty, no one has spoken such words anymore. Today’s Jurchen tribes are scattered and lack any truly outstanding figures. Yet their living conditions are even worse than those of the Mongols, so in terms of ferocity, they have somehow regained their former strength. I’m just thinking that no dynasty has ever been free from foreign threats. The Qin and Han dynasties faced the Xiongnu; after the Wei and Jin dynasties came the Five Barbarians’ invasion of China. The Tang dynasty dealt with the Turks, Uyghurs, Khitans, and so on. The Song dynasty faced the Khitans, Western Xia, Jurchens, and Mongols. The Yuan dynasty was composed of foreign tribes, needless to say. Even in our dynasty, it was difficult to destroy the Mongol Yuan. Under such circumstances, it’s impossible to simply send gifts to seek peace without training troops; nor is it feasible to keep fighting until the national treasury is depleted. Finding the right balance is the most difficult part.”

Zhang Yue and Wan Shijie had always gotten along well. Now, seeing that after traveling around, Wan Shijie’s insights into issues had become even sharper than before, Zhang Yue nodded and said, “You’re right. By the way, have you finished investigating the matter I asked you to look into?”

“I have,” Wan Shijie replied calmly. He then filled the wine bowls in front of Zhang Yue and himself, his expression growing increasingly serious. “Places like the Nuergan Military Command do have many garrisons, but their purpose is to keep control, so there aren’t many troops stationed there. Currently, there are 321 troops, and next year, the number will likely decrease further, as Yishihai has returned with me. The designated number should be 1,022, meaning there’s a shortage of over 700 troops. These 300 or so were transferred from Fujian in three batches. Due to the harsh environment, most of them are struggling greatly. There are few people there already, but in Liaodong… In Liaodong, about 300 to 500 soldiers are transferred from the south each year, but in reality, only dozens actually arrive!”

When discussing the military household system with the Ministry of War earlier, the most frequent topics weren’t the discrimination against military households or their tendency to flee, but rather the garrisons where these soldiers served. People from the south were sent to the far north, while those from the north were sent to the far south. This was unlike modern armies that could ensure basic living conditions. In the Ming dynasty, apart from weapons, soldiers had to pay for their own travel expenses, clothing, and more. How could anyone not flee during such a journey? Once they arrived at the garrisons, they often couldn’t adapt to the climate or diet, leading to further deaths. Just these losses alone amounted to an astonishing figure every year.

“Now that you’re back, let’s redouble our efforts to break these outdated practices!”

Wanshijie looked at Zhang Yue, then gradually began to smile. Finally, with a wide grin, he nodded firmly: “Good. Once this is done, it will be the day for me to pack up and leave!”
“That’s not necessarily the case. When I leave, it will be natural for you to stay!”
The two brothers-in-law clinked their glasses and drank again. The observant Zhang Yue noticed someone coming in. Although there was only a dim street lamp in the yard, he quickly recognized the person as his father-in-law, Du Zhen. He quickly put down his glass and rushed over. Wanshijie also reacted quickly, rising to greet him.
“Father-in-law.”
Du Zhen had already heard that Wanshijie had returned. Seeing a table in the center of the yard with the gem-red porcelain bottle used by Xiao Wu for brewing wine on it, he glanced at his two sons-in-law. Seeing that they both looked ready to listen to his instructions, he couldn’t help but smile: “I never thought you, Wanshijie, who don’t really like alcohol, would pick up the habit after returning from the Nurgan Commandery. It’s still early tonight, and I’ve just finished eating. This wine has made my mouth water. Well, accompany me and have a few drinks.”
At these words, not only was Zhang Yue, who had been Du Zhen’s student for over a decade and his son-in-law for eight or nine years, stunned, but even Wanshijie doubted his hearing. Seeing that Du Zhen had already sat down, the two finally reacted. Zhang Yue quickly went over to join him, while Wanshijie went inside to find a chair. Soon everything was arranged, and Zhang Yue poured the wine himself. Under the light, Du Zhen’s complexion seemed somewhat dull, and Zhang Yue inexplicably felt something was wrong.
“Father-in-law…”
“Drink first!”
Since Du Zhen had given the order and started drinking first, neither of the sons-in-law dared to disobey. They raised their bowls and drank with him. Although the osmanthus wine was sweet and delicious, it had a strong aftereffect. Zhang Yue and Wanshijie had already drunk quite a bit earlier, and now, after drinking three more small bowls, they naturally felt a bit tipsy. After all, Wanshijie wasn’t as good at pretending as Zhang Yue, so he glanced at Du Zhen’s expression and asked, “Father-in-law, could it be there’s something urgent at the cabinet today?”
“Once Yang Mianren returns from Yunnan, I’ll probably take charge of the Nanjing Censorate.”
At these words, both Wanshijie and Zhang Yue were shocked. Wanshijie could understand, as he hadn’t been inside for a long time and wasn’t very familiar with court affairs. But Zhang Yue, after being surprised, quickly realized what was going on and asked immediately, “Is it because of the matter regarding the princes that you mentioned?”

“After all, the backlash from this matter was enormous. The emperor used my strategy but still had to find ways to appease the regional princes. So, when I was finally sent to Nanjing, it calmed down the gossip. There’s still at least half a year or even a whole year left, enough time to do many things. Even once I’m in Nanjing, I won’t retire right away; there’s still much to do. Gu Zuo has cleaned up the Censorate in the capital, but no one pays attention to it in Nanjing. When I take office there, I’ll surely tidy things up as well.”

Since learning under Du Zhen, Zhang Yue had always seen his mentor as upright and unyielding, as if nothing could bring him down. Seeing Du Zhen smile calmly now, he couldn’t help but feel admiration. If Du Zhen was like this, then Wan Shijie was even more so. He suddenly pushed back his chair, filled his cup first for Du Zhen, then his own, and finally raised the cup with both hands in a deep bow, saying, “Father-in-law, I won’t say anything else. I offer this cup to you. I’ll drink first as a toast!”

Seeing Wan Shijie drink in one gulp after toasting, Du Zhen smiled and also drank it all at once. Seeing Zhang Yue come over with the porcelain bottle, he found it even funnier. After accepting the toasts from his two sons-in-law, he felt all the lingering stress vanish. He then said in a deep voice, “If I go to Nanjing and you two stay in the capital, no one will have anything to gossip about. Especially since Yuan Jie won’t be in charge of the Ministry of War anymore, you can stay there safely, Wan Shijie. By then, Minister Xu will likely take over as the minister, and you, an elder, can assist him. As for Yuan Jie, I won’t give him any orders. Besides, I’m not leaving yet, so don’t put on that farewell face.”

Seeing his father-in-law still in the mood to joke, Zhang Yue calmed down. Wan Shijie instinctively reached for the porcelain bottle, but upon pouring found it was already empty. He slumped the bottle aside and then raised his head with a smile, saying, “Exactly! It’s not a demotion. It’s still being an official wherever you go. Father-in-law’s abilities can be used anywhere! After working another twenty years, I’ll go to your place and open an academy. There, I can teach and educate people, avoiding all those troubles!”

The mention of teaching stirred Zhang Yue deeply. Seeing Du Zhen nod with a smile, he suddenly realized. Indeed, he didn’t have to wait until he was seventy or eighty to retire. He could build a small academy in the capital and another larger one in Nanjing. Then the whole family could live peacefully in Nanjing’s pleasant climate—winning two birds with one stone!