Chapter 107: The Day Father and Son Reunite, An Old Friend Appears Again
For the Ming Dynasty at that time, the emperor’s inspection tours were not something rare. Unlike his nephew, Emperor Jianwen, Emperor Yongle, Zhu Di, had seized power through military conquest. Though now seated on the imperial throne, he still retained the boldness of a warrior. He had already launched two northern expeditions—once defeating the Tatars thoroughly and once giving the Oirats a harsh lesson. This time, his true purpose for the northern tour was simply to inspect Beijing in preparation for its eventual relocation as the capital.
As the emperor’s grand procession set off northward, a six-masted sailboat quietly docked at the Jinchuan Gate pier outside Nanjing. With the common people all gathered to watch the emperor’s procession, the pier was deserted, except for a few laborers who were eagerly seeking work. As soon as they saw a ship dock, they rushed over in droves.
On the deck stood a middle-aged man in his forties. Seeing the laborers swarm over, he ordered his servants to take care of the luggage while he calmly stepped off the ship. He raised his hand to look at the blue sky and listened to the haggling voices around him, then glanced around.
“Third Master!” A voice filled with surprise and joy called out as someone rushed over. Before he could steady himself, he smiled and explained, “Today, the emperor and all the officials are heading north, so many roads are blocked. I had to take a long detour to get here. I’m sorry for making you wait!”
“I’ve just arrived too,” Zhang Zhuo said, nodding gratefully as he looked at the man. “Though I didn’t meet Jiu Ge’er, I’ve read the letters he sent. You must have had a hard time traveling to and from Nanjing, and you even almost got scolded by those three. The Duke of Yingguo praised you in his letters for your sense of responsibility. Even my grandmother said she would reward you generously when you return.”
“I’m just doing my duty. Any reward would be too much for me. The Third Young Master was also supposed to come to welcome you, but since the Duke of Yingguo was accompanying the emperor today, he went to Shence Gate to see them off.”
Gao Quan smiled so widely that his eyes narrowed. He turned to order his attendants to help and asked a few questions about his family’s situation before saying with a smile, “Although everything is clearly written in the letters, I still need to emphasize that the Third Young Master has a great opportunity here in Nanjing. Not only has he met the emperor and the crown prince, but the Duke of Yingguo and his wife have also spoken highly of him, praising his intelligence and, more importantly, his composure…”
Zhang Zhuo couldn’t help but smile at Gao Quan’s endless flattery, though he was truly delighted inside. Turning his head, he saw someone coming down from the deck and waved, calling out, “Xiao Qi, come here!” It was Gu Bin who had come to Nanjing with Zhang Zhuo. He was over a year older than Zhang Yue and was now sixteen. He wore a headscarf and a simple blue robe, with a belt of the same color around his waist and green cloth shoes on his feet. Though he appeared somewhat plain, he was neatly dressed and spirited, making it hard for anyone to look down on him. Gao Quan hadn’t known Gu Bin was coming and was momentarily stunned before stepping forward to greet him as “young master.” But Gu Bin knew they were only being polite out of respect for Zhang Zhuo, so he stepped aside and addressed him as “Mr. Gao.” “Xiao Qi originally planned to take the provincial exams this year, but the education inspector said his knowledge was solid but his experience insufficient. Although there are a few learned scholars at the local academy, Henan still can’t compare to the talent-rich scholars in the south. That’s why my grandmother sent a letter to the Duke of Yingguo, securing him a position as a student there.” This explanation clarified why Gu Bin was accompanying them. Zhang Zhuo then ordered Gao Quan to have all the luggage transported quickly. After they left, seeing Gu Bin looking somewhat uneasy, he gently patted his shoulder and said, “I know you’re eager to pass the exams and become a scholar as soon as possible, but you’re still young. It’s better to hone your skills first. Look at all those officials in the court—how many of them achieved success at a young age? Holding a high position at a young age invites envy. Studying at the imperial academy for a few years and making more friends will also benefit your future.” Although Lady Gu of the Zhang family was his own great-aunt, Gu Bin knew better that it was Zhang Zhuo who had helped him get this opportunity, so he was naturally grateful. Hearing these words, he quickly nodded in agreement. Having just arrived in the capital, he couldn’t help but feel immense curiosity and emotion as he looked at the city walls and the people coming and going. By the time all the luggage was unloaded from the ship and loaded onto the carts, more than half an hour had passed. Gao Quan paid the shipmaster and sailors, and gave the laborers extra money, earning many grateful praises. Unfazed by this, he turned around and helped Zhang Zhuo and Gu Bin onto a carriage, then mounted his own horse and ordered them to set off.
By then, the large entourage on its northern tour had already set off from Shence Gate, and the roads that had been closed were once again open to traffic. Wai Jinchuan Gate was unobstructed, while Jinchuan Gate had strict inspections. Gao Quan simply showed his identification from the Duke of Britain’s residence, and the soldiers conducting the inspection became much more respectful, checking him briefly before letting him pass.
The group arrived at the Duke of Britain’s residence smoothly. Soon, a servant brought a message from Lady Wang, asking Zhang Zhuo to settle in Fangheng Courtyard first. Immediately, a group of servants busied themselves moving luggage. Considering that Zhang Yue had not returned yet and Lady Wang was his sister-in-law, it would be inappropriate for him to go see her alone, so he simply took Gu Bin straight to Fangheng Courtyard.
Qiu Hen and Hu Bo, who had been informed in advance, had already brought Yue Luo and Liusu out to greet them, and they quickly bowed in greeting. However, Zhang Zhuo did not rush to enter his own room. Instead, he wandered around Zhang Yue’s three-room residence and spent some time in the small study, flipping through several articles and copybooks before nodding in satisfaction. Seeing that the rooms were clean and tidy without being overly luxurious, he couldn’t help but praise the four maids again. Gu Bin, on the other hand, was visiting such a place for the first time and dared not lift his head.
After seeing everything they wanted to see, Zhang Zhuo and Gu Bin returned to their own rooms. Zhang Zhuo had come to the capital for the imperial examinations. His wife, Lady Sun, could not accompany him as she had to take care of their daughter, and since they lived in the Duke of Britain’s residence, he did not want to bring concubines. Thus, the Old Lady Gu had chosen two suitable maids for him. Gu Bin’s family was originally poor, so this time it was still the Old Lady Gu who selected a dependable maid from the Zhang household to go with him. A few housewives brought hot water, and the two of them bathed and changed themselves; the details of this process need not be described to outsiders.
During that trip to Shence Gate, Zhang Yue finally saw just how many high-ranking officials there were in the Ming Dynasty. The vast crowd dressed in red and with python patterns was truly spectacular, not to mention the enormous procession that stretched for miles.
By the time he rushed back to the Duke of Britain’s residence on horseback, it was already noon, and he felt quite hungry. Yet, upon hearing that his father had arrived, he was overjoyed and immediately rushed to Fangheng Courtyard, just in time to meet Zhang Zhuo, who had just come out of his room in fresh clothes.
“Father!”
Seeing Zhang Yue rush up straight to him, Zhang Zhuo bent down and bowed deeply four times, feeling quite relieved. He immediately reached out to help him up and studied him carefully for a while, noticing that he had grown much taller since they last saw each other half a year ago. Smiling, he said, “These past few days since you arrived in the capital, all the letters sent back praised you. Your mother and I are very happy. Good, very good! You can remain calm in important situations—you’re better than your father!”
Hearing Zhang Zhuo say “you’re better than your father,” Zhang Yue blushed slightly, realizing that his father was so delighted upon reuniting with him that he spoke such things outright. After a brief exchange, he quickly asked about his mother, grandmother, and other relatives back home. After chatting about family matters, he suddenly looked up and saw Gu Bin coming out of another room. He was momentarily stunned before becoming overjoyed.
“Little Seventh Brother, you’re here too!”
Seeing Zhang Yue dressed in a sky-blue robe with a lotus-green satin cape embroidered with flower motifs, and wearing a soft hat with silk straps and crystal beads on top, looking exactly like a noble prince of the capital, Gu Bin felt a bit ashamed for a moment. But when Zhang Yue stepped forward quickly and patted his shoulder as he used to, that feeling vanished instantly.
“It’s been over half a year, and you’ve grown even taller!” Noticing that Zhang Yue was now half a head taller than him, Gu Bin couldn’t help but laugh. “My uncle asked my great-aunt to find me a vacancy as a student at the Imperial Academy. I came here with my uncle precisely to study there.”
Zhang Yue immediately thought of the rules at the Imperial Academy and realized that if he didn’t help this reserved Little Seventh Brother, Gu Bin might one day end up getting punished like that unlucky student. He quickly said, “That’s great! I happen to know two friends at the Imperial Academy. I’ll introduce them to you tomorrow so you’ll have someone to look out for there!”
Seeing how close the two brothers were, Zhang Zhuo was also happy. He had only helped the Gu family out out of empathy back then, but now, seeing Gu Bin growing up to be successful, he felt as pleased as if it were his own son achieving success. After the two finished talking, he went up and gave a few more instructions before saying he needed to take Gu Bin to meet Lady Wang.
Zhang Yue understood that his father had only brought up this important matter after he arrived. He quickly sent Yue Luo to inform the main house and then led the two out of the courtyard. Since Zhang Zhuo hadn’t been to Nanjing for many years and Gu Bin was new here, he briefly introduced the situation within the Duke of Ying’s household and also mentioned the current state of the capital.
By the time they reached the door of the main room, before the maid could lift the curtain, a loud crash came from inside, as if something had been broken. The next moment, Zhang Yue saw the curtain being pulled aside, and two expressionless old women, one on each side, led out a young woman dressed in pink. The woman’s face was deathly pale, her lips trembling, and her eyes vacant, as she was forced into the east wing room.