Chapter 114: A Shocking News

Due to the strict rules of the Imperial Academy and the fact that Gu Bin was not a descendant of noble families, he could not live as carefree as Fangling’s Sun Han. Since entering the academy, he had stayed there without returning home. Knowing of his aloof nature, Zhang Yue asked Sun Han to take care of him, and after a month, he heard that everything was fine.

With Gu Bin gone from home, Zhang Zhuo was busy writing essays day and night, occasionally going out to compete in literary contests with other candidates who had arrived early in the capital. Either he was locked in his study or nowhere to be seen, making Zhang Yue seem lazy and idle. Yet Zhang Yue loved this carefree life. Aside from practicing calligraphy and writing in his small study, he explored every street and alley in the capital, even learning quite a bit about business.

But eventually, he discovered that five out of ten shops in the capital were loss-making businesses. Among those that made a profit, two or threerelied relied on connections with officials, while the rest barely made ends meet. Truly successful merchants were extremely rare.

That day, upon returning from the Du family’s residence, he dismounted in front of the door. Gao Quan, who was usually busy outside, rushed over like the wind. Before he could steady himself, he said cheerfully, “Third young master, great news!”

Before Zhang Yue could stand firmly, he heard words of joy and was puzzled. “What great news?”

“It’s double good news this time!” Gao Quan happily ordered his servant to take the reins, then whispered as they walked, “First, Scholar Shen, who has been stuck in the Hanlin Academy for years, is now going to Henan to oversee this year’s provincial exams. Second… hehe, evil reaps its own rewards. That governor of Kaifeng was accused of corruption, and it’s said he’ll not only be dismissed from office but also taken to the capital’s judicial court to face charges. Our eldest master was once imprisoned for the same crime—now he’s getting what’s coming to him. Deserved!”

Zhang Yue was indeed pleased by the first piece of news. He wasn’t someone who pretended to be pure and upright; he had already experienced the advantages of having connections in the court. While he couldn’t cheat by relying on Shen Can, there was still a chance to get preferential treatment under equal conditions.

But he saw no reason to rejoice at the news of the governor’s misfortune. Although the Zhang family had gotten some revenge, the broken marriage bond could not be restored. If it weren’t for the twin sisters Jin Heng and Jin Su, he wouldn’t have cared about the Jin family’s suffering, but after all, they had suffered in place of their relatives.

“The old lady also wrote in her letter that the provincial examinations were approaching, asking the third young master to plan his return early, as there needed to be enough time to socialize with the students at the local academy and other people, as well as to pay visits to the officials at the educational administration office.” All of this was expected. After listening to it all, Zhang Yue asked if Zhang Zhuo had received any news, but Gao Quan said that Zhang Zhuo had not yet returned, so no date had been decided. After calculating for a while, he set the departure date for the end of June, estimating that it would take half a month by water to arrive, leaving another half month for visiting relatives and friends. When Zhang Zhuo returned and learned of this, he naturally agreed to Zhang Yue’s decision. Thus, the father and son continued to live their usual lives day after day, hearing news such as the imperial procession having arrived in Beijing, a great victory in suppressing rebellion in Jiaozhi, and gifts from foreign countries, but paying little attention to them. After all, they were still quite far from that lofty upper echelon. They were quite concerned about news of their relatives, such as Zhang You’s further achievements in suppressing rebellion in Jiaozhi and Zhang Chao’s minor victories in fighting the Japanese pirates. Once they confirmed that Zhang Xin was safe, they had nothing more to worry about—Duke Zhang Fu was accompanying the imperial procession, not going to war, so he would surely be fine. Yet, as the saying goes, human plans often fall short of fate’s intentions. Although Zhang Yue had planned everything meticulously and, following Du Wan—or Du Zhen’s advice—avoided interacting with the two most powerful officials currently in charge, Yang Shiqi and Liang Qian, when the end of June arrived and he was ready to return to Kaifeng, he received a completely unexpected news. Duke Zhang Fu, who was skilled in archery and horseback riding and had survived four battles in the treacherous lands of Jiaozhi unscathed, was now seriously ill in Beijing! When he rushed to Duke Zhang Fu’s residence and saw Lady Wang, who looked like a clay or wood sculpture, even he, who was usually praised for his maturity at a young age—though he considered himself mature for his age—was somewhat thrown off balance. Zhang Yue certainly knew that Duke Zhang Fu had died in the Tumu Fort Incident in history, meaning he still had at least thirty more years of life. But since he could travel through time and arrive in this world, if he relied solely on history, he might not even know how he would die. After pondering for a long time, he stepped forward and knelt down.

Madam Wang clutched the letter written on her behalf by the steward Rong Shan, her eyes red. She struggled hard to hold back the tears that had threatened to fall earlier, unsure whether to feel grief or resentment. A healthy person who was good at riding and fighting—how could he suddenly fall ill? Her husband was thousands of miles away, and she couldn’t reach him in any rush. What if something happened? And if her two brothers-in-law found out, what chaos would that cause? The more she thought about it, the more panicked she became, so much so that she didn’t even notice Zhang Yue.

“Elder Sister-in-law!”

Startled by the sudden loud voice, she loosened her grip, and the letter fell silently to the ground. Looking up at Zhang Yue, she thought of Zhang Fu fighting in battle while she struggled to manage the household in fear. She remembered that she was approaching middle age with no children, and in such a crisis, she would still have to rely on her sons. Her husband had made great contributions to the country, yet even in his most dangerous times, he didn’t have a son by his side to care for him… Overwhelmed by sorrow, she lost her usual composure as a housewife.

Madam Wang’s outburst of grief shocked not just Zhang Yue. At that moment, whether it was the most favored Bi Luo Xi Yu or the other maids, everyone was in a panic, not knowing what to say or do. Eventually, one of the maids knelt down abruptly, and the others followed suit, staying silent. Bi Luo Xi Yu offered a handkerchief and tried to comfort her, but to no avail.

“Elder Sister-in-law, your eldest brother-in-law has always been in good health. His sudden illness is probably due to overwork or catching a seasonal illness. It’s useless for you to be at a loss now. Since we have news, why don’t I accompany you and head to Beijing right away?”

Hearing Zhang Yue’s timely words, Madam Wang finally managed to hold back her tears and regained some strength. Yet, thinking about the long journey by canal and then by land to Beijing, which would take half a month, and worrying about what would happen at home in her absence, plus the unstable situation in the palace, she became troubled again.

“You’re right, Yue. But what about the household? Princess Zhang in the palace is recovering intermittently, and I’m afraid something might happen. Your second and third uncles are here, but they don’t care about this matter. Your second and third aunts are as good-for-nothing as clay statues—useless in a crisis. What if something happens?”

Since Concubine Zhang was a palace consort, even her own nephew might not be able to see her, let alone Zhang Yue, who was an even more distant cousin. He had long heard that this elder aunt had only been included in the palace register because Zhu Di showed favor toward the Zhang family; she was indeed highly favored, but her health had been unstable for over a decade, relying almost entirely on precious medicinal herbs to stay alive. With the hot weather now, her condition was even more uncertain. As he pondered, a maid’s voice suddenly came from outside.
“Madam, there’s a message from outside—Second Madam has arrived!”
The main room was already in chaos. Hearing that Zhang Yue’s wife had arrived, not only did the maids look at each other in confusion, but Madam Wang was also stunned. After a brief pause, Zhang Yue quickly stood up, ordering a maid to fetch water, and then sent a few other maids to keep an eye on Madam Deng’s arrival.
With this reminder, Bi Luo Xi Yu finally came to her senses and hurried to fetch a towel and comb from the inner room. Soon, a maid brought a washbasin, and Bi Luo personally helped Madam Wang wash her face. Xi Yu busily combed her hair back into place and applied some powder to her face, ensuring that nothing would seem amiss upon closer inspection. Only then did everyone in the room breathe a sigh of relief.
“Elder Sister!”
Before Madam Deng entered, a sobbing voice came through first. Everyone, including Zhang Yue, grew anxious. Madam Wang scanned the room, wondering who might have leaked the news. Soon, the curtain outside was lifted, and Madam Deng, dressed in elegant and luxurious attire, rushed in unsteadily. Before she could steady herself, she cried out, “It’s bad! It’s terrible… Our lady in the palace is in trouble!”
Her repeated cries of “terrible” were already alarming, but when she said, “Our lady in the palace is in trouble,” Zhang Yue couldn’t help but gasp. Madam Wang nearly knocked over the teacup on the side table in her panic. The maids, already terrified, looked even more shocked, with one of them even collapsing to the ground.
With the Duke of Yingguo outside and Concubine Zhang inside, this was a crucial factor for the Zhang family to maintain its status as a prominent family. Now, with news that the Duke of Yingguo had fallen ill in Beijing, and Concubine Zhang also falling ill, could it be that heaven itself was against the Zhang family?
At that moment, Zhang Yue deeply realized that compared to the previous time when the Jinyiwei came to arrest his uncle Zhang Xin, if something went wrong this time, it would truly mean the end of the world—complete annihilation.

Madam Wang’s voice trembled as she spoke, “When I went to see the Empress yesterday, she was fine. How could she suddenly fall ill?”
“I…” Madam Deng hesitated before stammering after a long pause, “I only heard a vague rumor from the Master this morning, saying that my uncle seems to be seriously ill in Beijing. In my urgency, I mentioned it to the Empress today, and who knew she would immediately start spitting blood…”
“You… you wretch!” At that moment, Madam Wang could no longer maintain her usual composed demeanor as a senior wife. She stood up and scolded harshly, “The Empress has been unwell for days now. If you wanted to know something, you should have just asked me directly. Why go and disturb the Empress? If anything happens to her, what will you use to make amends?”
Seeing Madam Wang collapse back into her chair in despair and Madam Deng cowering in her seat, trembling pitifully, Zhang Yue let out a deep sigh. A thunderbolt out of clear skies must feel just like this.