Chapter 115: Once Again, Called to Action in Crisis

Lady Wang, the head of the family, sent someone to summon Zhang Zhuo. He happened to be outside, discussing problem-solving strategies with a few scholars he had met a few days earlier. By the time he returned home and learned of the two shocking news items, it was already evening. Filled with frustration, he rushed to the Duke of Ying’s residence only to find the hall brightly lit and crowded with people. After asking a servant, he learned that some of them were his cousins, some were in-laws from the Zhang family, and others were simply well-informed individuals.
“Uncle, Madam instructed that if you come, go straight to the flower hall. Second Master, Second Lady, and Third Master, Third Lady are all there.”
Zhang Zhuo nodded and quickly ignored the noisy relatives in the hall, hurrying through the arched gate toward the flower hall. Upon entering and passing the screen wall, he saw the three rooms of the flower hall and heard two loud voices.
“Elder Sister-in-law, it’s no use blaming Second Sister-in-law now; things have already happened! Besides, the Empress will eventually find out about Brother’s illness, and she’ll react then too. What we need now is to come up with a plan—someone must go to take care of Brother, and someone must also handle matters with the Empress. They say an elder brother is like a father and an elder sister-in-law like a mother. It’s up to you to make a decision now!”
“Elder Sister-in-law, since Brother is ill, I’ll go there with you right away. Let my wife, my younger brother, and his wife handle matters with the Empress—they’re capable of handling even this small task. There’s no time to lose. How about we set off the day after tomorrow?”
It was clearly Zhang Wei and Zhang Jie. Hearing their smooth words, Zhang Zhuo couldn’t help but feel disgust, as their words hid none of their ulterior motives. At the entrance of the flower hall, there were bamboo curtains, obscuring the view inside. Seeing a young servant approaching, he asked, “Is Yue inside?”
The servant, having heard the argument inside, looked annoyed. Without hesitation, he replied, “Uncle, you’ve come just in time! Madam is struggling alone! Second Master and Third Master, seeing that only Madam is here now, said many harsh things. Thankfully, Young Master Yue is inside; otherwise, Madam would likely be overwhelmed by them.”

Even a servant could say such things, so Zhang Zhuo naturally knew things had already turned chaotic here. Thinking that he was just a scholar while Zhang Fu was the commander of the Shence Wei and Zhang Jie was the deputy commander of the Jinyi Wei, he realized that under normal circumstances he wouldn’t be able to handle them all alone. He took a deep breath before stepping forward to lift the curtain and enter.

As Zhang Zhuo had predicted, a verbal battle had just taken place. Zhang Fu and Zhang Jie relied heavily on their brotherly bond, and knowing Lady Wang had no children, they felt emboldened. Lady Deng and Lady Wu were useless women who sat there like dumbsticks, too afraid to anger their husbands or offend Lady Wang, who was quite shrewd.

Zhang Yue, as the younger one, could mostly only stand by Lady Wang’s side and offer brief suggestions. Though Lady Wang was eloquent and sharp, she was already exhausted physically and mentally, unable to withstand such relentless pressure. So when she saw Zhang Zhuo enter, she clung to him like a drowning person grasping at a lifeline.

“Brother Zhuo is back.”

Zhang Zhuo first went to greet Lady Wang, then bowed to Zhang Fu and his wife, as well as Zhang Jie and his wife. He instinctively ignored the contempt in their eyes, sat down, and comforted them, saying, “I came back late today because of some matters. I just heard about Brother Fu and Lady Zhang’s situation. Sister, since both sides have sick people who need care, in my opinion, it would be best if Brother Fu went to Beijing to visit Brother Fu, while you and Brother Jie stay in the capital to take care of Lady Zhang.”

This suggestion caught everyone off guard—not just Zhang Yue and Lady Wang, but also Zhang Fu and Zhang Jie. After a brief silence, Zhang Fu suddenly slapped his hand and said loudly, “That’s exactly what I’ll do! Everyone takes care of one side; this way, we won’t neglect either! I’ll go prepare things and head to Beijing with Bin the day after tomorrow!”

As if afraid of opposition, Zhang Fu glared at Lady Deng, and then the couple hurriedly took their leave. With them gone, Zhang Jie also stood up, stared at Zhang Zhuo with a fake smile for a while, before slowly saying, “I never expected Brother Zhuo to suddenly get so close to Brother Fu. This idea really came at just the right time! I heard you’re going to take the imperial exams next year—best of luck! May good fortune be with you!”

Zhang Zhe emphasized the phrase “auspicious omens” especially, then snorted coldly, gave Lady Wang a slight bow, and left the flower hall without looking back. Lady Wu was caught off guard, hurriedly stood up to bid farewell to Lady Wang, and then rushed after him. In no time, the flower hall, which had been filled with tension, fell silent.

Lady Wang sat there in silence for a while before sighing and saying, “Zhuo, even if you’re trying to buy time, you shouldn’t say such things. Those two are just waiting for me to soften my stance. Now that the second brother has left triumphantly, who can stop him in a few days?”

Zhang Zhuo sighed helplessly and then said seriously, “Since things have come to this, sister-in-law, please forgive my blunt words. Since the news that Eldest Brother Fu is seriously ill in Beijing can no longer be kept secret, how can we stop them now? No matter what their personal motives are, the eldest brother is like a father to them—it’s only natural for them to rush there to take care of him. And since the Empress is also seriously ill, I know you’ve always treated her well, so you surely can’t leave her. But if you’re worried about Eldest Brother Fu’s condition, they’re necessary.”

Lady Wang continued to sigh, while Zhang Yue’s eyes lit up as he suddenly realized—Zhang Zhe and Zhang Zuo were both selfish people. Perhaps they would cooperate under normal circumstances, but at critical moments, their eyes were always fixed on the dukedom of the Duke of Britain. Since Zhang Zhe had gone, Zhang Zhe who remained would naturally be resentful. This might still leave some room for maneuver. But soon he thought of the most serious problem: what if Duke Zhang Fu really didn’t live as long as recorded in history, and something went wrong this time?

At that moment, Zhang Zhuo suddenly spoke in a serious tone, “So, since you can’t leave, even if I wanted to go see Second Brother Zhe, he might not agree. That’s why I plan to have Yue go to Beijing with me. After all, he’s younger. With your word, Second Brother Zhe won’t be able to stop him or pay much attention to him. Though he’s young, he’s not like an ordinary child—he can find a way if necessary.”

Hearing this, Lady Wang was stunned, and Zhang Yue also didn’t expect his father to have such an idea. He stood there in shock for a while. After a long pause, Lady Wang asked hesitantly, “Although Brother Yue is capable, he’s still young. After all, the second brother is his second uncle. If he’s suppressed everywhere, he’ll have no way out. Besides, he has to take the provincial exams in August this year…”

“The provincial examinations can be taken again if missed this time, but if we miss this chance regarding Brother Fu, it might be too late for anyone to regret it!” Zhang Zhuo cut off Lady Wang’s words firmly and then asked Zhang Yue word by word, “Yue, you should be well aware of how your eldest uncle has treated you since you came to the capital. Now tell me, will you go to Beijing or not?”
“I certainly will.”
Zhang Yue blurted out this reply without hesitation. After all, he had been in the capital for over half a year and had received much kindness from Zhang Fu and Lady Wang, who truly treated him as part of the family. They had also gone to great lengths to resolve his uncle Zhang Xin’s problems—this was gratitude. He had had conflicts with Zhang Bin and Zhang Jin, and his second uncle Zhang Wei had schemed against him—this was enmity. One repays kindness with kindness and enmity with enmity; he must go this time no matter what. As for the provincial examinations, he was still young, so three years was easily waitable!
Zhang Zhuo felt relieved. Seeing Lady Wang’s worried expression, he stepped back and bowed deeply, “Sister-in-law, rest assured. I believe Brother Fu is an upright person who treats everyone fairly. Heaven should surely bless him!”
With Zhang Zhuo’s persuasion and Zhang Yue’s decision, Lady Wang also resolved to go. She immediately ordered the household to prepare for the journey and tasked the steward with selecting suitable companions. Zhang Yue had no other requests—his first choice was Peng Shisan. Since Peng Shisan was already one of Zhang Fu’s trusted personal guards, his request was easily granted.
That night, every room remained brightly lit all night long, especially the threshold of Fangheng Courtyard, which was almost worn out from foot traffic. The concubines who had just heard the news were as anxious as ants on a hot pan, rushing to see Lady Wang only to be scolded. Upon learning that Zhang Yue was going to Beijing, women of various ages, appearances, and temperaments sent their trusted maids over. Some brought precious jewelry, some valuable silk and furs, and some even gold and silver. All shared the same intention: to ensure that Duke Ying of Britain, Zhang Fu, remained safe at all costs.
Zhang Yue naturally understood their feelings. If Zhang Fu had a biological son, perhaps these concubines could still live out their days peacefully in case of something happening. But since he didn’t, and a new master would take over the next day, Lady Wang would still be the wife of the master. They might be forced to commit suicide or suffer for life. Even if they had to sell everything they owned, they would pin their hopes on this journey to Beijing.

If this were in the past, Autumn Trace, who loved excitement and novelty, would surely take the time to examine and discuss all these wonderful gifts. But now, she had no time at all to look at those dazzling golds and jewels; she felt only deep sorrow. Even she, who was naturally optimistic and resigned to fate, was like this, let alone the sensitive Amber.

Packing her clothes and essential medicines, Amber tried hard not to glance at the shiny golds and silvers, yet they kept stinging her eyes. Living in such a wealthy family, did she really have a future?

Zhang Yue, on the other hand, personally packed some books he needed to take with him—classics like the Four Books and Five Classics, which he could recite by heart, so he didn’t need to bring them. All he carried were a few collections of the great writers from the Tang and Song dynasties. There was one thing he would never forget: the sword that Du Zhen had left him.

At this moment, he vaguely understood why Zhang Zhuo had chosen to bring him along instead of going alone—although everyone in Beijing would be unfamiliar with the place, he knew Du Zhen and Yang Rong, and he had even met the emperor and the crown prince. With the situation still far from clear, every advantage should be utilized.