Chapter 117: A Warning Shot

Tongzhou was a vital route for transporting grain to Beijing, with countless cargo ships docking there daily. As a result, the laborers unloading goods at the docks always gathered together to haggle over prices. Though the work was hard, it was enough to make ends meet. Even high-ranking officials traveling by official ships were common there, and the laborers simply had to bow more times and work harder. As long as one handled things carefully and avoided those extremely rude and unreasonable individuals, they wouldn’t suffer much.

Yet on this day, when several burly laborers saw a large ship dock and rushed over to bid for work, they were met with whips. At first, everyone was indignant, but one of them who could read recognized the characters on the brocade flag. When the others saw a group of soldiers in blue cotton armor drive the laborers away and then disembark in a fierce manner, they scattered immediately.

Officials in this world were hard to provoke, but the most difficult to deal with were surely the aggressive men from the Jinyiwei!

Soon, a squad of Jinyiwei riders arrived at the docks, blocking all exits and entrances. They paid no attention to whether people were unloading goods or busy with other tasks. Anyone who refused to make way was whipped, and soon a wide path was cleared through the crowded dock.

The laborers pushed to the edges by the blades of swords and horsewhips were dissatisfied, but upon seeing the two men escorted off the ship by a large group of Jinyiwei and then the highly decorated official in his splendid robes, most of them fell silent. A few bolder ones peeked around, still whispering among themselves.

“It’s the Jinyiwei handling a case again. That official must be at least a thousand-household commander.”
“What’s with that look? It seems like he’s probably a… uh, deputy commander.”
“When the emperor gets angry, even the highest officials can lose their heads. Wasn’t that Judge Xie the same?”

Although Yuan Fang, the commander of the Jinyiwei, was personally leading the operation this time, he didn’t need to handle the trivial task of disembarking. By now, the two criminals had been taken off the ship and placed in sturdy prison carts, while he himself gazed thoughtfully at another ship slowly approaching the shore. As they neared Tongzhou, the other ship slowed down, allowing his ship to take the lead.

Last time in Nanjing, Zhang Yue still had the support of the Duke of Yingguo and his teacher Du Zhen, and his two brothers could be of some use. But back in Beijing, with Zhang Fu and his son dragging him down, what would that kid do?

By the time they arrived in Tianjin, someone had already disembarked and ridden a fast horse to Beijing to send word. Thus, Rong Shan, Zhang Fu’s personal steward, was waiting there early on, but he never expected to encounter the Jinyiwei escorting prisoners to the capital. Seeing Zhang Yue and the others’ boat dock, and the Jinyiwei escort already set off, the dock returned to its usual noisy state. He shook his head helplessly, then, noticing people disembarking, quickly led his attendants over.

He hurried to Zhang Fu’s side, about to bow, when suddenly he was slapped hard in the face, staggering almost to the ground. Managing to stand steady, he heard an angry shout: “Rong Shan, what kind of servant are you! My elder brother has always been in good health—how could he suddenly fall ill? How have you servants taken care of him?”

Although Rong Shan had prepared an explanation in advance, he never expected the second master to act so abruptly. Holding his burning right cheek, though resentful, he cautiously explained in a low voice, “Second master, my lord’s illness came suddenly. Last night, we thought it was just a cold. The emperor sent imperial physicians, and after taking one dose of medicine, we thought he would recover by the next day. But instead, his condition worsened. Now the emperor has ordered the best physicians from the Imperial Medical Academy to treat him; I believe things will improve eventually.”

At that moment, Zhang Bin, who had arrived nearby, suddenly interjected, “What imperial physicians? In my opinion, they’re quacks!”

“Shut up!” Zhang Fu frowned and turned his head to scold him sharply before glancing at Rong Shan. “My sister-in-law can’t make it here right now, so I brought Bin… and Brother Yue along. We can talk later. The maids and luggage can follow in the carriage. For now, take us to Beijing quickly!”

Rong Shan had only learned from the messenger that Zhang Fu and his son were coming together, and it was only now he realized there was also a Zhang Yue. Seeing Zhang Yue standing inconspicuously at the back, he felt relieved and quickly agreed. Since Zhang Fu’s group’s boat was quite large, some horses were also brought along. Though the horses had been confined in the cabin all the way, it was fine to bring them out now, especially Zhang Yue’s large black horse, which snorted excitedly at the sight of the sun.

“My elder brother really spoils you—it’s even a famous breed from the north!” Zhang Fu mounted his own horse and glanced at Zhang Yue’s mount, his tone tinged with displeasure. “That’s an imperial horse. You’re on an important mission this time—why bring it along?”

Zhang Bin rode his yellow horse, but he was somewhat envious of that big black horse. He snorted coldly, “Dad, aren’t you asking this on purpose? Since Third Brother Yue rarely gets anything good, of course he has to show it off!”
Hearing the cold words between the father and son, who kept mocking Zhang Yue, Rong Shan, feeling his own swollen cheeks, despised them even more. But after all, he was just a servant of the Zhang family, so he couldn’t openly side with them. He quickly mounted his horse, ordered his attendants to go ahead, then bowed slightly with a smile and said, “Your Majesty has just granted Lord Zhang that large mansion with a garden in Qingshui Hutong. It’s just a fifteen-minute ride from the outer city to the inner city. I’ll lead the way.”
Seeing Rong Shan lead the way on horseback, Zhang Fu called out to Zhang Bin and Zhang Yue before chasing after them on horseback. Zhang Yue and Peng Shisan naturally fell behind. The official roads from Tongzhou to Beijing were paved solid with yellow soil, raising clouds of dust with every horse’s movement. Coupled with the scorching heat, Zhang Yue was already sweating profusely by the time they entered Beijing. Everywhere in Beijing, construction was in full swing, with ragged prisoners working under the scorching sun, creating a bustling scene of development.
Thanks to the pass from the British Duke’s residence, they moved freely through both the outer and inner cities. After riding along South Street for fifteen minutes, they crossed several streets and arrived at Qingshui Hutong. Even at the entrance of the alley, Zhang Yue spotted the tall walls and large courtyard. Its scale was clearly no less impressive than the British Duke’s residence in the capital. He guessed that once the capital was moved, this place would surely become Zhang Fu’s residence.
Everyone dismounted at the corner gate and hurried inside without even having time to brush off the dust from their clothes. Although construction was underway everywhere to build new cities, this mansion was located in a quiet and serene area. As soon as they entered the inner courtyard through the hanging flower gate, they saw towering trees everywhere, which greatly reduced the summer heat. Even Zhang Fu, who was leading the way, couldn’t help but nod in approval.
“It’s indeed a peaceful and lovely place. Your Majesty truly favors my elder brother!”
However, those who rushed here to visit Zhang Fu were stopped in front of the three main rooms where he lived. It was a middle-aged imperial physician in his early forties, thin in build but with sharp, bright eyes. After glancing at everyone, he stood firm at the door and said coldly, “The British Duke is currently very weak. Since you all came all the way from the capital to Nanjing, after a tiring journey filled with sweat and dust, please clean yourselves up before entering to see the British Duke.”

Zhang Fei rushed over in a hurry, eager to see how his elder brother was doing. Now, he was blocked at the door by a mere court physician, which made him furious. “Since my elder brother is ill, it’s only natural for me, his legitimate younger brother, to go and visit him. Why do you dare stop me?”
“It’s because the emperor has appointed me to treat the Duke of Yingguo!” The middle-aged physician remained expressionless and spoke mercilessly. “The Duke’s condition has improved slightly. If you bring in the bad outside air, and something happens to him, who will be responsible? It won’t take long to bathe and change clothes. Or are you pretending to care about your elder brother while actually wanting to harm him?”
His words were extremely harsh, and Zhang Fei’s face turned blue with anger. The impulsive Zhang Bin rushed forward at once, grabbed the physician by the collar, and snarled, “If you dare stop us again, do you think I won’t beat you to death with one punch?”
But the physician stubbornly held his ground. “If you’re not afraid of being charged with assaulting a court physician and neglecting the life of a family member, then go ahead and hit me!”
With chaos reigning inside and outside the mansion, Peng Shisan and Rong Shan also entered through the second gate. Seeing the tense situation, Peng Shisan smirked coldly, while Rong Shan felt a headache coming on. Though he admired the physician’s integrity, he had just been slapped and knew that further confrontation could lead to serious trouble. He quickly stepped forward to mediate and managed to get the face-turning-blue Zhang Fei and his son to leave.
As Zhang Yue walked away with Peng Shisan in one direction before suddenly turning back, he reminded them, “Young Master Yue, he won’t let you in. You’d better go back first.”
After watching Zhang Fei and his son walk away angrily until they disappeared, Zhang Yue rolled up the sleeve of his left hand, holding a letter in it. The envelope was quite greasy, with no writing on it. Noticing Rong Shan staring at him in surprise, he smiled and said, “This was given to me by my aunt before I left. If my eldest uncle is still conscious enough to read, please deliver it to Uncle Rong. If he can only listen, please read it to him.”
After a moment of shock, Rong Shan quickly regained his composure and shook his head. “Since the lady asked Young Master Yue to bring this letter, why not…”
“My second uncle and Brother Bin are too angry right now; otherwise, they wouldn’t have given me a chance to stay here alone.” Zhang Yue shoved the letter into Rong Shan’s hands and added gently, “Although my eldest uncle is ill, I’m sure you’ll take good care of him. I trust you completely.”

Rong Shan had already started to cry. He raised his hand and wiped his tears with his sleeve before shaking his head and saying, “It’s good that Young Master Yue trusts me. But our lord has been unconscious for days, and even when he’s awake, he’s quite confused. It’s uncertain whether he’ll be able to read this letter. Besides…” He glanced at the imperial physician and said with a headache, “This sir also doesn’t allow us commoners to enter at will.”

As he spoke, the middle-aged imperial physician stepped down from the steps and came forward, extending his hand to Rong Shan as if it were natural: “Since there’s something to be shown to the Duke of Yingguo, give it to me.”

Seeing Rong Shan hesitate for a moment before handing over the letter, Zhang Yue pondered for a while before stepping forward and bowing deeply: “Since this sir is willing to stop us from entering for the sake of our great uncle, he must be skilled in healing as well. We family members are at a loss now; we entrust everything to you!”

With a doctor’s sense of compassion, the middle-aged imperial physician’s expression softened slightly upon hearing this. He nodded and said, “The Duke of Yingguo is a veteran general of the country. I will do my best.”