Chapter 127: Family Interests, Personal Gains

It is said that the first month of the year brings the new spring. Even after the New Year’s celebration, bursts of firecracker sounds could still be heard from time to time in Beijing, the festive atmosphere of the New Year lingering. Yet in the imperial court, a different kind of oppression reigned. During this New Year, first, Le Li of Jiaozhi rebelled persistently, and then Japanese pirates harassed the coastal areas, even capturing Songmen Guard. As a result, Zhu Di, who already had a bad temper, flew into a rage at the court meeting and stormed out in anger. Many civil and military officials suffered from stomach pains after returning home.

Zhang Fu, the Duke of Yingguo, who was still recovering, no longer handled any affairs and thus avoided facing the emperor’s wrath—fortunately for him. In the past, when he was fighting abroad, it was common for him not to be able to reunite with his family on New Year’s Eve. Now that he could write again, he occasionally sent letters home to Nanjing. Currently in mourning, he kept his door closed to visitors, enjoying some peace.

“Congratulations, Duke of Yingguo! Your illness is finally almost cured!”

Shi Quan was originally a court physician who accompanied the northern inspection and had essentially become Zhang Fu’s personal doctor. After taking his pulse this time, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and showed a genuine smile. “I’ve finally fulfilled my mission and can report to the emperor. From now on, please take medicine and dietary supplements regularly to maintain your health. By the time spring arrives with blooming flowers, you’ll surely be able to ride out to enjoy the scenery!”

“I never thought Doctor Shi would make such a joke!” Zhang Fu, dressed in simple clothes, chuckled awkwardly and glanced at Zhang Yue. “At least Brother Yue can breathe easy. By the way, now that you have the title of juren, are you planning to take this year’s imperial examination?”

Zhang Yue’s lips twitched before he finally gave a bitter smile. The eight-legged essay was the key to passing the exams. It required not only skills in analyzing questions but also thorough knowledge of every sentence in the Four Books and Five Classics, with Zhu Xi’s annotated versions being essential reading. Having been busy for months, even if he still knew the Four Books and Five Classics by heart, his chances of passing the exam were uncertain. According to Du Zhen’s earlier words, he needed to write at least a hundred or eighty essays before the exam, leaving him only a 30% chance of success.

Shi Quan thought that he could return to the Imperial Medical Academy the next day to study his medical books in peace, without having to prepare to answer the emperor’s questions at any moment, and felt greatly relieved. Hearing Zhang Fu’s words, he smiled and said, “The third young master is still young. Although he’s lost some time these days, it’s not certain he won’t pass the exam. Since this year’s examination has been moved to Beijing, everyone is rushing there, exhausted from the journey by boat or horse, and it’s cold too. The third young master, on the other hand, can rest in Beijing and has a better chance than others. Even if he fails, he can study hard to build a solid foundation later; three years isn’t a big deal.”

Zhang Fu, having just recovered from a serious illness, felt as if he’d survived a disaster, and his gaze toward Zhang Yue became even softer. There’s a saying that one’s own son seems perfect no matter how one looks at him, and this feeling was even more profound for him, who had no children of his own. He immediately said to Zhang Yue, “Brother Yue, why don’t you quickly thank Dr. Shi for his concern? What he said makes sense. Now that you’re a successful candidate, don’t be impatient.”

Seeing that the once aloof doctor Shi Quan had now become so familiar, Zhang Yue couldn’t help but laugh, but he still thanked him as Zhang Fu suggested. After leaving Zhang Fu’s residence, he accompanied Shi Quan back to his room to pack up all his medical tools and records, then personally saw the skilled doctor off. When Shi Quan boarded his carriage, Zhang Yue bowed deeply to express his gratitude and bid farewell.

Returning inside and heading to the small meeting hall, he saw from afar several maids and servants standing there, all holding their breath and keeping their hands lowered, none daring to speak loudly. Only occasionally did people rush in to report matters or come out after finishing their tasks. Remembering what Lady Wang had written—that not only his father, Zhang Zhuo, would be coming but also his trusted maid Xi Yu along with a few other servants—he fell into deep thought.

The concubines in the Duke of Ying’s household didn’t need to observe mourning for Concubine Zhang, but Lady Wang might not feel comfortable having them in Beijing, so she preferred to send Xi Yu instead. He remembered that Xi Yu was both beautiful and intelligent, but she was already seventeen—technically of marriageable age. Could there be another reason for sending her? Still, it was good to have someone; he had no intention of staying there forever. Likely, Qiu Hen and Hu Bo also longed to be freed from their duties.

“Young Master Yue!”

Zhang Yue was suddenly startled by this call. He saw a young maid in dark green armor standing beside him and couldn’t recall her name for a moment. The maid bowed neatly and then reported, “The master just sent someone over, saying that since Young Master Yue has seen Dr. Shi off, if he has time, he should go back again, as the master has important things to say to him.”

“Important matters?” Zhang Yue was puzzled upon hearing this and wondered why Zhang Fu hadn’t mentioned it at all earlier. So he sent the girl away and hurried over to Zhang Fu’s place.

Zhang Fu, the Duke of Ying, had been seriously ill during the mourning period for Concubine Zhang. Though he stayed in the mourning chamber, he still ate and drank. Now that three months had passed since Concubine Zhang’s death and she had been buried, Zhang Fu had moved back to the main residence. Due to the cold in the north, Zhu Di, considering Zhang Fu’s illness while in mourning, specially bestowed a deer skin curtain to hang on the door of the main residence.

After lifting the thick deer skin curtain and entering the room, Zhang Yue saw Zhang Fu, dressed in simple mourning clothes, not lying in bed but sitting in a recliner by the window, half-asleep, covered with a large red fox fur blanket. Zhang Yue stepped forward quickly and asked, “Uncle, do you need something from me?”

“Has Doctor Shi left?” Zhang Fu asked. When Zhang Yue nodded, he pointed to a small stool beside him and told him to sit down. Then he said, “You’ve been extremely busy these days. Although you often come by, either there’s someone else around or you have other matters to attend to, so I haven’t had the chance to talk to you. You’ve been in Beijing for some time now. How do you think Beijing compares to Kaifeng?”

This topic was something Zhang Yue hadn’t anticipated. He couldn’t guess Zhang Fu’s intention right away—after all, if the question were about comparing Beijing to Nanjing, it might relate to the issue of moving the capital, but how could Beijing be compared to Kaifeng?

Henan was known as the Central Plains, and in ancient times, it was said that whoever controlled the Central Plains controlled the world. But after repeated floods in the Yellow River and subsequent chaos across the land, most households in Henan were left empty. After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, almost all those who moved there were poor people. Even a famous city like Kaifeng was in peril due to the threat of the Yellow River, being flooded time and again. If it weren’t for convenient water transportation, even the provincial capital might have changed hands.

Although Beijing was also in decline after the chaos at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, it had once been the residence of the Prince of Yan. Starting from the early Yongle era, it was gradually repaired. Now, Chen Xuan, the Marquis of Pingjiang, supervised the transport of timber to Beijing; Chen Gui, the Marquis of Taining, was in charge of building it; and Zhu Di even sent prisoners sentenced to death or lower to work in Beijing as penance. It was foreseeable that over the next few hundred years, as Beijing, the capital, gathered wealth and resources from across the country, it would become even more prosperous.

“The Zhang family originated from Xiangfu. Our branch has long since left Kaifeng and settled in Nanjing. In the future, we’re likely to settle in Beijing as well. That’s why I previously suggested to your grandmother that we move our whole family out of Kaifeng.”

Zhang Fu didn’t wait for Zhang Yue to speak before starting to talk again. Seeing Zhang Yue’s face filled with shock, he explained earnestly, “The imperial court tries to manage the Yellow River every year, yet it bursts its banks year after year. This is the will of heaven, beyond human control. The land in Henan is no longer as fertile as it used to be. In the long run, living by the Yellow River is extremely unreliable. Our Zhang family originated in Henan, so we naturally can’t forget our roots, but we must also think about future generations.”

He paused for a moment before adding, “Regardless of whether your father passes the exams this time or not, your grandmother has decided to buy a house in Beijing. Gao Quan has been traveling around these days and should have already chosen a place suitable for your entire family to live in. Your grandmother knows how to guide her descendants well—during times of crisis, the three branches of the family can work together. So my suggestion is that instead of setting up your own homes separately, it would be better if the three branches continue to live together for mutual support.”

At that moment, another thought crossed Zhang Fu’s mind—if the three brothers could be like the Zhang Xin brothers, he wouldn’t have to worry so much all the time. Though the eldest brother is like a father and the eldest sister-in-law like a mother, without real elders in the family, it’s still difficult to truly unite everyone as one.

Since arriving in Beijing, Zhang Yue had been busy with various matters and hadn’t noticed the elusive Gao Quan. Only now did he realize that Gao Quan had quietly taken care of everything. Knowing that the decision was already made and Zhang Fu’s words made perfect sense, he naturally had no reason to object. He asked, “According to Uncle, what about Nanjing in the future…?”

“The emperor moved the capital to defend against the northern frontier, so that future generations won’t forget how hard-won their position is in the luxurious lands of the south. Nanjing will still be an important city, and officials will be stationed there, but most nobles will move to Beijing.”

As he spoke, Zhang Fu showed a satisfied smile. “Back then, your grandfather followed the emperor to defend Beiping and acquired quite a lot of land and property here. When my brothers and I later went to Nanjing, many meritorious officials thought the land in the south was fertile and sold off their properties in Beijing at low prices. I bought a lot of them and also purchased some for your grandmother and your uncles. Now that Beijing is about to become the capital, a house that used to cost three thousand strings of coins is now worth at least four or five times as much. Land is even more scarce. Even if I end up as a countryman, I won’t have to worry about making a living.”

He had originally sighed to himself that he was too young back then and missed this great opportunity to make money. Hearing Zhang Fu say this, Zhang Yue was actually stunned. He had always thought Zhang Fu was calm, wise, and low-key, but now he realized that Zhang Fu’s greatest virtue was his sharpness—otherwise, how could he have made such bold moves to acquire properties when everyone else was selling theirs? Unable to hold back any longer, he tentatively asked, “Uncle, what kind of properties did you acquire for grandmother?”
“Over a dozen large and small farms around Tongzhou, totaling at least several hundred hectares of fertile land. One mansion belonging to the former Marquis of Jing’an in Beijing, along with five or six other houses, plus more than a dozen shops. Even if your grandmother doesn’t send Gao Quan to buy more properties this time, it’s already enough.”
Zhang Fu spoke casually, but Zhang Yue was speechless. He had vaguely heard his father mention the Zhang family’s properties around Kaifeng, but he didn’t know that his grandmother had quietly accumulated such a large fortune in Beijing. Even without the move of the capital, even if it were to compensate for the gold lost due to his uncle Zhang Xin’s affairs, the Zhang family was far from being on the verge of decline.
“There’s one more thing I haven’t told you before,” Zhang Fu said, as if determined to shock him. Leaning back leisurely, he continued, “The two thousand taels of gold spent to atone for your uncle’s sins—I managed to get back most of it from those officials. That’s the money Gao Quan used to buy properties in Beijing. The reason I didn’t stop your fourth brother from selling his property back then was also to keep others from targeting your uncle.”
“Also, I wasn’t around for your fifteenth birthday, so I couldn’t prepare anything. Rong Shan previously bought a small farm near Tongzhou, about two hundred mu of land, along with a three-story house on South Street, which I gave to you as a gift.”