Chapter 145: Grandmother’s Gift

“It’s almost all settled over there now. A few fewer trees in the garden and a few missing large items in the houses aren’t a big deal for now. So, the eldest and second daughters-in-law should take people to move out first and take another good look at the house you’ve chosen, filling in whatever is missing. Your eldest daughter-in-law is pregnant now, so as an old woman like me, I must stay to take care of her. It’s enough if only the third daughter-in-law stays. Do your best with Chao’s marriage—after all, it’s the Duke’s household; we don’t want to be laughed at.”
Though the Duke of Yingguo’s household was fine, living in someone else’s home meant being guests. Therefore, the Fengs and Dong families had no objection to moving out as soon as possible. Only the Gu and Sun families showed surprise when Sun was left behind. One came from an official family, the other from a wealthy family, and they both looked down on Sun, who came from a humble background. Now, seeing this once-unremarkable sister-in-law suddenly gain respect in front of the old lady—though not to the point of overshadowing them—still made them unhappy.
Seeing the Fengs and Dongs forcing smiles while Sun showed a hint of joy, the Gu family knew exactly what they were thinking. She didn’t want to get involved in their petty scheming and lacked the patience to deal with it. So when they stood to leave, she merely nodded slightly, not keeping any of them. Thinking of her own eldest son, who was in Jiaozhi—a place plagued by rebellion and unrest—with few letters able to reach her throughout the year, she couldn’t help but sigh deeply.
After a trip to Nanjing, Zhang Jiu now appeared more mature. Though he had been praised as a prodigy since childhood, he hadn’t been as lucky in the imperial examinations as Zhang Yue, failing the preliminary exams earlier. Although Zhang Jiu didn’t show signs of discouragement, she couldn’t help but worry. She also thought that if her eldest son were still in the court, Zhang Jiu could have been appointed an official through his influence, sparing her such worries.
“Grandmother, a maid just reported that the wives of the Prince of Zhao and the Prince of Anyang sent two ladies to visit the Duchess of Yingguo. The third young master also went there to offer congratulations, and they happened to meet there. They seemed to talk for quite a while. Both ladies were very polite to the third young master, who responded appropriately. After that, the Duchess of Yingguo kept the young master for another while. They should be on their way here now.”

Lady Gu nodded slightly, took the tea brought by Lingxi, took a sip, and then smiled. “Such a young person has no real face to speak of; it’s all because of the Duke of Britain’s reputation. Fortunately, he’s sensible. The Duke of Britain didn’t misjudge him, nor did I. Arrogant people never end well. If you want to establish yourself firmly in the court in the future, you must learn from the Duke of Britain—never letting anyone find a flaw in you. By the way, the Duchess of Britain sent over a box of fans yesterday. Go and get them. Also, use this key to open my lacquered jewelry box and bring out the silk pouch inside.”

Unexpectingly, while Lady Gu was discussing serious matters, she suddenly thought of fans. Thankfully, she kept Lady Gu’s belongings neatly organized, so it wasn’t difficult to find them. After searching through a few small drawers in the inner room, she soon found the fans. As for the lacquered jewelry box, she didn’t know what was inside. Using the key to open it, she saw the silk pouch that hadn’t been used in ages. Holding it in her hands, she was puzzled but didn’t dare open it to check.

When she lifted the curtain and entered the main room, she realized Zhang Yue had already arrived. All the other maids had been sent away, leaving only a young maid who hadn’t yet had her hair styled, beating her legs.

“In ten days, it will be the imperial examination. Although they’re all scholars, the first, second, and third ranks differ significantly. Being in the first rank is extremely prominent; if a young person like you makes it there, others won’t accept it. But ending up in the third rank isn’t very satisfying either. Focus hard and aim to make it to the second rank!”

Who could predict the outcome of such exams? Zhang Yue smiled bitterly inwardly, but since his grandmother had given such instructions, he had no choice but to agree. Then he listened as his grandmother talked about the appointment of officials after the imperial examination. Recalling what the Duke of Britain, Zhang Fu, and Yang Shiqi had said, he pondered for a moment before sharing what he could with Lady Gu.

Lady Gu nodded frequently, deeply moved. Who would have thought that the frail little boy back then had grown into such a person in just a few years?

“You have teachers who care about you and elders who guide you—your fortune is truly great. Since Scholar Yang also says so, and with your uncle in the capital, it’s good for you to gain some experience outside. As a woman, I don’t understand much about court affairs, so I can’t help much with your future, let alone teach you. There’s only so much I can do to assist you.”

At this point, Lady Gu took the silk pouch from Lingxi, gently pulled back the cord, took out a document from it, and handed it to Zhang Yue. She said, “Your eldest uncle should have told you that most of our Zhang family’s assets are actually located in Beijing and are all kept by me. Since your eldest brother is getting married, his salary and monthly allowance alone won’t be enough in the future. So I’ve already prepared a large estate for him. Although you’re not married yet, since you plan to enter officialdom, it’s necessary to have some assets prepared as well.”

Zhang Yue looked down carefully and saw that it was indeed a land deed. However, compared to the 200 acres of land that Zhang Fu had given him before, the amount listed here was much larger—500 acres of fertile land near Tongzhou. Back then, the price of land in Beijing was three taels of silver per acre; sometimes it even sold for one or two taels during sales. Now it was twelve taels per acre, and the price was still rising. Just these 5,000 acres were worth an astonishing amount.

“All these are properties. I’m just giving them to you so that you can collect rent, which will help cover your expenses as an official. The rest of the money can be taken from the public funds after you pass the imperial examinations and become an official,” said Lady Gu. She then stopped smiling, her tone becoming stricter. “Our Great Ming has always been very strict in dealing with those who are corrupt. Your eldest uncle suffered heavy losses because he was deceived by his subordinates. It’s good for you to stay honest, but you must also make sure to keep a tight rein on those around you. In short, our family isn’t at the point where we need to resort to stealing money to make ends meet. Remember that well!”

Holding the land deed in his hand, Zhang Yue stood up and replied solemnly. While other grandmothers doted on their grandchildren, Lady Gu was at most a bit preferential, never showing excessive indulgence. So naturally, he took her words to heart. After sitting and chatting for a while longer, seeing that Lady Gu looked tired, he quickly hid the land deed close to his body. Just as he was about to take his leave, another thought came to him.

Had his eldest uncle and second uncle also received such assets when they started their official careers?

Lady Gu suddenly noticed the fan box in Lingxi’s hands and remembered another matter. She smiled and said, “By the way, this is a fan that your eldest aunt sent over some time ago. Your eldest sister already has one. I had someone send one to your second sister. Your third sister is too young to use it. As for the rest, I don’t need them. Your eldest aunt, second aunt, and your mother can’t use this either. You might as well keep it and give it to someone else.”

These words were said in a strange way. When Zhang Yue took the fan box from Lingxi, he was momentarily stunned. It wasn’t the right time to open it, so he quickly thanked her and got up to leave. Once outside the Gu family’s courtyard, he weighed the fan box in his hands, feeling increasingly puzzled—keeping it to give to someone… whom could he give it to? In that instant, Meng Min’s smiling face appeared before his eyes, causing him to freeze in place.

Back in his own family’s courtyard, he immediately saw Hupo Qiuhen return. At the entrance of the east wing room, Hupo was holding the ladder while Qiuhen stood on top, tying red tassels to the crossbeam above the door. Seeing Qiuhen swaying from afar, he hurried over. Sure enough, after finally hanging them up, Qiuhen lost her footing just a few rungs from the top and fell straight into his arms. Seeing her face flushed with excitement, he felt both annoyed and amused.

“What are you so busy doing?”

Qiuhen stepped back quickly, looking a bit embarrassed. “Isn’t it because Sister Xiyu from the Duchess of Britain said that hanging these red tassels would ensure success in the imperial examinations? Luckily you’re back, Master; otherwise, I would have fallen hard. Hey, what did you bring back?”

Hupo, seeing Qiuhen fall into Zhang Yue’s arms, couldn’t help but smile. She then noticed the fan box. Taking it from Zhang Yue, she opened the lid and laughed upon seeing it. “This folding fan with its gold-leafed surface and fine sandalwood frame is truly precious. Moreover, the fan surface seems to be painted by a master artist—such a fan might cost ten or twenty taels of silver. These are the favorites of noble ladies. It’s really generous of you to bring back an entire box.”

“I don’t have that much money. This was given to my grandmother by my aunt, who then gave it to me to keep and give to someone else.”

“Only the British Duke’s household could afford something like this.”

Qiuhen was amazed, but then remembered that the eldest young master was about to get married, followed by the second young master and her own master. Perhaps this was meant for the future young mistress, and her expression turned stiff. Glancing at Hupo, seeing that her expression remained calm, she felt even more embarrassed.

By then, Zhang Yue already had an idea. Not paying attention to Qiuhen’s uneasy expression, he ordered, “Tomorrow, find a reliable housekeeper to go and pick out a few fans to give to Meng family’s fourth sister, and a few more for Miss Du. The rest can be kept here. You can pick one to play with as long as no one sees it.”

Hearing that it was meant for Meng Min and Du Wan, Hu Bo nodded eagerly. But when she heard that she and Qiu Hen should also pick out two, she was stunned. While she was frozen in shock, Qiu Hen saw her chance, snatched the fan box, and said with a smile, “It was you, young master, who said this; I’ve taken note. Don’t worry, neither I nor Hu Bo will show off in front of outsiders. Hu Bo, what are you still standing here for? Hurry inside and find a box to pack the gifts—after all, the gifts for Miss Meng and Miss Du can’t just be left empty.”