Chapter 151: A Warning

As Lady Wang was pregnant, and although Mrs. Gu helped with household affairs, she still feared that her concubines might cause trouble. So a few days ago, after some consideration, she allowed her trusted maid, Xi Yu, to become Zhang Fu’s concubine. From then on, she was called Aunt Zhong. Xi Yu was young and beautiful, as well as skilled at flattery. Over the past few days, Zhang Fu had stayed with her rather than visiting the other concubines.

Early that morning, just as Zhang Fu got up and Xi Yu was dressing him, they suddenly heard the news that Zhang Yue had fallen ill.

“How could he fall ill out of nowhere?”

Thinking that the imperial examination was the next day, Zhang Fu found it strange. Though he knew Zhang Yue had been weak and sickly as a child, he had heard later that his health had improved day by day. Otherwise, after traveling from Kaifeng to Nanjing and then to Beijing over the past year, he wouldn’t have gone without even a minor illness. He had also heard from the imperial physician Shi Quan that Zhang Yue had been extremely ill for several days, during which time Zhang Yue stayed by his side without leaving, and he still managed to recover. So how could he suddenly fall ill now?

“The weather these past few days has been extremely unpredictable—hot one moment and cold the next. Brother Yue has been busy lately and might have caught a cold without realizing it.” Xi Yu tied a jade belt bestowed by the emperor around Zhang Fu and personally adjusted the hem of his robe before standing up. “It’s a pity that the examination will be delayed because of this.”

“What worries me is his illness; the examination isn’t something to regret.”

Zhang Fu frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, then casually ordered, “You’ve served Lady Wang for many years. Although the old lady is in charge now, she’s quite old. You should take on more responsibilities. Both Lady Wang and I trust you. Since Brother Yue is ill, hurry and invite a doctor. Also, go see him on our behalf.”

Xi Yu quickly agreed, feeling delighted. As she escorted Zhang Fu to the door, she suddenly remembered something and asked, “Sir, the Fang brothers stayed here originally to prepare for the exams. Now that the exams are over, they still have no plans to return to Shaanxi. Although we can afford their food and expenses, it’s not sustainable in the long run. What do you think…”

Zhang Fu, who was bending to step over the threshold, immediately pulled back his foot and asked thoughtfully, “After all, they are Lady Wang’s relatives. Have you discussed this with her?”

“For such an important matter, I have naturally consulted my wife. She said that in her youth she did have some acquaintance with their mother, but the familial relationship is indeed very distant. They were here to take the imperial examinations, so staying for a few months wasn’t a problem, but if they were to stay any longer, there must be a proper reason even if it’s to help relatives. Moreover, that eldest Fang has been traveling around all the time before the examinations, never truly focusing on his studies, and now he has left his younger brother at home. If nothing is clarified, my wife is also worried.”

“Then we’ll follow my wife’s advice.” Zhang Fu and Fang Rui had only met once before, and he had offered help only because he saw that Fang was a candidate taking the examinations. Now that even Lady Wang, the proper elder, agreed, he had no desire to get involved further. “You and the old lady can discuss together how to handle this. If they have no place to return to, it might be okay to give them some money.”

With these words, Xi Yu felt relieved and personally saw Zhang Fu out of the courtyard. After returning to her room to tidy herself up, she didn’t even bother having breakfast before rushing to Lady Wang’s residence to pay respects and relay Zhang Fu’s words. As expected, Lady Wang wasn’t interested in this distant relative; after listening briefly, she left everything to her to handle, emphasizing the need to visit the sick Zhang Yue.

Poor Zhang Yue had already begun to blame his father for coming up with such a bad idea. Although his family knew the truth, some matters were better kept private, so they even hid it from his grandmother, Lady Gu. Fortunately, the doctor called in wasn’t as skilled as the imperial physician Shi Quan. After taking his pulse, he mentioned something about internal coldness and simply prescribed a mild remedy.

Throughout the entire morning, not only did Xi Yu visit Zhang Yue on behalf of Zhang Fu and Lady Wang, but Lady Gu even sent Ling Xi to bring him there. From Qiu Hen Hu Bo to the group of maids in the room, even Zhang Zhuo and Lady Sun were reprimanded. When Rong Shan went to the Hanlin Academy to request leave for Zhang Yue’s treatment, this news shocked others even more. Wan Shi Jie and Xia Ji came in person in the evening, and Yang Rong and Shen Du also sent people to ask about the situation. Zhang Zhuo, the one who started it all, had no energy even to force a bitter smile as he dealt with these concerned people.

On this day, Zhang Yue could no longer bear lying in bed pretending to be sick, so he sent the two clever maids in the room to keep watch outside, while he casually picked up the map of Shandong that he had had someone fetch a few days earlier. In his memory, Shandong had always seemed to be a place full of troubles—the famous novel “Water Margin” was based on the uprising at Liangshanpo in Shandong during the Song Dynasty. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, uprisings led by the White Lotus Sect also occurred frequently in Shandong, with one of them being particularly imminent. So, Shandong indeed was not a safe place!
The administrative office of Shandong was located in Jinan Prefecture, while the military command was in Qingzhou Prefecture. He found the locations of these two places on the map and then examined each prefecture and county one by one, gradually forming a rough outline in his mind. Just as he was focusing on several prefectures near Qingzhou, trying hard to recall some vague memories, the door curtain was lifted suddenly, and a maid who was keeping watch rushed in in a hurry.
“Young master, something bad has happened! The young lady has come to visit you!”
At the mention of “young lady,” Hu Bo immediately stepped forward, snatched the map from the desk, and put it back on the bookshelf. Qiu Hen pulled Zhang Yue along and ran outside. As soon as she pushed Zhang Yue into the bedroom, she saw a corner of the door curtain lift, so she quickly put on a smiling face and went to greet her.
“Young lady!”
“How could the third brother fall ill all of a sudden? And why is that maid running so fast? What’s she doing—keeping watch?”
As soon as Zhang Qing entered, she asked angrily. Seeing that Hu Bo had come out of the study, she grew even more suspicious and went straight into the study. Seeing the pen still dipped in ink on the desk and the inkstone filled with ink, she sat down in the chair and frowned.
“The desk isn’t cleaned yet, and the chair is still warm. Did someone write here just now?”
“Young lady, I was just practicing writing for fun!” Qiu Hen quickly tried to cover up, “The young master always says Hu Bo can read and write, but my handwriting is always crooked. So, since I had time today, I…”
“Your young master is sick, and you still have the heart to write? If you say you wrote something, the paper shouldn’t be thrown away so quickly. Show it to me.”

Zhang Qing cut Qiu Hen off mid-sentence. Seeing Qiu Hen’s embarrassed expression and Amber’s silence, she immediately understood what this so-called illness was all about. Filled with both anger and amusement, she pointed at the two of them and scolded, “If it were just an ordinary monthly exam at home or school, or even an imperial examination, pretending to be sick to avoid it wouldn’t matter. But this is a selection by the academy! And you just let my third brother act recklessly!”
“Qing’er, don’t blame them. It’s not Yue’er’s fault either if it’s recklessness.”
Madam Sun, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, heard these words outside the door and could only say that helplessly before lifting the curtain and entering. Seeing Zhang Qing bowing, she quickly helped her up and sighed, “It’s okay today. Yesterday, even the old lady was alarmed. Your third uncle, I, and all the maids were scolded because of his bad idea. Yue’er didn’t dare get out of bed all day yesterday; she must have been bored out of her mind, which is why I sent someone to keep an eye on things outside.”
Realizing that this act of feigning illness was actually her third uncle Zhang Zhuo’s idea, Zhang Qing quickly asked what had happened. As a woman of modest status, Madam Sun didn’t understand such things. After giving a few half-baked explanations that seemed nonsensical, she looked at Qiu Hen and Amber. Qiu Hen also couldn’t explain clearly and gently pulled at Amber’s sleeve. So, Amber stepped forward, took Zhang Qing aside, and explained things in a low voice.
After all, she was the future Lady Baoding. Hearing these few words, Zhang Qing immediately understood and laughed so hard she almost fell. “I thought my third uncle was always honest and steady. Who would have thought he’d come up with such a crazy idea! Third aunt, I don’t care about your family’s affairs. I didn’t sleep well last night and rushed here early in the morning. All I want is compensation!”
Zhang Yue had heard everything clearly from the next room. He quickly grabbed some clothes outside and came in wearing them, smiling as he apologized to Zhang Qing, only to be teased again. Seeing the harmonious relationship between the siblings, Madam Sun was pleased and sent the nurse to bring the little girl over. The baby babbled, filling the room with laughter. Looking at her cute little niece, Zhang Qing suddenly thought of her own plump and chubby son.
“This third sister is only a few months younger than my son, but she’s already the older one in this generation. She’ll be my niece soon.” She gently pressed on the delicate cheeks of the little girl, who giggled nonstop, making her even more fond of her. “Has this third sister already been given a proper name? It’s fine to call her Yaya for now, but we can’t wait until she’s six or seven like my second sister before giving her a real name, can we?”

“The old lady said that it should be arranged when she turns two years old, as she’s still too young for now.” It was only after Zhang Qing mentioned this that Lady Sun remembered about Second Miss Zhang Yi. After hesitating for a moment, she said, “The old lady is currently looking into a marriage match for Miss Yi. If you have time, don’t always focus on her brothers; help look into it as well. Her mother has always been timid, and your second aunt is a shrewd and powerful woman. If they pick a family with good financial prospects but poor character, Miss Yi will suffer for the rest of her life.”
“Second aunt is being so thoughtful about helping my younger sister. If Aunt Luo finds out, she will surely be grateful. I’ll make sure to pay close attention if I can.” Zhang Qing paused briefly before turning to look at Zhang Yue beside her, her expression growing uneasy. “Actually, there’s another reason I came today. My handsome uncle was dismissed from his position as commander of the guards in Changshan yesterday and is now idle at home. My father sent people to investigate, but it wasn’t an order from Prince Zhao—it was an imperial decree. We don’t know what’s going on.”