Chapter 160: Each Pursues Their Own Path

The Mid-Autumn Festival had passed, and the weather was gradually turning cooler. People outdoors had put on thick autumn clothing. The trees that had been lush in spring and summer were now turning yellow and withering; a single gust of autumn wind could blow away countless leaves. As the saying goes, “One gust of autumn wind brings chill; autumn winds and rains bring sorrow.” Those who felt melancholic in autumn seemed to draw a sense of desolation from such scenes.

Fang Rui wandered the streets aimlessly, feeling the piercing cold of the winds. When he first brought his younger brother Fang Jing to the capital, he had repeatedly instructed him not to reveal the true situation of their family. He also spent his last money to hire two servants.

Fortunately, Zhang Yue, who had received him initially, was kind-hearted. Seeing that he was indeed a relative and a candidate taking the imperial examinations, he allowed him to stay. The Duke and Duchess of Ying also didn’t say much. But in the end, he failed the examinations, and chaos arose back in his hometown. His future was ruined. All his pleas only managed to secure a place for his brother to live, but living under someone else’s roof was hardly comfortable.

In this vast world, where could he find a place to settle?

In a daze, Fang Rui wandered around aimlessly before spotting a dilapidated earth god temple at the corner of the street. As if driven by some force, he walked inside. The temple, having long lacked worshippers, was already half in ruins. Even the clay statue of the earth god was badly damaged. The broken altar was devoid of offerings or incense, and the roof was so damaged that the sky could be seen through it—there wasn’t even a crow to dwell there. Thinking about how he had lost all his status and how survival would be difficult from now on, while restoring his family’s fortunes seemed like a dream, he couldn’t help but feel sorrow. He cried out to the sky, his eyes filling with tears.

“I refuse to give up… I refuse to give up!”

Fang Rui certainly had reasons to be unwilling to give up. He had passed the provincial examination at the age of 14 and the imperial examination at 19, and was considered a prodigy in his hometown. If it weren’t for years of famine in Shaanxi, the decline of his family, the death of his parents, and his entanglement with the wrong people, how could he have ended up like this? If he had revealed the truth at the Duke of Ying’s residence, would his powerful uncle, Zhang Fu, have helped him? But back then, he didn’t dare take that risk. He could only rely on his luck in the examinations and hope to meet a kind patron while wandering around, only to fail utterly.

Looking at that tattered statue of the Earth God, he felt even more indignant. His self-pity diminished, replaced by a sense of cynicism. Those powerful and wealthy relatives, those illustrious families, simply couldn’t accommodate someone as insignificant as him. If that was the case, then he would definitely do something to show that arrogant queen mother he wasn’t a worthless coward!

Just then, he suddenly heard movement behind him. Turning around, he saw a ragged beggar staggering in. The beggar had messy hair like straw, only one shoe on his foot, and walked with a limp. Upon entering, he sat down in a corner without saying a word, staring at a dark bun in his bowl as if it were a treasure.

Fang Rui glanced at him briefly and saw the beggar clutching the bowl tightly, as if afraid he might take his food. He couldn’t help but laugh silently, but after laughing, a hint of hatred arose in him. If he continued to decline like this, wouldn’t he end up like this beggar? Taking a deep breath, he glanced back at the statue of the Earth God, which seemed ready to crumble at any moment, then left without looking back.

There were countless nobles in the capital. As long as he had the courage, surely there would be a place for him.

Although Zhang Yue was set to set off in three days, he was surprised to receive news from Peng Shisan and decided to visit the Duke of Ying’s residence after some thought. When he dismounted hastily at the west gate of the Duke’s residence in Qingshui Hutong, he unexpectedly encountered Zhang Jue. Though he had no particular fondness for this third uncle, he was still his superior, and proper etiquette demanded he greet him.

As soon as Zhang Jue saw Zhang Yue, his face lit up with a smile, as if nothing had happened before, with no trace of resentment. He swiftly dismounted by tossing the reins aside and examined Zhang Yue from head to toe.

“Have you come to say goodbye? Being an official at such a young age is unusual everywhere. You’ll need to be careful in Shandong—don’t let the common people look down on you as a young county magistrate! Your eldest uncle is at court and likely won’t be here. Come on, let’s go in together and visit your aunt.”

Faced with such enthusiasm, Zhang Yue was puzzled but had no choice but to keep his doubts to himself. As he followed Zhang Jue inside, he heard him talk nonstop about Nanjing. When mentioning Zhang Fu and Zhang Bin, who had been sent back in shame, Zhang Jue even showed a disappointed expression but praised him highly.

Knowing that showing excessive kindness when there’s no reason is either deceitful or thievery, Zhang Yue wished to stay as far away from this third uncle as possible. After paying his respects to Lady Wang’s room, he saw Zhang Jie sitting first on the left side, so he took the seat first on the right, determined to remain silent and wait until Zhang Jie left before speaking if necessary. As expected, Zhang Jie first mentioned that the emperor was staying in Beijing, and that he, as a deputy commander of the Jinyiwei, had also moved to Beijing. He then poured out a lot of polite words to Lady Wang, mostly expressing regret over his past actions. Finally, he said he had brought a precious piece of Lao Shan ginseng to give to his sister-in-law to strengthen her health, noting that it had been left at the management office outside. When Lady Wang first married into the family, she took great care of her two younger brothers-in-law. But later, realizing that Zhang Fu and Zhang Jie were extravagant and their behavior became increasingly unacceptable, and despite her repeated attempts to admonish and control them to no avail, plus the recent incident that completely disheartened her, she became too lazy to interfere with their affairs, maintaining only a superficial relationship. After thanking Zhang Jie and chatting for a while, she showed signs of fatigue. Once Zhang Jie tactfully took his leave, she quickly ordered a maid to bring a hot towel, wiped her face herself, and then asked for one to be given to Zhang Yue. “You’ll be leaving in a few days. You can just send someone to tell me if there’s anything needed—why come in person? Have you prepared all your luggage and staff? Is anything missing? If you need more people, just say so. Your eldest uncle won’t be going to war anytime soon, so we can surely assign a few more people to you. If you’re short of money, don’t hide it. You’re young and leaving home—you need to be well-prepared. Otherwise, you’ll run into trouble when you arrive at your post, as your salary won’t be enough to cover expenses.” Seeing that Lady Wang seemed somewhat heavyset, with maids around her holding towels and washbasins, and having appointed another maid—whose name he didn’t know—aside from Biliu, Zhang Yue was still thinking of what to say when Lady Wang gave him such a long list of instructions. He quickly smiled and said everything was almost ready. “Elder Sister-in-law, today I heard from Peng Shisan that the Fang brothers…”

“Don’t mention that scoundrel!” Lady Wang had been calm at first, but upon hearing Zhang Yue’s words, she immediately became furious, her face filled with anger. “If he had simply said his parents had passed away, would I refuse to acknowledge them as relatives just because of that? If he had told me earlier that he had gotten into some unclear troubles in Shaanxi, I could have sent your great-uncle to investigate right away, which might have helped him keep his position! In the end, he couldn’t hide it any longer and came to beg pitifully—what had he been doing all that time? What’s most infuriating is that his elder brother even encouraged him to keep it a secret. Such a shy young man, almost ruined by him!”
Still angry, Lady Wang slammed the table hard and was about to continue yelling when Zhang Yue quickly stood up to comfort her. Feeling guilty for having taken matters into his own hands and allowed them to stay, he also tried to calm her down, and Bi Luo beside him also helped, gradually soothing her anger. Seeing Zhang Yue looking embarrassed, she sighed again.
“It’s not your fault. You only thought they were my relatives and were here to take the exams, so it was only natural to help them. Who would have thought they would betray your kindness? Never mind. I’ll treat that eldest brother as if he doesn’t exist. As for his brother, I’ll hire a tutor to teach him properly, as a way to fulfill the sisterly bond I once had with his mother.”
After all, Zhang Yue had no real familial relationship with Fang Rui. He had come merely to find out the truth and hadn’t intended to ask for favors. Instead, he found the shy young man quite pitiable. Since Lady Wang said she would take good care of Fang Jing, he felt somewhat relieved. He also understood that women were often irritable during pregnancy; otherwise, Fang Rui’s situation might not have turned out so badly. So, after chatting with Lady Wang for a while longer, he bid farewell and left, only to encounter Xi Yu in the courtyard.
Xi Yu, the new concubine, was currently the most influential person in the Duke of Ying’s household. She was now in charge of household affairs for Lady Wang, handling them with efficiency and gradually gaining respect. When she saw Zhang Yue, she didn’t put on a airs of authority but asked concerningly how his preparations were going. Then she smiled and said, “Today, your elder sister sent someone to visit Lady Wang, and they mentioned something. It turns out that the Marquis of Baoding personally interceded with the emperor. That Meng official who was dismissed earlier was reinstated yesterday—he’s now the Deputy Commander of Shandong.”
Everyone had sighed upon hearing that Meng Xian had been dismissed, but Zhang Yue was initially happy—at least for Meng Min’s sake. In his mind, any connection with the Prince of Zhao was extremely bad, so it would be ideal if the Meng family could use this opportunity to distance themselves. Yet who would have thought that Meng Xian would end up in Shandong!

The ranks of Commandant and Guard Commander are the same, but one is in the central government while the other is in the local area, which counts as a demotion. If Meng Xian took up his post without his family, it might have been acceptable, but if he brought them along…
Returning to the Zhang residence filled with worries, Zhang Yue still hadn’t figured things out when news came from the other end—Madam Du, Qiu, actually said she wanted to go to Shandong with him! After rushing to the Du residence, he found that not even five oxen could persuade his wife, who had made up her mind, so all he could do was sigh deeply.
What is this, some kind of Shandong gathering?
Volume 5: Testing One’s Skills
Does having family backing mean smooth sailing outside? When all those half-acquainted people gathered in the small province of Shandong, when the dark clouds of the White Lotus Sect covered the sky, and when spies began to extend their reach silently, Zhang Yue’s fledgling career was bound to be full of turmoil…