Chapter 193: The Thoughts of the Future Father-in-Law

Just as the county yamen housed the county magistrate and all his subordinates, the Shandong military command also had everyone from the commander-in-chief to the deputy commanders and assistant commanders residing in its yamen in Qingzhou Prefecture. Commander Liu Zhong lived in the back courtyard at the end, with two deputy commanders and two assistant commanders living on each side.

For Meng Xian, who was used to the large, separate houses in Beijing, life here in Shandong was particularly uncomfortable. Fortunately, the courtyard assigned to him by Liu Zhong was fairly large, but even so, the maids and servants had to crowd together. What troubled him the most was that his wife, who was already weak and sickly by nature, became even sicker upon arriving here, becoming extremely emaciated. To make matters worse, the assassination of the Han King had left him constantly away from home, leaving his eldest daughter Meng Min in charge.

That noon, after inspecting the barracks, he was on his way back to the military yamen with a few attendants when he suddenly encountered a group of people. He recognized the leader, but the twenty guards following him exuded an unusual ferocity, which made him suspicious. With his sharp eyes honed by over a decade in Beijing, he could tell at a glance that they were guards from the imperial army. Though puzzled, he, being a man full of schemes, stopped his horse with a friendly smile.

“Uncle Meng.”

“Has Brother Yue not returned to Anqiu County yet?” As both of them were officials, they should have addressed each other by their official titles, but Meng Xian still wanted to maintain a close relationship, so he continued to use their old names. “I heard you went to visit the Han King with Eunuch Zhang the day before yesterday. How is the Han King now?”

“The Han King has a strong constitution. At first glance, I can’t see anything serious, but we still need to wait for the imperial physicians’ diagnosis.” Being cautious, Zhang Yue didn’t dare tell Meng Xian the truth and quickly changed the subject. “I heard your aunt is quite ill now. How is she?”

Meng Xian was taken aback by Zhang Yue’s question. Though he and his wife, Lady Wu, had been married for many years and had a deep bond, he sighed and said, “I’ve brought in all the famous doctors in Qingzhou Prefecture, but they just gave me some old clichés—something about bad weather, acclimatization issues, or a weak constitution… In short, no honest answers! Your aunt is also tired of it now. She just takes some pills prescribed by the imperial medical court, hoping to stretch things out a little longer.”

“If Uncle truly cannot help, Dr. Shi from the Imperial Medical Academy is currently in Qingzhou and is set to depart for Le’an this afternoon. He has a remarkable skill for healing; he once saved my eldest uncle. I remember my fourth sister was very worried about my aunt’s illness, so I thought I’d bring this to your attention—perhaps she should try seeing him too. But after all, he is an imperial physician, so Uncle Meng, please don’t make a fuss about it.”

Deeply moved, Meng Xian nodded without hesitation. “Since there’s such a good opportunity, I’ll take people there right away… Wait, how do you know Min’er was worried about her mother’s illness? I remember you two hadn’t seen each other since you parted last time!”

As soon as these words left his mouth, Meng Xian saw Zhang Yue look somewhat embarrassed. This piqued his curiosity, leading to some strange thoughts. He quickly changed the subject with a smile, asked for the address, promised to take his wife there right away, and thanked Zhang Yue for his kind reminder. Only after seeing the other person get into the carriage and leave did he reveal a smug smile.

Children and grandchildren have their own fortunes. It turned out his daughter and Zhang Yue had actually met in secret!

Yet just as Meng Xian had barely settled into his thoughts, he suddenly heard the sound of hurried horse hooves coming from the end of the street. The messenger arrived at full speed, dismounting right in front of him and kneeling to present a letter. Having not encountered such a scene in a long time, Meng Xian was stunned. When he saw the mark on the letter, he was even more shocked.

After a long while, he lightly took the letter in his hand, stared at the messenger for a while, then ordered in a deep voice, “Follow me inside!”

The moment he turned to walk inside, Meng Xian, who had been troubled these past days, suddenly looked radiant. At that instant, his wife’s illness and his daughter’s marriage matters were forgotten. He knew he didn’t have to give up so soon!

It wasn’t just Qingzhou Prefecture that was in turmoil; everyone in the Jinan Provincial Administration was also on edge. When Left Provincial Administrator Zhang Hai received the imperial order reducing his rank, his face turned as black as coal. He had originally been a vice censor and, upon returning to the capital from his tenure in Shandong, was expected to easily become an official in one of the six ministries. Who would have thought that since taking office, Shandong had suffered from continuous droughts and floods? A few days ago, there were reports of White Lotus Sect activities, and now suddenly there was an assassination attempt on the Han King?

He had also disliked Du Zhen before, but now, seeing his calm and unshaken expression as if it were not a stern reprimand but just ordinary official correspondence, he felt a bit impressed. Thus, in front of a group of bewildered subordinates of the provincial administration, he ignored the fact that the position had traditionally been held by the left governor and simply followed whatever Du Zhen said.

The subordinates, who had previously dismissed Du Zhen as a superior who had been promoted beyond his rank, could not help but feel the same as Zhang Hai as they watched him organize everything in an orderly manner. Even Zuo Xuan, who had once tried to create trouble for Du Zhen, had no desire to do so anymore. After all, Du Zhen could still claim he had just taken office and was not yet fully in charge, but he was responsible for governing the people, and Qingzhou Prefecture fell under his jurisdiction. If he was demoted three ranks this time, what would happen next?

After handling the official affairs in the front office and returning to rest in the back area at noon, Du Zhen received an urgent letter from Zhang Yue. Since Zhang Yue took office as the magistrate of Anqiu, they had exchanged fewer private letters to avoid suspicion, and most of those were about official matters rather than personal relationships. But this time, holding the thick stack of letters, he was momentarily distracted. After reading them all, he thoughtfully threw them into the charcoal brazier. Looking up, he asked Mingdi in front of him, “Where is the messenger?”

“Reporting to my lord, he is resting in the side room in the front hall, waiting for a reply.”

Du Zhen knew what to do. He instructed Mingdi to send food over and then left the study.

The sky was still overcast, but not cold, as if another heavy snowstorm was brewing. The trees in the courtyard had long lost their leaves, and their branches trembled in the cold wind, though a few withered yellow grasses could still be seen struggling in the cracks of the stone paths. Although he was used to the weather in the north, he tightened his crane-fur cloak. When he entered Qiu’s courtyard, he saw no one serving in the corridor, but heard women’s laughter inside the house.

Qiu was sitting on the central kang, with Du Wan standing beside her. On the small stools below sat two middle-aged maids, both of whom had come with her when she got married. Having shared many hardships over the years and coming to Shandong together, she treated them differently. Several young girls stood on either side, not daring to interject but listening attentively to the laughter above.

Seeing Du Zhen lift the curtain and enter, Lady Qiu was quite surprised. These days, Du Zhen had always eaten lunch in the front office, and even for dinner, it was rare for the whole family to sit together. So why had he said he would return right away? She quickly got up to greet him. Noticing Du Zhen frown slightly, she hurriedly explained, “I thought it was cold outside, so I ordered them not to wait in the corridor or in front of the house, so as to prevent them from catching a cold. I didn’t expect Master to return. It’s already two o’clock in the afternoon. If you’re here, shall I send someone to bring food?”
Seeing the two attendants about to leave, Du Zhen waved his hand to signal them to stay and said, “I’m here to see Wan’er. You go on with your conversation. It’s still early for meals; it’s not a problem to wait a little longer. Wan’er, come with me to the side room.”
This sudden turn of events left Lady Qiu utterly confused. Seeing her daughter nod and follow Du Zhen out through the curtain, she wanted to order the two maids to follow and serve them, but after pondering for a moment, she gave up on the idea. She only paid passing attention to the affairs outside, never taking them to heart. But Du Zhen usually didn’t interfere in household matters—why did he need to talk to Du Wan personally about something?
Compared to the main house, which had a heated kang and a charcoal brazier, the side room was cold and quiet. Yet neither the father nor the daughter seemed to mind. As soon as Du Zhen sat down, he got straight to the point: “A letter was sent this morning from Yuan Jie, saying that Eunuch Zhang has been tasked with investigating the assassination of King Han. Although he didn’t explicitly state it was the emperor’s order in the letter, it’s likely to be the case. He’s steady for his age, and he has reliable people around him. The military will also support him out of respect for the Duke of Ying. My only concern is that he might not see certain things clearly.”
Du Wan hadn’t expected her father to bring her here just to discuss this, but hearing it now, she grew anxious and quickly asked, “What does Father worry he might not see clearly?”
“He’s my student. If I can’t see certain things clearly, so surely can he.” Du Zhen didn’t give a direct answer. Instead, he said seriously, “He sent a letter, and I originally wanted to send one back. But as a provincial governor, I’m different from him—everything I do is under close observation. Sending a letter now might also be watched. Lady Wu of the Meng family is said to be ill. Since you and your mother traveled together with her, go and check on her. Then find a way to meet Yuan Jie and convey these words to him…”

Hearing Du Zhen’s unequivocal orders, Du Wan didn’t even have time to hesitate and had to carefully memorize every important word. After her father finished speaking, she couldn’t help but clench her handkerchief, her face gradually turning pale. Although she had previously followed her father’s instructions and had Xiao Wu pass messages to Zhang Yue through others, this time was different—any mistake could be even more serious than the incident with Liang Qian.
“Have you remembered it all?”
“Yes, daughter has remembered it all.”
Du Zhen nodded in satisfaction, then stood up, his gaze fixed on his only daughter. “Wan, I understand your mother’s concerns. The reason I haven’t spoken up is that I’ve watched Yuan Jie grow up to this point. He has a good character and talents, and he’s worthy of you. Though it’s a matter of parental arrangement and matchmaking, it’s your lifetime decision. If you’re unwilling, your mother and I will surely intercede. But this time, it’s not about personal feelings—it’s for official business. I can only focus on Jinan; I leave Qingzhou Prefecture in your hands along with Yuan Jie!”