Chapter 219: Failing to Help in Distress Is Unhuman
The headquarters of the military command had few official residences, so many clerks and officers rented or bought their own homes outside. Only the commander-in-chief and his deputy resided in the back courtyard. Meng Xian was unhappy upon arriving in Shandong and had no intention of staying long in Qingzhou, so he skipped the hassle of finding a house and simply stayed at the headquarters. As a result, the deputy commander, who had been living in the back courtyard, reluctantly vacated the official residence, allowing the Meng family to occupy those twenty rooms. Even so, Meng Xian, accustomed to luxury homes in Beijing, still found the place too small. Eventually, Liu Zhong generously allocated four more rooms from his own residence, allowing the Meng family’s members to settle in.
Yet at that moment, several people stood in the Meng family’s courtyard. Leading them was a young man wearing a white silk jacket over a sky-blue flying-fish cloak, with pink-lined black boots. He had a fair complexion and scanned the surroundings while complaining incessantly.
“There are quite a few rooms here, but who knows how old they are? They’re dilapidated and unsightly! Once I move in, I’ll have them painted and decorated properly. How can such a place even be lived in? Sigh, Shandong is famously poor…”
Zhang Yue pushed his entourage through the crowd at the entrance and entered. Seeing that the Meng family’s servants had retreated to the second gate, too afraid to speak, he recognized the arrogant young man criticizing everything and his expression darkened. Taking two more steps forward, he said coldly, “If you dislike the dilapidated houses and poor conditions here, then brother Jin, you might as well stay in Beijing and enjoy comfort. Why come here to suffer?”
“Oh, it’s Third Brother Yue!”
The young man was Zhang Jin, Zhang Yue’s eldest son. Upon recognizing Zhang Yue, his expression changed slightly before he walked over smilingly. “You’re well-informed, knowing that Father is taking up his post today. Honestly, I do want to stay in Beijing, but who would have thought Lord Meng would be so foolish as to do such a stupid thing and anger the emperor? Now everyone in the court is discussing this matter in Shandong. I heard even Marquis Baoding doesn’t dare speak up for Lord Meng, and the King of Han was scolded by the emperor after just mentioning it briefly. As for Father, coming to Shandong this time is like being sent into a crisis—he’s very dissatisfied with the military command here!”
Although he had known that Zhang Jue must have come to Shandong the moment he saw Zhang Jin, hearing such words and learning about the actual situation in the court still shocked Zhang Yue. He also knew that Meng Xian was different from Zhang Xin back then—Zhang Xin had been caught in trouble due to circumstances beyond his control, but Meng Xian had deliberately plunged himself into the mess and caused this disaster. Yet with the King of Zhao and Marquis of Baoding standing by doing nothing, was Meng Xian really doomed?
Zhang Jin had always disapproved of Zhang Yue. His uncle Zhang Fu had usually treated him indifferently but viewed Zhang Yue differently. Though filled with jealousy, he still remembered what had happened to Zhang Bin. When Zhang Bin was sent back to Nanjing, large pieces of rotten flesh from his buttocks had to be cut off, and layer after layer of ointments were applied—what a miserable sight! Even his other uncle, Zhang Xun, could only swallow his anger. While Zhang Bin suffered so much, Zhang Yue rose rapidly, first becoming a candidate for the imperial examinations and then a successful candidate, and later serving as an official in other regions. Why did all the good things in the world seem to go to him?
He originally wanted to say a few more harsh words, but when he saw Liu Zhong accompanying his father approaching, he quickly shut his mouth and stepped aside. He had heard that Meng Xian had once intended to marry his eldest daughter to Zhang Yue, but given the current situation, Zhang Yue likely wouldn’t care about the Meng family anymore.
Zhang Jue was known for his extravagance. He wore a purple-gold crown to hold his hair, a narrow-sleeved robe made of blue silk with floral patterns, and over that, an imperial robe adorned with large precious elephant motifs—exuding great nobility. When he saw Zhang Yue approaching, he waved his hand and smiled, saying, “Actually, I volunteered to come this time. Once I finish my task, I’ll leave. After all, it’s not right for an entire family to have officials in office.” Then he added, “Brother Yue, since you’re not in the court, you probably don’t know how famous you’ve become. Because of your proposal on salt management, the officials in the Ministry of Revenue have been arguing fiercely these past few days, while Minister Xia remains silent. It’s the first time in the history of the Ming Dynasty that a local official has caused such a stir.”
As he spoke, he smiled and took out a letter from his bosom, handing it over. Smiling, he said, “This is a letter my sister-in-law asked me to deliver before I left. Half a month ago, due to unrest in the north, the emperor sent my elder brother to Xuanfu to train troops. Bin, why are you standing around there? Why don’t you greet your third brother Yue?”
Liu Zhong saw that Zhang Yue looked unwell and felt somewhat embarrassed. Not to mention that he couldn’t afford to provoke Zhang Ke, the legitimate descendant of a meritorious official, there was also the news that Meng Xian had been dismissed, meaning the Meng family could no longer stay in this military office. Yet he had been quite friendly with Meng Xian in the past, and now Meng Xian’s wife was seriously ill—how could he have the nerve to drive them away?
Seeing the large carts outside, Zhang Yue knew that Zhang Ke’s family was bound to move in. If it had been someone else, he might have asked Liu Zhong to delay things and think of a solution, but Zhang Ke was after all his uncle, and he couldn’t do anything to him. Suddenly, he noticed several more people by the Meng family’s second gate and was stunned upon taking a closer look.
Meng Min appeared much thinner than before, her cheeks slightly sunken. Her black-green brocade jacket looked empty, and upon hearing what had just been said, her face turned even paler. Du Wan, dressed in an autumn-colored silk jacket, supported her, her expression cold. There were also several maids and wives around them, most of them looking sad and indignant.
Compared to his reckless brother, Zhang Ke was more calculating and knew that the Zhang family of Xiangfu was related to the Meng family through marriage. But as the new deputy commander, he held a higher rank than Meng Xian before, and this marriage alliance was with Meng Ying of the Baoding Marquis family, which had nothing to do with Meng Xian. Since Meng Ying had made it clear he wanted to distance himself, Meng Xian had no chance of recovery—so what was there for him to fear? He heard that Meng Xian had offended many superiors, colleagues, and subordinates since arriving, so if he avenged them, it would be beneficial for him in the future.
He then glanced at Liu Zhong with a fake smile and said, “Commander Liu, the emperor has already ordered that Meng Xian’s all official positions be revoked, and the Jinyiwei has been tasked with investigating his misuse of private troops. Although I rushed here quickly and arrived almost at the same time as the official documents, shouldn’t the Meng family vacate this place first? After all, this is a military office—there’s no way criminal family members can occupy it.”
Although Zhang Ke spoke to Liu Zhong, everyone around, including the Meng family, could hear him clearly. Hearing that her father had been dismissed and being called criminal family members, Meng Min felt dizzy. If not for Du Wan supporting her tightly, she wouldn’t have been able to stand at all. Du Wan, thinking of Lady Wu still ill inside and the Meng family about to be driven away, gritted her teeth, thinking even more of the Meng family’s now-empty accounts.
Realizing there was no turning back and that continuing this stalemate would only make things worse, Zhang Yue forced himself to suppress his anger. He walked to the second gate and said in a grave tone to Meng Min, whose face was pale: “Fourth sister, since things have come to this, if you trust me, have someone take care of it first. I happen to have a courtyard on Chunshui Street next to the magistrate’s office. It’s not large, but it can at least provide you all a place to stay temporarily. We can plan further after we move there.”
“Okay, I’ll follow Brother Yue’s advice. Mother still isn’t awake. I’ll take some people to take care of her and send her out through the back door. I don’t want her to see or hear any of this.” Seeing Zhang Yue nod without hesitation, Meng Min suddenly gained confidence. She then turned to Du Wan and said, “Sister Du, please help them pack up the household items. It doesn’t matter if anything is left behind. Things are inanimate, but people are alive. I’m sure our Meng family can get through this!”
Seeing that the maids and wives had all gone in and the second gate was now empty, Zhang Yue turned around and ordered Liansheng to go help at the back door. Then he headed straight for Liu Zhong and bowed deeply. Liu Zhong, already feeling embarrassed, hurriedly helped him up with both hands and sighed heavily.
“Commander Liu, it seems the Meng family won’t be able to move out right away, so I’m hoping for some extra time. Aunt Meng is seriously ill, so at least we should send her out first. I’ll have the Meng family pack up the rest as quickly as possible, ensuring they won’t delay Uncle Zhang’s arrival at the office. Even the sea can turn into farmland—one never knows what misfortune might strike at any moment. I hope Commander Liu, out of camaraderie, can do us a favor.”
“Sure. After all, we’re colleagues. Although Brother Meng was foolish at times, his sick family needs to be taken care of. Lord Zhang, why not move your boxes to my place first? Let your family rest there for a while; give them a few hours.”
Zhang Yue didn’t expect him to help the Meng family even at this point, nor did he expect Liu Zhong to agree. His brows furrowed deeply. After giving Zhang Yue a long look, he nodded but couldn’t help reminding him, “Brother Yue, Meng Xian committed the grave crime of spying on the imperial family and sowing discord among them. Don’t let lust ruin your own future.”
The mention of lust made Liu Zhong frown, but Zhang Yue remained calm. “Thank you, Uncle Zhang, for the reminder. All I know is what my teacher taught me when I was studying—live in such a way that you have no regrets. If you see the widowed, the orphaned, or the lonely without feeling pity, if you see women and children in trouble without helping, if you see injustice on the roads without speaking out, and if you join those who are corrupt and unjust, then you are no better than animals.”
After speaking, he clasped his hands and bowed slightly, then turned and strode away. The crowd gathered by the screen door immediately made way for him. Firstly, everyone who frequented the place knew him and was aware of his background; secondly, at such a critical moment, his willingness to help the Meng family earned him respect, despite some criticizing his naivety. Liu Zhong watched his retreating figure with admiration, while Zhang Jie was extremely dissatisfied and sneered inwardly.
As soon as Zhang Yue left the government office, he took a deep breath, as if trying to expel all the chaotic and foul air. If he were to seek profit and avoid harm, he should have distanced himself from the Meng family in that situation. But given their past connections and the fact that this matter originated from him, how could he stand by and do nothing?