Chapter 249: Life, Death, Honor, and Disgrace

Thirteen people were granted marquis titles during the Jingnan Campaign, with Meng Shan of the Baoding Marquisate ranking third. Afterward, Meng Shan garrisoned Liaodong for seven years; upon returning, his hair and beard were completely white, and he passed away not long after. The current holder of the Baoding Marquisate is Meng Ying, Meng Shan’s legitimate son. Though he lacks his father’s ability to maintain order in the army, thanks to his family’s influence, he is cautious in his actions. As a relative of the Zhang family, he also enjoys the emperor’s favor. However, since the New Year, peace has not reigned in this grand mansion with its three rooms, five bays, and gilded beast-faced bronze doors.

Early that morning, Zhang Qing, along with her husband Meng Jun, had just returned from paying respects to her in-laws when she saw a young housekeeper rushing over in a panic. Noticing this, she raised an eyebrow and asked, “What’s going on?”

“Madam, the third and fifth young masters are here again!” The housekeeper bowed and then sighed, saying, “The two young masters are sitting in the front hall. They say if their father doesn’t give them a clear answer today, they won’t leave, and they even said some harsh words. They also mentioned that the Meng family is a noble family, and if their father continues to ignore them, they’ll have no choice but to appeal to the emperor—by then, who knows who will lose face…”

“Stop talking!”

Meng Jun, worried about his uncle Meng Xian who was still with the Jinyiwei, and also concerned about the turmoil in Qingzhou, was stunned upon hearing that his two cousins had come to cause trouble. After shouting angrily, he took a deep breath and ordered Zhang Qing, “Those two brats can’t argue their case properly. I’m too tired to waste more time with them. Go and persuade them again. Also, Chao and Qi seem to be discussing something related to Qingzhou. When you have time, call them over and give them some instructions. Ah, if I had known this, I shouldn’t have spoken impulsively. I should have gone straight to inform your grandmother.”

“I understand. Go ahead to the military headquarters without worry. I’ll take care of things at home.”

After assuring Meng Jun and seeing him off to the door, Zhang Qing immediately lost her smile and adopted a solemn expression. Instead of going to the front hall first, she went to the meeting room to handle some urgent household matters and reviewed the important financial records. Only then did she bring two maids to the front hall. Sure enough, as soon as she entered, she saw the two brothers sitting angrily in their chairs, looking as if someone owed them three or five hundred taels of silver.

Seeing that neither of the two had noticed her, she gently coughed. Only then did the few servants standing nearby lift their heads, recognize her, and hurriedly kneel down. Meng Tao and Meng Fan also immediately stood up and called out to their second sister-in-law together.

“Go away all of you.” After sending the servants away, Zhang Qing finally examined the two young men before her and sighed in frustration. “I’ve already told you everything I should. Why do you still come here to cause trouble every day? You know your second uncle’s temper well. After being scolded by the emperor last time, how could he possibly speak up now at such a critical time? Your eldest brother has been gathering information these days. It seems that our eldest uncle isn’t suffering much at the Jinyiwei. Once the storm passes…”

“But who knows when that storm will pass? We brothers can wait three years, five years, but our mother can’t wait!” Meng Tao interrupted Zhang Qing abruptly, suddenly kneeling down. “Second sister-in-law, I beg you—plead with your second uncle to think of another solution! My fifth brother and I just found out that after our father was dismissed and questioned, our mother and fourth sister were driven out of the Shandong military office. It was Yue Ge who took them in, but their situation there is very poor.”

Meng Fan, always following in his brother’s footsteps, quickly knelt down as well and said, “Second sister-in-law, the messenger sent from the capital by our fourth sister said that our mother’s illness is only delaying her death by a day. If we let her go in bitterness, how can we face her?”

Zhang Qing’s face had turned pale. Seeing the brothers’ persistent pleas, she grew stern and said, “Get up! A man’s knees are worth their weight in gold. If your father finds out about this, he’ll scold you even after you’re released! Even if it’s because you’re Zheng Ge’s direct cousins, or out of consideration for your third brother, I won’t stand by doing nothing. But right now… it’s really not the right time.”

Compared to Meng Ying and Meng Jun father and son, Meng Tao and Meng Fan trusted their second sister-in-law Zhang Qing deeply—not only because she was part of the Zhang family but also because she was fair and had a trustworthy demeanor. Thus, the two who had come in high spirits were obediently pulled up by Zhang Qing, one at a time. After sitting back down and hearing Zhang Qing’s explanation, they looked at each other. The straightforward Meng Fan blurted out, “Does that mean Yue Ge is also in danger now?”

“You’re right.”

“What should we do then!”

Meng Tao had always gotten along well with Zhang Yue, and deep down, he even hoped that Zhang Yue would become his brother-in-law. Now, even his anxiety about his father was partly directed at Zhang Yue. After much thought, he could no longer sit still; he paced back and forth in the hall before slamming his fist into his palm. “Fourth Sister also wrote that this time it was thanks to Sister Du for helping out. If something really happened to Lord Du… This world is truly unjust—why do good people never get rewarded!”

Seeing Meng Tao speaking recklessly in his frustration, Zhang Qing sighed inwardly and had to comfort them both again. After finally calming them down, she instructed them to be cautious in Beijing and to stay indoors as much as possible. She personally saw them off at Chuihua Gate. Only after they were out of sight did she rub her temples in exhaustion.

When Uncle Zhang Fu was still around, everything seemed to have a sense of stability—after all, he was the backbone of the Zhang family. If Zhang Fu were still in Beijing, there would always be someone to make decisions, and things wouldn’t be as chaotic as they were now. With Father Zhang Xin absent, and Uncles Zhang You and Zhang Zhuo also gone, Zhang Chao and Zhang Qi were not reliable either. Her husband, Meng Jun, was responsible, but after all, he was younger. Her father-in-law, Meng Ying, couldn’t even save his own half-brother, let alone handle other matters!

“Madam!”

Hearing this call, Zhang Qing turned around. Upon closer inspection, she saw a servant kneeling outside—clearly the one who had gone out with Meng Jun that morning. Her heart skipped a beat, and she asked urgently, “What happened? Why did the young master send you back?”

“The young master heard some news at the Military Governor’s office and sent me back to inform Madam. It seems the Military Governor’s office has just reached an agreement with the Ministry of War regarding troop rotations in Jiaozhi. General Zhang You is said to be returning to serve in the capital.”

“Uncle Zhang You?”

Zhang Qing raised her eyebrows, momentarily distracted. She had grown up in Nanjing, while Zhang You had been fighting battles elsewhere, so she didn’t have a very close relationship with him. Yet, they were still family. With Zhang Fu training troops in Xuanfu, it was uncertain when he would return. If Uncle Zhang You could come back now, the Zhang family would at least have one more person to take charge.

She nodded to send the man away, then walked back in thought. Upon returning to the small council hall, she took care of all the remaining household matters before going to report to Lady Baoding. Accompanied by a few maids and wives, she rode in a sedan chair to the Zhang family’s residence next to the Marquis of Wu’an’s estate. As soon as she entered the second gate, she sensed something was amiss at home, but after pondering for a moment, she didn’t ask further. When she reached the main room in the northern courtyard belonging to Lady Gu, she saw several maids in the corridor with solemn expressions, which gave her an uneasy feeling.

The two maids lifted the curtains high, and upon entering, she found the room filled with people—her mother, her aunt, her sister Li Yun, and Aunt Luo along with Zhang Yi standing aside. Yet her grandmother was nowhere to be seen. She hurried forward to greet them one by one. Just as she was about to ask questions, Lady Feng sighed and said, “Qing’er, you’ve come at just the right time. Last night, the old lady caught a chill. The doctor has just left, saying she needs to rest for a few days. She was just mentioning you earlier—go and see her.”

Qing’er’s heart skipped a beat. She forced a smile before rushing into the inner room. Lady Gu’s room was always kept simply, with a celadon vase on a high shelf holding fresh flowers picked that morning, and various trinkets neatly arranged on a display stand. A ink-wash painting curtain hung over the purple sandalwood bed against the wall, with two maids standing at the front.

She tiptoed over, gave the two maids a subtle signal, then sat down by the bed and softly called, “Grandmother, I’m here to see you.”

“Is it Maid Qing?” Lady Gu slightly opened her eyes. Seeing it was Qing’er, she smiled. “I’m old and useless now. I just got cold last night by not covering myself properly, which caused all this fuss. They say once you pass fifty, each year you age further. I wonder if these old bones will last until your father returns…”

“Grandmother, don’t say that. Father will surely return, and you will definitely see that day!” Qing’er wiped away her tears and forced a cheerful smile. “I also have good news for you. I heard that Uncle Second is being transferred back from Jiaozhi. He’ll probably serve in the Five Armies Command, so he’ll be able to take care of you all the time!”

“Is that so? So my second son will be returning…” Lady Gu was lost in thought for a moment, her eyes filled with deep loneliness. “Your uncle has been away there for so many years. If it weren’t for your father, he would have returned long ago… He’s stubborn by nature. We don’t know how much he’s contributed to the family in silence, but he’s truly a man of steel.”

Despite it being broad daylight, bright candles still burned in the room. Their dim light fell on Lady Gu’s gray hair, casting a pale glow that was unsettling. Zhang Qing instinctively felt a sense of foreboding but still tried to persuade her gently. Just as she wanted to urge her grandmother to rest properly, Lady Gu suddenly spoke again.
“In such a large family, it’s never possible to treat everyone equally. Among your father’s three brothers, I naturally favored your father the most, your second uncle came next, and your third uncle has always been an outsider. The same pattern continues in your generation—turning around among the eldest, second, and third branches—only to make an exception in favor of your third brother. Your fourth brother is clever, but he’s too arrogant. Even if he inherits the family business in the future, he’ll surely need your third brother’s help. Last night, the Duchess of Britain sent Rongshan over; it is said that the memorial from the King of Han has also reached the emperor. Life and death, honor and disgrace—perhaps it all depends on a single decision…”