Chapter 41: Extremes Reverse, Full Cups Overflow

Early winter in the north was quite cold. At Lady Gu’s insistence, Lingxi sent people to the warehouse to find various silks and fabrics, and several tailors were hired to make clothes for everyone. Once all the clothes arrived, masters and servants all looked brand new, adding a touch of brightness to the gloomy winter.

All the clothing styles were based on those popular in Nanjing. Lady Gu made four sets, either royal blue or sky blue. The three wives each had three sets—crimson, dark blue, rose purple—elegant yet festive. Zhang Yi and the concubines wore peach pink, eggplant purple, and light yellow. The older maids in each household wore pine flower color and light purple, while the younger maids mostly had light blue clothes, which made them look spirited. The men’s clothes were less elaborate—stone blue, moon white, and deep blue, chosen for their solemnity.

Zhang Chao, who had just gotten engaged, was kept busy like a puppet these days. Just taking measurements exhausted him. His mother also nagged him about clothing styles and colors, which room he should live in after marriage, how many guests to invite, and how much dowry the bride should have… In short, already dissatisfied, Zhang Chao barely held back from exploding. By the end, he avoided any women related to marriage at all costs.

“Brother Chao is about to get married. Next, it will be your turn. Mother will definitely help you choose carefully…”
“Though Brother Chao is the eldest, he falls short in some ways. Over the years, he’s had at least two or three concubines. Besides, your second aunt is no easy mother-in-law. Life for Miss Heng after marriage might not be easy.”
“Yue, are you listening? You’re usually sensible, but why don’t you pay attention to this? You act just like your father, saying to let things take their course…”

Faced with his mother’s endless nagging, Zhang Yue almost wanted to run away like his father, Zhang Zhuo. Sons are always the best, while daughters-in-law are always the others’ best—this was an unshakable truth, so he really had nothing to say. As his mother kept talking on and on, he finally lost patience and was about to make an excuse when Qiu Hen suddenly entered cheerfully, lifting the curtain.

“Madam, madam! The eldest master has received an imperial award, and the second master was promoted to lieutenant general just last month! It is said that with the emperor’s permission, the eldest master will return home soon to visit his family, and the second master will also be able to return before the eldest master’s wedding. Perhaps he will go to serve in the capital from now on!”
“Amitabha, your uncle has finally resolved the issue with the coastal defenses in Zhejiang. After all this hardship, good fortune has come at last! Your aunt has worked hard at home taking care of the two children. Now that your uncle is back, there will be no regrets regarding their marriages!”
Sun Shi poured out her thoughts in rapid succession. Suddenly realizing that these matters had little to do with her, her expression changed slightly, but she soon regained her usual cheerful demeanor. Even more, she quickly called over a maid, dressed up in front of the mirror, and then said to Zhang Yue, who was still in a daze, with a smile, “The old lady must be overjoyed. Let’s go congratulate her right away!”
Seeing Sun Shi hurrying toward the main house with a maid by her side, Zhang Yue’s gaze fell on his mother’s increasingly fuller waist. His uncle’s award and his second uncle’s promotion were indeed happy events, but beneath all this celebration, the efforts of the younger branch of the family over the years seemed rather insignificant. Without hesitation, he shrugged and followed after her.
Anyway, things were much better now than before—there was no need to covet more than what one had; one just needed to go with the flow and seize the right opportunity among countless chances, giving it a little push—these words seemed to have come from the seemingly omnipotent Mr. Du.
Zhang Xin devoted himself entirely to the coastal defenses in Zhejiang and didn’t return to his hometown in Henan for four whole years, not even setting foot in the capital. Even for the 60th birthday of their grandmother, Lady Gu, Zhang You couldn’t make it back to celebrate. Now that the two brothers could finally take a break from their official duties and return, the entire Zhang family was filled with joy and festivity. Yet while the masters and servants were busy, the younger generation had little to do.
Zhang Yue personally saw Du Zhen off out of Kaifeng City. He didn’t perform trivial tasks like holding the horse or the saddle; instead, when parting as teacher and student, he knelt down earnestly and kowtowed three times. Only after touching the solid yellow soil of the road for the last time did he feel strong hands on his arms, pulling him up.
“As teachers and students, your three kowtows were so sincere that I didn’t stop you.”

Although Du Zhen rarely showed a smile throughout the year, a faint smile graced his lips now. This smile was entirely different from his usual mocking, sarcastic, indifferent, or half-smile expressions—it lacked its coldness and instead exuded an extra warmth. Unconsciously, Zhang Yue felt that this was the real Du Zhen, while that icy, expressionless face was merely a mask.

“You’re mature for your age. Coming from a prominent family yet free from vanity and impatience, you’ve always suited my taste. Don’t worry about me going to the capital—aside from Scholars Da Shen and Xiao Shen, I also had some connections with Yang Shiqi back then. I can manage somehow. Once the initial excitement fades, the emperor surely won’t pay much attention to a mere minor official.”

Having said everything he wanted to, Zhang Yue was suddenly at a loss for words. Though he still had some private funds saved up over the years, bringing them out now as a gift for Du Zhen seemed inappropriate to him. After all, his teacher was going to the capital to take up an official position, not being exiled in misery. Besides, the Zhang family had already given a large sum as a gift, which Du Zhen had accepted.

After much deliberation, he still took out the still-warm money pouch from his bosom and handed it over awkwardly: “Mr. Du, Nanjing is a place where every inch of land is valuable. Though you have old friends to help you, it’s never a bad idea to bring extra silver. My little amount may not be much, but it’s still…”

“Enough!” Before Zhang Yue could finish, Du Zhen snatched the money pouch from his hand, stuffed it into his sleeve without even looking, and then smiled. “How could I, as a teacher, reject a gift from my student? Enough, stop acting like a child. When you go to Nanjing to take the exams… well, by then Yanjing will probably already be the capital… I’ll be waiting there for good news from you! Oh, I doubt I’ll be returning, so you might as well tidy up that house.”

With that, Du Zhen patted Zhang Yue on the shoulder, turned, and strode toward the carriage, never looking back or saying another word.

Zhang Yue watched as Du Zhen bent to get into the carriage with the help of two page boys, and saw the four Jinyiwei guards from the Beizhenfu Si mount their horses beside the carriage. He thought that if others had such honor, they would surely show it off proudly in the streets, yet Mr. Du seemed utterly unbothered. From a distance, he watched as the carriage and its entourage disappeared into the dust at the end of the road. Only then did he turn his horse around to head back, but suddenly he remembered that he had sent Peng Shisan off from here last year.

His two teachers—both military and civil—were no longer by his side.

Riding back swiftly to Kaifeng City, Zhang Yue initially planned to go straight home, but somehow he remembered Du Zhen’s last instructions, which stirred his heart. So, he immediately rode toward Du’s residence in Yushu Alley.

Upon arriving, he tied his horse to the post and pushed open the familiar courtyard gate, rushing toward the house in the center. As he walked, he remembered another thing: this morning, when he came to pick them up, he had encountered Du Zhen outside the courtyard, who had already packed everything. Since Du Zhen hadn’t entered the house, could there still be something inside?

Zhang Yue always had the keys to Du’s house, so the iron door lock posed no difficulty for him. Quickly unlocking and pushing open the door, he immediately saw a bundle on the table, along with half an envelope underneath it. Next to the bundle was the long sword he had seen before.

Thinking this might be Du Zhen’s final instructions, he rushed over in two strides. But when he lifted the bundle, misjudging its weight, he almost broke his shoulder. In panic, he didn’t bother to look at the letter and quickly untied the bundle’s wrapping. Inside, he found nothing but silver coins. In the small wooden box were a pair of white jade hairpins and an emerald carp pendant. At that moment, he suddenly realized these were the gifts from the Zhang family to Du Zhen, and he was stunned.

No wonder Mr. Du had readily accepted his meager silver—turns out, he hadn’t intended to accept the Zhang family’s generous gifts at all!

Gathering his composure, Zhang Yue then opened the letter left by Mr. Du. Seeing the familiar handwriting filling the entire page, the familiar and kind tone, and the format without a signature or date, he had the illusion that Du Zhen was standing right beside him.

“I’ve been your teacher for four years not for the generous payment from the Zhang family. Yet it would have been unkind not to accept it, so I kept it. Now, everything—including the 300 taels from the Zhang family and other items—is still here, untouched. Our teacher-student relationship is a matter of fate; there’s no need to talk about these material things.

A sword is both a sharp tool and a deadly weapon. As a scholar, you don’t need to learn how to use a sword, but you still need one for self-protection, so I left it with you. Although it seems there are many troubles in the capital, I’m actually quite safe. It’s you who needs to be more careful. The Zhang family has produced a Duke of Britain, which is indeed a solid backing; the emperor also values this Duke, so it should not be easy to shake this pillar of the nation. But extremes lead to reversals—when water overflows, it spills. The Zhang family is currently thriving like flowers in full bloom, but who knows if this prosperity will last forever?

If a crisis does arise, remain calm and don’t panic. Panic leads to poor judgment. I’ve taught you the strategies for advancing and retreating in normal times, but how to decide in critical moments depends on you. Young people must not lose their vigor, but they must also avoid losing composure. Only when faced with real challenges can one’s true character be seen. Remember this well!”