Chapter 415: Success

The others had intended to chime in, but Zhang Yue started off by presenting one logical point after another, leaving them with no argument at all and leaving them speechless. Seeing Zhang Yue coldly deliver those words before walking away, the chubby young man’s face turned purple with anger; he didn’t know whether to stand or sit, so furious he was almost dizzy. At that moment, someone quickly went ahead to close the private room’s door and then said irritably, “On such a festive occasion, Ziying just can’t control his mouth and has brought trouble upon us!”

“Ahem, who doesn’t know the emperor has great favoritism for the Zhang family? Now that Scholar Du has been appointed, it shows his high trust in them. If those words get out… people will think Ziying is arrogant and overconfident. Wouldn’t that ruin his entire future?”

“Remember when Lord Liang Yongzhi was imprisoned by the Jinyiwei? Without anyone interceding, he would have died. Even Yang, his fellow townsman and friend, didn’t dare intervene rashly. It was only because of Scholar Du’s intervention that Lord Liang was able to return home safely. Zhang Yuanjie still tried to reason with you, Brother Guo. But if it were those blunt, arrogant descendants of nobles, just based on what you said earlier, they would have overturned the table. Who doesn’t know the emperor always favors the nobles? Even if trouble arises, it’ll be your misfortune.”

Not knowing whether Zhang Yue was still in the next room, everyone spoke in hushed tones. Yet Yu Qian, who had previously tried to dissuade Guo Ziying, remained silent. The last time he had spoken directly to Zhang Yue in front of him, advising him not to kill recklessly just to please the emperor, Zhang Yue wasn’t angry at all but instead bowed deeply in gratitude. But now, upon meeting again, he found that the once amiable person had suddenly become sharp-tongued and cold, as if he were a different person.

On the other side, Zhang Yue returned to the private room as if nothing had happened. His voice hadn’t been too loud, and everyone there was listening intently, so not a word was missed. Everyone quickly stood up. He smiled and nodded, signaling them to sit down, then returned to the main table and raised his wine glass.

“I still have official matters this afternoon, so let’s stop drinking here. But there’s plenty of food—enjoy yourselves. Don’t let what just happened ruin your mood. I’ll drink first as a toast!”

Although the officials and clerks in the Armory Department had tried to create obstacles when Zhang Yuechu first took charge, it was nothing serious—nothing that showed they hadn’t heard of Zhang Yue’s impressive credentials. Going to Qingzhou to execute people could be framed as carrying out an imperial order, but it was ultimately Zhang Yue’s own idea to suppress the Xieshipeng Fort. After a trip to the south, countless heads were cut; just two months ago, on the night of martial law in the capital, many night-time offenders were killed at his direct command. Yet, after working with this gentleman for so long, they had thought of him as nothing more than a gentle and modest nobleman.

But now they finally understood: if they really angered him, facing humiliation in front of him would only bring suffering upon themselves!

The banquet was a mess, and Zhang Yue stayed behind to pay the bill before returning to the Ministry of War with everyone else. Since the military affairs in Jiaozhi had been resolved and the replacement of the imperial guards at the capital had been completed by the end of last year, there was no need to worry about military uniforms or winter clothes now that spring had arrived. Thus, everyone in the Armory Department naturally had time to themselves. But with idle time came idle talk, and as the clerks were always close-knit, the news spread quickly, reaching all six ministries and other nearby offices.

With no urgent matters at the Ministry of War, those who stayed on duty left early that evening. It was still early, so after saying goodbye to his colleagues, Zhang Yue mounted his horse and agreed to go to Xipailou Alley with them to see Fang Jing during the Wanshi Festival. Unexpectedly, as soon as they left the alley, he saw someone unexpected. He hurried over, dismounted quickly, glanced at the donkey behind the person, and then smiled, saying, “How did Little Seven come here? Is there no class at the Imperial Academy today?”

“I won’t be studying at the Imperial Academy anymore,” Gu Bin said, seeing Zhang Yue’s astonished expression, and showed a rare smile. “At first, I studied in the Justice Hall, then in the Chongzhi and Guangye Halls. After a year and a half, I passed all my assessments with excellent grades and was promoted step by step. Last year, I entered the Lingsheng Hall. In less than a year, I scored full marks in eight monthly exams, so I was granted a noble status. Due to the strict point-system supervision at the Imperial Academy, all those who have obtained noble status have been recommended to the emperor.”

Perhaps because four years of hard study had not been in vain, Gu Bin’s face no longer showed the inferiority he once carried; instead, he appeared full of confidence. Zhang Yue was genuinely happy thinking of how Gu Bin had initially had to help those mischievous kids in the clan school cheat on monthly exams to make a living, and now he had finally made it: “With your diligent nature, I knew this day would come. Since you’re no longer living in the Imperial Academy dormitories, where have you moved your belongings? If you don’t have a place, I have some empty rooms in Xipailou Alley.”

Wanshijie also came over at that moment. He loved lively company and quickly agreed, saying, “Yuanjie is right. Those rooms are just sitting empty. Since you’ve left the Imperial Academy, you need to find a place to live. Why not move here and live together? It’s not easy to find a decent place to live in the capital. Since you’re not yet in office and don’t have a salary, even small rooms in the alleys aren’t easy to rent.”

Gu Bin had heard Zhang Jiu mention a few of Zhang Yue’s friends at the Imperial Academy. Seeing Wanshijie’s friendly attitude, he hesitated for a moment before sincerely saying, “After moving out of the Imperial Academy yesterday, I went to see Scholar Xiao Yang. He advised me to bring my parents over and said he could help me rent three rooms near Xizhimen. I’ve also saved some money at the Imperial Academy, which should be enough for the first year’s rent. If I can get a good position later, I should be able to make it work.”

What “make it work” meant was clear even to Zhang Yue, let alone Wanshijie. Yang Shiqi, who had no family wealth, lived in a house granted by Zhu Di, with servants hired on a monthly basis—just barely covering his expenses. His father-in-law had given up the only farm near the capital as a dowry for Du Wan, and the couple relied entirely on their salaries. If it weren’t for his persistent persuasion of his mother-in-law, Qiu Shi, to contribute some money to buy land—actually allowing his father to use it to open a small textile shop in the south—Du Zhen would likely struggle even to make ends meet with the clan’s support. As for civil officials like Xia Yuanji, they all led simple lives. Gu Bin’s parents would have to rely on his salary, and their living standards might even be worse than in Kaifeng.

Yet Zhang Yue didn’t want to dampen their spirits, so he briefly avoided the topic. Since Gu Bin mentioned wanting to visit the Gu family, he couldn’t just leave him alone, so he said goodbye to Wanshijie and agreed to visit Fang Jing again the next evening. Wanshijie, knowing the cousins hadn’t seen each other in a long time, nodded in agreement.

“Then I’ll head back first. I’ll let Brother Fang know. He’s sensible and won’t blame you.”

After bidding farewell to the Wanshi Festival, Zhang Yue walked alongside Gu Bin. One rode a tall horse with several attendants, while the other rode a thin donkey—such a contrast naturally drew many curious glances. Noticing that Gu Bin still seemed uneasy and awkward under those intense stares, Zhang Yue sighed inwardly.
Indeed, some things couldn’t be completely changed just by altering one’s circumstances.
Although it wasn’t completely dark yet, several households in Wuanhou Hutong had already hung lanterns at their doors, and an octagonal palace lantern was also hung in front of the Zhang family’s west corner house. Just as Zhang Yue and Gu Bin were about to enter, the sound of horse hooves came from behind. Turning around, they saw Zhang Chao wearing a bright red jacket and black leather boots, accompanied by two young servants.
Having taken a long leave from the army due to the mourning period for the fifth month, Zhang Chao now seemed less gloomy, though he wasn’t as carefree as before and had grown somewhat more composed. Being a year older than Gu Bin, he recognized them immediately, dismounted, and greeted them. Hearing that Gu Bin had successfully completed his studies at the Imperial Academy and obtained his official status, he raised his eyebrows in delight.
“I knew Xiao Qi would do well! Grandmother will surely be pleased! The Gu family is full of messes—she often sighs that none of them can make it. If I remember correctly, not only the previous generation but also this one has only Xiao Qi as the one who truly earned his status; the others gave up halfway due to the hardships.”
Although Gu Bin had always shown resilience and determination, beneath his proud exterior lay a sense of inferiority. First, it was Zhang Yue’s congratulations, and now Zhang Chao’s praise—this made him feel much more confident. Following the two brothers back into the grand house with its carved beams and painted decorations, he gradually became more at ease. Once inside the main house in the north courtyard, he first paid his respects to Mrs. Gu before mentioning that he had obtained his official status.
“Amitabha! The Gu family finally has someone who succeeds!”
Mrs. Gu, who had been stiff at first, was overjoyed and recited Buddhist prayers several times. She gestured for Gu Bin to come forward and examined him from head to toe, her eyes gradually filling with tears. Seeing this, even Gu Bin, who usually feared this old lady from the Zhang family, felt a pang of sadness.

“If it weren’t for the third son constantly taking care of your family, I, an old woman like me, might have missed the last glimmer of hope for the Gu family.” Lady Gu wiped her eyes and then looked at Gu Bin, gradually adopting a serious expression. “The Gu family only gave you a surname; they didn’t offer you any benefits. Even I, as your great-aunt, haven’t helped you much. So I have no right to demand anything from you in return for the Gu family. If there are any troubles from the Gu family in Kaifeng in the future, come to me anytime—don’t let them ruin your bright future. Be a good official and a good person; that’s all I have to say.”

Although he had felt resentful before, after hearing Lady Gu’s words, Gu Bin finally felt his pent-up anger ease. After a long while, he nodded and said, “Thank you, Old Lady. I’ll keep that in mind.”

After leaving Gu Bin to have dinner, Lady Gu ordered someone to send him away and also instructed the butler, Gao Quan, to pick out a horse for him from the stable. Once everyone had left, she hid her relieved and joyful expression, even appearing somewhat indifferent when others came to wish her good night. Others thought she was moved by the success of her nephew from her natal family, but Zhang Yue was more observant. When he was the last to leave, he happened to meet Bai Fang at the entrance to the courtyard and called out to her.

“Old Lady seems rather listless lately. What’s going on?”

“Now it’s Lingxi who serves her personally. Why doesn’t the third young master ask her?” Ever since Lingxi returned, Bai Fang had felt that people looked at her with less respect, so she reflected that in her tone. Seeing Zhang Yue’s expression darken, she realized she had said the wrong thing and quickly bowed, saying, “Third young master, please forgive me. I know I was wrong… Old Lady has indeed been sleeping lightly and eating little these days—this has been going on for about half a month. I don’t know why either.”

Zhang Yue had been busy these past few days and hadn’t paid attention to other matters. Hearing Bai Fang’s words, he immediately turned back. Pushing aside the curtain, he entered the main room upstairs and saw Lingxi standing beside Lady Gu, whispering to her. He felt even more certain that something was wrong. Sure enough, Lady Gu was stunned when she saw him enter.

“You finally came back a bit earlier. Why haven’t you gone back to your wife yet?”

“Is there something Grandmother is hiding from me?”

“There’s nothing much…” Seeing Zhang Yue’s skeptical expression, Lady Gu swallowed the perfunctory reply she had prepared and sighed instead. “I thought of not letting your shrewd wife come, as you’ve been busy lately and would likely notice nothing. But it seems I still can’t hide it from you. It’s not a big deal—just that the Duke of Britain sent word back that communication has been cut off in a few provinces of Jiaozhi. Fortunately, it was quickly restored, and your uncle is unharmed. He even contributed to repelling the enemy, but two of the loyal attendants he took with him died… They were all servants left over from the old master. It’s as if both families have lost their heads of household.”

“Grandmother, I’ve already submitted plans regarding Jiaozhi. It’s not that I’m neglecting my uncle. It’s better to focus on stabilizing the area first rather than just sending people back, especially since the emperor doesn’t seem to have any intention of taking action.”

“I understand. Thankfully, the Marquis of Fengcheng has been taking care of your uncle, so nothing serious has happened.” Lady Gu forced herself to calm down. Sensing Zhang Yue holding her left hand, she gently patted it with her right hand. “With you handling the external affairs, and the Duke of Britain and your second uncle keeping an eye on things, I’m not worried. What I’m truly concerned about is another matter. Didn’t I already send someone to watch over your eldest brother’s concubine? She’s usually well-behaved, but today, somehow, she almost managed to escape and almost hurt Lingxi!”

The more Lady Gu spoke, the angrier she became. She snapped, “If it weren’t for me sending Lingxi to check, she would have succeeded! Your eldest brother has finally started to improve, and I can’t let such a troublesome issue dampen his spirits. I really want to give that troublemaker a good scolding! That girl before had spirit—she even refused to be the second wife. But this one is clearly a seductress! I thought I’d see what kind of character she had; if she was decent, I might take her in. Who would have thought she’d turn out like this! This is a family matter. You don’t need to worry about it. I’ll figure something out. Just focus on the external affairs.”

By the time Lady Gu told Zhang Yue the truth, Lingxi had already gone outside to keep watch. Now, she gently rubbed her left wrist, recalling what had happened. If it weren’t for her visiting the Duke of Britain’s residence earlier and Peng Shisan accompanying her on the way, it might not have been just the bruise on her wrist—that woman could have really strangled her!