Chapter 434: Rules Are Made by Humans

If Zhu Di had asked this question in the Qianqing Palace, Zhang Yue wouldn’t have found it surprising. But this was truly the wrong place. Just moments ago, Zhu Di had been arguing fiercely with Zhu Zhuo over Zhu Ning’s marriage, and now he suddenly asked such an important question so openly in the territory of a prince?
In the blink of an eye, Zhang Yue made up his mind. Even though he indeed disapproved of Zhu Di leading another military campaign, since the emperor was asking about Arutai’s movements, he couldn’t simply echo others’ claims that Arutai had fled at the sight of the imperial forces.
“Your Majesty, I believe there is deception behind Arutai’s movements,” he said, setting the tone. His voice became calm. “In the past, when Arutai was at his wits’ end, he submitted to our dynasty and paid tribute. Your Majesty even conferred upon him the title of Prince of Hening. Yet once he regained his strength, he would raid border towns on his way back from paying tribute. His tribesmen even captured imperial envoys repeatedly, and he waged endless wars with the Oirats. It’s clear this man is ambitious and fickle. Although he has moved northward upon hearing of Your Majesty’s northern tour, this is likely a feint. The regions beyond the Great Wall are cold and lack trade opportunities. Since he already has a strong army and malicious intentions, he will use this news to deceive our dynasty before launching a full-scale invasion. Once he succeeds, he will flee again, and even if our army sets out, it will likely be too late to catch up.”
Earlier, the messengers who reported Arutai’s movements had claimed that it was the emperor’s might that made Arutai retreat. Though such flattering statements usually sounded pleasing, now that orders had been given to conscript troops, such claims amounted to admitting his own mistakes. Thus, Zhu Di was naturally furious. So when Zhang Yue said Arutai was using a feint, it aligned with his own judgment. Zhu Di immediately set aside other considerations, pondered for a moment, and nodded, saying, “Continue.”
“The Wulangha Doyan Three Guards have earned merits in battle and, by the emperor’s grace, moved south. But since they failed to seize Danning as they wished, they have always been close to Arutai. Arutai’s ambition to invade the south stems from having the Wulangha as his allies. As these three guards are located further south, and Kaifeng and Guangning once had trade agreements, they can immediately learn of any disturbances in the Central Plains, alerting Arutai. Moreover, they are related by marriage. Now that Arutai is powerful, they rely on each other for support. Therefore, whether Your Majesty goes north or not, the top priority is to strengthen the defenses of key towns like Xinghe, Xuanfu, and Kaiping, so as not to allow Arutai to take advantage of the weakness.”

Although King Zhu Tu had been granted a fief in Henan in his early years, there were no threats there, so he knew nothing about military affairs. Seeing that pair of emperor and subject treat their territory as if it were part of the palace, he felt a constant headache, but he didn’t dare speak up or retreat rashly. In the end, he simply closed his eyes to rest. Zhu Ning, standing behind him, also paid no attention to these military matters, her mind preoccupied with the argument between the emperor and her father just now. She was used to suspicion from both emperor and subject, but that rare hint of warmth made her unhappy.

Zhu Di had spent many years defending Beiping against the Mongols in his prime. No general in the court could match his strategic vision and decision-making skills, and Zhang Yue didn’t think he was better than the emperor in this regard. So he said, “During the emperor’s two northern expeditions, the army achieved great victories against the Mongols. The only concern was supply lines. I urge the emperor to consider this carefully.”

“War is easy; supply is difficult. It’s been that way since ancient times. I don’t need you, a young kid, to remind me of this!”

Zhu Di smiled scornfully, but his mood improved. Seeing Zhu Tu and Zhu Ning, father and daughter, one dozing off and the other lost in thought, he walked over slowly. Ignoring Zhu Tu, he turned directly to Zhu Ning and said, “You are naturally strong-willed and were raised as a man, but a woman’s virtue lies in being virtuous, gentle, and modest. After marriage, you’ll inevitably have to serve your in-laws and raise your siblings—tasks that you surely find tedious. If, as a princess, you suffer at your in-laws’ home, the Fifth Prince will surely come to me for revenge. There’s no need for the Imperial Clan Office or the Ceremonial Bureau to prepare any lists. Since the Fifth Prince almost quarreled with me, I won’t care about rules. I’ll simply give you a few candidates. Once they become your attendants, even if not given high positions, I won’t treat them poorly.”

“First, Shen Shilong, the grandson of Shen Du, is still unmarried. The Shen family is a prominent family in the Jiangnan region and the largest clan in Zhangyan. Shen Shilong is gentle and unassuming, similar in temperament to his grandfather. His father, Shen Zao, is modest, and his mother comes from a scholarly family, so they probably won’t be too picky. He’s neither from a poor nor a noble family, and his age is suitable for you. The Shen family is one of the most distinguished scholarly families, and most importantly, they have an excellent family reputation—you can ask Zhang Yue about this.”

At that point, Zhu Di bent down another finger, smiling as he looked at the thoughtful Zhu Ning. “Second, Xue Rong, the deputy commander of the flag guards. He inherited his position from his father. He’s honest and comes from a wealthy family, so there’s no worry he’ll overwhelm you.”

“Thirdly, Wan Shijie from the Ministry of War. He is indeed poor, but with both parents dead and no relatives at home, he won’t cause any trouble. After returning from the Ministry of War that time, I had someone investigate, and that’s when I remembered him. You and I also saw him when we went to watch the execution at Xisi Pailou. During the imperial examinations, he only copied half of his paper; otherwise, he would have made it into the top three. As for his character, Zhang Yue must know quite well.” Having said what needed to be said and heard the judgments he wanted to hear, Zhu Di left the Prince of Zhou’s residence fully satisfied. Zhang Yue saw the emperor and his entourage off, intending to bid farewell to Princess Zhu Ju and Zhu Ning, but unexpectedly, Zhu Ju tilted his head and looked at him before suddenly saying, “Zhang Yue, we’re from the same hometown after all, though we’ve only met twice. Since you’re here today, stay and have a drink with me.”

“Father!”

“Ning, don’t stop me. I neither seek to associate with nobles nor interact with officials. This time it was my elder brother who brought him to my domain. It’s no big deal if I invite Zhang Yue for a meal. Back in the day, I and Girl Du were even chess partners!” Zhu Ju glared at Zhu Ning irritably before turning to Zhang Yue and asking, “Well, will the famous Lord Zhang be so kind as to do me this favor?”

Zhang Yue had met the arrogant and irritable King of Han and the pretentious King of Zhao, but facing the stubborn Prince of Zhou, Zhu Ju, he simply couldn’t bring himself to refuse. After a brief thought, he nodded in agreement and sent his attendants back to give the news. Seeing that Zhang Yue hadn’t refused, Zhu Ju’s mood improved immediately. As they walked inside, he kept talking nonstop.

“Girl Ning is quite young compared to her older brothers and sisters. Though they love her, she’s never had anyone to share intimate thoughts with. I never expected that bringing her to the capital a few years ago would help her make so many good friends. Girl Du is clever for her age, and more importantly, she lacks the arrogance that comes from talent. That’s why I really like her. I just didn’t expect that in just a few years, after her father joined the cabinet, she would end up marrying you. Girl Du is truly lucky.”

Zhu Ning followed in through the second gate. Seeing her father drag Zhang Yue straight into the main house, she immediately rushed forward to stop him, worried about his health. After persuading him a few words, she saw Zhu Tu, who was usually easy-going, glaring at her irritably, then taking on his father’s tone to drive her away. Reflecting on this strange situation, her perceptive mind quickly understood his intentions. So, once the food and drinks were ready, she personally poured wine for Zhu Tu and Zhang Yue. When she saw her father snatch the wine pot and drink three cups in one go, she dismissed the servants and left as well.

Watching Zhu Ning’s somewhat desolate figure as she left, Zhang Yue couldn’t help but say, “Your Highness, why go to such lengths…?”

“If we miss this chance again, she’ll soon reach her twenties!” Zhu Tu drained his cup in one gulp and waved his hand dismissively. “Though I’m glad she’s made a few more friends, I deeply regret delaying her marriage. As you heard, the three people my elder brother mentioned… it’s ridiculous. All three were suggested by the Imperial Clan Office back then, but he rejected them outright. Now they’re listed again…”

Despite his resentment, seeing Zhang Yue’s changed expression, Zhu Tu stopped speaking and asked seriously, “As for that commander of the flag guards, forget about it—he’s not of noble birth, works in the military with many superiors, and likely faces troubles at home. At least her elder sister married a grandson of Xu Da. What’s this good-for-nothing worth? Considering the friendship between your daughter Du and Ah Ning, tell me the truth—who would be suitable for Ah Ning to marry?”

Zhang Yue had already guessed that he was kept behind for this reason. Faced with Zhu Tu’s direct question, he fell silent. After a long while, he finally raised his head and said, “Your Highness, the Shen family’s reputation is well-known, and their character is excellent. However, my late father never allowed his descendants to engage in excessive social activities. I only met Shen Shilong a few times during holidays when I brought gifts. From those brief encounters, I found him to be a humble and gentle man. As for Wan Shijie, he is indeed my good friend—carefree and unpretentious, with a bold spirit despite being a scholar. Both of them are excellent choices, but with all due respect…”

Recalling when he first went to Qixia Temple to meet Daoyan, Wan Shijie had asked how to achieve success in life; thinking of Shen Du’s repeated guidance and advice, and Shen Zao giving him his clothes at the palace gates; remembering how Zhu Ning had helped him time and again, yet her marriage kept getting delayed day after day… He realized Zhu Ning probably had no memory of those two at all, so he simply said directly, “Marriage is a lifetime commitment. It’s not enough just to have compatible temperaments, suitable ages, or good backgrounds. At the very least…”

Zhu Zhu had always only known about marriage arranged by parents and matchmakers. Hearing this, he was instantly stunned. Yet, since he doted extremely on Zhu Ning and considered himself extremely intelligent, he quickly figured out what Zhang Yue meant by his reminder. So he slapped his chest and interrupted Zhang Yue, “It’s their fortune to be able to marry A’ning. I doubt anyone of them would dare to refuse. But since you say so, I’ll have someone talk to my elder brother tomorrow, and then try to meet those two. Hmph, if I hadn’t taken the risk today, my elder brother would probably still just use those students from the Imperial Academy to perfunctorily deal with it… Rules? Rules are made by people!”