Chapter 453: Beauty Is Not a Disaster—Carelessness Brings Trouble

“Take good care of yourself after I leave… Think things through before acting impulsively… No matter what happens, remember to send letters to Nanjing every month… While you and Wan’er are still young, work hard to have more children. If the old lady insists you take concubines in the future, at least they won’t come before your legitimate sons and daughters… In short, I just want you to be safe. Now I’ve come to realize that no matter how high one’s rank becomes, it’s not as good as having a peaceful family…”
Standing on the dock, listening to Sun Shi’s nagging like a monk chanting prayers, Zhang Yue felt both annoyed and amused. After finally persuading his worried mother to board the ship, and watching it set sail with its sails billowing, he allowed himself a slight smile. Sun Shi kept telling him not to act impulsively, yet she herself was extremely impulsive. Just before boarding, she had said through gritted teeth that once they returned, she would send Hong Luan and Zhang Fu back to the capital.
“Father, now that Mother has gone back, you’ll have to fend for yourself!”
Seeing Sun Shi still waving at him from the stern, Zhang Yue raised his hand to wave back. Only after the figures on the ship disappeared completely did he turn around and start walking back and forth. When Hu Qi approached, his warm smile vanished, and he asked in a stern tone, “What’s become of that matter you mentioned this morning?”
“Liang Ming from the Eastern Depot has already silenced him according to Lu Feng’s orders. Keeping such a person around is useless for Lord Yuan and you—it’s only a source of trouble. Better to kill him; anyway, the blame can be laid on Lord Lu. He hasn’t told anyone else about this, so we only need to be wary of Lord Lu. As for Lady Fang, Lord Yuan has ordered the Jinyiwei to pay extra attention everywhere, but so far no clues have been found. She must have her own ways of hiding, making it difficult to track her down. As for the young master’s outer residence, from what Lord Yuan has gathered so far, it seems that woman is connected to the Japanese pirates.”
“You mean she’s colluding with them?”
“Because the people on that ship can no longer be found. Lord Yuan is relying on a few clues found from the ship. One of them is noteworthy: the ship was rented by a merchant from Songjiang Prefecture, who is closely related to Yang Ershao, the richest man in Songjiang Prefecture. After the imperial army suppressed the pirates, news spread in Songjiang Prefecture that Yang Ershao was dead. But according to the Jinyiwei’s investigation, Yang Ershao is likely missing, along with much of his family’s wealth and a maid.”

Although he had told his second uncle Zhang You that he wasn’t someone who would recklessly take lives, since arriving in this era, Zhang Yue had already taken hundreds of lives, directly or indirectly. So it wasn’t the blood on his hands he feared, but rather the temptation to kill. At that moment, his desire to kill surged, but thinking of how Zhang Chao had, to some extent, truly cared for this woman because of his former love interest, he felt compelled to consider things more carefully. After pondering for a while, he ordered Hu Qi again, “Now that things have come to this, tell me the truth. The status of the Jinyiwei isn’t what it used to be. Given Lord Yuan’s character, he surely wouldn’t act without any preparations. What instructions did he give you?”
Surprised by Zhang Yue’s sudden question, Hu Qi hesitated for a long time before finally revealing the truth under his piercing gaze: “Lord Yuan is gradually separating parts of the Jinyiwei’s espionage network. The original network still remains under the Jinyiwei’s control, while the new networks he established are being handed over to me one by one. I’m in charge of all except one. Lord Yuan said he doesn’t know when he might no longer be in power, so he needs to plan for himself and you in the future.”
Learning that Yuan Fang was already preparing a backup plan, Zhang Yue felt relieved. Then, thoughtfully, he asked, “Is the one network not under your control still controlled by Fan Xiyan, or now Lin Sha?”
“How did you know, young master?” Hu Qi was surprised that Zhang Yue guessed correctly so quickly. An unmistakable odd expression appeared on his face. “Though she’s a woman, her methods are extremely ruthless. I once disguised myself and went to her to get information, but I almost got recognized by her. She refuses to acknowledge anyone but Lord Yuan. You’ve recommended a truly loyal subordinate to Lord Yuan—even Mu Tou probably isn’t as fanatical about him as she is.”
Fanatical… Could it be that the person he had recommended on a whim was actually a natural spy? At that moment, looking at Hu Qi’s strange expression, Zhang Yue also began to doubt. Whether that girl was Fan Xiyan or Lin Sha, it had nothing to do with him anymore. It was Yuan Fang’s problem, so he quickly set that thought aside.
“While the Eastern Depot hasn’t acted yet, Liang Ming has found out where that woman lives. Let’s go there right now. I’ve taken today off as well. If I ask for more leave in the future, Minister Zhao Jin probably won’t approve it again.”
“Hasn’t the young master informed the old lady and the eldest young master?”

“Grandma is still sick; don’t disturb her. I’ll go explain later. As for my elder brother, he’s only just calmed down. Going to see him will surely stir his emotions again. Besides, his faults aren’t any less than that woman’s. Moreover, this isn’t the right time for such disruptive actions. I just want to see that woman in person again. After being locked up for so long, I hope she’s become smarter by now.”
It was late autumn, and the canal was filled with grain ships coming from the south. The docks were crowded with porters and laborers who relied on river transport for a living, and there were even a few military ships, adding a touch of solemnity to this bustling place. Seeing Zhang Yue turn to gaze at the busy docks, Hu Qi immediately understood what he meant. Nodding, he followed Zhang Yue through the crowded crowd outside. After finally breaking through to the outside, several attendants were already waiting there with horses. The master and his attendant went to join them, mounted their horses, and quickly left Tongzhou, soon reaching the road leading to Beijing.
Since the people there had been arranged by the Gu family, Zhang Yue had never inquired about it, so this was his first time here. Fortunately, Hu Qi had already taken detailed instructions from Liang Ming. After entering Beijing through Desheng Gate, the group headed straight to Yangfang Hutong near Jishuitan. As Beijing was still sparsely populated at that time, there were hardly any residents in this area, and even government officials rarely came here. The six or seven of them rushed into the hutong at top speed, without disturbing any neighbors, and smoothly found their target.
Hu Qi knocked for a while before the dark wooden door finally cracked open a slit. The guard inside saw the large group in front of the door and was shocked. He hurriedly opened the two doors and stepped out awkwardly, saying, “Third young master, how is it that it’s you?”
“I’m here to take a look.”
Zhang Yue gave a brief reply of four words and didn’t explain further, stepping straight through the threshold. At that moment, Hu Qi signaled his three brothers, who scattered to keep watch. He then pushed the dumbfounded Liansheng and Lianhu inside and pulled the bewildered guard in as well. Only after he closed the door himself did he realize that Lingxi had also come today.
How could it be such a coincidence?

Lingxi never expected Zhang Yue to come here. Upon receiving the message, she hurriedly left the room. Seeing that it was indeed Zhang Yue, and noticing the few servants specially assigned by the Gu family, she was at a loss for words. Without hesitation, she stepped forward and bowed, then said, “Winter is approaching. This morning, the old lady asked me to check if there was enough firewood for the heated bed. Who would have thought it would be you, the third young master, who would come to check personally? With this, Miss Zhao won’t have to worry about the cold this winter.”

Zhang Yue, who was here for the first time, was puzzled by Lingxi’s tone. He had thought that since the woman had managed to escape once before, the place must be as tightly guarded as a prison with no loopholes. But the situation seemed to defy his expectations. Noticing that the servants around him looked enlightened, he smiled and said, “I just came by to take a quick look. With you here, what could Grandmother worry about?”

“How could she not worry? She’s keeping me here—a person who can neither be killed nor released!”

After eavesdropping from inside the door for a while, Fengying finally couldn’t hold back anymore and pulled back the curtain to leave the room. Despite living under house arrest, she still dressed up every day, refusing to treat herself poorly. Now, she wore a silver-beaded headband on her forehead, a jade-colored jacket with bamboo leaf patterns, and a peach-colored silk skirt. Her usual charming demeanor was gone, replaced by a cold and stern expression.

“They’ve kept me here for almost a year, and this is the first time a high-ranking master has come. Are they planning to release me or get rid of me to cover up this scandal for the Zhang family? If the third young master really came for that reason, I must say your elder brother is truly unmanly. Where did he get the courage to hide me in the army and then take my body? He speaks sweet words when he wants me, but avoids me like a snake when he’s afraid. If I’m meant to die, shouldn’t he die too? Everything is blamed on women being the cause of trouble. I really don’t know what kind of men exist in this world!”

Lingxi would come by every half month or so. Having served by the Gu family since childhood, she always believed in making things convenient for both others and herself. Over time, she had persuaded Fengying many times, gradually leading to some signs of relaxation from her, and Fengying would sometimes share her thoughts with her. Therefore, seeing Fengying revert to her previous indifferent state all at once, Lingxi grew anxious inside.

Although he knew he had very likely disrupted the Gu family’s plans, things were different now. With the secret already exposed, Zhang Yue couldn’t afford to worry about so much. Glancing coldly at the woman before him, whose face was filled with pride and arrogance, he didn’t pick up on her remark. Instead, he said calmly, “You’re right. If it weren’t for men’s lust, beautiful women wouldn’t be considered a source of disaster. My elder brother indeed made a mistake, but Miss Zhao didn’t have good intentions either, did she? Even if beautiful women aren’t a source of disaster, mistakes shouldn’t be overlooked. Do you still remember that poor Yang Er from Songjiang Prefecture, Miss Zhao?”
Faced with this sudden final question, even Feng Ying, who had experienced much, couldn’t help but change her expression. Seeing Zhang Yue’s piercing gaze fixed on her, realizing that her recent emotional shift must have been noticed by him, she felt regret. It had all started when Zhang Yue disrupted her plans, forcing her to leave Shanghai County, and now she had ended up trapped in his web again!
He wasn’t the kind of man who could be easily deceived—this was the famous Butcher Zhang!