Chapter 455: Merits May Not Impress the Lord, but Power Arouses Envy
Due to Chief Zhang Xin’s demotion and Third Brother Zhang Zhuo’s rank being only fifth grade, the Zhang family’s residence in Wuanhou Hutong, despite bearing the plaque of a Yangwu Bo household, followed the regulations of a count’s residence. After the imperial court granted the meritorious officials iron certificates, another courtyard was built south of the Gu family’s main house. At its center stood a five-room, seven-beam structure with plain ridges and large tiles—this was the Eastern family’s main living area, flanked by side rooms, each three rooms long. There were also two smaller courtyards to the east and west. Now that Fang Shuixin was absent, only Aunt Luo lived in the western courtyard.
The Eastern family came from a wealthy household in Kaifeng, but none of its members held official positions. Thus, she married into a prominent family like the Zhangs. What mattered most to her was holding an imperial title. Though she was satisfied with being granted the title of Yangwu Bo’s wife, her strict mother-in-law was always sharp-eyed and never made mistakes. Living together with sisters-in-law, nieces, and nephews, she often felt constrained as the head of the household. What was even harder to bear was the series of problems surrounding her husband and son, which seemed like a drama unfolding one after another.
“Moschus, your mother went to Daqing Shousi Temple to light perpetual lamps for offerings. Be sure not to get the amount of sesame oil wrong.”
“Madam, the abbot of Daqing Shousi Temple personally set it. Lord Zhang needs twelve pounds of sesame oil per month, while the eldest and second sons need five pounds each—these amounts are fixed. Besides, many nobles also light perpetual lamps there for blessings, including the youngest son of the Duke of Yingguo. Though he’s young, he still needs seven pounds of sesame oil per month.”
Hearing this, the Eastern family felt somewhat reassured. Unlike the Gu family, who kept a Buddha altar in their inner room and fasted for half the year, she wasn’t used to burning incense on a last-minute basis, so she still felt uneasy. Recalling her argument with Feng Shi earlier, she grew furious and snorted.
“Now that the old lady is in charge, she’s suppressing us from supporting those two families. As long as Lord Zhang and Chaoer live long lives, we’ll see what happens! It’s not that I’m mocking them, but the eldest and second branches already have illegitimate sons, and property division will surely follow. Chaoer and Qier are siblings born of the same mother and have always been very close—far better than them! The old lady helps Yuegeer all day long, yet she never thinks about how Chaoer, though unassuming, is already a fifth-grade military officer. If Lord Zhang achieves more merits and the title becomes hereditary, he’ll become a hereditary count. But what about Yuegeer? No matter how highly the emperor values him, he’s still just a fifth-grade civil official!”
Shexiang was one of the two maids chosen by the Dongfang family after Linglong got married; she was extremely honest. Hearing what the mistress said, she could only remain silent. Meanwhile, Yushan, who was quick-witted and good at flattery, quickly interjected with a smile, “The mistress is right. It’s the old lady who favors them now. Otherwise, since this is the Yangwu Bo’s residence, it should be the mistress who has the final say. The master and mistress respect the old lady, but this has somehow given them an advantage. Even with Aunt Fang, the mistress still used some tactics…”
“What did you say?”
Dongfang family initially listened with a smile, but upon hearing the last sentence, she flew into a rage. She interrupted her and said coldly, “Don’t talk nonsense just because you’ve heard some random stuff outside! That woman ran away from home without knowing what’s good for her—she has no manners or sense. What does it have to do with me? If you speak such nonsense again, don’t blame me for not being gentle!”
Seeing Yushan nod frantically like a chick pecking at grains and no longer daring to speak, Shexiang also instinctively tucked in her head. After such an unpleasant experience, Dongfang family ignored those two maids completely and continued to search through the bamboo chest for more clothes. Looking at the bright colors like crimson, rose, purple, black, and white, she couldn’t help but think of her own youth. Because Zhang You was an illegitimate son, she had to work so hard to please her mother-in-law, not even daring to wear bright clothes. Now that she could wear them, she was already old. If not for her caution, even the honest Aunt Luo would have gotten her way, let alone Fang Shuixin, who was much younger than her—wouldn’t she have achieved her goals?
“Madam, madam!”
Just as Dongfang family was gritting her teeth, there were calls from outside. Soon, a middle-aged maid lifted the curtain to peek inside. Recognizing it as belonging to Wangxi’s household, her personal maid, she ordered irritably, “If you have something to say, come in and say it. What’s the point of hiding?”
“Madam, it’s bad news!” Seeing Dongfang family glare at her, Wangxi’s household hurried over and glanced at the two young maids before whispering, “Just now, Brother Yue rushed back to the old lady’s main room. I happened to pass by there, and someone was sent out. It seems Brother Yue said that the matter involving Aunt Fang must be reported to the authorities—she can’t be kept hidden any longer…”
“What!” Dongfang immediately became restless, standing up abruptly with a furious expression. “To disturb the authorities over such a trivial matter—do we still have any face as the Zhang family? Our lord is at least a count and is currently leading troops in battles in Jiaozhi. If anything goes wrong because of this, can Brother Yue take responsibility? The old lady has truly gone senile… No, you go stop them outside right away! I’ll go see the old lady and reason with her right now!”
At that moment, only Gu and Zhang Yue were in the main room of the northern courtyard; all the maids, including Bai Fang, had been sent outside to wait. Due to her recent episodes of chest tightness and palpitations, Gu hadn’t been in good spirits these days, and her appetite had declined. If it weren’t for the seriousness of the matter, which required informing the eldest grandmother in the family, Zhang Yue wouldn’t have wanted to disturb her. After explaining the severity of Fang Shuixin’s situation and seeing the old grandmother immediately order someone to report to the authorities, he recounted in detail Feng Ying’s background before sighing deeply.
Since Gu would surely want to verify the source of the information, he had to fabricate some lies: “If it weren’t for Fang Qing, the head of the Fang family in Qingzhou, writing about this matter and mentioning that ship and the people on it, I wouldn’t have thought of it. Even then, I didn’t expect such a ruse to work. It was my mistake for underestimating it. If I had listened to my elder brother and sent someone to investigate earlier, we wouldn’t be in this difficult situation now.”
“I originally thought Brother Chao was just acting rashly, but I never expected him to be so cunning as to bring back such an important person!” Gu’s tone was not angry but weary. After Zhang Yue fed her some hot water, she asked calmly, “A mother shouldn’t handle military affairs. From what Second Brother told you before leaving, we can see his style of leading troops—he’s certainly right. Your response back then was also correct. Killing people can’t be treated like killing chickens or dogs; treating human lives lightly will only lead to others treating you the same way. I’ll leave this matter to you. As for Brother Chao, I’ll go talk to him and put an end to his plans…”
Before she could finish speaking, there was a commotion outside. Soon, the door curtain was thrown open, and Dongfang, looking furious, rushed in. Seeing Zhang Yue sitting with Gu, she forgot to bow, her old grievances surging up again.
“Old lady, I heard that Brother Yue instigated you to report Fang Shuixin’s matter to the authorities? Isn’t that sheer nonsense? What kind of family are we? Even if we’re not among the highest-ranking nobles, we’re still counts’ families—how can we afford to lose face like that! If people find out that we have a runaway concubine, not only will we women be laughed at, but where will Master’s reputation go? If she’s lost, it’s fine to send people to search for her slowly; it would be best if we can find her, but even if not, it’s no big deal. There are plenty of women in the world. Once Master returns, we can find a few more concubines or servants—I have no objections!”
Seeing Dongfang Shi suddenly appear in such an aggressive manner and act so confidently, Zhang Yue immediately frowned deeply. Noticing that Lady Gu was trembling with anger, he stood up and said, “Second aunt probably doesn’t understand the stakes here. If Concubine Fang were just an ordinary concubine, such a response wouldn’t matter much. But although she wasn’t married through proper channels, she was matched by the Duke of Qian, and many officers attended her wedding and spent time in her bridal chamber. Moreover, she is the daughter of the chieftain of Mang City in the southwest. Since Second uncle is leading troops to Jiaonan this time, he will inevitably have to deal with them. If she runs away now, what will others think?”
“I don’t care what others think! What does it matter who arranged the marriage? Can the Duke of Qian interfere in my family’s affairs? All I know is we can’t let a mere concubine ruin Master’s future!”
“But the fact that she ran away without reason is the biggest obstacle for Second uncle!” Zhang Yue already disliked dealing with Dongfang Shi, and now he felt even more angry. “All supplies to Jiaonan are transported from the southwest. With the Censor’s sharp tongue, they could claim that Second uncle is colluding with the southwestern tribes to plot something sinister! Although Second uncle once served as the commander in charge of patrolling the seas to hunt pirates, that time he only had five thousand men, while this time he’s leading tens of thousands! As the commander-in-chief, he’s under constant scrutiny. Instead of letting others strike a hidden blow at a critical moment, it’s better to expose this matter first. The emperor, seeing that our family is wholeheartedly devoted to the country, might show some leniency—better than facing severe punishment later! If second aunt wants to blame someone, blame Concubine Fang for running away too quickly, leaving our family unable to catch up!”
“You…”
At this moment, Dongfang Shi’s face turned red from choking. Though she didn’t understand much about state affairs, she knew Zhang Yue’s words held some credibility, filling her with both fear and alarm. Whether she reported it herself or it was exposed by others, if her petty schemes had caused harm to Zhang You, not only would her dreams of becoming a duchess be shattered, but Zhang You would likely spare her no punishment upon his return.
Despite her inner turmoil, she refused to give up easily: “How would outsiders know if we don’t mention it? Which censor would bother themselves with our family affairs?”
As soon as she finished speaking, the curtain was pushed open again—this time by Bai Fang. She gasped for breath as soon as she stood steady and said, “Madam, the Duke of Yingguo sent Lord Peng here, saying there’s an urgent matter!”
By now, Gu Shi couldn’t be bothered to deal with Dongfang Shi any longer and quickly ordered Zhang Yue to go and find out what was going on. As Zhang Yue headed out, pondering what this urgent matter could be, he grew even more puzzled. When he arrived at their Ruiqing Hall, before he could speak, Peng Shisan stepped forward quickly and bowed.
“Someone from the Censorate has submitted a petition stating that since the Duke of Yingguo once led four campaigns to Jiaozhi, and now the commander of Jiaozhi is also from the Zhang family, he will lead the left wing in this northern campaign as well. It’s rare for one family to have both a duke and a marquis. They ask the emperor to protect these meritorious officials and take away the military power from the Zhang family… This petition was delivered to the Qianqing Palace this afternoon. At that time, my lord was in the emperor’s presence, and the petition about Marquis Fengcheng being too ill to return to court was also submitted. The emperor’s expression turned dark, so my lord sent me right away to inform you. Additionally, Arutai, who was supposed to have retreated north, has come back south. Young Master Yue, please pay close attention at the Ministry of War—this matter is by no means trivial.”