Chapter 47: Weakness Under Forced Strength

Gu’s prestige did not stem so much from her two sons who held official positions in military and civil affairs, but rather from that highly accomplished Duke of Ying in the capital. Zhang Yu had died in battle long ago, his wife also passed away early, and although his eldest son Zhang Fu followed in his footsteps and achieved military success, he relied heavily on Gu’s support for household affairs, which made him particularly respectful toward her.

Thus, as soon as Gu appeared in Ruiqing Hall, Mu Ning shed his previous indifferent demeanor and put on a respectful expression, explaining everything in detail—turns out, the issue of the Yellow River breach in Kaifeng, which had been suppressed four years earlier, was brought up again, causing turmoil in the court. Moreover, a cautious censor discovered many irregularities in the construction of coastal defenses in Zhejiang and reported them severely, naturally angering the emperor.

While Zhang Xin was skeptical about this reason, Gu didn’t believe it at all. With gray hair, she stared intently at the Jinyiwei officer before her until he awkwardly turned his head to the side. Only then did she smile slightly.

“Lord Mu, rest assured. Our Zhang family owes its grace to the emperor. Whether this is true or not, I, an old woman, will ensure my eldest son accompanies you to Nanjing. Whether he is loyal or treacherous, the emperor will make the final judgment. I’ve already ordered them to find people. I only hope Lord Mu won’t suspect me of tipping off the fugitives.”

“Your Excellency is so wise. How could I dare doubt you?” Mu Ning bowed deeply with a cheerful smile. “The Northern Pacification Commission has also sent word that they intend to treat Lord Zhang with respect. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come with just twelve officers—instead, I would have brought all the troops from Henan.”

Gu smiled slightly, then leaned back in her armchair, closing her eyes, and said nothing more. Since she remained silent, Mu Ning also sat calmly as if nothing had happened, showing no urgency. Meanwhile, Zhang Yue, standing nearby, carefully recalled what Du Zhen had once mentioned about the court situation, pondering the origins of this latest trouble.

After much thought, he suddenly recalled a key phrase from the beginning—Ji Gang was dead? That once all-powerful commander of the Jinyiwei, Ji Gang, was dead!

Du Zhen had once introduced him to the key figures in the imperial court, so he knew that Ji Gang, rather than being a loyal dog of the emperor, had become an arrogant mad dog, one who even colluded with Prince Zhu Gaoxu of Han. Prince Zhu Gaoxu had always coveted the throne and had never stopped using underhanded tactics. Now that Ji Gang was dead…

In an instant, a less than pleasant thought flashed through Zhang Yue’s mind—the words Zhang Xin had spoken four years ago when he returned to pay respects to Lady Gu echoed in his ears, with certain phrases particularly striking—back then, King Han Zhu Gaoxu had presented a jade Guanyin statue! At this moment, all the unspoken crises posed by Du Zhen suddenly found answers, but those answers truly sent shivers down his spine.

The waiting seemed endless. Lady Gu closed her eyes to rest, Zhang Yue was in a state of turmoil, while Mu Ning remained calm and composed. It was unclear how much time passed before someone finally broke into the quietly silent Ruiqing Hall. Yet, it wasn’t Zhang Xin—it was Zhang You and Zhang Zhuo. The two brothers stepped forward together to pay their respects to Lady Gu, then turned their attention to the strange visitor.

Zhang You’s gaze held doubt, while Zhang Zhuo’s expression was a mix of suspicion and annoyance. Neither brother said a word, but their silence vanished after Lady Gu gave a brief explanation.

Zhang You reacted violently and directly. His fist clenched with a crackling sound, as if he were about to throw it out without hesitation. His voice roared, “Our elder brother has always been an honest and diligent official. How could he possibly be corrupt or neglect his duties?”

Zhang Zhuo, on the other hand, was much more cautious. He gave Mu Ning a sharp, knife-like glance before turning to Lady Gu and saying, “Our elder brother’s reputation as an official has always been excellent. I truly can’t believe such charges are levied against him for no reason.”

Lady Gu merely sneered indifferently, “We’ll have to wait until our eldest son returns to ask him.”

Having waited so long only to find someone other than the person they were expecting, Zhang Yue grew increasingly anxious, his legs starting to numb. Yet when Lady Gu turned to him and calmly ordered him to go rest, he firmly shook his head. After waiting so long, if he left now, he would have to rely on others’ accounts of what happened next. If something serious had occurred, it would be too late to regret it.

Lady Gu gave Zhang Yue a deep look and nodded in approval, then quietly continued to wait. Meanwhile, Zhang You and Zhang Zhuo, who had just returned, stood on the other side. As a result, Mu Ning, sitting across from them, grew uneasy. Before long, he stood up, turned around, and pretended to admire a painting on the wall with serious focus.

Thus, in Ruiqing Hall, only Lady Gu sat alone in the grand chair while everyone else stood. They waited for another half an hour before Zhang Xin, who was late, finally entered through the main gate. As soon as he stepped in, he noticed that all eyes in the room were fixed on him. Puzzled, he hurried forward to pay his respects when he heard a stern voice.

“You needn’t perform any trivial rituals!” Lady Gu, who had been suppressing her anger for a long time, suddenly let it burst out. “Lord Mu from the Henan Garrison of the Jinyiwei has been waiting for you for quite some time. You’ve done something terrible—enough to force the Northern Pacification Commission to issue an order to bring you to Nanjing, listing all your offenses. You’ve brought shame upon the Zhang family!”

Zhang Xin was stunned by this harsh rebuke. After regaining his composure, he tried to defend himself, but then a gentle voice spoke up.

“Madam, please don’t rush to scold Lord Zhang. It’s just that the Northern Pacification Commission has issued an order, but the truth isn’t yet clear. If Lord Zhang is wrongly accused, that would be unjust. Everything handled by the Northern Pacification Commission ultimately depends on the emperor’s decision. Lord Zhang has endured hardships over the years, and the emperor, being fair, will surely investigate thoroughly before making a judgment. After all, isn’t there also the Duke of Yingguo?”

These seemingly apologetic words only made Zhang Xin angrier. Yet, having spent many years in the capital, he knew well how ruthless the Jinyiwei could be—even meritorious officials feared them. He forced down his anger. After pondering for a moment, he stepped forward, lifted his robe, knelt down, and kowtowed three times before standing up.

“Mother, I’ve been an official for many years. Though I can’t say I’ve never made a mistake, I believe I’ve committed no serious errors. I have a clear conscience and have never brought shame upon the Zhang family. I’ll go with them now. Please take care.”

Zhang Yue always thought his uncle Zhang Xin appeared honest and gentle but was actually shrewd and calculating. He expected at least some argument, but to his surprise, Zhang Xin simply expressed his feelings and then stood up to leave right away. He was stunned. Not only him, but Zhang You and Zhang Zhuo, who hadn’t had time to interject, also exchanged puzzled looks. Even Lady Gu didn’t expect her own son to say just that much. Mu Ning, however, was quick-witted. He stood up, bowed deeply, and said that the Zhang family truly understood righteousness before chasing after them.

Soon, voices from outside came through, ordering the Jinyiwei to leave.

After all, Zhang You was also a general of the fourth rank. He immediately reacted and hurriedly warned, “Mother, we can’t let our eldest brother just walk away like this. We still don’t understand what’s going on! With such a major incident, how could the Duke of Yingguo not send any message?”
Gu Shi seemed not to hear him, standing up in a dazed state before suddenly stumbling. Zhang Yue, who had been by her side, saw the situation was bad and quickly stepped forward to support her, only to lose his balance as well. Fortunately, Zhang You and Zhang Zhuo came to help as well, and they finally managed to seat Gu Shi back in her armchair.
“If there really hadn’t been a major crisis, Nanjing would surely have sent some news! Let them take our eldest brother away; we can discuss things later… In times like these, we can only take things one step at a time…”
After muttering nervously for a while, Gu Shi suddenly tilted her head and fainted, causing panic among the three people nearby.
Seeing this, Zhang Yue didn’t care about anything else. He left a note for Zhang You and Zhang Zhuo saying he would go fetch a doctor before rushing out at top speed. At that moment, he clearly realized that his grandmother had been holding on all along, and now that he was gone, she could no longer sustain herself.