Chapter 482: Desperate but Helpless

Arutai led his troops to Xinghe, and Xinghe was besieged! Just one day before the siege began, Zhang Yue had just sent supplies and weapons there!
Faced with the military reports she had painstakingly obtained, Zhu Ning felt as though her head was about to explode. Although there had been many rumors before Zhang Yue left for Xuanfu, all of them describing extreme danger, she hadn’t worried much since she heard that elite troops from the capital were accompanying him. After all, transporting weapons was originally the duty of the officials in the Ministry of War’s armory department—how could it be so coincidental that he would encounter the Tartars right upon arriving in Xinghe? Yet, the impossible had now become reality. If the city really fell…
Though she kept telling herself to stay calm, she still couldn’t calm down, let alone sit still. She could ignore the troubles caused by Zhang’s second wife before—after all, they shared weal and woe, and it seemed unlikely that Zhang Yue and Du Wan would suffer any harm. But this time was different. If anything happened to him…
At that moment, the first image that came to Zhu Ning’s mind was him lying in a pool of blood, followed by Du Wan in her white mourning clothes. She couldn’t help but shiver twice. Ying Mama, who came to deliver the news, saw her young princess turning pale and blue, pacing back and forth and almost bumping into stools and tables several times. She began to regret telling the truth—she should have spoken more gently.
“Princess, don’t worry too much. Lord Zhang has faced danger before; he should be able to turn misfortune into fortune this time.”
“Turn misfortune into fortune… Do you think I’m a three-year-old child?” Zhu Ning naturally wouldn’t take such comfort seriously. She continued to pace anxiously, “One must first come up with their own plans and respond appropriately before relying on luck—each playing only a fifth role at most! But now he’s trapped in a besieged city. If Xinghe holds out, that’s one thing; but if it falls, even if he survives by chance, the emperor will surely blame him upon his return. If he dies… even if he’s a duke, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to help! This isn’t that simple. Why would those Tartars attack Xinghe at just this time?”

Mother Ying was merely a messenger, incapable of answering Zhu Ning’s questions, so she awkwardly fell silent. Zhu Ning walked back and forth for who knew how long, and by now she no longer cared about avoiding suspicion. She resolved to turn around and order, “Have someone prepare a carriage. While the news hasn’t spread yet, I’ll take the chance to visit the Zhang family. I’ve hid at home long enough to avoid trouble. If anyone tries to cause problems for the ZhouMansion again, I’ll cut my hair and become a nun!”
Facing such an angry outburst, Mother Ying dared not take it seriously. She hurriedly rushed out to give orders, and soon the two maids who had been waiting outside entered the room. Watching them rummage through the chest and then bring out a purple sandalwood jewelry box, the frustrated Zhu Ning snapped, “Stop searching randomly! Just find a thick coat to keep warm. I don’t need those hairpins and ornaments—don’t waste time!”
Soon after, dressed properly, Zhu Ning hurried out of her courtyard, wearing an outer robe of plain silk with a white fox fur lining. When leaving through the Inner Court Gate, she happened to meet one of her father’s trusted eunuchs and had to greet him. Only once she got into the carriage and heard the wheels rolling on the bluestone path did she relax her clenched fist in her sleeve, staring blankly at the red silk curtains fluttering in the cold wind.
During dinner last time, her father had gotten drunk, crying and laughing, saying that Du’s daughter was luckier than his own. When she asked him later, he dismissed it as nonsense from drunkenness. She had always thought her father didn’t know Du Zhen, but now it seemed that the time he spent playing chess with Du Wan at Qixia Temple for over half a month wasn’t just a casual friendship. If they really knew each other, then it made sense why her father, though scolding her for meddling, never stopped her.
Although no news had come from the palace yet, the Zhang family’s backyard was dead silent. Ever since yesterday’s incident, Lady Gu had remained expressionless, barely eating during dinner and barely sleeping all night.
She was nearly seventy years old. Due to her husband’s early death, she had witnessed the family decline and then rise again. An old saying in the Central Plains goes that there is no invincible world, only enduring families—this was what her mother-in-law had taught her most. Though Zhang You wasn’t her biological child, he had called her “mother” for decades and had finally managed to earn the title of earl. Could she really let everything be ruined because of a woman?

“Old lady, this porridge has been reheated three times already. Please at least eat some.” Coming back to her senses, she glanced at Lady Feng, and then Lady Gu realized that this daughter-in-law, who had been carefully chosen in the past, was now also old. White hair tips showed beneath her dark hair, clearly indicating the use of hair dye. Thinking of how Lady Feng had enjoyed a comfortable life rising steadily with Zhang Xin in her early years, only to end up living as a widow these past years, she remembered how lively and spirited she used to be, yet now she appeared sickly and troubled. With these thoughts, she sighed, “Set it aside. I’ll eat it in a bit.”

Seeing this scene, Lady Feng didn’t know what to feel. When Zhang Jiu returned with the news that Zhang Xin could come back, she was almost moved to tears with joy; but when Zhang Jiu talked about the chaos in the second branch of the family, she thought she would take pleasure in it, yet instead she felt increasingly anxious. She really hoped that the arrogant Lady Dongfang would learn a lesson, but if the second branch truly collapsed, and her husband was just a newly reinstated official, how could he survive in this vast capital?

“By the way, where is Young Master Yue’s wife?”

Lady Gu never called Du Wan by name in front of others. She casually asked this question, and when she saw everyone looking at each other, she glanced around the room. Everyone else was there except Du Wan and Zhang Jiu, which made her even more puzzled. Just then, someone pulled back the curtain and came in—it was Lingxi and Zhang Jiu.

“Old lady, this is almond tea prepared fresh in the kitchen by the fourth young master. Please show some understanding for his filial piety,” Lingxi said with a smile as she placed the tea tray on the kang table. Zhang Jiu handed over the teacup with both hands, then added, “Since the first young madam sent someone to invite her, the third young madam went over. She should be here in a moment.”

“Did Young Master Chao’s wife ask her to go?” Lady Gu frowned. The chaotic situation in the second branch immediately came to mind, and she almost burned her hand on the hot almond tea. Taking a breath of cool air to regain her composure, she said to everyone, “It would be good if Young Master Chao’s wife and Young Master Qi’s wife could complement each other’s temperaments. One is too gentle, while the other is too harsh. If people didn’t know the truth, they might think Young Master Qi’s wife is from the actual marquis family, while Young Master Chao’s wife is just a relative from the earl’s family. In such a large household, people who are too soft or too harsh won’t do—those who can’t be gentle yet firm will eventually cause trouble for the family…”

When the news reached her yesterday, Dongfang Shi was initially shocked, then rushed to Fang Shuixin’s room to curse loudly. But to her surprise, Fang Shuixin, abandoning her previous coldness, retorted fiercely, exposing all the things she had done. Humiliated and angry, she wanted to slap this damned troublemaker, but Gu Shi, who arrived then, stopped her. That wasn’t all—after sending everyone away, Gu Shi scolded her harshly without any mercy.
“Your husband brought back a second wife from Jiaozhi to cause you trouble. He may indeed be heartless, but as the wife of the uncle, you should learn to be more magnanimous in dealing with people. You’ve brought shame upon the family!”
“It was you who taught Chao Ge and Qi Ge how to behave. You’ll rely on them in the future, yet you keep indulging them. Look at the trouble they’ve caused! How I treated you before—how are you treating your two wives now?”
“Fang Concubine is after all from a barbarian tribe, so she might not understand propriety. But you? You’ve been in the Zhang family for so many years. Now that you’re the wife of the uncle, you’ve become arrogant, ignoring me as your mother-in-law. How dare you ignore the law too? This earl fought his way to this position through blood and sweat. Aren’t you sorry for me?”
Thinking of her husband leaving for Annam just three years after their marriage, thinking of serving her strict mother-in-law and raising her young son at home, thinking of longing day and night to wear a wedding crown… At that moment, looking at the gold ingot she had found, Dongfang Shi’s heart twisted in pain. Gathering her courage, she reached out and grabbed it.
Swallowing it would solve everything—she wouldn’t burden her husband or her son!
Bang—
Just then, the door was kicked open violently. Panicked, Dongfang Shi was about to stuff the gold ingot into her mouth when the intruder moved swiftly, leaping forward to grab her wrist and tearing the ingot from her fingers in seconds. Realizing it was Du Wan, and seeing Li Yun behind her with a pale face, she shouted angrily at Li Yun.
“What are you doing here to cause more trouble? If I die, it’ll be over. Isn’t one death enough? Do we need more deaths? It’s better to end it myself than wait for the imperial guards to arrest me!”
“If Second Auntess really thinks of killing herself out of fear of punishment, it will only drag down the whole family!”

Du Wan threw the gold ingot far away. Recalling what had just happened, she felt more annoyed and amused than frightened. They say those who are pitiable must have some faults—wasn’t the Dongfang family the same? Gathering her thoughts, she said word by word, “When troops attack, use generals to resist; when water floods in, use earth to block it. If we panic now, there’s no need for the emperor to send the Jinyiwei to investigate—every weakness will fall into their hands! Even if Second Aunt rarely goes out, she must have heard about Lord Fang. A high-ranking Minister of War was executed even after committing suicide—please think carefully!”
After saying this and stepping out of the southern courtyard, Du Wan saw Qiu Hen rushing over along the path. Before she could ask anything, Qiu Hen, who had finally stopped, gasped for breath and said, “Young Master, hurry… hurry back inside! The princess… the princess has arrived!”