Chapter 501: Illness and Alliance

Marquis Wu’an Zheng Heng originally wanted to keep Zhang Yue at the military headquarters, but Zhang Yue didn’t want his every move to be under someone else’s watchful eye, so he politely declined, saying he would stay at Meng Jun’s courtyard on Bajinzhen Street during his time in Xuanfu. Thus, Zheng Heng stopped trying to persuade him further and simply sent people to escort him back.

Although his stomach was full from the ginger soup and home-cooked dishes earlier, and he had dozed off most of the way, upon arriving, Zhang Yue still felt dizzy and unable to resist drowsiness. As soon as he entered the house, he headed straight for the heated kang and fell asleep without even taking off his shoes. Lian Sheng and Lian Hu, who followed him, hurriedly moved the table away, removed his boots, and brought blankets to cover him. Exhausted and sleepy, they mustered their last bit of energy to ask Xiang Long and Liu Bao to remind him to wake up at You hour, then went to sleep themselves.

Compared to Zhang Yue, the two of them were even more pitiful. They had hardly gotten any proper sleep in Xinghe, and along the way they had to stay alert to take care of the patient. Now they really wished they could sleep for three days and nights!

Zhang Yue slept very soundly. When he was awakened, he thought it was already daylight. It took him a while to come back to his senses after opening his eyes, and then he suddenly remembered he had an appointment that evening. When he tried to sit up, even a slight movement caused severe pain in his muscles and a throbbing headache. At that moment, he realized he was in serious trouble this time. Even though he hadn’t wanted to make a fuss before, he didn’t want to risk his health either. He quickly asked Peng Shisan to find a doctor and sent Xiang Long to explain the situation to Lu Feng, then returned to the warm kang.

Since training with Peng Shisan, he had shed his reputation as a sickly person, and his health had improved day by day. Even minor illnesses like headaches and fevers healed quickly. His mother, Lady Sun, had been overjoyed at that time. This time, it seemed he was truly exhausted—this feeling of complete physical depletion had never happened before, probably because he had exerted all his strength under pressure earlier. But in two days, there would be a military parade, how could he miss it due to illness?

Peng Shisan had once trained under Lord Zhang Fu in Xuanfu, so he was very familiar with the situation inside the city. Soon after, he brought back a middle-aged doctor in a horse-drawn carriage, claiming he was the most skilled physician in the city. Although Dr. Yang did not know the patient’s identity, he was frightened by the speeding carriage along the way. When he entered the room to take the pulse and saw attendants standing all around, he quickly gathered his composure. After checking both the left and right arms, he became confident.

“The weather is cold now. It seems the young master has caught a cold after days of hard work. Although the illness is severe, given your strong constitution, it shouldn’t be a problem. With proper care and herbal medicine, resting at home for half a month should be enough, and no lasting effects will remain.”

This last sentence was naturally meant to reassure everyone present. In his view, such wealthy young masters were more concerned about their lives than anyone else. Yet, to his surprise, none of them seemed relieved upon hearing this. Instead, they all frowned, especially the patient in bed.

“Half a month of rest is absolutely out of the question. I must leave in two days, and I need to be in top form. I know my own health well—I’m not the type to need half a month of rest for a minor illness. Since Dr. Yang is the most skilled physician in Xuanfu, I hope you’ll go to great lengths to help me.”

Now it was Dr. Yang’s turn to frown. He had also treated wealthy families in Xuanfu. Usually, once he suggested rest, aside from a few officers, those wealthy people wanted to stay in bed all day. But this man wanted to leave in just two days? After some thought, he cautiously asked, “Your illness is actually a mild form of typhoid. It’s already difficult to recover within two days. If you go out and get exposed to cold wind, you’ll likely need to rest again. Why go through the trouble?”

Liansheng, who hadn’t gotten enough sleep, was pulled out of bed. Realizing Zhang Yue’s illness seemed to have worsened, he lost much of his sleepiness and felt even more worried. Hearing Dr. Yang’s nagging now, he snapped, “If there’s a solution, my young master can just sweat it out and recover on his own. Why do you need to keep nagging? In two days, there’s a major military inspection in Xuanfu. My young master has been ordered to oversee the military affairs there. If he doesn’t show up, will you take responsibility?”

“Lian, shut up! Why be angry at a doctor?” Zhang Yue glared at him irritably. Seeing Lian retreat angrily to the side, he smiled at Doctor Yang and said, “The servant acted in haste. Please forgive him, Doctor Yang. I must leave in two days. If it’s done properly, even the most potent medicines can be used without hesitation.”

Doctor Yang had once visited the commander’s residence to treat Xu Heng, the Marquis of Xing’an, but due to repeated warnings along the way, he only prescribed mild remedies. Now, he was surprised that Zhang Yue was so young yet already in charge of military affairs in Xuanfu. Hearing that Zhang Yue wasn’t afraid of strong medicines, he immediately perked up, thinking, “No wonder he’s achieved success at such a young age—he knows not to restrict a doctor’s treatment methods.”

“In that case, I’ll go prepare the prescription right away. Within two days, I guarantee your recovery. But after the military parade, you’ll need to start treatment again—standing in the wind all day is no small thing.”

Zhang Yue nodded with a smile as he saw Doctor Yang leave. As soon as the door curtain rose, someone rushed in—Xiang Long. Without waiting, he hurried forward and bowed, saying, “Young master, Eunuch Lu heard you were ill and insisted on coming here in person. He’s already outside…”

Before he could finish speaking, a deep voice came from outside, “What’s the need for an announcement? I’ve worked with Young Master Zhang many times and faced dangers together. Am I some outsider?”

With that, Lu Feng entered. He wasn’t wearing his flashy qilin robe from earlier but instead a blue satin robe with a wide gold belt, along with dark satin boots. If not for his smooth chin, he might have looked like a young scholar. Without glancing at anyone else, he pulled up a chair in front of the heated bed and sat down before adopting a stern expression.

“If it weren’t for your attendant saying you’ve been ill for days, I wouldn’t have known! Even the strongest person would need time to recover after such a long ordeal in Xinghe. It’s utterly unreasonable of Marquis Wu’an to ask you to attend the parade in two days. How about I go speak to him on your behalf and say you won’t be attending? After all, with the construction of the temple in front of Xinghe Fort, your reputation as a butcher is now firmly established. Who in Xuanfu would dare underestimate you anymore?”

Hearing this, Dr. Yang, who was stunned by the sudden appearance of these two people, hurriedly stepped outside, finally understanding who his patient really was. To boost morale, ever since news came from Xinghe, Marquis Wu’an Zheng Heng sent riders throughout the city to spread military news, further adding to Zhang Yue’s notorious reputation. Yet, thinking of that pale-faced, gentle-looking young man, he simply couldn’t associate him with the nickname “butcher.”

One truly cannot judge a person by their appearance, nor can the depth of the sea be measured!

Leaning back in the chair on the kang, Zhang Yue saw Lu Feng move a chair to sit in front of the kang and gave a subtle signal to the others in the room. Once they all left, he asked with a half-smile, “If it were you, Lord Lu, who fell ill just as you took office, would you give others something to gossip about by staying home to recover?”

“Of course not. Even if I were dying, I wouldn’t let myself lose face in front of others!” Lu Feng replied crisply, then suddenly seemed to realize something and immediately put on a smiling face. “Very good, Lord Zhang. You’re right. As the governor of Xuanfu, it would indeed be a source of ridicule if you skipped the military inspection. I invited you here tonight because I have something to discuss. While you’ve been trapped in Xinghe, I’ve not been idle. I spent a lot of money and finally got some information.”

Seeing that Zhang Yue just stared at him smiling without speaking, Lu Feng stopped teasing and leaned forward to say directly, “When we came to Xuanfu, didn’t we take in that Niu Gan? I’ve always wondered why Wang Guan dared to issue an execution order bypassing Xu Heng, the Marquis of Xing’an. It turns out there’s a lot more to it! Back when Arutai submitted, Zhangjiakou Fort had a trading post for mutual commerce with them. But ever since the emperor decided to launch a northern campaign, that trade stopped. Yet that wretch Wang Guan still secretly traded with the Tartars. I heard the last shipment consisted of dozens of carts, including a large amount of tea bricks!”

As expected!

Zhang Yue, who already knew this, pretended to be surprised, then pretended to ponder deeply before raising his head and asking, “If that’s the case, is it possible he also leaked military secrets?”

“That’s a certainty!” Seeing Zhang Yue realize this after his reminder, Lu Feng immediately grew proud, thinking he had done him a great favor. Then he said darkly, “He thinks that by bribing the Jinyiwei here he can dominate everything, but we’re not easy to fool. A few days ago, we already sent someone to the capital to report the situation—Yuan Fang will send some elite troops here soon! What do you say, Lord Zhang? Let’s work together to bring that damned bastard down and get some revenge!”
“After all, he’s an eunuch appointed to guard Xuanfu. We need solid evidence…”
“Lord Zhang, don’t forget that Wang Guan isn’t just Huang Yan’s adopted son—he was also promised the position of head eunuch by Huang Yan! Huang Yan can be said to have died at your hands—of course, we also had a role in that. He won’t get another chance after this. If you let him go, you’re just seeking your own death! What kind of relationship do we have that I’d let you suffer? Evidence is easy to obtain. We’ll take care of everything; you just need to seize the opportunity to push things forward!”
They’d take on all the hard work, leaving him with the simplest task of finishing him off. This was exactly what Zhang Yue wanted. After this simple alliance was formed, watching Lu Feng leave excitedly, he leaned back with his hands behind his head and narrowed his eyes slightly.
He had first brought down the three top leaders of the Secretariat, then Ma Qi. If he personally sent Wang Guan to his death this time, he might end up with another title as an eunuch exterminator, which wasn’t what he wanted.