Chapter 507: One Must Be Fully Focused When Playing Chess

Like other prefectures in the Ming Dynasty, Xuanfu also enforced a curfew. The evening drum was struck at 3 a.m., and the morning bell at 3 a.m. as well; ordinary people were not allowed to travel during this time, and those who violated the rule were punished with whips. Once the curfew took effect, the keys to the four city gates were kept by the commander of Xuanfu. Anyone else wishing to leave the city had to report to the commander’s residence to borrow the keys. However, as it was a key military stronghold on the border, the curfew rules could be adjusted depending on circumstances—officers from places like the commander’s residence, the eunuch guards, or the Jinyiwei could still move freely.

Yet, with the bitter cold and no urgent military matters, the roads were naturally empty. Apart from the sound of the watchmen beating their drums and occasional chatter, hardly any people were seen walking at night. Barriers had been set up at several important intersections to prevent thieves from roaming, and several night patrol soldiers were chatting while preparing to lock them. Just then, the sound of hurried horse hooves came from one end of the road. Immediately, everyone grabbed their weapons and rushed forward.

“Who is it?”
“I am Lord Xiao Zhang’s bodyguard, with a pass issued by the commander’s residence.”

The man said these simple words before showing the pass in his hand. The leading soldier took it, inspected it, and immediately signaled to unlock the gates and let them pass. Only after they left did the soldiers lock the gates again, paying no attention to the man who had passed. Such important individuals often came by at night; since the pass was genuine, there was no need to fuss.

The rider passed through two important intersections and then turned into an alley. Due to the darkness, he had to light a flint to find his way. After knocking on the door twice fast and once slow, the two paint-peeled gates quickly opened silently. He slipped in swiftly and, before the people inside could close the door, hurriedly asked, “Brother, what’s going on? Didn’t the young master tell you to stay in the capital?”

Hu Qi carefully closed the door, pulled Xiang Long inside, and shut the door again before explaining in a serious tone, “It was Lord Yuan who sent me here. I know you must have faced many hardships in Xinghe, but things aren’t any better in the capital. While you were away, First Madam Fang suddenly accused a eunuch during a prayer ceremony, then the emperor became furious upon learning about the young master keeping a concubine in a secret house and exiled him. After that, someone reported that Lord Du had had private dealings with Prince Zhou back in Kaifeng. But the biggest problem is Lord Yuan’s troubles.”

Xiang Long, Hu Qi, Zhao Hu, and Liu Bao were all chosen by Yuan Fang in his early days. The original plan was to get them into the Jinyiwei, but later, when the emperor established the Dongchang to prevent trouble, they simply stayed with Zhang Yue. Although they couldn’t yet have a proper official status, Yuan Fang had promised them bright futures, and since Zhang Yue had always trusted and valued them, they didn’t think their current situation was bad. Yet, the moment they thought of their former benefactor in trouble, they could no longer hold back.

“Lord Yuan is the commander of the Jinyiwei and is highly favored by the emperor. How could he be in trouble?”

“That’s because someone went to Kaifeng to investigate Lord Yuan’s interactions with Lord Zhang. Although nothing has been exposed yet, who knows if trouble might arise suddenly!”

“Lord Zhang… you mean the young master’s father?”

Seeing Hu Qi nod, with his face shadowed in the dim light, Xiang Long became panicked. Finally, mustering up courage, he asked, “Elder brother, what exactly is the relationship between Lord Yuan and Lord Zhang?”

“Don’t ask things that aren’t meant for you.”

Though Hu Qi immediately shut Xiang Long up with a stern reply, he himself was also very puzzled. In his view, Yuan Fang already held a third-rank official position and had previously been granted the hereditary title of commandant—so he should have settled down by now. Yet Yuan Fang not only had no children but also no woman around him; all his servants were male. He even had some extremely disrespectful thoughts until he realized that this cold-hearted leader also had a woman who secretly adored him, which made those thoughts fade.

“I’m just telling you to keep these matters hidden from the young master for now. Although he has handled things well in Qingzhou and the Jiangnan region, Xuanfu is different. The emperor is about to launch a northern campaign, so any mistake in Xuanfu would be a serious one, while any achievement there would be a great one! Lord Yuan believes that being the governor of Xuanfu is not just a title but also a chance for experience. Just before I set off, the emperor bestowed upon Lord Zhang a gilded seal with two rings for his second generation—according to the rules, only officials above the third rank can use such gilded seals, while those in the third or fourth rank can only use those with one or two rings. The young master’s rank and merits are already at the top of the fifth rank; the higher ranks above that are either vacant or belong to officials like ministers or censors.”

Hu Qi paused for a moment, thought about Yuan Fang’s instructions, and added, “Now that the Emperor’s health is unstable, it’s not a good idea for the young master to appoint him to an external position. Instead, a role like governor of Xuanfu, where he can return to the capital at any time, is better. Moreover, joining the northern expedition is originally a great opportunity to earn merits. In short, keep the matters in the capital a secret if you can; if the young master finds out through other channels, be careful as well. Most importantly, never let anything about Lord Yuan slip out, and advise him to be cautious in his actions.”

Having been together for years, Xiang Long understood exactly what Hu Qi meant. If Zhang Yue hadn’t become increasingly prominent, no one would have noticed the connection between Zhang Zhuo and Yuan Fang. They weren’t worried about others investigating—what they didn’t know, others certainly wouldn’t know either. The real concern was someone deliberately trying to slander them, which would cause trouble.

“Alright, I’ll be returning tomorrow. You shouldn’t delay too long either—go back quickly. By the way, take this list to the young master. Among those sent by the Jinyiwei and Dongchang to Lu Feng this time, more than half are our own people. Add to that the spies originally stationed in Xuanfu who weren’t taken along, and you can deploy them under Lord Yuan’s orders. Remember, don’t reveal your true identity—they’re not like us. After all, they’re officials. Unless it’s urgent, don’t call them in lightly.”

After the brothers finished discussing everything, Hu Qi saw Xiang Long off. As soon as he left, Hu Qi immediately climbed over the wall to the next building. He kept climbing walls instead of taking the main path, until he reached the first house at the end of the alley. There, he entered a room with ease, changed into military clothes, and then strode out confidently, disappearing into the night shortly after. Just a short while after he left, five or six burly men broke into the courtyard where he used to live. They turned the entire courtyard upside down but found nothing and left in frustration.

Since his actual task that night was to deliver a message to the eunuch palace, Xiang Long headed straight there after leaving the alley. Without caring whether they believed him or understood, he left after delivering his message and rushed back on horseback to Bazhen Street. He saw that it was already past 9:30 by the water clock, thinking Zhang Yue must have gone to bed. But when he arrived at the inner courtyard, he found the east wing brightly lit. He quickly knocked on the door and asked, “Come in.”

Since Meng Jun had mentioned earlier that there were some messy matters at home, Zhang Yue couldn’t help but press for details. Learning that so much chaos had accumulated at home during his absence of over a month, his mood couldn’t stay positive.

Zhang Chao’s demotion didn’t really bother him—after all, he had done something wrong, and the punishment wasn’t too severe. As long as he worked hard, there might still be opportunities in the future. But his grandmother’s health was poor, and even his father had rushed back now—how could he not worry? As for his father-in-law, it was even worse. He simply couldn’t understand why Du Zhen had offended anyone to the point of being targeted just because of him, an unproductive son-in-law. Moreover, the King of Zhou was also implicated for no reason—what a disaster! In the end, Marquis Wu’an Zheng Heng was truly a cunning old fox; he hadn’t mentioned anything about the Zhang family before.

Seeing Xiang Long enter, Zhang Yue could hold back no longer and asked directly, “What news is there in the capital these days?”

Having just met Hu Qi, Zhang Yue immediately asked this question. Even though Xiang Long wasn’t easily shocked, he was still quite surprised. But he quickly regained his composure and pretended to be confused, shaking his head. “Since most of the Jinyiwei troops in Xuanfu are useless, we don’t know much about what’s going on in the capital. I suppose nothing serious must be happening, otherwise my elder brother would have sent news by now.”

Disturbed, Zhang Yue didn’t pay attention to anything else and frowned discontentedly. “Old Hu used to be extremely reliable in handling matters. What’s going on this time? Even my brother-in-law has informed me, yet he still hasn’t sent any news. Other messy matters aside, my grandmother’s health is worsening, and my father-in-law is being framed—yet he still fails to report such serious matters! No, he shouldn’t be someone who ignores priorities… Could it be Wanmei stopped him? No, Wanmei doesn’t even know he’s still in the capital in charge… Could it be my father… or Uncle Yuan?”

Seeing Zhang Yue frowning and muttering to himself, and soon hitting on the right clue, Xiang Long’s heart started pounding. Marquis Wu’an Zheng Heng wasn’t one to talk too much, but after all, Meng Jun was Zhang Yue’s brother-in-law. If he knew anything about such matters, how could he keep it hidden? Fortunately, Yuan Fang’s problem was still just a hidden crisis for now; otherwise, if Zhang Yue found out too, things would really get difficult.

“Young master, since no one from the capital has sent a message, it seems the people in charge there are confident. You’d better focus on settling matters here first. The emperor must be angry with Lord Du; even if he’s framed, Lord Yuan will surely clear his name. As long as you do well here, it won’t be difficult to secure Lord Du’s release later.”
“I hope so.”
Taking a deep breath, Zhang Yue pushed these troubling thoughts out of his mind. Playing chess required complete concentration—only by playing Xuanfu’s game well could he have the bandwidth to discuss other matters. All the pieces here had already been placed; he couldn’t afford to lose everything he’d achieved so far. Lady Gu wasn’t extremely weak—she was better than Lady Wu before. There was also Feng Yuanming at home, who could at least buy some time. As for his father-in-law… without sufficient merits, how could he exchange him for someone else?