Chapter 52: Brothers United

When Zhang Yue was born, the third branch held no status in the family. Coupled with the fact that the Dongfang family had already had two sons, this grandson was immediately overlooked. Thus, Grandma Sun couldn’t stand the wet nurse assigned by the family and decided to raise the child herself. Though it was against the rules, it allowed her to pour more love and expectations into her son.

This time, despite giving birth to another daughter during a time of great upheaval in the Zhang family, the servants took even better care of her than they had when she gave birth before. The midwife and wet nurse were prepared in advance, and maids and wives from all branches offered enthusiastic assistance. Eventually, she even gave birth in the main east wing—a treatment even the Dongfang family had never afforded her before.

Unable to visit his mother who was still recovering, Zhang Yue kept an eye on his newborn sister whenever he could. Born premature, she was quite frail, with only a thin layer of hair on her head, appearing extremely weak. No matter how he looked, her tiny wrinkled face remained closed, as if she had no energy.

He gently pressed his finger on her face and asked the wet nurse beside him, “How is my sister these past few days?”

The wet nurse, Qin Siniang, was not a native of the Zhang family but had recently been sold into the household—something common in Henan due to years of natural disasters. She was a simple and honest woman who replied with a naive smile, “Young master, the third miss has a big appetite. She won’t stop eating until she’s full, and then she falls into a deep sleep. With such an appetite and sleepiness, the weakness she had in the womb will soon fade. Haven’t you noticed that the third miss has gained some weight?”

At the time of her birth, everyone was focused on ensuring the safety of both mother and daughter, so Zhang Yue hadn’t really noticed how small she was. Now that he took a closer look, he did think she seemed a bit plump. Smiling to himself at his overthinking, he instructed Qin Siniang to take good care of her.

After stepping outside, he shook his head, thinking that it would likely take some time before his sister could have a name. With the current chaos, who had the energy to think about such things?

He had heard that after he read that letter the previous day, his second uncle Zhang You and his father Zhang Zhuo were called away by Lady Gu to discuss matters, with Zhang Zhuo not returning all night. Although he knew his father was capable, the thought of him possibly being sent to the capital to handle such important affairs filled him with unease.

After all, his father wasn’t a career official!

Just as he was about to go check the main house, Zhang Yue suddenly saw his haggard father entering the courtyard and hurried over to greet him. Noting the red eyes and dark circles, he knew Zhang Zhuo must have stayed up all night. He quickly stepped forward to support him. After entering, he habitually called for Pearl to bring tea, but no one replied. Only then did he remember that Pearl was currently attending to Lady Sun, Huobo Qiuheng had gone to the main house to check on things, and the maids had all been sent to the east wing of the main house to help.

“Never mind. I don’t know how much strong tea I’ve drunk all night. I really don’t feel like drinking tea now,” Zhang Zhuo said tiredly, waving his hand before gesturing for his son to sit beside him. He continued, “Last day, the old lady mentioned your suggestions to me and your second uncle. Your second uncle was very surprised, but I found it reasonable. Indeed, you have insight! Alas, our Zhang family has been prominent for so many years, yet with this recent upheaval, all those old acquaintances have avoided us and refused to see us. It’s truly disheartening.”

“Father must have endured a lot of cold treatment tonight. You must be exhausted,” Zhang Yue said. Instead of sitting down, he went straight behind Zhang Zhuo, placed his hands on his father’s shoulders, and gently massaged them. He added, “It’s human nature to seek good fortune and avoid disaster. In times like these, it’s predictable that few will offer help while many will take advantage. In fact, if one builds good relationships now, the rewards in the future will be a thousand times greater.”

Zhang Zhuo was somewhat surprised. “Are you so sure our Zhang family can get through this crisis unscathed?”

“Father, if it weren’t for orders from above, the Jinyiwei would have rushed in like wolves to arrest people—why would they care about propriety? Besides, Mu Qianhu revealed so many secrets, whether intentionally or not. Why would he do that?”

Suddenly, Zhang Yue felt the shoulders beneath his hands tremble slightly, which puzzled him. After a while, he heard a soft sigh from his father in front of him.

“The Jinyiwei are the emperor’s loyal dogs. Don’t let their attitude mislead you. The emperor’s intentions are inscrutable; there are things you simply can’t figure out. Otherwise, why would Ji Gang, the commander of the Jinyiwei, die so quickly? Don’t assume too much. Whatever information Mu Ning gave you is at most a personal favor, nothing official… Enough about this. If we need to send someone to the capital, we’ll have to raise some money. I originally set aside three thousand taels of silver for your marriage, but we’ll have to use it now. Don’t blame your father.”

Zhang Yue was pondering what had been said earlier and didn’t pay much attention to the mention of three thousand taels of silver, so he simply replied casually, “If the skin is gone, where can the hair attach? I understand that principle. Besides, I’m still young—why rush into marriage?” Suddenly remembering something, he quickly asked, “Did Father decide to use these three thousand taels on his own, or was it Grandmother’s instruction?”
“It was my own decision.”
Zhang Zhuo was about to explain further when the curtain at the main entrance was lifted, and Zhang You, with a scruffy beard and a blue-tinged face, entered. Seeing his elder brother in such a state, his heart skipped a beat, but then he heard earnest words from him.
“Third brother, if we’re to go to the capital this time, it will likely cost a fortune. I originally advised Mother to use the public funds, but she refused stubbornly and insisted that Lingxi convert all her fifteen thousand taels of private silver into gold. I just discussed it with your second sister-in-law, and she can spare about five thousand taels. Your first sister-in-law contributed eight thousand taels and said there are also many valuables in our old house in Nanjing. Even without those, that’s already twenty-eight thousand taels, more than enough. You only passed the imperial examination the year before last, so your income has always been limited, and your wife has just given birth. So after discussing it, we decided you don’t need to contribute any money.”
“That can’t be!” Zhang Zhuo stood up immediately, stunned, and said solemnly, “Although I’m not as wealthy as my first sister-in-law or second brother, I can still contribute three thousand taels. Whether it’s used or not, it’s at least a token of my sincerity. I spent last night outside, facing countless cold looks. Now, there’s no hope of borrowing from others—at this moment, we can only rely on those within our own family!”
In a large family, the relationship between legitimate and illegitimate brothers is usually ordinary. As an official himself, Zhang You understood well that everyone shares weal and woe, so he had long given up any thought of challenging his elder brother and was fully focused on resolving this crisis. Thinking further, he realized that his third brother Zhang Zhuo hadn’t received much benefit from the family, so it would indeed be unfair to ask him to pay to rescue his elder brother. That was why he had said what he said earlier. But now, facing Zhang Zhuo’s response, he felt guilty.
“Good brother…”
He placed his hands firmly on Zhang Zhuo’s shoulders and said slowly, “Just for your brotherly loyalty, no matter what happens to Brother Yue in the future, I will definitely do my best to help him… It’s in times of crisis that people’s true nature shows—our Zhang family is truly remarkable!”

Seeing this, Zhang Yue, who was standing by, also felt deeply moved and almost wanted to praise his father for his bravery. Money could be made again, but once the family’s reputation was ruined, it could never be restored. Zhang Xin was not only the eldest son of the Zhang family of Xiangfu but also a role model for the entire family. To truly overcome difficulties, they needed to stand together when crisis struck.