Chapter 524: Good Deeds Bring Good Rewards

The previous search of the Du family was aimed at checking their possessions, while the later one focused on searching for letters. Since the purposes were different, the aftermath of these searches naturally differed greatly.

The weak winter sunlight shone on the chaotic house, making it seem even colder. Yet, despite the mess, the house was fairly orderly. A few male servants were quietly cleaning the outer courtyard, while the two housekeepers were busy gathering the scattered items in the main hall. Smoke rose from the kitchen chimney as a cook skillfully packed the prepared breakfast into lunch boxes.

Du Wan, who had come early in the morning, sat on the edge of the kang and saw her mother slumped there, looking exhausted, which filled her with distress. Qiu Shi stared blankly at the ceiling before sighing.

“Last night, I didn’t want to keep my father-in-law here. I thought it was okay for our family to suffer, but if it affected others, your father would blame me too. Fortunately, though the situation was fierce, those people still had some restraint. They didn’t touch your father’s books, but they took away all his handwritten manuscripts and letters. I haven’t seen firsthand how the Fang and Xia ministers’ homes were searched, but I’ve heard about it. In the Fang minister’s home, almost everything was taken—everyone in the family was left with two sets of clothes and five taels of gold each, and even the houses were sealed. In the Xia minister’s home, at least his son held a position in the Imperial Treasury, yet not even the simplest utensils were spared… So, even if it weren’t just a search but a confiscation of assets, I could still handle it.”

At that moment, Xiao Wu pushed aside the curtain and entered. Hearing this, she frowned in anger and said, “Mother, now that we’re here, how can you always bear everything by yourself? Didn’t Elder Wan say he was willing to take time off to help? You actually sent him away! As for the Zhang family, your father-in-law kept them out of kindness, but you not only sent them away but also told your father-in-law not to come! And with all this misfortune befalling our family, not even Grand Secretary Yang or the two Scholar Shen came to visit!”

Qiu Shi looked at Xiao Wu’s pouting, angry face and smiled slightly. Having been through similar things herself and having another daughter married away, she understood Wan Shijie’s intentions all too well. But Du Wan was her own child, so it wasn’t a problem to explain things clearly. However, Xiao Wu had had such an experience as a child, and if she spoke too harshly, the girl might avoid Wan Shijie instead.

“Of course, everyone has good intentions, but we can’t take it for granted. While we should be grateful for help in difficult times, we shouldn’t let that help cause us trouble! Even Lord Yang and the two Scholar Shen—how do you know they haven’t been working behind the scenes? Does help only count if they come to me and say comforting words?”
Seeing Xiao Wu speechless after Qiu’s words, Du Wan couldn’t help but recall how her mother had taught her as a child. She remembered that her mother had taught her the characters she learned at an early age and had made her memorize Tang and Song poems character by character. Although she later studied under Shen Zao, it was Qiu who taught her the principles of conduct. So, she stood up, placed the food box on a small table nearby, pulled Xiao Wu over to sit beside her, and also chimed in with a few words of advice.
“Xiao Wu, I know you miss your father and feel sorry for your mother, but you need to understand that there’s more than one way to offer help in difficult times. Lord Yang is often in the emperor’s presence, and a casual remark from him might change the emperor’s mind. The two Scholar Shen are just clerks in the Hanlin Academy, but because they are highly trusted and under close observation, it doesn’t mean they haven’t helped out. Even your father would never want his closest friends to be dragged into his troubles. When helping others, we can’t risk ourselves!”
Xiao Wu still wasn’t convinced: “But my brother-in-law tried to take us to the Northern Pacification Commission to visit him, and Big Brother Wan stayed behind to help last night. How can they not be afraid of being implicated?”
Hearing the girl mention Zhang Yue and Wan Shijie together, Du Wan felt both annoyed and amused. She gently pinched her nose and said, “You already call him your brother-in-law—how can you ask such a silly question? He’s your father’s student, your parents’ son-in-law, and my husband. Of course he’ll do his best! As for Young Master Wan… he’s indeed a kind-hearted man!”
“Hmm… I still think a kind person like Big Brother Wan is really… Ah, I forgot! Sister Qi asked me to bring coix seed porridge!”
Even Qiu couldn’t help but smile at Xiao Wu’s naive words. Smiling, she watched as the girl hurriedly lifted the lid of the food box, holding the porridge as if to feed herself. Qiu sat up straight. Despite not having slept all night and having been through a lot of shock, she felt extremely satisfied having her two daughters by her side. After Xiao Wu finished the bowl of porridge, she sent Du Wan to the west room to sort through the books, leaving only Xiao Wu to keep her company and talk.

Like elsewhere, the inner study in Xi Wu’s house was also in a mess. The so-called untouched state meant only that the imperial guards hadn’t taken the books away, but chaos was inevitable. Thinking that Mingdi and Moyu, the two page boys, were probably tidying up the outer study at that moment, Du Wan rolled up her sleeves and began to return the books to their places based on her memory. It was a task that required both mental effort and physical strength; she worked herself into a sweat before managing to sort out just half of them. When she picked up a copy of “Wen Xin Diao Long,” she stared at the elegant handwriting on the title page written by Shen Zao for a while before suddenly hearing a voice behind her.
“Sis, Mom’s asleep. Let me help you!”
Xiao Wu rushed in cheerfully, picked up five or six volumes scattered on the floor, and carried them over, though her eyes still showed signs of staying up all night. After handing them all to Du Wan, she hesitated for a moment before asking softly, “Sis, will Dad really be fine?”
“He definitely will.”
Du Wan nodded firmly, without the slightest hesitation. Seeing the sweet smile appear on Xiao Wu’s face, she felt warmth fill her heart. She quickly turned around to place the volumes on the shelves, hiding the sourness in her eyes. As her emotions settled, her thoughts wandered elsewhere.
Before leaving, Zhang Yue had left Zhao Hu for her. That burly man would deliver a scroll to the second gate every day. She didn’t know where he got the information or how he obtained it, but she knew it was something Zhang Yue wanted her to know. From those scrolls, which he glanced at briefly before throwing them into the charcoal brazier to burn them, she learned that Yang Shiqi had gently pleaded with the emperor, and his colleagues Yang Rong and Jin Youzi had also spoken in his favor. Even the Shen brothers had tried to gather their colleagues to submit a joint petition, but the other scholars in the Hanlin Academy, proud of their status, refused to get involved. After Yang Shiqi persuaded them, they gave up.
That morning, as she boarded the carriage, Zhao Hu passed on a message saying it was the darkness before dawn, and that they just needed to get through it. Yet even so, this darkness, like dark clouds pressing down on the city, was truly terrifying.
After spending an entire day at the Du family’s house, Du Wan planned to stay overnight, but Qiu Shi forced her to leave. In the evening, she took a carriage back to the Zhang family’s mansion in Wu An Hou Hutong. As soon as she got off the carriage at the west gate, she saw the three-door, five-frame gate painted gold with animal faces and tin rings standing open. She quickly asked a gatekeeper who came out to greet her, “Are there people from the palace?”

“It’s Eunuch Zhang, the imperial supervisor, who has come to bestow rewards. The victory report written in the second master’s own hand has arrived, and in addition to beheading thousands of enemies, Li Li’s son, Li Long, was also captured. The Emperor is overjoyed!” Though the gatekeeper kept his head lowered, his voice revealed unmistakable joy. “The third young mistress has returned just in time. I heard Eunuch Zhang even inquired about you. Go in quickly.”

Even though Du Wan was usually composed, hearing this made her perk up immediately. She nodded and rushed inside right away. When she left this morning, Ling Xi had suggested that one of them three should accompany her, but she refused. Apart from the stablehand and Zhao Hu, she only brought Cui Ma, the woman in charge of clothing in the courtyard. So as soon as she entered the main gate, everyone else stepped back, leaving only Cui Ma to follow her. At that moment, a maid came to report that Zhang Qian was in Ruiqing Hall, accompanied by Zhang Zhuo, and specifically asked her to go there.

Since she had been summoned, Du Wan, who had originally planned to visit Lady Gu in the northern main house first, naturally didn’t dare delay. She adjusted her clothes, slowed down her pace, and instructed Cui Ma to go report to the old lady first. When she arrived at Ruiqing Hall, the expanded hall with seven rooms and nine bays, she saw two rows of neatly arranged Jinyiwei guards standing at the entrance, looking imposing and majestic, which gave her even more confidence.

Needless to say, this must be a reward for meritorious service.

In the palace, rewards came in various forms—gratuitous favors, rewards for merit, and routine rewards, each with its own rules and differences. A reward for merit was given for outstanding achievements; the items bestowed might not be expensive, but their significance was great. For example, today Zhang Qian entered Zhang’s residence openly with the Jinyiwei, yet the rewards given were merely fifty taels of silver, a hundred pieces of paper money, and two jars of imperial wine—completely insignificant compared to the valuable gifts given usually. But since it was a reward for merit, Zhang Zhuo, who was accustomed to handling such matters, was even more pleased. Upon hearing that Lady Du wanted to see him, he bowed slightly to Zhang Qian.

“Eunuch Zhang, my wife is returning home today, so I apologize for making you wait so long.”

Previously, Lady Wang had given Zhang Qian generous gifts regarding Du Zhen’s matter. Plus, he already thought Zhang Yue was a good person, so he didn’t mind such a small matter. He smiled and said, “It’s no problem. It was just a fifteen-minute wait. Let her in quickly.”

After Du Wan entered and paid his respects, Zhang Qian couldn’t help but examine him from head to toe. Immediately, he lowered his voice and said, “This morning, the emperor read the letters seized by the Jinyiwei from Du’s household and cleared up all doubts. Then, due to a report made by the Prince of Han, the Prince of Shouguang was ordered to rush to the imperial mausoleum in Fengyang to guard it. Afterwards, the emperor lamented that even direct father-son relationships are not as good as those between fathers-in-law and sons-in-law who are only one generation apart. It seems Du Sir will be released soon—after all, good people deserve good rewards.” Seeing that both Zhang Zhuo and Du Wan were overjoyed, he said with a smile, “Besides, let me add a few words. The New Year is approaching soon, and the young marquis of Baoding secretly sent someone to bring his bride to Xuanfu to spend the New Year there. The marquis of Wu’an also brought a concubine. When the emperor found out, he not only didn’t scold them but also rewarded the wives of both marquises in the afternoon. Now that Du Sir is free, either Lady Du should go there herself or send two reliable people to serve there—anyway, let’s ensure Zhang can have a good New Year!”