Chapter 545: Separation and the Journey Ahead

“I’m leaving tomorrow…”
“I’m leaving too tomorrow. So, once again, we’ll be separated for several months…”
Du Wan, who had intended to say more, saw Zhang Yue turn over and press down on her again, silencing her words with a kiss. In the days since they reunited, they had spent almost every night in passionate intimacy, both of them abandoning their usual restraint, especially Zhang Yue. After the half-month siege at Xinghe, he truly understood what life and death meant. Amidst the dense hail of arrows and the countless enemy soldiers, concepts like indifference or low-key behavior meant nothing. Although history recorded no failures in Zhu Di’s northern campaigns, wars always resulted in deaths. No matter how confident he was, he had to cherish this moment and make it the most intense of his life.

He took her several times before collapsing exhausted on top of her, but he didn’t immediately call for someone to clean up. Remembering that Du Wan had mentioned Zhang Qi’s concubine having given birth to another daughter, he gently kissed her cheek and whispered, “I hope I’ll hear good news when I return from the north. I truly hope you can give birth to another daughter as smart and perceptive as you. If so, she’ll be the third in the family, and her nickname could be San San.”

“You’re still thinking about that name? You’re such a slacker when naming—will the fourth one be Si Si? If it weren’t for the nickname you gave your son, he wouldn’t be so lazy, eating and sleeping all day with hardly any energy. Even his mother-in-law says he’s a slacker!”

With such little time to be together, Du Wan couldn’t help but gently touch her abdomen, then her expression stiffened. “The old lady’s 70th birthday is on May 15th, and Xiao Jingguan’s coming-of-age ceremony is on June 6th. Will you be able to return by then?”

May 15th, June 6th?
Zhang Yue fell silent. Such promises were easy to make but difficult to keep. Not to mention he didn’t know if the emperor would sweep across the grasslands in his enthusiasm, even by past standards, it would be impossible for him to return at that time. The first northern campaign started in February and he returned to Beijing in July; the second started in February and he returned in August. This time, it was originally scheduled for March when the weather was warm, but the impatient emperor changed it to February. He was already heading to Kaiping to work with Xu Heng, the Marquis of Xing’an, on preparing military provisions and transportation—how could he make it to those two important dates?

“I probably can’t make it back. Grandmother’s 70th birthday happens only once, and there won’t be another chance for my son’s coming-of-age ceremony. I really am sacrificing my family for the greater good… Never mind. I’ll take my anger out on those Tartars—it’s better than them rising again. Just think of it as doing good for my descendants!”
At these thoughts, Zhang Yue felt a tightness in his chest. He couldn’t help but take a deep breath before spitting out those words through gritted teeth. Du Wan, who had been somewhat gloomy, couldn’t help but smile at his words. When Zhang Yue poked her smooth chin with his beard, she let out a gasp before suddenly pulling hard at it.
“Ow!”
“What’s ‘ow’ about it? You’re even boasting about yourself like this. I’ve never seen anyone this shameless! With such thick skin, it’s no wonder your beard can still pierce it—quite impressive… Those scars and bruises on you are just right. Don’t forget the pain once they heal. You’re a civil official, not someone meant for fighting! Remember, you must return safely!”
The playful banter suddenly turned into this last instruction, tinged with a tremor in his voice. Zhang Yue, who had been stirred up, stopped moving. He leaned on his elbows, nodded firmly, then buried his head in Du Wan’s hair, biting her earlobe as he whispered, “Don’t worry. This time, it’s not my turn to be stubborn. I promise to return safely. Leave everything at home to you. With my parents around, they’ll surely help you with anything. If they pass away, as long as it’s not a serious matter, just follow the eldest branch—no need to step forward. Also, visit your father-in-law more often. Take those manuscripts back and tell him I’ve seen them. But since Lord Xia is in prison, ask him to wait before submitting them—don’t give them to the crown prince first… Ah, my father-in-law would never make such a mistake. I’m overthinking it.”
Du Wan felt a warm breath drifting into her ear canal with his words, accompanied by a tingling sensation and an even more intense heat. Still, she gritted her teeth and asked, “What else?”
“Well…” Zhang Yue naturally knew what Du Wan wanted to ask. However, the previous matter required his wife’s approval as the homemaker, and it wasn’t appropriate to bring it up now. So he pretended to cough and simply bit her earlobe lightly. “Also, find another son-in-law for your father-in-law quickly. I hope to see them holding a wedding when I return! Ah, since my father-in-law said he wants another grandson, we still need to work hard. It’s still too early to expect anything from them!”

The topic was successfully changed, and another charming scene unfolded in the room. Even separated by a hall, the three people in the west room could still hear those sounds clearly. While listening carefully for any instructions, they were also preoccupied with their own thoughts, and coupled with the warm room, it wasn’t long before their faces turned red.

Anyway, these days of uncertainty as a concubine were coming to an end.

Early the next morning, many were still yawning, having not gotten enough sleep. Today, Du Wan was set to depart for the capital, and Zhang Yue was also preparing to head to Kaiping. They had already packed their belongings and were getting ready to set off. Zhang Yue first helped Du Wan onto the carriage, giving her instructions for a while before turning around. Seeing Lingxi, Hupo, and Qiuhen each carrying large bundles as they left, he went over to them.

“With a major war about to break out, the roads will be filled with laborers transporting military supplies. Be careful—stay in the carriage unless necessary. Also, though the coachman was borrowed from the Duke of Yingguo’s household, he drives slowly. In short, safety comes first; everything else can be neglected.”

After Zhang Yue finished speaking and gave instructions to Lingxi and Hupo one by one, it was her turn. She quickly interjected with a smile, “This time, we’re traveling with the concubine of Marquis Wu’an and the young lady. There are fifty or sixty guards in total, so nothing will go wrong. You needn’t worry at all, young master…” As she spoke, she suddenly noticed Peng Shisan looking over, and she immediately forgot the rest of what she wanted to say, pretending to cough to cover it up.

Zhang Yue was good at reading people’s expressions and easily understood why Lingxi’s speech stumbled. He didn’t point it out but instead smiled as he helped the three board the carriage. Qiuhen was the last to board. As she stepped onto the carriage, she glanced back, her eyes filled with reluctance. It wasn’t until Zhang Yue nodded at her with a smile that she finally climbed inside.

As the carriage curtains were drawn shut, Cui Mama and the wives of Liansheng and Lianhu also boarded another carriage, with the rest following suit. Climbing onto his horse, Zhang Yue looked at the courtyard he had lived in for months and then at the shops still closed along the street, letting out a long sigh. He had already said goodbye to his elder sister Zhang Qing the previous day and didn’t plan to see his family off at the South Gate or Changping Gate. He understood well that even after seeing someone off for a long distance, parting at the doorstep was sufficient.

Seeing the guards looking at him, he nodded and said, “It’s getting late. You may set off now!”

At this command, a group of guards surrounded the two carriages and slowly moved outward. Zhang Yue stood there for a while, then narrowed his eyes, waved his whip, and spurred his horse toward the northern gate, Guangling Gate. On this journey to Kaiping, in addition to his guards and entourage, he also had to bring 150 elite cavalrymen. The distance was much greater than when he went to Xinghe before. After all, compared to Xinghe, which was less than a hundred miles away, Kaiping was truly isolated.

After leaving the Great Wall, Zhang Yue stopped briefly at Xining Post, Ming’an Post, Weilu Post, and Huanzhou Post along the way, and it took him four full days to reach Kaiping. Although he had anticipated that it would be a ruined city, the name “Yuan Shangdu” was still extremely well-known, so at first glance, he couldn’t relate the scene before him to the magnificent capital.

Kaiping used to be Yuan Shangdu, where magnificent marble palaces were built, with interiors painted gold and adorned with various birds, beasts, flowers, and plants—exemplifying extreme craftsmanship and luxury. It served as the secondary capital and temporary capital of the Yuan dynasty. Yet now, these once splendid palaces were nothing but ruins scattered among barren grasses. There were not many buildings in the city; mostly, there were countless tents, with only a few stone and mud houses reserved for high-ranking officers.

The Red Turban Rebellion had reduced Kaiping to ruins. Although Emperor Shun of Yuan resisted there for a while, he was eventually captured by the Ming army twice. In the 30th year of the Hongwu era, the city was repaired to establish Kaiping Guard for border defense. During the Jingnan Campaign, Guo Liang, the commander of Kaiping Guard, surrendered his entire army to Zhu Di. Later, he achieved many military successes and was granted the title of Marquis of Cheng’an. However, Kaiping Guard was abandoned until the 4th year of the Yongle era, when it was repaired and reestablished, though it was even more dilapidated than before. Still, compared to Xinghe, which had only a small earthen fortress left, Kaiping was at least more spacious, with a garrison of 5,000 soldiers.

“Kaiping isn’t what it used to be. Before Kaiping Guard was rebuilt in the 30th year of Hongwu era, there were five garrisons each in the left, center, right, front, and back of Kaiping. Within the entire Beiping Military Region, no Tartars dared to provoke them. Now, only the solitary Kaiping Guard remains. Look at those post stations we passed on the way here—if it weren’t for the large-scale northern expedition, none of the post workers would want these jobs; they would have all run away!”

Peng Shisan had once been ordered to Kaiping when he followed Zhang Fu to Xuanfu to train troops. Now, returning to this place, he felt that the ruined city walls were an ominous sign. Seeing Zhang Yue’s frown deepen, he knew that since Zhang Yue was in the Ministry of War, he must be aware of these things, so he sighed inwardly again.

After years of peace, and since the abolition of the five major garrison areas, Kaiping Garrison could no longer rely on its own resources; farming had long ceased there, and food had to be transported from the capital. If no further campaigns to the north were undertaken, Kaiping’s abandonment was inevitable!