Chapter 546: Imperial Appointment, Surprise and Joy

Although Kai Ping Wei no longer bore any traces of its former status as the capital, it was indeed a beautiful place surrounded by mountains and rivers. To the south lay Nanping Mountain and the Luan River; to the northeast, Xianghe River, Boji River, and Lu River; to the southwest, the Tuer River. Several of these rivers flowed into the Luan River, making it a fertile grazing area with lush water and grass.

As the weather warmed, the grasslands that had been yellow and lifeless throughout winter regained their vitality. However, due to the increasingly strict defenses around Kai Ping Wei, even though there were vast areas of grassland suitable for grazing around the Luan River, ordinary Mongols no longer dared to approach, not even those who had close ties with the officers in Kai Ping Wei. As a supply and storage hub for the northern expedition forces, extra caution was necessary.

The blue sky seemed washed clean, with white clouds drifting lazily by, enough to put anyone at ease. But ever since news of the troops being sent from the capital at the end of February arrived—more than two months ago—no one here had enjoyed peace. Even when standing on the city walls and gazing at the beautiful grasslands, the discussions were mostly gloomy.

For example, Arutai attacked Xinghe again and returned empty-handed.
Or, the Wulangha clan fell into internal strife; their chieftain Tuo Eluo was killed, and his son led 800 of his people northward.
Or, the Tatars planned to install a new khan to oppose the one supported by the Oirats.
Or, the Oirats submitted in name but avoided sending troops for the northern expedition under various pretexts.

Being deep in the grasslands, news about various Mongol tribes was constantly heard here. But the news from the capital came only through official messages delivered by fast horses via four relay stations. Even Zhang Yue could not send messengers home as frequently as he did in Xuanfu. At most, he could send a letter home once every month, and there was no way to receive replies. Still, Peng Shisan had already told him the news he wanted to know the most, so he now had fewer worries.

After all, that Prince Shouguang had been deposed from his throne and imprisoned in the Western Garden, to accompany Marquis Fuyang Li Maofang! Now, he only hoped that the connection between his father and Yuan Fang could be kept hidden. Such matters could be either serious or trivial—so long as no one knew the details, and if the emperor chose not to pursue it, everything could be overlooked.

“Sir!”

At the loud voice behind him, Zhang Yue immediately turned around. It was Niu Gan, dressed in a bright black robe. Compared to when he was in distress, he now appeared strong and robust, and even his gaze had changed drastically, making him almost unrecognizable. Covering his eyes to look at the sun in the sky, he then glanced at his guard with a questioning expression.

“The Marquis of Xing’an sent his subordinates to invite you to come over.”
It was not easy to repair cities and houses on the grasslands, so Kaiping Wei simply did not have any proper government offices. Like Zhang Yue, Xu Heng also set up a large tarpaulin tent to handle official affairs and receive his subordinates. The only difference was that there were over a dozen bodyguards armed with swords standing in front of the tent, preventing ordinary soldiers from approaching.
Upon hearing the announcement, Xu Heng gave an order and turned around. Seeing Zhang Yue enter, he spoke directly without any circumlocution: “The emperor has ordered the Marquis of Cheng’an to defend Kaiping, while I am to relieve my defensive duties and prepare to join the northern expedition. Now, 300,000 troops have arrived at Liangtingyi, and the emperor will conduct a grand review of the entire army tomorrow. It is estimated that we will reach Kaiping in three days. Your name has also been explicitly mentioned in the military reports—make sure to prepare well. This battle will surely last two to three months, so bring everything necessary, especially food, tents, medicine, and blankets—none of these can be overlooked! Although the Duke of Yingguo will take care of you, I doubt you’d want everyone else to keep an eye on you.”
Xu Heng had accompanied the army on both previous northern expeditions, and his advice was invaluable, so Zhang Yue quickly thanked him. Yet, back in his own tent, after ordering his people to prepare their belongings, he felt uneasy. Although both were of the fifth rank, Yang Rong and Jin Youzi were cabinet ministers who had assisted in military affairs on the previous expeditions, while he was different. The Ming army’s supply lines were overseen by dozens of high-ranking officials, so he wasn’t needed for that. This time was different from before—he had better stay quiet and observe during the expedition.
With the arrival of the Marquis of Cheng’an, Guo Liang, the already tense atmosphere in Kaiping intensified further. The number of scouts doubled, and the military reports, which used to arrive once a day, now came three times a day. After Arutai’s failed attack on Xinghe, he fled overnight and was now nowhere to be found. Everyone believed that this northern expedition would end in a decisive victory, just like before. As the food supplies in Kaiping grew more abundant, even the veteran soldiers who had suffered from food shortages before were full of confidence.
On May 15th, the day the 300,000 troops arrived in Kaiping, a birthday banquet was being held at the residence of the Marquis of Yangwu in the capital. Although there were many nobles, few families had elders living to such an advanced age, so the 70th birthday of the Gu family was truly rare. Even though the Gu family’s health had been fluctuating since the New Year and had only just improved slightly, the Zhang family still decided to hold a grand celebration, hoping that the joyous atmosphere could drive away illness.

Zhang Youren remained in Jiaozhi and had not returned. Zhang Zhuo and his wife went back to Nanjing after the New Year. With Zhang Yue also away, the entire Zhang family was not complete. Even the three brothers—Zhang Fu, Zhang Xuan, and Zhang Jie—were all busy leading troops, transporting supplies, or preparing for defense, all outside the home. Nevertheless, relatives and friends in the capital sent people to bring gifts and offer drinks. As the eldest son of the eldest branch, Zhang Xin personally welcomed guests at the door with a smile on his face. The attendants handling the gift lists and receiving gifts were also extremely busy, with constant calls and announcements.

As the birthday celebrant, Lady Gu received gifts from the younger members early in the morning. She had a good appetite for breakfast, eating most of a bowl of porridge and a roll. At that moment, several noblewomen were chatting loudly, offering flattery, which made her smile even wider. Yet, being a careful person, she paid attention to everyone’s expressions while talking, slowly turning her prayer beads with her right hand.

“Madam, now that your three grandsons and two granddaughters are all married, if I’m not mistaken, your eldest grandson from the eldest branch has also reached marriageable age. He’s been known since childhood as a genius. You can’t keep him hidden forever, can you? Let me say this—our family’s daughters are all noble, and our elders are trusted by the emperor. Their families will only add support. With your third son’s outstanding character and talents, if his wife’s family is even more powerful, his rank could go far beyond fifth grade!”

This remark drew many nods of agreement, all highlighting the strengths of noble families and the weaknesses of ordinary official families. Lady Gu’s expression remained unchanged, but she tightened her grip on the prayer beads. Zhang Yue had been away for over half a year, and especially in recent months, there had been few letters from him, which was truly worrying. Recalling past hardships, she couldn’t help but silently pray to Amitabha, choosing to ignore the chatter.

Just then, someone asked, “On such a special day, why isn’t Lady Du here to serve? She claims to come from a scholarly family—she can’t be that disrespectful, right? By the way, why hasn’t her family sent anyone to offer congratulations?”

Seeing that one of the ladies even mentioned the Du family, Lady Gu frowned briefly before smiling and saying, “Thank you all for worrying about that child. It’s also because of the emperor’s northern campaign, and everyone was extremely busy, so we didn’t make any announcements at home. She became pregnant after returning from Xuanfu. I told her to rest more, as the first few months of pregnancy are the most crucial.”

Hearing this, the few ladies who had been comparing each other just moments ago immediately fell silent. Being adept at reading facial expressions, they quickly noticed the protective tone in Lady Gu’s words, so they began to talk only about their own eligible daughters and stopped mentioning anything else. Although Zhang Xin was currently only a fourth-rank civil official and Zhang Jiu lacked a proper background, Zhang Xin and Zhang Fu were legitimate cousins, and Zhang Jiu was the old lady’s direct grandson—how could there be any lack of wealth or status in the future? Thus, Lady Feng, who was there to assist, was constantly busy responding, but her efforts were in vain, as Lady Gu kept changing the subject and refused to give in.

Of course, Lady Qiu would not miss her mother-in-law’s seventieth birthday, though she arrived a bit late. Upon entering the main gate, she had just presented the prepared multicolored birthday gifts when she heard the announcement of “the Duchess of Yingguo paying her respects.” Turning around, she saw a dignified noblewoman being escorted in and quickly stepped aside to make way. Lady Wang paused at the entrance, and Gao Quan informed her that it was Du Wan’s mother. She immediately stepped forward and affectionately called out to Lady Qiu. Although Lady Qiu had heard from her daughter that Lady Wang was kind and gentle, she had never met her in person. Just as she was about to be humble, Lady Wang took her hand.

The two walked inside together. Lady Wang expressed her gratitude for Du Wan introducing Dr. Feng, as her son’s health was improving day by day, making her tone very warm. Lady Qiu, in turn, thanked Lady Wang for bringing her daughter to the palace several times before. After visiting Lady Gu in the main house in the northern courtyard, Lady Wang thought it would be awkward for Lady Qiu to sit among all the noblewomen, so she simply took her outside to visit Du Wan in the western courtyard.

Although only three months pregnant, Du Wan still hadn’t shown any signs of pregnancy yet. However, this pregnancy was much more difficult than the last, as she often felt nauseous and couldn’t eat anything. Worried, Xiao Wu moved in a few days ago and constantly tried new recipes to improve her diet, which finally made Du Wan’s complexion look much better. Now, seeing Lady Wang come in person with her mother, along with maids bringing boxes of gifts, Du Wan kept thanking them repeatedly. Even Lady Qiu felt guilty, while Xiao Wu was simply amazed by all the gifts.

“There’s no need to thank me. I should be the one thanking you two for bringing such good fortune to our family. Now my children are all lively and healthy, and another is about to give birth. The household has never been so lively before.”

Madam Wang remembered how she used to only envy others for having both sons and daughters, but now that her wish had come true, she couldn’t hide the smile on her face. After chatting with Du Wan for a while, she said with a laugh, “Everyone says it’s good to have sons, but I hope Sister Yue’s daughter will be born this time, so that we’ll have a complete set. Oh, I almost forgot—calculating the dates, the army should be arriving in Kaiping soon. My husband will surely take care of Zhang Yue. You just focus on staying healthy at home. In the future, the children can study together to have each other’s company.” Just as Du Wan was about to agree, sudden hurried footsteps were heard outside. Immediately after, Lingxi rushed into the room, her usually calm face filled with panic. “The old lady suddenly fainted! Where is Miss Xiao Wu? Hurry and go check on her!”