Chapter 553: Two Good Things Aren’t Enough—The Lord Must Gain His Father-in-Law’s Approval

The Zhang family had already married three daughters-in-law before. Now, with the northern expedition underway, the future groom was merely a student who had not yet entered official service, seemingly unremarkable. Yet this was a marriage between two closely related families in the Marquis of Wu’an’s neighborhood—on one side, the marquis’s youngest daughter; on the other, the Zhang family’s eldest grandson. The preliminary rituals alone dazzled many, and the dowry sent out from the Marquis of Wu’an’s residence a few days later left countless people in awe, drawing considerable attention.

Since the elders of both families had long agreed to this marriage and everything had been prepared in secret, there was no sense of haste despite the tight schedule. All procedures were carried out flawlessly, even Aunt Zhang, who had been kept in the dark, gradually gave up hope. With such a grand effort, even if the legitimate wife truly intended to keep Zheng Heng in the dark, the marriage was already a fait accompli.

Zheng Fangfei was only fourteen years old. She had tried many times to discreetly gauge Zheng Heng’s feelings about the marriage, and each time he had smiled and assured her that he would choose the best match for her. She had counted countless eligible noble youths in the capital, but never imagined it would end up with the Zhang family.

The Zhang family was certainly prominent, but it was the second branch that held the title. Her future husband’s father had just returned from Jiaozhi and was merely an unremarkable deputy magistrate of Shuntian Prefecture. Not only was he inferior to the Zhang family’s second branch, but even the third branch seemed more prominent now. If the old matriarch could have lived another ten or eight years, it might have been different, but she was like a tree on the verge of falling at any moment!

Unhappy with this arrangement, the Zhang family also had many people eagerly watching over the future eldest granddaughter-in-law. Due to his grandmother’s illness and the preparations for the marriage, Zhang Jiu requested two months’ leave from the Imperial Academy. But with the marriage approaching, he spent most of his time being manipulated like a puppet by the elders, with no chance to resist. One day, finding a rare moment of leisure, he could take it no longer and secretly left home with two attendants, heading to Xipailou Alley to complain to Fang Jing.

“I’ve only met that girl once. If I had known it was her grandmother who chose her, I would have made sure to take a closer look when I visited the Marquis of Wu’an’s residence last year. I only remember her as a childish-faced girl—nothing else… I heard she’s the marquis’s precious daughter. I’m just a student… Sigh, I don’t want to marry a domineering woman who relies on her family’s power!”

Fang Jing’s height soared by more than half last year and this year, making him almost as tall as Zhang Jiu. Seeing his friend, who was born a natural genius, frowning and sighing, he couldn’t help but laugh and say, “An astute woman like the old lady, who loves you so much, how could she choose someone with a poor character as your wife? Brother Zhang, don’t worry at all. Your family must have seen her many times already, they just didn’t tell you. Men eventually have to get married—even Brother Wan has a sweetheart, right?”
“I hope so…”
Yet the heavy weight in Zhang Jiu’s heart never lifted. He had always been indifferent to the maids around him; over the years, he had seen countless new faces, but he had also experienced various relationships. Among his three sisters-in-law, the eldest was a kind and gentle woman who accepted all the maids his eldest brother had been with over the years. Hui Xiang, who gave birth to a son, even became an concubine. The second sister-in-law was sharp and cruel, but no matter how mean she was, she couldn’t stop his brother from seeking novelty or stop him from having affairs outside. The third sister-in-law was not only generous and capable but also flawless—even the concubine left by his third uncle often praised her.
Even if he couldn’t be like the third sister-in-law, being like the eldest would be fine. He certainly wouldn’t follow in his eldest brother’s footsteps and keep a mistress outside!
“Xiao Si, what are you muttering about?”
Hearing this voice behind him, Zhang Jiu was startled. Turning around, he saw Wan Shijie and Xia Ji standing there smiling. By the time he regained his composure, he realized Fang Jing had disappeared without a trace. Embarrassed, unsure whether he had actually muttered something nonsense, he quickly stood up and bowed to Brother Wan and Brother Xia.
“We’re all family—why so many formalities?” Wan Shijie pulled him up and tapped his forehead lightly. “I’ve been extremely busy these days. Finally getting a half-day off, I happened to meet Xiao Xia who also came back early. Good kid—you’re younger than me, but now you’re getting married! We must congratulate you! By the way, Xiao Xia is being sent away and will come home just in time for the wedding. He won’t be able to attend your wedding!”
“Brother Xia is getting married too?” Zhang Jiu was stunned. Seeing Xia Ji’s face glowing with joy, he felt happy for him and congratulated him several times. He often went here to ask questions about his studies during his breaks at the Imperial Academy, so he was very familiar with them. Noticing Xia Ji’s unusual excitement, he couldn’t help but ask, “Brother Xia is so happy—could it be that you’ve married the sweetheart you’ve had your eye on for a long time?”

“It’s his childhood sweetheart cousin—of course he’s happy!”
Hearing Wan Shijie bluntly expose his thoughts, Xia Ji, annoyed and flustered, glared at him fiercely before ignoring him altogether. He pulled Zhang Jiu aside and whispered some essential knowledge about a groom, then went straight back inside. As soon as he left, Wan Shijie stepped forward and said to Zhang Jiu, “Once everyone gets married, it might not be so easy to come out. Since we met today, let’s have a good drink. I sent Xiao Fang to buy wine and food at the alley entrance. As for the wine… I recently found a great place. Let’s go buy it together.”
Although his drinking capacity was average, just like Zhang Yue’s—usually only drinking a little during family or friend gatherings—since Wan Shijie had offered, and Zhang Jiu didn’t want to go home and become the target of jokes, he immediately agreed. He told two attendants to stay and watch the place, then he and Wan Shijie left together. After riding through several alleys, he gradually lost his way. Noticing Wan Shijie navigate skillfully as if he knew the area well, he was amazed at his ability to find good drinks, then suddenly remembered something Fang Jing had said earlier.
Brother Wan also has a sweetheart? Who could it be?
Lost in thought, he didn’t notice Wan Shijie dismount and enter a low-ceilinged tavern ahead. He kept riding on. After a while, he suddenly realized something was wrong. Looking around, he couldn’t find anyone, which shocked him greatly. He quickly turned his horse around to go back. However, this area was populated by ordinary people with complex paths, and after circling twice, he got lost. He had no choice but to dismount and ask for directions.
As he was asking an old man how to get to Xi Pailou Alley, he suddenly spotted several figures coming out of a teahouse not far away. Most of them were strangers, but one of them seemed familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before. Distraited by this, he didn’t hear the old man’s detailed instructions about turning left or going straight, focusing instead on watching those people mount their horses. It wasn’t until someone tapped him hard on the shoulder that he snapped out of it.
“You kid! I brought the wine outside only to find you missing. And here you are, asking for directions!”

The man on horseback over there had already noticed Zhang Jiu staring at him intently. When he heard the loud outcry and saw the newcomer rudely pulling that person aside, he finally felt relieved and turned to call everyone to move on. After complaining a bit to Wan Shijie, Zhang Jiu still glanced at the remaining person who was riding alone in the opposite direction, suddenly recalling where he had seen him before.
Wasn’t that Cheng Jiu, who had come to his family’s house several times with Lu Feng?
Wan Shijie had taken Zhang Jiu out to buy wine, only to lose track of him. He was both annoyed and amused. When he approached earlier, he found Zhang Jiu too busy staring at others and hadn’t realized they had already noticed him, so he interrupted him. Now, seeing the expression of realization on Zhang Jiu’s face, he carefully stuffed the jar of wine back into his saddle bag and insisted on getting Zhang Jiu on horseback. Once they were far away, he couldn’t help but scold him.
“I told you, Zhang Xiaosi. Even if you recognize someone, why stare at them like that? If they were up to something secret and saw you notice them, they might take action. You should at least glance at them discreetly, like I did!”
Zhang Jiu, who had been worried, was stunned by Wan Shijie’s demonstration of a quick glance. Then he laughed so hard he almost fell off his horse. All his worries vanished instantly, and even the heavy pressures from his grandmother’s illness and marriage matters lessened significantly. After calming down, he told Wan Shijie about recognizing them earlier and then felt a bit scared.
“Brother Wan is right. I shouldn’t have stared at them. After all, they’re from the Eastern Depot. By the way, did they realize I recognized them? If they did, what if…”
“I was just joking. You really took it seriously!” Wan Shijie shook his head impatiently, looking indifferent. “Since you said they’re from the Eastern Depot, then it’s fine. They’re the most brutal kind of people. If they didn’t do anything to you then, they’ve probably forgotten by now. Enough, stop worrying and let’s go back for wine!”

Back at home, Wan Shijie quickly got two groom-to-be men who were already engaged drunk, while he went to the kitchen and asked Wen Bo to prepare a bowl of sobering soup for him. After drinking the hot soup, he felt about seven-tenths of the drunkenness gone. He then instructed Wen Bo to tell the two men once they woke up that he had gone out on business, and he left again. Outside, struggling to climb back onto his horse, he couldn’t help but tilt his head and ponder.

The Military Ministry had been sending reports continuously these days, and it seemed they would be returning soon, but the atmosphere in the court was strangely tense. Minister Zhao Jin often flew into anger for no apparent reason these days, and there were also strange rumors circulating, something about events from the 12th year of the Yongle era. With this as a backdrop, even if the emperor defeated the Wulangha people, his triumphant return might take on a different meaning… At this time, the people from the Eastern Depot were acting mysteriously—could something unexpected have happened?

After much thought, Wan Shijie’s eyes lit up as he came up with the best idea. Ignoring his own drunken state, he spurred his horse forward at full speed. He quickly found the entrance to the house he had visited frequently recently. He dismounted and eagerly climbed the two steps, only to see someone coming out inside.

“Miss Xiao Wu!”

“Brother Wan?” Seeing Wan Shijie’s surprised and joyful face, Xiao Wu happily stepped down to greet him. Noticing the smell of alcohol on him, she was puzzled. “It’s not even dinner time yet. Why are you drunk?”

“It’s all to celebrate Zhang Xiao Si and Xiao Xia, those two groom-to-be men!” Wan Shijie, still slightly tipsy, saw Xiao Wu understand and sighed. “They’re both younger than me, and now they’re getting married, while I’m still single. It’s really frustrating. When will I get to wear a wedding robe too?”

Seeing Wan Shijie seem to wobble on his feet as he spoke, Xiao Wu was startled and forgot everything else. She quickly stepped forward to support him. After pulling him to the door, she ordered Yue Shan to fetch a cold towel and then scolded, “Sister once told me a story about General Huo—‘How can one think of home when the Xiongnu haven’t been defeated?’ You’re a man. I’m not afraid of staying unmarried at my age, so why are you afraid? Ah, you’ve been busy these past few months. This seems like the first time you’ve come to see Father. If you go in drunk, he’ll definitely give you a cold look!”

He wasn’t afraid of heaven or earth, but he was terrified of angering his future father-in-law, Wan Shijie. Yet the awkward comfort offered by Xiao Wu made him secretly laugh inside. After finally cleaning himself up, he let Xiao Wu use some medicinal herbs to cover up the smell of alcohol on his body, and he was of course extremely grateful. Only after Xiao Wu left cheerfully and got into the car did he suppress the urge to follow him and went back inside.

Du Zhen had heard from Mrs. Qiu that Wan Shijie often visited him while he was in prison and volunteered to help a lot. Since Wan Shijie was also a friend of Zhang Yue, upon hearing that Wan Shijie had come to see him, he thought for a moment before ordering someone to bring him straight to the study. He was naturally cold-hearted, so he wasn’t quite used to addressing Wan Shijie as “uncle.” When Wan Shijie awkwardly explained how he had coincidentally met Zhang Jiu while buying wine that day, he immediately remembered what Yang Shiqi had said earlier.

“Did you see clearly?”

“It was Zhang, the fourth brother, who recognized him. I’m not familiar with that person, so I couldn’t be sure. But I remembered the place. Since this matter is really strange, and Yuanjie isn’t here, it’s hard to find anyone in the cabinet with Elder Yang around. So although I know uncle is still recuperating, Yuanjie always said uncle has sharp eyesight and is good at making decisions. That’s why I had to come here for advice.”

Du Zhen was deep in thought when he suddenly heard the last sentence and couldn’t help but look up at Wan Shijie. Sharp eyesight and good at making decisions… He understood Zhang Yue’s personality well—why would he praise him like this behind his back? Remembering how his wife had highly praised Wan Shijie’s kind nature and good character, he couldn’t help but recall the time when she had been determined to marry their daughter to Zhang Yue.

“It’s true—once a girl grows up, she can no longer be kept around.”