Chapter 565: What Are Allies, and What Are Relatives?

Lu Feng’s residence outside the palace was located on the east side of the Wei Family Alley in the West City, just five or six alleys away from the Wu’an Marquis Alley. Most of the people in this area were nobles, so it was extremely difficult to secure land for building a house. Thus, the merchant who had given it to him had invested a great deal of money. Although it couldn’t compare to the grand mansions of dukes and marquises with their three-bay, five-pillar gates and nested courtyards, the lack of formal standards forced the builders to put in extra effort. They imitated the gardens of the water towns in the south, bringing in a stream of flowing water—something Lu Feng truly loved.

Yet, as much as he liked it, he usually only stored the gold, silver, antiques, land deeds, and house deeds he received there; he didn’t often live there. After all, even several real eunuchs above him dared not act recklessly, so he certainly couldn’t afford to be too extravagant. But whenever he got the chance to come out, he would surely enjoy some comforts. Yet at this moment, he had no interest in admiring the luxurious furnishings in the house. His body, which had been slumped on the couch, had unknowingly sat up straight, and his limbs had become completely stiff.

“You… you mean Liu Yongcheng sent someone to deliver a message to the crown prince, and it was our family who intercepted it?” Coming back to his senses from shock, he punched the armrest without thinking and shouted, “I’m not crazy! How could I do something that harms others without benefiting myself? I indeed dislike that old bastard Liu Yongcheng and want to bring him down, but would I be so stupid as to use such a method? If the crown prince finds out, it’s asking for death!”

“I heard those two guys talking in the camp back then. They clearly said that the Jinyiwei would send someone to intercept the messenger in Kaiping.” Seeing Lu Feng sweating profusely from anxiety, Zhang Yue remained firm in his statement. Feeling he had provoked him enough, he smiled slightly and said, “Of course, I don’t think it was you, Lord Lu. After all, you told me everything first. But others might not see it that way. You’ve been suffering from heatstroke for over a month—others will surely think you’re using illness as an excuse to scheme.”

“Damn it! If I find out which little scoundrel is plotting behind my back, I’ll slice him to pieces!”

After cursing loudly, Lu Feng could no longer bear the panic in his heart and instinctively leaned back. The mother-of-pearl inlaid pear blossom couch had been given to him by a merchant during the New Year, who asked him to intercede with Zhang Qian. Its painting technique was extremely exquisite, but at this moment, he unconsciously scratched the paint on the armrest with his long nails, his breathing becoming heavier.

“No wonder the master said some strange, nonsensical things when he came to visit last time. At that time, my mind was in a daze; I didn’t understand anything. But it turns out others already suspected us back then! Great, truly excellent! We’ve raised so many people here, only to be poisoned by one of our own. I still thought I was a top figure in the palace!”
Zhang Yue wasn’t surprised that Lu Feng had already realized it was poisoning. The Jinyiwei under Yuan Fang were highly efficient; it took them just a few days to discover something wrong with the medicine Lu Feng had taken, something that could cause dizziness and prevent recovery. Given the emperor’s northern campaign route from the frontier through Kaiping to the capital, the East Depot and Jinyiwei were the most suitable places to carry out covert actions. It wasn’t surprising that others would frame this guy. Once Lu Feng calmed down, he stood up.
“Since you just said you didn’t know the East Depot had captured such a messenger, things have become much more complicated. Even if you were to go to the East Depot now to take charge, others could still keep this from you. You must know that the people in the East Depot and Jinyiwei are merely for show. You may be the supervisor, but you still have several other supervisors under you. If they don’t obey you…”
“They won’t obey, Lord Zhang. Don’t think just because we’ve been framed this time we have no defenses at all!” Yuan Fang was reluctant to admit that he had moved himself away from the capital and temporarily set Mu Ning aside so he could fully control these two institutions. He snorted angrily and then grew stern again. “With Yuan Fang here, I can immediately take command of the Jinyiwei, and that Mu Ning will only obey me. Those damned eunuchs…”
Feeling that he too had been included in the criticism, he spat twice and then said with a forced smile, “They, like me, were promoted within the palace. How could they get ahead outside? All they can buy off are a few people. As long as I throw more money at them and use the Jinyiwei to investigate thoroughly, we’ll see who really dares to rebel against me!”
“That’s indeed a method,” Zhang Yue nodded in agreement, then added fuel to the fire, “Eunuch Lu, since your toxins haven’t fully cleared, take the time to rest outside while the emperor isn’t back. After all, this matter must not be made public. If people find out, not only will there be chaos throughout the city, but they’ll also think you lack the means.”
“You’re right, Lord Zhang!”

Having regained some face, Lu Feng became furious once again. Without thinking, he nodded firmly, his eyes flashing with hostility. More important than revenge or avenging past grievances was restoring his health—nothing could go wrong. Otherwise, if he took revenge but lost his life, wouldn’t that be even worse?

After discussing the most important matters, Zhang Yue asked Lu Feng for a prescription with a smile, saying he wanted to take it home to have his sister-in-law examine it properly. While others might not know this, Lu Feng was aware that Zhang Yue’s sister-in-law was secondary; the Zhang family also had a former imperial physician hidden away. He had originally planned to have that person examine him as well, but since Zhang Yue brought it up, he immediately decided to go with that plan. Now, he had to be more cautious—if word got out about his poisoning, not only would he be laughed at, but he might even lose his position. Remembering that Cheng Jiu had mentioned earlier that Zhang Yue had been assassinated at Jimingyi, he decided to repay a favor first.

“Lord Zhang, I’ve been in the palace since I was young. In this life, aside from my master, I’ve had no truly close people. I never expected to meet someone as righteous as you! You saved me when my life was at stake, helped me when I was at my wits’ end, and now, at this critical moment, it’s you who’s coming to my rescue!”

In his excitement, Lu Feng forgot all about his usual self-centered talk and spoke with genuine sincerity: “Before, I thought you were too lenient and soft-hearted sometimes. Now I understand—it’s because you value loyalty! Don’t worry. No matter who the mastermind behind this is, I’ll definitely send someone to investigate Jimingyi and give you an explanation!”

Zhang Yue hadn’t originally intended to do this, but since Lu Feng spoke so firmly, he naturally wouldn’t refuse. He nodded and said, “Very well. Let’s not even say thank you for our friendship. I can’t stay here any longer. I’ll go back now. Take good care of yourself. I’ll get back to you once someone has checked the prescription. Also, outside the palace, it’s different from inside—you need to be more careful with your diet. When you’re recovered and someone from the palace comes to visit…”

“Isn’t it just continuing to pretend?” Lu Feng smiled viciously before narrowing his eyes. “They’ll eventually find out. If they try to use us, they’ll end up losing more than they gain!”

After Zhang Yue left for a good while, Lu Feng finally picked up the bell beside him and shook it hard twice. Seeing Liang Ming enter at his call, he remained silent for a moment before ordering, “Select ten or eight reliable people to keep an eye on everyone in our household. Remember, just as the Jinyiwei monitors the officials and the Dongchang monitors the Jinyiwei, not a single one should be overlooked. Right now, I only trust you. Perform well this time, and I will surely report to the emperor to assign you a better position in the Dongchang!”
With these promises, he indeed saw Liang Ming’s face turn red, and as he left the room, his footsteps echoed loudly, revealing unmistakable excitement. Left alone in the empty room, he suddenly sat down in the middle of the pear-blossom bed, feeling the sense of being surrounded by nothing. After a long while, he murmured to himself, “No wonder the emperor trusts no one—turns out relying on others is all false. Only relying on oneself, only oneself is truly reliable!”
Over the past ten days since returning, Zhang Yue had been busy reviewing accounts related to grain supervision and transportation, making two trips to the Armory Bureau and the Weapons Department. He only managed to visit a few relatives and elders in between, spending most of his time dealing with various tasks. Now, as he left Lu’s residence, Zhang Yue remembered the countless nonsense he had spoken that day and smiled bitterly as he mounted his horse. No matter how many times they had cooperated, he and Lu Feng were at most allies, never truly close.
Once bitten by a snake, one fears ropes for ten years—likely, that guy was now starting to reorganize those around him.
Due to time constraints earlier, although he had visited the Du family once, it was a hasty trip. Zhang Yue had planned to go to the Du family before the Mid-Autumn Festival, and Du Wan had even left early in the morning. Anyway, hearing his father-in-law’s advice, tasting his mother-in-law’s cooking, and teasing the first-time infatuated Xiao Wu would quickly make up for the displeasure of dealing with schemes. Yet, just after passing Xisi Pailou, he saw an acquaintance ahead. After a brief pause, he immediately smiled and rode forward. The other person also approached on their small donkey, and the two spoke almost at the same time.
“Brother Xiao Qi!”
“Yuanjie!”
After more than a year apart, Zhang Yue noticed tremendous changes in Gu Bin. The once somewhat cold and withdrawn youth now gave off a completely different impression. His clothes, though merely a slightly worn blue robe, were extremely clean. Riding his unremarkable donkey, Gu Bin sat upright with a confident smile on his face.

“Is Little Seven Brother on leave today?”
“I’m not as lucky as you!” Gu Bin patted the bundle at his side and then smiled, “President Liu is on leave at home today. These are important documents from the Censorate, so I’m delivering them to him.”
Although it was just such a trivial task, he spoke of it without the slightest hesitation, with complete confidence. Seeing Zhang Yue tilting his head and looking at him with interest, he glared back irritably, “Having followed Mr. Yang for so long, I’ve finally learned a thing or two. Though I’m just a student censor, not like those who have passed the imperial examinations and must spend three years training before joining the Censorate, I’ve decided to study hard first. Next year I’ll take the provincial exams, and if I succeed, I’ll take the national exams the year after. I’m not like you; it’s more important for me to lay a solid foundation now—there’s still a long way to go!”
Knowing this was the other person’s ambition, Zhang Yue naturally wouldn’t ask silly questions like “Why do you still want to take the exams if you can already be an official?” He nodded and asked, “Have your parents arrived yet?”
“Mm. I saved quite a bit of grain from the Imperial Academy back then. Plus, the teacher helped me rent a house, and the Censorate also provides some financial support. Our family’s expenses are more than covered. My father often mentions you. If you’re free, remember to visit us. You used to love my mother’s noodles the most.”
Zhang Yue immediately agreed to the invitation. As they talked, they moved to the side of the road. After chatting a bit more, Zhang Yue realized Gu Bin had official duties and shouldn’t waste too much time, so he urged him to leave quickly. Gu Bin pulled on the reins of the donkey and suddenly stopped.
“You must be aware of the impeachment against you earlier. I don’t want to say anything else, just want to warn you. Those who aren’t envied are mediocre. Besides, not all impeachments are bad—there are honest people in the Censorate as well. But you need to be more careful in your actions. After all, constantly provoking the censors isn’t a good thing.”
Although Gu Bin didn’t name names, how could Zhang Yue fail to understand this kind reminder? He thanked him right away. As Gu Bin resumed walking, he couldn’t help but think of Liu Guan, the current head of the Censorate.

Liu Guan could also be considered an indestructible figure in politics. A Jinshi in the 18th year of the Hongwu era, he served as the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief at the Censorate at the beginning of the Yongle era, navigating between Chen Ying and Wu Zhong. When Chen Ying was imprisoned and died, Wu Zhong was transferred to be the Minister of Punishments and now was also in prison, yet Liu Guan calmly moved from Minister of Rites to Minister of Punishments and then to Left Censor-in-Chief at the Censorate. Although he faced setbacks, they were all minor obstacles he overcame easily. However, his reputation for being obsessed with money had caused chaos at the Censorate. Yang Rong sent Gu Bin there to learn the ropes—was this a move planned for the future?

Lost in thought, he walked somewhat absentmindedly. Fortunately, the route to the Du family was almost etched in his memory, so he turned when he needed to and went straight when appropriate, avoiding any mistakes. When he turned onto that familiar street, he suddenly felt someone stop his horse. Looking up, he recognized the angry man in front of him.

“Yuan Jie, it’s all your doing!” Wan Shijie glared at Zhang Yue fiercely, teeth gritted. “What have you told Xiao Wu? Now I can’t even find her! And Lord Du… he’s been cold toward me these past few days. Even Aunt Du seems to be avoiding me on purpose. You promised last time, after I returned to the capital, that you’d ask your father to help me propose marriage. Now that your father has gone back to Nanjing, what am I supposed to do? I’m six years older than you—don’t forget me just because you get married!”

Faced with Wan Shijie’s fury, Zhang Yue couldn’t help but twitch his lips. Remembering Xiao Wu’s flushed face from yesterday, he studied Wan Shijie thoughtfully for a moment before narrowing his eyes and smiling. “It’s better to act now than wait. Come with me and clarify things right away. If you want an elder to help you propose, it’s better to first understand the feelings of your future in-laws, right?”