Chapter 57: Entering the Premier Family for the First Time

Entering the city by sedan chair would have been the most convenient, but Duke Ying of Britain, Zhang Fu, was a military man by background, so his residence didn’t emphasize such things. Zhang Chao and Zhang Yue insisted on riding horses, and Rong Shan agreed with a smile. It was only when he saw Zhang Jiu, who used to be the most rule-abiding person in the capital, also climb onto a horse that he truly felt puzzled. He thought to himself that after returning to his hometown, Young Master Jiu had seemingly changed his temperament completely.

Nanjing was an ancient capital of the Six Dynasties, exuding not only the charming elegance of the Jiangnan region but also a grand and majestic atmosphere. Riding on horseback, Zhang Yue observed the bustling streets filled with people, the officials in splendid robes, the ordinary folks in hemp clothes, the lavishly decorated carriages, and the messengers speeding by on horseback… In short, compared to Kaifeng, which had once been a famous city, Nanjing was the current capital, making one feel insignificant beneath the emperor’s feet.

As he looked around along the way, observing the splendid sights of the capital, he didn’t expect that others were also observing him.

Rong Shan was the chief steward of Duke Ying of Britain’s household, responsible for receiving guests. He had seen countless nobles and dignitaries and had encountered many young people as well. He had known Zhang Jiu since long ago, who had already gained the reputation of a child prodigy. Although it was his first time meeting Zhang Chao, he had interacted with Zhang You several times. Knowing the son from the father, he could tell from Zhang Chao’s evident curiosity and amazement that he was quite intelligent. Yet, Zhang Yue seemed somewhat puzzling to him.

The third branch of the Zhang family in Xiangfu had always been unremarkable. He had heard that Zhang Zhuo had passed the imperial examination the previous year, but what was an unappointed scholar worth in Nanjing, a city full of scholars and vice ministers? In contrast, Zhang Yue had passed the provincial examination at the age of 13 and entered the top tier at 14, allowing him to take the provincial exams directly—this was more remarkable. But compared to the noble descendants in the capital who received titles and wealth from birth, he was just a clever boy.

But if he was merely a clever boy, why did he seem to be the leader among the three of them this time? After all, Zhang Jiu was the eldest grandson of the eldest branch and had the reputation of a child prodigy. Zhang Chao was the eldest brother, and his father should have been the backbone of the family after Zhang Xin Yi’s downfall. In short, how could the elderly Lady Gu allow this obscure grandson from the third branch to take charge?

The British Duke’s residence was located on North Huibu Street. In front of the three beast-head gates stood two large stone lions. The main doors were tightly closed, with no one coming in or out. Above them hung a plaque with gold paint on a black background, underscoring the dignity of the residence. The group entered through a side gate on the west side, where several strong young servants immediately came to help carry their luggage. Zhang Chao was constantly preoccupied with those two chests of gold, so he kept glancing at Zhang Yue. Eventually, unable to bear his strange gaze, Zhang Yue took the chance when few people were paying attention and pulled him aside.

“There’s amber and Qiuhen, plus the guards from the Guan family watching over things—nothing will go wrong.”

“Third brother, that’s two thousand taels of gold—we need to be careful…”

“Do you really think the British Duke’s residence would be targeted by thieves? Brother, without the British Duke on this trip, even if we had twenty thousand taels of gold, it would be useless!”

Zhang Chao had only seen the British Duke, Zhang Fu, a few times as a child. Though he knew they were family, he didn’t have as much trust in him as Zhang Jiu, who had grown up with him; nor did he share Zhang Yue’s centuries of experience, which made him confident that the Duke wouldn’t care about such a small amount of money. So he stopped talking, but remained uneasy. After walking for a long time, they had only reached the first layer of gates. His expression gradually changed, and after passing through another main hall and seeing the inner gates, he finally understood what it meant to be in a duke’s residence. Its scale was more than twice that of his own family’s!

Rong Shan, the external housekeeper, had already stepped back outside the gates, and it was now several older women who guided them. Though all over fifty, their hair was neatly styled, and a few strands of gray hair didn’t make them look old at all; instead, it added to their solemn presence. Zhang Yue, following behind, was amazed at how silently they walked, with not even their skirts moving slightly. He thought that although the tall woman by his grandmother’s side had some presence, she paled in comparison to these women.

After passing around the marble screens in the corridor, they came to a spacious courtyard, with a row of five main rooms ahead. At the entrance of the middle room stood six young girls dressed in light purple, all standing with heads bowed, hands at their sides. When the group approached, they all knelt down together and said in unison, “May the young master be safe.”

Inside, someone pulled back the curtains, and Zhang Chao led the way, with Zhang Yue in the middle and Zhang Jiu behind them. As they entered the room, Zhang Yue saw a middle-aged woman in bright red sitting in the center, with seven or eight elegantly dressed women standing on either side—in shades of peach, plum, and soft yellow—all looking at them curiously.

He had long known that Duke Zhang Fu had no children, so that middle-aged woman must be his wife, Lady Wang. The women around her—some naive, some charming, some pure, some alluring—were likely the concubines in the mansion. Just as he was about to pay his respects, Zhang Jiu suddenly couldn’t hold back himself, stepped forward, knelt down, and called out, “Auntie.” At that moment, Lady Wang, who had been sitting with a smile, immediately stood up, her eyes red. She pulled Zhang Jiu, who was kneeling stiffly on the ground, into her arms and patted his shoulders firmly twice. “My dear Jiu, you must have suffered a lot this time!” As she spoke and cried, the other women around her also took out handkerchiefs to wipe their eyes. Even those whose eyes weren’t red seemed to strain to make them red. Zhang Yue and Zhang Chao felt extremely awkward; no one paid attention to them at all. They didn’t know whether to stand or sit, and it would be even worse to speak rashly. After comforting Zhang Jiu for a while, Lady Wang realized she had neglected the other two nephews and looked somewhat embarrassed. As a duchess who had lived in luxury for years, she quickly regained her composure, stepped forward, glanced at Zhang Chao for a while, then at Zhang Yue, and spoke in a kind and pleased tone. “I’ve watched Jiu grow up. I never thought you two would be so big too—both of you already look like young adults. This is Chao? I heard you wanted to follow in your father’s footsteps and achieve glory on the battlefield. With such a strong build, you’ll surely be a great fighter once you go to war. And this is Yue? You’re already eager to study and make progress at such a young age. Your auntie even praised you when she sent word—truly, you have good character…” After speaking in such kind words, Lady Wang returned to her seat in the middle, her tone even more affectionate: “Since you’ve come to Nanjing this time, stay for a while longer. Your uncle will take care of everything outside, so you don’t need to worry. I heard just now that you brought gold with you? It’s not that I’m being harsh, but since we’re one family, treat this place like your own home. There’s no need to worry about expenses right away. Here, we’ll take care of everything for you!” While Zhang Yue was still reflecting on her words, he heard the woman give orders: “Biluo, go and prepare the Fangheng Courtyard in the north for the three young masters to stay in. Xiyu, pick six suitable maids, two for each room to take care of night duties. Also, provide them with everything on par with what I have here. Oh, and send someone quickly to inform the master that all three young masters have arrived!”

Just as the concubines hurriedly agreed one after another, an extremely inappropriate voice came from inside the room.
“Auntie, could you please ask Uncle to let me see my father?”