Chapter 576: Sunset and Setting Stars—Even Close Relatives Cannot Be Separated

Although Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty originated as a poor peasant from the countryside, he placed the greatest emphasis on rituals upon ascending the throne. Thus, after founding the Ming Dynasty, he paid close attention to refining the ritual systems. Yet due to his humble origins, even the complex rituals unearthed from ancient documents by the Ministry of Rites were subject to his critical scrutiny, often requiring repeated revisions to ensure they differed from those of previous dynasties. When his most beloved concubine, Consort Sun, passed away, he defied the old custom that concubines’ sons did not observe mourning rites, ordering his legitimate sons to mourn their birth mother while his concubine’s sons observed mourning for her.

For this reason, the completeness of Ming Dynasty rituals was truly remarkable. The ceremony held in honor of Prince Chang Yuchun, the King of Kaiping, was also recorded in the official annals, though it was never used again afterward. In contrast, the ceremony for the Eastern Palace to mourn princes and nobles was employed several times. Even though the Gu family held high status, they were not princes or high-ranking officials, so it was already rare for the Eastern Palace to send separate envoys to offer condolences.

By now, it was already late, and there were few visitors at the mourning pavilion. Huang Run went to pay his respects on behalf of the Eastern Palace. After the family head returned the greeting, the household manager Gao Quan invited him to Ruiqing Hall for tea. Surprisingly, it was Duke Zhang Fu of Yingguo who personally accompanied him. As an elder in the Eastern Palace, Huang Run understood that Zhang Fu and the deceased Gu family had a very special relationship, so he did not dare to be presumptuous. However, this time he had come not only representing the crown prince but also carrying instructions from Zhu Zhanji. Yet in the face of Zhang Fu, despite his cleverness, he did not know how to bring up the matter of inviting Zhang Yue to speak.

Although Zhang Fu was a military officer, he was even more astute than scholars. Seeing that Huang Run lingered and refused to leave, he realized that the man’s true intention was not merely to pay respects. Under normal circumstances, he would have made things easier, but these past few days, seeing Zhang Yue constantly helping Zhang Xin handle the funeral affairs, crying at the memorial altar several times a day and too overwhelmed to care about anything else—even when Lu Feng came to pay respects, he had dragged him to the study—Zhang Fu hesitated. After much thought, he finally made up his mind.

“Eunuch Huang, please sit for a moment. I’ll be right back.”

Seeing Zhang Fu leave, Huang Run finally breathed a sigh of relief. He adjusted the hem of his clothes and found a more comfortable sitting position. He had visited the Zhang family a couple of times before, and this was not his first time in Ruiqing Hall. Glancing at the sixteen neatly arranged nanmu-backed chairs on both sides below, the freshly painted high pedestals, and the gilded plaque hanging high in the hall, and considering the grand scale of the funeral, he couldn’t help but sigh that this was indeed the demeanor of a prominent family. Then he shook his head inwardly.

There were many prominent families in the world, but few could last forever. Think of how glorious the Xu family once was—having even produced the current empress—but now they had nothing but empty prestige and no real power.

“Eunuch Huang.”
“Oh, Lord Zhang has arrived.”
Zhang Yue stepped into the room and called out. Seeing Huang Run quickly stand up, he hurried over. He had knelt, bowed, and cried countless times that day, leaving his head dizzy. After forcing himself to greet him, he sat down and rubbed his temples before saying apologetically, “My uncle has some urgent matters, so I have to accompany him instead. Please convey our deep gratitude to the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess, as well as to the Crown Prince Heir…”
Zhang Yue’s voice was hoarse, and his speech was somewhat incoherent, so Huang Run understood what was going on. Since Zhang Yue had brought up the Crown Prince Heir, Huang Run cleared his throat gently and said seriously, “Lord Zhang, although the passing of the old lady is sad, she did live a long life. Please accept this loss with grace. My purpose in coming here is not only to offer condolences on behalf of the Eastern Palace but also to deliver a message from the Crown Prince Heir to you. Once your mourning period is over, the emperor should assign you to another position, and the prince asked me to inform you in advance.”
Even though he had already considered being transferred, Zhang Yue never expected it to actually happen. With the Gu family still in mourning, his mind was in chaos, and he couldn’t sort out his thoughts, so he remained silent for a while before forcing a smile and saying, “I’m extremely troubled right now. Please thank the Crown Prince Heir on my behalf for his reminder.”
Bringing up this matter at such a time was indeed inappropriate, so seeing Zhang Yue’s state, Huang Run didn’t say much more. After exchanging a few words, he stood up and sincerely said, “In short, Lord Zhang, you’re still young. Although it’s the duty of younger generations to grieve fully, please take care of yourself.”
After chatting for a while, Zhang Yue had no desire to talk further. He personally saw Huang Run to the gate. As the latter mounted his horse and left, Zhang Yue turned around and walked back. As soon as he entered the front yard, he saw Zhang Fu standing there. When Zhang Fu had come to call him earlier, he had made things very clear, so Zhang Yue trudged over and repeated exactly what Huang Run had said, before adding, “With my grandmother gone, my mind is in chaos. Everything is uncertain, and I’m too tired to think about it now. Uncle, it’s been days since you’ve been home…”
“It’s fine. I only need to attend the court meetings on the new and full moons. Right now, I just want to do more for my aunt one last time.”

Zhang Fu waved his hand and then walked inside with Zhang Yue. As they passed through the screen door, he said calmly, “I arrived too late that day, but I know more about some things than you do. Your grandmother gave a document to your uncle’s wife—it was the personal wealth she had accumulated over the years. Aside from the real estate, she divided the shops and other possessions almost equally between your father and your uncles. It’s not a small amount, and she never mentioned it beforehand at all.”

Zhang Yue, who had been deeply focused on counting the blue bricks under his feet, suddenly raised his head, his confused mind suddenly clearing up. “Did grandmother not want the family to fall apart?”

“That’s likely. She truly had good intentions.”

Recalling the long document he had seen from Lady Wang, with Gu’s neat handwriting and small seal at the end of each page, Zhang Fu couldn’t help but feel emotional.

His mother had died early as he followed his father to the north, and he was only eleven when he returned to the Central Plains with his father. He and his two younger brothers were placed under the care of the Gu family in Kaifeng. Although he and Zhang Xin were about the same age, their personalities were different. Yet Gu insisted that he study hard and always taught him his responsibilities as the eldest son.

It’s a pity that his two younger brothers were still young at the time, and the three of them only stayed in Kaifeng for three years. If Gu had also disciplined them strictly, how could Zhang Fu and Zhang Jie have become indulgent and reckless, even resorting to extreme measures for wealth and glory?

“During the Jingnan Campaigns, your uncle’s wife was greatly cared for by your grandmother, who she greatly admired. Later, when I was away on military campaigns, often for a year or two at a time, she managed the household without me having to worry. Her skills in managing the household were actually based on your grandmother’s methods. The reason your large family can be as it is today is also thanks to your grandmother’s hard work. You must have noticed how distant I am from your uncles Fu, Jie, and Jue. With this as a precedent, I don’t want your grandmother’s past efforts to go to waste—it would be a shame.”

“I understand. Grandmother also gave me similar instructions.”

“I knew your auntie would definitely nag you about this. Your eldest uncle became the top scorer in the provincial exams and had a smooth start in his official career, but in the end he couldn’t match your second uncle’s military achievements and titles. Now that your grandmother is gone, he might not want to stay at the Yangwu Bo residence any longer. Even your father is deeply proud. Fortunately, your grandmother was thoughtful—the land east of the Wu’an Marquis’s residence belongs to others, so it’s impossible to cross there. But she managed to buy the plots of land belonging to several families west of the alley, adding them to the family’s property. With a bit more money, it wouldn’t be hard to build two separate houses, which would make life better for everyone.”

If Gu’s previous handling of her personal property had already shocked Zhang Yue greatly, hearing these words only deepened his sorrow. At first, he had more respect than affection for her, but over time, observing his grandmother’s ways, he unconsciously developed a sense of approval for her. Especially the warmth in her voice when she spoke to him—something he would never forget. Now, he had lost this dear and respected elder, someone he would never see again in this life.

By now, the sun had set. He looked up at the golden glow in the west and instinctively squinted. The sunlight was gentle, not glaring, and didn’t feel hot on the face, yet it was impossible to ignore. Watching the red sun gradually disappear, he took a deep breath.

The setting of the sun and the rising of the stars are inevitable—there’s always a day when the sun goes down. No matter how reluctant he was, it was futile. He would always remember Gu’s last smile and her countless earnest instructions.

Outside, the men were receiving the officials who came to pay their respects in the memorial hall, while inside, the women were busy accompanying the visiting officials and noblewomen, all extremely busy. Although there was Lady Wang and Lingxi, one was after all a daughter-in-law and the other a respectable maid; it wasn’t right for them to take over everything.

After three days of nonstop work, at dinner time, Lady Wang went straight to Du Wan’s room in the western courtyard, ignoring all rules, and collapsed onto the grand armchair. Though she had been the head of the household for over twenty years, first, her orders were strictly followed in the Duke of Ying’s household, and second, she had always hired capable people to help her. Now, although there was Lingxi, she wasn’t as reliable as her own people. She took the tea brought by the maid and drank it all in one gulp before sighing wearily.

“In the past, I saw your family so lively and harmonious, but when it came to handling matters, I realized there were simply too many people, and it was hard to choose who should do the work. Your eldest aunt is already sick; she’s barely holding on after these three days. Your second aunt is like a wooden puppet, doing whatever others say—no trace of her former shrewdness left. Your Chao Ge’s wife can’t keep things under control, and your Qi Ge’s wife is arrogant and temperamental. On top of that, you’re pregnant… If this continues, we’ll hardly be able to manage everything!”
Du Wan was now nearly eight months pregnant. Though heartbroken, she had to take care of the fetus in her womb. So, after the first day, even though she had no appetite at all, she forced herself to eat. Even Xiao Wu often came by to help ensure the baby stayed safe. Hearing Lady Wang’s words, her expression darkened. After pondering for a while, she came up with an idea.
“Your second aunt is the wife of the Yangwu Bo. It’s her duty to handle such matters. She’s been staying indoors for a whole year—she can’t have been relying solely on praying. She must have figured out something by now. Her current behavior of following others blindly is probably because she’s stunned by the news of the old lady’s death. Didn’t your eldest aunt mention the old lady’s instructions? Once she knows something, I’m sure such a shrewd person like her will understand the old lady’s good intentions and stop acting so blindly.”
“What you say makes sense,” Lady Wang nodded as she listened, then let out a long sigh. “She almost caused a major disaster for her own selfish reasons. She’s certainly detestable, but everyone makes mistakes. She can’t stay locked in her room forever, regretting the past. I’ll go talk to her. After all, she’s an adult at this age—she should step forward when it’s time.”
Seeing Lady Wang stand up and rush out, Du Wan quickly instructed Xiao Wu to accompany her. Only after the light green curtain fell gently did she slowly sit down, leaning heavily back in her chair. She had no memory of her grandparents since she was young. Apart from her parents, her memories of other relatives were very vague, so she had hardly ever experienced profound grief over losing someone. But the death of the Gu family this time made her deeply feel that hollow sorrow in her heart.
Was it the same when Meng Min lost her mother and then her father? Was it the same when Zhu Ning lost her birth mother and then her legal mother? Was it the same when Cui Mo lost both parents? And Xiao Wu, who experienced the greatest tragedy in his childhood…
“Sis!”

As soon as Xiao Wu entered, she saw Du Wan sitting there with a pale face, which startled her. She quickly rushed over and grabbed her hand. Only after realizing there was nothing serious did she breathe a sigh of relief, then urged, “Sis, the old lady has passed away. Don’t keep worrying about these things. The old lady was the kindest and most gentle person. If she knew, she would surely want you to give birth to a healthy child safely. Besides, our parents…”
“Xiao Wu,” Du Wan said earnestly, gripping her hand tightly before she could finish, “Our parents certainly long for my child, but don’t they also hope you’ll have such a day too? Stop constantly thinking about not getting married. You should know by now that there are people in this world who truly care for you. If you had no one by your side, things might not be so easy for you when you face sorrow. You need to understand that two people are better than one.”
Thinking of Zhang Yue revealing to her last night, when he returned to the house for the first time in a while, about his relationship with Lady Gu—how it evolved from strangeness to respect and then to closeness—she couldn’t help but recall the growing closeness between her and her father. Even among closest relatives, distance can’t be maintained forever; no matter how distant they once were, affection always prevails in the end.