Chapter 588: Noble Families

Yang Ji was Yang Shiqi’s eldest son and his only child. Ever since Yang Shiqi was summoned to serve in the capital, he first had too few holidays, and later became inseparable from the emperor, never returning to his hometown for over twenty years. Naturally, the couple had only this one child born in their early years. At that moment, Yang Ji was full of impatience. If it weren’t for his mother, who had already frowned upon disembarking from the ship, he might have rolled up his sleeves and attacked those stubborn drivers.

“May I ask if you are Aunt Yang and Brother Yang?”

Just then, he heard a voice from below. Seeing that it was a young man in a blue robe, and judging from his tone, he immediately put aside his previous attitude and stepped forward with a smile, saying, “This is my father, Yang Shiqi. I am Yang Ji, and this is my mother. Did your father send you to pick us up? I thought since Mother rarely comes to the capital and we don’t know the way, it’s impossible for Father not to send someone. May I ask your name, Brother? How do you know us?”

Zhang Yue had been surprised earlier at the fact that such a refined elder as Yang Shiqi could have such a son. Now, seeing his attitude change suddenly, he was even more astonished. He stepped forward first to greet the old woman, then bowed to Yang Ji.

“I am Zhang Yue. I didn’t come specifically to pick you up today; it just so happened that the ship arrived in Tongzhou. I heard you mention the name Taihe, so I thought I’d come and take a look. When you mentioned the Grand Scholar of the Left Spring Court, I realized that Aunt and Brother must surely be relatives of Master Dongli. Is it that no one from your household has come to pick us up yet? After a long boat ride, and with so many people at the dock, how about I arrange a carriage for you to enter the capital first?”

Although Lady Yang had gray hair and rarely left her hometown, she still came from a family that valued education and propriety. Seeing Zhang Yue’s respectful manners, elegant speech, and good looks, she immediately felt a strong liking for him. Since he had introduced himself and addressed her as “Aunt,” offering to help as well, she quickly shook her head and said, “Young Zhang, there’s no need to be so polite…”

Before she could finish speaking, Yang Ji, who had been standing nearby deep in thought, suddenly slapped his hand and rushed over with a smile, saying, “So Brother Zhang is that famous Lord Xiao Zhang! Mother, this is Brother Zhang Yuanjie. Father mentioned him in his letters as a student of Lord Du, who is his closest friend. Since Brother Zhang is being so kind, let’s not refuse. We can thank him properly when we get home, right?”

Lady Yang, who had been observing Zhang Yue, finally realized what was going on, but she became even more astonished. Since her husband held an official position in the court, she often had her family fetch government announcements from the yamen in Taihe, Jiangxi, and never missed any important news, so she had naturally heard of Zhang Yue’s name. At first, she didn’t react immediately because the person before her was very different from what she had imagined. After a brief pause, she nodded with a smile and expressed her gratitude.

After arranging everything, Zhang Yue went back to update Zhang Chao and Zhang Qi. Learning that they were Lady Yang’s family, the two brothers went to meet them. This delay caused everyone to set off quite late. Since the carriages at the dock had been used by many people, Zhang Yue asked Gao Quan to spare a carriage for Lady Yang and her maids, while hiring another carriage to carry the luggage. However, Yang Ji refused to take the carriage and insisted on riding a horse alongside Zhang Yue.

Yet it was this behavior that annoyed Zhang Yue greatly. If it weren’t for the strong wind, which prevented Yang Ji from nagging nonstop, he would have almost fled in panic. He never expected Yang Shiqi’s son to have such a temperament!

Upon entering Xuanwu Gate in the capital, Zhang Yue told Zhang Chao and Zhang Qi to head home first, while he escorted Lady Yang and Yang Ji to the Yang residence. Having been there several times before and bringing the Yang family this time, the gatekeeper hurriedly went inside to announce their arrival. Soon, the butler, Yang Zhong, rushed out to greet them. He was an old servant brought by Yang Shiqi from Taihe. He kowtowed to his mistress and young master, repeatedly apologizing, and then thanked Zhang Yue profusely. This time, he had miscalculated the timing, and since his mistress was not in good health, any mishap could cause trouble.

Since he had already gone to such lengths, Zhang Yue politely declined Lady Yang’s invitation to stay at the residence, citing his filial duties, and left quickly. As soon as he left, Yang Ji stepped forward to help Lady Yang enter the house, saying with a smile, “Mother, people in the countryside portray him as a fierce and terrifying man, but as you just saw, Zhang Yue is actually extremely kind. Lord Du is very lucky to have chosen such a son-in-law. The Zhang family is one of the most prominent families…”

“If one relies solely on military achievements to gain status, that doesn’t count as being at the top. With a top scholar emerging first and someone like Zhang Yue becoming a Jinshi afterward, that’s what truly brings honor to the family!” Lady Yang, coming from a noble family, placed greater value on scholarly exams. Seizing the opportunity, she began lecturing her son, “It’s acceptable if you have only average talent in studying, but this son must be properly guided—he is the hope of the Yang family in the future. The Yang family is also a prominent household in Tai’an, but it was only through your father that it prospered. Don’t disappoint his expectations.”

Yang Ji had to listen to this kind of repetitive nagging countless times a year, his ears almost calloused from it. Naturally, he knew it was best to simply nod in agreement. After taking care of his mother, he wandered around the simple house and finally curled his lips in annoyance.

At least the house in Nanjing had a plum garden. Here, however, the space was much smaller than before. It was hard to understand how his father could hold such a position. He was considered a high-ranking official, yet lived in such a humble place! His father had served the current emperor for over twenty years yet was still only at the fifth rank, with a meager salary that barely covered living expenses. Didn’t he feel ashamed?

That said, since he had met Zhang Yue today, he might as well visit him sometime to see how luxurious life was in top families. Knowing only poetry, books, and etiquette without wealth and honor—what kind of noble family was that?

While Yang Ji envied the grandeur of wealthy families, Zhang Yue, upon rushing home, was overwhelmed by a stack of invitations and various notices handed to him by his butler, Gao Quan. Although his family was in mourning, social obligations among the nobles in the capital couldn’t be neglected. The total number of invitations added up to a staggering amount. After estimating it, he instructed Gao Quan, “Follow the usual procedure. Draw the money from the treasury, and submit the monthly accounts to the eldest madam for review.”

Gao Quan quickly agreed and then whispered, “April 17th is the Emperor’s birthday. The celebration was canceled the year before last due to damage to the three main halls, last year because of the northern expedition, and a few years ago because we were busy moving the capital to Beijing. This time, a grand celebration is expected. If the gifts are too modest, it would be disrespectful; if too extravagant, the Emperor might criticize us for extravagance. Does the third young master have any ideas?”

Although the emperor’s birthday had been mentioned earlier, hearing Gao Quan speak of birthday gifts with an awkward expression made Zhang Yue’s head spin even more. In those days, there was no such extravagance as in later generations; civil officials usually presented paintings, while nobles would offer goods produced from public lands or various unique trinkets. Anyone who rashly cast a golden Buddha or something similar would likely incur the emperor’s wrath. The problem was that the Zhang family’s wealth was well-known, yet his painting skills were merely average—deciding what to give was a real dilemma. For someone in his position, it didn’t matter whether it was outstanding or not; what mattered was not making mistakes.

“Let me think about this. You might as well keep an eye on the market as well.”

Since Zhang Yue said there was no need to rush, Gao Quan naturally felt relieved. He bowed and left. With so many servants to manage, he was always busy and had no free time. Back in his own room, after bathing and changing clothes, Zhang Yue hadn’t even had a chance to rest when noise came from outside.

“What’s all the commotion about?”

Hearing this, the noise outside subsided. Soon after, Shui Jing, dressed in a blue gauze robe, entered through the curtain. After bowing, she handed him a note: “It’s from Second Master Rui, sending someone to deliver a message regarding Miss Ke’s marriage. He asks if Master and Madam have time to discuss it sometime.”

Miss Ke’s marriage? It had been over two years, and Zhang Yue had almost forgotten about it entirely. He was surprised to hear about it suddenly. After glancing at the note, he nodded and told Shui Jing to leave. Frowning, he thought for a while before seeing Du Wan come out of the inner room. He handed her the note.

“Take a look. Second Uncle Rui finally knows to come to us for advice. Sister Ke has suffered greatly at his hands!”

Du Wan had also been present at the poetry gathering in the Meng family’s garden. Though she had only met Zhang Ke once, that competitive girl left a deep impression on her. Although the bet involved some spite, Zhang Ke was still young at the time and probably was just being manipulated. If she really ended up married to Li Maofang, who was confined in the western palace, her future would be completely ruined. Skimming the note quickly, she sat down in the armchair next to Zhang Yue.

“Now that the mourning period is over, if Princess Yongping insists on getting married right away, I’m afraid Uncle Ruan has no way of refusing. Even the emperor… After all, Marquis Fuyang is the emperor’s grandson. If Princess Yongping only asks the emperor to arrange a future for Marquis Fuyang, given that the marriage contract already exists, I doubt the emperor will refuse. But Zhang Ke has already lost her mother under mysterious circumstances—she’s pitiful enough. If she has to marry such a man too…”
“You’re right. Sister Ke just finished her 25-month mourning period before the New Year. Now that Princess Yongping wants to get married immediately, she must have thought of everything! It’s all because Uncle Ruan was too foolish before, choosing such a good family. Now that he knows it’s a trap, he can’t even avoid stepping into it. What use is it to turn to us at a time like this… Damn it!”
After cursing in anger, Zhang Yue suddenly remembered the poem Zhang Ke had written back then. He had long forgotten about the little girl’s troubles, and the incident with the sable fur coat was also in the past. Even if Zhang Ruan was despicable, it had nothing to do with Zhang Ke. Besides, he and Princess Yongping already had a deep feud—Zhang Ke would surely not fare well if she married into that family.
But what could he do?