Chapter 603: Circles of Fate Turn—It’s Time to Propose Marriage

Although on the Emperor’s Birthday, he received congratulations from officials and envoys from various tribes at the Tianmen Gate, making it the grandest celebration since the capital was moved to Beijing; although the Music Bureau specially composed the most solemn songs for the occasion; although scholars and nobles composed hundreds of poems in praise of the emperor at the banquet… still, it was undoubtedly the two events that occurred the day before the birthday that held the attention of officials, big and small.

The day before the birthday, the emperor inspected the front guards of the imperial army. Pleased with their dedication, he rewarded them with varying amounts of cash and bestowed the Imperial Sword on the crown prince.

On the night before the birthday, Li Maofang, the son of Princess Yongping, hanged himself in the western palace. Princess Yongping was confined to her residence for failing to guide her son properly.

Though the crown prince’s position seemed unshakable after the Han King and Zhao King were punished, there were still those with ulterior motives, given that during the two previous times the crown prince ruled as regent, several ministers had been killed or imprisoned. Now, with the emperor bestowing the Imperial Sword on the crown prince while also blaming Princess Yongping for Li Maofang’s death, the shifting dynamics were obvious even to the blind. As a result, even though Zhao King appeared at the ceremony on his birthday for the first time in over two years, few those seeking to curry favor with the emperor approached him; most instinctively avoided this returning prince.

Zhu Zhanji was naturally delighted by this situation. He hadn’t expected that on the very day he invited Zhu Di to inspect the imperial army, such a pleasing twist would occur. Seeing his father suppressed by the Han King and Zhao King for so many years, and knowing that many nobles still feared the Han King’s military prowess, he felt intense resentment. He still harbored bitterness over Zhao King’s previous rebellion. Now, though Zhao King had been pardoned, Li Maofang was dead—undoubtedly a satisfying outcome.

“Heaven’s misdeeds may be forgiven, but one’s own misdeeds make one unworthy of living! If Princess Yongping had stayed out of those troubles and simply fulfilled her role as a princess, she would have been fine. But she insisted on following her uncles down a path of disaster!”

At that moment, he paced back and forth in the Mingde Study. Remembering Zhao King Zhu Gao Sui’s strained expression on his birthday, he felt even more pleased. After saying this, he turned to Chen Wu in the room and asked, “Chen Wu, do you think Zhang Yue is a lucky star? Not only did he solve my eldest brother’s problem, but he also brought such good fortune.”

Knowing that Zhu Zhanji was in high spirits when things went well, Chen Wu naturally tried to match his tone and quickly agreed, “Your Highness, there’s more. There was a message from the Qianqing Palace saying that the emperor was very pleased with the gifts you sent and has placed them on the shelves in the Dongnuan Pavilion. When the Crown Princess went to pay respects, the emperor even praised her for your excellence in both civil and military affairs, as well as your wisdom and courage.”

Due to strict upbringing since childhood, Zhu Zhanji took Zhu Di’s praise very seriously and couldn’t help but smile. “Speaking of which, even those stubborn old scholars have stopped complaining about me as often. In the past, they would complain to my grandfather at the slightest dissatisfaction, but now that he has praised me for my versatility and strength, they’ve all quieted down! Among my tutors, Master Wang is the best in terms of knowledge and character. By the way, take that inkstone I mentioned yesterday to the Zhang family later. Also, tell Zhang Yue to stay put in the Ministry of War—any talk of him being transferred as a governor is just rumor.”

During the Yongle era, many military campaigns were waged, but since Zhu Di often made decisions unilaterally while consulting the Five Military Commanders, the Ministry of War didn’t hold much real power. Among its four departments, the Military Selection Department was the most prominent, the Provincial Administration Department was the most crucial, the Armory Department, though lucrative, required orders to act, and the Carriage Department was completely insignificant. After the Longevity Festival, Zhang Yue was transferred from the Armory Department to the Provincial Administration Department as a probationary official. These days, he has been dealing with military reports from the north while also handling various unexpected congratulations.

“Sir, I heard that you’re about to be transferred as the governor of Songjiang!”

“Sir, Luzhou Prefecture is famous for its silk production and is one of the wealthiest places in Shanxi. Given your age, if you became the official in charge, the people might not believe it!”

“After three years as governor, you’ll become a provincial administrator, and after completing that term, you’ll likely become a vice minister. Who knows—by then, you might be the youngest of the seven high-ranking officials in the Ming Dynasty!”

Zhang Yue himself didn’t know where these rumors originated or why they all focused on his potential transfer to be a governor. At first, he felt both annoyed and amused, but gradually he sensed something was off. After all, his assignment to the Crown Prince’s palace was temporary—probably because the emperor, seeing no wars, agreed to Zhu Zhanji’s request. Even if he were promoted to a probationary position in the Provincial Administration Department, the original official was still in place, so he wouldn’t take office immediately. There was no chance of him being transferred as a governor—so who exactly spread such rumors?

Since there were no urgent military matters at the moment, after the fifth hour of the day, the various government offices gradually dispersed. Unlike places such as the Guanglu Temple and the Taichang Temple, the six ministries did not close until the end of the fifth hour. Zhang Yue, who had left his office, wanted to stretch to relieve his fatigue, but he saw many colleagues and subordinates heading out, greeting him with smiles. He had to suppress his urge and head straight to the office of the Armory Department. Sure enough, the empty room contained only Wan Shijie, so he could finally move around freely.

“Old Wan, what are you dawdling for? Hurry up! Once you miss this chance, you won’t get another!”
“I know, I know! Today is Aunt Yue… Aunt Du’s birthday!” Wan Shijie stood up as he spoke, smiling as he picked up the small, exquisite brocade box in front of him. Then he squinted and said, “I’ve even prepared a gift, right, Your Excellency?”
“You can’t expect ivory to come out of a dog’s mouth. Why are you following others blindly and causing trouble?” Zhang Yue rolled his eyes impatiently. Seeing Wan Shijie busy smoothing out the wrinkles in his clothes, he found it even more strange. “It’s not your first time visiting here. Why are you so fussy? Oh, now I remember—usually you’re casual wherever you go, and your official robes are even patched. Why are you wearing new clothes today?”
“It’s a crucial day, so I have to dress neatly.”
Wan Shijie smiled faintly, packed up his things, took the brocade box, and left the room alongside Zhang Yue, making sure to lock the door carefully. With no urgent military matters at the moment, only one person was left to guard the Ministry of War at night, with the four departments taking turns sending people. There was no need for such strict vigilance as before. Once outside the office, just as Zhang Yue mounted his horse, Wan Shijie suddenly rode up to him.

“Yuanjie, it’s still early. My uncle should finish work early today. How about we go to the Left Gate of Chang’an and wait for him to go back together?”
If before he had only found it strange, now even the slow-witted Zhang Yue realized something was off. He grabbed the reins of Wan Shijie’s horse and demanded, staring intently, “What exactly are you up to? Don’t try to fool me with half-truths. You’re acting so mysterious today—there must be a reason!”

“What’s the big deal? It’s just that when boys reach a certain age, they should get married, and so should girls, right?” Wan Shijie’s face stiffened. Seeing that Zhang Yue still stared at him intently, he could only cough lightly before forcing a smile. “The day before yesterday, Xiao Wu suddenly came to my house and said she wanted to marry me, asking me to propose right away. Last night, I went to ask Mr. Dongli desperately. Well… still, I need to inform my future father-in-law first, so he’s not caught off guard tomorrow, right?”
“You old Wan! You didn’t say a word about what happened the day before yesterday for two whole days!”
Even though Zhang Yue had strong mental resilience, he was stunned at this moment. He stood there in shock for a while before anger surged within him. He kicked Wan Shijie on the horse angrily and cursed at him harshly. Seeing his old friend’s bright smile, he knew that even if he beat him up now, the guy would still be cheerful, so he gave up the idea of confronting him and decided to ask later. Noticing that Zhang Buniu was waiting not far away with the horse, he waved him over.
“Go to the Du family first and let them know that I’m going to meet my father-in-law and will return together.”
Only those working in the Imperial Palace—such as the officials from the Guanglu Temple, the Hanlin Academy, and the Cabinet—were present. Since most of these people were from humble families, even though it was time for officials to return home, Chang’an’s Left Gate wasn’t crowded. A few carriages were parked along the opposite wall, along with a few servants waiting with horses.
“Brother Zhang!”
As soon as Zhang Yue stopped his horse, he heard this voice. He quickly looked in that direction and immediately saw Yang Ji. Compared to his appearance when they met at the Tongzhou dock, Yang Ji was now dressed in a blue cotton robe, giving off a scholarly and refined air. Seeing him walk up quickly, Zhang Yue dismounted from his horse and asked with a smile, “Brother Yang, are you here to pick up our eldest?”
“Since I’m in the capital, I should fulfill my filial duties. Anyway, I’m idle at home anyway.” Yang Ji felt helpless thinking that aside from taking care of his father, he was kept confined at home by his mother most of the time. After answering, he noticed Wan Shijie beside Zhang Yue and was slightly surprised. “Brother Wan, do you know Brother Zhang?”

Wanshi Jie had always been unrestrained. Hearing him address everyone as “elder brother” made him itch all over, so he quickly raised his hand to plead, “I mean, Yuan Jie, it’s fine if you two just use each other’s given names. That title makes my stomach churn. Yang… uh, Zimu, Yuan Jie and I have been friends for a long time, so we’re not formal about such things. We’re here today to pick up Lord Du, and happened to run into you.”

“No wonder Father mentioned you as a truly remarkable person. While others are busy discussing marriages, you show up here to pick up your future father-in-law?” When Wanshi Jie came to Yang Shiqi for help yesterday, Yang Ji was there by chance. He was both surprised and envious, thinking that compared to this man’s boldness, his own complicated rules were downright annoying. So he quickly said, “It’s a shame you’re both court officials and so busy. Otherwise, I really would like to visit often to seek your advice.”

Although Zhang Yue had seen Yang Ji’s two-faced nature before, now it seemed that the much older Yang Ji might not actually have such a bad character. He immediately nodded and said, “That’s easy. If Old Wan and I are free in the future, we’ll definitely invite you!”

Yang Ji had previously heard from his mother that his father wanted him to stay in the capital to study, which made him extremely unhappy. Since he didn’t have a single friend in the capital, he was overjoyed at these words: “That’s great! It’s settled!”