Chapter 63: The So-called Gift of Meeting

Yang Shiqi, in his fifties, was not the oldest among the three guests in the room. The Shen brothers differed in age by nearly twenty years; the elder brother, Shen Du, was renowned for his regular script and was ten years older than Yang Shiqi. Thus, as soon as they sat down, Yang Shiqi insisted on letting Shen Du take the leading seat. Now, looking at Zhang Yue, he couldn’t help but smile while stroking his gray beard.
“Brother Yishan, others say you are cold-faced and heartless, but I know your coldness is genuine, though your heartlessness may not be. It’s one thing to indulge in worldly pleasures, but to also work as a tutor in a family school… I’ve heard from Minwang that you’re quite steady for your young age. Young Zhang Yue, do you have a courtesy name?”
With all these teachers in the room, and moreover teachers of great standing, even Zhang Yue, who was usually not easily flustered, felt somewhat nervous. But after that nervousness, he felt relieved—how else could he have met them so easily if they weren’t truly trusted friends of Du Zhen? So, under Shen Du’s piercing gaze, he shook his head and truthfully said, “I still don’t have a courtesy name.”
Having not seen Zhang Yue in four years, Shen Can couldn’t help but examine him closely before saying with a smile, “Brother Yishan, though your proud disciple is still young, since he has passed the imperial examinations, he might take the provincial exams next year. As his teacher, you should have given him a courtesy name long ago.”
“I originally planned to give him one when he reached adulthood, fearing that being too young might make him arrogant, which wouldn’t be good. After all, few who succeed early in life can truly achieve great things.”
Though he said this, Du Zhen’s gaze at Zhang Yue was full of depth. He even gave a slight wave from an angle unseen by others, then turned to look at Yang Shiqi and Shen Du. “Although Brother Minwang is known as a prodigy, he has endured many hardships in life and practiced calligraphy by hanging his brush from the wall—his current achievements stem from those past struggles. As for Brothers Min and Shiqi, their hardships are even more evident. The fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold, and the sharpness of a sword comes from grinding. Coming from wealthy families may save one from many hardships, but it’s not necessarily a blessing.”
Though his words were harsh and critical, Zhang Yue knew they were all meant as advice and guidance for him, so he quickly thanked them. The Shen brothers then joked that Du Zhen produced outstanding students through strict teaching. Yang Shiqi, who had remained silent until then, finally spoke up.

“Yishan has always been cold toward others; unless someone truly clicks with him, he never pays attention, let alone takes them as disciples. But today, in front of us three, he introduced this person—his protective instinct is quite obvious. It’s the first time an elder meets a junior; who among you has prepared a gift for the meeting?”
Shen Du and Shen Can were stunned by Yang Shiqi’s words. Once they recovered, they burst into laughter together. After laughing, the older Shen Du shook his head at Du Zhen repeatedly: “If not for Shiqi revealing this, I never would have thought you, such a cold-hearted man, could be so protective! Well, I haven’t prepared any gift for today. It wouldn’t be right to use some trivial items I have on me. Tomorrow, bring your favorite disciple to my place, and I can introduce him to some good teachers and friends!”
“I’m the same as my elder brother; I really don’t have any gift to offer today. But since Brother Shiqi has such keen insight into Yishan’s intentions, how about we simply give his favorite disciple a courtesy name?”
When Shen Can said this, Shen Du agreed. Du Zhen just smiled without saying anything, and Zhang Yue had even less to say. At this moment, Yang Shiqi didn’t decline either. With a slight smile, he stood up, took a few steps, then turned around and said, “Everything reaches its limit and reverses; when water is full, it overflows. The character ‘Yue’ used by your nephew implies excess, which is somewhat excessive. When something is full, it will inevitably decline. If that’s the case…”
“Then how about ‘Chiyong’?” Shen Can instinctively interjected, only to quickly laugh awkwardly. “I forgot—Princess Yuzhen of the Tang Dynasty also had the courtesy name ‘Chiyong’. Though it’s a good name, it’s too feminine.”
“Hmm, that’s true. In general, any decline is called ‘kuī’, but using that character as a courtesy name seems inappropriate.”
“What do you mean? A beautiful character isn’t necessarily good. A courtesy name is meant as encouragement—why must it be a beautiful one? I think ‘Wukui’ is quite good.”
Seeing Yang Shiqi, Shen Du, and Shen Can getting more and more enthusiastic, eventually discussing all sorts of refined phrases, Zhang Yue, the main subject, was left dumbfounded, not even noticing that Du Zhen had already stepped behind him. It wasn’t until a low voice came to his ears that he suddenly snapped out of it.
“Most of the emperor’s edicts are drafted by the Shen brothers, and Lord Yang is a key figure in the cabinet. You’re truly lucky today to have them all work together to think of a courtesy name for you. With such a name, those civil officials won’t just see you as a descendant of a noble family. Why hasn’t any civil official stepped in to help your uncle when he was imprisoned? It’s not only because he’s close to the Prince of Han, but also because he’s after all the cousin of the Duke of Ying.”

Zhang Yue understood fully at that moment, but still couldn’t help asking, “Sir, then I am also from the Zhang family…”
“Although a family of military nobles can ensure you have no worries about making a living, your path isn’t one of quickly seeking fame and glory, so such background isn’t advantageous. Fortunately, you come from the third branch of the Zhang family—a status that’s not very prominent there—but it might just turn out to be a turning point. I know why your grandmother sent you to Nanjing. Don’t worry; even out of respect for the Duke of Britain, your uncle will be fine.”
During the great flood in Kaifeng four years ago, Du Zhen had made a similar claim, and now it was the same again—Zhang Yue didn’t doubt it for a moment. Yet he felt a sense of absurdity: what would his family think if they learned that the task that kept so many people in the Zhang family awake all night was deemed to be without danger?
“Don’t be too happy just yet. Though there’s no real danger, the ‘shock’ might not be that easy to endure either. Whether it’s a great shock or a small one depends entirely on the emperor’s decision. If you can stay in Nanjing a while longer, you’ll see what true favor and punishment look like, which will be beneficial for you in the future.”
Before he could fully process Du Zhen’s words, Zhang Yue suddenly heard a clear clap of hands. He quickly turned to see Shen Du, the oldest among them, clapping and laughing, Yang Shiqi nodding with a smile, and Shen Can shaking his head in amusement. His heart skipped a beat—this courtesy name would accompany him for life. What kind of name would these three influential figures come up with?
“‘Yuan’ means ‘beginning,’ and it’s inherently a beautiful character. As for ‘Yue,’ it’s similar to ‘ying.’ Using the character ‘jie’ fits perfectly. Self-discipline and integrity are called ‘jie.’ What do you think of the courtesy name ‘Yuanjie’?”
Seeing Du Zhen nod in approval, Zhang Yue knew his courtesy name was settled for the day, and he breathed a sigh of relief. After all, the two characters “Yuanjie” sounded much more pleasant than the previous “Chiying Wucui.”