Chapter 643: Seeing the Signs Early to Avoid Trouble

In the capital in September, the sun had not been seen for days; the sky remained gloomy, casting a cold atmosphere over everyone. With the emperor leading a large army on inspection trips, the crown prince handled all domestic affairs. Although court meetings were suspended, the various halls in the palace were bustling with activity. Outside the palace, ministers’ residences also saw frequent comings and goings. The apparent calm could not hide the underlying turmoil, but many people continued to live their peaceful lives, enjoying themselves.

In the previous provincial examinations in Shuntian Prefecture, Gu Bin and Zhang Jiu were both among the top performers at the Imperial Academy—Gu Bin, in particular, being a disciple of Yang Rong. As a result, Gu Bin ranked second, while Zhang Jiu made it into the top twenty. Even the young Fang Jing was extremely lucky, finishing as the eighty-first candidate to pass the exams. Though not ideal, he was overjoyed. After the exams, he celebrated with the other two, even Gu Bin, who usually didn’t drink, getting thoroughly drunk. These days, the three often gathered to study, determined to prepare well for the annual imperial examinations.

The Yangwu Bo’s residence had just been renovated, as the elders were away, the younger generation had just finished their mourning period, and Zhang Yue, the only one still in a position of power, was also absent, making it relatively quiet. After the rituals, they removed their mourning clothes, and all the items that had been stored were returned to their original places. Everyone was busy taking measurements to prepare winter clothing. Zhang Jingjing and Zhang Fu, who were younger, were still growing, so their clothes often became too small within a year. As for Zhang Jiu, who had just passed the exams, as the eldest grandson of the family, he often had to go out to meet guests, so he needed more clothes—after all, it was a matter of reputation. Although Zheng Fangfei handled these preparations, her shyness made her often consult Du Wan, and the two sisters-in-law got along well.

That day, a letter sent by Zhang Yue arrived at their home. Du Wan read it carefully word by word. Though the letter seemed to have been written during his time in Xuanfu, at least half a month ago, it was still good news to receive some communication. After reading it, she saw Qiu Hen watching eagerly nearby, so she handed the letter to her. After Qiu Hen thanked her happily, Du Wan quickly joined Hupo. She sighed inwardly and began thinking about the date of their return.

“Oh, my goodness! Please slow down! Third Miss, don’t spoil this little one!”

After a sudden outcry, Du Wan quickly regained her senses and saw that one corner of the pine-flower colored curtain had been lifted. Immediately afterward, a silver-red figure rushed in, dragging a small figure along, and joyfully climbed into her arms. Hearing Zhang Jing call out “sister-in-law” in a sweet voice and Jing Guan call out “mom” in a childish tone, she nodded at the wet nurse who was kneeling and then took both children in her arms. She first asked how Zhang Jing had done with her studies that day and praised her a bit before holding her son on her knees.

“It’s not school this afternoon anyway. I’m also going to my aunt’s place… Hey, did I get a letter from my brother? Let me see!”

Zhang Jing, with her sharp eyes, saw Qiu Hen and Hu Bo reading the letter and quickly rushed over to snatch it. Startled, Qiu Hen instinctively raised her hand, causing Zhang Jing to miss. Before she could rejoice at her first success, she suddenly felt itching in her waist and couldn’t help but laugh. She crouched down, only for Zhang Jing to take the letter away.

“Sister Qiu Hen, I won again this time!”

As they were used to fighting, Zhang Jing was proud for a while before smiling and returning the letter to Qiu Hen, then coquettishly asking Hu Bo to read it to her. After listening, she pouted and said, “I thought my brother would have some special instructions, but there was nothing—just the same old stuff. Only at the end was there a mention of us.”

Du Wan, who had been watching them fight with a smile, now scolded, “Silly girl, we’re traveling with the emperor, and all private letters are checked before being sealed. Even if your brother had the audacity, what important messages could he possibly write? It’s just to let us know he’s safe!”

“I thought my brother would write something nice for sister-in-law in the letter!”

“You little troublemaker!”

Shaking her head in exasperation, Du Wan thought that Zhang Jing, though young, was so mischievous—completely unlike her parents, Zhang Zhuo and Sun, nor like Zhang Yue at all. Remembering that her sister-in-law Li Yun had invited them to the Duke of Ying’s residence in the afternoon to play bone tiles with Lady Wang, she stood up, planning to take Zhang Jing with her. Since there were no major matters at home and the men were all outside, it was sufficient to leave Qiu Hen and Hu Bo to manage the household.

“Third sister-in-law, are you there?”

Hearing such a voice outside the door, Zhang Jing was momentarily stunned, then rushed out like the wind and soon pulled someone in. Du Wan took a close look and saw it was Zhang Jiu, who looked completely caught off guard. She nodded with a smile, quickly offered him a seat, and instructed Shui Jing to go inform Li Yun that she would be arriving later. Then she sat down at the western end of the kang.

“Didn’t the fourth brother go outside? Why is he returning in such a hurry? Is something wrong?”

Although it was bitterly cold and Zhang Jiu had been riding back in the wind all the way, he still felt a wave of heat surging through his body. He tried to calm himself down before speaking, “I just returned from outside the city with a few scholars who graduated from the Imperial Academy. When we entered the main gate, we saw messengers riding fast horses into the city, saying that the emperor had achieved a great victory outside Songting Pass. I thought since the third brother is accompanying the emperor, he must have gone from Songting Pass to Danning, and he’s probably among them too.”

Before he could finish speaking, Du Wan stood up. Seeing that everyone in the room was visibly delighted, she knew they must be assuming that this victory meant success and safety. After pondering for a while, she ordered Hu Bo and Qiu Hen, “You two take Jing’er to the eldest aunt. Ask them to take Jing’er to the Duke of Ying’s residence first and pass on this good news to the eldest aunt’s wife. I just remembered I want to go home to see my parents, so I’ll have to go later. Also, Master Peng has gone to Danning, and Ling Xi has been helping here these days. Please thank her on my behalf; she’s really worked hard.”

After giving them a long list of instructions and seeing that Qiu Hen and Hu Bo left without question, dragging Zhang Jing along, Du Wan ordered her nurse to take Xiao Jingguan down. Seeing that Zhang Jiu still sat motionless, she said with a smile, “Since the fourth brother has returned, why not go to the Duke of Ying’s residence with his wife to see the eldest aunt’s wife? Ever since you passed the imperial examination, the eldest aunt’s wife has been overjoyed!”

“Third sister-in-law, do you have some plan?” Zhang Jiu wasn’t so easy to deceive. He didn’t move at all. “This great victory outside Songting Pass sounds simple, but knowing the emperor is leading a large army on border patrols, who would be so foolish as to provoke them? Besides, how could it be such a coincidence? And also…”

“There’s no need for more. Your third brother said you were cautious, and now I truly believe it!” Du Wan saw the two young maids in the room listening curiously, so she gently coughed. “Your fourth brother is right. The military reports say it was a great victory—winning a battle can’t be wrong—but other things are suspicious. Right now, your eldest brother is on a mission to the Oirats, and that reminded me of the fifth brother. I was planning to go home and ask him, and luckily our father isn’t on duty today. It’s inconvenient for me to go alone. I was worried that our father would be in charge of the exams next year, but it seems it will likely be Scholar Jin. If so, you don’t need to avoid him. How about coming with me?”

During the 60th birthday celebration of the Gu family, Zhang Jiu met Du Zhen for the first time. What impressed him wasn’t Du Zhen himself but the great respect shown to him by Scholar Shen, who had been specially invited by their father. At the birthday banquet, he competed with Zhang Yue in a tea-drinking contest as a way to show off. It wasn’t until later, when he saw this stern Mr. Du rise through the ranks in the court and eventually enter the cabinet, that he often wondered what would have happened if he had taken him as his master. But over time, those thoughts faded—everyone has their own path, and he was quite content with his own life now.

Still, upon hearing Du Wan’s words, he agreed almost without hesitation.

Zhang Jiu accompanying Du Wan to visit Du Zhen was, of course, a formal matter. When Li Yun found out, she told her sisters-in-law to leave first. Zheng Fangfei had no particular interest, but Zhao Fen couldn’t help but worry. Since she knew the family title would surely go to Zhang Qi in the future and that she would become the future lady of the household, and given the repeated warnings from the Lady of Anyuan Marquis, she had no choice but to act virtuous in front of her sisters-in-law. For a while, the three of them said nothing and left together with Zhang Jing.

Due to Du Zhen’s personality, the Du household had always been quiet, and with the emperor not in the capital, it was even more deserted. That day, when Du Wan returned, everyone in the house became busy. After she went inside, a servant invited Zhang Jiu, who had come back by horseback, to sit in the hall and be served tea. After sitting for a while, he was taken to the study.

Although he had been there once before at Zhang Yue’s wedding, he was too excited and joyful at the time to pay attention to such things. This time, he had the chance to observe carefully. He noticed that the few servants treated everyone with respect, and the courtyard and houses were simple yet tidy. Unconsciously, he slowed his steps. It wasn’t until he reached the study that he regained his composure.

After being informed, he entered the room through the brown cotton curtain that was slightly lifted. It seemed to have been newly renovated, with a faint smell of paint in the air. The study was divided into an inner and an outer section; outside were a high table and two armchairs, separated by a tall bookshelf. In each shelf slot could be seen stacks of thick books. Through the gaps between the shelves and books, a glimpse of green curtains in the back could be seen. At that moment, a young servant dressed in a cyan-green jacket came out from the inner room and led him in.

As soon as Zhang Jiu entered, he saw someone searching for books on the bookshelf against the wall, with his back to him. Looking around, he realized that the room was surrounded by bookshelves, with only a large desk in the center. There was a chair behind the desk, and two chairs on the left side in front of it. An atmosphere of books and ink filled the air. Appreciating this true study, he was momentarily stunned before remembering to bow.

When Du Zhen found the book and turned around, seeing Zhang Jiu bowing awkwardly, he nodded and said, “Sit down. There’s no need to be so formal. You are the legitimate younger brother of the Emperor, not an outsider. Wan’er just mentioned you to me. I assume you didn’t come just to report the news. The Crown Prince granted me a day off yesterday, and it’s not appropriate for me to go to the palace to gather information. Since you’re here, tell me what happened.”

Du Zhen’s straightforward manner, without any hesitation, caught Zhang Jiu off guard. He suddenly remembered the cold expression he had often seen at home in Kaifeng. Indeed, back in the day, he had even thought to himself that someone as cold as ice like Zhang Yue must be terrified of freezing solid by studying under such a person. He even remembered Lian Sheng and Lian Hu mentioning that when Du Zhen first taught Zhang Yue, his requirements were strict and left no room for negotiation.

“Lord Du, it’s like this: When I heard the news at Li Zheng Gate, I was with Young Seventh Brother.” Once those words were out, Zhang Jiu felt a bit more at ease, and his speech became smoother. “Young Seventh Brother was shocked upon hearing the news, so we returned to the city together. By chance, we met an imperial censor near the Censorate. Young Seventh Brother is on good terms with him, and after chatting for a while, the censor mentioned that between Danning and Songting Pass lay Huizhou and Kuanhe, areas that used to be prosperous but are nowroute routes routes for the Wulangha invaders. However, the Wulangha were defeated last year, and unless they have some other advantage, they surely wouldn’t dare to attack rashly.”

Hearing this, Du Zhen nodded in approval. “Hmm, this person has good insight. Go on.”

Since Zhang Jiu was not very skilled in military strategy, he simply repeated the man’s words verbatim: “He also said that the one instigating this from behind is most likely Altan Arutai. If that’s the case, Arutai will surely send troops as well, and the combined forces of both sides will be no small number. In the past, Arutai was able to defeat Qiu Fu’s 300,000 troops with just tens of thousands from the Tatar tribes. Now, with the emperor’s army numbering only 30,000, to achieve a decisive victory, it will likely depend not only on who is braver in close combat but also on using surprise tactics and taking advantage of the lack of support from one side. But fighting like this, it’s hard to know what kind of losses the army will suffer.”

After listening to this entire speech, Du Zhen’s furrowed brows relaxed at first before tightening again. Having been in the cabinet for just two years, he had a broad perspective, and even if he wasn’t an expert in military strategy, he knew these words were quite insightful. Although he should have focused first on what was best for the emperor, he couldn’t help but ask, “What is this man’s name?”

“It’s Yu Qian, an imperial censor.”

Du Zhen immediately remembered this man—a successful imperial examination candidate recommended by Yang Shiqi to the Censorate. He had once impeached Zhang Yue but wasn’t favored by the Left Censor-in-Chief Liu Guan, so he was never given a formal position. From the impeachment letter back then, he seemed to be a man of integrity and seriousness. No wonder he got along well with Gu Bin—these two were clearly of the same kind.

Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly had an idea and asked Zhang Jiu, “What’s your opinion?”

Zhang Jiu was deep in thought about how Gu Bin and that Yu Qian—one gentle and the other stern—were a perfect match. Unexpectedly, he was suddenly asked such a question and froze. Only then did he realize Du Zhen was indeed asking him. Without time to think carefully, he blurted out, “I just think this decisive victory might be meant to cover up other news.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. After all, Du Zhen was a close advisor to the emperor. Speaking carelessly like this would only show a lack of insight. Just as he was about to explain, he saw Du Zhen nod slightly, leaving him at a loss.

“Perhaps you’re right. Given the emperor’s personality, he will surely lead the army personally. To deal with such a major battle, this matter really can’t be taken lightly. Well, better to be prepared. Go to the Duke of Cheng’s residence first…”

As Du Zhen was speaking, a sound of arrows being released came from outside: “Master, master! Someone from the palace has arrived—Prince Heir has summoned you!”