Chapter 653: People Can Change

After a heavy snowfall, the entire capital was covered in white, as if heaven and earth themselves were wearing mourning clothes for Emperor Taizong Zhu Di. As a result, some officials who were skilled at flattery submitted tributes to praise him. Yet these opportunistic memorials vanished without a trace, leaving not even the slightest ripple of impact. Compared to such impractical things, the powerful figures in authority were more concerned with matters of real significance.

Since Zhu Di’s death over a month ago, countless events had taken place in the capital, leaving people in awe. From conferring titles of high rank on meritorious officials to censors accusing civil and military officials of failing to observe mourning rites by drinking alcohol, to Zhu Gaochi ordering the Ministry of Works to build a palace for Prince Zhao Zhu Gao Sui in Zhangde Prefecture, and finally rumors that Prince Han Zhu Gao Xu had hunted on the prince’s grounds, hitting the target with ten arrows in a row—showing his unwavering bravery—along with the unchanging presence of the imperial guards, who made everyone worry deeply.

Thus, even in such bitterly cold weather, Buddhist temples and Taoist temples were crowded with worshippers. Ordinary people prayed to the gods for peace and an end to war, while officials’ families offered incense hoping their leaders would rise to high positions and bring prosperity to their families. As a result, the largest temples and Taoist sites in the capital, from Lingji Palace in the Qingshou Temple down, arranged for servants, monks, and novices outside their gates to turn away ordinary people and allow only officials’ families in. Even so, rows of carriages lined the streets outside the gates, with ladies in simple clothing coming and going all day.

Chongguo Temple, located between Xuanwu Gate Street and Mianhua Hutong in the northwest part of the capital and near Shichahai, was not as grand as the Qingshou Temple. As it was a neighborhood inhabited by officials, it also closed its doors to the public this time. Although this was ideal for Zhang Yue, who was on a family outing, the rare opportunity to be out with his family was disrupted by many acquaintances and elders he had to greet repeatedly, which was truly troublesome.

“Come to my house when you have time. My husband was still complaining at home a few days ago, saying that if you were the son of a duke, you wouldn’t have to work so hard.” The Lady of Anyuan said this with a smile and a nod. “Don’t pay attention to those rumors outside. Families of nobility are all connected. Besides, the emperor has already had the Jinyiwei investigate, and all the accusations against you are nonsense. You come from a noble family—why would you go to such lengths to alienate your own people? And as for your wife, come visit more often when you have time.”

Zhang Yue saw her off with a smile, only letting out a sigh of relief after she was far away. He turned to Du Wan and winked, saying, “I always thought dealing with superiors and subordinates at the yamen was extremely tough. But it seems that dealing with these noble ladies every day is the real challenge. The Lady of Anyuan is still quite nice. That cold and mocking Lady of Chengshan almost directly called me ungrateful.”

“You have to do what’s expected of your position. How many people in this world can truly be wealthy and idle?”

Thinking back to her life with her mother in the rural areas of Zhangyan, Du Wan felt as if it belonged to another world. That simple, peaceful life was completely different from the scheming and intrigue in the world of fame and fortune. But now that she was familiar with it, the latter didn’t seem so serious after all. Seeing that Zhang Yue’s silk cape strap was loose, she turned around and tied it tight for him before teasingly saying, “Besides, when have you ever wanted to be a wealthy idle person?”

“Why wouldn’t I? It’s fine to be one for a day or a month, but if it had to go on for a year, ten years, or a lifetime, wouldn’t life be boring?” Zhang Yue glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, then stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Du Wan’s waist. “The only thing I hate is having to follow rules outside and having to be sneaky even when being close to my own wife.”

“If anyone heard your nonsense, they’d be shocked!” Du Wan shook her head, unable to suppress a laugh. Seeing Qiu Hen and Hu Bo coming around the corner, she quickly slapped Zhang Yue’s hand hard. When he stepped back awkwardly, she pouted and said, “Look, Hu Bo and Qiu Hen are here. Qiu Hen insists on dragging Hu Bo inside to get an oracle reading—I have no idea what she’s up to. Huh, why do they look that way?”

Since it was still a national mourning period, Du Wan and Hu Bo Qiu Hen both wore plain, simple clothes on this day. Hu Bo’s knees were covered in mud, and Qiu Hen, who was holding her, looked embarrassed. As they got closer, Qiu Hen hurriedly said, “After drawing a fortune, I followed a young master to find an older master to interpret it. They left for a while, and when they returned, they saw Hu Bo in this state. She said she fell by accident—it’s all my fault for leaving her alone…”

If it had been Qiu Hen who tripped carelessly, Zhang Yue wouldn’t have been surprised at all, as she was somewhat reckless by nature. But Hu Bo was usually very cautious, so such a fall seemed strange. Glancing down, Zhang Yue saw her hands tightly clasped together and frowned.

Noticing Hu Bo’s unusual expression, Du Wan didn’t ask further and suggested that they all go back together. Although Qiu Hen felt disappointed, since half of the blame fell on her, she nodded. Soon, Mother Cui, who had gone to offer incense money, also returned. Just as Zhang Yue was about to suggest leaving, Hu Bo, who had remained silent until then, suddenly spoke up.

“Just after Qiu Hen left, a large group came to offer incense. I heard from a young monk that they were the Princess of Anyang, so I quickly hid. In my haste, I didn’t pay attention to where I was going and accidentally ended up at a hermitage. As a result…”

Even though she usually kept everything to herself, recalling that moment made her heart race. Seeing Zhang Yue nodding with a smile, Du Wan also signaled her to take her time. She took a deep breath before continuing, “There were probably some women living in that hermitage, along with some maids in the courtyard. I went in to ask for directions, and coincidentally, they were talking. I overheard someone say… they were planning to return to Nanjing.”

Hearing this, Qiu Hen was confused, while Zhang Yue and Du Wan exchanged a look, both shocked. Although Zhang Yue had knowledge from five or six hundred years in the future, his memory was limited, and he couldn’t recall whether such a thing actually happened. Du Wan frowned and asked softly, “Since you heard that, did the people in the courtyard react in any way?”

“When I heard those words, I knew something was wrong. But by then, they had already seen me, so I had no choice but to go in and ask for directions. At that moment, a middle-aged woman came out of a pavilion. Without saying a word, she scolded those people, then ordered them to take the one who had been talking nonsense away for punishment. She also asked about my background. I pretended not to know anything and admitted that I was from the Zhang family…”
As Amber spoke, even Qiu Hen realized she had encountered extraordinary people. Feeling both nervous and regretful, she instinctively grabbed Amber’s hand and interrupted, “Amber, how can you tell the truth at this moment? There are so many officials here. You can just make up a story and get away!”
“Don’t interrupt her. Besides, she’s not wrong. Since others have seen her, if she hesitates and refuses to admit her identity, it would only make it obvious that she knows some secret, making her even more suspicious.” Zhang Yue glared at Qiu Hen irritably. When he saw her realize her mistake, she shut her mouth sheepishly. He then ordered, “It’s fine. Go on.”
“That woman asked which Zhang family I was from. I knew I couldn’t hide it if they investigated, so I told the truth. After I did, her expression immediately softened. She turned around and said something inside, then actually allowed me to enter. I had no choice but to follow carefully inside. There, sitting in the center, was a lady. Though she was dressed simply, without any accessories, and spoke kindly, she exuded an imposing presence. She asked me a few questions casually and even gave me a jade ring before I left. That woman personally escorted me to the entrance of the pavilion, showed me the way, and said I was lucky to have caught the lady’s attention. She also told me to show the jade ring to the young master and to invite the young mistress to visit there in her free time.”
Although Mother Cui was just an ordinary woman, she had lived for many years and was now sweating profusely. She unconsciously tightened her grip on Du Wan’s hand, while Du Wan was so engrossed in listening that she didn’t notice at all. As for Zhang Yue, he listened intently. When Amber said the last sentence, he was stunned.
Visit there?

After Du Wan married Zhang Yue, she spent the most time with high-ranking officials and nobles, having met almost all the prominent figures. At first, she thought they were some royal relatives or princesses, but by now she had some suspicions. As soon as this thought arose, she felt a sharp pain in her left arm. Turning her head, she saw Cui Mama gripping her arm tightly, completely stiff. Feeling both annoyed and amused, she spoke up to remind them.

“Young master, young mistress, this is the jade ring I obtained.”

Cui Mama jumped back slightly, about to apologize, when Hu Bo took out the jade ring. For a moment, no one paid attention to anything else; all eyes were fixed on the ring. Having seen many fine things over the years, Zhang Yue examined it carefully and immediately recognized it as Hetian jade—most nobles these days used Hetian jade, and just by looking at it, it was impossible to tell much. But since someone asked him to take a look and also told Du Wan to go inside when she had time, the meaning was quite clear.

“Sister Wan?”

“It should be correct.”

Hearing Du Wan say the same, Zhang Yue felt confident. Seeing Hu Bo’s worried expression, he comforted her, “It’s fine. Since that lady treated you kindly, it’s obvious nothing’s wrong. Since you’ve got this jade ring, just keep it safe. As for what you heard, just ignore it. Well, since we’re here to relax at Chongguo Temple, let’s go around a bit so our trip isn’t in vain.”

Though he said that, with such a strange incident having occurred and the Princess of Anyang leading the way, everyone was puzzled. They stayed in Chongguo Temple for another half hour before leaving and joining their attendants and drivers waiting outside. As the carriage left the alley of Chongguo Temple, with the sound of wheels on the stone slabs echoing, Hu Bo, sitting next to Du Wan, suddenly asked in a barely audible voice, “Young master, young mistress, could the person I met today be… the Empress?”

Seeing Qiu Hen already asleep, leaning on Cui Mama’s shoulder, Du Wan gently patted Hu Bo’s hand but didn’t answer right away. Glancing through the carriage curtain at Zhang Yue riding alongside, she remembered their previous meetings with Empress Zhang. Even when she was the Crown Princess, she had been sharp-witted and knowledgeable. Now that she was the Empress, she was even more formidable. But why would Empress Zhang come to Chongguo Temple in such a simple entourage?

Like his wife, although he was almost certain about this matter, Zhang Yue still found it suspicious. The arrival of Empress Zhang at Chongguo Temple was one thing, while that maid accidentally revealing plans to move the capital back to Nanjing was another—only this time, that talkative girl was likely to get into trouble, as no one could tolerate such a gossipy maid.

When they returned home, the butler Gao Quan rushed up to greet them, saying with relief, “Young master and young mistress are finally back. An envoy from the palace just arrived, saying they’re here to deliver rewards. I carefully inquired and learned that these rewards are for your services to Emperor Taizong. Right now, Eunuch Lu from the Eastern Depot is waiting in Ruiqing Hall.”

Hearing it was Lu Feng, Zhang Yue was momentarily stunned. It should be noted that although only a few people had changed in the twenty-four departments of the palace, those favored by Zhu Gaochi had already taken key positions. For example, Hou Xian, the current head of the Ceremonial Supervision Bureau, was an old man from the Yongle era who rarely interfered in affairs, while the newly promoted vice heads such as Fan Hong and Jin Ying held significant power. Even Lu Feng, the head of the Eastern Depot, no longer had it as easy as before.

Since Zhang Yue had rushed back, the process of presenting rewards naturally involved many formalities. Once they sat down in Ruiqing Hall again, Lu Feng took a teacup in one hand and dismissed the servant who brought the tea with the other, then sighed and said, “Sir Zhang, look at these rewards given to you—ten bushels of rice, ten thousand strings of cash, a hundred pounds of pepper. I heard even Minister Xia Yuanji, when burying his mother, only received such modest rewards. Even I find them pitiful. The emperor keeps changing policies and appointing officials; I’m living in constant fear… By the way, do you know that Eunuch Zheng He has been sent to Nanjing as a supervising eunuch? I heard you’re going there too—won’t that be redundant?”

Zhang Yue, knowing his temper well, pretended to be surprised. Sure enough, after complaining for a while, Lu Feng started talking about palace affairs and revealed that Zhu Gaochi, after the mourning period ended on the 27th, began frequenting his concubines. Then he shook his head and said, “I heard the queen handles many political matters on his behalf. I don’t know what the emperor is thinking—he seems to enjoy every woman night after night, as if he’s become a completely different person!”

Hearing this, Zhang Yue couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. People change over time. Zhu Gaochi had once lived in constant fear as the crown prince, so he was naturally cautious in everything; now that he was the emperor in charge of the entire realm, with the pressure gone, it was inevitable that he would indulge himself. Besides, the ministers in the government were all sharp and capable, and the noble families had all been generously promoted by him. Zhu Gaochi had no fear of someone like Zhu Gaoxu, who appeared strong but was actually weak inside—so what was there to worry about?