Chapter 656: What Does “As One Desires” Mean?

With the new emperor ascending the throne, the selection for positions in the Five Armies Command was restructured, and more nobles were stationed outside the capital than before. Among them, figures like Marquis of Wu’an Zheng Hengyang and Wu Bo Zhang You remained unchanged. Others included Marquis of Baoding Meng Ying stationed in Xuanfu, Wu Jin Bo Zhu Rong in Liaodong, Xiang Cheng Bo Li Long at Shanhaiguan, Xing An Bo Xu Heng in Datong, and An Ping Bo Li An in charge of the Sichuan Military Command… For a time, aside from Zhu Yong, the Duke of Cheng who was temporarily idle due to recurring health issues, there were hardly any nobles left in the capital.

Since Marquis of Baoding Meng Ying had gone to Xuanfu, Meng Jun, who had been there for over two years, naturally returned to the capital. When he left, he was still a dashing nobleman, but upon his return, he appeared burly and strong, exuding a sharp determination. He had earned numerous merits during those two years and been promoted; upon returning to the capital, he was appointed as the commander of the Divine Martial Right Guard. He found such a quiet life somewhat dull, but Zhang Qing was overjoyed.

Since Zhang Yue was about to go to Nanjing, the couple hosted a banquet at the Marquis of Baoding’s residence. Meng Jun and Zhang Yue hadn’t seen each other in a long time, so they drank more than usual as they feasted. Meng Jun, who had gained experience in Xuanfu, started drinking from large cups right from the beginning. By the time Zhang Yue was slightly tipsy, Meng Jun was already thoroughly drunk. Zhang Qing went downstairs with the maids to take care of him before returning.

“It’s said that one regrets advising one’s husband to seek a noble title. Now I finally understand what that means. Your wife probably feels the same way—only now, not only are you busy, but she is too. Today’s gathering is even at the Duke of Ying’s residence. I think if not for your aunt’s reluctance, she would have wanted to borrow your wife for a year or so.”

Zhang Qing handed Zhang Yue a bowl of sobering soup from the maid and said with a wry smile, “Your brother-in-law has been away for so many years. Other than his skills, his drinking capacity has only improved! I really don’t want him to go. The two women in his household are just for show, and my sisters-in-law back home all call me a jealous woman. But since he hasn’t returned in all these years, I’ve only been to Xuanfu once… Actually, though he doesn’t say anything, he didn’t bring any concubines this time either. But as husband and wife, we understand certain things without needing to speak them out. How can things ever be as perfect as one wishes?”

She sighed deeply, then shook her head with a wry smile before adding concernfully, “Since you’re going to Nanjing this time, I don’t really have much to advise you—after all, you’re already an adult. But most of your people have been taken back to Kaifeng Prefecture, so there’s likely a shortage now. I’ve discussed it with your brother-in-law, and you can assign any servants or soldiers from the Marquis of Baoding’s residence in Nanjing as you see fit.”

Noble families often arranged marriages among themselves, but couples like Meng Jun and Zhang Qing were rare. Thus, after witnessing the affection between the couple and hearing Zhang Qing’s sighs, Zhang Yue felt it was unnecessary to comfort her. When he heard what she said next, he quickly said with a smile, “Elder sister, I’m going to Nanjing to serve as the deputy magistrate of Ying Tianfu. Why do you and my brother-in-law treat it as a place full of dangers?”
“There were originally the Duke of Chengguo and the Marquis of Xiangcheng in Nanjing—one was an old friend of my uncle, and the other was my sister-in-law’s full brother. If they were both there, there would be no need to worry. But right now, there’s no one we can rely on there,” Zhang Qing said irritably, glancing at Zhang Yue before adding, “Don’t you think I know your personality? You keep all your troubles to yourself. But my brother-in-law is now much more cautious, and I’m not stupid. First, with those people around, you’ll feel more at ease. Second, our Meng family has already faced such a serious crime of rebellion; if anything happens in the future… it would just be an opportunity to atone for our sins!”
“I didn’t expect my brother-in-law to think so far ahead. If that’s the case, I can’t refuse. Elder sister, be careful in the capital too. It seems everything is settled now, but there are still many uncertainties. Though it’s the emperor’s realm, it’s also a place full of intrigues.”
Since Zhang Qing had spoken so plainly, Zhang Yue had no choice but to agree. After dinner, Meng Ang, his nephew who acted like a little adult, came to pay his respects. Zhang Yue gave him a small copper knife as a gift, and they played with it for a while. Just as he was about to leave, someone reported that the fourth sister and the eldest son and wife of the Sun family had arrived. Zhang Qing was somewhat surprised and glanced at Zhang Yue before quickly ordering them to come in.
“I already sent someone to invite the second sister earlier. At that time, she said her mother was sick and she needed to take care of her. Who would have thought she’d show up uninvited now? The fourth sister is quite a rare visitor… My parents originally planned to arrange her marriage, but she insisted on waiting until her two younger brothers got married. Now that the third and fifth brothers are in Danning, her marriage keeps getting delayed. It’s unclear when she’ll get married. That girl by her side, Cui Mo, is very loyal. A young manager from the marquis’s household tried to propose, but was rejected.”
Zhang Yi wasn’t as straightforward as Zhang Qing, and due to her background, she rarely returned to her family’s home. With Zhang Yue often away on business, she had seen her second sister very little since her marriage, often encountering Sun Han instead. Now, seeing the couple enter together and come to pay their respects, he couldn’t help but tease them a bit before greeting Meng Min and her servants.

At Sun Han’s gesture, he knew his brother-in-law must have something to say. After apologizing, he went outside with Sun Han. As expected, Sun Han quickly drove away the servants in the corridor and then spoke in a low voice, “That guy from Fangling has truly forgotten his place. I specifically sent someone to deliver an invitation, yet he refused to come. Since he won’t be here, it makes no sense for me to host a drink just for you. I’ll take this opportunity to see you off under the pretext of seeing my elder sister—things at home have delayed me until now.”

The news that Fangling had been promoted to deputy commander of the Jinyiwei had already spread—although previously, only noble descendants appointed as Jinyiwei officials served as escorts or as generals stationed in the palace, things were different now. According to what they had heard, this deputy commander even accompanied the commander Wang Jie to the Northern Pacification Office, showing just how favored he was. Hearing Sun Han speak with indignation, Zhang Yue shook his head at him irritably.

“Don’t just keep complaining about others. Everyone has their difficulties. Right now, the most important thing for Fangling is to be cautious and avoid interacting with too many people, after all, his position wasn’t achieved easily. By the way, what else did he say when he sent someone to convey a message to you?”

Sun Han was still angry, but since Zhang Yue had said so, and thinking of his own similar situation, he gradually calmed down. “Forget it. It’s rare that he’s in his current position. Honestly, I’m much luckier than him. At least my father is more capable than his family members, and my marriage turned out well, unlike his rough journey. Besides sending a message, he also brought this letter. Take a look for yourself.”

After taking the letter and opening it, Zhang Yue saw the few lines written in a forceful manner. The message was simple—apologies for being too busy with military affairs to come see him off, nothing more. Yet, seeing those words “military affairs” so prominently, he felt there was more to it. He folded the letter back up and put it in his chest, then signaled Sun Han to come closer.

“Now that your great-uncle is the Grand Tutor and also in charge of the Military Command, as a Zhang family relative, you probably won’t be able to stay in the imperial guards for long. You know this well—there’s always a chance for promotion, but it’s unclear what kind of superior you’ll encounter. Be cautious. Also, take the opportunity to visit Fangling when he’s at home these days and see what he has to say.”

“Make a fuss?” Although Sun Han was smart, he wasn’t as scheming as Zhang Yue. He grew suspicious and said, “My dear third uncle, are you saying that besides Fang Ling being a commander of the Jinyiwei and thus unable to associate freely, there are other reasons he couldn’t come see you?”
“Just do as I say—there’s no mistake that way. You don’t need to act deliberately; you have an honest temperament, so no one will suspect anything else.”
Zhang Yue didn’t explain further. He simply took Sun Han back, recalling his last visit to the Fang family. If he wasn’t mistaken, Fang Ling’s demotion was likely meant to attract certain people, just as his sudden recall was. Now that he had been promoted to commander of the Jinyiwei, he was like a fragrant bait—whomever bit would be unlucky.
Inside, the women were chatting. As the hostess, Zhang Qing was constantly smiling, while Zhang Yi only interjected occasionally, mostly staying silent. Meng Min also only responded from time to time. Outside, Cui Mo laughed off the teasing from the maids and hardly spoke.
Suddenly, the door curtain was lifted. The maids saw Zhang Yue and Sun Han entering and rushed forward to greet them. Cui Mo also stood up. The maids led Sun Han inside first, while Zhang Yue stayed behind. As he was about to step through the threshold, he saw the lively scene inside and stopped. He casually pulled down the curtain and turned around.
By then, there was no one outside. Although there were voices inside, they were muffled by the thick curtain. So Zhang Yue nodded at Cui Mo and asked directly, “Cui Mo, are you all living well in the capital now?”
“Yes,” Cui Mo nodded instinctively before whispering, “But yesterday, Miss Xiao Wu… um, I just can’t get used to calling her that yet… she came to our house and cried. Though she told me and the young lady not to tell anyone, I felt so sorry for her. Young Master Yue, do you think Lord Wan will return safely?”
Thinking of Xiao Wu, Zhang Yue felt uneasy. He nodded and said, “Good people are blessed by fate. He will return safely.”
“Then I’m relieved. Such a perfect couple shouldn’t face any hardships.” Cui Mo let out a sigh of relief and smiled faintly. “There are too many unhappy people in this world. If even she isn’t happy, then heaven is truly cruel. The young lady and I came today to ask the eldest lady if we can return to Baisha Village…”

Before she could finish speaking, Zhang Yue interrupted them, “There are only the old, weak, women, and children there now. Living in the capital, at least we can take care of each other. There’s really no need to return to Baisha Village. Just now, the eldest sister told me that the fourth sister insists on waiting until Meng Tao and Meng Fan get married before discussing marriage herself. You’ve also turned down several proposals… These are not matters I should interfere with. I just want to say—don’t keep suffering yourself.”

“As long as there’s something to look forward to, something in mind, life doesn’t seem so hard,” Cui Mo glanced around and suddenly spoke in a barely audible whisper. “I’m not someone who doesn’t know what’s good for me. I know I’m still alive to repay my parents’ kindness, but I just can’t accept it. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of myself.”

Zhang Yue knew Cui Mo must have heard about Prince Zhao Zhu Gaosui being assigned to Zhangde, but he didn’t know what comforting words to say, so he could only nod. Just as he was about to turn and go inside, suddenly the door curtain was lifted, and Zhang Yi stepped out. She used to be like a ghost at home, but after marrying into her husband’s family, she lived quite smoothly. Over four years, she gave birth to a son and a daughter. Although her reserved personality hadn’t changed much, she had become much more open than before.

“Sister-in-law asked me to come out and see where everyone was. I didn’t expect to find you all talking here. Third brother, everyone inside is waiting for you—hurry in! Cui Mo, if you don’t go in soon, your young lady will worry!”

Seeing Zhang Yi pull Cui Mo into the house, Zhang Yue couldn’t help but laugh silently before following inside. Since they were all close family members, everyone chatted and laughed freely without any restraint. When it was time to leave, Zhang Qing personally saw everyone off to Chuihua Gate. Suddenly, she turned and saw Meng Min wearing a plain dress with a white satin cloak over it. She couldn’t help but narrow her eyes. Before she could say anything, she saw Meng Min walking toward Zhang Yue.

“Third Brother Yue, my third and fifth brothers returned after accompanying the coffin and stayed at home for a short time. They’re both very grateful for your advice. If not for what they experienced outside, they wouldn’t have realized the hardships our ancestors endured and would have only known how to reap the benefits at home. If they ever achieve anything in the future, it will be thanks to your words.”

“The fourth sister, that’s too polite of you. They got along very well with me back then. Of course, I hope they live well.” Looking at that once-smiling face, Zhang Yue added, “The capital isn’t necessarily a safe place now. Be extra careful.”

“Mm. You’re going to Nanjing too. Please give my regards to Sister Du when you get back.”

In three groups, people emerged from the east gate of the Baoding Marquis’s residence and then dispersed. Watching the two carriages disappear from sight, Zhang Yue lowered the curtain of the carriage. Though he disliked the stuffy atmosphere inside carriages, the cold weather made riding a horse unbearable, and the constant travel over the past few days had caused him headaches. So he leaned back on the cushion and closed his eyes to rest. Suddenly, he felt as if the carriage had stopped, and soon someone climbed in.

Recognizing the person who entered, Zhang Yue was struck by the stark white clothes: “Xiao Wu?”
“Brother-in-law, please tell me clearly—will he… really not be able to come back?”
Seeing Xiao Wu’s red eyes, Zhang Yue quickly said, “Don’t think nonsense. It’s just that the heavy snow has cut off communication.”
“But if that’s the case, why didn’t you come to see me yourself? Why did you ask my sister to tell me?”
At that moment, Zhang Yue could only sigh softly. He then took out a handkerchief and handed it to Xiao Wu. When she took it but just stared at him, he smiled and explained, “Without definite news, how could I come to see you? Don’t worry. Before I leave the capital, I will give you definite news. Lao Wan’s greatest wish in life is to marry such a lovely wife like you and spend his days surrounded by children. How could he leave you now? Seeing such a perfect couple, even heaven will help us.”