Chapter 9: Favoritism

“They’re still children. A preference for martial arts over literature isn’t a big deal for our Zhang family. Mother, please don’t be too strict with them.”
Seeing Gu’s furious expression and knowing that Zhang Chao and Zhang Qi were bound to face family punishment, a savior suddenly appeared. Zhang Yue looked up and saw a middle-aged man in his forties lifting the door curtain and entering. He wore a robe adorned with golden patterns of prosperity, along with black silk shoes, looking extremely energetic. At first glance, Zhang Yue felt his gaze sweep sharply across his face before shifting to someone else.
Just then, he heard his mother whispering in his ear, “That’s your eldest uncle.”
Eldest uncle? Was it Zhang Xin, his uncle who served as the Right Vice Minister of Works? When had he returned?
Still shocked, Zhang Yue watched as Zhang Xin stepped forward, bowed deeply to his mother, then stood up and said with a smile, “I was worried about Mother, so I left my entourage behind and rushed back. I happened to encounter Chao and Qi hunting. Their archery skills are quite good—such proficiency at such a young age shows that my second brother and sister-in-law must have put in a lot of effort. I brought them back. If Mother scolds them, it will seem as though it’s my fault.”
Gu had been angry on impulse, but now that her long-absent biological son was interceding, her expression softened greatly. After scolding Zhang Chao and Zhang Qi briefly, she ordered them to stand up. She also rebuked Dongfang and Sun, and thus the incident was resolved.
After some casual conversation between mother and son, Lingxi brought tea along with a few maids. Zhang Xin stood up first, offered a cup of tea to his mother, and then personally served tea to Dongfang and Sun. “I’ve been away from Mother these years. Thanks to your constant care, I owe you my gratitude.”
Dongfang and Sun hadn’t expected their eldest uncle to serve tea personally, so they quickly bowed in thanks, expressing their humility. Then Zhang Xin sat down to Gu’s left, smiling and saying, “Mother’s 60th birthday is approaching, and since there aren’t many matters at court, I asked the emperor for permission to return early. Moreover, the Duke of Yingguo specifically requested an imperial decree to honor Mother as a Second-Rank Noble Lady. I expect the decree to arrive before her birthday.”

As soon as these words were spoken, cheers of joy filled the room. The Dong family members were quick-witted; they hurriedly brought their two sons to pay their respects and offer congratulations. The Sun family was only slightly slower—she stepped forward to bow, and at the same time, Zhang Yue also knelt down with a smile, saying many auspicious words about longevity and good fortune. Lady Gu, after her initial surprise, could hardly stop smiling, repeatedly praising the emperor’s grace and mentioning the British duke’s nephew who had done them a favor.

Although there was only one rank difference between a second-rank consort and a third-rank noblewoman, not everyone could bridge that gap.

The room was filled with joy, and everyone was happy—Zhang Yue no exception. No matter what had happened before, he was now part of the Zhang family, and the family’s honor was his honor. Yet when he glanced at his mother, Lady Sun, he noticed a hint of sadness beneath her joyful expression.

It was then that he remembered that everyone in the Zhang family below Lady Gu had received titles, except for his father, who, due to his uncles and elder brothers, had become a “yin jiansheng” without officially entering government service—slightly better off than commoners. Naturally, his mother couldn’t receive any titles either. Realizing this, he understood even better why his father, Zhang Zhuo, had placed such high expectations on him.

He thought big families brought many advantages, but it turned out the pressure was also immense!

After delivering the first piece of good news, as if determined to keep everyone excited, Zhang Xin said with a smile, “For Mother’s birthday this time, the British duke cannot leave Nanjing on official business, so it will probably be my two cousins who come to offer their congratulations. Besides that, the King of Han, knowing that Mother practices Buddhism, asked me to bring a white jade Guanyin statue as a wish for her to live as long as the southern mountains.”

Another prince? Wait, this King of Han seems different from the King of Zhou…

Zhang Yue racked his brain hard before finally recalling who this King of Han was. His earlier joy instantly turned into cold sweat. He vaguely remembered him as someone who had achieved great feats on the battlefield but suffered a crushing defeat in the power struggles. Then, suddenly, he remembered that epic “Nine Dragons Struggle for Power” scene from a popular historical novel—in matters of the royal family, choosing the wrong side could lead to a terrible outcome!

But then he thought again and realized it wasn’t right. The Zhang family of the Duke rank could be considered the most prominent family in the Ming Dynasty because three generations of their family members were posthumously granted the title of king, and subsequent Duke titles became hereditary. Just Zhang Yu and Zhang Fu, two generations, were enough to prove that the Zhang family should have enjoyed great prestige for a long time, seemingly unharmed by the struggles for the throne.

Though slightly relieved, this incident stuck in Zhang Yue’s mind like a fish bone, filling him with deep suspicion. So, after his uncle presented gifts one by one, he didn’t even notice that he had only received two books, while Zhang Chao and Zhang Qi each got a short sword said to be crafted by a master artisan—there was a vast difference in value between them.

It was not until the moon rose high in the sky that Zhang Zhuo entered his family’s western courtyard. Learning that his elder brother Zhang Xin had returned early, his expression changed slightly, and he then forced a smile at Lady Sun, saying, “I happened to have matters to attend to today and arrived late. I’m afraid Grandma will think poorly of me again. I’ll go to the main house with you later to prevent her and my brother from thinking I’m disrespectful.”

Lady Sun sat silently without responding. It was only when her husband came over, sat next to her, and asked what had happened that she recounted how Zhang Xin had given gifts to the three children that day, speaking with resentment, “Brother Chao and Brother Qi’s swords are inlaid with gold and jade, said to be able to cut through iron as if it were mud—clearly fine items. But what did he give Yue? A copy of ‘Annotations to the Analects’ and a copy of ‘Zuo’s Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals’—how much are those together? This is too unfair!”

Seeing his wife’s face turn red, Zhang Zhuo took her hand and whispered soothing words, “My second brother’s biological mother was the second wife chosen by Grandma back then. She was very good at flattering Grandma while she was alive and was already favored. That’s why my brother and second brother grew up close. It’s not strange that he favors Brother Chao and Brother Qi—hasn’t it always been like this?”

“But now Yue is also… in Grandma’s eyes…”

“Grandma has only started to pay more attention to Yue in the past month or so. How could my brother know? Even if he did, my brother’s son, Brother Jiu, will be returning in a few days. Not to mention Yue, even Brother Chao and Brother Qi might not get much attention from Grandma by then. Though he’s the youngest, he’s the legitimate eldest grandson of the main branch—no one can surpass him. Don’t think I’ve prepared these birthday gifts wholeheartedly just for show; I merely hope to gain a little respect for the third branch. As long as Grandma remembers this grandson, Yue, I’ll be satisfied.”

Next to the door curtain, Zhang Yue heard the sounds inside gradually fading, so he tiptoed back a few steps, feeling somewhat moved by his father’s efforts. However, as he stepped back, he felt as if he had bumped into something soft. Just as he was puzzled, a low groan came from behind him. Realizing he had alarmed his parents, he quickly turned around and saw Qiu Hen standing there with a strange expression, holding her leg. He hurriedly sent her several urgent eye signals before scrambling onto the bed and pulling the blanket over himself.