Chapter 90: A Meal at the Master’s Home

The supplies prepared by the Du family for Zhang Yue were not luxurious. He was wearing a blue satin shirt with eight floral patterns, paired with ordinary blue satin pants, over which he had a cloak lined with white collar and green cloud-patterned silk. He wore black velvet shoes with cloud motifs, looking quite spirited. Yet as he followed Mingdi Moyu to the Du family’s main hall, he felt a strange sense of unease.

By the time they sat down to eat, his concerns dissipated.

The Du family was also a prominent clan from eastern Zhejiang, so they adhered to the tradition of silence during meals. There was no serving of dishes separately. The meal consisted of four dishes and one soup: vinegar-marinated fresh fish, mushrooms and tofu, chicken strips with leek greens, sliced pork with jade-like threads, and shrimp soup—all simple home-cooked dishes served on Yuan dynasty blue-and-white porcelain. Although he had eaten many delicacies before, seeing these ordinary dishes in the Du family’s relaxed atmosphere, he ate two bowls of fragrant rice in one go, almost to the point of burping.

Du Zhen, who usually wore a stern expression, rarely smiled. But after this meal, when the maid brought tea and saw Zhang Yue looking utterly satisfied, he smiled for once and said, “If the Duke of Yingguo saw you like this today, he might think you haven’t eaten enough at home and would demand an explanation from the cooks! My family only serves ordinary dishes, yet you devour them like nothing’s the matter.”

Having spent time with Du Zhen, Zhang Yue was used to his occasional teasing, so he laughed and said, “Those who are constantly on social engagements always miss the food at home. Isn’t it precisely because of these simple dishes that they warm both the heart and the stomach? Besides, I came all the way here in this heavy snow just to have lunch with you. Even if it were just cabbage and radish strips, it would still be a delight.”

“Very well, very well. If you come again, I’ll have your wife instruct the cooks to make cabbage and radish strips!”

Qiu Shi, who was used to her husband’s calm demeanor, couldn’t help but smile at the banter between the teacher and student. She quickly scolded, “Sir, I specially had the kitchen prepare some light and delicious home-cooked dishes from eastern Zhejiang today. Yuan Jie grew up in the north, so it’s novel for her to try these for the first time. She just ate an extra bowl of rice—that’s all. Why make such a fuss?”

Seeing Du Zhen silent, she sized Zhang Yue up from head to toe before nodding in satisfaction. Smiling, she said, “You are the master’s student, and you sent such a generous gift last time. So your stubborn teacher originally planned to give you writing tools and new books, but I insisted against it. The master has taught you for four years; you’re like his own son. Why be formal? I had my family make four sets of clothes for you. It’s good that you’re wearing them today. There are three more sets—take them back with you later.”

Even though Zhang Yue didn’t really consider himself an outsider, he still blushed slightly after hearing Mrs. Qiu’s words. He glanced secretly at Du Zhen and saw his teacher looking helpless, realizing that arranging clothes and such was all done by the teacher’s wife. This made him even more uneasy. But since it was just casual chatter after dinner, he knew he had to face Mrs. Qiu’s endless questions. By the time it finally came to an end, he felt as if his forehead was covered in sweat.

How could this be like a future son-in-law meeting his mother-in-law… Wait, Mr. Du was said to have only one daughter. Could it really be…

Just as cold sweat began to appear on his back, Mrs. Qiu finally let him go. Standing up, she said she had other things to do and asked him to stay for a while before leaving the room with a smile. It was only after she had been gone for a while that Zhang Yue wiped his forehead, only to find it greasy as expected. He let out a long sigh.

“That’s just my wife’s nature—she says what’s on her mind and doesn’t hide her feelings,” Du Zhen finally spoke, his face showing a hint of melancholy. “Not long after I was demoted, the regime changed. As a former official of the Jianwen dynasty, though exiled, I still harbored some resentment. To avoid being recruited by the new government, I left my family and traveled to study elsewhere, never keeping in touch with them. Who knew it would be ten years? My wife waited at home for ten years. I owe her an apology.”

Although he was Du Zhen’s only student, this was the first time Zhang Yue had heard about this past. At that moment, looking at Du Zhen’s focused yet wistful profile, he thought Yang Rong’s description of someone who seemed cold on the outside but kind-hearted was very apt—his teacher wasn’t heartless; he just preferred to put on a cold exterior to keep people at a distance, though in reality, he was indeed kind-hearted.

Otherwise, would he have stayed in that filthy place at the Zhang family’s academy for several years? Why would they have cared about a young boy whose talents were by no means outstanding back then? And now, just as he was on the verge of success, were they still thinking of this student from a family of military heroes? After barely suppressing those strange feelings, he began to talk about today’s coincidental encounter, including the one at the Imperial Academy before that.
Even hearing such an extraordinary coincidence, Du Zhen remained calm, not even blinking, and simply said, “It’s no accident that Yang Rong is so favored by the emperor among the cabinet ministers. His reminder today has been of great benefit to you. Yang Shiqi and I are close friends, but his relationship with me is merely superficial. He deliberately mentioned you in front of the emperor today not out of respect for me or because of your rapport with him, but probably to see Duke Zhang Fu’s reaction and to please the emperor. With your personality, you would likely have caught the emperor’s attention even without his words.”
Zhang Yue thought this was yet another person who saw him differently. But hearing Du Zhen’s words, his heart turned cold. He then mocked himself for thinking everyone he met in the capital was a benefactor who was helping him, forgetting the lesson from the two whips the previous day. After thanking his teacher for his guidance, he suddenly sensed a figure moving outside and curiously glanced over, but was quickly pulled back by Du Zhen’s words.
“Now that you’ve appeared before the emperor and the crown prince, it’s best for you to focus on self-cultivation. After all, your uncle was exiled. Once he’s gone, stay at Duke Zhang Fu’s residence and don’t go out every day. If you want to make friends, invite them to your residence. Since you’re no longer at the academy and I can’t take care of you here for now, you still can’t neglect your studies. I’ll give you ten questions—complete these essays within a month and show them to me.”
Faced with such a strict teacher, Zhang Yue had no choice but to agree. But as he followed Du Zhen out of the room toward the study, he suddenly sensed something was wrong. He glanced in a certain direction and saw two pretty maids secretly watching him in the corridor. When they noticed him, both hid behind the corridor pillars.
At this point, based on the behavior of everyone else in Du’s household since he arrived, aside from Du Zhen, he finally began to faintly sense that some kind of scheme was already close at hand.
Volume 3: Hidden Currents

Some people are eager for the emperor’s throne, while others aspire to the title of duke. Whether it’s family matters, state affairs, or global issues, there are always those who are interested in them. If one cannot even clean one’s own house, how can they hope to clean the world? As a member of an aristocratic family, Zhang Yue’s life decisions and future plans have finally come to the forefront.