Chapter 26: Where They Came From and the Way Back
Hugong Jingzhou, the hometown of Prime Minister Zhang. In the Great Ming Dynasty of today, this is almost common knowledge.
Often, a storyteller in a tea house would tap his clapper and say: “There is a Zhang Taiyue in Jingzhou, whose loyalty shines brighter than the sun and moon. With three strategies, he secured the border, and as the Emperor’s tutor, his New Policies illuminated the court!” The crowd would then cheer and clap their hands.
I withdrew my astonishment and calmed myself.
The evening glow reflected in the wine in my cup, and the singing girl sang: “Laughing at you and me, both at the tender age of sixteen, sharing the same birth year, laughing that our soulmates don’t recognize each other…”
Qin Mingxu brought the wine cup to his lips and nodded at me.
“I only heard about it from Mother a few days ago. That night, someone from the Capital City suddenly came to the manor. Mother said he was ill, and this time his illness was different from before. Even the most brilliant person might not be able to resist the King of Hell’s decree. He worried he didn’t have long to live, so he sent for me to come to the Capital to see him. My mind went blank. But I… I couldn’t question my elders’ affairs. I couldn’t blame Mother. Mother originally wanted to keep this secret her whole life.”
He frowned tightly.
“Does Master Qin know about this matter?”
He shook his head: “I don’t know if Father knows. That night, he wasn’t at the manor; he went to Fuliang.”
I thought for a moment and said: “Just take it with a normal heart. Parents are where you come from, but the path forward belongs to yourself. Live the life you want to live.”
He was silent for a moment, put down his wine cup, and smiled: “Sang Yu, thank you. I had so much bottled up inside. Talking to you here has made me feel much lighter. I never had much interest in an official career, nor did I like those empty eight-legged essays. I don’t bow to the powerful, and I dare to confront fierce bandits. Who my birth father is, is merely where I came from, what does it matter.”
He waved his robe sleeve: “I should naturally be like before, free to love and hate, with large amounts of gold in my pocket, large cups of fine wine in my belly, and live a life of freedom!”
I smiled: “This is the Young Master Qin I know.”
Then, as if remembering something, I said: “Is Minister Zhang really very ill this time? I saw him from afar that day, walking with a confident stride, full of spirit, not like someone bedridden. How could it suddenly be…”
He said: “He is indeed very ill. In his letter to Mother, he said that he sits at his desk every day to review official documents, and prolonged sitting has caused hemorrhoids, an old ailment. It was originally nothing serious. But he was determined to cure it. The Governor of Shandong recommended a famous doctor to him. That doctor said that to sever the root of the hemorrhoids, one must use withered medicine. Do you know what withered medicine is? Toad powder, arsenic…”
“Aren’t those poisonous substances?” I asked.
“It’s a matter of using poison to fight poison. But he is old, and although the root of the hemorrhoids is gone, his vital energy has been greatly depleted. His spleen and stomach are weak, he has no appetite, his limbs are weak, and he can barely move. I went to see him that day. I stood by his bed, and he kept shaking his head at me, only saying two words.”
“Which two words?”
“Qingyao.”
He looked up at me: “Qingyao is my mother’s maiden name. Her maternal family is the Cai Clan of Jingzhou. They are neighbors with the Zhang family.”
I couldn’t help but sigh greatly.
The Prime Minister Zhang, who held immense power in the world, at the brink of death, called out the name of the young girl from his neighboring village in his youth.
What past did they share, and why did they miss each other their entire lives?
Will Minister Zhang recover from this illness?
The grand “Wanli New Policies” implemented across the nation cannot do without Minister Zhang. If he were truly lost, what would be the future of the Great Ming?
“Sang Yu, although I had never met him before and have no particular feelings for him, I still hope he recovers. I don’t want Mother to be sad. Ever since I can remember, Mother has always been a peaceful person. No matter how the concubines in the manor fought, she didn’t care, tending to her flowers, practicing calligraphy, drinking tea, and feeding birds. But that night, when the letter from the Capital arrived, she cried so sadly.”
“Minister Zhang will be fine. He has navigated the storms and waves of the official world smoothly, so how can a mere minor illness defeat him?” I said.
He suddenly asked me: “Sang Yu, have you been well these past few days?”
I smiled: “I am very well, and Second Master is also very well. Third Young Miss Qing Shi has also found someone she likes. When will Young Master Qin find his good fortune?”
He also smiled: “A good beauty is easy to find, but a good match is hard to come by. With the moon to raise a cup, and the wind to sing to, I am not lonely, no matter what.”
The sky darkened.
I was worried about what Feng Gao had done to Zhu Xifeng.
So I temporarily bid farewell to Qin Mingxu and returned to the manor.
As we reached the alley entrance, Qin Mingxu called out from behind: “During this period, I will be managing the branch office in the Capital City and will be staying for quite some time. Sang Yu, if you encounter any difficulties, come find me at Tiansheng Tower.”
I turned around and playfully asked: “If I ask Young Master Qin for ten thousand taels of gold, will you give it to me?”
He smiled, and all the vexation on his face vanished: “Gold spent will return. It’s not something important. If you want it, I’ll give it to you!”
At that moment, we both treated this as a joke.
When I returned to the manor, Xiao Yin was waiting for me at the door.
She took my hand and said: “Miss, Young Master is back. He seems to have been greatly frightened, clutching his groin and saying, ‘Don’t castrate me, don’t castrate me.’ Madam is holding him and crying. Old Madam has ordered the Steward to invite a doctor to examine him.”
Clutching his groin, castration… This must have been done by Feng Gao.
I asked: “Did Zhu Xifeng really not…”
“No,” Xiao Yin quickly shook her head. “Madam ordered a servant boy to pull down his pants and check. The servant boy said that Young Master’s manhood is still there.”
“What did the doctor say?”
“The doctor said that Young Master was greatly shocked, his heart and spleen are both weak, and he will recover with some care.”
I walked inside.
Xiao Yin said: “Madam asked Young Master what happened. Young Master couldn’t explain clearly. In his daze, he seemed to mention the Eastern Depot. Madam was terrified and kept sighing, lamenting what to do if they had offended the Eastern Depot. Master said they should pack their things and return to Dongchang Prefecture to avoid disaster.”
I walked to the South Garden and, through the door, heard Lin Yue speaking to my father: “Master, Xifeng is usually timid. How did he offend the Eastern Depot?”
My father said: “He’s a reckless person. He might have said something careless while playing in the street. Alas. The Capital City is not like Dongchang Prefecture; one mistake cannot be afforded.”
Lin Yue quickly said: “It seems the Capital City is not a good place. It’s very dangerous. Master, why don’t we have that dead girl send us more money, and we’ll go back?”
I pushed the door open and went in.
Lin Yue had already composed herself and said: “Eldest Daughter, your father and I were afraid of troubling you, so we thought we wouldn’t add to your burden. We will take a boat back tomorrow.”
I smiled faintly: “Father, won’t you stay in the Capital City for a few more days?”
My father waved his hand: “No more staying, no more staying.”
“That’s good. I’ll escort you to the Ferry Terminal tomorrow.”
Back in my room, I chuckled to myself.
Feng Gao’s scare, in a way, was not a bad thing.
It also prevented them from staying in the Capital City, where future troubles and entanglements would have surely arisen, leaving me unsure of how many problems would have occurred.
In the evening, as I was washing my face and removing my hairpins in front of the mirror, Cheng Huaishi returned.
He leaned down and embraced me.
Two people in the mirror.
“Madam, I have already arranged a job for my brother-in-law. Today I asked the Minister of Records for a favor. He agreed to let my brother-in-law be a scribe. The job is not heavy, just copying and writing, I think my brother-in-law can do it.”
I had originally thought his “I will do my best” was just a polite remark to Lin Yue, but I didn’t expect him to actually take it to heart and act on it.
It was only because he was looking after my family members.
For the upright Cheng Huaishi, to achieve this much was rare.
I held his hand: “Second Master has taken the trouble.”
“I haven’t done much for Madam. It’s only right.”
The wind blew his words into inches, and every inch fell into my heart.
I said: “My parents suddenly said they wanted to go back today, I suppose they are not used to living in the Capital City. Let them have their way.”
“That’s good, whether to stay or leave, it’s up to Father-in-law.”
He sat down beside me.
“Madam, Minister Zhang saw me today. He said he wanted to transfer me to the Ministry of Revenue. The Ministry of Revenue is responsible for taxation, a crucial position. It is also closely related to the New Policies that Minister Zhang is presiding over.”
I asked: “I vaguely heard that Minister Zhang is ill.”
“Yes. He is quite ill this time, and the illness came on fiercely. He worried that without him overseeing things, officials would feign compliance, so he employed me.”
I said: “From now on, Second Master’s burden will be even heavier.”
“Madam, Minister Zhang’s thoughts are the same as mine. To establish heart for heaven and earth, to establish destiny for the people. One day, our common people will not be burdened by corvée labor and taxes, losing their entire fortunes. One day, the officials in the Capital City will not be thinking of factional struggles and power grabs. One day, our country will have peace and prosperity in all four seas.”
I got up and poured him a cup of ginseng tea.
“Second Master, focus on your great endeavors. With me here, the backyard will be worry-free.”
The candlelight was soft, and the courtyard grass was verdant.
The atmosphere inside the room suddenly became tender and affectionate.
The red gauze curtain hinted at boundless romance.
The night grew late.
He blew out the lamp.
“Madam, let’s rest.”
