Chapter 56: A Good Father...
Page (1/3)
“Brother, this place is huge!” Zhang Meng’s eyes sparkled the moment he stepped into the courtyard.
Zhang Rui and the head butler walked ahead. Although it wasn’t dark yet, they could clearly see that the estate was indeed enormous. It was designed with strict axial symmetry, featuring three main pathways and multiple courtyards arranged in a traditional siheyuan layout—orderly and dignified.
Within the courtyard were pavilions, towers, and corridors with upturned eaves and azure tiles, ancient roots intertwined, winding and twisting gracefully—exquisite and elegant, yet grand and imposing.
“The decorations here look quite new,” Zhang Rui observed as he looked around.
“It was renovated just before the New Year,” the head butler said with a smile, rubbing his hands. “This used to be the residence of Wang Yuanlong, former Vice Minister of Rites. He was implicated in cheating during the spring imperial exams three years ago and the Emperor confiscated his property. Our master bought this estate afterward.”
“Renovated just before the New Year? It probably wasn’t initially prepared for me, right?” Zhang Rui smiled.
The butler didn’t hide the truth, speaking in a low voice, “Have you heard of An Qixuan, sir?”
“More than heard of him…” Zhang Rui narrowed his eyes.
He had known of that prodigy even when he was still an aspiring student. At seven, An Qixuan had already become a licentiate and topped the list. Zhang Rui had studied diligently for ten years but never even passed the preliminary exams. A child at least five years younger than him had already passed the licentiate exam, and when Zhang Rui finally succeeded at thirteen, An Qixuan had already been the top scorer in the Nanjing prefecture’s exams!
Back then, as a time-traveling scholar, Zhang Rui often doubted his own existence.
Living over thirty years longer in his previous life had truly been a stroke of misfortune.
“That talented scholar came to the capital for the exams this year.”
“This year?” Zhang Rui was stunned. When he passed the licentiate exam, that prodigy was already the top scorer. Later, after cheating with a brush, Zhang Rui took four years to pass the imperial exam and had already been an official for three years. How had the other not taken the metropolitan exam?
“Is he aiming for the triple crown?” Zhang Rui asked curiously.
“More than that,” the butler smiled. “The An family was a loyal house that helped the founding emperor secure his throne. Their status in the capital once surpassed even our Lu family. But when the succession crisis erupted during Emperor Hongzhi’s reign, they backed the wrong side and were forced out of the capital, retreating to the south for over two centuries.”
“An Qixuan is a top genius. I heard he inherited the family’s secret techniques last year. It seems this time the An family intends to return to the capital.”
“So this residence was originally prepared for that great talent, An Qixuan?” Zhang Rui laughed.
“The An family and our Lu family have been old friends for generations. Even though they had to withdraw to the south, contact was never broken. Lu Sheng’s aunt married the An family’s third master.”
“With such connections, it wouldn’t be proper for me to take this residence, would it?”
“Please rest assured, sir. We have other arrangements for Master An, and our master believes you hold even greater value as an ally than he does.”
“Oh?” Zhang Rui chuckled. “The Marquis truly has an eye for talent.”
The butler was speechless.
This man was utterly unapologetic.
“Mother… what do you think?” Zhang Rui turned to look at his mother, who was so overwhelmed by the grandeur that she seemed nearly dazed.
“It’s wonderful… wonderful…” the elderly woman said excitedly, rubbing her hands.
She had never imagined living in such a splendid estate, especially one in the capital.
Back in the countryside, her greatest dream was that her children would pass the licentiate exam, that she could open a small school, and that their humble thatched cottage might be replaced with a tiled stone house.
Now that her son was a county magistrate and had some wealth, they’d never lived anywhere close to this size. Fuchun County was poor and remote, and the county office was tiny compared to this sprawling estate with its own pond.
“Only… it’s so precious, isn’t it?” the elderly woman became slightly more sober.
According to the courier, an ordinary house in the capital cost several thousand taels. This prime estate would surely be worth hundreds of thousands at least.
“Madam, please don’t be so reserved,” the butler smiled. “Master Zhang and our master are old friends. Such things are nothing to him. Besides, Master Zhang is talented and has a boundless future ahead. This residence is only a temporary inconvenience.”
Page (2/3)
“Oh, my son could never deserve such praise,” the elderly lady smiled broadly.
The butler smiled in return but was inwardly puzzled.
This Zhang family seemed ordinary. Even though the lady had been a magistrate’s wife for three years, she hadn’t shed her rural mannerisms. They hardly seemed like a family of recluses.
Where did Zhang’s talents come from?
Or was it some secret inheritance passed down through generations?
“This time, we shall trouble the Marquis and Butler Lu,” Zhang Rui said, turning back with a smile.
“You’re too polite, sir. By the way, I noticed you only brought your family and a groom this time. Would you like me to find some fine retainers for you?” the butler offered.
“No, that won’t be necessary,” Zhang Rui waved his hand. “My wife will arrive in the capital soon, and she already has enough servants.”
The butler’s eyes flashed oddly when hearing mention of the wife. He recalled three years ago when he had set a trap for Zhang Rui, who had then recklessly borrowed over ten thousand taels at high interest for Miss Nightingale. Yet now, Zhang Rui had never mentioned her. Was those events three years ago just a fleeting fling?
Deciding to probe once more, he whispered, “Sir, do you still remember Miss Nightingale?”
Zhang Rui was taken aback. Miss? Did he still owe a romantic debt here?
No way.
Nightingale? The name alone sounded like a courtesan.
“Of course I remember,” Zhang Rui replied with a smile.
The butler laughed, “Miss Nightingale hasn’t forgotten you either. I heard she’s been inquiring about you in the capital half a month ago.”
“How embarrassing,” Zhang Rui smiled awkwardly. “Youthful folly led me astray, but I have a proper family now. I must disappoint her.”
“Isn’t it normal for men to have multiple wives and concubines?” The butler laughed. “No need to fret. With your talents, even if Miss Nightingale became a concubine, she’d be lucky.”
“That’s unnecessary,” Zhang Rui shook his head.
The elderly lady listening nearby brightened at the mention of Nightingale but soon frowned. That woman was hardly respectable. She did not want her son involved with such a woman. She hoped he would marry a proper, scholarly daughter from a local noble family.
“You’re quite carefree, sir,” the butler said, laughing. “There are many wealthy young masters in the capital willing to lavish riches on Miss Nightingale.”
“My family’s not that wealthy; I don’t have that kind of fortune,” Zhang Rui waved dismissively. “No need to persuade me further, Butler Lu.”
The butler looked closely at Zhang Rui, then nodded. “I’ll send a reply. Whether Miss Nightingale accepts or not is beyond my control. After all, sir, you were the one who pursued her originally. Ha ha ha.”
Zhang Rui: “.......”
------------------------------------
“Me, a concubine?”
The Qingfeng Pavilion began as a teahouse but had become the largest brothel in the capital. Nightingale was one of its three top courtesans, renowned for her unparalleled talent in both music and dance. She had countless noble admirers who spent lavishly for just a song or a dance.
Back then, Zhang Rui was a poor scholar with no worldly experience, not even an ant compared to the city’s princes and lords. Yet such a beauty served him tea personally, treating him like a confidant. It was no wonder the poor boy was so flattered that he later willingly borrowed over ten thousand taels at exorbitant interest.
Such men were common in Nightingale’s hands. She was an undercover agent cultivated by the Lu family. To win over potential allies, she lowered herself to accompany many down-and-out scholars. But she had never imagined she would one day have to truly become concubine to such a man—and as a concubine!
Lu Sheng sighed. “This is my father’s decision.”
He looked at the graceful woman before him. Though veiled in black silk, her alluring figure was unmistakable. Even with the mask, she stirred a man’s soul. When she first entered the household at six years old, both he and Lu Yuan had been smitten. According to the elders, she was a rare born seductress, one in a million.
Hearing that this was the Marquis’s order, the woman’s face paled beneath the veil.
Everyone said the Lu family marquis was a low-key man, but only insiders knew he was the strongest force in the family, and no one dared question his word.
Page (3/3)
“Darling…” the woman looked at Lu Sheng pitifully, placing her hopes on the marquis’s eldest son.
“No one can defy Father’s wishes, not even me,” Lu Sheng sighed and shook his head. “In a few days, you will accompany Butler Lu to deliver yourself. Don’t think of slacking off. If Butler Lu finds you not earnest, you know the consequences!”
The woman’s sorrow faded and was replaced by coldness. Men were indeed heartless.
When she was young, Lu Yuan and Lu Sheng had fought over her affection, but now they could easily push her off to another as a concubine.
“That scholar named Zhang left some impression on me, but he’s just a useless wretch. What does the Marquis mean by this? Am I, Nightingale, so worthless?”
“Everyone was mistaken back then,” Lu Sheng looked at her seriously. “According to Butler Lu’s report, he has no interest in taking you.”
“What?” Nightingale was stunned, then sneered. “All this is just pretense!”
She had seen many sons of reclusive families. How talented was that An fellow? Yet he had fallen at her feet.
Even the Marquis’s usual gaze at her couldn’t hide his desire. And that Zhang fellow dared to act so high and mighty? She wanted to see how far he could go!
-----------------------------------------------------
“Father, what are you doing here?”
In Fuchuan County, Luo Shi was preparing to set off overnight when a servant informed her that her father had arrived. Startled, she hurried out to greet him.
Since that heartless man became the county magistrate and she followed him north, she hadn’t seen her family in three years. Her father’s business was in the south, so why had he come all this way? Because of her letter?
Indeed, the tired middle-aged man barely drank tea before saying, “I received your letter and came straight away. Luckily you hadn’t left yet, or I’d have had to chase after you.”
He then produced a thick stack of silver notes. “Here, take this!”
“Father, what is this?”
“I truly misjudged the situation back then!” the man sighed. “I visited several scholars before choosing this Zhang fellow for you. According to them, his chances in the metropolitan exam were slim. I thought with our family’s wealth, we could secure him a county clerk position in the south—an appropriate match. You married into an official family and left the merchant class. That penniless village boy would be beholden to us and not dare mistreat you. Life should have been smooth.”
“But unexpectedly, the boy got lucky. He passed the capital exam after just one try, entered as a county magistrate, and within three years was appointed to an official post in the capital. Such rapid promotion surpasses even those with strong backgrounds.”
“When I saw your letter, I knew trouble was coming. Your mother-in-law is practical and will likely urge him to divorce you. I came to see whether the Zhang family would really turn their backs on you. If he has any conscience left and remembers your years of support, as long as he doesn’t divorce you, everything is negotiable. I sold two shops to get this silver. The Zhang family is financially weak; they probably can’t even afford a simple house in the capital. With this money, at least buying a courtyard in the northern district shouldn’t be a problem…”
“Father…” Luo Shi’s eyes filled with tears. Years of grievances and her father’s support overwhelmed her.
“Oh, my dear Yaoyao,” the middle-aged man said, tenderly wiping her tears. “Don’t cry. I’m coming with you to the capital. If the Zhang family doesn’t want you, I want you. We’ll go back, and I’ll find you a better match. At least they’ll have to give you a formal divorce. If they dare mistreat you, even if we fall out, I’ll ruin their reputation!”
“Yes…” the woman nodded with grievance.
She was tired. If the Zhangs rejected her, she would return with her father. Let the stepmother despise her—she would behave and stop dreaming too big.