Chapter 180: Seeing Only Corrupt Officials, Not the Heavens

The moon hangs in the center of the sky; the night is as cool as water.

The bright moonlight falls from the dome like thin gauze, scattering across every corner of the Zhang Family courtyard, stirring up a faint silver frost. Among the flower beds, dots of fireflies appear and disappear.

The noisy croaking of frogs and the chirping of cicadas weave into one.

The night is very deep.

Zhang Yunxiu lies prone before the bedroom window, resting his cheeks on his hands, quietly appreciating the performance outside the window.

It has been a long time since he had the leisure and state of mind to stop and appreciate it as he does today.

Recently, happy events have followed one after another for him.

First is that Zhang Juzheng's illness is gradually improving; from the initial stuttering, he can now speak in complete sentences.

Secondly, Qi Jiguang's military campaign in Woguo is also going smoothly; first he routed the Mori Clan in one fell swoop, and subsequently repelled the allied forces of Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

The two sides are now in a state of confrontation.

However, Qi Jiguang also knows that swallowing Woguo in one bite is not realistic.

Therefore, he sent men to consult with Zhang Yunxiu, preparing to use the territory of the Mori Clan as a boundary, with the subsequent Kyushu Island under the jurisdiction of the Otomo Clan, the Shimazu Clan, and Great Ming.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi is not allowed to interfere.

Zhang Yunxiu deeply agrees, and without a second thought, decided to support Qi Jiguang's proposal.

A cool breeze brushes his face, and Zhang Yunxiu suddenly feels clear-headed.

Looking back, Zheng Xi'er behind him is wearing a milky-white nightgown, sitting at the table, burying her head in handling affairs with the help of the palace lantern's light.

The breeze gently lifts the tips of her hair, dancing in the wind like willow catkins, adding a touch of ethereal grace to her.

Zhang Yunxiu smiles, paces to Zheng Xi'er's side, lowers his head to glance at the accounts in her hands, and leans toward her shoulder, saying, "Go to sleep soon, what time do you think it is?"

Zheng Xi'er lifts her neck to smile at her husband, murmuring, "There are too many things lately, Husband, you sleep first."

"When is there ever a time when the work is finished?" Zhang Yunxiu closes the ledger with a snap.

Zheng Xi'er is anxious, subconsciously wanting to reach out and flip it open again, but how could Zhang Yunxiu let her have her way? He hooks his arm around Zheng Xi'er's waist and lifts her into the air.

Sensing the sensation of falling, Zheng Xi'er has no choice but to hook her hands around her husband's neck, her jade-like legs tightly coiled around his thick waist.

The two arrive at the green gauze curtains, and Zhang Yunxiu slowly sets Zheng Xi'er down.

Staring at Zheng Xi'er's cheeks, Zhang Yunxiu sees that her oval face has become round and plump, white and chubby, like a little steamed bun.

He suddenly cannot help but feel a sense of guilt.

He still remembers the first time he saw Zheng Xi'er.

This girl was still a slim, graceful young maiden; now, after giving birth to a child, her figure is much fuller than before.

The most obvious part of this is this face of hers.

Zheng Xi'er notices her husband's gaze.

She thinks that she has become ugly and her husband has no feelings for her, so she timidly calls out, "Husband."

"Hm? What is it?" Zhang Yunxiu asks.

"Xi'er... is Xi'er now this fat, and Husband doesn't like Xi'er anymore?" Zheng Xi'er's eyes brim with tears as she gathers the courage to ask this question.

But she has no choice, and she refuses to let a wet nurse feed the baby.

For the sake of her daughter, she eats a bit more every day. Now that affairs are numerous, she moves less and eats more; it would be hard not to get fat.

She also clearly feels the changes in her own body.

It is just a pity that there is no opportunity or time to change it now.

Hearing this, Zhang Yunxiu cannot help but laugh out loud.

At this, Zheng Xi'er becomes even more nervous. Her fair, pretty face is full of helplessness, and her jade-like legs are tense, trembling uncontrollably.

"It seems I haven't disciplined you for too long, letting you have wild thoughts in your head all day." Zhang Yunxiu suddenly straightens his face, leans down to kiss Zheng Xi'er's cherry lips; she is one meter sixty-three tall and weighs only about one hundred and twenty jin.

Not only is she not fat, but she is plump in just the right way.

Zheng Xi'er, teased by this, has her suppressed desire stirred up, and she responds frantically.

After a bout of passion, Zheng Xi'er's eyes are like silk, she is drenched in fragrant sweat, and her whole body feels as if it had been rolled in water.

Zhang Yunxiu lies on his back, gently hooking the beauty to him.

With every breath, there is an unspeakable sense of satisfaction.

The two people's breaths intertwine, permeating the air. Neither speaks, just quietly clinging to each other.

In an instant, everything in this world seems to freeze.

After a long silence, Zheng Xi'er moves her head, kisses Zhang Yunxiu's chest, and then says softly, "Husband, time passes so quickly. Xi'er has almost been serving you for three years."

"I feel as if it were only yesterday."

Zhang Yunxiu nods and replies with a smile, "That's right, Zhang Fu's daughter is about to get married. I still remember when we were in Jiangling, this girl was just a little bean sprout of a girl; I didn't expect her to have grown up so gracefully now."

Time is too fast.

In a blink, four years have passed.

He has also gone from that green, callow youth to someone else's husband and someone else's father.

In an instant, he feels the heavy weight of responsibility pressing down on his shoulders.

Zheng Xi'er, hearing Zhang Yunxiu mention Zhang Fu's daughter, immediately becomes interested. Her relationship with Zhang Fu is quite good; he was the one who arranged for her to attend to Zhang Yunxiu's bedchamber back then.

Later, when she took over the business, Zhang Fu also helped out a lot.

With his daughter getting married, she naturally cannot be stingy, otherwise, people would think she is heartless.

After thinking it over, Zheng Xi'er flashes her apricot-shaped eyes and suggests to Zhang Yunxiu with a smile, "Husband, with Zhang Fu's daughter getting married, our family should send some things over."

"We should send something." Zhang Yunxiu nods. "Then I will pick two shops for her as a dowry; if her husband's family bullies her in the future, she will have something to fall back on, won't she?" When talking about business, Zheng Xi'er sheds her timidity once more, becoming that shrewd Mistress Zheng.

"You are the one managing the shops, so send whatever you want to send."

Hearing this, Zheng Xi'er feels as if she has eaten candied fruit; she purses her lips and smiles, "Husband, these shops aren't mine; if I didn't have your permission, how would I dare to give them away?"

"Alright, go to sleep, you're tired."

"Mm."

The night passed without incident.

The next morning, the two of them were dressed neatly and sat properly in the main hall.

Zhang Fu led in a tall girl with an oval face and above-average looks.

That was Zhang Fu's eldest daughter, Zhang Lan.

Upon seeing Zhang Yunxiu and his wife in the seats of honor, Zhang Fu nudged his daughter and urged, "Lan'er, hurry and pay your respects to the Young Master and the Second Mistress."

"Lan'er greets the Young Master and the Young Mistress," Zhang Lan blinked her eyes and called out respectfully.

"Good, good, good," Zheng Xi'er was the first to stand up, pulled Zhang Lan over, touched her smooth, fair chin, looked at her large eyes, and couldn't help but praise with a smile, "Truly exquisite. Once she marries into the family, won't she just bewitch your husband to death?"

Zhang Lan's small face turned bright red.

On the other side, Zhang Fu shook his head repeatedly and said modestly, "She's just a country girl; compared to the Mistress, it's like the difference between heaven and earth."

Zheng Xi'er was about to speak further when Zhang Yunxiu asked, "Where is Lan'er's husband from?"

"He is from Xiangyang, from a scholarly family. That young gentleman is twenty-four years old this year, a Provincial Graduate, and possesses exceptional talent. He is to participate in the Spring Examination next year. My thought was to have the wedding this year so as not to delay things next year," Zhang Fu explained patiently.

Such a young Provincial Graduate? Zhang Yunxiu was startled inwardly; a 24-year-old Provincial Graduate would naturally have a limitless future. Why would he want to marry the daughter of a servant like Zhang Fu?

Although Zhang Lan was decent-looking, she was ultimately only of above-average appearance.

Soon, Zhang Yunxiu vaguely guessed something.

This person was aiming for the household of the Senior Grand Secretary.

Hindered by Zhang Lan's presence, Zhang Yunxiu found it difficult to expose the matter, so he only asked Zhang Lan, "Have you met that person?"

Zhang Lan shook her head and murmured, "No, I haven't met him, but Father has. I imagine he must be quite good."

Zheng Xi'er and Zhang Fu observed the situation and saw that Zhang Yunxiu's expression and tone were off.

Knowing inwardly that something was amiss, the two exchanged a glance, and Zheng Xi'er shouted with a smile, "Come, Lan'er, come with me. Since you are getting married soon, I will take you to pick out a few decent clothes and jewelry."

"Thank you, Mistress." The two walked quickly out of the main hall.

Once they left, Zhang Yunxiu suddenly gave a cold laugh and said sarcastically, "Uncle Fu, you are truly quite capable. You managed to hook such a young Provincial Graduate to be your son-in-law; our sister will have good fortune in the future."

Zhang Fu's knees went weak, and he fell to his knees with a thud: "Young Master, this servant knows he was wrong, this servant knows he was wrong."

"Oh, tell me, what mistake did you commit?" Zhang Yunxiu squinted his eyes, staring at Zhang Fu, took a small sip of tea, and then asked.

Zhang Fu was sweating profusely and shouted repeatedly: "This servant should not have gone outside and used your name, used the Senior Grand Secretary's banner, to swindle people. That family wanted to climb the social ladder, which is why they sent someone to ask for our girl's hand."

"What did you promise them?" Zhang Yunxiu asked coldly.

"Promised... promised him that he would pass the Spring Examination next spring," Zhang Fu's voice was already slurred.

"What?" Zhang Yunxiu hadn't heard clearly.

"Pass the Spring Examination," Zhang Fu repeated.

This time, Zhang Yunxiu heard clearly.

He was so angry he nearly turned his back, stepped forward, kicked Zhang Fu over, and cursed viciously: "Your guts are getting bigger and bigger now. You even dare to promise others such a head-lopping matter?"

"Do you think the Metropolitan Examination is run by your family?!"

Zhang Fu climbed up with difficulty, calling out "I am guilty" repeatedly.

He also felt aggrieved in his heart; when you took the Imperial Examination back then, wasn't it smooth sailing all the way?

Besides, he himself had passed as a Provincial Graduate three years ago at the age of 21, so his scholarship must be extraordinary.

He only needed to put in a word; the risk and consequences involved wouldn't be that great.

Watching Zhang Fu's tears streaming down his face and the bloodstain on his forehead from kowtowing, Zhang Yunxiu also felt a sense of compassion.

But for Zhang Fu's own good, he could only keep a straight face and scold: "Zhang Fu, however you accepted this marriage, you are to call it off for me."

"Then go down and take sixty strokes of the board yourself, and I will punish you with one month of being forbidden from leaving the house."

Zhang Fu felt a surge of regret in his heart, but he could only grit his teeth and swallow the bitter fruit: "Zhang Fu obeys."

"Go down."

"Yes."

Zhang Fu ran out of the main hall in a daze.

At this moment, Han San walked in excitedly, holding a paper scroll. The two met at the doorway, and Han San was startled to see Zhang Fu looking so disheveled.

"What happened?"

Zhang Fu shook his head and walked forward on his own.

Han San swallowed a mouthful of saliva and stepped inside.

Seeing Zhang Yunxiu, Han San performed the usual salute and handed over the scroll: "Young Master, this is what that Song Ming sent to the Young Master."

Zhang Yunxiu stood up, took it, and unfolded it to look.

"It is said that the common people find it hard to make a living,

Only because all the officials are surnamed 'Greed'.

Now, sir, look at the road to Chang'an; one only sees greedy officials and not the heavens."

(End of chapter)