Top Scholar

Chapter 422: Concealing the truth
As soon as he returned from outside, Zhang Yong said to his several close godsons, "Zhang Sheng, Zhang Lin, Zhang You, Zhang Zhong, come in here for a moment!"

"Hey, godfather." The four followed him into the bookstore. Zhang Yong gestured for Zhang Zhong to close the door, his dejected expression vanishing, replaced by renewed vigor. He spoke slowly and deliberately:

"Let's go for one last shot!"

"Good!"

"That's great, Godfather!" The eyes of the four adopted sons lit up instantly. If Zhang Yong hadn't raised his hand to signal them to be quiet, they would have jumped up excitedly.

"Your sons have been waiting for you to say that!"

"Godfather, tell me what to do? I'll risk my life!" Zhang Zhong said resolutely.

“Me too!” The other three nodded emphatically.

Seeing that morale was high, Zhang Yong gave the orders decisively and without any hesitation.

"Zhang Sheng, Zhang Lin, you two go to Zhenbi'er Hutong tomorrow afternoon, to the house with the red lantern hanging on the door, and take something to Leopard House."

"Sigh." The two responded first, then said with worry, "But godfather, we still can't see the emperor."

"Don't worry, Gu Dayong will meet you then!" Zhang Yong said in a deep voice.

"Understood!" The two had no further questions.

“Ah You, I will set off as planned early tomorrow morning.” Zhang Yong then instructed his third son, “Take all your brothers and nephews to see me off. Cry as much as you can. The more you cry, the smoother things will go for your eldest and second brothers.”

"Understood, Godfather." The task was simple, and Zhang You agreed without hesitation. "Don't worry, Godfather, I'll definitely cry like I've lost my parents tomorrow."

"How dare you talk like that?" Zhang Zhong kicked him.

“Ah Zhong!” Zhang Yong looked at his fourth son again.

"Hey, Father!" Zhang Zhong hurriedly straightened his neck and said, "Just give the orders!"

“Go to the Three Thousand Camp and select two hundred elite warriors to secretly protect your father tomorrow!” Zhang Yong said in a deep voice, “That Liu Jin likes to use knives, I’m afraid he’ll do something desperate.”

"Don't worry, Father. Anyone who wants to hurt you will have to step over my dead body first!" Zhang Zhong patted his chest heavily.

"Alright! Whether we men have a future depends on this!" Zhang Yong looked at the four men with anticipation, and finally instructed, "Keep this a secret, don't let anyone else know."

"Don't worry, Father, I understand." The four nodded emphatically.

~~
That evening, Gu Dayong returned home from his business trip.

As soon as he entered, he saw a dark figure sitting in the main room, which startled him.

But he quickly calmed down. His residence was guarded by agents of the Western Depot, and only his own people could get in.

As the oil lamp lit up, Zhang Yong's stubborn, square face came into view.

"Oh my god, you scared me to death, little brother!" Gu Dayong said with a wry smile, "What are you doing hiding in my house in the middle of the night?"

"I'm leaving tomorrow, I came to say goodbye," Zhang Yong said.

"Huh? Can't we delay for a couple more days?" Gu Dayong said, "Maybe one day the Emperor will be in a good mood, and I can put in a good word for you."

"No need to trouble yourself," Zhang Yong said calmly. "Do me another favor instead."

"What kind of help do you need? Tell me," Gu Dayong said noncommittally.

“I would like to present a gift to His Majesty,” Zhang Yong said. “Tomorrow at noon, I will have Zhang Sheng and Zhang Lin deliver it to the entrance of the Leopard Chamber, and you can bring them inside.”

"What gift?" Gu Dayong asked.

“A rare white Chow Chow.” Zhang Yong didn’t tell him the truth either.

“That is indeed quite rare, but it’s not enough to make the Emperor change his mind and keep you.” Gu Dayong sighed. “To be honest, it’s not that Lao Ma and I didn’t plead for you, but the Emperor said it would be good for you to go to Nanjing to reflect on yourself, so that you don’t become more and more like those civil officials. How could we dare to say anything more?”

"How will you know if you don't try?" Zhang Yong slowly shook his head, then suddenly lifted his robe and knelt down before Gu Dayong: "Third brother, I beg you, please help me with this! From now on, if you ever need anything, I will definitely go to great lengths for you without hesitation!"

"Second Brother, get up quickly." Gu Dayong hurriedly went to help Zhang Yong, but Zhang Yong couldn't get up. He knew his colleagues all too well; they were all bullies who preyed on the weak and feared the strong, always eager for benefits and avoiding trouble.

If we don't take drastic measures, Gu Dayong won't get involved in this mess.

"Alright, fine..." Gu Dayong finally nodded and said, "I'll help you with this."

~~
The next morning, Zhang Yong went to the entrance of the Leopard Chamber, kowtowed to Emperor Zhengde from a distance, then walked out of the left gate of Chang'an with tears in his eyes, and got into the carriage and left with a lot of back glances.

Naturally, he had spies watching him all the way, and they only sent someone back to report when they saw his carriage leave the capital.

Shi Wenyi, Director of the Imperial Household Department, personally reported to Liu Jin:

“Godfather, Zhang Yong has already left Xuanwu Gate. He’s at Zhenkong Temple right now, crying with his disciples and grand-disciples who came to see him off.”

"Hahaha!" Liu Jin laughed heartily upon hearing this. "I didn't expect Zhang Lao Er to leave so obediently."

"He's not honest at all. He's always running around trying to see the Emperor, but unfortunately he just can't!" Wei Bin said gloatingly.

Another burst of laughter erupted inside the Directorate of Ceremonial.

“Zhang Yong knows that dragging this out is useless. He’ll be in an even worse state if the Embroidered Uniform Guard kicks him out of the capital.” Gao Feng laughed. “He’s being sensible by leaving obediently.”

"Godfather, do you need help on the way?" Shi Wenyi asked in a low voice. "..." Liu Jin frowned and glanced at this fool. Was it appropriate to ask such a question in public?

"Let's go, brother. We should go to the Leopard House to persuade the Emperor to return to the palace," Gao Feng quickly changed the subject.

"Yes, this is of utmost importance." Liu Jin nodded and lifted his toes.

Two firefighters immediately stepped forward and carefully removed his casual shoes, replacing them with light and thick deerskin boots.

With the help of Xiao Huozhe, Liu Jin slowly stood up and put on her boots. The boots were lined with soft fox fur, which felt warm under her feet.

The servants then draped a red sable coat over him, along with a warm hat trimmed with white fox fur. Once Eunuch Liu was dressed, one servant supported his left arm, while another bent down to hold the hem of his sable coat, and they walked out in the same gait as him.

The two eunuchs, also dressed in the same attire with the help of their servants, followed closely behind Liu Jin as the group left the room in a grand procession.

This time, when the door was opened, not a wisp of cold wind blew in. It turned out that a sedan hall had been set up outside, with five-colored glazed windows on both sides. The hall was also heated day and night, so there was no temperature difference at all.

The three of them sat in their respective sedan chairs, and the sedan chair bearers steadily lifted the chair poles, leaving the sedan hall and heading straight for the Xihua Gate.

~~
But the leopard room was a completely different place, with different seasons.

The palace was tall and spacious; even with charcoal braziers burning everywhere, the heat was diluted by the cold air, leaving a bone-chilling chill...

Liu Jin tightened his fur coat, looked at the dilapidated palace and the simple furnishings before him, his eyes slightly reddening, and couldn't help but feel sorry for the Emperor, saying, "You actually spent the night in such a place?"

"This is a place for raising leopards, the conditions are definitely not good. Who would have thought that His Majesty would come here to live in such a bad mood?" Gu Dayong said with a bitter face, "We have already rushed to make improvements and improve the conditions for His Majesty, but it will take some time for this huge palace to be fully heated."

"What's with all the fuss? Are you planning to have the Emperor stay here permanently? Quickly persuade him to return to the palace!" Wei Bin said anxiously. "Why would a mere quarrel between mother and son lead to him running away from home?"

Gu Dayong pursed his lips and said helplessly, "Seventh Brother, don't talk like that. His Majesty is in a bad mood right now, and I can't persuade him to come."

"I'll go." Liu Jin snorted and walked confidently toward the inner chamber.

"It has to be you, Big Brother! We can't do without you!" Wei Bin and Gao Feng quickly flattered him.

Then Liu Jin walked to the door of the inner chamber, bowed and said in a sweet and charming voice, "Master, this old servant, Xiao Jinzi, has come to see you..."

"Get out!" Zhengde's still-furious roar suddenly echoed from the inner chamber. "I want some peace and quiet, I don't want to see anyone!"

Liu Jin's smile froze, but she couldn't bear to lose face so easily, so she could only bite the bullet and say:
"My lord, if you want some peace and quiet, you should at least find a warmer place. This Leopard Chamber is freezing cold; it'll harm your health, and this old servant will be heartbroken..."

"I'm furious! It's cool here!" The voice inside grew increasingly impatient. "Get out! Don't bother me! I don't want to talk!"

"Oh, oh, then this old servant will come back to serve Your Majesty again later." Liu Jin, thoroughly humiliated, retreated with a disheveled appearance.

He glared at Gu Dayong, who was barely suppressing a laugh, and said in a deep voice, "Second brother, the Emperor is now in your care. Make sure he has everything he needs for food, drink, entertainment, and other necessities. If anything happens to the Emperor, you'll be in for a world of hurt!"

"Don't worry, brother, I've got it." Gu Dayong quickly agreed and escorted Liu Jin and the other two out of the leopard house.

The Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs has a host of important national affairs to attend to, so they can't be out for too long.

~~
After Liu Jin's sedan chair returned to Xihua Gate, Gu Dayong glanced at the sky and didn't rush back.

He sat in the sun at the palace gate and chatted with the gatekeeper eunuch.

"Eunuch Zhang came to kowtow to the Emperor this morning, and he's really gone already?"

"That's not."

"Sigh, he's actually a pretty nice person..."

"It's no use."

As the two were chatting, they saw Zhang Sheng and Zhang Lin carrying a cage over, covered with a thick quilt, followed by a sixth-rank military officer.

"Stop! What are you doing?" Upon seeing this, the gatekeeper eunuch immediately ordered the Imperial Guards to step forward and stop them.

The two stopped, and Zhang Sheng said loudly, "We've come to deliver something to our third uncle."

"What are you sending?" the gatekeeper eunuch pressed.

Gu Dayong laughed and said, "A white Chow Chow, a toy for the Emperor to amuse himself. Let them in."

However, the gatekeeper eunuch was Liu Jin's adopted son and was not under Gu Dayong's control. Liu Jin had instructed him not only to prevent Zhang Yong from entering, but also to guard against anyone sending rare birds and animals to the emperor to curry favor.

All the good things had to be presented to the Emperor by Eunuch Liu.

So he picked at his fingers, preparing to inspect the goods first. If it was a top-tier item, he would keep it and hand it over to Eunuch Liu for disposal.

A member of the Imperial Guard lifted the quilt covering the cage, revealing a round, white Chow Chow with short legs and small eyes...

"Hey, this dog isn't even that good-looking, its eyes are like green beans." The gatekeeper eunuch immediately lost interest. "And it's wrapped up so tightly, is it really necessary?"

"It's all about rarity; white Chow Chows are extremely rare," Gu Dayong laughed. "Besides, ugliness has its advantages; who knows, it might amuse the Emperor."

"Haha, Third Uncle is so kind. Go in." The gatekeeper eunuch waved for them to enter.

P.S.: The next chapter will be available tomorrow morning. Please vote with your monthly tickets!!!

(End of this chapter)