Chapter 174: Originally Suitable

At the gates of the royal palace, the scene was bustling with activity.

Guests came and went, handing over their invitations and gift lists. The gatekeepers were overwhelmed, their voices ringing loudly as they called out names and welcomed people inside. For those of high rank and influence, their enthusiasm only grew.

Zhou Yinzhi, a relatively notable figure in the Jinyiwei, approached the gates.

Yet, even as he handed over his gift list, he only received an indifferent response from the servants. This alone spoke volumes about the caliber of nobility and officials gathered here today.

This was, after all, a wedding in the Jiang family. Zhou Yinzhi had entered officialdom through the recommendation of Jiang Boyou, so he should have prepared a generous gift. But after some deliberation, he recalled that Jiang Xuening did not seem to have a harmonious relationship with her elder sister, Jiang Xuehui. With this in mind, he halved the original gift he had prepared.

Still, he couldn’t help but think of Jiang Xuening. 

She had instructed him to handle a task during the princess’s marriage alliance preparations, only to later tell him it was no longer necessary. Since then, she had been keeping a low profile, with no word of her socializing or being seen in public.

The rumored connection between her and Xie Wei appeared to be nothing more than a typical teacher-student relationship. 

Meanwhile, the widely discussed engagement with the dissolute Dingfei heir— a member of the waning Xiao family—had seemingly gone nowhere.

Standing at the gates, Zhou Yinzhi felt troubled.

The Emperor had been placing increasing importance on the Embroidered Uniform Guard lately. A newly promoted commander was soon to vacate his previous position, leaving an opening Zhou hoped to secure. 

However, given that he had only recently been promoted to Qianhu (Thousand Household Commander), the chances of the position falling to him seemed slim. If he missed this opportunity, who knew how long he would have to wait for the next one?

As these thoughts swirled in his mind, a loud announcement suddenly came from the main street:

“Her Ladyship, Consort Xiao, arrives—”

The bustling scene immediately quieted.

A lavish carriage pulled up to the gates. Xiao Shu, poised and impeccably dressed, stepped down from the carriage with the aid of palace servants, her delicate feet resting on the eunuch’s back as a stepping stool. 

She glanced around the area and remarked lightly, “This Consort and His Highness, the Prince of Linzi, are here today to celebrate the marriages of his principal and secondary consorts, both of whom were my former classmates. His Majesty and the Empress are following behind, so there’s no need for the esteemed officials to be anxious.”

The crowd bowed respectfully to her.

However, they couldn’t help but wonder: the Xiao family was currently embroiled in the re-investigation of the Ganzhou disaster relief funds, struggling to stay afloat. Yet this newly appointed Consort Xiao carried herself with remarkable confidence, as though entirely unaffected by the turmoil.

Naturally, everyone made way for her.

Zhou Yinzhi, who had already handed in his invitation and was about to step inside, withdrew his foot and retreated several steps to make space as Xiao Shu approached. 

He bent low in greeting as she passed.

Xiao Shu had initially paid no attention to anyone. However, seeing this, her gaze lingered briefly on him.

Noticing the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s black flying-fish robe he wore, her brows arched slightly.

Having recently served closely beside Shen Lang, she was well aware of his growing intent to rely more heavily on the Embroidered Uniform Guard. 

With this in mind, she made a mental note of Zhou Yinzhi’s presence.

She smiled faintly and said, “Thank you, my lord.”

After speaking, she did not linger and went straight inside.

Zhou Yinzhi was slightly taken aback, frowning slightly in thought as a flicker of something unreadable crossed his eyes.

As Xiao Shu left, the outside area returned to its noisy state.

The servants of the residence began guiding the guests inside.

Each hall was already filled with people.

Those with a bit of status were arranged in the flower hall.

Most of the court officials had arrived. Normally cautious and stern, today they had set aside their usual airs, at least outwardly brushing off old grievances, drinking and chatting merrily.

Officials from the six ministries were seated quite close, divided into two groups. The Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Revenue sat on one side, while the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Works, and the Ministry of War were seated nearby.

Thanks to the Tongzhou incident, Xie Wei had secured the position of vice minister of the Ministry of Works, conveniently avoiding being grouped with Jiang Boyou.

Jiang Boyou, being the vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue, coincidentally ended up sitting quite close to Zhang Zhe.

Not far away were figures like Gu Chunfang, Minister of Justice; Yao Qingyu, Minister of Personnel; and Chen Ying, vice minister of the Ministry of Justice.

Since it was Jiang Boyou’s daughter’s wedding today, everyone extended their congratulations.

Jiang Boyou, after a few drinks, waved his hand repeatedly and smiled wryly. “It’s not something to be too happy about. My eldest daughter is obedient and sensible, but my second daughter—she’s a little terror, a true headache!”

This wasn’t an exaggeration.

Most of them had heard some rumors but refrained from pointing them out. 

Instead, they flattered Jiang Xuening lavishly and encouraged him to drink: “Your daughter is a beauty with a noble air, and she was even the companion reader to the princess. She must be virtuous and graceful. How could anyone believe such idle gossip?”

Chen Ying chimed in, “Exactly. The moment I heard it, I knew it was false.”

Someone nearby asked curiously, “Oh? How so?”

Currently, the Ministry of Justice was under Gu Chunfang’s leadership. Chen Ying, who often used underhanded tactics, was somewhat disapproved of by Gu Chunfang. 

What Chen Ying had in mind wasn’t clear, but he glanced at Zhang Zhe with a sly, mocking smile. “I may not know Lord Jiang’s daughters, but wasn’t the subject of some of those rumors sitting right before us not long ago? They said the second daughter of the Jiang family had some entanglement with Lord Zhang. Now, look at Lord Zhang here—does he seem like someone who’d be involved with any woman?”

The group froze momentarily and turned their gaze toward Zhang Zhe, taking a moment to react—

No one could deny it.

The recently promoted Director of the Ministry of Justice’s Criminal Division had been sitting quietly for quite a while, speaking so little that people subconsciously overlooked his presence. Now that Chen Ying brought it up, it struck them—weren’t those rumors about Zhang Zhe?

Dressed simply in a dark blue robe, with a plain black jade pendant on his belt and a black, silver-patterned pouch, Zhang Zhe sat upright with a stoic expression. His cold and detached demeanor made him seem unapproachable.

Xie Wei, the imperial tutor, was well-known for his warmth and approachability;

But Zhang Zhe? Within the Ministry of Justice, he was privately nicknamed “the dead man’s face.”

Even the clerks at the office shivered when they saw him, throwing on an extra layer of clothing out of instinct. Who could imagine a man like this being entangled with any young woman? And what kind of blind young woman would fall for him?

Since that day at the Shuxiang Inn, when he was confronted about the matter, Zhang Zhe had not seen Jiang Xuening again. 

He instinctively avoided thinking of her, burying himself in case files and documents, fearing that the moment he found leisure, his mind would be consumed by torturous thoughts of her.

Hearing her name now felt like a heavy hammer striking his chest.

Though his expression remained cold and stern, his hand, resting against the rim of his cup, tightened ever so slightly. However, such a subtle movement went unnoticed by others.

Jiang Boyou, having rarely dealt with the Ministry of Justice, had not paid much attention to Zhang Zhe when the rumors first circulated. 

He had been more focused on keeping an eye on the reckless heir Dingfei, fearing any association with Ning’er. As a result, Zhang Zhe had mostly escaped his notice.

After all, he had heard that this man possessed a noble character and was not that sort of person.

Jiang Boyou thought it was likely that others were trying to tarnish Ning’er’s reputation. After all, as her father, he had only ever seen the sons of noble families circling around his daughter. He had never heard of Ning’er actively pursuing anyone, so those rumors were clearly nonsense.

But now, prompted by Chen Ying’s remark, Jiang Boyou raised his head to scrutinize Zhang Zhe for a moment.

Gu Chunfang, aware of Zhang Zhe’s reserved nature and disapproving of Chen Ying’s instigative behavior, stroked his beard with a faint smile and said, “Rumors are hurtful. Lord Jiang has raised his daughters well. Both were selected as companions to the princess, and I hear the second daughter has even earned the admiration of Young Master Xie. Those who spread such slander can only harm someone’s reputation temporarily. Given time, the truth will prevail. There’s no need for Lord Jiang to be troubled.”

It would have been better if Xie Wei weren’t mentioned. The moment his name came up, Jiang Boyou’s expression soured.

However, since it was Gu Chunfang who spoke, and he meant well while being unaware of certain truths, Jiang Boyou couldn’t say much. 

Forcing a smile, he changed the subject. “I’ll take that as a blessing from Lord Gu. Speaking of which, isn’t young Zhang already 24 or 25? He seems not to have spoken of marriage yet?”

At this, the face of Yao Qingyu, Minister of Personnel, darkened slightly.

His daughter had once been betrothed to Zhang Zhe.

Yao Qingyu had initially admired Zhang Zhe and intended to marry his daughter Yao Xi to him. Who would have expected that his daughter would refuse to accept Zhang Zhe, insisting on breaking off the engagement? 

Later, in the palace, she had pushed Consort Wen, nearly causing a miscarriage. For this, she was scolded and sent back to the family home. Now, she acted like someone possessed, constantly claiming she had been framed, and had fallen into a hysterical madness that made her unfit to be seen.

This incident was too shameful to speak of.

Zhang Zhe, sitting upright with proper decorum, lowered his eyes and replied, “First, I am stubborn and unchanging. Second, I am fated for misfortune. I dare not bring harm to others.”

Jiang Boyou was momentarily stunned.

Yao Qingyu glanced at Zhang Zhe, his expression softening slightly. He couldn’t help but sigh, noting how Zhang Zhe hadn’t mentioned the broken engagement. This spoke volumes about his noble character. The more Yao Qingyu saw this, the more he lamented his daughter’s blindness.

With a sigh, he said, “Fate or not, such talk is nonsense!”

Many in the group had heard of the broken engagement between Zhang Zhe and the Yao family. They had assumed there must have been lingering resentment between Yao Qingyu and Zhang Zhe. 

But to their surprise, when Zhang Zhe referred to himself as “fated for misfortune,” Yao Qingyu—a man of such high rank—chose to refute him. Though it sounded like a rebuke on the surface, upon closer thought, it was actually in defense of Zhang Zhe.

As for why the engagement was broken, no one outside the family knew.

Jiang Boyou, being an official at court, had developed a knack for reading people and situations. Hearing this, he became genuinely curious about Zhang Zhe. After all, Minister Yao, as a senior member of the cabinet, had no shortage of discernment. 

For someone to be chosen by him as a prospective son-in-law was already a mark of distinction. What was even more remarkable was that, though the match hadn’t worked out, Minister Yao still spoke highly of Zhang Zhe.

Zhang Zhe was a rarity in the court, a civil official who had risen through the ranks via meritocratic evaluations rather than the imperial examination system. Among the many officials who had entered through the latter, his path was less glamorous.

However, Zhang Zhe was taciturn, self-disciplined, and prudent. Compared to the idle and indulgent scions of noble families in the capital, he was leagues ahead. Although he seemed somewhat difficult to approach, he carried no trace of hostility or corruption, suggesting a kind heart. 

He appeared to be someone who could command Ning’s respect and would likely not mistreat her.

Jiang Boyou’s thoughts stirred, and he casually began to probe: “I’ve only heard that Young Zhang’s family hails from Henan. It was said that the reason you entered Master Gu’s service back then was to seek justice for your father. You’ve been in the capital for only a few years, haven’t you?”

Zhang Zhe replied, “Indeed, it has been just three years.”

Jiang Boyou let out a nonchalant “Oh,” before continuing, “Have you grown accustomed to living here?”

Zhang Zhe’s fingers tightened around the teacup, but he lowered his gaze and replied as usual, “The climate is similar, so there is no discomfort.”

Jiang Boyou pressed on, “And your mother’s health? Is she well?”

…

Gu Chunfang, an old fox himself, finally began to detect something amiss. He shot a glance at Jiang Boyou, then turned to observe Zhang Zhe. His gaze landed on Zhang Zhe’s taut fingers gripping the cup and his silently composed profile. For a moment, an odd feeling arose within him.

This protégé of his…

Seemed not as calm as he appeared, but rather as if enduring some hidden torment.

Meanwhile, Jiang Boyou grew increasingly satisfied as he conversed with Zhang Zhe, feeling more and more that he was a fitting match.

Elsewhere, Xie Wei, seated with others, had been listening to the conversation behind him among Jiang Boyou, Gu Chunfang, and Zhang Zhe. He let out a cold chuckle inwardly, his eyes growing colder with an increasing edge of hostility. Yet outwardly, he showed no sign, merely draining his cup of wine in a single gulp, the burn searing all the way to his core.

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