Chapter 85: This Time, There Was No Need to Spare the Chang Residence Any Face

In an age when the power of narrative lay monopolized by the scholar-official class, even emperors were helpless before it.

If that class disliked a man, then even if he sat upon the throne, they could still disfigure him at will in the eyes of later generations.

The many unofficial histories outside the orthodox records were the ordinary weapons of men of letters against those they found disagreeable.

Because of this invisible power, rulers through the ages often yielded to the scholar-officials of the realm. But this emperor was different. He was Zhu Yuanzhang.

His stubbornness had already destined him to be unlike all the others.

"This boy is hiding something in what he says. One day, I must pry it out of him."

Zhu Yuanzhang felt an urge, a strong one, to use his authority as emperor and force Zhang Yi to reveal the things he kept tucked away. Yet reason told him that if that wretched boy learned who he really was, he would most likely play innocent.

"Let High-Minded Xian and the others try first..."

Old Zhu found that, when dealing with Zhang Yi, he was becoming more and more patient.

...

The next day, Zhang Zhengchang set out on the road back to Mount Dragon-Tiger. After arranging his affairs, he hurried on to Yangzhou without a moment to spare.

There was still no news from Yangzhou, but during this same period, triumphs from the north came one after another.

After Xu Da returned to the front, he immediately divided his forces to attack Henan. One army advanced up the Yellow River from Jining to strike at Bianliang; another marched from Yongcheng and Guifu in Henan to attack Xuzhou. Wherever the imperial army of Great Ming passed, it was unstoppable.

Old Zhu's attention shifted from Zhang Yi back to the front lines.

As for Zhang Yi, the Huang father and son had "vanished" again during this time.

He lived contentedly in the temple, tinkering with his own inventions, practicing his slow boxing every day and standing his posts. His days were quite pleasant.

"Junior Brother, why do you keep practicing things from the Complete Truth sect...?"

Even Senior Brother Deng Zhongxiu could not bear it anymore. Zhang Yi, a direct descendant of Mount Dragon-Tiger, spent his days dabbling in research nobody could understand. That alone was one thing.

But as for proper cultivation, he seemed never to do any of it.

The only things that could even be loosely called cultivation were probably his boxing and his standing postures...

Yet all of that looked nothing like the orthodox methods of Mount Dragon-Tiger. It seemed far more like the practices of the Complete Truth sect.

Broadly speaking, Daoist cultivation could be divided into two paths: external elixir and internal elixir.

External elixir naturally belonged to Mount Dragon-Tiger. After the methods of internal elixir spread, the Complete Truth sect became the one that gathered them all together into their greatest form.

Though external elixir had declined, Mount Dragon-Tiger still had talismanic arts, purification rites, and other cultivation disciplines. But Zhang Yi did not practice them, nor did he believe there were really any immortals in this world. Why waste time on such things?

Though internal elixir, standing postures, and slow boxing had little to do with immortality, at least they kept the body strong.

Especially the standing postures. In his previous life, Zhang Yi had suffered from chronic nasal inflammation. He had idly practiced standing postures for a year and, to his own astonishment, cured it.

So after transmigrating, these two things became Zhang Yi's chief means of self-protection.

However, he was still young, and static training affected his development to some degree, so at present he preferred the slow, unhurried movements of boxing.

"Senior Brother, sectarian prejudice won't do. Besides, with what eye did you see that this was a Complete Truth thing? Apart from me, does anyone even know my boxing?"

Deng Zhongxiu had nothing to say after Zhang Yi's retort.

What the Complete Truth sect actually practiced, he did not really know either.

"We Daoists spend our days sitting cross-legged and doing our routines. We also need some movement, something that suits both stillness and motion. How about I teach you this boxing?"

At Zhang Yi's suggestion, Deng Zhongxiu was tempted as well.

He did not know what benefits this boxing style might have, but it did indeed look ethereal and transcendent, with the bearing of something immortal.

So he began to study boxing earnestly with Zhang Yi. The temple did not have much incense, and there were few visitors.

The two of them simply practiced on their own.

...

At the entrance to the temple, a carriage slowly came to a stop.

"This Clear Heart Temple is really hard to find... And those Dragon-Tiger people too—there are so many temples in the capital, yet they had to choose such an out-of-the-way place!"

Chang Mao poked his head out of the carriage first, muttering in displeasure as he jumped down.

"Shut your mouth. If you speak so recklessly again this time, I will make you lie in bed for another month when we get back!"

Madame Lan's voice came from behind him, and Chang Mao shrank his neck.

The young lady of the Chang family peeked out, got down from the carriage first, and then a maid helped Madame Lan descend.

Next came Chang Sheng.

The entire Chang household party had arrived before Clear Heart Temple.

"Choosing such a secluded place, the true masters of Mount Dragon-Tiger must simply dislike being disturbed and prefer to cultivate in peace. Remember, we came today to ask the Daoist priest to perform rites for us and settle the karmic debt in the Chang household!

"If you had not made such a scene last time, would your mother have needed to delay so long?

"Remember this: in a moment, you must apologize to the little Daoist!"

Chang Mao was deeply unconvinced, but under Madame Lan's gaze, he did not dare object.

He gave one of the servants a look and had him lead the way.

The whole family entered the temple, but no one was to be seen.

Deng Zhongxiu and Zhang Yi were still inside practicing boxing.

"Is anyone here?"

They called as they walked, and upon entering the back courtyard, they saw Zhang Yi instructing Deng Zhongxiu in the practice of the boxing method.

Zhang Yi's boxing was the sort of public-park boxing of later generations. Though it had almost no value in actual combat, its appearance was unquestionably first-rate.

Graceful as flowing clouds and running water, balanced between motion and stillness, the boy at practice exuded the air of an immortal.

The Chang family, seeing him thus, became even more convinced of his divine and mysterious bearing.

"It is you? Sister Chang..."

Hearing the noise, Zhang Yi turned and saw the Chang family.

The first he greeted, of course, was Madame Chang, with whom he was on the best terms.

"Little Daoist!"

Madame Chang was also very fond of this young priest and greeted him with a smile.

Then, remembering the purpose of their visit today, she said, "Little Daoist, today my mother has brought my elder brother to apologize to you..."

Only then did Zhang Yi turn his gaze to Madame Lan.

"Greetings, Little True Person. I have come to pay my respects only today; I have been negligent," Madame Lan said.

She did not mention that the emperor had intervened and caused Chang Mao to lie in bed for a month, and Zhang Yi acted as though he knew nothing of it.

"The matter of cause and effect has already been settled. There was no need for madam to make another trip."

Apart from Madame Chang, Zhang Yi's impression of everyone in the Chang household was not good.

Thus, his attitude toward Madame Lan was merely average. Madame Lan turned her head and gave Chang Mao a look.

Chang Mao walked over and said, unwillingly, "Little Daoist, I was wrong last time. Forgive me."

He had little sincerity, and Zhang Yi could not be bothered to deal with him. He merely nodded.

Madame Lan hurriedly tried to make up for it. "Little True Person, this time I have come to complete what was left unfinished last time..."

"Madam Chang, are you still having nightmares?"

Zhang Yi asked Madame Lan, and she shook her head.

He thought as much. To put it plainly, Madame Lan's nightmares were just a matter of the mind. After being frightened by Chang Mao's affair, she likely had no mood left to dwell on such things.

He put on an air of mystery.

"The karmic debt has been settled. What remains will naturally vanish into smoke and mist... This poor Daoist and the benefactor are now even."

"Little True Person, there is still something I have not asked you..."

Seeing Zhang Yi so indifferent, Madame Lan quickly seized his hand.

"Little True Person, last time I heard you say that my old Chang... that killing prisoners is inauspicious?"

This was the real question Madame Lan had come to ask. Chang Yuchun was the very heart of the Chang family, and not the least loss could be tolerated...

Since she had accepted that Chang Sen died because of the karmic debt surrounding Chang Yuchun, it was only natural that she would worry about the one who had caused it all.

As soon as Zhang Yi heard that she had come to ask about Chang Yuchun, he was even less inclined to deal with her.

"General Chang is a pillar of our court. This little Daoist would not dare to look into his fate. I do not have the water skills of Kuang Dian, nor do I wish to feed the fish in the river..."

Zhang Yi refused Madame Lan without hesitation.

Ridiculous...

He might speak carelessly among his own people, but he had no interest in showing off his ability to glimpse the future before Madame Lan and the others.

To put it bluntly, apart from the young lady of the Lan family, he had not a shred of goodwill toward anyone in the Chang household.

That one hundred taels of silver from last time had already vented his anger. Naturally, he would not bother with Madame Lan again.

"Madam Lan, heaven's secrets must not be revealed. You had best go back. Senior Brother Deng, please see Madam Lan out for me!"

After saying this, Zhang Yi turned and ran back inside.

"Zhang Yi, you..."

Seeing that Zhang Yi's attitude was completely different from what it had been at the Chang residence last time, Chang Mao flew into a rage.

He had already been forced by his mother to come apologize, and in his heart he had never truly submitted to this little Daoist.

Hearing Chang Mao's shout from behind, Zhang Yi was no longer afraid.

Times had changed.

Last time, when he had been forced to go to the Chang residence, Mount Dragon-Tiger was under suppression. Compared with the high gates and grand halls of the Chang family, Zhang Yi was nothing more than a poor wretch others saw as having been "exiled."

But now Zhang Zhengchang's value in the eyes of the emperor had increased greatly, and imperial favor was in full bloom.

He, Zhang Yi, did not believe the Chang family would dare use their power to bully him now.

Sure enough, the moment Chang Mao opened his mouth, Madame Lan had already silenced him with a look.

"Madam, perhaps you should come another day?"

Deng Zhongxiu, as always, played the peacemaker. Madame Lan's expression flickered uncertainly.

She very much wanted to flare up, but she had no justification, and she did not dare.

News had already spread throughout the capital that the emperor had elevated Zhang Zhengchang and even entrusted him with important responsibilities. If Zhang Zhengchang had not been coming and going in such haste whenever he entered the capital, countless people would already have sought an audience.

At this juncture, if the Chang family offended this little Daoist again, the family might not fear him, but it would still be troublesome.

And since Madame Chang sincerely believed in Zhang Yi's teachings, Madame Lan was all the less daring to offend him.

The more he refused to say anything, the more Madame Lan felt that Chang Yuchun might truly have a problem.

"Girl!"

A sudden inspiration struck Madame Lan, and she immediately thought of her daughter beside her.

The collaboration between the Chang family and Zhang Yi had not been a happy one; Madame Lan knew full well that the only person in the household to whom he still showed any goodwill was probably this daughter of hers.

"Why don't you go and ask the little Daoist?"

"Mother!"

The young lady of the Chang family had not expected Madame Lan to turn her attention to her.

"I think you and the little True Person get along well. Why don't you go coax him?"

Madame Chang was moved. It was not that she thought herself any different before Zhang Yi, but she had her own little thoughts as well...

She lowered her head and said, "Mother, then let your daughter try?"

"Mm, go on."

Madame Lan had no way to handle Zhang Yi, so she could only place her hopes on Madame Chang.

The young lady walked up before Deng Zhongxiu and bowed.

"Daoist sir, please let me speak a few words with the little Daoist brother. If he drives me away, I will leave at once and never stay..."

Deng Zhongxiu could also see that Zhang Yi's attitude toward Madame Chang was indeed different from that he showed toward Madame Lan and the others. He nodded silently, granting permission.

The young lady thanked him, took a food box from her maid, and passed Deng Zhongxiu to go inside.

Curiously, she looked around the back courtyard and found that this yard seemed somewhat different from the others in Daoist temples.

"Your sister really did get sent in by your mother."

Madame Chang was looking for Zhang Yi when Zhang Yi appeared behind her instead, startling her.

"Are you here to help your mother ask a question, sister, or to ask about your own marriage?"

Before Madame Chang, Zhang Yi was just a lovable little child.

The End