Chapter 109: Vengeance at Last

Liu An looked at Xue Rui with a mixture of doubt and suspicion. "Why are you so certain that it is not suitable for me to remain in the capital?"

"My Lord, this is a heavenly secret that I cannot disclose. If you trust me, you should leave the capital as soon as possible," Xue Rui replied, cupping his hands in a salute.

Liu An remained skeptical. After all, Xue Rui was merely a youth, and his ability to discern heavenly secrets likely paled in comparison to his father’s. However, judging by Xue Rui’s tone, it seemed Xue Yuanhao was determined not to see him. Forcing a meeting would likely cause unnecessary trouble, which would be unwise.

Liu An’s expression shifted uncertainly. A moment later, he suddenly chuckled. "You just said your father is an official of the Imperial Observatory and finds it inconvenient to associate with military officers. I have heard that your mentor, Hu Zhong, retired just two days ago. Surely, paying him a visit to seek his counsel would not violate court laws?"

"This..." Xue Rui was taken aback. He had never expected Liu An to think of seeking out Hu Zhong, and he found himself momentarily speechless.

Seeing his reaction, Liu An knew he had guessed correctly. He couldn't help but laugh heartily. "Very well. Since your father refuses to see me, I shall go find his teacher. After all, ginger is spicier when it is old; perhaps the venerable Master Hu can calculate things even more accurately."

Casting a mocking glance at Xue Rui, Liu An flicked his sleeves and left the Xue residence with his two personal guards.

Once they had departed, Xue Yuanbai collapsed into a chair, feeling as though his strength had completely drained away.

"He must not be allowed to see Master Hu!"

Although Hu Zhong had retired, his status remained highly sensitive. If he were to meet with a commanding general in private, it could easily trigger a cascade of trouble. Just as Xue Rui was about to go find his father to discuss the matter, someone stepped out from the side door and blocked his path.

Earlier, the servants had mentioned that a nobleman named Liu had come looking for Xue Yuanhao. Xue Yuanbai and his wife were quite surprised, as they had no dealings with the nobility. Xue Yuanbai felt it was better to avoid the meeting, but Lady Zhao insisted that her husband should see him. She believed that if they could establish a connection with someone of such status and influence, it might aid her husband’s future in the imperial examinations—a benefit from her brother-in-law that she felt entitled to exploit.

Xue Yuanbai had agreed, thinking it made sense, and went out to host the guest. Who could have known that Liu An was such a boorish man with no regard for etiquette? A single slap from him had left Xue Yuanbai too terrified to utter another word.

While her husband was entertaining Liu An, Lady Zhao had been hiding in the back hall eavesdropping. When the maid who came to refill the tea returned to the back hall, she learned that her husband had been struck. Panic ensued, and only when Liu An finally left did she rush out to check on her husband.

Xue Yuanbai’s face was swollen on one side from the slap, and he clutched his face, on the verge of tears.

The more Lady Zhao looked at him, the angrier she became. She suddenly turned toward Xue Rui and berated him: "Look at the mess you’ve caused! Not only have you contributed nothing to this household, but you keep bringing trouble upon us. Now look at your eldest uncle—look at what he’s been reduced to! I think your whole family is a jinx!"

"Aunt, that is going a bit too far," Xue Rui countered. "We didn't invite that Liu fellow here. Who could have known he would resort to violence?"

"Hmph, he came specifically for you, so you cannot absolve yourselves of the blame. Just wait, I am going to see your grandmother right now and have her judge this fairly."

Lady Zhao’s logic was simple: her husband had been struck in front of the servants, losing all face and dignity. To restore his authority as the head of the household, she had to vent this grievance, or the servants would surely mock him behind his back. Even if she couldn't punish Liu An, the second branch of the family had to take responsibility and restore some of her husband's honor.

"Go ahead, go ahead. As if I’m afraid of you." Xue Rui, not wanting to waste any more breath on her, turned and walked back to the side courtyard.

Soon, Lady Li was summoned to the main hall, and upon hearing that Liu An had struck her eldest son, Xue Yuanhao rushed over to check on him.

Seeing Xue Yuanbai’s face swollen like a pig’s head, Lady Li was furious. "This is preposterous! To have such an arrogant man acting lawlessly beneath the feet of the Emperor! If your father were still alive, he wouldn't dare act so wildly!"

Lady Zhao wailed, "Mother, tell us what to do! My brother-in-law and his family haven't even been back for a day, and they’ve already brought a plague god to our doorstep. If they keep living here, who knows what even more powerful enemies will show up? I think we should make them move out immediately."

"Sister-in-law, you are exaggerating. It won't come to that!" Xue Yuanhao said with a bitter smile. He couldn't deny the situation; if not for Liu An trying to pry into heavenly secrets from them, he never would have come today, and his brother would not have been struck.

Lady Zhao stopped crying and said coldly, "My husband has been beaten to this state—is that not serious enough? Every servant in this mansion must know by now, and who knows how they are laughing at him behind his back."

"Then what would you have us do, Aunt?" Xue Rui asked, cutting straight to the point, knowing full well what her objective was.

"What to do?" Lady Zhao put her hands on her hips and shouted, "Since the family has already divided, you should move out immediately to avoid bringing more disaster upon us. Unless, of course, you go and take revenge on that Liu fellow for your uncle!"

Hearing this, Lady Li said displeasedly, "Don't be ridiculous. That man is a nobleman; who would dare provoke such a person? We must not create further complications."

"Then they must move out. I won't even ask for medical expenses; that will settle our debts," Lady Zhao said coldly.

It was clear she wanted to use this opportunity to drive out the second branch, saving her from having to return the dowry and money owed to Lady Liu. Xue Rui knew he couldn't let her succeed. "Since you want us to settle the score for my uncle, I accept."

"What did you say?" Lady Zhao was stunned, and the others looked on in astonishment.

"I said my uncle will not have been slapped for nothing. I will go settle this score for him immediately. By tomorrow at the latest, that Liu fellow will be in serious trouble!" Xue Rui stated firmly.

"Do not act recklessly!" Xue Yuanhao quickly intervened. Liu An was the Regional Commander of Datong and a Marquis of Guangning by imperial decree; he held immense power. It wasn't just Xue Rui; even the entire Xue family combined wouldn't be able to touch him. Was Xue Rui dreaming?

"Father, rest assured, I know what I am doing. There might be some trouble on Master Hu's end; you should go see him yourself. If Liu An makes a fuss, just have Master Hu make up some lies to stall him. I will handle the rest when I return," Xue Rui instructed.

"Where are you going?" Xue Yuanhao asked, terrified his son was doing something foolish.

"I am going to..." After telling his father the location, Xue Rui boarded a carriage and left the Xue residence.

As for Liu An, he had galloped away, initially intending to go straight to Hu Zhong. However, recalling Xue Rui’s words about the sensitivity of military officers meeting with Imperial Observatory officials, he decided there was some truth to it. Especially at this critical juncture where he was seeking a marquisate, he could not afford to give the censorate any leverage that might ruin his efforts.

It was nearly dinner time, and having been in such a rush to see Xue Yuanhao, Liu An hadn't eaten. Seeing that it was getting late, he turned his horse around and sped toward his own mansion, intending to eat and wait until the cover of night to visit the Hu residence to avoid prying eyes.

At the same time Liu An returned home, the carriage carrying Xue Rui sped toward Xiaoshiyong Ward. When the carriage stopped in front of a residence, Xue Rui jumped out. Looking up, he saw the plaque on the gate bore the characters "Chen Residence."

This was the home of Chen Yi, the Censor-in-Chief of the Left.

Xue Rui had never met Chen Yi, but he held a deep grudge against him. Back when he had first transmigrated, he had been trying to find out which "official surnamed Chen" had tricked his father into meeting Zhang Fu. There were many officials with that surname, and most were away on military campaigns, so he had never been able to uncover the truth.

It wasn't until Xue Yuanhao was released from prison that Xue Rui learned from his father that it was indeed Chen Yi who had instigated the meeting.

At that time, when officials in the court failed to dissuade Zhu Qizhen from leading a personal expedition, Chen Yi and other censors were deeply disappointed. They decided to take a different approach, attempting to persuade a senior nobleman to submit a memorial to discourage the Emperor. Their target was Zhang Fu, the Duke of England, who held the most prestige among the nobility.

Zhang Fu had served under the Emperor's grandfather for many years and had won numerous battles. Every time the Emperor went on a campaign, he would dispatch scholars from the Imperial Observatory to accompany the army and assist in military planning. In these campaigns, these scholars played critical roles. As a great general under the late Emperor, Zhang Fu understood the importance of celestial omens and held the scholars of the Observatory in high regard.

Chen Yi and the other civil officials realized this and sought to use the theory of celestial omens to persuade the Duke. They intended to ask Hu Zhong, who specialized in celestial divination, to come forward. Unfortunately, Hu Zhong had already pleaded illness to avoid participating in such sensitive matters. The civil officials had no choice but to settle for the next best thing and persuaded Xue Yuanhao to go and advise Zhang Fu.

However, Zhang Fu, a minister entrusted by the late Emperor with the care of the young ruler, did not agree to advise against the expedition, choosing instead to remain silent.

While reading about this history, Xue Rui had been deeply puzzled. Zhang Fu held such immense prestige among the nobility; had he submitted a memorial of opposition, even Zhu Qizhen would have had to weigh the words of such a veteran of the battlefield. Perhaps the decline of the Ming Dynasty would not have occurred so early.

Why had Zhang Fu not expressed opposition?

It wasn't until Xue Rui consulted with Lady Wu that he finally understood the reasons behind it. After the prosperity of the Yongle and the subsequent peaceful reigns, the Ming Dynasty's national strength had grown, and the surrounding minor threats were of little concern. By the Zhengton era, after long periods of peace, opportunities to distinguish oneself on the battlefield were extremely rare.

The nobility, after a century of growth, had formed massive clans. Aside from the direct line inheriting titles and offices, the other branches were not faring well and were desperate for opportunities to build merit and earn an official status. In such a climate, accompanying the Emperor on a personal campaign was the easiest way to earn military merit. If they managed to catch the Emperor’s eye, they might even secure an official post.

Therefore, when news spread that the Emperor intended to launch a campaign, the noble clans began to act, scrambling to insert their own sons and nephews into the imperial army. Knowing this, even if Zhang Fu knew the Emperor was courting danger, he could not defy the collective will of the nobility, or he would have become a target for everyone. Thus, he remained silent.

Of course, that was only one reason. Another was that Zhang Fu did not dare to offend Wang Zhen. Despite being one of the most distinguished senior ministers of the court, before the powerful eunuch Wang Zhen, he still had to tread carefully. An incident in the twelfth year of the Zhengton era showed that even as a pillar of the state, Zhang Fu was bullied by the eunuch surrounding the Emperor and had no recourse other than to complain to the Emperor.

In the twelfth year of the Zhengton era, the eunuch Xi Ning had encroached upon Zhang Fu’s lands and estates. Zhang Fu refused to accept this and argued with him. In retaliation, Xi Ning had his brother destroy the homes of the Duke of England’s tenant farmers and beat the tenant’s pregnant wife to death—taking two lives in one act.

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