Chapter 10: The Roots of Chaos in the Family

Zhang is a person from Songjiang Prefecture. When she married into the Zhao family, her family was indeed poor, but they had a long-standing scholarly tradition. Nowadays, several members of her family have become scholars, with two already holding official positions and enjoying a certain reputation in their hometown. Fengxian and Songjiang are not far apart, so she is not someone without relatives.

During the late Ming Dynasty, the Zhao family was not considered a prominent clan. Aside from the main branch of the family, there were only the second and third branches, represented by Duke Zhao Zhu, who were regarded as small landowners with some property in Fengxian. The second branch produced Zhao Zhu, a minor military official, while the third branch yielded two scholars, both of whom were candidates for the imperial examination. The family owned a considerable amount of fertile land, thus they were deemed prosperous. In contrast, the main branch was struggling, as the elderly patriarch only worked as an accountant for a major merchant, and his wife, from the Qian family, relied on their support for a living. Their life was quite frugal, and compared to the second and third branches, they appeared somewhat diminished, often expressing grievances.

Mi had been listening for a while under the window. Seeing that Master Yu had left, he hurriedly lifted the curtain and entered: "What Master Yu said, can it really come to fruition? I can't help but feel that it seems somewhat insubstantial."

They promised to consider the matter of Fu Ling returning home and asked Master Yu to wait for news. Master Yu earnestly advised them: "What is there to consider? While the Marquis has not changed his mind, it is best to settle the matter quickly. During the mourning period, you have nothing to do; it would be fine to live in the south for a year and a half, and it would not be too late to return to the capital after the mourning is over. The capital is bustling, and I fear that Zhuo Di will not be able to focus on his studies; it cannot compare to the tranquility of the countryside, which is more suitable for diligent study."

As for the Zhang family and Zhao Zhuo, they packed all the large furniture and unnecessary items properly, allowing Lu Ma, who was part of Zhang's dowry, to deliver them to the newly purchased residence for proper placement. Additionally, a sum of money was also buried by Lu Ma herself in the new house, prepared for future use when returning to the capital. Lu Ma's family has been assigned to Zhao Zhuo's name, responsible for overseeing the house, along with several other family members and maids who will accompany the master southward. As for Wei Ge'er’s wet nurse, she indeed found a reason to resign, as the Mi family had never liked her and did not retain her.

When the Qing army marched south, the master of the Zong family was well-informed and received news early on. He packed his valuables and fled with his family. The master of the Zong family hurried back home to fetch his wife and children. At that moment, he became confused; seeing that the second and third branches of the family were usually wealthy, he wondered if they would still be so fortunate in the face of military disaster. Thus, he concealed the news and instead found a reason to borrow several dozen taels of silver from both the second and third branches, the amount not being large enough to raise their suspicions. He then hurriedly fled with his wife and children, along with his father-in-law's family.

Zhao Zhuyuan and Qin, accompanied by their daughter, took the coffin of their parents-in-law to the capital, which was already three years later. At this time, Zhao Jiong was four years old. The hardships of life had taken a toll on Qin's health, making it difficult for her to conceive, and she could only endure the existence of concubines and illegitimate children. However, she could never forgive the actions of the elder of the clan and the Qian family. During her lifetime, she never saw a member of the clan again, and it was not until after her death that she was sent back to her hometown for burial. Nevertheless, the clan only declined for a few years. After returning to her hometown in Fengxian, although there were three branches that held grievances against him, several distant relatives came to seek refuge, or families of the same surname came to connect with the clan, eventually developing into a large family with three internal branches and nine external branches. The clan gradually regained its former glory.

Zhao Zhuo is worried about another matter: "I always feel that my elder brother and sister-in-law want to bring us back to our hometown because they are afraid that if we stay in Beijing and separate, we will mention his unfilial and unbrotherly actions to outsiders. Originally, there is nothing wrong with Fu Ling returning to our hometown, but I am afraid that after we go back, they will have the clansmen detain us and not allow us to return to Beijing."

Master Yu's face immediately lit up with joy as he suddenly stood up and exclaimed, "Good! Good! Good! I will go speak to the Marquis right away, to prevent him from having second thoughts later. Rest assured, with me around, you will never suffer any losses!" After saying this, he hurriedly left.

On the fifteenth of August, the reunion dinner was held, but the second branch and the eldest branch had their meals separately. When the seventeenth of August arrived, everyone set off and boarded the large ship heading south. Zhao Jiong, along with the coffin of the Duke and Zhao Yu, as well as some servants, took one boat; Zhang Shi, Zhao Zhuo, Mi Shi, and two children, accompanied by several male and female servants, took another boat; the remaining people, carrying their luggage, boarded yet another boat; and there was an additional boat for the guards. The group set off in a grand manner, leaving the Tongzhou dock.

Before long, a reliable message came from Lord Yu, confirming that Zhao Jiong had agreed to his request, and that after the Mid-Autumn Festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, he would assist in the journey southward.

It is said that the old master of the Zhang family fled with his family from the Yue family. Upon hearing that Emperor Taizu had pacified Beijing, they managed to enter the city, only to discover that Zhao Zhu, a cousin from the second branch, was actually a capable general under Emperor Taizu. This made him panic, fearing that his actions would be exposed. Therefore, he lied to Zhao Zhu, claiming that his parents, wife, and daughters, along with the old master of the Zhang family, had all perished in the chaos of war. As Zhao Zhu was preparing to head north to battle the Qing soldiers, he advised him to take another wife to bear a son and continue the lineage of the second branch. He then presented his wife Qian's younger sister, who became known as Aunt Qian.

Zhang said lightly: "What is there to be afraid of? I am the wife of a duke, and you are a juren. Apart from that unfilial son Zhao Jiong, the Zhao family only has your eighth uncle with any official title, enjoying a bit of official prestige. However, he would never support them. Who else could possibly restrain us? If it really comes to a confrontation, I also have my maternal family to rely on!"

Zhang fell silent and, after a while, made a decision: "This is indeed the case; we will return to the south together." Zhao Zhuo was somewhat surprised by his mother's words, but he accepted them quietly.

The Qin family held a position in the capital's marquisate, with the Empress Dowager as their backing, which kept Aunt Qian from being overly arrogant. Zhao Jiong had endured this for over ten years. However, Zhao Zhu insisted on registering Zhao Jiong under the name of the first wife, to be recognized as the legitimate son, in order to report to the court and establish the title of heir apparent. This deeply hurt the Qin family, leading them to abandon any further hopes regarding Zhao Zhu.

Today, Lord Zong Fangyu is willing to offer advice to the newly appointed Duke of Jiannan, Zhao Jiong, which is related to this matter. He explained to the Zhang family and Zhao Zhuo the reasons for his actions, stating that he does not want Zhao Jiong to make mistakes and set a bad example for the clan members. If this continues, it may lead to a lack of filial piety towards parents and a lack of brotherly respect. During the division of the family property, the eldest son may disregard the lives of his brothers, focusing solely on wealth, while the concubine is treated equally with the legitimate wife, even pushing the legitimate wife aside. At that time, the Zhao family would truly become a laughingstock in the eyes of others. They are already a newly wealthy family, which is looked down upon for lacking propriety, and there are not many successful children in the clan. The Duke of Jiannan's residence in the capital can ignore the opinions of the countryside, but other clan members still have to live in Fengxian. Lord Yu sincerely hopes not to be blinded by interests like his father, causing calamity to the family.

When the Qing army invaded Nanjing, both elderly gentlemen of the third branch had already passed away. News from the countryside was scarce, and by the time word reached Fengxian, the Zhao family was thrown into a panic. The second branch consisted only of Zhao Zhu's elderly parents, his wife, and his eldest daughter, while the third branch had only a young son, who is now the eighth elder. They could only hurriedly gather their belongings and flee their home. In the chaos, the eighth elder fell and broke his arm; he had just achieved the title of Xiucai, and this injury rendered him unable to write smoothly, thus ending his path to academic success. Meanwhile, the elderly, weak, women, and children of the second branch encountered the family of Emperor Taizu during their escape, but unfortunately, they soon became separated again. It was not until several years later that they were reunited, by which time Duke Zhao Zhu's parents had already passed away.

Zhao Zhu was saddened by the "death" of his family and worried that on the battlefield, where blades and arrows are indiscriminate, if he were to die, it would sever the ancestral line of his parents. Therefore, he agreed to marry a secondary wife, but with one condition: as long as he could not confirm the death of his parents and wife, he could not marry a new wife. Thus, Aunt Qian could only be the second wife, waiting for the day when he would bury his parents, wife, and daughters, at which point he would elevate her to the primary position. The elder of the clan was anxious to finalize this marriage and agreed, as he did not believe that the second or third wives could escape the ravages of war.

Speaking of the foolish deeds committed by the old master of the Zong family back in the day, they are indeed the root cause of the current troubles in the Jian Nan Marquisate.

After Qin married off her daughter, she began to look for girls from impoverished scholarly families in the capital. Zhao Jiong had become the heir and was quite pleased with himself. Upon hearing this, he feared that she intended to take revenge by deliberately marrying him off to an unsuitable wife, leaving him without a capable family to rely on in the future. Thus, he took it upon himself to arrange a marriage with the Niu family. At that time, the Niu family had just produced a consort and was still in favor, enjoying a period of glory. However, until Niu entered the household, Qin never uttered a word. Later, when she passed away, she left behind a final wish, and only then did others realize that the girls she had been considering were actually candidates for a new wife for her husband, Zhao Zhu.

The days ahead were extremely busy. Zhao Jiong had to submit a formal request to the emperor, stating that his deceased father had a last wish to return to his roots, and therefore he wished to transport the remains back to his hometown for burial. The honor of being interred in the imperial mausoleum would have to be given to someone else. The emperor was very reluctant but still agreed to his request. Zhao Jiong immediately began to prepare the vehicles, boats, and luggage.

Zhang and Zhao Zhuo were both persuaded by him. Although Master Yu is closer to Zhao Jiong, observing his usual conduct, he has never done anything excessive to their mother and son. Since he is willing to speak on behalf of Zhang and strive for more benefits for Zhao Zhuo, he should be trustworthy, right

It can be said that if the elder of the clan had not concealed the news of the war back then, the parents, wife, and daughters of the Duke would not have been separated from him. If the elder of the clan had not taken the initiative to marry Aunt Qian to the Duke as a secondary wife, resulting in the birth of Zhao Jiong, there would not have been the unfortunate situation of the legitimate son without a title and the illegitimate son inheriting the title. The chaotic situation in the second branch of the Zhao family can be attributed at least seventy percent to the elder of the clan, and as a result, he lost his position as the clan leader. For several decades thereafter, although the outside world viewed the clan as prosperous, in reality, every action had to be taken with consideration of the second branch's feelings.

In the midst of chaos, there was no place left to search for the whereabouts of Zhao Zhu's parents, wife, and daughters. His eldest son had already been born, and Aunt Qian had not committed any wrongdoing; on the contrary, she had shown great care. Zhao Zhu had no choice but to keep this concubine, yet he felt no affection for the elder of the clan. In order to preserve his position as the head of the clan, the elder had no choice but to abdicate and allow his son to take over the clan affairs. Naturally, the Qian sisters were not absent in offering their support and praise, deeming the elder's transgressions to be lightly punished. In order to preserve his position as the head of the clan, the elder had no choice but to abdicate and allow his son to take over the clan affairs. Naturally, the Qian sisters were not absent in offering their support and praise, deeming the elder's transgressions to be lightly punished.

Aunt Qian's belly was quite resilient; shortly after entering the door, she became pregnant. When Zhao Zhu went off to war, he entrusted her to the care of the elderly couple from the Zong family, leaving with a sense of peace. By the time he returned to the capital after the battle, their son had already been born. The problem was that at this time, the family members of Emperor Taizu were also being escorted to the capital. When the two parties confronted each other, the lies told by the elderly couple from the Zong family were exposed.

A year later, the Zhang family she favored married into the Zhao family, and gave birth to Zhao Zhuo, the only legitimate son, which led to a situation of rivalry with the Zhao family's eldest illegitimate son, who had already been granted the title of heir apparent.