Chapter 2: The Scion of a Noble Family

Zhang Yue, with a changed appearance, leaned against the bed, reluctantly gazing at the bowl of medicinal liquid placed before him. It was not that he feared the extremely bitter taste, but rather he was genuinely concerned about whether it contained some bizarre ingredients. However, upon seeing the worried gaze of his mother, Sun, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and down the entire bowl of medicine in one go.

Mother, if it weren't for Grandmother sending for a renowned doctor this time, I wouldn't have recovered so quickly. Since the doctor has already said that I am fine, I naturally should pay a visit. Seeing that you are somewhat moved, Zhang Yue simply took hold of one of your hands and earnestly pleaded, "Mother, I am also a descendant of the Zhang family; you wouldn't want people to always see me as a mere medicine jar or a sickly person, would you?"

I no longer have much to do

However, when Qiuhen boastfully mentioned that he had a cousin serving as a high official in the capital, he could not help but feel a shiver run through him

Qiu Hen finally came to her senses. She glanced at the bed and immediately panicked, tossing aside the task in her hand. She then reached out to gently touch Zhang Yue's forehead, quickly retracting her hand to carefully examine his complexion. Only then did she ask, "Young Master, why are you awake so soon? Do you feel unwell? If so, I will go call Madam right away."

As he glanced around, he saw the girl sitting on the small stool by the bed, the very same face he had seen when he first awoke. She appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen years old; while not exceptionally beautiful, she was charming in her delicate features. At that moment, she was intently engaged in her embroidery, her fingers skillfully moving the needle up and down, completely unaware that he had awakened

If this conversation were to encounter a taciturn person, it would naturally have no effect. However, Qiuhen is a child of the family, with her parents residing here. She has always been talkative, and at this moment, she thinks that Zhang Yue is merely feeling bored. Considering his youth and the fact that his wife has never been particularly strict with him, she believes that even casual chatter would not matter. Thus, she smiles and begins to recount a few trivial matters from home.

Perhaps it was a complete transformation after rebirth. As time passed, Zhang Yue's injuries gradually healed day by day. The Sun family, overjoyed, spared no expense in his medication, while his grandmother, Gu, also sent for a renowned physician from Kaifeng. After a month of careful recuperation, Zhang Yue finally made a full recovery, and everyone in the third household was overjoyed. However, he himself looked at the frail figure in the bronze mirror and felt a headache.

However, Zhang Yue on the bed was not asleep. Suddenly experiencing such a great change, his mind was filled with all kinds of questions, and at that moment, he had not the slightest inclination to sleep. After pondering with his eyes closed for a long time, he only felt a dull ache in his head, and knowing that his mother was not there, he simply opened his eyes.

Among the three sons born out of wedlock, Zhang Zhuo is low-key in nature, lacking both literary and martial accomplishments. At home, he has always been like a transparent person, and his wife, Sun, also lacks any significant influence and has never competed with others. Their only son, Zhang Yue, was frail and sickly in his childhood. As he grew older, his health improved somewhat, but he remained rather dull-witted. Consequently, compared to the assertive first branch and the shrewd second branch, the third branch holds almost no voice in the family.

It seems that the pressing priority nowadays is to maintain good health; otherwise, with such a frail physique that could be blown away by a gust of wind, he would be unable to accomplish anything. However, these are matters to consider in the future. After looking in the mirror, Zhang Yue immediately requested his mother, Sun, to take him to see his grandmother, Gu.

Although he had only a superficial understanding of the history of the Ming Dynasty, he was aware that Zhu Yuanzhang indiscriminately executed his meritorious subjects, leaving the descendants of the founding heroes with mere titles of honor. However, the loyal subjects of the Jingnan campaign were different, and the Zhang family, particularly Zhang Yu and his son Zhang Fu, were even more exceptional. Zhang Yu indeed perished in the Jingnan campaign, but Zhang Fu not only survived but also achieved numerous great feats, rising from the rank of earl all the way to duke. Such a distinguished individual still had to address the elderly Gu matriarch as 'aunt'.

That is the British public official Zhang Fu

After lying down again, he took a long time to digest this information. Observing the situation of this family, if he were to be obedient and cautious, life wouldn't be too bad. But does he really want to live his life in constant vigilance? Since he has been reborn, it seems that squandering this second chance would invite divine retribution.

Here is the Zhang family of Xiangfu, comprising three generations in total. At the top is the matriarch, Madam Gu. The next generation consists of three sons. The eldest son, Zhang Xin, is the legitimate child and currently serves as an official in Zhejiang, with one son and one daughter under his care. The second son, Zhang You, is a son of a concubine, yet he holds a military position and is currently with the army in Jiaozhi. His wife, Madam Dongfang, has borne him two sons, and there is also a concubine, Madam Luo, who has given birth to a daughter. Due to Madam Dongfang's adeptness at flattering her mother-in-law, Madam Gu, she has almost complete control over the household affairs. His wife, Madam Dongfang, has borne him two sons, and there is also a concubine, Madam Luo, who has given birth to a daughter. Due to Madam Dongfang's adeptness at flattering her mother-in-law, Madam Gu, she has almost complete control over the household affairs

It is now the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty. The events he is most familiar with from this era are the earth-shattering Jingnan Campaign and the subsequent bloody massacres, as well as the remarkable achievements of Zheng He’s seven voyages to the Western seas. However, while Zheng He’s fleet is still sailing on the ocean, the other events have already become a thing of the past

Sun was somewhat hesitant: "You have just recovered, so take a couple more days to rest. It won't be too late to visit the old lady later."

It is said that one does not know whether Zhuang Zhou dreamed of a butterfly or the butterfly dreamed of Zhuang Zhou. From yesterday to today, lying in bed like this, he has gradually regained all his memories of this era. Now, Fang Jie and Zhang Yue, two individuals who were originally completely different, have fully merged within him. However, certain details cannot be relied upon from a child's memory; he still needs to inquire from others carefully.

Seeing her son finish his medicine, Sun immediately breathed a sigh of relief. She hurriedly took a piece of candied fruit from a small dish beside her and stuffed it into her son's mouth, then firmly pressed him down to lie down and pulled up the brocade quilt. After sitting by the bedside for a while, noticing that Zhang Yue seemed to have fallen asleep, she finally stood up and instructed a maid standing nearby, "Qiu Hen, keep a close watch on Yue'er. Report to me immediately if anything happens."

Zhang Yue meticulously distinguished these trivial matters of family and daily life, and then let out a deep sigh in his heart. In his previous life, he was a diligent worker, and now, having finally been reborn into a wealthy family, he still found himself as a marginal figure; this was truly unfortunate. Moreover, at the tender age of ten, he would have to pretend to be a child for quite some time, truly a long and arduous journey ahead.

Alright, I will take you to meet the old lady now

I asked the librarian, "What events have been happening at home these days?"

Seeing the disbelief on Qiu Hen's face, Zhang Yue couldn't help but feel a bit of a headache. After a moment of contemplation, he pouted like a child and said, "I just don't want to sleep, I want to find someone to talk to. Is that not allowed?"

She spoke without intention, but Zhang Yue listened with purpose. Thus, he attentively listened while subtly probing for more information, and he also did not forget to compliment Qiu Hen a few times in a childlike manner, taking advantage of her pride to extract more details. By the time Qiu Hen coaxed him to lie down again, his mind had gradually formed a rough outline based on the memories he had integrated.

Qiu Hen suddenly felt a bit troubled. Thinking back to the past few days when Zhang Yue had been in a deep sleep, it was quite possible that he couldn't sleep now either. She softened her heart and nodded. Dropping the pine-patterned handkerchief she had been holding, she reached out to raise his pillow, helping him to sit up partially. Only then did she ask, "What does the young master wish to say?"

Autumn traces

Despite still harboring a trace of resentment, upon hearing these words, Sun immediately came to a realization. She recalled how she had previously caused a commotion in her mother-in-law's yard for the sake of her son's illness, and she remembered her mother-in-law's stern admonition from that time. Unconsciously, her face gradually turned pale. Almost instinctively, she crouched down and placed her hand on her son's shoulder, nodding emphatically.