Because she was so exhausted from the previous day, Zhu Qingyu slept soundly until the sun was high in the sky before getting up.
The charcoal fire in the brazier inside the room was burning vigorously. Someone had clearly added more coals, but Zhang Shenren was not there. The room was quiet.
Zhu Qingyu got up slowly, in no hurry to eat. She headed straight to the study, and sure enough, Zhang Shenren was sitting at the desk, frowning as he wrote something.
When the eunuch who had delivered the imperial edict relayed the message, he had specifically reminded Zhang Shenren to write a formal letter of gratitude, prepared for the emperor’s summons.
Matters concerning the emperor were of utmost importance, so Zhu Qingyu guessed that his diligent effort was likely spent on writing that letter.
Judging by his expression, things were not going smoothly for Zhang Shenren.
She did not go over but leaned against the doorframe and asked,
“So hard at work—writing the letter of gratitude?”
Zhang Shenren had been so focused that he hadn’t noticed Zhu Qingyu’s arrival. When he heard her voice, he quickly put down his brush, set aside his worried look, and smiled.
“Yes, you’re up? Chief Merchant Xue came by just now. I saw you were tired and didn’t wake you. Are you hungry? Let me take you to eat.”
Zhu Qingyu waved her hand and walked away.
“Busy matters come first. Keep writing. Don’t worry about me. I just came to see what you’re doing. I can find something to eat in my own home, can’t I?”
After eating, Zhu Qingyu continued unpacking the luggage she hadn’t finished the day before.
By the time she was almost done preparing for the midday meal, Zhang Shenren was still shut away in the study.
Zhu Qingyu went to call him for lunch. He stood at the desk, his expression even more troubled than when she had checked on him earlier that morning.
Everyone has their expertise. Old Master Zhang could handle ledgers and accounts like a master, but writing a formal thank-you letter was like a blind man fumbling in the dark. Without guidance, he had no idea where to start.
Unlike civil officials who had passed the imperial examinations, who had years of preparation, guidance from mentors, and help from advisors, this was like asking someone who had never prepared for a national exam to suddenly write a policy essay—he was utterly lost.
Forcing himself to write on his own wouldn’t do. If the letter of gratitude was poorly written or violated any taboo, the consequences could be fatal.
Zhu Qingyu gave Zhang Shenren a suggestion.
“While you were in prison, Lord Zhuang, the Chief of the Office of Transmission, came to visit me and asked about your case. By rights, we should go to his home to thank him. Why don’t we send him a note and prepare a thank-you gift? When we go to pay our respects, you can ask Lord Zhuang for advice and have him help revise it? Lord Zhuang handles official documents. Letters of thanks like this—he must have seen a thousand if not a hundred pass before his eyes. To him, it’s just a glance.”
Zhang Shenren, having served as such a prominent Chief Merchant, was not someone too rigid or proud to adapt. He had already been mulling over finding the right person to consult.
Now hearing that Lord Zhuang was a better choice than most, half of Zhang Shenren’s worry melted away. He smiled and said,
“You’re right, my dear. That’s exactly what we should do.”
He took out a fresh sheet of paper and wrote a letter to Lord Zhuang, explaining the reasons: first, to thank him; second, to seek guidance on writing the letter of gratitude. He asked if Lord Zhuang had a suitable time for them to visit and trouble him.
After lunch, Zhu Qingyu prepared a thank-you gift and called for Uncle Lyu.
“Uncle Lyu, please make a trip to the Zhuang residence. Deliver the note and the gift. Also, take this silver to give to the gatekeeper as a gratuity.”
She thought it would be a simple task, but Uncle Lyu returned with the gift, looking troubled, as if he had failed in his duty.
Zhu Qingyu was surprised.
“Did the gatekeeper refuse to take the note?”
Zhang Shenren was equally taken aback.
“Uncle Lyu, did you not bring enough money? Let me fetch more silver. Be generous and try again.”
Uncle Lyu looked distressed.
“No, it’s not that. The gatekeeper said that Lord Zhuang had set a rule: if someone comes to file a grievance, you can leave a written statement, but no gifts are accepted. This rule applies to everyone. So the gatekeeper accepted neither the gift nor the silver for gratuity—only the note. What now, madam? Master? Did I mess things up?”
Uncle Lyu had lived in the capital for many years. He had handled many errands, delivering gifts of coal to various households for Zhang Shenren during winter, but this was the first time he had encountered such a situation.
Zhang Shenren, too, had never seen anyone accept only a written note and refuse a gift. He was equally baffled and said,
“We’ve never had dealings with Lord Zhuang in my role as Chief Merchant, and we’ve never sent him coal gifts. Do you think he might be upset with us?”
Zhu Qingyu thought back to Lord Zhuang’s and his daughter’s straightforward style and replied,
“Not necessarily. Maybe Lord Zhuang is simply an upright man. Let’s wait and see. Since he accepted the note, we should see if he sends a reply today. If not, we’ll think of another way.”
But when the waiting stretched until the curfew was nearly upon them, even Zhu Qingyu began to doubt they would hear anything. Then the gatekeeper from the Zhuang residence arrived, knocking on the Zhang family’s door, bearing a reply.
The gatekeeper also brought a stack of documents. He said,
“My master told me that court affairs kept him busy today, so he returned late. He will also be occupied over the next few days and won’t have time to meet with Master Zhang. As for the matter mentioned in your letter, it’s nothing major. These are sample texts my master has compiled, which might solve your current worry. On his day off in a few days, he invites Master Zhang and his wife to visit their house. If Master Zhang still has questions, they can discuss them in detail that day.”
Not until the gatekeeper had left, with Zhang Shenren holding the pile of sample texts and reading the draft of the letter of gratitude that Lord Zhuang had written for him, could he fully grasp what had happened. He looked at Zhu Qingyu.
“Qingyu, think carefully for me. Was there a hidden meaning in Lord Zhuang’s words? Something I didn’t catch? In this court, can there really be such an honorable official?”
The night had grown deep, with only the bright moonlight shining.
Zhu Qingyu opened the window, and the moonlight streamed in, falling without bias.
It fell on her, and it fell on him.
Zhu Qingyu turned her head to look at Zhang Shenren.
“Jingyan, once you present your letter of gratitude, meet the emperor, and receive your official seal, in this court, such honorable officials should not only be Lord Zhuang. There should also be you, shouldn’t there? Jingyan, will there be?”
