Chapter 59: The Cunning Rabbit Has Three Burrows

For the sake of the tens of thousands of common folk in the county town, Tian Xuewen could humble himself and ask Zhang Village for reinforcements.

Primarily, a few days ago, on the night when two thousand Japanese pirates from Zhifu Island and nine hundred sea bandits from Futou Village raided Zhang Village, the county garrison militia had not entered Zhang Village during the day to provide support.

Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire, and Tian Xuewen truly felt too ashamed to seek help from Zhang Village.

Yet someone had indeed come to ask for assistance. Dongmei arrived, her voice heavy with sorrow:

"The imperial soldiers are utterly useless, merely emboldening the bandits. The two thousand bandits from Li Stronghold are certain to attack Fushan County Town tonight. There are only one thousand militia members inside the walls; although Master (Tian Xuewen) has transferred the local militias from several large villages like Mazhuang, Ningzhuang, and Yeqiao into the county town, it is unlikely the city can be held."

"He has sworn to defend the county town to the death, as it is his duty as master, and he intends to live and die with the city. The young miss refuses to come to Zhang Village; she insists on staying with her father, and no matter how I try to persuade her, it is of no use."

Dongmei wept: "Brother-in-law, Young Master Zhang, you have always been so good to her, and the young miss has given you her whole heart. You must save her! Please order the Zhang Village militia into the county town to save the hundreds of thousands of ordinary people trapped there."

"Your young miss has indeed been exceptionally kind to our young master. On the wedding night, she refused to consummate the marriage, and by the very next morning, she drove our young master out to the relative safety of Zhang Village. The Tian family daughter has certainly treated our young master wonderfully!"

Zhang Min sneered, casting a disdainful glance at Dongmei:

"At noon on the twenty-ninth of August, you treated our young master like a beggar, flinging the silver notes onto the ground. At that time, apart from my father, everyone in the county town was watching our young master make a fool of himself. Why on earth should we go to the county town to rescue them? They don't deserve it!"

"This humble maid deserves death!" Dongmei dropped to her knees, kowtowing to Zhang Chen: "That afternoon was entirely my own arbitrary doing; it had nothing to do with the young miss. It was all my fault, do not blame the young miss..."

"Get up quickly." Zhang Chen stepped aside, refusing to accept Dongmei's kowtow: "The primary duty of the Zhang Village militia is to defend Zhang Village. Go back. Just knock Tian Yachun unconscious and drag her to Zhang Village."

Tian Xuewen was the magistrate of Fushan County. He had the authority to mobilize the local militias within the county's borders, and he could have ordered the Zhang Village militia into the town.

Since Tian Xuewen had not issued such an order, Zhang Chen had no intention of eagerly marching his militia into the county town, mostly because there was nothing in it for him.

...

At seventy-five minutes past five in the afternoon, Madam Zhao arrived in Zhang Village with Zhang Erchen, Zhang Sanchen, and a large retinue to seek refuge.

Making her way directly into the Zhang family courtyard on Front Street, Madam Zhao acted with arrogant authority in Zhang Chen's home. Entering the inner courtyard, she demanded to stay in the finest small garden: "I remember it was ten years ago that my husband (Zhang Yuanyi) and I lived in this small courtyard for over a month."

"You are not the young master's birth mother, Old Madam, please have some self-respect!" Chubby Dongcao, now the housekeeper of Zhang Chen's inner courtyard, blocked the entrance of the small garden: "This courtyard is the residence of our young master—ah, rather, our master (Zhang Chen) and his wife."

"Audacious!" Chuntao, Madam Zhao's personal maid, lunged forward and struck Dongcao across the face: "How dare you show disrespect to the Old Madam! I'll beat you to death, you cheap servant!"

"Oh, you actually dare to start a fight in our house? Fatty has long found your shameless face disagreeable." Dongcao dodged the swinging palm, raised her own hand, and prepared to slap Chuntao across the face: "I'll beat you to death, you shameless wretch!"

"Enough!" Xiaohua stepped forward and offered a respectful bow to Madam Zhao: "Old Madam, the head steward has already had the eastern courtyard and the small courtyard on the west side prepared. This concubine will accompany you there to rest."

"Junior wife, even you didn't live in this small courtyard, yet she insists..." Looking deeply aggrieved, Dongcao halted abruptly, lowering her hand.

"Xiaohua, you little girl have grown quite bold." Madam Zhao let out a cold snort and swept out of Zhang Chen's inner courtyard, followed by a throng of maids and female servants.

In the front parlor of Zhang Chen's house.

"Over the past few years, bandits and sea pirates have grown increasingly numerous. Our cargo fleets and caravans have suffered several incidents, losing many men and goods. The family business is going downhill, and Mother's temper grows worse by the day."

Zhang Erchen muttered a reproach toward Zhang Chen: "Eldest brother, don't lower yourself to her level. Just bear with it."

In truth, along the road to Zhang Village, Zhang Erchen had cautioned Madam Zhao: "Mother, once we reach Zhang Village, temper your arrogance. Eldest brother is no longer what he used to be; he is no longer the honest, dull, and weak Zhang Chen of the past. He won't put up with your usual antics."

"Besides, after the Tian family wrote the letter of legal separation, eldest brother did not return to our ancestral clan. I tested the waters several times, and at the time, he made it explicitly clear that he had no desire to rejoin the Zhang family and return to the fold. Last year, when the Tian family came to propose marriage, I advised you not to agree, and not to give eldest brother away to Tian You as a matrilocal son-in-law."

Zhang Erchen muttered further:

"Whether younger brother and I receive a slightly larger or smaller share of the family property matters little. Eldest brother is the blood-related eldest brother to both of us; there's no need to turn him into an enemy. Oh, Mother, back then you were utterly obsessed and refused to listen to my advice. Now, eldest brother is growing more and more formidable, yet he grows increasingly estranged from the Zhang family. Alas—"

Several days prior, on the twenty-eighth of August, Zhang Chen had married Tian Yachun, becoming a matrilocal son-in-law to the Tian family. The very next morning, an impatient Madam Zhao had struck Zhang Chen's name from the Zhang family ancestral registry in the family ancestral hall.

Zhang Chen was no longer considered a member of the Zhang family, forfeiting any right of inheritance to the Zhang family estate.

As a matrilocal son-in-law of the Tian family, Zhang Chen would theoretically be able to inherit a portion of the Tian family's property in the future.

Yet just a few days ago, Tian Xuewen had written a letter of separation, effectively casting Zhang Chen out of the Tian family.

Having been rejected and returned by the Tian family, Zhang Chen was entirely entitled to petition the Zhang family to reinstate his ancestry and become a member once again. But the modern-day soul inhabiting Zhang Chen's body had zero interest in returning to any ancestral clan.

"A parent can never be in the wrong. Last year, when Mother arranged for the honest, dull, and weak eldest brother to become the son-in-law of the county magistrate, at the very least, it ensured he could live out his life in peace. It was a good deed born of no selfish motive; Mother only wanted what was best for Zhang Chen."

Zhang Sanchen muttered a word and returned to reading his book.

As Zhang Erchen's twin, Zhang Sanchen was fifteen years old this year, and unlike the original owner of the body, he was a genuine bookworm.

In the front parlor of Zhang Chen's house.

"Second brother, tell old Zhao that I have no intention of returning to the ancestral clan, nor am I interested in the Zhang family's property. From now on, just tell her not to come and bother me."

Leaving the parlor, Zhang Chen went out to receive Qi Dazhi, who had arrived in Zhang Village with his entire household in tow: "Old Qi, you might not know this, but old Zhao, Erchen, Sanchen, and dozens of others have moved into my house, and there are simply no rooms left..."

"My good brother, perhaps you aren't aware, but I purchased a property right here in Zhang Village. The very day after your Zhang Village militia repelled nearly a thousand bandits from Cishan, I had someone buy a small courtyard in the village at a high price." Qi Dazhi smiled like a Maitreya Buddha: "I have houses in Dengzhou, Jinan, and the capital. Though I haven't read many books, I certainly know the wisdom of a clever rabbit having three burrows."

"I yield to you!" Zhang Chen gave Qi Dazhi a thumbs-up.

Before nightfall, a total of over four hundred people had trickled in from the county town in small groups, visiting relatives and friends in Zhang Village to seek refuge.

At forty-five minutes past seven in the evening, Yang Fuli, a Centurion of the Brocade Guard, rode into Zhang Village on horseback and delivered a piece of intelligence directly to Zhang Chen.