After reading the letter, Zhang Xin couldn't help but smile.
Liu Hua wrote that everything at home was well. In early April, Wang Jiao had safely given birth to a daughter—both mother and child were in good health.
"A son and a daughter… perfect."
His mood lifted as he continued reading.
The rest of the letter was filled with longing and concern. Liu Hua mentioned that they had already set out on their journey to join him. At the very end, she reminded him of something important—their son was nearly three years old and still didn't have a proper name. She urged Zhang Xin to decide on one soon.
Zhang Xin scratched his head.
Naming a child… that was harder than fighting a battle.
He thought for a long time, but no good ideas came. In the end, he gave up for now and decided to deal with it later. Instead, he brought Dian Wei and headed for the Ministry of Justice prison.
No matter what, Zhang Fang had once been his subordinate. He had to go see him.
Besides, he had already met Zhang Ju—the so-called "Crouching Dragon." Now he wanted to meet Zhang Chun, the "Young Phoenix."
The prison was dim, damp, and reeked of decay.
Because of Zhang Ju's case, many people had been implicated, and the cells were overcrowded. As Zhang Xin entered, escorted by a respectful jailer, the prisoners immediately began shouting—some crying innocence, others trying to curry favor.
Zhang Xin ignored them all.
He was led to a solitary cell.
Zhang Ju sat on the ground, disheveled, his eyes hollow and lifeless. Gone was the arrogance he once displayed.
"I heard you've been telling people I'm dead," Zhang Xin said calmly.
Zhang Ju's lips trembled, but no words came out.
After a long silence, he finally asked, "How did you know…? How did you prepare for all this in advance?"
Zhang Xin replied evenly, "Your Zhang clan holds influence, but not as much as the Xianyu clan. When we parted on bad terms last year, I simply took precautions. I had someone keep an eye on things. That's all."
Zhang Ju gave a bitter laugh.
Such caution… no wonder he had lost.
Zhang Xin then visited Zhang Chun, gave the same explanation, and finally went to see Zhang Fang.
The moment Zhang Fang saw him, his eyes burned with resentment.
"Why was Chen Song chosen over me?" he demanded. "A mere man of humble origins—how could he be more worthy?"
Zhang Xin answered plainly, "Where were you when I first entered the prefecture?"
Zhang Fang fell silent.
After a long pause, he asked in a hoarse voice, "When you recommended candidates… did you ever consider me?"
"I did," Zhang Xin said. "But you were neither as talented as Xianyu Fu nor as virtuous as Chen Song. I planned to recommend you this year… but things turned out differently."
Zhang Fang's expression darkened.
"Then why entrust everything to Gu Yong? I was your recorder."
Zhang Xin sighed. "Because you were held back by your family. If I didn't trust you, why would I have let you lead troops to defend the city?"
Those words struck deeply.
Zhang Fang froze… then suddenly laughed bitterly. Tears welled up in his eyes.
"So… you never abandoned me."
He dropped to his knees and kowtowed repeatedly.
"It is I who have wronged you, my lord…"
Zhang Xin felt a heaviness in his chest.
They had worked together for over two years. There was real bond there.
He turned to Dian Wei. "Give me some money."
Dian Wei pulled out a handful of copper coins.
Zhang Xin handed them to the jailer. "He was once my subordinate. Use this to buy him better food for a few days."
"My lord, I cannot accept this—" the jailer quickly protested.
"Take it."
Zhang Xin stuffed the coins into the man's collar and patted his chest.
"The prison has its limits. I won't have you paying out of pocket. Just take it."
The jailer's face immediately lit up. "Thank you for your generosity, my lord!"
Behind them, Zhang Fang was already sobbing uncontrollably, his forehead repeatedly striking the ground.
"The Lord is righteous… I am unworthy…"
Zhang Xin paused for a moment, his expression complicated.
Then, without another word, he turned and walked away.