"Duke Zheng, I heard you had left the office... I came especially to welcome you."
Zhang Hua stood smiling before Zheng Chong.
He truly looked harmless to man and beast.
Zheng Chong was greatly startled and hurriedly returned the courtesy, then asked, "Is His Majesty well?"
"His Majesty is very well, and he is also very concerned about you."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhang Hua helped Zheng Chong into the carriage. Puzzled, Zheng Chong asked, "Where are we going?"
"Back to your residence, of course."
"You may not know this, but those literati out there are all using you as a pretext to impeach He Zeng and carry out schemes against His Majesty!"
At these words, Zheng Chong hastily explained, "I was not the mastermind!"
"Do not be anxious, Duke Zheng. Naturally, you have nothing to do with those people."
"But they do not care about that. They do not truly want to rescue you, either. They only want to use you."
"I was worried they would pester you again and drag you into something else, so I came to escort you home."
Understanding dawned on Zheng Chong. He looked at Zhang Hua beside him. "Lord Zhang, you are truly benevolent and righteous!"
This Zhang Hua really was a decent man!
After everything Zheng Chong had experienced lately, he could not help feeling somewhat moved when he saw how different Zhang Hua was from the others.
Zhang Hua hastily protested that he did not deserve such praise, then brought up other matters.
"Duke Zheng, you can leave the imperial court in peace this time. His Majesty has already spoken to He Zeng. No one will ever again arrest you and call you to account over something that has nothing to do with you, when you have done nothing wrong.