Deputy Minister Zhang's Mansion.
Deputy Minister Zhang did not hold a particularly high rank at court, but his mother had been a close friend of the Empress Dowager in their youth, a connection of no small significance. Had it not been for the fact that the Deputy Minister's father had backed the losing side in past political struggles, the family might well have been elevated to the rank of Count.
Because of this, although the Deputy Minister had only risen to his current post, his standing in the Capital remained quite formidable. For anyone else, being on the wrong side of such a major political shift would have been cause enough for their entire household to be confiscated; it would have been a miracle to escape with their lives, let alone hold a government position.
Chapter 58