Chapter 132

Soon, Fu Tingjun realized she had misjudged Shopkeeper Ye San.

The very day after Shopkeeper Ye San came to visit her, the emperor, who had reigned for forty-one years, passed away. The imperial examination for Hanlin Academy candidates, originally scheduled for three days later, was postponed. According to the late emperor's will, Prince Zhuang would succeed to the throne.

The bells tolling for the late emperor's spiritual welfare from temples and monasteries outside the capital city resounded across heaven and earth.

The Ministry of Rites, together with the Grand Secretariat and the Hanlin Academy, convened to discuss and present the mourning rites for the late emperor to the new sovereign, settle the dates for the national mourning period, determine the timing and ceremonies for the new emperor's ascension, draft the accession edict, and bestow posthumous titles upon the deceased emperor and empress. Civil and military officials of the third rank and above in the capital, along with their titled wives, were required to wear mourning clothes and enter through the Xihua Gate twice daily to wail at the mourning hall outside Sishan Gate. Commoners also hung white curtains and white lanterns at their doors. In no time, the price of white cloth and white lanterns in the capital soared, and some shops even ran out of stock due to insufficient preparation.

Shijia Hutong was home to many official families, so the atmosphere of mourning was even more solemn there.

Fu Tingjun naturally could not exempt herself from these customs. She instructed Zheng San and his wife to go to the street to buy white curtains, then found two old lanterns from the storeroom and, together with A Sen, pasted white paper over them and hung them outside the door.

Zheng Sanniang returned laughing: "Everyone is saying they haven't seen the imperial coffin procession in over forty years. When the late emperor's funeral procession sets out, we'll need to go early to get a good spot!"

She was entirely in the mood of a spectator.

Fu Tingjun smiled wryly.

But it was merely a wry smile. She was more concerned about the task she had given Yuwei: "What's the matter? You still haven't run into my elder brother?"

Yuwei nodded, her brow furrowed: "Do you think, perhaps because the late emperor has passed away, the young master has been given some time off? After all, even the imperial examination for Hanlin Academy candidates has been canceled, hasn't it?"

Those who passed the metropolitan examination typically started as county magistrates' deputies, or even as minor record keepers. But if one passed the examination for Hanlin Academy candidates, it was different—they would remain at the Hanlin Academy to observe governance, with experienced instructors teaching them various aspects of political knowledge. After three years, they would be assigned to one of the six ministries as chief clerks or censors. Because of their high starting point, their chances of rapid advancement were great, hence the saying: "Without passing the metropolitan examination, one cannot enter the Hanlin Academy; without serving in the Hanlin Academy, one cannot enter the Grand Secretariat." Even those who performed poorly at the end of their term, if given the opportunity to be posted elsewhere, could at minimum become a prefect or vice-prefect.

Fu Tingjun had heard this as well. When Yuwei brought it up again, she couldn't help asking: "Is this information reliable?"

"Reliable," Yuwei said. "I heard that the second young master of the Ji family had been working hard to pass the examination for Hanlin Academy candidates to bring glory to his family, but when the court canceled the examination, he was completely stunned. He lay in bed for days without eating or drinking. It was only after Madam Ji persuaded him repeatedly and had the steward take him to the Western Hills for a few days of relaxation that he finally recovered."

This must be fate, she thought.

Fu Tingjun couldn't help but sigh along with her, then spoke of sending word to her elder brother: "Then we'll just have to wait for another opportunity."

Yuwei lowered her head and acknowledged with a "yes."

Zheng Sanniang walked in smiling: "Miss, the Dragon Boat Festival gifts you instructed me to prepare are all ready."

For the Dragon Boat Festival in the capital, besides sending a generous gift to the Duke of Fuguo's residence, Fu Tingjun had also prepared one for Sixi Hutong.

This was her first time sending festival gifts to her family.

Hearing this, Fu Tingjun immediately stood up with great enthusiasm, smiled, and called out to Yuwei: "Come, let's go take a look!" Then she walked out of the inner chamber first.

Yuwei let out a long, quiet breath. Watching Fu Tingjun's retreating figure, she felt a pang of sorrow.

In truth, she had seen the young master.

However, when the young master heard her purpose, not only did he refuse to accept the young lady's letter, but his words also implied that since the young lady had been taken by the refugees, why hadn't she preserved her honor by taking her own life? Those harsh words weighed on her heart like a heavy stone—how could she dare to relay them to the young lady?

Yuwei could only keep putting it off, hoping that good news would come from the mistress.

Thinking of this, she quickly composed herself, smiled, and hurried to catch up.

...

Master Lyu delivered the festival gifts to the Duke of Fuguo's residence, and the return gifts from the Duke's household were two bottles of imperial wine, two boxes of plain zongzi, two boxes of pastries, two baskets of assorted fruits, along with a tip for Master Lyu of two eight-fen silver ingots.

The festival gifts Yuwei delivered to Sixi Hutong, however, were brought back exactly as they had been sent.

Fu Tingjun sneered: "Since he shows no affection, don't blame me for being unfilial." Then she instructed Zheng Sanniang, "Put the things away. We'll use them ourselves for the Dragon Boat Festival."

Zheng Sanniang, not knowing what had happened, hurriedly took the items away in a fluster.

Fu Tingjun stood under the eaves, taking deep breaths to calm her anger.

Master Lyu smiled and told her what was happening outside: "...I overheard some stewards from the Duke of Fuguo's residence discussing in private, saying that the late Emperor had originally intended to establish Prince Qin as heir to the throne. The eunuch Hong Du, who held the post of Grand Secretary of the Directorate of Ceremonial, bore a grudge against Prince Qin. At the Mid-Autumn Festival, when the late Emperor bestowed mooncakes upon the court officials, Hong Du, knowing full well that Prince Qin could not eat sugar, deliberately instructed the young eunuch delivering the mooncakes to swap the plain mooncake meant for Prince Qin with a rock-sugar one. He even used the pretext of conveying the imperial edict to order Prince Qin to eat it immediately. As a result, Prince Qin fell ill right after eating it..."

Fu Tingjun was horrified. Before Master Lyu could finish, she immediately gestured for him to come with her into the main hall to speak.

"How did you come to hear of this?" She had Yuwei close the door and asked Master Lyu in a low, grave voice.

Master Lyu was taken aback by Fu Tingjun's solemnity, saying, "When I went to deliver the festival gifts, the chief steward of the reception office at the Duke of Fuguo's residence happened to be seeing off a steward from the Marquis of Zhuangsu's household. I overheard the two stewards muttering to each other."

Fu Tingjun's heart trembled with fear: "They discussed such matters openly as they walked?"

Only when she said this did Master Lyu realize something was amiss. His face turned pale. "Miss Fu, what do you make of this..."

"Go out quickly and make inquiries—see what people outside are saying."

Master Lyu hurried out the door in a fluster.

Fu Tingjun paced back and forth in the hall.

She thought of Zhao Ling and the books.

The Marquis of Yingchuan and the current Emperor were brothers-in-law, and the Marquis's ancestors had even produced a Grand Consort. How could their stewards discuss such matters in private?

Just days ago, she had heard that the great eunuch who attended the late Emperor at his deathbed was Hong Du, and that the late Emperor's testament had been sealed with the imperial seal by Hong Du himself and delivered by him personally to the Grand Secretariat... He was a guardian eunuch.

The more she thought, the more alarmed she became. The more she thought, the more chilled to the bone she felt.

What on earth had happened?

She thought of the Mo family, of Li Rujin, who served as the Commander of the Shaanxi Regional Military Commission...

Fu Tingjun called out loudly for Yuwei: "Quick, go to the street and find me a geography gazetteer. I need to see which provinces one must pass through to reach the capital from Sichuan and Huguang!"

Yuwei had no idea what was happening, but Fu Tingjun's frantic expression made her own nerves tighten as well. She quickly acknowledged the order, summoned Zheng San, and rushed out the door.

At dusk, Master Lyu returned to Shi's Hutong, his expression tense and weary.

"People outside are saying all sorts of things." The wrinkles beneath his eyes seemed to have multiplied, making him look suddenly several years older. "The gist of it is that Hong Du formed cliques for private gain, deceived the late Emperor, and threw the court into chaos—not only causing Prince Qin's death, but also directing Tengji Guard Commander Shi Wenbin to impeach Prince Shu on trumped-up charges while the late Emperor was gravely ill, resulting in Prince Shu being reduced to commoner status and Songpan Grand Coordinator Liu Ruihao being executed... As for the officials who were framed, there were even more—from Minister of War He Hui, who was executed in the marketplace in earlier years, to Censor Du Qianwen, who was put to death recently for impeaching Liu Gu, the left guard commander of the Tengji Guard and Hong Du's adopted son—all were supported or tacitly approved by Hong Du."

Fu Tingjun was drenched in cold sweat.

Others hearing this might merely be surprised that so many matters were being attributed to Hong Du, but she knew there was also the Sixteenth Master.

Xiang Zhuang performed the sword dance, but his target was the Duke of Pei!

She said urgently, "Quick—go fetch Shopkeeper Ye San at once."

Master Lyu was startled, but though the curfew was approaching, he immediately turned and headed for the branch of Datong Number on the street outside Zhengyang Gate.

No sooner had he left than Yuwei returned, sweating profusely, carrying an armful of geography gazetteers.

Fu Tingjun said nothing, merely gestured for Yuwei to place the gazetteers in the study in the west room. She lit a lamp herself and sat down at the desk to leaf through them.

Yuwei watched, said nothing about supper, and ground ink at the side.

From Sichuan to the capital: ten thousand seven hundred seventy-one li, passing through Shaanxi and Shanxi, reaching the Northern Metropolitan Area, then entering the capital. From Huguang to the capital: five thousand one hundred seventy li, passing through Henan to reach the Northern Metropolitan Area, then entering the capital.

Fu Tingjun's heart pounded wildly.

From outside the door came Zheng Sanniang's voice: "Miss, Shopkeeper Ye San has arrived."

Fu Tingjun rose to her feet, and suddenly the room spun around her.

Yuwei quickly steadied her. "Miss, are you... are you all right?" A flicker of worry showed in her eyes.

"It's nothing, nothing." Fu Tingjun murmured. "I've been reading too long." Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Yuwei's sallow face, and only then realized that Yuwei had been attending to her the whole time.

"Go rest now!" she said hastily. "You haven't had supper yet, have you?"

"You haven't had yours either." Yuwei supported Fu Tingjun. "Shall I accompany you to see Manager Ye?"

That was fine—until this matter was resolved, she wouldn't be able to eat or sleep, let alone sit still.

Fu Tingjun did not refuse, and went with Yuwei to the reception hall in the south wing.

Shopkeeper Ye San stood up when he saw Fu Tingjun.

There was no one else in the hall, so Fu Tingjun dispensed with pleasantries and came straight to the point: "The letter Ninth Master sent you—where was it sent from? And through whose hands did it reach you?"

Shopkeeper Ye San had already learned from Master Lyu on the way why Fu Tingjun had summoned him. Since Fu Tingjun was so perceptive, it would be disrespectful to offer her mere platitudes.

Even so, looking at her youthful face, Shopkeeper Ye San remained silent for a moment before speaking in a low voice: "It was brought to me by the Ye family's caravan... from Huguang."

Fu Tingjun felt the world go dark before her eyes, and only Yuwei's quick reflexes in catching her kept her from collapsing.

That bastard, that bastard...

Tears streamed down Fu Tingjun's face.

No wonder he had held her in his arms and whispered those sweet words without regard for propriety when she left.

No wonder he had rushed her to the capital, even deceiving her, saying he wanted her to go ahead and persuade her parents to agree to their marriage.

No wonder he had told her to sell the lands in Lu Family Village and Xihuai Village.

No wonder he had wanted her to purchase a residence in the capital.

That bastard, that bastard...

Choking back sobs, she asked Shopkeeper Ye San, "What else did he tell you?"