Chapter 163

Zheng San, citing the theft of valuables, quickly found several idlers who frequented the area around Tanzhe Temple to help search for Zuo Junjie.

By the time the sun was setting behind the western mountains, if Fu Tingjun and the others did not return to the city soon, it would be too late—and still there was no news of Zuo Junjie.

Fu Tingjun was somewhat disappointed. She instructed Zheng San, "Besides the agreed reward, give them an extra twenty taels of silver. Just say that although the item the beggar stole is not valuable, it was a gift from my mother and is extremely important to me. Ask them to keep an eye out. If they can help us find that beggar, there will be another fifty taels of silver as a reward."

Zheng San acknowledged and went off.

Yuwei was unwilling to give up. But seeing Fu Tingjun's protruding belly, she bit her lip and said, "Madam, why don't I stay and continue searching..."

"No! It's too dangerous." Fu Tingjun rejected the idea without a moment's thought. "Let's go back first. We'll discuss it with Ninth Master before making any further plans."

Though Yuwei acknowledged the order, her expression dimmed slightly.

Zheng San lifted the carriage curtain.

"Madam, it was wise of you to give the extra twenty taels of silver." He beamed with delight. "Those idlers told me that the beggar who stole the items came from Tongzhou half a year ago to study the scriptures at Tanzhe Temple. He lodges in a rundown shack not far from the temple, on the turf of a man called Lu Ashu. They're going to have a word with Lu Ashu right away and demand he produce the man within three days... They said we should just wait at home for their news."

"Indeed, every snake has its path, every rat its way." Fu Tingjun broke into a pleased smile. "Keep a close eye on this matter. We must find that beggar." As she spoke, her expression gradually turned cold. "Spend whatever money needs to be spent. Don't hesitate—just come to me for the funds."

Zheng San acknowledged and went to negotiate with the group for a while longer before driving the carriage back to the city.

"Go to Sixi Lane," Fu Tingjun instructed Zheng San.

Zheng San was momentarily taken aback but quickly turned the horse's head toward Sixi Lane.

Inside the carriage, Yuwei looked at Fu Tingjun in surprise. "Madam, are you going to..."

"I want to tell Father about Zuo Junjie begging at Tanzhe Temple..." Fu Tingjun said, her expression gradually turning grave.

And then what?

Would Fifth Master be overjoyed and help Madam search for Zuo Junjie? Or would he loudly berate Madam for stirring up trouble, turning an already settled matter into chaos once more?

Yuwei watched Fu Tingjun quietly, waiting for her to continue, but saw Fu Tingjun press her lips tightly together, then turn her face away to look out the carriage window.

That calm gaze, that indifferent expression... at this moment, it vaguely gave rise to a strange feeling.

Like the stillness before a storm, a tension of dark clouds gathering and wind rising before the rain.

Yuwei couldn't help but shiver.

For the first time, she wondered whether her own stubborn insistence on uncovering the truth of what happened back then might also be a kind of harm to Madam.

In silence, they soon arrived at Sixi Lane.

The aroma of cooking wafted from every household—it was dinnertime.

When Fifth Master Fu heard the servant announce that "Mrs. Zhao" had arrived, he pretended not to hear and handed his bowl to his daughter-in-law. "Another bowl."

Young Mistress Fu snapped back to attention, uttered an "Oh," and hastily took the bowl to fetch rice.

Fu Tingzheng, however, shot his wife a fierce glare and hissed under his breath, "Flustered and fumbling—what a disgrace!"

Young Mistress Fu, full of grievance, murmured "This wife is at fault" and, with tears in her eyes, handed the bowl to Fifth Master Fu with both hands.

Fifth Master Fu took the bowl, picked up a piece of chicken, and shoveled it into his mouth along with the rice. He chewed slowly and deliberately, then revealed a faint smile. "Mm, this dish is quite well made." He continued eating with satisfaction.

Her sister-in-law was still waiting outside!

Should she invite her in or not?

Young Mistress Fu sat on pins and needles.

The servant who had come to report stood there, not knowing whether to advance or retreat, repeatedly casting pleading looks at Young Mistress Fu.

Young Mistress Fu smiled bitterly.

Then Fu Tingjun's voice reached her ears: "Everyone's having dinner?"

The hand holding Fifth Master Fu's chopsticks paused mid-air, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

Fu Tingzheng, on the other hand, scrambled to his feet in panic and shouted, "What are you doing here?" The chair behind him toppled over with a sudden "clatter," adding a touch of awkwardness to his already unimpressive outburst.

Young Mistress Fu, meanwhile, let out a great sigh of relief. She smiled kindly at Fu Tingjun and hurriedly poured a cup of tea, but dared not address her as "Sister-in-law." She mumbled a couple of indistinct sounds and managed to say, "Please, have some tea."

"Slap!" Fifth Master Fu's chopsticks slammed heavily onto the table, rattling the plates and bowls with a clatter.

Before Fifth Master Fu could begin his reprimand, Fu Tingjun smiled at Young Mistress Fu and said, "Much obliged," as she accepted the teacup.

"Today I went to Tanzhe Temple to burn incense, and not only did I run into Madam Yu and her daughter-in-law," she said, her gaze burning directly at her father seated at the head of the room, "I also ran into Zuo Junjie!"

"What did you say?" Fifth Master Fu stared at Fu Tingjun in shock, his face turning deathly pale in an instant, his lips trembling uncontrollably. "You, you say you ran into Madam Yu and Zuo Junjie?"

"Exactly!" Fu Tingjun stepped forward twice, fixing her eyes on her father. "I not only ran into Madam Yu, but also Zuo Junjie!"

A flicker of panic crossed Fifth Master Fu's handsome features: "Did Madam Yu recognize you? And what did you say?" His tone carried an urgency that could not be mistaken.

"I avoided Madam Yu." Fu Tingjun's gaze was piercing as she stared straight at Fifth Master Fu. "Madam Yu did not see me." She noticed her father let out a long sigh of relief, his expression easing somewhat. "Zuo Junjie was begging near Tanzhe Temple. When he saw me, he bolted like a startled rabbit. Yuwei chased him for quite a while but couldn't catch him... Zhao Ling is on duty at the palace today, so I had no one to consult. But if we delay any longer, Zuo Junjie might get away. I'd like to ask Father to help me capture Zuo Junjie. There are some things that need to be settled face to face."

"I understand." This time, Fifth Master Fu neither dismissed it with contempt nor turned a blind eye, but instead wore a grave expression. "I will handle this matter. You should not get involved any further, lest it stir up trouble and cause more complications. As for Madam Yu," he mused, "if she asks, you should say that Huayin was in chaos at the time, and you were separated from your family. Your family assumed you were dead and reported it to us, so we announced your death due to illness..."

As Yuwei listened, tears welled up uncontrollably in her eyes.

Fifth Master was finally willing to help the mistress... Once they caught Zuo Junjie and learned that the mistress had been wronged, Fifth Master would surely reconcile with her. Then they could be reunited as a family, and the mistress wouldn't have to be at odds with Fifth Master all the time...

The more she thought about it, the happier she became, and she couldn't help but look toward Fu Tingjun.

But she saw Fu Tingjun's face as somber as still water—not a trace of joy!

She was taken aback.

...

Back at the residence, Anxin was pacing in circles in the front courtyard.

When he saw Yuwei helping Fu Tingjun through the door, his spirits lifted, and his face brightened considerably.

"Madam, around the hour of you (5-7 PM), Ninth Master sent someone to ask whether you had returned safely from Tanzhe Temple." Anxin stepped forward and bowed to Fu Tingjun. "When you hadn't returned, he sent someone every half hour to ask. Four groups of messengers have come in total. If you hadn't returned by now, I would have had to go out of the city to look for you." As he spoke, a voice called from outside the door: "Brother Anxin, has the mistress returned?"

Anxin glanced at Fu Tingjun, hurriedly responded, and went out, quickly returning: "It was someone sent by Ninth Master, asking if the mistress had returned. Upon learning you were back, he breathed a sigh of relief—Ninth Master was extremely anxious. If you hadn't returned, he was going to ask Officer Mo, who is off duty today, to go find you. He also said that the Imperial Observatory predicted heavy rain in the coming days and that the weather would turn cold. He asked the mistress to have Zheng San inspect all the doors and windows of the house, and reminded you to add clothing and not catch a chill."

Fu Tingjun smiled and acknowledged this, then entered through the hanging-flower gate with Yuwei.

That evening, she couldn't sleep. She called for Zhenzhu to light the lamp and reclined on the kang, practicing Go patterns.

Yuwei saw the lamplight and knocked on the door.

"Let me keep you company, mistress!" She wrapped a small outer garment around herself and sat down across from Fu Tingjun.

The spring nights in the capital were still somewhat chilly.

Fu Tingjun thought for a moment, then instructed Zhenzhu to fetch a thin quilt for Yuwei: "You go rest now. Yuwei will keep me company here."

Zhenzhu smiled, bent her knees in acknowledgment, and withdrew.

Yuwei then asked Fu Tingjun, "Mistress, hasn't the master already agreed to help us? Why are you unhappy instead?"

Fu Tingjun toyed with the Go piece in her hand, silent for a long while, before speaking in a low voice: "Did you notice that when the master heard we had run into both Madam Yu and Zuo Junjie at the same time, by all logic—whether for the sake of the Fu family's reputation or to clear my name—he should have been most concerned about Zuo Junjie. But it was quite the opposite: his first question was about Madam Yu, and he even cautioned me on how to explain myself if I encountered her again... Don't you find that strange?"

She did not address Fifth Master Fu as "Father" as she had before, but as "the master"—a term used by a junior for an elder!

Yuwei's heart fluttered with alarm, and she said, "Fifth Master certainly didn't expect us to run into Madam Yu. Taken by surprise, he..."

Fu Tingjun shook her head, cutting her off: "Madam Yu once sent someone to visit Mother, and we both live in the capital. The chance of crossing paths is high. Even if it were a surprise, shouldn't the surprise have been about how we encountered Zuo Junjie?"

Yuwei fell silent.

Fu Tingjun continued, "The master actually wants me to say that because there were refugees in Huayin at the time, I got separated from my family and the He family, and that's why the household announced my death under the guise of illness. Doesn't this conveniently align with the rumors circulating throughout Huayin that I was abducted by bandits and lost my chastity? What position does this leave Ninth Master in? And what position does it leave me in? How can I hold my head high and live in this world with any sense of justification? Is this what it means to care for me?"

"Madam..." A son should not speak ill of his father. Yuwei looked at Fu Tingjun with fear and trepidation.

Fu Tingjun suddenly laughed, her smile weak and pale: "Yuwei, I want to ask you—all these days you've been urging me to reconcile with the master, is that your true feelings?"

Yuwei wanted very much to say it was her true feelings, but when the words reached her lips, looking at the sorrow flickering in the depths of Fu Tingjun's eyes, she only felt a sharp pain in her heart, and those words against her conscience simply could not be spoken.

"From now on, don't persuade me anymore," Fu Tingjun said with a smile. "And don't persuade yourself either."

Yuwei's tears rolled down her cheeks.