Chapter 170

The next morning at dawn, Fu Tingjun wrote a letter and had Yuwei deliver it to the Chen family, entrusting Lady Chen Shi, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Chen household, to help inquire about the Zhang family.

After reading the letter, Lady Chen Shi smiled and said to Yuwei, "Your mistress has certainly asked the right person. As it happens, my natal family is distantly related to the Zhang family. I even met the Zhang girl when she was young—she was quite pretty. Consider this matter taken care of."

Yuwei thanked her profusely.

A few days later, Lady Chen Shi sent back a reply: "...The Zhang girl has a gentle and docile nature. Lord Zhang feared his daughter would suffer if married far away, and seeing that Lord Yang has no parents-in-law above him and no sisters-in-law below, and is also a man of distinguished appearance, he conceived the idea of a marriage alliance. Every year on the ninth day of the first month, the birthday of Guanyin Bodhisattva, Mrs. Zhang brings her daughter to Tanzhe Temple to offer incense and worship. Why don't we go take a look that day as well? It will put your mind at ease."

"Then I must thank you, sister," Fu Tingjun said with a smile. "The New Year is approaching, and everyone is busy with the festivities. Rather than hastily settling this matter, why don't we discuss it properly after the New Year? By then, you'll also earn yourself a pair of matchmaker's shoes and take an auspicious omen."

"Then it's settled," Lady Chen Shi said with a laugh. She played with Youyou for a while, chatted with Fu Tingjun about household matters, and then took her leave.

Although Zhao Ling was not at home, proper etiquette could not be neglected in the slightest.

On the twenty-third day of the twelfth month, they sent off the Kitchen God; on the twenty-fifth, they welcomed the Jade Emperor. Then came the sweeping of dust, pasting up spring couplets, welcoming the God of Wealth, staying up on New Year's Eve, paying New Year calls, and eating dumplings—the New Year was celebrated with great warmth and festivity.

When the ninth day of the first month arrived, Fu Tingjun, fearing it would be too much for the child, left Youyou at home in the care of the wet nurse and Mrs. Tong, while she herself took Yuwei to Tanzhe Temple.

The road to Tanzhe Temple was crowded with an endless stream of travelers—those who had gone up the mountain the day before to wait for the first incense were now heading home, while those hoping to offer incense early today were just now making their way up. The crowd was so thick and chaotic that there was no order to it at all. People could still squeeze through the gaps, but carriages could barely move, progressing even slower than pedestrians. By the time they finally reached the foot of Tanzhe Mountain, it was packed with a sea of people, completely jammed, and the carriage simply could not push through.

Fu Tingjun clicked her tongue in amazement. "Good thing I didn't bring Youyou along!"

Yuwei was equally stunned. "Why are there so many people today?"

"It's the ninth day of the first month," Fu Tingjun said with a laugh. "Everyone is vying to offer the first incense. Even if they can't get the very first one, they still want to offer a stick of incense early so the Bodhisattva will bless them!"

Just as she was speaking, a servant boy squeezed through the crowd, panting breathlessly. "Is this the carriage of the Zhao family from Shijia Hutong? I'm from the household of Lord Chen, Commander of the Forward Guard of the Imperial Insignia Guard. I've been sent by our eldest young mistress to receive you, madam."

Fu Tingjun and the others were overjoyed. They followed the servant boy to a manor not far from the foot of Tanzhe Mountain, where they met up with Lady Chen Shi.

"This is property belonging to Tanzhe Temple," Lady Chen Shi said, personally pouring Fu Tingjun a cup of tea before sitting down in the armchair across from her with a smile. "Because my grand-uncle is a lay disciple of Tanzhe Temple, we were able to borrow this estate to rest. Once we've met with Mrs. Zhang, it won't be too late to go up the mountain and worship the Buddha."

Fu Tingjun naturally agreed wholeheartedly.

They rested for a while and chatted about this and that, when Mrs. Zhang and her daughter arrived.

Mrs. Zhang was a woman of thirty-seven or thirty-eight, very well preserved, looking no older than thirty-one or so. The Zhang miss was fourteen or fifteen, delicate and demure.

A daughter is married looking up; a daughter-in-law is taken looking down. Perhaps knowing the purpose of this visit, Mrs. Zhang, as the bride's mother, seemed somewhat ill at ease in her bearing, while Miss Zhang kept her head lowered the entire time, occasionally stealing glances at Fu Tingjun from the corner of her eye. Even her mother's disapproving looks did not succeed in making Miss Zhang more composed.

After the Zhang mother and daughter had left, Lady Chen Shi hastily said, "Miss Zhang is not usually like this..."

Fu Tingjun quickly interjected, "This is fine. It shows she is a girl of genuine and straightforward temperament."

Lady Chen Shi breathed a sigh of relief at these words.

After all, she was the one who had brought them together—if the match succeeded, it would reflect well on her.

As this thought flashed through her mind, a hint of hesitation appeared on her face.

Fu Tingjun was perceptive and quick-witted, and she said with a smile, "Could it be that the Zhang family has some message they asked you to convey to me? A matchmaker must speak to make a match. You and I are not strangers—if you have something to say, please speak frankly."

Lady Chen Shi laughed at this. "I knew you were a straightforward person, sister, so I won't beat around the bush. The Zhang family is extremely satisfied with Lord Yang. There is just one thing—they hope that after the marriage, Lord Yang might settle in Daxing or Zhangjiawan... Might that be negotiable?"

This would require a relocation.

That was no small matter.

After all, it was for this reason that the saying "left home as a youth, returned as an old man" came to be.

"I'll discuss it with Uncle Yang," Fu Tingjun said tactfully. "I truly wouldn't dare make this decision on his behalf."

Lady Chen Shi was already grateful that she hadn't flatly refused, and she hurriedly smiled and poured Fu Tingjun another cup of tea.

Yang Yucheng rejected the Zhang family's conditions outright.

"Ninth Master reminded me, so I've already registered my household and purchased land in Hu County. If I don't become an official in the future, I'll just return to Hu County and live out my days as a retired gentleman." He said with some pride, "When that time comes, Ninth Master will be in Chang'an, I'll be in Hu County, and Yuanbao will be in Lantian. If anything happens, we can stand together in solidarity. I don't know how happy that would be. Who would be bothered to register in Daxing? I'm not some son-in-law marrying into the bride's family."

Fu Tingjun couldn't help but feel it was a pity.

But this was a major matter of establishing a family and career—Yang Yucheng had to make the decision himself.

She relayed the message.

The Zhang family naturally deliberated back and forth, dragging things out until the end of February before finally agreeing.

Fu Tingjun then invited Lady Chen Shi to serve as matchmaker.

Yang Yucheng proposed the wedding date be set for October of this year or March of next year: "...Ninth Master is my sworn brother who has shared life-and-death with me. When I marry, I must invite him to preside over the ceremony." Not only that, but regarding matters like betrothal gifts and dowry, he would consult Lady Chen Shi to discuss with Fu Tingjun: "She is my sister-in-law. Since my parents are gone, these matters naturally require consulting my sister-in-law."

Fu Tingjun broke into a sweat when she heard this.

Zhao Ling was even younger than Yang Yucheng...

But this wasn't something she could easily say, so she could only vaguely agree and then help him make decisions.

As time went on, the Zhang family came to know that Fu Tingjun was someone who could make decisions on her own authority, and their attitude toward her shifted accordingly. Mrs. Zhang even chose a bright spring day to visit Fu Tingjun bearing many gifts: "...My daughter has been spoiled by me. In the future, if anything comes up, please guide her as her sister-in-law."

"Mrs. Zhang, you flatter me." Treating others as they treat you, Fu Tingjun warmly received Mrs. Zhang. "Though I've only met Miss Zhang once, I could tell at a glance she's an exceptionally clever girl. My uncle-in-law is also of a gentle disposition. The two of them will surely live in harmony and love each other deeply." She added, "At the time, when my uncle-in-law was unwilling to move to Daxing, I felt deeply sorry for the two of them. To be honest, since my uncle-in-law once fought under the Marquis of Yingchuan, it won't be possible for him to retire from military service anytime soon. Even if he returns to Hu County in the future, that won't be for many years yet. Fortunately, Magistrate Zhang and Mrs. Zhang are sensible people, and in the end, this marriage came to be."

This delighted Mrs. Zhang, who grew even closer to Fu Tingjun, chatting about household matters until dusk.

Zhangjiawan was a day's journey away.

Fu Tingjun invited Mrs. Zhang to stay overnight.

Mrs. Zhang declined: "Now that my daughter's matter is settled, I still need to inform her uncles—my natal family lives not far from here on Yinhang Hutong."

Yinhang Hutong was in the northeast corner of the capital, while Shijia Hutong was on the central axis. How was that "not far"?

Fu Tingjun settled for the next best thing, keeping her for the evening meal and personally seeing her to the front gate.

"Please go back inside!" Mrs. Zhang stopped her from descending the steps. "It's so late now—your eldest daughter must be looking for her mother."

"It won't hurt to delay a moment." Even so, Fu Tingjun stood politely on the steps, watching Mrs. Zhang's carriage drive toward the main street beyond Shijia Hutong.

A figure suddenly darted out.

The Zhang family's carriage driver cried out in alarm and yanked hard on the reins.

The horse reared, letting out a high-pitched neigh that made one's heart tremble.

Fu Tingjun's face turned pale, and she lifted her skirts and hurried over.

The figure that had darted out was caught off guard, startled badly, and fell to the ground, looking up in terror.

The light from the red lantern of the general store at the mouth of the alley fell upon his face.

A high-bridged nose, thin lips—even though his eyes flickered with a hint of cowering, the pride and aloofness between his brows was hard to conceal.

"Zuo Junjie!" Fu Tingjun exclaimed, glancing back at Yuwei before involuntarily quickening her pace. "Quick, help me catch him—he stole something from our house!" She shouted at the Zhang family's carriage driver.

Zuo Junjie scrambled up in panic and bolted toward a side alley.

The Zhang family's carriage driver snapped back to his senses, jumped down from the carriage shaft, and gave chase.

Zheng San, A Sen, and Yanqing also gave chase.

The night was thick, and Zuo Junjie quickly vanished from sight.

Fu Tingjun sneered and mobilized everyone in the household to search.

Zuo Junjie now knew where she lived. Having missed this opportunity, she feared she might never encounter him again.

She was burning with anxiety.

Mrs. Zhang nervously tugged at Fu Tingjun's sleeve: "What happened? Didn't I just nearly run someone over?"

"It's nothing, nothing." That was all she could say to reassure Mrs. Zhang. "That man once stole something my mother gave me. Since we happened to run into him this time, I must get the item back no matter what."

Mrs. Zhang let out a flustered "Oh."

Two people approached from the opposite direction.

Fu Tingjun looked closely—it was actually Jin Yuanbao and Yang Yucheng.

Overjoyed, she hurried to meet them: "We just ran into Zuo Junjie."

Both were startled: "Where?"

Fu Tingjun briefly recounted what had happened.

Jin Yuanbao and Yang Yucheng exchanged a glance. "Take some men and secure the area around here," Jin Yuanbao said. "I'll go round up a few of our brothers."

Yang Yucheng acknowledged and hurried off, not even noticing that Mrs. Zhang was standing right there.

"Madam, please go back inside and rest. We brothers can handle things here." Jin Yuanbao gave a quick instruction before rushing away as well.

Mrs. Zhang, however, was even more impressed with Yang Yucheng: "Decisive and efficient—he's a man who gets things done."

Fu Tingjun broke into a sweat at her words. "I'm sorry to have dragged you into today's affair. Let me see you out."

"No hurry, no hurry." Mrs. Zhang laughed. "I can see your household is short on hands. I brought two maidservants who ride along with my carriage—let them help with the search too." With that, without waiting for Fu Tingjun's consent, she directly instructed the two stout, broad-shouldered maidservants, "Go with the Zhao family's people and follow the young master's orders."

The two maidservants cheerfully acknowledged and went off to find Yang Yucheng.