Chapter 182

Grand Secretary Yu was lost in thought, while Fifth Master Fu, seeing his silence, assumed that Grand Secretary Yu was annoyed by Fu Tingjun's impertinence. He was instantly filled with panic.

If even a whisper of exam fraud got out, it would ruin not only him but the century-old reputation of the entire Fu family. The only one who could save him now was Grand Secretary Yu, who was on good terms with Liu Shutong. He had to do everything in his power to maintain good relations with the Yu family.

Fifth Master Fu's mind was wholly occupied with how to curry favor with Grand Secretary Yu and how to distance himself from Fu Tingjun. He inwardly blamed Fu Tingjun for not knowing her place. He thought of the closed doors he had faced at the Zhao residence these past days, the contempt he had endured for breaking his word to Yu Jingxiu, and all the trouble this daughter of his had brought him since arriving in the capital... Old grievances and new resentments surged together, and he flew into a rage. He strode forward and raised his hand to strike Fu Tingjun.

Fu Tingjun had come to the Yu residence as a guest, and both of the Fu masters had been fawning over Grand Secretary Yu. She never imagined that Fifth Master Fu would disregard the host-guest relationship and raise his hand against her in the Yu family's flower hall, right in front of Grand Secretary Yu... Zhao Ling, however, had never trusted Grand Secretary Yu, nor the two Fu masters. He had been keeping his ears and eyes open all along. The moment Fifth Master Fu stepped forward, Zhao Ling was on full alert. When Fifth Master Fu raised his hand, Zhao Ling darted in front of Fu Tingjun in one stride, deftly seized Fifth Master Fu's wrist, and fixed his piercing gaze on Grand Secretary Yu. "Lord Yu, I came at your invitation, bringing my wife to enjoy the flowers. We are here as guests, not to be humiliated. If you have nothing else, my wife and I will take our leave, lest a single disagreement put us in danger of being slapped!"

Before his words even died away, Grand Secretary Yu's face had flushed crimson with anger.

In all his life, he had never seen anyone dare to strike a guest of the Yu family in the Yu residence, right before his eyes!

This was not only disrespect to the Yu family—it was a challenge to his authority.

Grand Secretary Yu's face darkened.

Fu Tingjun, meanwhile, had risen furiously to her feet.

She clutched tightly at Zhao Ling's sleeve, constantly admonishing herself inwardly: this is her man, he is standing up for her; she must not lose her temper, must not quarrel with the Fu family, must not appear to doubt Zhao Ling—that would not only weaken his standing but also betray his good intentions. If she came into conflict with the Fu masters, she would inevitably be branded unfilial. But Zhao Ling, as a son-in-law, bore a different surname and belonged to a different family; even if he clashed with his father-in-law, others would at most say he had a bad temper—nothing touching on loyalty or filial piety.

First Master Fu, before Grand Secretary Yu could explode, had already yanked Fifth Master Fu back and hastily said, "Lord Zhao, please calm your anger," then smiled. "You may not regard my brother as a father, but my brother has always regarded you as his children..." The implication being that when a father disciplines his children, whether by scolding or beating, it is only proper.

When he finished, he glanced at Grand Secretary Yu.

Grand Secretary Yu had weathered decades of official life; how could he not see the irreconcilable conflict between the Fu father and daughter?

He had invited the two Fu masters precisely to broker peace with Fu Tingjun on the condition that the Fu family acknowledge her and she would cease pursuing Yu Jingxiu's wrongdoing. Now he saw that he had miscalculated.

He had always thought Fifth Master Fu modest and courteous, graceful and composed—never imagining him to be a man of fine appearance but no substance, panicking and losing his wits at the first sign of trouble. No wonder Depu had him under his thumb.

He felt a measure of contempt for the man.

But this was precisely the opportune moment for his own purposes, so he concealed his disdain and smiled, backing up First Master Fu: "Lord Zhao, I am older than you and have seen more of the world, so allow me to presume on my years. You young people cannot understand the hearts of us old ones. However good one's children are, one always wishes them better, and so one cannot help but be stricter with them than with others. However poor one's children may be, they are still one's own flesh and blood; however stern one appears on the surface, one loves them in one's heart." As he spoke, he rose and walked before Zhao Ling, saying gently, "Lord Zhao, Lord Fu's actions were somewhat rash, but he had no intention of harming your wife—his methods were merely misguided. I invited you here today for two reasons: first, to apologize on behalf of my son, and second, to take this opportunity to reconcile father and daughter. You may not visit your father-in-law's house, but surely you would not want your child to grow up without an uncle?"

When he finished, he gazed steadily at Zhao Ling, his eyes sincere and earnest.

Fu Tingjun inwardly cursed Grand Secretary Yu for his cunning.

Zhao Ling was the son-in-law, and Grand Secretary Yu was pleading for reconciliation in such a humble manner. If he refused at this moment, word would spread, and others would inevitably criticize him for being arrogant. If he agreed, then the two masters of the Fu family could command her to compromise with the Yu family in the name of their seniority.

She quickly tugged at Zhao Ling's sleeve, then put on a look of panic and distress, choking back tears as she said, "Husband, what are we to do? My mother's dying wish was that since I married into the Zhao family, I am now a member of the Zhao household, and she told me never to set foot in the Fu family again... If I consider the child, I would inevitably break my promise to my mother; if I obey my mother's command, I would inevitably bear regret toward my child..." As she spoke, she looked at Zhao Ling with pleading eyes.

Grand Secretary Yu and the two masters of the Fu family were all taken aback by this.

Zhao Ling, who shared a tacit understanding with Fu Tingjun, immediately grasped her meaning and put on a hesitant expression. After a moment, he said, "The deceased take precedence, and moreover, filial piety is the greatest of all virtues... We ourselves are now parents. If we are not filial to our own parents, our children will see it and follow our example... Let us honor Mother's dying wish above all!"

Fu Tingjun let out a long sigh of relief, her expression relaxing as she said, "Husband's thinking is far clearer than mine. I shall respectfully follow your command." Having said this, she even made a proper bow to Zhao Ling.

Fifth Master Fu's face flushed with anger, but First Master Fu, seeing Grand Secretary Yu's furrowed brow, acted decisively and pressed his brother's shoulder to restrain him.

Others might not know, but he did—his fifth brother valued face above all else. Had he not been pushed into a corner by Yu Jingxiu, he would never have revealed the matter of cheating in the imperial examinations to him. Otherwise, he would not have found himself in such a passive position. So the moment he heard that Fu Tingjun was still alive, he hastily wrote a letter to his fifth brother, urging him to minimize the matter and let it blow over. When he learned that Fu Tingjun had also written a letter to his wife, he began to worry secretly, fearing that Fu Tingjun would not let the matter go, while his fifth brother was unwilling to tell Fu Tingjun the truth. The two would be at an impasse, and more trouble would arise. After a year had passed with no resolution to Fu Tingjun's matter, he knew the situation was likely even worse than he had imagined. After much deliberation, he secretly feigned illness, set aside his official duties in Jinhua, and rushed day and night to the capital... but it was already too late.

At this thought, he couldn't help but glare fiercely at his younger brother, then cast a pleading look toward Grand Secretary Yu.

Whether what Fu Tingjun said was true or false didn't matter—what mattered was the meaning she conveyed.

Grand Secretary Yu inwardly blamed the two brothers for their incompetence, but outwardly he laughed heartily and turned to sit back down, pointing at the teacup before Zhao Ling. "I have a fellow examination graduate who serves as prefect in Hangzhou. He recently sent me some pre-rain Longjing tea. Lord Zhao, do have a taste." He sought to smooth over the conflict.

Fu Tingjun and Zhao Ling had come precisely to resolve this matter, so naturally they wouldn't make an issue of it.

Zhao Ling smiled and sat down, and Fu Tingjun's expression also softened, as if nothing had happened at all. The couple picked up their teacups and took a sip. Zhao Ling praised the tea, while Fu Tingjun smiled without speaking, her expression perfectly composed.

Grand Secretary Yu nodded inwardly. His gaze swept across Fu Tingjun's serene and beautiful face, and suddenly a thought struck him. He smiled and said, "What does Mrs. Zhao think of this tea?"

Fu Tingjun had come today to do battle. Even if Grand Secretary Yu had served dragon liver and phoenix marrow, she wouldn't have batted an eye—let alone pre-rain Longjing!

"The tea is fine tea, and the water is fine water." She smiled. "If I'm not mistaken, this is water from Jade Spring Mountain, is it not? Jade Spring water is renowned for its clarity and purity. However, your household brewed it in somewhat of a hurry—you used it before the third boil, so the color and aroma aren't fully developed. But this is only a minor flaw; it's still drinkable." Her smile was bright and open, without a trace of guile, like a picky little girl next door—not at all off-putting.

Grand Secretary Yu was deeply astonished. "Oh?" he said, unable to hide the surprise in his eyes. "I didn't expect Mrs. Zhao to be versed in the art of tea!"

"My grandmother loved tea," Fu Tingjun said with a smile. "I often attended to her and picked up a few superficial skills."

Being able to tell how many boils the water had reached was hardly superficial.

Such a fine young woman, and the Yu family had let her go so easily.

Grand Secretary Yu couldn't help but glance at Fifth Master Fu.

If Fifth Master Fu had brought this matter to him in the first place, how could the engagement have been broken off?

At the thought, he found himself saying, almost involuntarily, "I hear Mrs. Zhao has given birth to a daughter. She must be quite clever and quick-witted."

Even though she was at odds with the man before her, hearing him speak kindly of her daughter, Fu Tingjun couldn't help but break into a radiant smile. "She can't walk yet, but she can already talk. She knows everything—if anything displeases her, she pouts her lips and looks at you with tearful eyes..."

Grand Secretary Yu's only regret in life was the matter of heirs. Moreover, as he advanced in years and his official career flourished, he was exactly at the stage of longing to enjoy the company of grandchildren. Hearing this, he could not help but reveal a look of envy. After a moment's thought, he called for Yu Huaian: "Go to the study and bring the longevity lock I prepared for Miss Zhao."

This had originally been prepared to win over Fu Tingjun. But since he had never had any contact with Fu Tingjun, what he kept in his sleeve was one of pure gold inlaid with rubies, while the one in the study was of pure silver—the former being too precious, more a token for social occasions than a gift, while the latter, though ordinary, could actually be worn on the person, which was what a senior's blessing to a junior should truly be.

Yu Huaian, as Grand Secretary Yu's trusted confidant, understood this distinction perfectly well.

He cast a surprised glance at Fu Tingjun before acknowledging the order and withdrawing.

Fu Tingjun did not wish to accept Grand Secretary Fu's gift. She smiled and said, "You are too kind. She is not yet a full year old, and it would not be appropriate to accept a gift from an elder so early."

Unless a family was poor enough to beg for food, a child's fortune was always calculated at birth, and there were many intricacies to this practice. Grand Secretary Yu, who genuinely wanted to give the child something, could not help but hesitate at her words.

He thought for a moment, then called Yu Huaian back in: "...Then send a few small trinkets for the girl to play with!"

First Master Fu was shocked.

Grand Secretary Yu had only met Fu Tingjun once, and under such circumstances at that, yet he had already taken a liking to her... Could it be that his niece truly was, as the old Taoist priest invited by the Yu family had said, not only destined for noble rank but also blessed to bring prosperity to her husband and bear many heirs?