Chapter 184

The seemingly mild-mannered and humble Grand Secretary Yu finally bared his fangs.

Fu Tingjun sneered coldly.

Zhao Ling, even less restrained, said bluntly: "Grand Secretary Yu speaks truly. In these peaceful times, here in the capital's vital precincts, for someone to openly commit robbery—the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture bears undeniable responsibility. Moreover, since this matter comes at a time when His Majesty has resolved to rectify official conduct, no doubt the Prefect will conclude the case swiftly and give the wronged citizens the justice they deserve." Then he clasped his hands toward Grand Secretary Yu. "Grand Secretary Yu shows such concern for the people's suffering—surely you have much to attend to. We shall not disturb you further and will take our leave." With that, he strode off with Fu Tingjun.

Watching the backs of the couple Zhao, Grand Secretary Yu's face was as dark as water.

But Zhao Ling, already at the center of the courtyard, suddenly turned around and smiled: "Oh, by the way, I heard that Ye Bi, the current Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, served as Deputy Left Censor-in-Chief for ten years. Had it not been for Grand Secretary Yu's sudden takeover of the Censorate back then, he would have become Left Censor-in-Chief long ago. I wonder if there's any truth to that?" Having said this, he smiled and walked out of the courtyard.

"What do we do now?" Fifth Master Fu asked Grand Secretary Yu, frantic with worry.

He knew about this matter.

Back then, Ye Bi had been confident he would be promoted to Left Censor-in-Chief and take charge of the Censorate. He had even written a poem expressing his aspirations after drinking. But Grand Secretary Yu had somehow worked his way through one of the other grand secretaries, and when the imperial decree came down, the new Left Censor-in-Chief turned out to be Grand Secretary Yu instead. Ye Bi, humiliated and ashamed, took three months of sick leave and scrambled through connections to secure an out-of-capital appointment.

If he wanted to leave, one might have simply let him go. But Grand Secretary Yu, to display his magnanimity and consideration for subordinates, personally visited him several times to inquire about his health—and kept Ye Bi in the Censorate. Just when Ye Bi thought Grand Secretary Yu still needed an old hand familiar with the Censorate like himself, Grand Secretary Yu proceeded to sideline him entirely...

From then on, a grudge was forged between Ye Bi and Grand Secretary Yu.

Not only did Ye Bi stop trying to leave, he rallied a group of people to oppose Grand Secretary Yu at every turn.

Though the consequences of such opposition were usually dire—not only failing to harm so much as a hair on Grand Secretary Yu's head, but instead enhancing his reputation until he eventually entered the Grand Secretariat—one could well imagine the "affection" Ye Bi bore Grand Secretary Yu...

Moreover, Ye Bi had been personally promoted by His Majesty, and with His Majesty now rectifying official conduct, Ye Bi was in his element—biting whoever he could, loyal to the throne, and eager to build his legacy...

Grand Secretary Yu said nothing.

If this were still the old days... let alone a mere Zhao Ling, even Ye Bi—what could he have done to him?

The hand behind his back clenched tightly into a fist.

Yu Jingxiu, who knew his father well—who had always aspired to become a man like him and had consciously or unconsciously imitated his every move—saw this. He stepped forward and said with a light scoff: "Young Lord Fu need not worry. That Ye Bi is nothing but a stray dog, already beaten by my father until he can't fight back. How dare he act arrogant before my father? Rest assured."

The words were resolute and forceful, causing Grand Secretary Yu to cast a glance at his son.

With such boldness, where had it been all along!

He sighed inwardly and said to the two lords of the Fu family: "Since this matter arose from both our families, how could I stand idly by?" With that, he gave a hearty laugh. "A few days ago, the palace bestowed upon me a pot of Er Qiao peonies, now in full bloom. If the two lords are interested, why don't we enjoy them together? It would be a shame to waste such a fine flower-viewing occasion!"

Er Qiao, also known as Luoyang Brocade, was a famed variety of peony.

Fifth Master Fu sighed with relief. He bowed to Grand Secretary Yu and said with a smile: "Then we shall trouble you!" His bearing was elegant and graceful, a pleasure to behold.

Grand Secretary Yu couldn't help but think of Fu Tingjun... She did bear some resemblance to this young Lord Fu, but that keen intelligence of hers—who did she take after? Or perhaps the late Young Madam Fu?

His wife had always had discerning judgment.

At this thought, he also recalled his own daughter-in-law, Lady Fan.

Back then, his wife had opposed the marriage alliance with the Fan family, reasoning that Lady Fan, with her literary brilliance and free-spirited nature, would make a fine wife but not a suitable matriarch for the clan. Moreover, she was frail of constitution, without the look of bearing sons.

And indeed, his wife had been proven right again.

Three years into the marriage, his son still had no children, yet he stubbornly refused to take a concubine...

A man should not meddle in inner-court affairs, but it seemed time to have a talk with his son.

Grand Secretary Yu clasped his hands toward the two lords of the Fu family, pushed these stray thoughts to the back of his mind, and smilingly led the two lords toward the small garden nearby.

First Master Fu's smile was somewhat strained.

Some things, once past their prime, no longer applied...

...

Inside the carriage, Fu Tingjun hugged Zhao Ling and kissed him several times: "You're so clever—you even investigated Grand Secretary Yu's affairs beforehand!"

Zhao Ling sat there with a casual, carefree air, letting Fu Tingjun fuss over him, and said smugly, "When you know it's a trap, you'd be a fool not to hide a few knives on your person before going to the banquet, right?" Then he grinned and added, "Not bad yourself. You actually managed to dig up information on Yu Jingxiu." As he spoke, something seemed to occur to him, and he sat up straight with a serious expression. "Do you have any evidence or clues for what you mentioned? If we can seize on that and make a case of it, and then also expose the Yu family's scheme to silence witnesses through the Shuntian Prefecture—never mind that he's a Grand Secretary only because of Grand Secretary Shen's backing—even if he'd become Chief Grand Secretary through the Emperor himself, we could still drag him down from his position." As he spoke, a hint of grimness crept into his brow. For some reason, Fu Tingjun was reminded of the ferocity Zhao Ling had shown when they first met... Back then it had only frightened her, but now it made her feel safe...

She couldn't help but nestle into Zhao Ling's embrace, pressing her ear against his chest.

"I'm not nearly as formidable as you..." Fu Tingjun murmured. "I just thought Yu Jingxiu's words didn't add up, so I bluffed to test him. Who would've thought I'd accidentally hit a vital spot..."

When women get together, they always like to compare.

Being jilted because of another woman—that probably hurt her more than learning about Fifth Master Fu's cheating on the imperial examinations!

Zhao Ling thought smugly to himself, holding Fu Tingjun tightly and kissing the top of her head. "I'll make Yu Jingxiu regret this!" he declared resolutely.

Fu Tingjun found his words rather grating.

"Regret what?" She pushed Zhao Ling away and sat up. "Just don't you go regretting it!" she said with playful reproach. "Marrying such a fierce wife—one who dares to slam the table even when you're talking with Grand Secretary Yu..."

"Fierce where?" Zhao Ling cupped her face in his hands, looking left and right. "I don't see it at all!" He added, "When Yu Guoliang points his finger right in your face, are we supposed to just let him spit on us and let it dry? We're going to establish our own ancestral hall and lineage in the future—we can't afford to be pushovers!" He pulled her back into his arms. "Ajun, don't just blindly follow what those books say. You're perfect just as you are now!" Then his mischievous streak surfaced again, and he whispered, "Of course, if you were to follow the books tucked at the bottom of the chest, that would please me most of all."

And just like that, he was off being nonsensical again.

How was she supposed to know he had this kind of personality when they first met?

Fu Tingjun blushed and shot him a glare, which only earned her a hearty laugh.

...

Coming out of the Yu residence, First Master Fu boarded the carriage and, seeing Fifth Master Fu looking rather pleased with himself, couldn't help but darken his expression.

Fifth Master Fu was taken aback. "What's wrong?"

First Master Fu stretched his legs in the cramped carriage and said in a low voice, "What do you plan to do about this?"

Fifth Master Fu was baffled by the question. "Aren't we relying on Grand Secretary Yu?"

First Master Fu barely suppressed the urge to call him an idiot. "Did you not hear what Grand Secretary Yu said? He said that since this matter arose from both our families, he would not stand idly by... What he means is, they may be at fault, but we've done wrong as well!"

Fifth Master Fu's face changed dramatically.

First Master Fu muttered to himself, "There are plenty of precious peonies in the world, yet the Emperor chose to bestow upon Grand Secretary Yu the 'Two Beauties'... Two Beauties, as the name suggests, one branch bearing two flowers... one purple-red, one pink-white... Could it be a reference to the purple robe and the plain white garb..."

...

In Grand Secretary Yu's study, all was silent.

Yu Jingxiu stole a glance at his father, and seeing his father's face ashen with fury, quickly lowered his eyes again.

Grand Secretary Yu's chest ached with rage at the sight. He said sternly, "A true man owns up to his actions. Things have come to this—are you still going to hesitate and waver like this?"

"Father!" Yu Jingxiu looked at his father in astonishment.

Grand Secretary Yu looked at his son's still-bewildered face and let out a long sigh.

Only then did Yu Jingxiu dare to believe it, and an expression of delight involuntarily spread across his face. "Father, rest assured—I know what to do..." As he spoke, he straightened his posture, exuding an air of complete confidence.

All along, what he had feared and worried about was simply disappointing his father.

Now that he had his father's understanding, what did he have left to worry about?

For a moment, he felt a surge of ambition—the sky was the limit, and the sea was his to cross.

...

Meanwhile, after the evening meal, Fu Tingjun watched Zhao Ling playing wildly with their daughter and felt a headache coming on. "Those two men from Shuntian Prefecture are easy enough to handle, but Zuo Junjie and his people are determined to get what they want. What do we do now?"

"What's so hard about that?" Zhao Ling, following his daughter's lead, held a doll in front of his face, popping out to the left with a "meow" and then to the right with another "meow," making Youyou shriek with laughter. He was somewhat distracted as he said, "Just make sure the Yu family can't find them!"

"You say that so easily." Fu Tingjun gathered up the toys their daughter had scattered on the kang as she spoke. "Making sure the Yu family can't find them is no easy task!"

Zhao Ling set down the toy and smiled. "I already thought it through on the way back. The safest place is the most dangerous place. Isn't Zuo Junjie pretending to be a beggar to avoid being noticed? When the time comes, we'll break his legs, snap his arms, cut out his tongue, and find a beggar leader to keep an eye on him. Even his own parents wouldn't recognize him, so how could the Yu family? Even if the Yu family finds out, it's like looking for a needle in the ocean—where would they even start? As long as Zuo Junjie remains in our hands, the Yu family won't have a moment's peace."

As he spoke, a cold severity crept onto his face, startling Youyou into a loud wail.

Zhao Ling quickly scooped up his daughter, his face breaking into a warm smile as he coaxed her, "Youyou, be good, don't cry, don't cry. Daddy will play hide-and-seek with you."

Youyou's tears turned to laughter.