Chapter 191

With departure imminent, the couple treasured every moment they had together.

Zhao Ling turned down nearly all social engagements, spending his free time at home with his wife and daughter. He frequently took the mother and daughter out—to the White Cloud Temple west of the city, the Emerald Peak Nunnery outside Xizhimen, the bustling Drum Tower Street lined with shops, and the scenic Yuming Mountain. Even on the Qixi Festival lantern displays on the seventh day of the seventh month and the temple fair on the Ghost Festival on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, he braved the crowds with Youyou in his arms and Fu Tingjun by his side. After entering the palace on the twelfth day of the eighth month to receive the imperial edict and confirming the departure date of the twentieth day of the eighth month, he went against his usual low-key nature. Not only did he buy fireworks to set off at home, but after paying homage to the Moon Goddess with the whole family, they all went to the lantern fair outside Dong'an Gate. They bought a large assortment of items—various lanterns, bracelets carved from peach wood, gilded silver snow moths, brass thimbles, and all sorts of odds and ends. Sugar, rice dumplings, lotus stems, water chestnuts, and melon seeds filled Youyou's hands and pouches, so much that she could hardly keep track of everything.

Fu Tingjun watched with tears mingled with her smiles. Besides the autumn clothes she had hurriedly sewn for Zhao Ling in the spring, the cloth shoes and leather boots bought on West Street, and the writing materials from Drum Tower Street, she had packed twelve full trunks and still felt he should bring more pouches, hairnets, and belts.

Zhao Ling stopped her: "It's as if I'm going away for a lifetime." He kissed Fu Tingjun's cheek. "I'll be back by the third month of next year."

"Mo Yi said the first thing you'll do when you arrive is drill the troops," Fu Tingjun said. "Only Anxin will be by your side, and he's just a half-grown boy—how would he know how to take care of anyone? It's always better to bring more from home."

Zhao Ling laughed. "No need to make it look like we're moving house." Then he pulled Fu Tingjun along. "Come, come, come, let's go watch Youyou on the swing."

A few days earlier, he and Jin Yuanbao, who had come home on leave, had built a swing for Youyou together.

Fu Tingjun knew he was worried that others might laugh at him for bringing so much to his post, thinking it lacked the spirit of a bold and generous man. She thought to herself that the post road from the capital to Xuantong was very convenient, and she could always have things sent along in batches later. So she smiled and let it go, following Zhao Ling to the back courtyard.

Youyou was still small, so Zhao Ling had made a basket-like rattan cradle and secured Youyou inside with cloth straps. Mrs. Tong and the others didn't dare push hard, so the swing only swayed gently, but Youyou was already as happy as a little bird.

When she saw Fu Tingjun and Zhao Ling, she lifted her rosy little face and called out "Mama" and "Papa," melting Zhao Ling's heart. He ran over and played on the swing with Youyou.

Fu Tingjun smiled and brewed honeysuckle tea for the father and daughter, calling them over to drink.

Zheng San walked in excitedly.

"Madam, Ninth Master," he said, waving a large red invitation card with a smile, "Wang Yi, Commander of the Left Guard of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, has come to visit with his family!"

"Ah!" Fu Tingjun exclaimed, overjoyed. "I received a letter from Madam Wang just recently, and she never mentioned anything about coming to the capital..."

Meeting an old friend in a foreign land delighted Zhao Ling as well. "She probably wanted to surprise us!" He picked up Youyou and gave her a kiss, then said with a smile, "Let's go meet your two older sisters."

Youyou, being of a gentle disposition, nodded with a beaming smile.

The whole family went to the front gate.

Three years had passed, and neither Wang Yi nor his wife had changed much. But the eldest and second young misses of the Wang family—one was now thirteen, standing tall and graceful, already a young lady; the other was ten, with less childishness in her brows and more composure.

Fu Tingjun put one arm around the eldest Miss Wang and the other around the second Miss Wang, saying to Madam Wang with emotion, "If I ran into them by chance, I wouldn't even recognize them."

Madam Wang chuckled and pointed at Youyou, who was being taught by Zhao Ling to call Wang Yi "Uncle." "This must be your Daniu, right? What a pretty little thing, and she looks lively and active too." Then she reached out her hands. "Come, let Auntie hold you."

Youyou wasn't shy with strangers. She opened her arms and threw herself into Madam Wang's embrace, delighting her so much that she kept exclaiming "Oh my!"

The two Miss Wangs stared at Youyou with wide eyes.

Madam Wang gestured to her two daughters. "This is Big Sister, and this is Second Sister."

Though Youyou could already speak, she could only manage two-syllable words at a time. Like a parrot, she called out "Big Sis" and "Second Sis," making everyone laugh heartily.

The second Miss Wang ran over and gently squeezed Youyou's little hand, looking very curious.

Madam Wang scolded her: "Don't hurt your little sister."

"No, no, I'm being gentle," the second Miss Wang quickly protested, glancing back at Fu Tingjun.

Fu Tingjun stepped forward and lightly patted the second Miss Wang on the shoulder, signaling that she didn't mind at all.

The second Miss Wang breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhao Ling hurriedly said, "This isn't the place for conversation. Lord Wang and Madam Wang, please come inside and sit."

The two families could be considered close friends.

The group proceeded to the main hall.

Everyone took their seats according to rank, and the maidservants served tea. Wang Yi and Zhao Ling began discussing the Marquis of Yingchuan: "...I had originally planned to come earlier, but Lord He said he wasn't familiar with that area and asked me to delay my departure by two months—I didn't even get to see the Marquis off. The Marquis has been like a second father to me. I heard his two young sons are still in the capital, so I plan to pay them a visit in a couple of days." There was a subtle hint that he wanted Zhao Ling to make the introduction.

Zhao Ling pretended not to understand and smiled, saying, "That would be fine." Then he added, "It's rare that you, General Mo, Lin Chi, Tao Mu, and I are all in the capital at once. Tomorrow I'll play host—we can gather at Penglai Pavilion for a small get-together." With that, he called out loudly for "Anxin" and instructed him, "Go deliver invitations to the gentlemen, then book us a banquet at Penglai Pavilion."

Anxin acknowledged and withdrew.

A flicker of confusion appeared in Wang Yi's eyes, but the joy of reunion quickly masked that trace of displeasure. He responded with a hearty "Excellent!" and began recounting what had happened since they last parted. Upon learning that Zhao Ling was about to serve as Mo Yi's deputy, he couldn't hide his excitement: "Brothers fight tigers together, and father and son go to war side by side. All of us who came out of the Gansu General's office have now carved out a place for ourselves." He then encouraged Zhao Ling, "Mo Yi is very skilled in warfare. Follow him and learn well—strive to one day command your own post." His sincerity was unmistakable.

Fu Tingjun couldn't help but feel grateful that she and Zhao Ling had encountered such honest, genuine people as Wang Yi and his wife.

After the meal, Wang Yi and Zhao Ling retired to the study to continue discussing matters of state, while Fu Tingjun and Madam Wang went to the inner chamber.

Madam Wang asked about A Sen.

Fu Tingjun smiled and said, "He's studying at his tutor's home and only returns in the evening. He's preparing for the child examination next February—he's been very diligent." Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the two Miss Wangs, who were playing with Youyou, both perking up their ears to listen.

She couldn't help but smile.

Madam Wang, meanwhile, said, "That's good, that's good. I can see he's very sharp-witted. If he can earn a scholarly title, he'll be able to carve out a future for himself."

"Exactly." Fu Tingjun smiled, then tactfully told Madam Wang about Concubine Xiao's visit.

Madam Wang was taken aback, then mused for a moment before saying, "Are you suggesting we'd best not have dealings with the Marquis of Yingchuan?" A hint of displeasure crept into her brow.

"No, no," Fu Tingjun said quickly. "It's just that it's not quite appropriate for us to visit the Duke of Fuguo's residence right now."

Madam Wang's expression softened slightly, and she said, "Don't worry—I'll speak to my husband about this." Then she sighed, "The Marquis of Yingchuan... has had such a difficult time..."

Fu Tingjun felt a pang of melancholy as well.

A somber mood settled over the room.

Sensing the adults' emotions, the children looked up at them with some unease.

Fu Tingjun quickly rallied herself and said with a smile, "Madam Wang, your timing is perfect. Uncle Yang Yucheng has set his wedding for the tenth of October. I've never dealt with such matters before, so when the time comes, I'll certainly need to ask you to come and help."

Madam Wang readily agreed, and as they began discussing Yang Yucheng's wedding, the atmosphere warmed once more.

Meanwhile, when Mo Yi and the others learned that Wang Yi had arrived in the capital, they took turns hosting welcome banquets for Lord Wang and his family. Fu Tingjun attended several of these gatherings as a companion guest, and before she knew it, the bustle carried them to the nineteenth of August.

She packed the trunks, went to the palace to express gratitude for the imperial favor, and early the next morning, Fu Tingjun, holding Youyou in her arms, accompanied A Sen, Yang Yucheng, Jin Yuanbao, and others to see Zhao Ling off at the Shilipu pavilion.

Zhao Ling gently stroked his daughter's head, but his gaze rested on his wife. "Take good care of yourself. I'll be back in early spring."

Fu Tingjun nodded with a smile, though her nose tingled with emotion.

She struggled to keep the tears from falling, silently stepping back a few paces to let Zhao Ling take his leave of Wang Yi, Lin Chi, Tao Mu, Qin Feiyu, and the others who had come to see him off.

Mo Yi said impatiently, "Enough with all this fussing. When the New Year comes, come visit us in Xuantong, and we'll go hunt wolves on the grasslands together."

Everyone laughed.

The laughter diluted the sorrow of parting.

But as Zhao Ling's figure grew increasingly distant, Fu Tingjun could no longer hold back.

She climbed into the carriage, buried her face in the bolster, and wept silently.

...

Without Zhao Ling around, Fu Tingjun found everything she did felt dull and listless. Only when she played with Youyou did her spirits lift.

Fortunately, within a few days, the Zhang family sent someone to discuss matters regarding Yang Yucheng's wedding. Sending out wedding invitations, finding a banquet hall to host the feast, inviting a woman of good fortune to officiate—one task after another required Fu Tingjun's input.

Fu Tingjun enlisted the help of Madam Wang, Lady Chen Shi, and others, learning as she went along, and the busyness did much to ease the pain of separation.

Then, when a letter from Zhao Ling arrived from Xuantong, she suddenly realized that her monthly cycle had not come on time.

Fu Tingjun's heart pounded like a drum, a mix of surprise and joy. She sought out Yuwei to discuss the matter: "For now, it's probably too early to confirm, so we shouldn't make any announcements, but it's still wise to be cautious. I think I'll move to Uncle Yang's new residence for the time being. After all, most of the wedding preparations are done—what remains is just arranging the new house and receiving guests. Even with those tasks, Zheng San's couple and Madam Wang are there to help. If I'm careful, nothing should go wrong."

Yuwei had also noticed and was about to remind Fu Tingjun. Hearing her say this, she couldn't help but feel delighted and quickly replied, "Then I'll go with you."

Fu Tingjun nodded, leaving Yanqing and Wuyue at home to attend to A Sen, who still had school. She then took Yuwei and the others to Zhangjiawan.

Since this visit was for Yang Yucheng's wedding, Mrs. Zhang found it inappropriate to meet with her directly. Instead, she sent her personal maid to pay respects and also brought some food along.

Mrs. Tong then fed Youyou.

Youyou coquettishly insisted that her mother feed her instead.

Fu Tingjun, however, didn't dare to hold her. She had Mrs. Tong sit with Youyou on the kang, while she sat beside Mrs. Tong and fed her daughter herself.

Youyou looked at her mother with confusion.

Mrs. Tong, however, glanced at Fu Tingjun's belly, hesitating as if she wanted to say something.

Fu Tingjun couldn't help but smile bitterly.

Was it really that obvious?

She silently prayed that this wouldn't turn out to be a false alarm.