Chapter 200

"Chen Zhongming was in the side hall at the time and heard the Emperor say to Grand Secretary Shen with his own ears, 'To cultivate oneself, regulate one's family, govern the state, and bring peace to the world—if Lord Fu cannot even manage his own household affairs, how can he oversee the administration of justice for an entire province?'" Yu Jingxiu said. "Grand Secretary Shen was quite taken aback, but the Emperor merely waved his hand at him and said not to bring the matter up again. Grand Secretary Shen dared not say more, and so the official appointments were settled as they were."

Grand Secretary Yu's brows knitted tightly together.

Yu Jingxiu hesitated, then called out "Father" and said in a low voice, "What do you make of this..."

Grand Secretary Yu asked his son in return, "What do you think?"

Yu Jingxiu weighed his words carefully and said, "I have long suspected that Madam Fu and Zhao Ling came together without proper matchmaking!"

"Oh!" Grand Secretary Yu sat up straight with a grave expression.

"I once heard one of Zhao Ling's subordinates say that when Madam Fu was fleeing the famine, she encountered bandits. To preserve her chastity, she was about to take her own life with a blade. Had the Emperor not intervened in time to save her, she would have lost her life long ago." Yu Jingxiu mused. "This shows that the reason they are where they are today is entirely because they encountered the Emperor while he was still at his Former Residence."

"Then I looked into Zhao Ling."

"Before he met the Emperor, he was utterly unknown. After meeting the Emperor, he suddenly entered the military register and was appointed as a centurion at Zhuanglang Guard... After that, he distinguished himself repeatedly in battle at Zhuanglang Guard and even followed the Emperor in the campaign to purge the court of malign influences. After the Emperor ascended the throne, he appointed him Commander of the Left Guard of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. In barely two years, he rose from an insignificant soldier to a third-rank military official. The Emperor saved his life, so most likely regards him as a household retainer."

"Even so, as for Zhao Ling lodging a complaint directly with the Emperor, I think it rather unlikely—first, the Emperor is no fool; second, as a military officer, if he were to bring charges against a civil official, he would need to explain the process of how he came into conflict with the Fu family, and there would have to be some reason for it. I've been wondering—could it be that the Emperor already knew about the Fu family's affairs before he ascended the throne? Wasn't Zhao Ling by the Emperor's side at the time? Could it be that the Emperor heard of it, became angry in the moment, and casually made some promise to win over those around him... Otherwise, why would the Grand Empress Dowager suddenly bestow a marriage upon them?"

The Grand Empress Dowager probably doesn't even know what Zhao Ling looks like!

Grand Secretary Yu nodded with great satisfaction: "You've thought the same as I have!" Then his expression dimmed slightly, and he sighed, "Depu, you're such a clever person—you've never given me, your eldest uncle, or your third uncle any worry since you were young. How could you do something so foolish at a critical moment? When all is said and done, it's because we spoiled you too much!"

Hearing his father blame himself, Yu Jingxiu lowered his head in shame: "Father, I..."

His son was already a grown man; saying too much would only make him agree verbally while growing resentful inside.

Seeing that Yu Jingxiu recognized his mistake, Grand Secretary Yu smiled and said, "But then again, who doesn't make mistakes when they're young! The key is that you can't keep making mistakes without correcting them, repeating the same errors over and over. This time, treat it as a lesson learned, and never make the same mistake again. You must understand—if this matter were to get out, you would be branded with the names of 'unrighteous' and 'lecherous,' and your reputation would be completely ruined. One must endure the bitterest hardships to rise above others!" He added, "You heard with your own ears what was said about Young Lord Fu—'cultivate oneself, regulate one's family, govern the state, and bring peace to the world.' It's time for you to think carefully about how you should conduct yourself."

Yu Jingxiu was duly chastened and quickly bowed in acknowledgment.

Grand Secretary Yu nodded slightly and said seriously, "What do you think we should do now?"

Yu Jingxiu had been thinking about this ever since he learned of the Emperor's assessment of Young Lord Fu. He mused, "Father, I have another concern... Madam Fu didn't even spare her own father. Do you think she might also be looking for an opportunity to move against us? Since the Emperor asked the Grand Empress Dowager to bestow the marriage in order to conceal their prior arrangement, it's clear he is extremely fond of Zhao Ling..."

This was also what Grand Secretary Yu was worried about.

The Emperor favored Zhao Ling so greatly, and while Zhao Ling might not proactively lodge a complaint before the Emperor to show his impartiality, who could guarantee he wouldn't seize an opportunity to kick a man when he's down?

As the saying goes, one can be a thief for a thousand days, but one cannot guard against thieves for a thousand days.

"Originally, I planned to keep the elder and younger Fu in our grasp and use filial piety to suppress Madam Fu," he said with a slightly displeased expression, "but who would have thought that Madam Fu would be impervious to any approach—neither needle nor water can penetrate—and she even used her deceased mother-in-law, Madam Fu, as an excuse. She's clearly a formidable character. We must indeed be on our guard."

"So I think we'd best strike first." Yu Jingxiu said coldly. "Didn't Zhao Ling rise from Zhuanglang Guard? I think we should find a way to investigate this man at Zhuanglang Guard. I refuse to believe he has no blemish that can be criticized!"

Grand Secretary Yu said in a low voice, "How do you plan to investigate?"

Yu Jingxiu smiled: "Father, do you remember the Marquis of Xiping?"

Grand Secretary Yu was taken aback.

Yu Jingxiu said, "The Marquis of Xiping has long governed Liangzhou Garrison, but in the Shaanxi Regional Military Commission, first there was the Marquis of Yingchuan, then He Fu. The Marquis of Yingchuan, being of noble descent and a mild-mannered man, would more or less show him some face. But He Fu is different—he rose from the rank of a junior officer and is a man who brooks no dissent. When his temper flares, he would draw his blade and cut down even his own staff officer for disobeying orders. The Marquis of Xiping is crushed under his weight, barely able to breathe. That's why, in the tenth month, he sent his second son to the capital. I hear he wants to go through Grand Secretary Shen's connections but lacks someone to introduce him..."

Grand Secretary Yu raised an eyebrow. "Who else knows about this?"

"No more than ten people." A flicker of pride passed through Yu Jingxiu's eyes. "He came to the capital disguised as a silk merchant. Had it not been that day when my brother Zhongming thought of going to the silver shop to find a fine longevity lock for our teacher's young son and happened to catch him slipping up while exchanging gold there, I wouldn't have known either."

Grand Secretary Yu said nothing.

Yu Jingxiu stood quietly by his father's side, awaiting his decision...

...

Fu Tingjun, however, leaned listlessly against the bolster on the kang bed by the window.

Yuwei entered with tea and refreshments.

"Madam, it's not worth being upset over these matters." She picked up a piece of candied fruit with a toothpick and offered it to Fu Tingjun. "Fifth Master knows you truly want nothing to do with him, so he won't come looking for you again. When you think about it, that's not necessarily a bad thing."

"It's not Fifth Master's matter that troubles me." Fu Tingjun took the toothpick and said in a low voice, "I'm thinking of my mother... She lived her whole life with integrity, yet she married a man like Fifth Master. She must have known everything while she was alive, which is why she lived so bitterly. Before she passed, she repeatedly urged me not to return to the Fu family, not to practice foolish filial piety—she must have feared I'd be used by Fifth Master again..." She let out a long sigh. "I've come to terms with it. How many lives do I have, to be manipulated by Fifth Master time and again? Besides, I have my child now. If anything were to happen to me, what would become of my child?"

Yuwei nodded repeatedly. "Madam, it's wonderful that you've come to this understanding."

No sooner had she spoken than Youyou came running in.

"Mother, look, look! The velvet flower that Mother Tong taught me to make." She proudly held up a crooked little maroon velvet flower in front of Fu Tingjun. "I want to wear it on you, Mother."

Mrs. Tong, who had followed her in, looked at the large kingfisher-feather ornament at Fu Tingjun's temple and explained awkwardly, "Madam, it's too cold outside, so I coaxed the young miss into making a velvet flower... I'll make you a proper one."

"No need!" Fu Tingjun laughed and hugged Youyou, tilting her head. "Youyou, put it on Mother."

Youyou happily acknowledged and placed her little velvet flower beside her mother's kingfisher ornament.

Fu Tingjun had Yuwei bring over a hand mirror.

"Not bad, not bad." She nodded. "Very pretty."

Youyou giggled at this and turned to climb down from the kang. "I want to make one for little brother too, one for Second Uncle, one for Yuwei, one for Zheng Sanniang, one for Mother Tong..." She counted on her little fingers.

Everyone laughed.

Mrs. Tong, somewhat moved, carried Youyou off to the warm room.

Fu Tingjun and Yuwei discussed the New Year's gifts, deciding which households A Sen would deliver to and which Zheng San would handle.

That evening, A Sen got word and ran to the kitchen where Yuwei was drawing hot water. "When do we deliver the New Year's gifts to the Wang family?"

Yuwei hid her smile behind her sleeve. "As long as everything is delivered before the eighth day of the twelfth month. As for which household gets theirs when, that's entirely up to Second Young Master."

Hearing this, A Sen ran out of the kitchen.

Yuwei smiled. "What's gotten into him?"

"Who knows," Zheng Sanniang, who was tending the fire, said with a laugh. "He's been acting all mysterious these days."

Yuwei smiled, drew the water, and attended to Fu Tingjun's rest.

Early the next morning, A Sen went out. He returned at noon for lunch and told Fu Tingjun, "I'd like to deliver the New Year's gifts to the Wang family this afternoon."

After the Beginning of Winter, A Sen had been on break from his studies.

"Fine!" Fu Tingjun instructed Zheng San to escort him.

He didn't return until lamplighting time. "Madam Wang insisted I stay for dinner. I saw that Lord Wang wasn't home, and it was just the three women—Madam Wang and her two daughters—in that big house, so quiet and lonely, so I stayed for the meal."

It was only a two-courtyard residence, and besides their family of four, there were seven or eight serving women—hardly deserving to be called quiet and lonely.

Fu Tingjun laughed inwardly. She asked about how the gift delivery went, learned that Madam Wang was preparing for the New Year and had been very pleased to receive the gifts from A Sen, and that she'd said she would send someone to return the courtesy in a few days. Then she dismissed A Sen to rest.

A Sen returned to his room.

But Fu Tingjun called over Yanqing, who had accompanied him. "What did A Sen give to the two young ladies of the Wang family?"

Yanqing was first startled, then relieved—thinking that A Sen had mentioned it to Fu Tingjun, she said, "The Second Young Master sent a pot of kumquat to the eldest Miss Wang, and a pot of narcissus to the second Miss Wang. Because of this, the second Miss Wang sulked for half a day and was scolded a few times by Madam Wang."

A Sen was not so ignorant of social graces.

Fu Tingjun found it strange and asked, "Why did he think to send the eldest Miss Wang a pot of kumquat? In such cold weather, where did he manage to get one?"

Yanqing smiled and said, "A few days ago, when the eldest Miss Wang came to visit, she mentioned that when her family spent the New Year in Fujian, they would always have a pot of kumquat in the house. The Second Young Master searched all over the streets but couldn't find one. It wasn't until he asked a narcissus seller that he learned there were greenhouses out in Fengtai. So the Second Young Master went to Fengtai, but only two families grew kumquats there, and each pot cost fifty taels of silver. The Second Young Master then helped people hunt birds outside the city and earned over ten taels of silver, which finally allowed him to scrape together enough money to buy the kumquat. He's been thinking every day about how to deliver it to the eldest Miss Wang..."

No wonder he had volunteered to deliver the New Year's gifts to the Wang family!

But it was for the eldest Miss Wang...

In most families, they would likely keep the eldest daughter at home.

Fu Tingjun felt a bit of a headache and quietly spoke with Yuwei.

"It seems to me that the Second Young Master gets along better with the second Miss Wang..." Yuwei was also quite surprised. "Perhaps you could sound out the Second Young Master's intentions?"

"He's so young—he may not be thinking that far ahead," Fu Tingjun said with a sigh. "And even if he truly has such intentions, it would still depend on whether the Wang family thinks well of him! If I asked him and the Wang family had no such interest, wouldn't that break A Sen's heart?"

Yuwei smiled and said, "Madam, you're worrying too much to see clearly—why not go ask Madam Wang one day which daughter she plans to keep at home, and then mention it casually to the Second Young Master during small talk. Look at how the Second Young Master sent that kumquat—it's clear he's someone with his own mind. Perhaps before you even bring it up, the Second Young Master will have already formed his own plan."

"That's true!" Fu Tingjun laughed. After the Lantern Festival passed on the seventeenth of the first month, she sent a note to Madam Wang, inviting her to go on a spring outing at Yuming Mountain on the second day of the second month.

But no sooner had the note been sent than Zhenzhu came in to report, "Madam, the First Madam Fu from Sixi Lane wishes to see you."