Chapter 211

Fu Tingjun received the news, and a smile that could not be contained spilled across her eyes and brows.

She hurriedly sent Jin Yuanbao to make inquiries: "...Who is accompanying the Tartar envoy to the capital to present the surrender document?"

Within a few days, word came back from Jin Yuanbao: "It is Ninth Master. He will certainly arrive before the twenty-fifth of the fifth month."

Fu Tingjun could not help but press her palms together and recite "Amitabha," then took her children to Tanzhe Temple to fulfill her vow.

After paying respects to the Bodhisattva and dropping incense money into the offering box, she encountered Madam Yu and Lady Fan as she exited the hall.

Lady Fan did not recognize Fu Tingjun. Seeing that the woman before her was as beautiful as a flower yet carried an air of solemn dignity and grace, surrounded by maidservants and accompanied by a son and a daughter, she secretly wondered which great and noble family this daughter-in-law belonged to, and could not help but take a few extra glances.

Fu Tingjun, however, recognized Lady Fan. Seeing that Lady Fan wore a thin, moon-white silver-striped gauze robe with the right lapel, her right hand resting on her waist, and a slightly protruding belly that was particularly conspicuous, she knew Lady Fan was pregnant and had likely come to Tanzhe Temple to fulfill a vow. Unwilling to have any dealings with that family, she cast a brief glance at Lady Fan, ignored Madam Yu who seemed to want to speak, and brushed past the Yu family members.

Sensing that her mother-in-law seemed to know this woman, Lady Fan could not help but ask in a low voice: "Which family's lady is that? She appears quite extraordinary in bearing."

Madam Yu, recalling Fu Tingjun's coldness the last time, was still hesitating over whether to greet her when Fu Tingjun had already walked away with her head held high.

She could not help but smile bitterly.

Such rude behavior, yet that Madam Fu carried it off with such self-righteousness. In the end, it was only because Zhao Ling currently enjoyed such great imperial favor that Madam Fu felt emboldened and had no need to care about her feelings... But even so, the other party's position was stronger than hers. Even if she was displeased, what could she do about it?

Hearing Lady Fan's words, Madam Yu felt a surge of additional anger.

If not for her, how could the Yu family have become so passive? Yet she did not know how to keep quiet and insisted on doing things that could not be propped up.

"She merely looks familiar, that's all." Madam Yu did not want to boost another's prestige at the expense of her own, and cast a faint glance at Lady Fan.

Lady Fan could not help but feel suspicious.

If she merely looked familiar, then they had met before. Even if Madam Yu did not know her, since her father-in-law was a Grand Secretary, that woman should have taken the initiative to come forward and greet them.

She could not help but turn her head to look at Fu Tingjun.

She saw a young novice monk speaking to Fu Tingjun with a beaming smile.

Fu Tingjun nodded with a smile upon hearing his words, quietly instructed the people around her, and then, together with a strikingly beautiful maidservant and her son and daughter, followed the young novice monk past the side hall and headed toward the rear mountain.

She found this somewhat strange, but when she turned back, she saw Madam Yu's solemn expression.

Lady Fan felt slightly uncomfortable and explained: "I only thought the young novice monk was a bit odd—he was actually wearing a monk's robe made of white Songjiang three-strand cloth. Tanzhe Temple truly lives up to its reputation as the number one temple in the capital!"

Who would have thought that upon hearing this, Madam Yu's expression would grow even heavier.

She murmured: "Could he be one who serves by Master Zhenghe's side?"

Lady Fan asked in confusion: "Who is Master Zhenghe?"

Madam Yu frowned slightly and said with some impatience: "Even if I told you, you wouldn't know." Then she added, "It's getting late. The abbot must be growing impatient waiting. Let's hurry." With that, she went straight into the Grand Hall of Great Hero.

Lady Fan bit her lip.

In all her years of growing up, apart from her father, almost no one had ever spoken to her like that.

Upon returning to Jiadao Street, Lady Fan immediately dispatched Mozhuan to make inquiries.

By evening, Mozhuan had found out: "Master Zhenghe is the Teacher Yao who helped the Emperor 'purge the court of evil.' I heard that in his early years, due to the imperial examination fraud case, his scholarly title was revoked and he could not become an official. After the Emperor ascended the throne, he disregarded the Emperor's entreaties and became a monk at Tanzhe Temple. Even so, the Emperor still frequently summoned him to the palace to keep him company, and occasionally would visit Master Zhenghe at Tanzhe Temple." She paused briefly in her speech, then said, "It is said that many people wish to use Master Zhenghe's connections, but the Emperor stationed a squad of his own personal guards outside the courtyard where Master Zhenghe cultivates at Tanzhe Temple, and ordinary people cannot even get close. Even Grand Secretary Shen was turned away at the door several times when he called."

Lady Fan was stunned and quickly said: "Then did you find out who that woman was?"

Mozhuan was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice: "She is Zhao Ling's wife, Madam Fu!"

"What?" Lady Fan was greatly shocked, rising abruptly to her feet, and blurted out: "That's impossible! That woman was extremely beautiful. How could she..." Before she could finish, she stopped abruptly.

Madam Fu had been only ten years old when she was betrothed to Yu Jingxiu.

A girl changes greatly as she grows up.

Then, then, had Yu Jingxiu ever seen the current Madam Fu?

The thought flashed through her mind, and she secretly scolded herself for being muddled.

When her father-in-law had hosted the Fu family at a banquet at home, that Madam Fu had been present, so Yu Jingxiu had naturally seen her.

Lady Fan immediately became greatly unsettled.

Even if Zhao Ling had the merit of following the dragon, he was still newly risen to prominence. Where did Madam Fu get the audacity to ignore Madam Yu?

She said urgently: "What else did you find out?"

Heizhuan hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "I heard from that newly arrived hanger-on that Grand Secretary Shen has been having quite a headache these days... Someone, trying to curry favor with the Emperor, actually submitted a memorial recommending Mo Yi as Vice Minister of War to oversee the northwest, with Zhao Ling taking over Mo Yi's position as Grand Coordinator of Xuantong, making that temporary post a permanent one... Since the Grand Coordinator is a civil position, many ministers submitted memorials demanding that a civil official be appointed instead, but the Emperor left them all unanswered. Someone reported this to Grand Secretary Shen, but he didn't dare to step forward—this spring, a censor impeached Grand Secretary Shen for being overbearing and arbitrary. Although the Emperor ignored it, he used Grand Secretary Zhou's advanced age as an excuse to bring Mo Yingbo, who had been idle at home, into the Grand Secretariat. As soon as Mo Yingbo entered the Grand Secretariat, he removed the former Grand Coordinator of Shaanxi, Dong Hanwen, from office on charges of 'harboring a lost woman'... Seeing this, those sycophantic villains became even more vocal in demanding that Zhao Ling be appointed Grand Coordinator of Xuantong..."

Lady Fan didn't know about these court matters, but she had read history books, which didn't prevent her from judging the situation—the Yu family had entered the Grand Secretariat only through Grand Secretary Shen's support, and now Grand Secretary Shen was in a difficult position... She thought of Fu Tingjun's coldness and disdain... Could it be that the Yu family had actually reached the point where they had to swallow their pride in the face of Madam Fu's discourtesy?

Lady Fan wanted to deny it.

But the grave expression on Madam Yu's face kept floating before her eyes; she couldn't fool herself even if she tried.

Lady Fan tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

Yu Jingxiu couldn't help asking with concern, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"No, nothing," Lady Fan said, for the first time losing the desire to confide in Yu Jingxiu. "I slept too much during the day, so I can't fall asleep at night."

Hearing this, Yu Jingxiu smiled and said, "How about I keep you company and chat?"

"No need," Lady Fan said with a smile. "You have to attend court early tomorrow morning! I'll fall asleep after lying here for a while."

Yu Jingxiu said no more and closed his eyes.

In a daze, he heard his wife murmur, "It seems only a few Grand Secretaries in this dynasty have been granted three generations of hereditary honors..."

He couldn't help but say, "Merit for the state... that's not so easily achieved!"

Lady Fan heard her husband mumbling a reply to her words and couldn't help sitting up to look at Yu Jingxiu.

Yu Jingxiu lay with his eyes closed, deeply drowsy.

The dim lamplight fell on his face—sword-like brows, a prominent nose, gentle and refined.

She murmured involuntarily, "With a husband like this, what more could a wife ask for?"

Her hand unconsciously caressed Yu Jingxiu's cheek.

...

Madam Yu was also thinking about the Tanzhe Temple matter.

She asked her husband, "...Even Grand Secretary Shen was turned away at the door, yet he sent his young acolyte to summon Madam Fu over... What do you think that means?"

Grand Secretary Yu had already been robbed of all sleep by this news.

He sat up irritably, pondered for a moment, slipped on his shoes, got off the kang, clasped his hands behind his back, and paced back and forth across the room several times. Suddenly he said to Madam Yu, "I'm going out for some air." With that, without waiting for Madam Yu's response, he turned and left the inner chamber.

Madam Yu was startled and vaguely heard Grand Secretary Yu instructing the woman on night duty, "Go summon the eldest young master!"

She thought for a moment, threw on a jacket, and went to Grand Secretary Yu's study.

The attendants on duty, seeing it was Madam Yu, didn't dare to stop her.

Madam Yu stood beneath the window and listened.

Grand Secretary Yu's somewhat somber voice drifted out in fragments: "...As for the Feng family, make contact first... Zhao Ling is currently in high favor with the Emperor; this isn't the right time to make a move... We can only act as circumstances allow..."

...

Fu Tingjun, meanwhile, was sitting cross-legged on the kang with a smile, watching Youyou show Xige'er a picture book: "...He lay down on the ice, and the ice melted into a hole. A fish jumped out of the hole, and Wang Xiang took the fish and went home..."

Yuwei, who had brought in the white fungus soup, looked at them and smiled slightly. "Master Zhenghe actually had time to draw such a little booklet... How strange!"

"Yes," Fu Tingjun said with a smile. "He even played with Youyou for a long time, seriously answering whatever strange questions she came up with... You can see that Master Zhenghe is truly weary of worldly affairs!" As she spoke, she couldn't help letting out a long sigh.

From over there came Youyou's cry of alarm: "Xige'er, stop that! You'll tear the picture book—it was a gift from Master Zhenghe!"

Fu Tingjun and Yuwei looked over—Xige'er was gripping a page and refusing to let go.

The two hurried over, one grabbing Xige'er's hand and the other hugging Youyou. They finally managed to make Xige'er let go, but the page he had grabbed was already crumpled.

Seeing this, Youyou burst into tears.

Fu Tingjun went to comfort Youyou.

Seeing his sister cry, Xige'er started crying too.

Yuwei tried to soothe Xige'er.

Just as chaos reigned, Zhenzhu ran in: "Lord Jin has arrived!"

Fu Tingjun quickly said to Youyou, "Your Uncle Jin is here. If you keep crying, he'll laugh at you when he sees you."

Youyou stopped crying, pouting and sniffling.

Only then did Fu Tingjun go to see Jin Yuanbao.

Jin Yuanbao was beaming with excitement: "I found out—Ninth Master will enter the capital through Chaoyang Gate on the eighteenth of May."

Fu Tingjun's face lit up with joy, and she instructed Yuwei, "When the time comes, we'll go to Shilipu to welcome Ninth Master."

Yuwei nodded eagerly.

Jin Yuanbao, however, said, "Since it's the Tartar envoys coming to surrender, the Ministry of Rites and the Bureau of Foreign Tributary Affairs might send people to receive them..."

Fu Tingjun was taken aback, but it didn't dampen her cheerful mood.

"Then we'll just go and watch," she said with a smile, her heart full of delight as she prepared for Xige'er's first birthday celebration.

Everyone knew that Zhao Ling had rendered great service and would soon accompany the Tartar envoys to surrender. Although Zhao Ling was not at home, besides old friends like Tao Mu and Lin Chi who came to show their support, many acquaintances they had made since arriving in the capital also showed up. As a result, there were more male guests than female ones, and from time to time, people who normally didn't visit came to offer congratulations on the spur of the moment. The banquet tables prepared at home were far from sufficient, and the courtyard was packed with people.

Fu Tingjun couldn't conveniently come out to receive the guests, A Sen was still young, Jin Yuanbao and Yang Yucheng held low positions, and Tao Mu and Lin Chi weren't in a position to take charge, so the household fell into some disarray.

Shopkeeper Ye San, who had come to offer congratulations, saw this and stepped forward to help. First, he booked up several nearby restaurants and led some of the guests there. Then he ordered catering from Penglai Pavilion, arranged the banquet tables at home, and took A Sen around to toast each table. After the feast dispersed, he personally settled accounts with Zheng San, managing to get through the occasion without any mishap.

Fu Tingjun later confided to Yuwei privately, "No wonder Grand Secretary Shen's family held three hundred tables of open-house feasts when his son got married... I'm never hosting guests again."

Hearing this, Shopkeeper Ye San paused his abacus and looked up with a smile. "I'm afraid you won't have a choice when the time comes."

Fu Tingjun thought about it and found it reasonable. She smiled wryly and thanked Shopkeeper Ye San. "...We're really indebted to you today."

"Second Master conducted himself very steadily today," Shopkeeper Ye San said with a smile, glancing at A Sen who was helping nearby. "It's been a few years since I last saw him—he's truly earned a new level of respect."

A Sen blushed and mumbled something about "it's only because you were there to support me."

Shopkeeper Ye San then teased, "Madam, you see—he's even learned to say such things now."

Everyone laughed at A Sen's embarrassment.

Shopkeeper Ye San asked, "Second Master is fifteen this year—has he been betrothed yet?"