Chapter 244

The adults had settled on the plan to visit Teacher Yao, and Fu Tingjun rose to take her leave. Third Cousin's husband and Seventh Cousin's husband escorted her out of the study, while Third Cousin accompanied her back to the inner quarters to fetch Youyou and Xige'er.

Youyou, Yuanxiao, and Xige'er were giggling and tumbling about together on the kang, while Chunbing sat alone at the edge of the kang, looking somewhat forlorn.

When the adults entered, the three children immediately quieted down.

Fu Tingjun smiled and beckoned to Youyou and Xige'er. "Say goodbye to your Third Aunt. We need to be heading back."

Youyou and Xige'er obediently climbed down from the kang and bowed to Third Cousin.

Third Cousin, noticing the mess left in the red-lacquered, gold-traced compartment box on the kang table, understood at once. Without betraying any reaction, she gave Youyou and Xige'er a few parting words like "Come visit your Third Aunt again with your mother when you have free time," then had her maids and matrons escort Fu Tingjun and her children to the carriage. She waited until the carriage had driven out of the alley and disappeared from sight before returning to the main room with her two sons.

"How much candy did you eat just now?" Third Cousin asked mildly, taking a seat on the large kang by the window and accepting the teacup offered by a maid. She took a sip, then addressed her second son, who stood before her with his hands at his sides.

Yuanxiao guiltily lowered his head, his eyes darting toward his elder brother beside him.

But his brother just stood there blankly, as if stunned senseless.

Yuanxiao muttered inwardly: What's wrong with big brother? Usually he'd plead for me in front of Mother...

Third Cousin watched them and sighed quietly to herself.

Youyou was a well-mannered child. She had been so preoccupied with her husband's affairs earlier that she hadn't thought much of it, but now, seeing the compartment box, she understood—Youyou had asked for treats precisely for Yuanxiao's sake.

Third Cousin also felt that her husband was too harsh with their two sons. But she couldn't show the slightest hint of that in front of them. Otherwise, with one parent strict and the other indulgent, children—who are best at reading adult cues—would know someone doted on them, and then no one would be able to rein them in.

"Let this be the last time," Third Cousin said, without scolding her son excessively. "The rules were set by your father. Your elder brother has never once broken them. If you can't hold to them, I'll speak to your father—you won't need to study with him anymore. We'll find you a private school to learn a few characters, and when you grow up, you can help manage the family's affairs. As for bringing honor to the family name, that will be your brother's task."

Yuanxiao's tears burst forth immediately. "Mother, I want to study with Father, just like big brother... I won't dare do it again..."

Third Cousin had no intention of forgiving her second son so easily, lest he think that admitting a mistake was enough to earn pardon. She hardened her expression. "Then I'll see whether you can keep your father's rules from now on."

"I can, I can..." Yuanxiao said between sobs. "Even if Cousin Youyou offers me food again, I won't eat it..."

What did Youyou have to do with this?

Third Cousin was caught between laughter and tears. She was about to lecture her second son further when her eldest, who had remained silent the whole time, suddenly spoke up: "Mother, this isn't Cousin Youyou's fault. It's all mine—I failed to keep watch over my brother. Cousin Youyou didn't know Father had decreed we may only eat two candies a day. When I saw Cousin Youyou offering pastries to my brother, I didn't stop it either... It's all my fault... Please don't blame Cousin Youyou, and don't blame my brother either..." With that, he knelt before his mother.

Seeing this, Yuanxiao knelt down too. "Mother, it's not big brother's fault—it was me who wanted to eat..."

Brothers showing fraternal love and respect.

Third Cousin nodded inwardly. "Since you both know you've done wrong, Mother won't say more. Don't let this happen again. Understood?"

Both brothers answered in unison, "Yes."

Third Cousin then dropped the matter and sent them off to rest.

Having received his mother's forgiveness, Yuanxiao quickly went to sleep without a care. Chunbing, however, remained somewhat downcast.

Chunbing's wet nurse tried to console him: "The young miss is a guest, so of course the young master couldn't very well stop her! The mistress surely knows this too, which is why she didn't scold the second young master. The young master needn't worry."

Chunbing said nothing, letting his wet nurse wash his feet.

Seeing this, the wet nurse felt a pang of distress. "How about this—I'll accompany the young master to apologize to the mistress later?"

"No need," Chunbing said gloomily, then turned and climbed into bed.

The wet nurse was puzzled but could only tuck him in and let him sleep.

The lamp was blown out, and the room fell quiet.

Then, suddenly, Chunbing spoke: "Tell me, why does Cousin Youyou pay me so little attention?"

The wet nurse was taken aback.

"Is it because of what I said the other day that made Cousin Youyou angry?" Chunbing murmured. "I didn't mean it. I wanted to apologize to her, but she kept talking with my brother, and I couldn't get a word in..."

So this was what was troubling the young master!

Well, that was understandable.

Miss Zhao of the Zhao family was both beautiful and lively. The Shen family had no daughters, and both the master and mistress were reserved people. It was no wonder the young master valued her so much as a playmate.

"Miss Zhao is the same age as the Second Young Master, so naturally they'd be closer," the wet nurse said with a smile. "Look at the young master of the Zhao family—he can only trail behind Miss Zhao and the Second Young Master." She added, "If Miss Zhao didn't want to pay you any attention, she wouldn't have given you that coiled sugar—didn't Miss Zhao say herself that she loves coiled sugar the most?"

Chunbing's eyes lit up at this.

That's right.

Youyou had also said this candy was the sweetest and most delicious. She'd even asked if he liked it.

His heart settled.

He sat up, a little excited, and leaned down to ask the wet nurse, who was lying on the bed: "Do you think I should buy some coiled sugar to bring when I visit Cousin next time?"

The wet nurse felt a faint sense of unease.

Was the young master being a bit too deferential in front of Miss Zhao?

The thought flashed by, and the wet nurse felt she was overthinking.

The young master was only seven, and Miss Zhao just four. Children—if they like something, they like it; if they don't, they don't. They wouldn't think so deeply.

"Of course!" the wet nurse said with a laugh. "I'll remember that for you. It's getting late—you should sleep now! You still need to practice calligraphy first thing tomorrow morning!"

"Mm!" Chunbing replied happily, a faint smile at the corner of his mouth, and soon drifted off to sleep.

...

When Fu Tingjun returned home, she first wrote a letter to Zhao Ling, telling him about her third sister's husband's situation. Then she waited two days until the letter from her third sister's husband arrived, and only then, with her now-heavy body, made her way to Tanzhe Temple.

Unlike the quiet coldness of her last visit, the April Tanzhe Temple was shaded by green trees, ablaze with colorful flowers, and thronged with pilgrims—a lively, bustling scene.

When the reception monk heard that Fu Tingjun had come to visit Teacher Yao, he dared not be negligent and immediately reported to the abbot.

The abbot personally escorted Fu Tingjun to a side chamber to sit, then sent someone to inform Teacher Yao.

Soon, the messenger returned: "Master Zhenghe invites the female benefactor to come for tea."

The abbot, barely concealing his astonishment, accompanied Fu Tingjun to the rear mountain where Teacher Yao practiced in quiet cultivation.

A paved path of blue stone slabs led straight to a two-story pavilion nestled among green trees. A few rockeries built from Taihu stones lent a rustic charm, with several lush orchids growing nearby...

In the past, she had never paid much attention, only finding the place fresh and elegant. But after hearing her third sister's husband's words, she looked around more carefully and felt that Teacher Yao's residence was not like a monk's place of quiet cultivation, but rather like the country villa of some official family. When she saw Teacher Yao himself, dressed in a monk's robe of gray-dyed Songjiang three-shaft cloth, she could only admire her third sister's husband.

Teacher Yao invited Fu Tingjun to sit on the arhat couch in the main hall and personally brewed her a pot of Tieguanyin tea: "...You're with child now, and this tea is mild in nature—just right for you."

Fu Tingjun smiled, rose to accept the teacup, said "thank you," and handed a few boxes of pastries to the young novice beside Teacher Yao: "The Dragon Boat Festival is approaching, so I had some vegetarian pastries made to bring for you to try."

Teacher Yao expressed his thanks and asked with a smile, "What brings you here so suddenly? Is there some urgent matter?"

Fu Tingjun didn't beat around the bush. Composing herself, she said, "Indeed, there is something I'd like to ask Teacher Yao to help me decide on." She then told Teacher Yao, without any concealment, about her third sister's husband coming to the capital to seek reinstatement, and about Grand Secretary Yu also wanting to secure the same position for his son Yu Jingxiu. "Ninth Master always says your wisdom is as vast as the sea—whether he went to Xuanfu or Guizhou, he always came to sit with you. He said that just seeing you sitting there so serenely, knowing that no matter what difficulty he faced there was someone who could help him think things through, made his heart as firm as a rock, and he could face any hardship with peace of mind. Regarding my third sister's husband's matter, I was anxious and thought of you. What do you think—given my third sister's husband's situation, who should he approach to secure the position of Left Supervising Secretary?"

Teacher Yao was quite surprised, and only after a moment did he say with a smile, "I didn't expect Huchen to think so highly of me!"

His tone and expression seemed ordinary, but for some reason, Fu Tingjun sensed a faint disappointment in his attitude, and his gaze toward her was not as warm as before.

Zhao Ling had never said such things, and her words did carry a note of flattery.

But she truly did think this way.

If Teacher Yao dared to undertake something as momentous as "cleansing the court of evil," what else could he not accomplish?

Even if he wouldn't help directly, if he could point the way, her third sister's husband's matter would be twice as effective with half the effort.

Thus her expression was completely candid, her gaze clear and calm.

"Not just Ninth Master—I believe many others think the same," Fu Tingjun said with a smile. "Otherwise, His Majesty wouldn't have sent imperial guards to protect Teacher Yao's safety."

Teacher Yao raised an eyebrow at this and said, "Or perhaps things are not as you imagine—His Majesty sent the Imperial Guard not to keep me from leaving the capital, but for some other reason!" His gaze upon her was sharp and piercing.

Fu Tingjun was momentarily taken aback.

She had not expected Teacher Yao to be so direct... and to involve the Emperor... No matter how she answered, she could not avoid the suspicion of criticizing His Majesty...

A thin layer of sweat formed on Fu Tingjun's back. Yet her face betrayed nothing, and she asked with feigned surprise, "Is that what Teacher Yao truly believes?"

She looked at him with a pretense of confusion.

"That is indeed what I believe!" Teacher Yao said with a smile, though there was no trace of mirth in his eyes. "What, does Mrs. Zhao hold a different view?"

In the end, she had still provoked Teacher Yao's displeasure!

To be fair, Teacher Yao had always treated them as friends with no conflict of interest, so whether it was Zhao Ling or herself, whenever they came to seek an audience, he would see them without hesitation. Who would have thought that this time she would behave like those who schemed and scrambled for position in officialdom—not only coming to ask a favor of him, but also competing with Yu Jingxiu for a post... He probably thought her petty and small-minded!

But she could not simply give up.

Nor could she retreat.

Otherwise, not only would Third Sister's husband's matter go unresolved, but their friendship with Teacher Yao would come to an end as well.