Chapter 287

"What could possibly happen outside?" Grand Secretary Yu said this, yet waved his hand with an irritable expression, "You just need to manage matters at home properly."

Lady Fei, however, quietly called out to Concubine Wu: "Let's go together."

Concubine Wu was relieved to be leaving and smiled back at her.

Concubine Wu then gave her a few more whispered instructions before leading her to the main hall at the front.

Lianxin's heart felt as if a cat were scratching at it; she kept running to the door of the side room, standing on her tiptoes to peer outside.

Mama Shu was a very low-key person who obeyed Madam Yu in everything—even Yu Jingxiu might not be able to command her. What did she mean by looking at her like that?

The kitchen was still as quiet as when she had left it; everything had already been tidied up, and Cairong was sitting on a small stool in the kitchen, staring blankly into space.

Madam Yu acknowledged Grand Secretary Yu's words, but turned around and went to question Yu Huaian instead.

Seeing Lady Fei return, her face lit up with joy as she called out "Auntie."

Concubine Wu, however, called to her: "Beware of unwarranted calamity."

A Sen, on the other hand, was in an excellent mood.

Cairong shuddered and looked toward Lady Fei with a flustered heart.

Lianxin's face turned pale as she trembled, tightly clutching Concubine Wu's arm and hastily promising, "I won't dare do it again!"

The curtain of the main hall was lifted, and Mozhuan walked out with a grim face: "The imperial physician that the Eldest Young Master invited for the Eldest Young Madam will arrive shortly. The two aunties should withdraw for now." Having said this, without even glancing at Lady Fei and Concubine Wu, she turned and went back inside.

Fu Tingjun nodded repeatedly. Looking at Wang Jingtong, who had dissolved into tears before her, she felt she was being too emotional herself. Hastily smiling, she wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and said, "Look at me—you rarely get to come back, and here I am saying all these sad things." With that, she took Wang Jingtong's hand and said, "Come, let me pick out a few more outfits that Xige'er wore when he was little... Newborn babies have such delicate skin; wearing old clothes prevents any chafing—there's nothing better!"

Madam Yu's mood turned extremely sour in that moment.

Madam Yu's gaze swept over them, but her steps did not slow in the slightest as she went straight into the main hall.

Fu Tingjun was coaxed into laughter by Wang Jingtong's words and said, "I don't particularly covet his three salaries. What I hope for is that he can become the Assistant Commissioner of the Commander's Office... When I heard the Empress mention it, I secretly rejoiced for quite a while—who knew it would turn out to be just a nominal post!"

Grand Secretary Yu grew somewhat agitated at this and said impatiently, "You and I are already people half-buried in the earth, and we only have Zhen-jie'er as our granddaughter. This is not the time to be feeling sorry for him."

Wang Jingtong knew about A Sen's origins; before their marriage, A Sen had told her plenty about his experiences.

She was a mother herself, and putting herself in that position—if it were her own child facing such a thing...

She dared not think further, and in a panic urged Yuechuan to lead the way: "Quick, take me to see!"

"Is the old master confused?" Madam Yu laughed. "At a time like this, how could we place someone in Depu's quarters? Even if we were to place someone, we'd need to wait a few days. I think we should take this matter slowly!"

"Sister-in-law!" Wang Jingtong stomped her foot in protest.

"Then let's return to our rooms!" Lady Fei smiled. "It's getting late, and we still need to pay our respects to the Eldest Young Madam early tomorrow morning!"

"Then this concubine will take her leave." She bent her knees and curtsied to Yu Jingxiu, saying, "Eldest Young Master, please rest early!" Then she rose and withdrew from the study, hurrying all the way back to the kitchen.

Concubine Wu had kept her head lowered the whole time. Seeing Madam Yu and the others enter the house, she let out a sigh of relief and greeted Lady Fei, who seemed somewhat dazed: "I'm heading back now. Are you coming with me, or will you go back later?"

He asked Fu Tingjun: "So does this mean Ninth Master is about to be promoted again?"

Wang Jingtong also felt she had overreacted. Though somewhat embarrassed, she still smiled and went with Fu Tingjun to the inner chamber where the trunks were kept. Wanting to lighten the atmosphere, she felt she ought to find something cheerful to say, so she brought up the topic of Zhao Ling's possible promotion again: "I heard from Father that a General bearing the commander's seal holds the rank of First Grade, while the Assistant Commissioner of the Commander's Office is the Third Grade. Eldest Brother is currently Second Grade, so if we're calculating by rank, it should count as First Grade, shouldn't it? I just wonder if he can draw three salaries?"

At noon, news came from the front courtyard that Lady Fan had fallen ill.

The two quickly stepped aside, and when Madam Yu walked past, they both bent their knees in salute and respectfully called out "Madam."

Even a fool could see that the Eldest Young Madam had fallen ill out of spite toward the Eldest Young Master.

Cairong nodded hurriedly, helped Lady Fei into the room, and then went next door to inform Concubine Wu.

Flesh of one's palm and back of one's hand—both are dear. To be with Zhao Ling meant being separated from her son; to care for her son meant living apart from Zhao Ling. She could only hope that Zhao Ling would truly resolve to leave Guizhou ten years from now...

In any case, Zhao Ling wouldn't be back anytime soon, so she dropped the subject and sighed, "I want to go to Guizhou to see your eldest brother, but he absolutely refuses to let me. He says Guizhou is full of miasma and fears I might catch it... If only Xige'er were a bit older."

"Youyou?" Fu Tingjun was shocked. "Wasn't she in her room practicing calligraphy? How could she have hit someone? Is the person who was hit badly hurt? Has a doctor been called?"

She muttered under her breath, "I wonder if she's really sick or..." She didn't dare say the words "faking illness."

Lianxin quickly took Concubine Wu's arm and said with an ingratiating smile, "Isn't this just in front of you, Auntie? With others around, how would I dare!"

This time even Grand Secretary Yu was alarmed.

"You know that's not something to say!" Lianxin was lively and restless, and Concubine Wu was truly afraid she'd cause trouble. But since she had no ability to clean up after her, she could only scold her, "Don't you know that disaster comes from the mouth? Do you not remember how that little maid who served in the front hall was dealt with? Why can't you ever learn your lesson..."

Mama Shu's lips twitched slightly, revealing an expression that was half-smile, half-sneer.

Lady Fei's heart turned cold. She wanted to look more carefully, but Mama Shu quickened her steps and followed Madam Yu into the hall.

Concubine Wu didn't care and turned to leave.

Concubine Wu nodded with a smile, but then saw Madam Yu walking in, surrounded by a large group of maids and matrons.

"I'll go back with you!" Lady Fei's expression was somewhat stiff. She forced a smile at Concubine Wu and walked back to her room in silence with her.

Everyone laughed.

Lady Fei and Cairong had arrived before them and were waiting under the eaves. Seeing Concubine Wu and the others approach, she smiled and nodded at Concubine Wu, then glanced toward Lady Fan's main room, indicating that Lady Fan was unwell and it wasn't the right time or place to greet her.

Cairong acknowledged and held an umbrella to escort Lady Fei back to her room.

"Sister-in-law, don't underestimate this honorary post," Wang Jingtong said with a laugh. "With this honorary post, intelligence reports from the Right Military Governor's Office will now be sent to eldest brother as well. He'll also have a say in the affairs of the Right Army..."

By afternoon, word came from the main room that the imperial physician had diagnosed Lady Fan with angina pectoris.

Lady Fei smiled and nodded at her, saying, "After I left, did those matrons in the kitchen give you any trouble?"

Lianxin's face flushed red at the words. She sat down beside Concubine Wu somewhat awkwardly and helped her with the needlework.

The next morning, the rain stopped.

Concubine Wu smiled and thanked her, grabbed a handful of wo-si candy to give her, then had Lianxin help her change into a casual dress and sat on the large kang by the window to do her needlework.

Concubine Wu thought for a moment, then instructed Lianxin: "Help me change my clothes. Let's go see the eldest young mistress."

"Manager Zheng has already gone to fetch a doctor," Yuechuan said, nearly in tears. "The one who was hit is a young young master. He was covering his eyes and only crying out in pain... I don't know how he is now..."

A Sen's eyes were red.

Yu Huaian chose his words carefully: "There hasn't been much going on these days... But General Zhao of Guizhou has been credited for his success in pacifying the barbarians. The emperor has asked the Grand Secretariat to deliberate, wanting to transfer General Zhao to the post of Right Military Governor's Assistant, bearing the seal of the General Who Conquers the South... It seems that for this matter, the emperor specially summoned Zhao Ling's wife to the palace for an audience as a sign of favor..."

"We'll have to wait for the official document to come down." Fu Tingjun smiled, bent down, and took out a pair of tiger-head shoes that Xige'er had worn as a child from the chest, handing them to Wang Jingtong. "Take these. Put them by your pillow for good luck."

Upon hearing that it was a child who had been hurt, and that the eyes were injured, Fu Tingjun's limbs went weak and she could barely stand.

As Fu Tingjun and Wang Jingtong were chatting, Yuechuan ran in frantically: "Madam, something terrible has happened! The eldest young miss has hit someone!"

Lady Fei was sizing up Madam Yu from the corner of her eye, and their gazes met.

Lianxin, on the other hand, hesitated: "Is it a good time to go now?"

Fu Tingjun knew this well, but sometimes she couldn't help but hold onto such hopes.

For some reason, she felt that Lady Fei seemed relieved, as if the whole person had become lighter.

"So young, and to have contracted such an illness." He asked Madam Yu with a frown, a hint of irritation appearing between his brows. "Why don't you pick a few more people for Depu's quarters? This can't go on like this."

Lady Fei's words left Yu Jingxiu somewhat stunned, but Lady Fei turned her face away to wipe the moisture from the corner of her eyes. When she looked back, her face was already bright with smiles.

"Sister-in-law, rest assured, I will treat A Sen well." She promised Fu Tingjun.

After so many years of marriage, Grand Secretary Yu only needed to hint at something for Madam Yu to know what was on his mind. Hearing this, she was surprised and said in a low voice, "Husband, is something happening outside?"

"You talk too much." Concubine Wu frowned and scolded Lianxin in a low voice.

Her heart ached, and she began to cry as well.

Lady Fei's expression also turned somewhat grave. She said in a low voice, "Tell Concubine Wu that we'll go over later."

For a general like Zhao Ling who guarded a region, it was customary for his family to remain in the capital. If he wished to bring his wife to his post, he was required to leave his eldest son residing in the capital.

The maids and matrons all filed into the hall one by one, eyes lowered, noses pointed at their chests, except for Mama Shu, who glanced back at Lady Fei.

Yu Jingxiu had a very good temper; he was rarely seen losing it, let alone in front of the eldest young mistress!

Fu Tingjun said, "I'm just happy for A Sen!" As she spoke, her eyes grew slightly moist. "A Sen is going to be a father now..." She recalled the first time she had seen A Sen, and her tears could not help but fall.

Wang Jingtong blushed as she accepted the tiger-head shoes, but when she looked up and saw A Sen standing there grinning foolishly, she couldn't help but shoot him a glare that was half shy, half annoyed—though the look was far too gentle to carry any real bite.

Fu Tingjun watched and couldn't help but purse her lips in a smile.

"No." Cairong's heart felt warm. "After you left, no one else came."

Cairong had risen early to help Lady Fei wash and dress. She had just stepped out of the side chamber and had not yet called for Concubine Wu when they heard Yu Jingxiu's roar from the main room. Though the words were unclear, the anger in his voice was unmistakable.