Chapter 62

Her brother had actually come personally to fetch Mother...

Fu Tingjun paced anxiously: "Is my mother very ill?"

Jin Yuanbao hesitated for a moment, then said: "Before your mother left for the capital, all of the Fu family's in-laws had sent her farewell gifts. I also went to those in-laws' homes to make inquiries. Few discussed your mother's illness, but many discussed the death of the Fu family's Ninth Miss..."

In other words, her mother had gone to the capital entirely to escape the gossip.

Fu Tingjun stood frozen on the spot, slowly lowering her head. Her eyes grew moist, and she barely held back her tears.

It was all because of her... If not for her, why would her mother be pointed at and whispered about...

Zhao Ling, however, frowned and said: "Hasn't the news from Weinan reached the Fu family yet?"

"When I arrived in Huayin, the Fu family had only just received the news," Jin Yuanbao said. "By that time, Madam Fu had already left Huayin." He added: "The Fu family's eldest master and fifth master left together. Now the second master is managing the household. He has already sent people to Weinan to help handle the funeral arrangements and has rushed messengers to the capital to report the death."

Her mother didn't know about her uncle's situation, which was why she left without leaving any message for her... Her mother must have believed she had arrived safely at her uncle's home... By the time news from here reached her, her uncle had died, and she herself had vanished without a trace...

Fu Tingjun dared not continue thinking.

Zhao Ling let out a soft sigh. He did not continue this topic but instead asked Jin Yuanbao: "What are your plans?"

Earlier in the hall, everyone had already told Jin Yuanbao, all talking at once, about everything that had happened these past days.

Jin Yuanbao pondered for a moment, then said: "I want to stay by Ninth Master's side."

The implication was clear—if he could not be with Zhao Ling, he did not wish to join the army.

Zhao Ling nodded.

If he couldn't even manage that, it would only show that Mo Yi and the others did not hold him in any regard. Even if he later went to the military camp, his prospects would likely be difficult.

"Then that's settled," he said. "You must be tired from the journey. Go wash up first, and we'll have a few drinks together in a bit."

Jin Yuanbao knew that Zhao Ling still had things to say to Fu Tingjun, so he saluted respectfully and withdrew.

Yang Yucheng had been waiting in the courtyard outside the study the whole time. Seeing him come out, he immediately went up to meet him: "What did Ninth Master say?"

Most of the people in the Willow Lane residence had been with Zhao Ling for several years and naturally knew his rules. Seeing him enter the study, they had all kept their distance. At this moment, only Yang Yucheng and Jin Yuanbao stood before the study door.

The two walked forward a few steps, making sure they were out of earshot of the study's conversation, before stopping.

Jin Yuanbao first recounted what had happened in Huayin, then said: "Ninth Master asked me if I was willing to join the army with him. I said, if I could be with Ninth Master, I would go; if I couldn't be together..."

He didn't finish, but his meaning was clear.

Yang Yucheng grew anxious: "How could you be like this? Ninth Master is not entirely in control of his own situation right now. Of course he wants us all to be together..."

"I know!" Jin Yuanbao made a "say no more" gesture, cutting him off. "These matters, I have my own plans."

Yang Yucheng fell silent.

Jin Yuanbao was different from the rest of them. They all came from farming families and had only followed Ninth Master into the illegal salt trade because life had become unbearable. Jin Yuanbao's father had been a scholar, and Jin Yuanbao himself had studied the Four Books and Five Classics. He had once worked as a bookkeeper for a prominent family, but had been implicated when the family's legitimate and illegitimate sons fought over the inheritance, landing him in prison. Through a stroke of fate, he had met Ninth Master, and admiring his integrity and strategic mind, had followed him. They all ate from the same pot, but his speech, habits, and temperament were different from theirs—they couldn't get close to him no matter how they tried. Though he appeared quiet and reserved, when he did speak, it was as if Zhang Yi had been reborn—no one could out-argue him. He was also strong-willed; once he made up his mind, even nine oxen couldn't pull him back...

None of this had bothered them before, but now, at this moment when Ninth Master was in a difficult position, Yang Yucheng felt uneasy just thinking about it. He couldn't help muttering under his breath: "If Miss Fu hadn't guessed right, I would have thought you'd run off!"

Jin Yuanbao knew that they always felt he was putting on airs of mystery. He didn't want to be that way either. But sometimes, no matter how he explained, they didn't understand, and occasionally they found his worrying amusing. Over time, he had stopped saying much. After all, a long road tests a horse's strength, and time reveals a person's heart.

Hearing Yang Yucheng's muttering, he couldn't help but look startled: "What did you say?"

Yang Yucheng was feeling disgruntled. Seeing Jin Yuanbao's surprised expression, he thought to himself: Don't you pride yourself on never missing a thing, always putting on that unflappable air? Today I'll give you a real surprise.

With that thought, he broke into a brilliant smile, bright as summer: "Didn't you go to Huayin? Everyone was feeling a bit put out about it. But Miss Fu said that you had calculated Ninth Master's plan had little chance of success, and you didn't want Ninth Master to have any regrets, so you went to Huayin to deliver the message, planning to come back and collect our corpses..."

"What did you say?" Jin Yuanbao's expression changed drastically as he stared at Yang Yucheng with a look of shock and uncertainty.

Yang Yucheng couldn't help but feel a bit smug, embellishing his words: "Miss Fu has you figured out completely. She said you would emulate Cheng Ying." This was something he'd learned from the opera "The Orphan of Zhao," "and she also said that enduring humiliation and living on in disgrace is harder than dying a heroic, impassioned death."

Jin Yuanbao turned his head toward the study, his expression seeming both somewhat pleased and somewhat sorrowful—a strange look indeed. He stood there for a long while without speaking.

...

Inside the study, Zhao Ling was speaking with Fu Tingjun: "You shouldn't worry too much. Since your mother is in good health, everything else can be worked out. I'll find a reliable person within the next couple of days to rush to the capital and deliver a message to her. For now, settle in here and rest easy. Once the messenger returns from the capital, we'll make our plans."

There was nothing else to be done!

Fu Tingjun nodded dejectedly.

Her mother had gone to the capital... her uncle was gone... As far as the Fu family was concerned, Ninth Miss had already died of illness... In this vast sea of humanity, where was her home?

Her heart grew heavier by the moment.

She looked up at Zhao Ling.

But she saw Zhao Ling sitting there with a solemn expression, lost in thought, not moving for a long time.

Things had come to such a pass—he must be feeling rather helpless about it too!

Fu Tingjun smiled bitterly, her spirits low: "Then I'll trouble Ninth Master with this."

"Oh!" Zhao Ling snapped back to attention and quickly said, "There's no need to be so polite." As if feeling the words were too stiff, he added with a smile, "With you here, Willow Lane has become much livelier."

Fu Tingjun's smile was forced as she rose to take her leave.

Zhao Ling silently escorted her to the study door.

Yang Yucheng and Jin Yuanbao, who had been talking in the courtyard, turned around and both bowed to Fu Tingjun.

Fu Tingjun bent her knees in a slight curtsy and headed toward the back courtyard.

Yang Yucheng and Jin Yuanbao walked over.

"Ninth Master, Miss Fu..." Yang Yucheng gazed at Fu Tingjun's retreating figure.

Zhao Ling said nothing.

A reliable person—who could truly be called reliable?

Jin Yuanbao looked somewhat hesitant: "How about I make the trip to the capital?"

Yang Yucheng's eyes widened as he stared at him.

Jin Yuanbao pretended not to notice, speaking with pointed meaning: "The matter of the Fu family's Ninth Miss has spread widely in Huayin. Some say that Ninth Miss never actually died of illness but eloped with someone; others say that Ninth Miss was... defiled while offering incense at Biyun Nunnery, and that the Fu family killed people to silence them in order to protect Ninth Miss's reputation—disposing of all the maidservants and matrons who had attended her at the nunnery..."

Even a man as composed as Zhao Ling couldn't help but fly into a rage at this.

"Utter nonsense!" he thundered. "The Fu family has lived in Huayin for generations with deep roots—how can they simply let those people spout such rumors without doing anything to clarify the matter?"

Neither Yang Yucheng nor Jin Yuanbao had expected Zhao Ling to lose his temper so fiercely, and they stared at him in surprise.

Zhao Ling knew he had lost his composure, but his anger simply wouldn't subside.

He paced back and forth across the courtyard several times before his mood gradually calmed. He asked Jin Yuanbao, "The Second Master of the Fu family is now the head of the household? What kind of man is this Second Master?"

Jin Yuanbao gave a wry smile: "Indecisive—he won't dare agree to anything without first going to the inner quarters to report to the old lady."

Zhao Ling lowered his head in thought.

Jin Yuanbao said, "Ninth Master, there are plenty of people surnamed Fu in this world, but if anyone were to connect Miss Fu with the Fu family's Ninth Miss, it would be bad for both you and Miss Fu. I think the fewer people who know about this, the better. No one else is suitable to go—it has to be me. Besides, the situation in the capital is complicated; an ordinary person might not even know which way the Fu family's front gate faces!"

Zhao Ling nodded slightly: "It's good that you go. At the very least, you can find out why the First Master of the Fu family has also gone to the capital at this time... I have a feeling something about this is unusual."

The Fu family was renowned for the strict propriety of their womenfolk. If rumors spread that one of their young ladies had eloped with someone or even been defiled, and if the matter wasn't handled properly and people came to believe it, it could shake the very foundations of the Fu family. Even if the First Master had urgent business in the capital, surely the household would need someone capable left in charge!

Jin Yuanbao nodded knowingly at Zhao Ling: "I plan to leave on the night of the twenty-fifth of August!"

Zhao Ling and Yang Yucheng were both puzzled.

Jin Yuanbao explained: "I returned to Xisheng Inn quietly—that Mo Yi only left Xiao Wu to keep watch, and he doesn't know I'm back in Xi'an. If I can't travel with Ninth Master, I might as well rush to the capital overnight."

And so Jin Yuanbao became a card Zhao Ling held in reserve.

"And what if you could travel with Ninth Master?" Yang Yucheng asked quickly.

"If I can travel with Ninth Master, then once we reach the garrison, I'll find a way to make a trip to the capital," Jin Yuanbao said with a smile. "After all, we're being assigned to the garrison by the Military Command. If we just say we need to return to Xi'an Prefecture on business, the people at the garrison surely wouldn't want to offend us over such trivial matters, would they?"

Zhao Ling chuckled at this. "Then you'd better not leave the house for the next couple of days." He was clearly agreeing with Jin Yuanbao's suggestion.

Jin Yuanbao respectfully acknowledged with a "Yes."

A Sen came running in. "Ninth Master, Ninth Master, Steward Mo is here."

Everyone exchanged glances.

Yang Yucheng looked at Jin Yuanbao and muttered, "Could Mo Yi have found out you're back?"

Jin Yuanbao wasn't sure what to think.

Zhao Ling, however, was quite straightforward. "I'll go meet him and find out." Then he said, "You all go about your business and don't cross paths with him." With that, he headed to the main hall.

Mo Yi sat perfectly composed in the grand armchair, sipping tea. When he saw Zhao Ling enter, he smiled and said, "This residence of yours is quite nice, isn't it? Must have cost you a pretty penny?"

"Not too bad," Zhao Ling said modestly. "I bought it years ago—the seller happened to be in urgent need of ready cash." Then he shifted the subject. "May I ask what brings Steward Mo here today?" He added, "And why haven't I seen Steward Tao, Chen Liu, or Xiao Wu? It's been a while, and I rather miss them."

Mo Yi dismissed this casually, though his face wore a warm smile. "Isn't it obvious? I've come to congratulate you! I heard that Wu Xin has sent you to Zhuanglang Garrison. From now on, we'll be one family."

Zhao Ling was taken aback.

Zhuanglang Garrison—that was the territory of Meng Shu, the Commander-in-Chief of Gansu and Marquis of Yingchuan.

Mo Yi watched his reaction, revealing a mouthful of gleaming white teeth!