Chapter 87

Madam Feng chased after Fu Tingjun, pointing at her as she strode quickly to the middle of the courtyard, and shouted furiously at the maids and matrons standing there: "Seize her!"

One moment they had been warmly invited, the next they were at each other's throats... The change was too sudden, leaving the maids and matrons exchanging bewildered glances before hesitantly rushing toward Fu Tingjun.

"Who dares?" A Sen bellowed, grabbing Fu Tingjun's hand and pulling her along as he ran, throwing a punch at the matron who blocked their path.

With a loud thud, the matron cried out in pain, clutching her stomach as she doubled over like a shrimp, staggering backward before collapsing limply to the ground, unmoving for a long while.

The servants hadn't expected someone as young as A Sen to be so ferocious. For a moment, they stood frozen, staring at him with awe and fear.

Fu Tingjun and A Sen seized the opportunity to escape.

Since becoming Deputy General Liu's concubine, Madam Feng had never suffered such a humiliation. She stamped her feet in rage and roared at the crowd: "You idiots! What are you standing there for? Go catch her! Otherwise, you'll face the household discipline!"

Several servants shuddered in unison and scrambled out the door, only to find Madam Feng's two coachmen and four attending matrons all sprawled on the ground with bruised and swollen faces, groaning as they clutched their waists or rubbed their legs. Fu Tingjun and A Sen were nowhere to be seen.

...

This Madam Feng had grown utterly lawless!

In broad daylight, she dared to have her servants detain her.

If Zheng San hadn't been waiting outside to help, Madam Feng might very well have succeeded!

Stepping into her own courtyard, Fu Tingjun's hands and feet still felt weak at the memory of what had just happened.

"Quick, close the door." Her voice trembled slightly as she instructed Zheng San and A Sen, who followed behind her.

The two didn't need her orders—they had already bolted the door.

Madam Feng's servants caught up and pounded on the door with thunderous force. Not only that, they shouted loudly: "Open up! If you don't open, we'll tear the door down!" They showed no restraint whatsoever.

Zheng San braced his shoulder against the door.

A Sen's face flushed red with anger: "Miss, let me climb up the wall and shoot that shrew with an arrow. Let's see if she dares act so arrogantly then!"

"No!" Fu Tingjun grabbed A Sen's hand firmly. "The arrows at home have no arrowheads. Even if you shoot her, at most you'd only graze her skin, and that would give her evidence to complain to Deputy General Liu. We'd be in the wrong even when we're right. Don't act rashly—leave everything to me."

A Sen's cheeks puffed out like a frog's. Fu Tingjun wanted to laugh but couldn't.

All around them, only the clamor of Madam Feng's servants could be heard—no one came out to mediate, and no one came out to watch the commotion.

Fu Tingjun's heart gradually sank.

From outside came Xuemei's voice: "Mothers, Grandmother Feng has said to let today's matter go. Please return to your quarters for now."

Fu Tingjun was somewhat surprised.

One of the matrons asked: "Miss, is what you say true?"

"Would I deceive you, Mother?" Xuemei said. "Grandmother Feng is right inside the hall. Go in and ask her yourself."

The matron chuckled nervously: "How would I dare ask the mistress? If Miss says so, then it must be so."

The sound of chaotic footsteps faded, and before long, all was quiet.

Zheng San let out a sigh of relief.

A Sen, however, climbed up to the wall and peered outside, then turned back to Fu Tingjun with a delighted grin: "Miss, they've really left!"

But Fu Tingjun's brows furrowed: "Madam Feng lives in the General's residence, so she can afford to ignore this. But Madam Lu lives on the back street, surrounded by neighbors on all sides—people see each other constantly. If anyone asks questions, this isn't exactly a glorious affair. It's most likely Madam Lu who found a way to persuade Madam Feng." Her expression grew grave as she spoke. "I suspect it's nine times out of ten that Madam Lu came up with some scheme that tempted Madam Feng. When the scheming catch the unwary off guard, we can't go on like this. Not to mention anything else—if Madam Feng calls on Deputy General Liu's guards or soldiers from the General's residence to use force against us, we probably won't stand a chance."

"Then... then what good ideas does Miss have?" A Sen asked anxiously.

Zheng San also looked at Fu Tingjun.

"Under the present circumstances," Fu Tingjun said thoughtfully, "the only option is to pack our valuables and seek refuge with Madam Wang!"

A Sen's face lit up with joy at this.

But Zheng San said: "The question is whether Madam Wang will take us in. If Madam Wang doesn't want to get involved in this trouble, we'll be in even more difficulty."

By then, we'd lose the initiative and be at Madam Feng's mercy.

"I believe Madam Wang is not that kind of person," Fu Tingjun said. "And if Madam Wang truly refuses to take us in—well, staying here would just mean waiting for death anyway—we'll go directly to that Deputy General Liu..." Her brow showed fearless resolve. "And if Deputy General Liu still won't do anything, we'll seize Madam Feng, take her hostage, and go see the Marquis of Yingchuan."

At that point, it would be the only option left.

Zheng San nodded.

Everyone went their separate ways to pack their belongings.

On the long table in the main hall sat a sweet white porcelain flower vase, in Zhao Ling's room a purple sandalwood paperweight, in the kitchen a set of thirty-six blue-and-white porcelain bowls, and even in the wardrobe Linchun's little Lake silk jacket—not a single item was Zheng Sanniang willing to part with.

Fu Tingjun could only say helplessly, "Anything that can be bought with money is not worth regretting if lost. Hurry and pack! Who knows what schemes Madam Feng and Madam Lu are cooking up—every minute we delay is another minute for something to go wrong."

Zheng Sanniang acknowledged with a pained, reluctant voice, packing only a few changes of clothes and a silver lock pendant engraved with "long life and a hundred years" that Fu Tingjun had given Linchun on his first birthday.

Fu Tingjun, aside from a change of clothes, brought only the jewelry her mother had left her, the carved red lacquer box containing the deed to the house and land, and the letter Zhao Ling had written to her.

When she reached the main hall, Zheng San and A Sen each came out of Zhao Ling's room carrying a cloth bundle slung over their shoulders: "Miss, five hundred taels of silver are buried in the northwest corner of the courtyard where the miscellaneous items are stored, another five hundred taels are buried in the woodpile area in the kitchen. I'm carrying thirteen hundred taels on me, and A Sen has over three hundred taels."

Fu Tingjun nodded and had A Sen fetch a ladder: "Put Ninth Master's parents' ancestral tablets on the main beam of the hall."

Such things could neither be discarded nor taken to someone else's home—the only option was to hide them.

A Sen acknowledged the order, fetched the ladder, and nimbly placed the tablets on the beam. He then made two bows toward the tablets and muttered a string of apologies before climbing back down.

Zheng Sanniang came over carrying Linchun.

Perhaps because his early life had been anything but ordinary, despite the chaos and noise all around, the child nestled quietly in his mother's arms without making a sound.

Fu Tingjun patted his head with some tenderness.

Zheng San and A Sen each took a staff as tall as their eyebrows and opened the door.

The alley was eerily quiet. Madam Feng's carriage was still parked in front of Mo Yi's house, with only two coachmen sitting on the steps, hands resting on their hips.

Seeing them come out, the two coachmen were startled and scrambled nervously to their feet.

Zheng San paid them no mind at this moment. He made a gesture toward the door, and A Sen pulled Fu Tingjun along while Zheng Sanniang carried Linchun, filing out one after another. Zheng San brought up the rear, locked the door, and the group headed straight for the Commander-in-Chief's residence.

It had been less than two hours since Fu Tingjun and Zheng San had left the Commander-in-Chief's residence, and since they had encountered considerable trouble getting in the first time, the soldiers on duty still recognized them. Though they appeared to be coming as relatives seeking refuge, the guards didn't ask questions and let them through.

Madam Wang was astonished to see them: "What has happened?"

Fu Tingjun's eyes brimmed with tears: "Madam Wang, I beg you to save us!" She then recounted the whole affair in detail to Madam Wang.

When Madam Wang heard that Madam Feng had pursued Fu Tingjun all the way to her doorstep, she flew into a rage. With a sharp "smack," she slapped the table, rattling the teacups upon it: "This is utterly outrageous! A concubine of a third-rank official, committing such lawless and shameless acts—where is her sense of propriety and decency!" She rose to her feet as she spoke. "Wait here. I'll go see Lord Liu."

Given Madam Feng's arrogance, such behavior could hardly have developed overnight—could Deputy General Liu truly have been completely unaware?

Deputy General Liu might show Madam Wang some face, but would Madam Feng really let Fu Tingjun off because of that?

If Madam Wang stood up for her like this, given Madam Feng's temperament, she would likely bear a grudge against Madam Wang as well. Madam Wang was upright and aboveboard, while Madam Feng was scheming against the guileless—Madam Wang could easily end up at a disadvantage.

These thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant. Fu Tingjun reached out and held Madam Wang back: "Madam Wang, these are all minor matters. I simply wanted to ask you to help me find out whether Banner-bearer Zhao is..." Her heart ached at the words, and tears fell unbidden. "I had my suspicions too, but Concubine Lu showed not the slightest sign of grief. This matter, I fear..."

She had already made up her mind—if something had truly happened to Zhao Ling, she had nothing left to fear. At worst, she would take Feng Dahu down with her, but she could not drag Madam Wang into it.

Madam Wang also began to waver: "Very well, I'll look into this matter for you as well."

Fu Tingjun then asked Madam Wang, "May I ask where this Madam Feng comes from, that she is so brazen? Lord Liu is a court-appointed official—why doesn't he rein her in? It damages his own authority as an officer!"

Since Madam Wang had taken them in without a second thought and had indignantly offered to stand up for her, she was clearly a woman of fiery temperament. If Fu Tingjun told her outright not to involve herself in the feud between her and the Feng siblings, Madam Wang would not only refuse but might even consider it an insult. She could only gently persuade Madam Wang to stay out of it.

"She is merely the daughter of a steward in the Marquis of Xiping's household, serving as a maidservant to the Grand Madame of the Marquis of Xiping," Madam Wang said disdainfully. "Once, when Lord Liu visited the Marquis of Xiping's residence and went to pay his respects to the Grand Madame, he happened to glance at her a couple of times, and the Grand Madame bestowed her upon Lord Liu as a concubine. She then took to calling herself Feng, claiming to others that she was from a collateral branch of the Marquis of Xiping's family. You need not concern yourself with her!" Madam Wang vaguely sensed that Fu Tingjun's words carried another intention.

Fu Tingjun was taken aback.

She had not expected this Madam Feng to have such an origin.

She reminded Madam Wang: "Then why have neither the Marquis of Xiping's household nor Lord Liu come forward to clarify the matter?"

Madam Wang was momentarily stunned.

Fu Tingjun continued: "Matters of military importance cannot tolerate idle speculation. This Madam Feng claims that Commander Lu was defeated in battle and that the Marquis of Yingchuan has hidden him away. Whether true or false, if such words were to spread, the Marquis of Yingchuan would hardly escape the charge of 'condoning his subordinates.' And if someone were to fan the flames, it could even escalate to accusations of 'forming factions.' I think it would be best for you, Madam, to first get to the bottom of this matter. As for my affair, at most it is a romantic tale of 'a gentleman's pursuit,' and at least it is merely a woman with long hair and short wit protecting her own child..."

Madam Wang gazed at her, her eyes gradually brightening like the morning stars.

"Miss Fu, what you say is very true." A smile curled at the corners of her lips, warm as a spring breeze. "I think we should first question Commander Lu and Banner-bearer Zhao to get the facts straight before we proceed."