Chapter 95

Zheng San went to open the door.

The visitor was the close maid named Li Niang who served Madam Wang.

"Is Miss Fu at home?" Her fair face was flushed red with excitement, and joy brimmed from the corners of her eyes and brows. "There's news from Master Zhao! Our madam sent me to inform Miss Fu."

"Really!" Zheng San was both surprised and delighted, and quickly led Li Niang toward the house. "Miss Fu is resting in A Sen's room..."

The two passed Daoist Shanning, who was conducting the rites. Li Niang couldn't help but cast a couple of glances at him.

Daoist Shanning's brows were slightly furrowed.

This family—though they had invited him to perform the rites, they showed him not the slightest respect. Could it be because he had agreed too readily in the first place?

At the thought, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret.

Zheng San and Li Niang had already entered the eastern side chamber.

"News of Ninth Master?" Fu Tingjun rose to her feet, overjoyed, and took Li Niang's hands as the maid bowed to her.

Li Niang nodded with a smile: "Master Wei has just returned. As soon as our madam heard, she sent me rushing over to inform Miss Fu. She said that Commander Lu was surrounded by the Mongols at Wang Family Village, and it was only thanks to Master Zhao's desperate protection that Commander Lu managed to escape. And because Commander Lu's injuries were severe, Master Zhao had to carry him on his back all the way westward. By the time they found the Marquis of Yingchuan's camp, seven or eight days had already passed..."

Fu Tingjun was endlessly delighted. She pulled Li Niang close and asked, "Then did Master Zhao suffer any injuries? Where is he now? Although Commander Lu lost the battle, Master Zhao rendered meritorious service in rescuing him—surely the Ministry of War won't censure him?" One question after another, like a string of firecrackers, leaving Li Niang no chance to get a word in. Only when Fu Tingjun finally finished did Li Niang say with a beaming smile, "Miss, don't worry. Ninth Master must be fine—otherwise, Master Wei would certainly have reported it to our madam."

Madam Wang had sent Wei Shi to Xi'ning Garrison mainly to inquire about Lord Wang's news. Just as she had been unable to contain herself upon hearing news of Zhao Ling, Madam Wang at this moment likely had no leisure to inquire in detail about Zhao Ling's affairs either.

Fu Tingjun nodded. She could no longer sit still. She said to Li Niang, "I'll go back to the General's Mansion with you—I still want to ask Master Wei about Ninth Master's affairs!" As she spoke, a faint blush crept across her cheeks.

Li Niang could understand this joy of surviving a calamity and did not think Fu Tingjun was being improper. She smiled and nodded repeatedly.

Fu Tingjun instructed Zheng San a few things—"Keep the house well; I'll be back soon"—and went inside to change her clothes.

When she came out, everyone knew the news of Zhao Ling, and joyful smiles hung on every face. A Sen was unwilling to stay home with Linchun and clamored to go along: "I want to listen too."

She couldn't very well bring the whole household every time she went to Madam Wang's, could she?

Zhao Ling was like a father and elder brother to A Sen. If she didn't bring the little one, even if he agreed now, he would likely sneak after them later.

Fu Tingjun thought for a moment, then said to Zheng Sanniang, "Then let A Sen accompany me. You stay home and take care of Linchun."

Zheng Sanniang naturally dared not oppose Fu Tingjun's arrangements. Holding Linchun, she saw Fu Tingjun to the door and repeatedly said, "Be sure to ask Madam Wang whether we should bring some medicine or clothes, shoes and socks for Ninth Master."

Fu Tingjun smiled and said "All right," then went out the door.

The brawl outside had already dispersed. The gates of the Mo and Qi families were tightly shut, and the onlookers had gathered in twos and threes, speaking in hushed voices. When they saw movement from Fu Tingjun's side, they all craned their necks to look.

A Sen's joy could not be contained. He laughed loudly and said, "We're going to the General's Mansion! Our Ninth Master has news—he rescued Commander Lu of Xi'ning Garrison, and he's resting in the Marquis of Yingchuan's camp now!"

"Ah!" The crowd let out a collective exclamation. They looked at Fu Tingjun again—she still had a kerchief draped over her head, but the smile she could not hide at the corners of her mouth seemed to prove that A Sen's words were true.

"Well, well—Banner-bearer Zhao rescued Commander Lu! At this rate, Banner-bearer Zhao is due for a promotion, isn't he?" someone said with envy in their voice.

"Yes, yes," another person immediately chimed in. "Miss Fu, it looks like your bitter days are finally over."

Fu Tingjun nodded to them with a smile: "Thank you all. As for the details, I still need to go to the General's Mansion to ask."

Everyone chatted and exchanged pleasantries with her. Once Fu Tingjun and her party had walked out of the back street, the topic of their discussion shifted to whether the Ministry of War would punish Commander Lu—after all, he had lost this battle.

Concubine Lu was trembling with rage. She was directing Xuemei to help tend to the wounds of the household maids and servants, pondering how much silver to reward them with, when the rising waves of laughter and chatter from outside made her even more irritable. She ordered a newly purchased young maid who had not yet grown her hair long: "Go—listen to what gossip they're chewing on."

While the neighbors were all gathered at the Zhao family's place watching the commotion, two men had actually climbed over the wall from her courtyard and slipped away... She only heard about this two days later. No need to ask—they must have been Feng Dahu's accomplices, who had escaped from the Zhao residence and hidden in her courtyard.

That fool Feng Dahu! And the accomplices he found were just as stupid.

Why choose any time but early morning, when everyone was next door watching the excitement!

Damn it all... not a single brain cell between them!

Who knew what godforsaken corner Feng Dahu had scraped these idiots up from!

Utterly stupid, stupid beyond belief!

And now, they'd gone and dragged her into it!

That Feng Dahu—what good was he besides causing trouble?

Why didn't he just die?

At this thought, Concubine Lu's gaze turned dark and venomous.

And that Madam Feng was just as muddle-headed, still trying every means to save her worthless brother. Even if she did manage to save him, he was nothing but a useless thing who might one day stir up some other great disaster and drag Madam Feng down with him.

Her teeth ground together audibly.

The General surely wouldn't believe such idle gossip, but with two men seen climbing over her wall in full view of everyone, the General would certainly have them found... And if those two really were found...

Concubine Lu couldn't help but shiver.

A young maidservant ran in: "Madam, madam, they're all saying that Commander Lu has been defeated in battle, and the court is likely to call him to account..."

Like oil poured on fire, Concubine Lu was already seething with anger. At these words, she lashed out with a slap that sent the maidservant staggering and tumbling to the ground.

"You little slut, how dare you spout such nonsense! What kind of family is the Lu family? Hereditary chiliarchs—why would the court call us to account?"

A stream of bright red blood trickled from the corner of the maidservant's mouth.

She clutched her face, wanting to cry but not daring to, her eyes brimming with tears.

The sight only irritated Concubine Lu further. She stepped forward and delivered several kicks, until the maidservant clung to her leg, sobbing, "Mercy, madam, please have mercy!"

The other maidservants and serving women in the hall all lowered their eyes.

When Concubine Lu had tired herself out from beating, she sat down breathlessly in the armchair, and Xuemei hastily offered her a cup of hot tea.

She took a sip, feeling somewhat better, then snapped at the maidservant collapsed on the floor: "Get up. Don't play dead with me. Now tell me properly—what are people outside saying?"

...

Meanwhile, in Madam Wang's quarters, there was nothing but cheerful laughter.

"So General Wang led two thousand men to wipe out four thousand Mongols, and even killed the chieftain of the Khachut tribe—that's a great merit, isn't it?" Fu Tingjun said with delighted surprise.

This time, six tribes had participated in the Mongol incursion.

Madam Wang nodded with restraint: "He is a brigade general of Xi'ning Guard. Now that something like this has happened in Xi'ning Guard, he cannot shirk responsibility. He can only hope to offset his faults with merit, and pray that the court, seeing he slew a tribal chieftain, will be somewhat lenient in its censure. As for earning merit—he wouldn't dare presume." Knowing that Fu Tingjun was anxious for news of Zhao Ling, she smoothly changed the subject. "I asked Wei Shi about it. At the time, Banner-bearer Zhao and Yang Yucheng, the squad leader who enlisted with him, were together. After rescuing Commander Lu, they calculated that the Marquis of Yingchuan would likely set up camp near Tiantaishan, so they carried Commander Lu on their backs and headed west. On the way, they ran into Jin Yuanbao, the squad leader who had come looking for them. Twenty or thirty men escorted Commander Lu to see the Marquis of Yingchuan. Banner-bearer Zhao and Squad Leader Jin are both fine—Squad Leader Yang took an arrow wound to the arm, but nothing serious. A few days of rest and he'll recover. The Marquis of Yingchuan intends to let Commander Lu atone for his crimes through merit, and has assigned Banner-bearer Zhao, Squad Leader Jin, and several of the Marquis's own fierce warriors to Commander Lu's command. So rest assured—not only will Banner-bearer Zhao be in no danger this time, he'll come back with great merit. Just wait for his return and celebrate properly with him."

Fu Tingjun nodded repeatedly, the stone in her heart finally settling.

The Marquis of Yingchuan and the Marquis of Xiping had long-standing grievances between them, and Lu Cheng was someone the former had personally promoted after arriving in Zhangye. No matter how one looked at it, the Marquis of Yingchuan would not stand by and watch Lu Cheng fall. As long as Lu Cheng was safe, Zhao Ling—who had saved Lu Cheng's life—would naturally be safe as well.

She couldn't help but sigh: "In the past, when I heard those opera tales of men going off to battle and returning home in glory, I always thought it sounded so easy. Now that I'm living through it myself, I realize how hard it truly is. When I went to burn incense at the Great Buddha Temple the other day, I even felt a pang of regret, thinking I shouldn't have let him enlist."

"When one is young, one feels there's nothing to fear. Since one's husband has joined the ranks, one must become at least a commander-in-chief or governor-general to not waste one's life," Madam Wang said with equal emotion. "But later, when one becomes a mother, with children to care for and a small household to protect, one's courage grows smaller and smaller. All one hopes for is the whole family's safety. Everything else, one comes to realize, doesn't matter as much."

As the two women spoke heart to heart, Li Niang entered: "Madam, Madam Feng requests an audience!"

Fu Tingjun was startled.

Madam Wang smiled and said to her in a low voice: "She must be coming to ask for medicine."

Fu Tingjun suddenly understood and quickly stood up. "Then I should make myself scarce!"

Everyone knew full well why Feng Dahu had been injured. If Madam Feng saw her, she would probably want to eat her alive. Madam Feng had a fiery temper, and she had already swallowed her pride to come beg Madam Wang on her brother's behalf. If a conflict broke out, she would rather perish together with Fu Tingjun than swallow her anger for even a moment—that would render all of Madam Wang's efforts in vain.

Madam Wang thought for a moment, then nodded. "That's fine. Given Madam Feng's temperament, she wouldn't have used the golden wound medicine I sent unless she was completely at her wit's end with no other options. My guess is that she's just started using it and it's been working well, so she's treating this as a last resort and coming to me for more. Once I give her two bottles and she sees the results, she'll have no choice but to hold back whatever temper she has."

Fu Tingjun smiled and went off to visit the two young ladies of the Wang family.