“So we were just frightening ourselves, seeing enemies everywhere?” Fu Tingyun said, unable to hold back her laughter.
Zhao Ling smiled sheepishly: “It was mainly because the timing was too coincidental. We couldn’t help but think that way!”
Fu Tingyun nodded with a smile and pushed the blue-and-white porcelain bowl of chicken soup toward Zhao Ling: “Drink it quickly before it gets cold!”
Zhao Ling responded with a sound of agreement and lowered his head to drink the soup.
Fu Tingyun thought of what had just happened and burst into laughter again.
Watching her, Zhao Ling shook his head somewhat helplessly.
Who would have thought that the Marquis of Yingchuan had specifically summoned him not about the Datong Company matter, but to expose his past?
The Marquis had directly asked if he was the Zhao Jiu who smuggled salt in the northwest, and even mentioned Fu Tingyun, suspecting she was the ninth young lady of the Fu family from Huayin who had reportedly died of illness. Fortunately, due to the severe drought in Shaanxi last year, which had caused civil unrest, many county and prefectural fish-scale registers and yellow registers had been destroyed. His master had brought him to the northwest to avoid enemies, being very careful about their whereabouts, and he had never mentioned it to others. The Marquis of Yingchuan had only discovered that he had once smuggled salt, but knew nothing else. As for Fu Tingyun’s background, it was merely speculation without corroboration… Otherwise, if he only knew fragments about his opponent while his opponent knew his history and past clearly, he would be like standing naked before the fully dressed Marquis of Yingchuan, being scrutinized. That feeling of not knowing how to guard against an opponent was truly unpleasant!
Thinking of this, his expression became slightly stern.
Fu Tingyun, who had been smiling at Zhao Ling, noticed this and felt a stirring in her heart.
For no apparent reason, why had the Marquis of Yingchuan called him over to say these things?
Zhao Ling always shared good news but not bad news with her. Could there be something more to this matter?
She thought for a moment, then suddenly said: “Lord Zhao, could it be that the Marquis of Yingchuan wants to make important use of you?”
Hearing this, Zhao Ling almost choked on his chicken soup.
He put down the soup bowl and hurriedly asked: “Why would you think that?”
Fu Tingyun said: “When I helped my aunt manage the household, if I wanted to make important use of someone or deal with someone, I would investigate that person thoroughly. This was to avoid using the wrong person or offending someone I couldn’t afford to offend, which would not only fail to deal with the person but also make me lose face and authority. I presume the Marquis of Yingchuan is the same. He is the Commander-in-Chief of Gansu, high in position and wielding great power. How could ordinary people easily catch his eye? Even when he promoted you to be the Commander of Nianbo Guard, it was only because you earned military merit for Commander Lu, saved Commander Lu’s life and fortune, yet remained humble and cautious without showing off. He wanted to use you as an example to let others know that those who submit to him would enjoy glory, wealth, and a promising future. As for how highly he regards you, given the short time, I doubt it’s much. Everyone suspects you killed Feng Dahu, and the Marquis of Yingchuan even uncovered your salt smuggling. If he wanted to, he could have discovered the truth about Feng Dahu’s death just as easily. Yet when he summoned you, he only mentioned your salt smuggling, not Feng Dahu’s murder. This shows he doesn’t care much about what you’ve done; he cares about your background, about whose man you are. Isn’t this about wanting to make important use of you or something similar?” She then continued, “The Marquis of Yingchuan has shown his hand, so he couldn’t possibly let you return safely. Tell me the truth, what does the Marquis of Yingchuan want you to do? If it’s too dangerous, we should at least discuss a strategy. Three cobblers with their wits combined equal Zhuge Liang. You shouldn’t keep everything to yourself without saying a word!”
Zhao Ling felt as if cold sweat was seeping from his forehead. He couldn’t help but laugh dryly, half sighing and half teasing: “Our darling is getting more and more formidable. It seems there’s nothing I can hide from our darling in the future!”
“Stop teasing me!” Fu Tingyun’s face reddened at his repeated use of “darling.” She said angrily, “I have a surname and a name. If you keep calling me that, I really won’t speak to you anymore!”
Hearing this, a hint of craftiness flashed in Zhao Ling’s eyes: “Then what should I call you? Tingyun? Calling you by your given name doesn’t seem proper. Quanhui? That seems to be what your family calls you…” As he spoke, his eyes brightened, “How about I call you A Yun? In my hometown, we like to call girls A-something… The more he spoke, the happier he became, “It’s decided then. In front of others, I’ll call you A Yun!” Then with a mischievous smile, “A Yun, what do you think?”
Seeing him joking around in front of her, deliberately avoiding the main issue, Fu Tingyun felt even more confused.
Zhao Ling’s expression suddenly turned serious as he said: “Among women in the world, many have the virtue of orchids and the heart of cassia, but few are steadfast and chaste. A Yun, this name is good!”
Fu Tingyun was stunned. Their eyes met, and his gaze was deep. In the dim yellow lamplight, his eyes conveyed tender affection, causing her heart to skip a beat. Thousands of words gathered in her chest, but she couldn’t utter a single one.
The room fell into silence.
Fu Tingyun’s face burned hot.
Was he praising her?
A hint of sweetness welled up in her heart.
Suddenly she felt that being so particular about a form of address was perhaps too indulgent. Then she thought of his comment about her becoming more formidable… Could it be that he didn’t like it?
Sixth Uncle had been traveling abroad for years, and people at home said it was because Sixth Aunt was too tough and had driven Sixth Uncle away!
She began to feel uneasy, turned her face away, and softly asked Zhao Ling: “Is being too formidable not good?”
“I don’t know about others,” Zhao Ling said solemnly, “but I like A Yun’s formidability!”
Fu Tingyun looked up in surprise and saw a fleeting pain on Zhao Ling’s face.
She was astonished.
Zhao Ling saw her reaction and smiled: “I once told you that my mother was falsely accused of having an affair with our steward…”
Hearing this, Fu Tingyun felt a pang in her heart. She felt that even thinking about this matter was an insult to Zhao Ling’s mother, let alone asking about it. Now that he had brought it up, fearing that dwelling on it would cause Zhao Ling more distress, she hurriedly nodded: “You told me before.”
“Sometimes I think my mother didn’t have to die,” Zhao Ling said, his expression obscure and somewhat strange. “They called my uncle to catch them in the act. Supposedly, when they discovered my mother, she was unconscious and lying naked in bed with Steward Zhou. My uncle woke her with a basin of cold water. After my mother woke up, she just cried and begged my uncle to help her. Steward Zhou swore to heaven he hadn’t done such a thing and wanted to call all the staff on duty that day to verify. They said my mother was an imperial lady, and I would eventually study for the imperial examinations, get married, and have children. If the matter spread, the Zhao family would merely be pointed at and gossiped about, but my background would be tarnished, and my eligibility for the imperial examinations might be questioned. They claimed this matter was Steward Zhou taking advantage of his mistress. They said if they dealt with Steward Zhou, the matter would be concluded. They also proposed letting them manage our family property until I came of age. My uncle disagreed, so they accused him of coveting our family’s wealth. My mother, seeing them constantly circling our family’s property, thought that if she handed over the property, they would stop troubling us. Then she took me back to my uncle’s home, encouraged me to study hard, believing that after I became a successful scholar, we could regain our fortune… She watched helplessly as Steward Zhou was dragged away… The Zhou family’s steward was beaten to death, which made the situation even more unclear… They took the opportunity to invite Prefect Zou Zixiang… With conclusive evidence, Prefect Zou, knowing my father was a successful scholar, was unwilling to bring the case to court and let the Zhao family settle it privately… My mother realized she had been tricked and hanged herself in front of the Zhao family ancestral hall… She hoped to use public opinion to condemn the Zhao family, but never thought that when a person dies, it’s like a lamp extinguished. Even those who had benefited from my father and mother’s kindness feared offending the Zhao family and losing their comfortable lives, let alone those who were just spectators… A Yun,” his voice became bitter, “after all these years, sometimes when I think about it, I always ask myself, if my mother had been more formidable, would all of this have happened…”
Was it possible that after all these years, sometimes when he thought about it, he still harbored a trace of resentment toward his mother’s weakness?
Fu Tingyun instinctively grasped Zhao Ling’s tightly clenched fist: “Does Lord Zhao regret it? Learning martial arts with the Daoist master, does Lord Zhao regret it? Smuggling salt, making the Feng family, who could make the entire northwest tremble with a stomp, step back, does Lord Zhao regret it? Going to Biyun Temple to steal food,” she said with a sudden laugh, “only to be entangled by a thick-skinned little girl, do you regret it?” Her large, almond-shaped eyes glanced at him sideways, as charming as the beautiful scenery of May, asking him indulgently, “Tell me quickly, do you regret it or not?”
Zhao Ling’s heart pounded, and he gazed at her intently. The passion he had carefully hidden in his heart threatened to erupt like a volcano that could no longer be contained. He suddenly stood up, and with a slight twist of his wrist, Fu Tingyun stumbled into his arms.
“No regrets!” He held Fu Tingyun tightly and pressed against her jade-like, crystalline face, he said softly, “I will never regret it for my entire life!”
His heartbeat, as clear and firm as a drum; his embrace, as hot as fire; his face pressed against hers, unlike her smooth, delicate, and flawless skin, was somewhat rough, giving a tingling sensation that made her flustered and weak… She allowed his arms to tighten around her, allowed his palms to caress up and down her beautifully curved back… She trembled with the tingling sensation, feeling as if she would melt into a puddle, no longer able to stand… These unfamiliar emotions made her afraid.
“Zhao Ling!” She called his name in panic, pushing against him haphazardly, but her hands were soft and powerless.
Zhao Ling breathed rapidly. The fragrant and soft body in his arms seemed to have turned into water, making his mouth dry, his blood surge, and his body begin to change subtly… It was so wonderful, yet so painful… Like standing at the edge of a great chasm, one step forward was heaven, one step back was hell… Yet he dared not go forward, nor was he willing to retreat… Just as he was at a loss, he heard Fu Tingyun’s slightly choked voice.
Like a bucket of cold water poured over him, he started and hurriedly released her.
“A Yun…” he called her name guiltily, but what met his eyes was a pair of misty eyes dimmed by desire.
With a “boom,” the flame he had just suppressed raged uncontrollably through his body, like an untamed wild horse, making him lose his composure. He murmured to her, “A Yun, let the Marquis of Yingchuan make the arrangements. Shall we get married?”