Fu Tingyun thought of how Han Yan and Lu’E had been silent when Chen Mama and others were giving her the drug.
They were the last to serve her and were among those who knew the inside story. Since she was supposed to “die from illness,” how could Chen Mama and the others have spared Han Yan and Lu’E?
Although she had been concerned about the two women’s situation before, she had thought that because Zhao Ling, due to his mother’s experience, particularly detested those who bullied orphans and the weak, if Chen Mama and others were to harm Han Yan and Lu’E, and Zhao Ling had seen it, he would certainly have helped them. Clinging to this slim hope, she had chosen to ignore the issue, but now… It was likely that by the time Zhao Ling arrived, Han Yan and Lu’E had already been killed by Chen Mama. That was why he had been so angry when he saw her being forced to drink poison, to the extent that he killed Chen Mama and the others.
This explained why the two nuns, Guo Hui and Guo Zhi, were unharmed, and why her family had been so panicked after learning she had been rescued. Regarding the deaths of Chen Mama and the others, the Fu family could only claim that Biyun Temple had been looted by refugees; otherwise, with so many deaths, the magistrate’s office would certainly have intervened…
Zhao Ling, Zhao Ling… if not for him, she would have been nothing but a wronged soul by now!
Fu Tingyun silently called his name in her heart.
He hadn’t told her, probably to spare her the pain!
No matter when, he always considered her first.
Fu Tingyun couldn’t help but shed tears.
Whether it was Han Yan, Lu’E, or even the deceased Zhe Liu and Jian Cao, they had all met such a fate merely because they served her. How wronged they were!
Thinking of this, Fu Tingyun couldn’t help but grit her teeth.
It was all because of Zuo Junjie!
If not for him, how would Zhe Liu and the others have died? If not for him, how would Han Yan and Lu’E have been harmed?
She asked Yu Wei: “Who helped you pack my trunks?”
Yu Wei prostrated herself, her forehead against the cold blue bricks, her body trembling like a withered leaf about to fall in the autumn wind.
She choked: “It was Mo Xiang from the First Madam’s quarters!”
“What did you say?” Fu Tingyun could hardly believe her ears.
Mo Xiang from the First Madam’s quarters had originally been a little maid in her room. Not only was she beautiful, but she also had a talent for reading and writing. While others would take a whole day to memorize a passage of Buddhist scripture, she could master it in just an hour. The First Madam, who often copied Buddhist scriptures, had been specially requested by Fu Tingyun’s mother and given the name Mo Xiang. When she first entered the household, she was only eight or nine years old and had been trained by Yu Wei; the two were as close as sisters. Later, Mo Xiang became skilled at writing poetry and gradually gained some literary fame in the Fu household. The servants would ask her to write festive couplets or elegiac couplets during festivals or weddings, and funerals. She gradually became somewhat arrogant and would not bother with ordinary people. Although Fu Tingyun disliked her personality, seeing that she remained consistently friendly with Yu Wei, and appreciating this genuine sentiment, she had once helped mediate when the Sixth Aunt scolded her.
Fu Tingyun was furious and pressed aggressively: “How do you know it was her? If so, why didn’t you say so then? Don’t you know that by protecting just one person, you have harmed so many others!”
“I didn’t know at the time,” Yu Wei began to cry, “I truly didn’t know then. Although she and I were as close as sisters, I’m not a person who can’t tell right from wrong, especially in such a major incident where all those serving in the young lady’s quarters might die. Even if I wanted to protect her, I couldn’t just watch as Zhe Liu, Jian Cao, and the others, who had lived in the same room with me for several years, were wronged and even lost their lives!” She sobbed incoherently, “I thought since she was by the First Madam’s side, and Zuo Junjie was the First Madam’s brother, when I returned to Huayin, I didn’t even dare to look for her. It was later when I mentioned this to Sister Yi Tong that she told me Mo Xiang had hanged herself, and was five months pregnant when she died. That’s when I remembered… There was a period when she was learning to paint from someone, happy every day. The Guanyin portrait I embroidered for the First Madam was drawn by her. She urged me not to tell anyone, saying that the sisters in the household were already jealous of her for writing a couple of poems, and if they knew she was learning painting from him, they would hate her to death. I asked her who was teaching her to paint, but she wouldn’t say. At that time, the Eighth Young Master from the Fourth Branch was always hovering around her, so I thought it was him. I warned her that the Fourth Madam was shrewd and capable, while the Eighth Young Master was weak in character. If she had such intentions, she should make the Eighth Young Master take the proper route early on; otherwise, once the Fourth Madam found out, the Eighth Young Master definitely wouldn’t protect her, and since she served the widowed First Madam, the First Lady and First Madam probably wouldn’t spare her either. She heard this and just curled her lip, disdainfully saying that the Eighth Young Master could only fool those illiterate little maids, and if he wanted to be like the ancients and have her add incense to the lamp while he studied, he should first properly memorize ‘The Poems of a Thousand Masters.'”
“I knew she liked those with learning, and hearing her say this, I felt reassured, planning to ask her about it properly after some time. But later, first there was the young lady’s coming-of-age ceremony, then the Yu family sent a letter saying they would send someone in the summer to set the wedding date. We were so busy running around that I temporarily couldn’t pay attention to her… Now thinking back, that person must have been Zuo Junjie. Besides him, no one could freely enter and exit the First Madam’s room. Moreover, Mo Xiang usually just came to our room to sit for a while before leaving, but in the days before the incident, she came to see me twice in the evening, when Zhe Liu and I were busy putting the young lady’s aired clothes and bedding into the trunks. One time, the young lady’s clothes hadn’t been folded after being collected and were placed on the bed. While talking with us, she helped fold the clothes. Another time, I clearly remember closing the trunk that held your clothes, but when I turned around, I found it open again. I just thought I was confused from being too busy and didn’t pay attention… She wasn’t good at needlework but could paint, which clearly shows it was she who tampered with things!”
Yu Wei’s expression became somewhat blank.
“Then, Sister Yi Tong, thinking I was already dead and wanting to clear the injustice for the young lady and her sisters, secretly inquired about Zuo Junjie. She not only discovered that Mo Xiang’s death had been covered up by the First Madam but also that Zuo Junjie’s escape was facilitated by the First Madam, who had tipped him off. Because of this, the First Lady is now very dissatisfied with the First Madam. She not only replaced all the people around the First Madam under the pretext of disasters, but also had the First Madam move to Tingxiang Pavilion in the back garden, instructing her not to walk around the house unnecessarily to avoid frightening the young ladies and young masters of the household.”
After Yu Wei finished speaking, she kowtowed repeatedly to Fu Tingyun with a “bang, bang, bang” sound: “Young lady, I know all this is my fault. Even if I died a thousand times, ten thousand times, it wouldn’t be enough to make up for the mistake I’ve committed. But if I died, the young lady’s situation would be even harder to clarify. I need to live, to go to the capital to find the Master and the Madam, to tell them about this matter. Even if the Master and Madam don’t speak up then, I will go to accompany Zhe Liu and the others, begging for their forgiveness…” She raised her head, her fair forehead bright red with blood, “But I have no household registration, no travel permit. I fear I wouldn’t make it a hundred miles before being taken to the county magistrate’s office as a runaway maid. So I’ve been lingering around this relay station, hoping for kind-hearted people willing to buy me as a servant and take me to the capital. But after more than half a year, the few kind-hearted people I occasionally met either couldn’t take me to the capital and gave me some silver fragments to find another way, or carefully questioned my background until I slipped up, making them suspicious that I was a runaway maid. Most, however, were coveting my appearance. My sins are deep, but as long as I can see the Master and Madam, I fear nothing. But I was afraid that even if I complied with their wishes, I would only be deceived by them, becoming a second Mo Xiang… Young lady,” Fu Tingyun was richly dressed and riding angrily, and Yu Wei dared not ask about Fu Tingyun’s experiences. She looked straight at Fu Tingyun, the fresh blood from her forehead creeping down her cheek, “Let’s go to the capital? I’ll tell all this to the Master and Madam. They’ll know you were wronged and will surely uphold justice for you. Since Zuo Junjie has framed us, he is heartless, so why should we talk about any righteousness with him? We can also frame him…” Her expression was ferocious, “Even if I die, I must bite Zuo Junjie twice!”
“Good, we’ll go to the capital!” Fu Tingyun stood up, her expression icy, her chin slightly raised. She suddenly seemed to become solemn and dignified, emanating an invisible aura of authority that couldn’t be ignored, “Even if Zuo Junjie is dead, I will find his corpse!”
That resolute tone made Yu Wei’s heart tremble.
…
The carriage moved lightly along the post road toward the capital. Fu Tingyun sat with a face like still water, leaning against a large pillow with closed eyes, her mind filled with countless thoughts.
Yu Wei obediently held the already sleeping Linchun, sitting at the carriage door, answering Zheng San’s wife’s questions softly, occasionally looking up at Fu Tingyun with some bewilderment, appearing somewhat restrained.
Seeing this, Zheng San’s wife covered her mouth and laughed softly: “Didn’t you say you once served our young lady? Then you should know that our young lady is a very good person, you don’t need to be afraid. Someone like me, with no relation to the young lady, is given food by her, let alone someone like you who has fled here alone in the famine!” After saying this, she patted Yu Wei’s hand reassuringly, “You should set your mind at ease and serve our young lady well. Our young lady won’t treat you poorly.”
Having fabricated a reason for their reunion, Yu Wei abided by the rules of seniority, responding respectfully with a “yes” in front of Zheng San’s wife, lowering her eyelids to conceal the bitterness in her eyes.
When had she become a stranger to the Ninth Miss?
She gently patted Linchun in her arms.
The young lady now… should be doing quite well, right?
Being able to stay at the relay station, having guards for escort, deciding to take her to the capital, calling upon the steady-looking Old Master Lü. When Old Master Lü heard that she and the young lady were old acquaintances, he immediately showed a kindly smile. Early the next morning, not only did he take silver to officially arrange the slave contract with Guard Jian through a broker at the government office, but he also bought her several winter clothes and gave her a few taels of silver fragments. Like Zheng San’s wife, he only instructed her to take good care of the young lady.
Thinking of this, she raised her head to look at Fu Tingyun again, but her gaze met the curious eyes of the young master called Asen, who was sitting beside Fu Tingyun.
Asen’s face reddened, and he quickly turned his face away, but immediately looked back, his eyes wide open, defiantly staring back.
Yu Wei couldn’t help but smile with closed lips.
Then she was slightly stunned.
How long had it been since she had smiled?
How long had it been since she had felt so relaxed?
Feeling her vision blur, Yu Wei hurriedly took out a handkerchief from her sleeve and wiped the corners of her eyes.
Zheng San’s wife was full of doubts.
Logically, this Yu Wei was just someone who had previously served the young lady, but watching her graceful and nimble movement as she took out the handkerchief, she seemed like a lady from a noble family.
Could she also be someone who had fallen on hard times?
Zheng San’s wife couldn’t help but feel some sympathy.
This cursed disaster had ruined perfectly good families.
Thinking of how Yu Wei had said she survived by picking up discarded food at the relay station these days, she said compassionately: “The journey is long, the young lady is resting, you should also close your eyes for a while.” As she spoke, she quietly went to take Linchun.
Yu Wei was physically weak, and holding the sturdy Linchun was indeed very tiring.
She handed Linchun to Zheng San’s wife, smiling gratefully at her.
Fu Tingyun, who had been closing her eyes as if sleeping, suddenly opened them and calmly instructed Zheng San’s wife: “When we reach the next relay station, go tell Old Master Lü to invite a doctor to examine Yu Wei.”