Fu Tingyun felt secretly puzzled. She wanted to ask if Xiu Zhu’s family had any news of the Bi Bo family, but she was somewhat afraid and hesitated several times. Even after seeing off Xiu Zhu’s family, she still couldn’t bring herself to ask.

On her way back, she heard firecrackers popping somewhere.

“Which family is celebrating a wedding or birthday?” Zheng San Niang muttered.

Fu Tingyun didn’t pay much attention.

The next day, two old women came to clean the back room. After they left, Zheng San Niang came to tell her: “The second son of Inspector Ji, who lives next to Official Li, passed the provincial examination. Once his rank is determined, they’ll hold a banquet.”

Fu Tingyun suddenly understood.

This year was Jiaxu, the year of the imperial examination.

A thought suddenly struck her.

Last year was Guiyou, when the provincial examinations were held.

Could Xiu Zhu’s hesitation be related to this?

Fu Tingyun called Yu Wei in to speak privately: “I remember that Yu’s father is the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, supervising officials and scrutinizing government affairs. Wouldn’t it be easy for him to find information?”

Yu Wei was startled and said anxiously: “Miss, what are you planning to do?”

Fu Tingyun smiled: “I’m just curious why Xiu Zhu’s family, despite confirming that the Ninth Lord hasn’t taken a wife or concubine, still showed some regret…”

Yu Wei somewhat rudely interrupted Fu Tingyun: “Even so, Miss shouldn’t be inquiring about this. What if Lord Zhao’s people found out and it reached his ears?” She showed some concern.

Zhao Ling?

Fu Tingyun thought of how he had been frank with her, telling her that since she agreed to follow him to Zhangye, he had decided to marry her, which was why he had become more intimate with her and less formal… Such a confident person probably wouldn’t mind, would he?

Thinking of this, she felt sweet inside.

“I’m just curious,” Fu Tingyun found herself less eager to know now. “If you think it’s inappropriate, then forget it.”

Yu Wei had grown up with her, and thinking of all the trouble her mistress’s “curiosity” had caused in the past, she couldn’t help feeling a headache. After some thought, she still went to inquire about the Yu family from Nanjing’s Fengle District.

Unexpectedly, the Yu family was so well-known in the capital that everyone could say something about them. She quickly learned that last spring, Yu Guoliang, the second master of the Yu family, had been appointed as Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Cabinet and promoted to Minister of Rites; the eldest master Yu Guocai had risen to the position of Provincial Administrator of Fujian; and the third master of the Yu family had also taken office as Prefect of Shaoxing in Zhejiang. But what people envied most was that the Yu family had promising heirs. Last autumn, the Yu family’s eldest son had placed first in the Zhili provincial examination, and this year he participated in the palace examination and again placed first. Moreover, he was only twenty-one years old. Everyone was saying that if Young Master Yu wasn’t named the top scholar, he would surely be the third-place winner.

Fu Tingyun was very surprised and smiled: “Father always said the Yu family’s eldest son was intelligent and had a promising future. I didn’t expect it to be true.”

In comparison, Zhao Ling seemed less impressive.

She hoped her father wouldn’t compare Zhao Ling with Young Master Yu.

But then she thought it unlikely.

Fu Tingyun couldn’t help but sigh deeply.

Yu Wei looked at her and carefully added: “However, I heard that Young Master Yu got married last winter!”

Fu Tingyun was stunned.

So quickly!

Although news of her “death” had spread in July the year before last, and Young Master Yu had only married last winter, arranging a marriage in a noble family—from selection to proposal to engagement—would take at least a year. Besides, Young Master Yu was someone whose fiancée had “died,” and respectable families giving their daughters in marriage would have some reservations, especially since Young Master Yu hadn’t yet passed the metropolitan examination at that time…

She couldn’t help asking: “Do you know which family’s daughter Young Master Yu married?”

Yu Wei only hoped Fu Tingyun would give up, so she said: “The second daughter of Fan Kun, the famous Confucian scholar from Jiangnan.”

That explained it.

The two families knew each other well, and Young Master Yu had studied essay writing under Fan Kun, who naturally understood his student’s character, temperament, and knowledge thoroughly. Although Young Master Yu’s fiancée had “died of illness,” for Fan Kun, this was probably just a minor flaw in an otherwise perfect jade.

Still, Young Master Yu had managed to handle an engagement, participate in the provincial examination, get married, and take the palace examination all close together, yet he still achieved such excellent results. This showed that his foundation was solid, and he truly had some ability!

She couldn’t help but become interested in the palace examination.

By mid-April, when the results were announced, Yu Jingxiu (Yu Depu), the eldest son of the Yu family, was indeed named the top scholar.

A twenty-one-year-old top scholar.

In an instant, Yu Jingxiu’s name became famous throughout China.

But after just a few days, this news that had excited people in every corner was overshadowed by the news that the Emperor was too ill to attend the morning court. Everyone’s attention quickly shifted to whether the Emperor would recover, when Prince Zhuang, the Emperor’s only son, would be named Crown Prince, and whether the former Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Cabinet and Minister of Rites, Mo Yingbo, who had always supported Prince Zhuang’s succession, would continue as the Chief Grand Secretary if Prince Zhuang ascended the throne… Even the two servant women who came to work at the house whispered about these matters with Zheng San Niang.

Fu Tingyun wasn’t concerned about these issues.

The Emperor had only one son, Prince Zhuang, who by all rights should succeed him. Moreover, the Marquis of Yingchuan was Prince Zhuang’s brother-in-law, and Zhao Ling served under the Marquis of Yingchuan. During the transition of power, even if the Marquis of Yingchuan wasn’t promoted, he wouldn’t fall from grace.

She was only worried that this matter would affect Zhao Ling’s schedule for coming to the capital.

Additionally, after that one visit from Xiu Zhu’s family, there had been no further news. On the eighth day of the fourth month, Buddha’s birthday, when people throughout the capital went out to attend temple fairs, Fu Tingyun sent Yu Wei to watch at the entrance of the Fu family alley, but she didn’t see any of the Fu family women going out.

She decided to find a way to meet her brother, Fu Tinggui.

If she could persuade him, wouldn’t that be one more source of support?

If Zhao Ling traveled quickly, he should arrive in the capital by May. She didn’t want Zhao Ling to be embarrassed before her father on her account.

She wrote a letter and had Yu Wei deliver it to her brother on his way to study.

At this time, a visitor came.

Fu Tingyun was somewhat surprised.

Perhaps because the neighbors were all officials’ families, they were particularly sensitive to the slightest changes in court affairs. First, there was the birthday celebration for the wife of Stone Wenbin, the Commander of the Tengji Guard; then there was the announcement of the new jinshi graduates; now the Emperor was ill. Everyone had been busy first with birthday congratulations, then with banquets for successful fellow provincials, and now with the prospect of Prince Zhuang’s succession, which brought joy to some families and worry to others. No one had time to visit her.

“Please invite them in!” she put down her pen and instructed Zheng San Niang.

Zheng San Niang hesitated: “It’s the third manager from the Datong firm. Where would you like to receive him?”

“Ah!” Fu Tingyun couldn’t hide her shock. “Quickly invite the third manager to the south wing hall. Let A Sen keep him company first. I’ll change my clothes and come right away.”

The south wing had six rooms: one was the gatehouse, one had a large door, three formed a hall for receiving outside guests, and the other two were partitioned into a courtyard, serving as a study and inner room, mostly used for resident teachers or studying children.

A Sen, now Zhao Ling’s sworn brother and already eleven years old, had been arranged by Fu Tingyun to live in the study of the south wing.

When Fu Tingyun arrived, A Sen was asking Manager Ye about his injuries, looking quite grown-up, which made Fu Tingyun smile slightly.

Manager Ye saw Fu Tingyun and hurriedly stood up, clasping his hands to pay his respects.

Fu Tingyun quickly stopped him: “Manager Ye is older than me and is our Ninth Lord’s good friend. Such formality is more than I deserve.”

Manager Ye, having traveled extensively outside, had both a careful, cautious side and a bold, generous side. Seeing Fu Tingyun speak sincerely, he smiled and let it go, saying: “In that case, I won’t stand on ceremony.”

They exchanged pleasantries and sat down according to their status.

Before Fu Tingyun could ask about his purpose for coming, he said: “After I returned, the elders in my family felt it was no longer suitable for me to stay in the Northwest, so they sent me to the capital to help my eldest brother manage the business here. I came last November. A few days ago, I received a letter from Lord Zhao saying you had arrived in the capital. He also said that if I had time, I should come and see how you’re doing, and that I could help with any matters you might have. So, as soon as I received the letter, I came over.” He added with a smile, “You don’t need to be formal with me. I’m idle anyway, so coming here to visit gives me a chance to stretch my legs.”

He must have been sidelined by the Ye family.

Fu Tingyun suddenly felt a sense of kinship as fellow outcasts: “Manager Ye, please feel free to come whenever you have time. Manager Lü is also in the capital. Although it doesn’t compare to managing a caravan of thousands of people like you did, you’re still in the same trade, so you must have things to talk about.”

“Miss Fu flatters me,” Manager Ye smiled. “That’s all in the past. Now I’m just a steward helping to look after the warehouses.”

Fu Tingyun saw that his expression was completely at ease, and she nodded inwardly. She asked Zheng San Niang to invite Manager Lü in, exchanged a few polite words with him, and then returned to the main room.

At noon, Manager Lü kept Manager Ye for lunch on Fu Tingyun’s behalf. After seeing Manager Ye off, Manager Lü came to discuss with Fu Tingyun: “Manager Ye wants to invite us to join him in the grain business. I think it’s feasible.” He then analyzed how many official households there were in the capital, how much salary rice each family received annually, how much new rice could be exchanged for each dou of salary rice, how good Manager Ye’s relationship was with the transport officials, and so on. Fu Tingyun listened and realized that Manager Ye had already investigated everything thoroughly and had come today to persuade her to do this business.

Officials’ salaries included both silver and rice and silk, called “salary rice.” Usually, the salary rice was old rice that official households weren’t accustomed to eating. They would typically sell the salary rice to grain shops at a low price or exchange it for new rice at a certain ratio. The price difference was astonishing. But the shop needed exceptional backing; otherwise, encountering those who didn’t play by the rules and demanded a one-to-one exchange, the business would fail.

She couldn’t help but ask suspiciously: “Besides us, who else does Manager Ye plan to invite as shareholders?”

“Just our two families.” Manager Lü hesitated for a moment, then said, “He said the capital needed isn’t much, just ten thousand taels of silver. In business, a fifty-fifty split is most problematic because when the two parties disagree, the business can’t continue. He knows we just bought a house, so he proposed an 80-20 partnership, with him taking 80 and us 20…”

If it worked out, this would be like pie falling from the sky.

Fu Tingyun pondered: “Have you clarified whether we’re doing business with the Ye family or with him?”

Manager Lü was somewhat hesitant: “With Manager Ye personally.”

What qualifications did he have to do this business?

Fu Tingyun remained silent.

Manager Lü’s old face reddened: “If Miss thinks it’s not appropriate, I’ll go and decline Manager Ye’s offer!”

“That would be best,” Fu Tingyun said softly. “We’d better not get dragged into the Ye family’s internal conflicts!”