Fu Tingyun wouldn’t let Zhao Ling evade the question, coquettishly insisting on knowing what had happened.
Seeing her resolute attitude, Zhao Ling realized he couldn’t get around this matter, and reluctantly said: “Wasn’t the Beginning of Winter a rest day? None of us got to rest until we were given a make-up day on the twentieth of the twelfth month. Mo Yi invited several of us to drink at Baishun Restaurant. Later, we encountered Lord Ma, the Right Deputy Commander of the Banner Guards, who insisted on calling for a singer. He’d had a few drinks too many and was already talking nonsense. I didn’t want to interact with him further, so I made an excuse about having matters at home and took my leave.” As he spoke, his face showed traces of coldness. “Who knew that upon hearing this, that Ma fellow started shouting that I wasn’t showing respect, and even brought up matters about his ancestors… Mo Yi, seeing my displeased expression, kept giving me signals with his eyes while trying to persuade Ma, saying only that you were pregnant and there were no elders at home to take care of you… Who knew that as this story got passed around, it changed form.”
Fu Tingyun’s smile gradually faded as she said: “What kind of background does this Ma fellow have, that he’s so aggressive? It’s just that you didn’t go drinking with him at a brothel, yet he slanders people like this!”
“What good background could someone like him have?” Zhao Ling said dismissively. “He’s just afraid people will look down on him, so he boasts. Don’t take it to heart.”
Such matters only create more trouble the more one argues about them.
But Fu Tingyun felt wronged on Zhao Ling’s behalf and couldn’t help saying: “It’s all that Mo Yi’s fault. Of all the things he could have said, he had to mention that I was pregnant and alone at home. Whenever you encounter him, nothing good comes of it!” As she spoke, her eyes rolled as she said, “Do you know about Mo Yi’s family situation? Will his wife be coming to the capital?”
“The Mo family has many descendants. I only know that he is from the main branch, has one wife and two concubines, and four sons. I’m not very clear about other details,” Zhao Ling said. “I’ve heard his wife will set out for the capital with his concubines and sons after the New Year. By my calculations, they should arrive around mid-April.”
Most people would travel after the Lantern Festival.
Fu Tingyun had a plan in mind and smiled: “We should pay them a visit when they arrive.”
Hearing this, Zhao Ling shook his head with a smile: “Don’t cause trouble!”
“Don’t worry,” Fu Tingyun smiled with pursed lips. “I just want to teach him a lesson. Who told him to always speak carelessly?” Seeing Zhao Ling’s somewhat indifferent expression, she smiled and leaned into his embrace, twirling his robe ties as she said: “I’ve been cooped up at home every day lately, and you won’t let me use a needle. All I do is look at chess manuals or practice calligraphy… I want to go to Tanzhe Temple to offer incense. Which day will you accompany me?”
Zhao Ling’s face showed remorse: “I’ll make time to go with you in the next couple of days.”
But after seven or eight “couple of days” passed, Zhao Ling still couldn’t find the time—first it was the Grand Empress Dowager’s birthday on the twenty-first of the second month, then the Empress’s birthday on the twelfth of the third month, followed by All Saints’ Day on the twentieth of the third month… Fu Tingyun told Zhao Ling she would go to Tanzhe Temple with Zheng San as escort and accompanied by Yu Wei.
Tanzhe Temple was more than twenty li from the capital. Inside the temple, ancient trees reached the sky, pagodas stood in rows, and majestic halls were built along the mountain, cleverly arranged with staggered layouts. The temple was further adorned with bamboo and famous flowers, making the environment elegant and serene.
Fu Tingyun’s pregnancy was becoming more noticeable. Supported by Yu Wei, she somewhat laboriously performed the kneeling ritual to Guanyin Bodhisattva.
Yu Wei nervously protected her at the side. After Fu Tingyun finished offering incense, Yu Wei supported her by the arm and couldn’t help complaining softly: “Madam is too much. If there was something you needed, you could have just told one of us. Why did you have to come personally? Or you could have told the Ninth Lord—he could have come to the temple to offer incense for you. But you wouldn’t agree no matter what. If you bump or hurt yourself somewhere, how will I explain to the Ninth Lord…” As she spoke, several children who had come to the temple with their parents to offer incense ran past them, chasing each other. Yu Wei protected Fu Tingyun behind her, and only after the group of children had run far away did she sigh in relief and support Fu Tingyun’s arm again.
Fu Tingyun couldn’t help but smile at the sight of those lively, adorable children. She said: “Sincere heart brings efficacy; naturally, I had to come in person.”
Yu Wei wanted to speak but hesitated.
She really couldn’t understand what wish Fu Tingyun still had in her heart.
The Ninth Lord was needless to say completely devoted to his wife, and even the Fifth Master of the Fu family, whom Madam had worried about most, now turned a blind eye to Madam’s affairs because of the Ninth Lord…
As Yu Wei was pondering, she heard Fu Tingyun let out a long sigh and murmur: “I came specially to pray to the Bodhisattva to let me have a boy.”
She was stunned. After a while, she said softly: “Didn’t the Ninth Lord say he would be happy with either a son or daughter? And he even said that if flowers came first, followed by fruit, it would make the character for ‘good,’ which would be perfect. I don’t think the Ninth Lord was just saying that to make you happy…”
“I know,” Fu Tingyun said, her eyes seeming to moisten. “It’s precisely because the Ninth Lord treats me so well that I don’t want to hold back his career any further.” She mentioned how Zhao Ling had politely declined the Emperor’s request for her sake. “…The Ninth Lord simply can’t stop worrying about me. If I give birth to a son, ensuring the Zhao family has an heir, then should such a situation arise again, I believe the Ninth Lord would have fewer concerns.”
This was the first time Yu Wei had heard about this matter, and she couldn’t help saying repeatedly: “Don’t worry, Madam. The doctor, the Ninth Lord, invited to check your pulse also said ‘a round belly means a daughter, a pointed belly means a son.'” As she spoke, she looked at Fu Tingyun’s belly again. “Your belly is pointed.”
As the two spoke in low voices, they had already walked to the massive incense burner about two people tall in the center of the courtyard in front of the Great Buddha Hall. Coming towards them was a group of finely dressed guards, matrons, and maids surrounding two women.
One of them appeared to be thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old, with black hair arranged in the capital’s fashionable peony bun, adorned with gold and jade hairpins, wearing a sapphire blue embroidered jacket. Her skin was fair and delicate, and her eyes were bright and sharp, radiating a dignity rare among women.
The other appeared to be seventeen or eighteen years old, with exquisitely beautiful features, wearing a plain lake-green Hangzhou silk jacket. Her glances revealed hints of charm, causing those who came to offer incense to repeatedly look back at her. Yet she bore a smile, poised and graceful as people gazed at her. Occasionally, when her eyes met those looking at her, she would nod with a smile, her elegant demeanor making hearts flutter.
Fu Tingyun quickly lowered her head, adjusted her windhat, and hid her face in the shadow of the hat as she passed by the group.
Yu Wei was also perceptive, keeping her head down and following Fu Tingyun. Only after they had left the Guanyin Hall did she ask softly: “Madam, who were those people? Why did you need to avoid them?”
“That was the Third Madam Shu from the Yu family of Fengle Ward in Nanjing,” Fu Tingyun said. “If I’m not mistaken, the one beside Madam Yu should be Madam Yu’s daughter-in-law, Lady Fan.”
Yu Wei was shocked.
Fu Tingyun quickly comforted her: “It’s fine! This was a coincidence—I’ve heard that the Yu family’s young mistress has difficulty bearing children, and since Tanzhe Temple has Guanyin’s sanctuary, Madam Yu must have brought her daughter-in-law to pray for a child.”
Yu Wei couldn’t help feeling frightened and said: “Fortunately, they didn’t recognize us. If they had, how would Madam have explained it!” She added, “If only the Fifth Master were willing to help Madam by making an appearance.”
Fu Tingyun also sighed upon hearing this.
In others’ eyes, she was still a daughter of the Fu family. How to explain her existence—it would be best if everyone could have a unified story.
Left Junjie’s false accusations against her were, after all, the Fu family’s internal affairs, best resolved within the Fu family.
Just as Yu Wei said, if her father were willing to help by making an appearance, why would she need to avoid Madam Yu?
She thought of the letter she had once asked someone to deliver to her aunt.
There had been no response yet, and she didn’t know if her aunt had received the letter.
Perhaps she should write to Jinhua and discuss with her uncle, who was in office, about how to handle this matter?
There would likely be some waves when the time came.
Fu Tingyun pondered as Yu Wei supported her, slowly making their way down the mountain.
As they left the temple gate, several beggars surrounded them.
“My lady, please be kind!”
“My lady, may you be blessed with a fat baby boy!”
They all clamored for money.
Fu Tingyun noticed that among these beggars, besides two or three white-haired elders and two or three young children, there was a young man wearing a long robe. She couldn’t help but look twice.
This wouldn’t have been a problem, but when she looked, the man also glanced over.
Their gazes met in midair…
Fu Tingyun let out a startled “Ah!” while the young beggar took off running.
“Quick, help me catch that man!” Fu Tingyun shouted harshly, pointing at the young beggar’s retreating figure. “He stole something from us!” Then she turned urgently to Yu Wei and cried, “Zuo Junjie, that person is Zuo Junjie!”
Yu Wei’s face turned pale as she lifted her skirt and ran after the young beggar.
Fu Tingyun also wanted to give chase but was blocked by the other beggars: “My lady, please be kind!”
She quickly took out a few copper coins and scattered them.
The beggars all crouched down in a rush to grab them.
Fu Tingyun seized the opportunity to head in the direction Zuo Junjie had fled.
Outside Tanzhe Temple, people were as thick as weaving threads. Zheng San’s carriage was parked far away at the foot of the mountain.
Fu Tingyun searched through the crowd for a while but saw neither Zuo Junjie nor Yu Wei.
Her belly was beginning to ache slightly.
She dared not search further and sat down on a nearby stone railing to rest.
A kindly old woman carrying an incense basket came over and asked: “Young lady, what’s wrong? Lost your family?”
“No,” Fu Tingyun smiled calmly. “They’ve gone to buy something for me.” But her heart was churning like turbulent waves.
How had Zuo Junjie come to the capital?
When had he arrived?
And why was he begging near Tanzhe Temple?
The last time she and Zhao Ling had come to Tanzhe Temple to offer incense, they had also encountered beggars, but why hadn’t she seen Zuo Junjie?
Her mind was in chaos as the old woman smiled, nodded, and left.
Shortly after, Yu Wei returned.
She quickly supported Fu Tingyun: “Madam, he got away…”
Fu Tingyun saw that Yu Wei was covered in sweat and spoke breathlessly. She hurriedly said: “Since he’s in the capital, even if we have to turn the entire city upside down, we must flush him out.” She stood up and said, “Come, let’s find Zheng San and have him arrange for some people to help continue the search. I refuse to believe he can disappear without a trace, just like that.”
Yu Wei nodded and supported Fu Tingyun as they headed to where the carriage was parked: “He seemed quite familiar with the surroundings, darting right and left, disappearing into a small alley…”