Such a thing!
Fu Tingyun was quite surprised.
She didn’t remember this at all.
First, Master Fu looked at her with a self-deprecating smile: “Do you think preserving a family legacy is such a simple matter? You girls were raised by us like orchids since you were little, afraid that strong winds would blow you away, afraid that heavy rain would soak you…”
Fu Tingyun remained silent.
What was the use of talking about these things now? Could they go back to the past?
She pointed to the teacup in front of First Master Fu and said with somewhat low spirits: “This is fine Maojian tea that my husband brought back from Guizhou. Please try some, Uncle.”
Sensing that Fu Tingyun didn’t want to discuss this topic, First Master Fu also lost interest. He picked up the teacup and took a few sips. Though he couldn’t taste anything, he still politely praised it as “good tea.”
Like the calm before a storm, Fu Tingyun also exchanged pleasantries with him: “I thought it would be some days before we heard from you, Uncle. I didn’t expect you would come personally. Have you seen Master Fu yet?”
Referring to her father as “Master Fu,” Fifth Master Fu heard this and his eyebrows twitched slightly, a sharp look flashing in his eyes. But then, as if remembering something, his gaze dimmed. After a moment of silence, he said: “I received a letter from your father at the beginning of the year. I originally wanted to send Fu Gui to check on things, but after much consideration, I felt it would be better if I came myself…”
Fu Tingyun was stunned: “You didn’t come because of my letter?”
First, Master Fu also showed a surprised expression: “You sent me a letter recently?”
They stared at each other in bewilderment.
Fu Tingyun then told First Master Fu the whole story, not concealing even the matter of Yu Jingxiu sending people to the cellar where Zuo Junjie was hiding.
As First Master Fu listened, his brows furrowed tighter and tighter. By the end, he could barely conceal his anger.
He drank several sips of tea, his expression softening slightly.
“There are no parents without fault. Your father was certainly wrong, but your temperament is also too stubborn.” First, Master Fu made a cursory evaluation, then paced back and forth in the hall for quite some time with his hands behind his back before stopping to ask her, “When will Lord Zhao return?”
Men handle external affairs, women internal ones.
Although this matter involved Fu Tingyun, she was now a married woman, and naturally, such important matters should be discussed with her husband.
Though Fu Tingyun understood this in her heart, she, who had always consulted and discussed matters with Zhao Ling, still choked slightly before saying: “My husband returned to Beijing yesterday by imperial decree. Early this morning, he went to the palace to report. After leaving the palace, he still needs to go to the Ministry of War and the Five Military Commission, so he probably won’t be home until very late. I can send a servant to tell him to come back as soon as possible if he can…”
“Nonsense!” Before she could finish speaking, First Master Fu interrupted her with a low shout. “State affairs take precedence over personal matters. How can public duties be delayed because of private matters?” After delivering this reprimand, First Master Fu suddenly realized he had overstepped—Fu Tingyun was no longer a member of the Fu family… He paused, softening his tone, “Since that’s the case, I’ll come visit again after Lord Zhao finishes his official duties!”
Just leave it like this?
Fu Tingyun had hoped that meeting First Master Fu would help her learn the truth, and she had planned to argue with him about her sister-in-law’s misdeeds…
She couldn’t help but block First Master Fu’s path: “Uncle, if my husband had returned in May as originally scheduled, would you have waited in Beijing until May?”
First, Master Fu was slightly taken aback.
Fu Tingyun continued: “Now the Yu family and I are like fire and water. I’m thinking, if Yu Jingxiu doesn’t give me an explanation in the next few days, I’ll go make trouble with Grand Secretary Yu. It would just mean everyone loses face. After all, the Emperor and the Grand Empress Dowager already know about my situation. But the Yu family is different—Young Master Yu has inherited from three branches of the family, and now works at the Court of State Ceremonial. His career is just beginning, taking its first important step. And coincidentally, my husband is someone who has the Emperor’s ear. To protect Yu Jingxiu, Grand Secretary Yu will certainly have to consider his options.”
The Court of State Ceremonial was responsible for delivering imperial edicts, conferring titles, and other such matters. Though not high in rank, the officials there served at the Emperor’s side. Yu Jingxiu was also a top imperial examination graduate, holding the seventh-rank position of Editor. If he were fortunate enough to gain the Emperor’s favor, it wouldn’t be impossible for him to be released to become a vice minister in one of the Six Ministries.
“Are you threatening me?” After his initial shock, First Master Fu was furious.
You can use the Yu family to threaten me, why can’t I use the Yu family to threaten you?
Fu Tingyun laughed coldly in her heart, but her words were sincere and forthright: “I ask Uncle to set aside these disputes of ego. This matter is beyond my control, not to fighting for. Does Uncle want me to surrender and await destruction?”
First, Master Fu was speechless.
Fu Tingyun stood there as silent as a tree, waiting patiently.
After a while, First Master Fu sat down dejectedly in the armchair, suddenly looking ten years older, and said softly: “Open the doors and have everyone retreat more than ten feet away.”
Fu Tingyun’s heart leaped with joy, but she maintained her composure as she gave the order.
During this time, First Master Fu’s expression continued to show hesitation.
This probably involved some unsavory matters among the older generation, which is why he couldn’t speak openly in front of her, a junior?
If he couldn’t speak openly before her, could he speak righteously in front of Zhao Ling?
Most likely, when he met Zhao Ling, it would just be another quarrel.
Fu Tingyun thought to herself, but knowing this was a rare opportunity, she stepped forward and stood before First Master Fu with lowered eyes, hoping this would reduce some of his resistance.
“Uncle…” she called softly.
“Oh!” First Master Fu raised his head as if waking from a dream, looking at her with words caught in his throat.
Fu Tingyun waited quietly.
First Master Fu sighed softly and turned his face away.
“The imperial examination cheating scandal of the Xiping Era’s 23rd year, Bingchen cycle, implicated a large group of people who could have had their names go down in history,” he said gravely. “Among them were Guan Tingyi, who later became the Emperor’s military advisor, and Liu Shutong, who was known for taking exams on behalf of others…”
In just half a month, this was the second time she had heard someone mention the Bingchen examination scandal and Liu Shutong’s name.
Fu Tingyun was somewhat surprised but listened even more attentively.
“That Liu Shutong originally came from an official family in Minnan, was known for his literary talent from a young age, and after this great misfortune, became somewhat cynical about the world. He began taking exams for others but set a rule that he would not do so for less than several hundred thousand taels of silver. Despite this, people still sought him out, and he succeeded, quickly gaining a great reputation among scholars. The Yu family, determined that Young Master Yu should follow in his ancestors’ footsteps, paid a hefty sum to hire Liu Shutong to teach Yu Jingxiu the examination essay style…”
A buzzing sound filled Fu Tingyun’s head, as if something had flashed through her mind. When she tried to identify what it was, it had vanished without a trace.
She looked up in confusion, only to see First Master Fu’s bitter expression: “As it turned out, Yu Jingxiu accidentally discovered that the essay that earned your father the position of Huiyuan years ago was one of Liu Shutong’s practice pieces…”
“How could this be?” Fu Tingyun cried out sharply.
It felt as if something had collapsed, making her legs weak as she staggered and fell into a nearby armchair.
“How could this be?” she murmured, looking toward First Master Fu for help.
But First Master Fu had his eyes tightly shut.
As if by doing so, he could deny this fact.
For a moment, the hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
“Now do you understand why?” After a long while, First Master Fu opened his eyes and said hoarsely, “Do you still insist on going to the Yu family for an explanation?”
“I will go!” Fu Tingyun said loudly, jumping to her feet, her fair face turning deep red with anger. “Not only will I go to the Yu family for an explanation, I will also go to the Fu family for one.” She stared at First Master Fu without blinking, her almond eyes burning like fire. “Even so, the two families are related by marriage—they share losses and gains. Why was it necessary to place me in a deadly situation? Was this your idea, Uncle? Or Master Fu’s idea? Or perhaps Grand Secretary Yu’s idea?”
She fired one question after another, so forcefully that the guilty First Master Fu was at a complete loss. Feeling his dignity violated, he became furious from embarrassment and angrily said: “Is this how you speak to your elders? Your father never expected Yu Jingxiu to be so ruthless. When threats didn’t work, he incited Zuo Junjie to cause trouble. By the time I learned the truth, there was no other way…” Seeing Fu Tingyun’s eyes reddening with urgency, looking as if she might bite someone, his heart trembled, and his momentum weakened slightly. Remembering that he had ordered the drug to be given to Fu Tingyun, and that not only had she not died but was living better than ever, his momentum weakened further. Then recalling how his mother had always praised Fu Tingyun as being blessed with good fortune, and that the Yu family had proposed marriage precisely because of this—he was a believer in fate and believed in following heaven’s will, thinking this was Fu Tingyun’s destiny—his momentum weakened yet again, and his voice lowered accordingly, “As for your elder sister-in-law… a virtuous widow remaining chaste for thirty years, past fifty years of age, only then can she be recognized by the court… I have already had your aunt confine her to the house…”
Use her, then use the elder sister-in-law!
In the end, they just wanted to gain without effort.
Fu Tingyun laughed bitterly in extreme anger: “You’ve thought it through so thoroughly! Kill me, then confine my elder sister-in-law. Does this mean the men of the Fu family have become accustomed to earning a reputation through women? I was falsely accused, and you not only failed to come to my rescue, but had Aunt drug me. Even if this was Master Fu’s idea, as the head of the family, you should have disciplined your brother and protected your niece. To this day, you still think everyone else is wrong and you’ve done nothing wrong…”
She thought of her first meeting with Zhao Ling, and the flash of disdain in his eyes when he heard she was a woman of the Fu family from Huayin.
So he knew all along.
The only ones who didn’t know were those caught in the middle, like herself.
Fu Tingyun stood up, her back as straight and tall as a birch tree, and walked out, calling loudly, “Zheng San!” “See the guest out!”
But Zheng San approached with a strange expression: “Madam, the Grand Secretary Yu’s household steward Yu Huan’an from Jiadao Street has delivered a calling card. He says the purple magnolias in their home are in full bloom and would like to invite the Ninth Master and you to appreciate the flowers early tomorrow morning.”
Yesterday, Yu Jingxiu had failed to capture someone, and today, Grand Secretary Yu sends a card inviting the newly returned Zhao Ling and her to appreciate flowers… They certainly moved fast!
“What did you say?” First Master Fu, who had followed to lecture Fu Tingyun, was both surprised and delighted upon hearing this. He quickly asked, “Yu Huan’an personally came to deliver an invitation for your master and mistress to appreciate flowers at their residence?”
Zheng San glanced at Fu Tingyun and, seeing her face as dark as water but showing no sign of objection, nodded at First Master Fu.
First Master Fu hurriedly urged Fu Tingyun: “This is a good opportunity. Don’t do anything rash! Zhao Ling has returned victorious from battle, and for the awarding of merits, the cabinet still needs to deliberate…”