Fu Tingyun broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing the news and hurriedly asked, “How is Grandmother now?”

“I don’t know,” Yu Wei shook her head, “I was so shocked when I heard the news that I only rushed back to tell you. I didn’t ask about the Grand Mistress…” As she spoke, she lowered her head uneasily.

Fu Tingyun didn’t blame her, but asked, “When is Yi Tong’s cousin returning to Huayin?”

“He set off for Huayin after meeting me,” Yu Wei said, “By now, he’s probably already left the city.”

Fu Tingyun felt somewhat disappointed.

Yu Wei suggested, “Why don’t we send a message to Sister Yi Tong to inquire about the Grand Mistress?”

“That’s a good idea,” Fu Tingyun thought for a moment, then asked, “Do the First Master and Fifth Master know about this?”

“Both masters know,” Yu Wei replied. “The First Master rushed back to Huayin last month and hasn’t yet returned to Jinhua, while the Fifth Master wrote a letter to his fellow examination graduate who serves as an adviser in Shaanxi, asking him to help quell the rumors.”

After this incident, even if the Fu family could silence the rumors, they would likely be left with a negative impression. If anything else happened in the family, their century-old reputation would gradually diminish. Wasn’t this how many long-established families declined?

Fu Tingyun remained silent.

Yu Wei also felt somewhat sorrowful.

Both were quiet.

The room became so silent that one could hear a pin drop.

From outside came the sound of pattering footsteps: “Mother, Mother, what secrets are you and Yu Wei discussing?” She lifted the curtain and peered inside.

Fu Tingyun and Yu Wei exchanged glances, then broke into bright smiles as she went over to embrace her daughter: “Why aren’t you eating properly with Nanny Tong? Why did you come running here?” As she spoke, she walked outside, “Didn’t Nanny Tong tell you not to speak while eating or resting?”

“She did tell me,’ Youyou lowered her head, secretly glancing up to gauge her mother’s expression, her large almond eyes blinking, ‘But I wanted to know what Mother was doing!” she said, sounding spoiled.

Outside, Madam Tong stood holding a small bowl, her face flushed with embarrassment as she awkwardly called out, “Madam…”

Seeing this, Youyou quickly tugged at her mother’s sleeve: “Mother, Mother, it’s not Nanny Tong’s fault, I came looking for you on my own…” her face full of anxiety.

Fu Tingyun feigned anger, put on a stern face, and said, “Don’t do this again. When it’s time to eat, you should eat properly, understand?”

Youyou nodded repeatedly.

Fu Tingyun smiled and placed her daughter in front of the kang table where the meal was laid out.

After the meal, when both children went for their afternoon nap, she lit three incense sticks and bowed respectfully three times before the shrine, silently praying: “Elder Sister-in-law, may you soon be reborn, with both parents present in your next life, with descendants flourishing, and never again doing things that harm others and yourself.” She also chose a date to visit Tanzhe Temple and asked the monks there to perform a three-day ritual.

As she left the hall, she unexpectedly encountered Madam Wu.

“You’ve come to offer incense too?” Fu Tingyun was pleasantly surprised to meet someone familiar.

Madam Wu, however, appeared somewhat uncomfortable, quite different from her usual enthusiastic manner upon meeting Fu Tingyun. She pointed to a very attractive young girl beside her who looked like she had just turned fifteen and seemed rather bashful: “This is my husband’s distant niece who came to Beijing to visit relatives. I brought her to Tanzhe Temple to offer incense.”

It was quite normal to take visiting relatives from one’s hometown around the capital. However, the young girl was strikingly beautiful, and upon hearing Madam Wu’s words, she showed a mixed expression of shame and embarrassment, which made Fu Tingyun look at her several times.

“Tanzhe Temple in Beijing is magnificent. Although I haven’t traveled widely, I haven’t seen a Buddhist temple more imposing than Tanzhe Temple,” she politely conversed with Miss Wu. “The Guanyin Bodhisattva enshrined in the back hall is especially efficacious, and the vegetarian food here is exceptional. You should take your time exploring.”

Miss Wu lowered her head and folded her hands, murmuring a response, timid with a touch of apprehension.

Fu Tingyun found this even more curious.

This Miss Wu appeared cultured and polite, yet when engaging in conversation, she behaved like a timid young bride, fearful and hesitant.

Even more strange was Madam Wu’s attitude. At this point, she should have introduced Fu Tingyun to Madam Wu, but Madam Wu showed no intention of doing so.

Every family has its difficulties, and Fu Tingyun naturally wouldn’t press the matter. She simply smiled and exchanged a few more pleasantries with Madam Wu and Miss Wu.

A flash of anxiety crossed Madam Wu’s eyes, as if she had some urgent matter.

Fu Tingyun was perceptive, and though Madam Wu’s social interactions were somewhat status-conscious, which Fu Tingyun didn’t particularly like, such people were common, and she saw no need to be stern with everyone of this sort. She smiled and bid farewell to Madam Wu.

Madam Wu heaved a sigh of relief.

Introducing one’s relative to someone else as a concubine was certainly not something to be proud of.

Looking up, she saw Miss Wu staring curiously at Fu Tingyun’s retreating figure and couldn’t help saying, “That’s Madam Zhao who lives next door to us!” Her tone carried an implicit warning not to speak out of turn.

Miss Wu, however, was startled and stammered, “Is that the Madam Zhao who bought fabric costing twelve taels of silver per bolt to make a jacket for her daughter?”

“Yes!” Madam Wu replied casually, then instructed her in a low voice, “After offering incense in the Grand Hall, we should hurry to the Guanyin Hall. Madam Yu should arrive soon. She has a straightforward personality and doesn’t like dilly-dallying. When you meet Madam Yu, be more confident. Answer her questions truthfully, and if she gives you anything, decline once, but if she insists, accept it with thanks. Don’t keep refusing back and forth—it looks petty…”

Miss Wu quickly collected her thoughts and agreed to everything.

Seeing her compliance, Madam Wu nodded with satisfaction, helped adjust her hair at the temples, and led her toward the Grand Hall.

So that’s Madam Zhao!

Miss Wu felt somewhat dazed.

She’s so beautiful!

Standing tall and conversing with Madam Wu, when she smiled, she was like the sun—bright, dazzling, radiating light… Someone like her, born into wealth, married to a prominent husband, with children, never wanting for food or clothing, probably never knew what it was to be humble, lowly, to endure, or to suffer indignities.

Thinking of this, Miss Wu couldn’t help but look back.

She saw Madam Zhao stop on the white marble steps outside the hall by a woman with a bamboo basket and a head scarf selling miscellaneous goods.

The servant beside Madam Zhao stepped forward with some displeasure, seemingly about to scold the peddler, but Madam Zhao smiled and placed her hand on the servant’s shoulder, speaking cheerfully with the peddler. The woman quickly took out a pair of tiger-head shoes from her basket. Madam Zhao took the shoes, examining them with interest while exchanging a few more words with the woman, who looked grateful. The peddler then took out several children’s toys from her basket. Madam Zhao quietly instructed one of her older maids, and a younger maid hurried forward to take the items from the woman, while the older maid smiled and took out several pieces of broken silver from her purse to give to her.

The peddler seemed momentarily surprised, then repeatedly waved her hands in refusal.

Madam Zhao said a few more words.

The peddler once again showed gratitude, accepted the silver pieces, and bowed repeatedly to Madam Zhao.

Madam Zhao smiled at the woman, then turned and descended the steps with her entourage of maids and servants.

For some reason, she, like Madam Wu earlier, let out a long sigh.

Someone gently pushed her shoulder, calling “Miss Cousin.”

She quickly turned around.

She saw the senior maid assigned by Madam Wu glaring at her: “Madam is calling you. What are you looking around at?” Then she lowered her voice, “Acting like this, anyone can tell you’re from the countryside. Try to control yourself a bit.” Her tone was very disapproving.

Inexplicably, Miss Wu’s mind suddenly conjured up the image of Madam Zhao’s smiling face as she spoke with the peddler…

She forced back the bitterness in her heart, gave the senior maid a weak smile, and hurried into the Grand Hall.

……

Zheng San’s wife, seeing that the path ahead sloped downward, supported Fu Tingyun and pouted, “What’s wrong with Madam Wu? She’s usually so warm with us, but this time she seemed eager for us to leave quickly. Could it be true what Old Lady Huang said, that Official Wu is about to be promoted to Minister of Rites?”

The Minister of Rites was one of the Six Ministries and was usually held concurrently by a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet.

Fu Tingyun smiled, “If that were the case, given Madam Wu’s character, she should be just as enthusiastic toward us—in her social interactions, she’s always careful to maintain good relations with everyone and offend no one.”

“That’s true!” Zheng San’s wife chuckled.

Fu Tingyun then asked with a smile, “Has Old Lady Huang come to see you again? What was it about this time?”

Old Lady Huang was a servant from Official Li’s household in the nearby Benji Hutong. When Fu Tingyun first moved to Shi Family Hutong, money was tight, and she temporarily hired people to clean the courtyard. Madam Wu’s steward had introduced two women from the Li household to work at Fu Tingyun’s place, and Old Lady Huang was one of them. Perhaps because they were among the first people she knew upon arriving in Beijing, and because both women were honest, Zheng San’s wife maintained a good relationship with them.

Zheng San’s wife smiled sheepishly, “She said there’s a temple fair at Baiyun Temple in a few days and asked if I wanted to go.”

“Go if you want to!” Fu Tingyun smiled, “Just make sure you arrange the household matters properly first.”

The mistress’s leniency toward her was a mark of respect. Zheng San’s wife’s eyes revealed a hint of pride as she smiled, “I already told her—with the New Year approaching, our large household has so much to do. Unlike her, where Madam Li is in their hometown and Official Li is at his post, they can celebrate the New Year with just a few catties of meat. I have far too many things to attend to, how could I have time to wander around?”

Yu Wei and the others all laughed upon hearing this.

They encountered a noble lady surrounded by maids and servants coming toward them.

The two women’s eyes met, and both stopped in their tracks.

“Madam Zhao!” Looking at the spirited Fu Tingyun, Madam Yu greeted her with mixed emotions.

Fu Tingyun had seen Madam Yu before, but this was Madam Yu’s first time seeing her in Beijing. Yet Madam Yu’s expression showed neither shock nor surprise, only unexpectedness and an inscrutable look.

It seemed Madam Yu already knew about her situation.

Thinking of what Yu Jingxiu had done to her, Fu Tingyun twisted her mouth slightly, coldly called out “Madam Yu,” and then brushed past her.

Madam Yu was stunned, turned around, and called out loudly, “Madam Zhao!”

Fu Tingyun didn’t respond and continued walking away.

Fu Tingyun wasn’t certain what role Madam Yu had played in the false accusations against her. She had maintained basic courtesy during their encounter, which was enough. As for what might happen in the future, with time, many things would come to light, and they would deal with them then.

Deep in thought, she headed home.