Madam Feng closely pursued Fu Tingyun, pointing at her as she quickly walked to the center of the courtyard, and shouted furiously at the maids and old women standing in the yard: “Seize her for me!”

Just moments ago, she had been so warmly welcoming, yet now they were at complete odds… This transformation was so rapid that the maids and old women couldn’t help but exchange bewildered glances, hesitating for a moment before rushing toward Fu Tingyun.

“Who dares?” A-Sen shouted as he pulled Fu Tingyun toward the exit, delivering a punch to the old woman who tried to block their way.

With a “thud,” the old woman cried “Aiyou” as she clutched her stomach, her body curling like a shrimp as she staggered backward and collapsed to the ground, motionless for quite some time.

The servant women hadn’t expected A-Sen, at such a young age, to be so fierce. They stood there momentarily stunned, looking at A-Sen with awe.

Fu Tingyun and A-Sen seized the opportunity to run out.

Since becoming Deputy Commander Liu’s concubine, Madam Feng had never suffered such a great humiliation. She jumped with rage, roaring at everyone: “You bunch of fools, what are you standing there for? Hurry and bring them back! Otherwise, you’ll all face household punishment!”

Several servant women collectively shuddered, then rushed out the door, only to find Madam Feng’s two carriage drivers and four accompanying old women all sprawled on the ground with bruised faces, some clutching their waists, others rubbing their legs and wailing. Fu Tingyun and A-Sen had long disappeared.

…

This Madam Feng had become utterly lawless!

In broad daylight, she dared to have her servants detain her.

If Zheng San hadn’t been waiting outside, Madam Feng might have truly succeeded!

Stepping into her courtyard, Fu Tingyun’s hands and feet still felt somewhat weak as she thought of what had just happened.

“Quick, close the door,” she instructed Zheng San and A-Sen, who were following her, her voice trembling slightly.

Without needing to be told, they had already secured the bolt.

Madam Feng’s servants caught up and pounded on the door with thunderous noise. Not only that, but they also shouted loudly: “Open up! If you don’t open the door, we’ll break it down!” They showed no restraint whatsoever.

Zheng San braced his shoulder against the door.

A-Sen’s face turned red with anger: “Miss, I’ll climb the wall and give that shrew an arrow. Let’s see if she still dares to be so arrogant.”

“No!” Fu Tingyun grabbed A-Sen’s hand, “The arrows at home don’t have arrowheads. If you shoot one over, at most you’ll only scratch her skin, but it would give her evidence to complain to Deputy Commander Liu, and we would be in the wrong even though we’re right. Don’t act rashly—listen to me.”

A-Sen’s cheeks puffed up like a frog’s. Fu Tingyun wanted to laugh at the sight but couldn’t.

All around, there were only the shouts of Madam Feng’s servants. No one came out to mediate, nor did anyone come to watch.

Fu Tingyun’s heart gradually sank.

From outside came Snow Plum’s voice: “Ladies, Madam Feng says to let this matter go for today. Please return to your quarters for now.”

Fu Tingyun was somewhat surprised.

One of the older women asked: “Is that true, miss?”

“Would I lie to you?” Snow Plum replied, “Madam Feng is in the hall. You can go in and ask her yourself.”

The woman chuckled: “How would I dare to question the madam? If the miss says so, then it must be so.”

There was a confusion of footsteps outside the door, and after a while, all was quiet.

Zheng San breathed a sigh of relief.

A-Sen, however, climbed to the top of the wall to look outside, then turned back to Fu Tingyun with delight: “Miss, they left!”

Fu Tingyun’s brow remained furrowed: “Madam Feng lives in the Commander’s mansion, so she has little to worry about. But Madam Lu lives on the back street, surrounded by neighbors who see each other daily. If someone were to ask about this, it wouldn’t be a glorious matter. Madam Lu likely found a way to persuade Madam Feng.” As she spoke, her expression grew solemn. “I suspect that Madam Lu has given Madam Feng some attractive idea. When someone with ill intentions targets those without, we can’t continue like this. To say nothing else, if Madam Feng were to call Deputy Commander Liu’s guards or soldiers from the Commander’s mansion to confront us, we likely wouldn’t be a match for them.”

“Then, what good idea does Miss have?” A-Sen asked anxiously.

Zheng San also looked at Fu Tingyun.

“The only plan now,” Fu Tingyun pondered, “is to pack our valuables and seek refuge with Madam Wang!”

A-Sen’s face brightened at the suggestion.

Zheng San, however, said: “But we don’t know if Madam Wang will take us in. If she’s unwilling to get involved in this trouble, we’ll be in an even worse situation.”

By then, having lost the initiative, they would be at Madam Feng’s mercy.

“I believe Madam Wang isn’t that kind of person,” Fu Tingyun said. “If Madam Wang truly doesn’t shelter us, staying here would only mean waiting for destruction. We could go directly to Deputy Commander Liu…” As she spoke, her brow revealed an unflinching fearlessness. “If Deputy Commander Liu still won’t handle this, we’ll capture Madam Feng and use her as a hostage while we go to see Marquis Yingchuan.”

By then, they would have no other choice.

Zheng San nodded.

Everyone went about packing their things.

The sweet white porcelain flower vase on the hall table, Zhao Ling’s zitan wood paperweight, the thirty-six blue and white porcelain large bowls in the kitchen, even Lin Chun’s small lake silk jacket in the wardrobe—Zheng San’s wife was unwilling to abandon any of these items.

Fu Tingyun could only say helplessly: “Things that can be bought with money aren’t worth grieving over if lost. Hurry with the packing! Who knows what Madam Feng and Madam Lu are plotting? Each hour we delay brings another hour of potential trouble.”

Zheng San’s wife responded painfully, collecting only a few changes of clothes and a silver lock engraved with “long life” that Fu Tingyun had given Lin Chun on his first birthday.

Besides changes of clothing, Fu Tingyun only took the jewelry her mother had left her, the carved red lacquer box containing land deeds, and the letters Zhao Ling had written to her.

When she reached the hall, Zheng San and A-Sen each emerged from Zhao Ling’s room carrying satchels: “Miss, five hundred taels of silver are buried in the northwest corner of the yard where the miscellaneous items are piled, another five hundred taels are buried in the kitchen where the firewood is stacked. I’m carrying thirteen hundred taels of silver. A-Sen has over three hundred taels.”

Fu Tingyun nodded and asked A-Sen to fetch a ladder: “Place the memorial tablets of Ninth Master’s parents on the beam in the main hall.”

Such items could neither be abandoned nor taken to someone else’s home; the only option was to hide them.

A-Sen complied, bringing a ladder and deftly placing the tablets on the house beam. He bowed twice to the tablets, murmuring words of apology before coming down.

Zheng San’s wife came over carrying Lin Chun.

Perhaps because his experiences from a young age had been extraordinary, despite the chaotic bustle in the house, the child quietly nestled in his mother’s arms without making a sound.

Fu Tingyun stroked his head with some compassion.

Zheng San and A-Sen each took a staff as tall as their eyebrows and opened the door.

The alley was eerily quiet. Madam Feng’s carriage remained outside Mao Yi’s door, with only two coachmen sitting on Mao Yi’s steps, holding their waists.

Seeing them emerge, the two coachmen were startled and nervously stood up.

Zheng San had no time to worry about them. He made a gesture toward the doorway. A-Sen pulled Fu Tingyun along, Zheng San’s wife carried Lin Chun, and they filed out of the door. Zheng San came last, locking the door behind them, and the group headed straight for the Commander’s mansion.

It hadn’t been two hours since Fu Tingyun and Zheng San had left the Commander’s mansion, and considering they had gone through some trouble to get in initially, the soldiers on duty still recognized them. Although they appeared to be seeking relatives, the guards didn’t ask many questions and let them in.

When Madam Wang saw them, she was greatly surprised: “What has happened?”

Tears welled in Fu Tingyun’s eyes: “Madam Wang, please save us!” She then told Madam Wang everything that had happened, detail by detail.

When Madam Wang heard that Madam Feng had pursued Fu Tingyun to her doorstep, she became furious, slamming her palm on the table with a “bang” that made the teacups rattle: “This is outrageous! A concubine of a third-rank official, behaving in such a lawless, insane manner—where is her sense of propriety and shame!” As she spoke, she stood up. “Wait here. I’ll go see Commander Liu.”

With Madam Feng’s arrogance, such behavior couldn’t have developed in a single day. Could Deputy Commander Liu truly be unaware?

Deputy Commander Liu might show Madam Wang some respect, but would Madam Feng cease her actions because of this? With Madam Wang standing up for her like this, given Madam Feng’s personality, she might bear a grudge against Madam Wang too. Madam Wang was dignified and gracious, while Madam Feng was calculating and malicious—Madam Wang might not escape unscathed.

These thoughts flashed through Fu Tingyun’s mind, and she held Madam Wang’s hand: “Madam Wang, these are minor matters. I just wanted to ask you to help me find out if Flag Bearer Zhao is really…” As she spoke, her heart ached, and tears fell uncontrollably. “I’ve had my doubts, but Aunt Lu showed no trace of sorrow. This matter, I fear…”

She had made up her mind. If Zhao Ling had truly met with misfortune, she had nothing more to fear. At worst, she would perish together with that Feng Dahu, but she couldn’t implicate Madam Wang.

Hearing this, Madam Wang also seemed uncertain: “Very well, I’ll help you clear up this matter too.”

Fu Tingyun then asked Madam Wang: “May I ask about Madam Feng’s background? How can she be so brazen? Commander Liu is an imperial official. How can he not control her? This damages his official authority!”

Since Madam Wang had unhesitatingly taken them in and indignantly offered to help her, she was a person of strong character. If Fu Tingyun were to tell Madam Wang not to interfere in her affairs with Madam Feng and her brother, Madam Wang would not only refuse but might also feel insulted. She could only subtly discourage Madam Wang from getting involved.

“She’s merely the daughter of a steward from the Marquis of Xiping’s household, a maid who served the Marquis’s wife,” Madam Wang said disdainfully. “Once when Commander Liu visited the Marquis’s residence and paid respects to the Lady Marchioness, he glanced at her a few times, so the Lady Marchioness rewarded Commander Liu with a concubine. She calls herself by the surname Feng and tells others she’s a collateral branch of the Marquis’s family. Don’t mind her!” Madam Wang vaguely sensed that Fu Tingyun had an ulterior motive in asking.

Fu Tingyun was stunned.

She hadn’t expected Madam Feng to have such a background.

She reminded Madam Wang: “Then why haven’t the Marquis of Xiping’s household or Commander Liu come forward to clarify this?”

Madam Wang was slightly taken aback.

Fu Tingyun continued: “Military matters of state cannot tolerate such nonsense. Whether true or false, if Madam Feng’s claim that Commander Mao was defeated in battle and Marquis Yingchuan concealed him were to spread, I fear Marquis Yingchuan would face inevitable accusations of ‘sheltering subordinates.’ If someone were to fan the flames, it might even escalate to allegations of ‘faction-forming.’ I think it would be best for you to clarify this matter first. My issue, at its worst, is merely a romantic affair of ‘a gentleman’s pursuit,’ and at its simplest, just a case of a woman with long hair and short wisdom protecting her family…”

Madam Wang looked at her, her gaze gradually brightening like the morning star.

“Miss Fu, you’re right,” she said, a smile spreading across her lips, warm as the spring breeze. “I think we should first clarify the matters concerning Commander Lu and Flag Bearer Zhao.”