Chapter 136: Brother
"You're Quan Hui?" The man's voice was icy cold.
With features bearing fifty percent resemblance and that condescending tone, Fu Tingyun didn't need to ask—this was undoubtedly her long-unseen elder brother, Fu Tinggui.
Was this how an elder brother should behave?
Today was neither a rest day nor a holiday for Fu Tinggui, yet he was at home... It must be that her sister-in-law had informed him, and he had deliberately waited here to intercept her.
All the hopeful thoughts in Fu Tingyun's heart instantly deflated.
She retorted bluntly, "I am. And who might you be?"
Fu Tinggui's temples bulged with anger at her words. "I am your elder brother!" he snapped.
Fu Tingyun smiled. "If you're my elder brother, then why are you blocking the gate instead of letting your younger sister in?"
Hadn't the Fu family disowned her as their daughter?
If so, she couldn't just barge into the Fu residence. But since Fu Tinggui now acknowledged her as his sister, she had every right to step through those gates.
Fu Tinggui had assumed that, well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics and thoroughly educated in propriety, reprimanding Fu Tingyun would be effortless. Yet, in just a few exchanges, she had seized upon his weak point. Enraged, he shouted, "Who's your brother? After the disgraceful things you've done, how dare you show your face here! What does the Fu Family's 'Women's Instructions' say? What do the 'Biographies of Virtuous Women' teach? You were raised with proper discipline, yet you ignored all teachings. I didn’t believe it at first, but seeing how sharp-tongued you are now, I’m starting to think it’s true. Grandmother and Mother wasted their affection on you. The Fu family has no daughter like you, and I, Fu Tinggui, have no sister like you!"
Fu Tingyun trembled with fury and sneered, "You’d rather trust outsiders than your own flesh and blood. Fine—if you don’t consider me your sister, I don’t need a brother like you either. But whether the Fu family acknowledges me as their daughter is for Father and Mother to decide, not you. You have no right to speak on this matter. As for whether I can enter this house—this isn’t your property, so it’s not up to you."
Fu Tinggui smirked triumphantly. "This is Father’s will."
Her brother had always been close to their father. His behavior clearly reflected their father’s influence.
Fu Tingyun’s heart turned to ice, but she refused to back down. "You say it’s Father’s will, and I say my return is Father’s will too. Don’t flaunt borrowed authority and spout nonsense here." She lifted her skirts and stepped onto the threshold. "Move aside!"
"How dare you!" Fu Tinggui bellowed, spreading his arms to block the gate.
"Why wouldn’t I dare?" Fu Tingyun pushed forward.
"Jiezhi!" A weary voice called from the courtyard—it was Master Fu the Fifth. "Let her in. Don’t make a scene at the gate for the neighbors to gossip about. If she has no shame, we still have our dignity to uphold."
Fu Tinggui reluctantly complied with a stiff "Yes," shooting Fu Tingyun a venomous glare before stepping aside to let her pass.
Fu Tingyun, however, froze for a moment, her expression faltering.
She hadn’t expected her father to be home—just to stop her from seeing Mother.
Their loathing for her was that intense.
Tears welled in her eyes, but she straightened her back and walked in.
Master Fu the Fifth stood under the eaves of the main house, hands clasped behind his back, the summer morning sun casting a golden halo around him.He gazed coldly at Fu Tingyun and said indifferently, "Why are you so insistent on seeing your mother?"
She hoped her marriage would receive her parents' blessings—if not her father's, then at least her mother's.
Moreover, deep down, she harbored a faint hope of learning from her mother the reason why the Fu family had abandoned her.
But she couldn't say this.
If her father found out, he would likely prevent her from seeing her mother even more.
"Then why is Father afraid of me seeing Mother?" Fu Tingyun met Master Fu the Fifth's gaze head-on, refusing to back down.
A sharp glint flashed briefly in Master Fu the Fifth's eyes before vanishing.
"Your mother is kind-hearted, and you are her flesh and blood, born after ten months of pregnancy," he said unhurriedly. "No matter what absurd things you do, your mother always finds justification for you. Over the past two years, your mother has suffered the deaths of your uncle’s entire family and your abduction by the Migrant Bandits. Her spirit is already as fragile as a candle in the wind—she can’t withstand even the slightest disturbance. Yet here you are, stirring up trouble—demanding accountability for your elder cousin’s wife’s mistakes, seeking justice for your maid. Tell me, how could I dare let you see your mother? Wouldn’t that be disregarding her life? So no matter how much you argue or make a scene, I will never allow you to see her. You might as well give up!"
"If you know I am Mother’s flesh and blood, shouldn’t she be overjoyed to see me safe and sound? How could that worsen her condition?" Fu Tingyun remained unmoved, pressing aggressively. "As for holding my elder cousin’s wife accountable and seeking justice for my maid—shouldn’t my father and brothers, as the men of the family, stand up for me, a weak woman? Why drag Mother into this? Otherwise, what’s the point of having a natal family as a woman? Isn’t it precisely so we have someone to defend us when we’re wronged?"
"You—!" Master Fu the Fifth was left speechless.
Fu Tinggui, who had been standing nearby, immediately jumped in. "How dare you speak to Father like this? Filial piety is the foremost virtue, yet you disregard it entirely—no wonder you’ve done such shameless things. Besides, how could we possibly stand up for someone like you? Stop twisting words here."
Fu Tingyun looked at Master Fu the Fifth.
He remained silent.
She was his daughter, yet he allowed her to be humiliated by his own brother!
The midsummer sun climbed higher, casting glaring light on Master Fu the Fifth and Fu Tinggui’s faces. Fu Tingyun could even see the faint white pockmark left on Fu Tinggui’s forehead from childhood smallpox. Yet the two before her now felt like strangers—as if she were meeting them for the first time.
If her mother wasn’t staying in the side rooms near the main hall, then she must be in the southern wing.
That place was so dark—it must be damp too. Wasn’t her mother ill? How could they have placed her there?
Without another word, Fu Tingyun strode toward the southern wing.
Arguing with these two felt like a waste of breath.
Master Fu the Fifth’s shouts, Fu Tinggui’s attempts to pull her back—tears welled in Fu Tingyun’s eyes.
Yu Wei clung to her, sobbing. "Miss, it’s all my fault! I should’ve told you sooner—I saw the young master before..."Fu Tingyun's smile was bleak. "He must have said something so harsh that even you couldn't bear to repeat it to me, which is why you kept it from me, right? See, my own brother is less considerate than you?"
"No, no," Yu Wei replied. Though she privately scorned Fu Tinggui, she still spoke in his defense—after all, a woman without family support would suffer. "The young master is in the capital and unaware of certain matters. Once we find Zuo Junjie, he'll realize his mistake..."
Fu Tingyun shook her head.
She had once believed that if she could prove her innocence, everything would return to how it was. Now she realized the wounds had long since etched themselves into her bones—there was no going back.
She instructed Yu Wei to find news of her uncle: "Since I have no family to rely on, I'll have to depend on myself."
If her father wouldn't help her, she would seek out her uncle and his wife herself.
A few days later, Yu Wei went to Four Happiness Alley to intercept Madam Fu. She left in the morning and didn't return until afternoon.
"The Emperor is offering sacrifices to the ancestors today," she said after gulping down two cups of tea. "The streets were packed with spectators. It took me forever to push my way back."
Only then did Fu Tingyun remember—today was the Emperor's enthronement day.
"Have you eaten?" she asked with concern.
"There were food vendors everywhere. I bought two flatbreads," Yu Wei replied with a smile before turning to business. "Madam Fu said that last autumn, the elder master was appointed as the prefect of Jinhua."
Fu Tingyun froze.
The prefecture of Jinhua was a notoriously lucrative post.
How had the Fu family suddenly gained such political fortune?
A thought struck her like lightning.
Her face paled.
"No, no, no. It can't be!"
She muttered to herself, suppressing the idea, then urgently asked Yu Wei, "Did you find out who recommended my uncle for the post?"
Yu Wei shook her head blankly.
"Go back and clarify this immediately," Fu Tingyun pressed.
Yu Wei hastily agreed and rushed out again.
Fu Tingyun paced restlessly at home.
A Sen ran in. "Miss, miss! Ninth Master sent a letter!" He handed it to her like a treasure.
Living in the same city yet sending a letter—had something happened?
Fu Tingyun quickly opened it.
The letter contained only two lines: first, that he had been appointed Commander of the Left Feather Forest Guard; second, that the Imperial Guards had just rotated duties, leaving him too busy to return for several days.
The Feather Forest Guard, Golden Crow Guard, and Grand Standard Guard collectively formed the Imperial Guards. The first two were sword-bearing escorts—the former responsible for defense, the latter for inspecting palace gate traffic—while the latter handled ceremonial duties. Each guard was further divided into left, right, front, rear, and central divisions.
Beside her, A Sen pressed eagerly, "What did Ninth Master say?"
She relayed the contents.
A Sen gasped, beaming. "So Ninth Master has become a leader of the Imperial Guards?" he exclaimed. Then, "What rank is Left Guard Commander? Higher or lower than Commander Lu?"
Fu Tingyun laughed. "Both are third-rank, but Ninth Master serves directly by the Emperor's side—that makes a difference."
A Sen cared little for such distinctions. All he knew was that Zhao Ling now outranked even Lu Cheng, who commanded the vast Zhuanglang Garrison. His eyes crinkled into crescents as he bounded off cheerfully. "I'll tell Master Lu and Zheng San!"
Fu Tingyun chuckled.Just as she finished putting the letter away, Master Lu came running over, panting heavily: "They say Ninth Master has been appointed a third-rank official?"
Fortunately, the letter didn't contain anything improper, so she simply handed it to Master Lu to read.
Master Lu's eyes grew moist as he read: "This is wonderful, truly wonderful. Now I can return to Xi'an Prefecture with peace of mind."
Fu Tingyun was taken aback: "You're returning to Xi'an Prefecture?"
Master Lu smiled knowingly: "No hurry, no hurry. I'll return to Xi'an after your wedding."
Fu Tingyun's face turned crimson red.
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I need to pick up the pace and write the wedding chapter.
O(∩_∩)O~
PS: Sisters, pink votes please...
(End of chapter)
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