Chapter 15: A Cry for Help
Fu Tingyun felt her courage surge.
She dashed along the row of Grand Tutor chairs toward the study on the western side.
If she remembered correctly, the window in the western study was open.
Housekeeper Fan and Housekeeper Sun were blocked by the chairs on the other side. By the time they managed to circle around, Fu Tingyun was already just two steps away from the lattice door of the western study.
But she had forgotten that Housekeeper Chen was standing at the entrance of the eastern inner chamber. Seeing Fu Tingyun heading toward the western study, she immediately ran over and blocked her at the door.
Housekeeper Chen was in front of her, Housekeepers Fan and Sun behind her, a pink wall to her right, and a row of Grand Tutor chairs to her left.
Without a second thought, Fu Tingyun climbed onto the tea table between the chairs, trying to vault over them, but Housekeeper Chen grabbed her by the waist. "Quick, help me!" she shouted.
Housekeepers Fan and Sun were both broad-shouldered and strong, with long strides to match. Seeing Fu Tingyun intercepted by Housekeeper Chen, they rushed over without needing orders and reached her in the blink of an eye. The moment Housekeeper Chen finished speaking, they each seized one of Fu Tingyun's arms.
But Fu Tingyun's screams were piercing, echoing shrilly in the quiet, deserted courtyard. Housekeeper Sun, afraid the noise would attract attention, hesitated for a moment as she considered covering Fu Tingyun's mouth, her gaze flickering to Housekeeper Chen's grip.
Then came Housekeeper Chen's low, stern voice: "Quick, take the Ninth Miss back to her room."
Housekeeper Sun hesitated no longer. Glancing at Housekeeper Chen, who stood half a head shorter than her, she wrapped her arms around Fu Tingyun's waist and lifted her.
He was coming soon!
He would be back any moment!
She couldn’t let them succeed.
No matter what, she had to hold out until he returned… then she would be saved.
Fu Tingyun screamed with all her might, kicking, clawing, and thrashing wildly. But against their overwhelming strength, she was half-carried, half-dragged back into the inner chamber.
Housekeeper Chen personally brought over the bowl of medicine. "Hold the Ninth Miss down!" she ordered, her expression grim.
Housekeeper Fan said nothing but stepped forward to pin Fu Tingyun's arms.
"Ninth Miss," Housekeeper Chen murmured, as if speaking to Fu Tingyun—or perhaps reassuring herself. "Don’t blame me. Blame your ill fate for catching Zuo Junjie’s eye. Go in peace. As for Zuo Junjie, the Eldest Master will see justice done for you." With that, she pinched Fu Tingyun’s jaw and forced the medicine toward her mouth.
Fu Tingyun clenched her lips shut, summoning every ounce of strength to wrench free from Housekeeper Chen’s grip. Her mind screamed: Why aren’t you here yet? Why aren’t you here? If you don’t come soon, all you’ll find is my corpse… Tears spilled uncontrollably down her cheeks.
Caught off guard, Housekeeper Chen spilled the medicine, splashing it across Fu Tingyun’s pale moon-white Hangzhou silk gown, leaving a large stain.
She seized Fu Tingyun’s jaw again, only for her to break free once more.
Housekeeper Chen shot Housekeeper Fan a meaningful glance.
The two had done this before and understood each other perfectly. After exchanging a look with Housekeeper Sun, they pinned Fu Tingyun down on the bed together. Housekeeper Fan freed one hand to clamp Fu Tingyun’s jaw while Housekeeper Chen poured the medicine into her mouth.
Hold on!
She had to hold on!
Maybe he had just stopped to tie his straw sandals on the way, delaying him for a moment… At any second, he might appear.
Now was not the time to give up!
If she endured, she could survive!The hesitant voice of Housekeeper Fan sounded in her ears: "This won't do! Housekeeper Chen, I think we should find a pair of chopsticks!"
They wanted to pry open her teeth.
Fu Tingyun clenched her jaw even tighter.
Housekeeper Chen realized this standoff wasn't working, but there were no chopsticks in the room. If they had to fetch a pair, they'd need to go to the kitchen... They'd barely managed to find an excuse to send all the nuns in the temple to chant sutras and pray in the western hall. If they drew attention over a pair of chopsticks, it would be troublesome. Besides, they'd already lingered here too long. If they didn't finish quickly, complications might arise.
After some thought, she said, "If we must, find a jade hairpin from Ninth Miss's dressing case."
Housekeeper Fan hurried off and returned with a hairpin, prying Fu Tingyun's teeth slightly apart amidst her muffled sobs.
Housekeeper Chen eagerly poured the medicine through the gap.
Sweet liquid flowed in... Fu Tingyun's heart turned to ice.
Was she really going to die like this?
Who had stolen her intimate garments? Why was Zuo Junjie framing her? Where was her mother? Did she know her daughter was about to die? And him—why hadn't he come yet? They'd clearly agreed to meet again at noon...
The liquid choked into Fu Tingyun's lungs.
She wanted to cough, but more liquid poured in.
The suffocating discomfort made Housekeeper Chen's face flicker like a candle in the wind before her eyes... She grabbed wildly at anything within reach... Then she heard a woman's scream—brief and terrified—and the weight restraining her suddenly vanished... Someone called her name.
A man's voice.
Panicked, it sounded unfamiliar.
Who was it?
Dazed, she tried to lift her head to see, but everything was blurred... Her chest constricted, and she coughed violently, the pain intensifying... Unable to hold on, she curled up and collapsed onto the bed.
※※※※※
An unknowable time later, Fu Tingyun regained faint awareness in her stupor. She tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt leaden and refused to lift.
Someone pulled her up and cradled her, coaxing gently, "Come, let's drink the medicine. Once you drink it, you'll feel better soon." The clean, pleasant scent of soap pods lingered at her nose.
Who was he?
Why was he holding her?
Men and women shouldn't touch.
She was already betrothed.
Was it him?
But why would he speak to her so tenderly?
Where had he gone?
Did he know she'd been force-fed poison?
Her thoughts were a tangled mess. The liquid flowing into her mouth was bitter and astringent.
She struggled to open her eyes, but her lids grew heavier.
The person laid her down.
The pillow was cool and comfortable.
She sank back into deep sleep.
Then a booming voice startled her awake: "...Ninth Master, this won't do! This girl's delicate skin and tender flesh clearly mark her as a well-bred maiden, and she's beautiful too—even coarse clothing can't hide that. If people mistake her for someone we've kidnapped, we'll be in serious trouble!""Ninth Master, please listen to our advice!" someone continued. "If you're longing for a woman, once we reach Xi'an Prefecture, courtesan beauties, renowned opera actresses, modest maidens, or noble ladies—all would be at your command. We guarantee each one more beautiful than this woman. There's no need to risk yourself for her!"
"That's right, Ninth Master," another agreed. "Now that hordes of Migrant Bandits are flooding into Huayin and Pucheng, even the Huazhou Prefect can't sit still. Not only have the constables and runners from Huayin and Pucheng been mobilized to drive out the Migrant Bandits, but even those from Huazhou have been dispatched to assist in both counties. Who has time to worry about us now? This is the perfect opportunity for us to head to Xi'an Prefecture. Once there, like a dragon returning to the sea, where would they even begin to look for us..."
"Enough. My decision is final." The voice was flat, devoid of inflection, even somewhat stiff and cold, yet inexplicably carried an ironclad resolve that couldn't be ignored. "Yuanbao, you'll take Fugui and the others to blend in with the Migrant Bandits from Qingyang. Yucheng, you'll lead Sanfu and his group to mix with those from Gongchang. Travel with them to Xi'an Prefecture. A Sen, you stay behind. Today is the twelfth of July. We'll meet on the fifteenth of August at Yongfu Inn in Ping An Ward, Xi'an Prefecture."
The twelfth of July? Was it already the twelfth? Had she really been unconscious for seven or eight days?
Fu Tingyun was shocked and struggled to open her eyes.
Light suddenly flooded in, stinging her eyes.
She quickly shut them again.
Several voices called out "Ninth Master," clamoring with overlapping pleas—"Let me stay with you," or "We leave together or not at all," or "This simply won't do," or "At worst, we can just bring this woman along..."
"Enough!" The same flat voice spoke again, and the clamor instantly receded like a tide, leaving only that single voice. "If you still acknowledge me as your Ninth Master, then do as I say." Then added, "Since you'll be disguised as Migrant Bandits, don't act impulsively. Getting safely to Xi'an is what matters most. If you encounter Feng Laosi's men, pretend you don't know each other."
After a moment of silence, scattered murmurs of assent followed.
"Go prepare. You'll depart after lunch." With that, footsteps grew nearer.
Fu Tingyun forced her eyes open.
A lean figure came into view.
Backlit by sunlight, his silhouette was edged in gold, making his features indistinct. But that stiff, calm voice left no doubt—it was him, the very same man.
How had he saved her? Had he seen her mother? Where was she now? Who were those people speaking? Why were they infiltrating the Migrant Bandits to reach Xi'an? And who was he, to claim that courtesan beauties, opera actresses, modest maidens, and noble ladies would all be at his disposal in Xi'an? Had he argued with his companions over her—was she the "woman" they mentioned? And was he the one who had held her to administer medicine?
At this thought, her face burned. Uncertain where to begin, she could only watch as he approached, stopping two or three paces away to look down at her.
They gazed at each other in silence, neither speaking a word.He suddenly crouched down to meet her at eye level. "Do you still recognize me?" he asked, frowning slightly as he spoke, appearing somewhat displeased.
Was it because she had burdened him? Or was he annoyed that she had caused a dispute between him and his companions?
Yet it was evident that despite his stern demeanor, he still held onto some kindness and principles.
At this moment, Fu Tingyun felt immensely grateful for this persistence of his.
"I do!" She nodded, attempting to offer him a friendly smile. But as the corners of her lips lifted, a sharp pain shot through her chest, forcing her to settle for a faint upward curve—just enough to convey a gentle expression of gratitude. "Thank you for saving my life!"
He gave a slight nod. Though his face remained impassive, she could sense his expression had softened somewhat compared to before.
"Are you feeling unwell anywhere?" he asked. "By the time I arrived, they had already forced you to drink nearly half of that medicinal brew. I didn’t know what kind of drug they gave you, so I told the physician you had accidentally ingested arsenic." He explained, "In any case, the antidotes work on similar principles—it shouldn’t cause any harm." His tone carried a hint of self-assurance, as if to say his judgment had been correct, and her awakening proved it.
(End of Chapter)
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