Chapter 170: Confession
Yang Yucheng slapped Zuo Junjie hard across the face. "Still lying through your teeth? I may not have eaten pork, but I’ve seen pigs run! Do you think becoming a Presented Scholar is that easy? And someone promised to guarantee you’d pass? If you’re going to make excuses, at least come up with a better one! You still won’t tell the truth—" With a sickening crack , he broke another of Zuo Junjie’s fingers.
Zuo Junjie’s agonized screams echoed through the cellar.
"I’m not lying, I swear I’m not!" Zuo Junjie whimpered, pleading for mercy. "I fled all the way to the capital as a beggar just to find Young Master Yu... I knew he’d come for the imperial exams... but who’d have thought he’d end up as the top scholar?" His voice dripped with envy, resentment, and a hint of defiance. "I was afraid the Fu family would find me, and even more afraid Young Master Yu would deny everything... But who else could I turn to?" He muttered to himself, "If the elders of the Yu Family found out, not only would Young Master Yu refuse to admit it, he’d probably pin the blame on me. Then I’d be the one suffering... Now that he’s working in the Office of Transmission, I’ve seen him a few times, but he’s always surrounded by people. A beggar like me couldn’t get close, so I had to find another way... But then you caught me. I fled to Daxing County overnight and only returned to the capital after things died down. I didn’t dare go back to Tanzhe Temple, so I begged near the Yu residence until I finally learned that the second son of the Ji family in Bensi Alley was Young Master Yu’s fellow candidate—they’re even related. Young Master Yu often visits the Ji family on his days off... I managed to get a long robe and waited outside the Ji house yesterday, thinking it was his day off, but he never showed up..." Suddenly, he raised his voice at Fu Tingyun, "If you don’t believe me, go ask Young Master Yu yourself! Liu Shutong from Minnan, just like Zhao Tingyi who serves by the Emperor’s side, was implicated in the Xiping 23rd Year Bingchen Examination scandal. But while Zhao Tingyi became an advisor to Prince Mu, Liu Shutong made a living taking exams for others... Young Master Yu promised he’d get Liu Shutong to help me!" Then he added venomously, "Who knows? Maybe his top scholar title was earned by Liu Shutong taking the exam for him!" A flash of hatred gleamed in his eyes.
That look sent a jolt through Fu Tingyun. She snapped out of her daze and stepped protectively in front of Yu Wei. "You said Young Master Yu wanted to break off the engagement. Why?"
Zuo Junjie hesitated. "I don’t know. I just heard him say he’d never become the Fu family’s son-in-law."
Fu Tingyun was stunned.
"Why?" she murmured, her face as pale as paper.
"You’ll have to ask Young Master Yu that!" Zuo Junjie sneered, clearly relishing her distress.
Her gaze turned icy.
"Don’t worry, I’ll confront Young Master Yu myself," she said coldly. "If what you say is true, I’m sure he’ll be very interested to hear you’re in my hands. But if you’re lying..." She didn’t finish, only let out a mocking scoff—clearly, she didn’t believe a word of it.
Others might not have met Young Master Yu, but he had dealt with him firsthand.Fu Tingyun was merely a sheltered young woman—how could she possibly know the methods of Young Master Yu? Most likely, with just a few words from him, she would be convinced to hand him over... And if that happened, he would become nothing more than a piece of meat on Young Master Yu's chopping block...
The thought flashed through Zuo Junjie's mind, and his face instantly turned deathly pale.
"No, no, no," he said, his voice trembling with an unconscious terror. "You can't hand me over to Young Master Yu! He bears ill will toward the Fu family... You don't understand—originally, the situation could have been salvaged. But it was Young Master Yu—who knows what he said to your father? Your father then wrote to Master Fu, and that was why Master Fu suddenly changed his mind and wanted me dead..." At this point, he abruptly realized he had misspoken and fell silent. Then, fearing Fu Tingyun might not grasp the gravity of the situation, he paused before continuing, "Regardless, this is a matter for the Fu family. Why don't you hand me over to your father? Let him negotiate with the Yu Family. I swear, when the time comes, I'll testify for you..."
Fu Tingyun was stunned. "You're saying the situation could have been salvaged, but it was because of Wu Laoye that Master Fu changed his mind?" A strange glint flickered in her eyes.
Zuo Junjie also grew uneasy.
Though it was said that parents could do no wrong, if Fu Tingyun took this to heart and resented Master Fu and Wu Laoye, how could she possibly hand him over to the Fu family?
He hastily defended himself, "Young Master Yu twists the truth—he's extremely persuasive. Most likely, your father and Master Fu were deceived by him..."
Fu Tingyun's expression softened slightly at this.
Yang Yucheng grew frantic.
Zuo Junjie was a treacherous snake—one moment he said one thing, the next another. For his sister-in-law to negotiate with him was like trying to skin a tiger alive!
He had to find a way to warn her.
But with Zuo Junjie present, how could he undermine her authority?
Anxiously, he turned to the shrewd Jin Yuanbao.
Jin Yuanbao frowned slightly, clearly also disapproving of Fu Tingyun's approach.
Relieved that Jin Yuanbao shared his thoughts, Yang Yucheng then heard Fu Tingyun say, "In that case, why don't you write me a sworn statement? You don’t need to write anything else—just put down everything you just said. If what you say is true, I’ll settle accounts with Young Master Yu myself. But if you’re just spouting nonsense... Well, even without mentioning others, my Uncle Yang here has a thousand ways to make you regret your actions today!" By the end, her tone carried a clear threat.
Yang Yucheng broke into a sweat.
Zuo Junjie, however, was unfazed.
He was telling the truth.
And all Fu Tingyun cared about was clearing her name and reclaiming her innocence! As long as he promised to testify for her, she’d probably be willing to pay any price, wouldn’t she?
He pondered.
If he refused to write the statement, she’d surely think he was lying.
Why not just write it and let the Fu and Yu families tear each other apart?
Perhaps in their struggle, he might even emerge the victor!
With this in mind, Zuo Junjie said, "Bring me ink, brush, and paper. I’ll write it and sign."
Fu Tingyun glanced at Yu Wei, who immediately turned and left the cellar.Yang Yucheng seized the opportunity to approach Fu Tingyun, but to his surprise, Jin Yuanbao reached her side first and whispered, "Sister-in-law, earlier you tried so earnestly to persuade him, yet Zuo Junjie disregarded his elder sister entirely. Now he keeps saying he’s afraid of causing trouble for her… Such a sudden change in attitude suggests deceit… What do you think? Should Yucheng and I interrogate this Zuo fellow again?"
"No need," Fu Tingyun replied. "All I want from him is a written statement. As for its authenticity, I believe it will become clear once I meet Young Master Yu and speak with Master Fu."
Jin Yuanbao, realizing she already had a plan, brightened and silently stepped aside.
Yang Yucheng was puzzled.
Zuo Junjie, catching fragments of the conversation, felt reassured.
The Fu family had been searching for him relentlessly.
Faced with being manipulated by Young Master Yu, he’d much rather deal with the two Fu masters. After all, his elder sister was still a Fu family daughter-in-law—and one who might even earn the family a fourth chastity arch. As the sole heir of the Zuo family, his sister would never stand by and watch him die… As long as he didn’t fall into Young Master Yu’s hands, there would always be a way out. But if he ended up with Young Master Yu, given how far things had gone, the only option left for him would be silencing him permanently.
So when Yu Wei brought in the writing tools, Zuo Junjie even took a moment to carefully word his statement before handing it to Fu Tingyun.
Fu Tingyun took the document and, escorted by Yu Wei and A Sen, left the cellar without so much as a glance at Zuo Junjie.
Zuo Junjie stared at Yang Yucheng’s icy expression, and the excruciating pain of having his fingers crushed in the iron clamp surged back like a tidal wave.
"Fu Shi! Let me out now!" he screamed in terror. "This matter should be decided by your father! Don’t act recklessly—Young Master Yu isn’t someone to be trifled with…"
"If you’re so afraid of Young Master Yu," Fu Tingyun’s cold, slightly disdainful voice drifted in from outside the cellar, "then for your own safety, I think it’s best you stay put in the cellar until this matter is resolved."
Zuo Junjie froze.
Jin Yuanbao shot Yang Yucheng a meaningful look before climbing up the cellar ladder.
Yang Yucheng grinned and crouched beside Zuo Junjie again, snapping the pliers in the air twice with a menacing "click-click."
Zuo Junjie paled instantly. "W-what are you doing?"
"Nothing much," Yang Yucheng chuckled. "Now that you’ve written your statement, Sister-in-law asked me to keep an eye on you. Since we’ve got time to kill, why not let me test whether you’ve been telling the truth…"
"No—!" Zuo Junjie let out a piercing shriek.
Jin Yuanbao, already outside the cellar, frowned impatiently at the noise and called down, "Don’t kill him—Young Master Yu might want to see him." Then he shut the cellar hatch and hurried over to Fu Tingyun, who stood motionless in the middle of the courtyard, looking lost.
She must be heartbroken over Zuo Junjie’s words: "Your father wrote to Master Fu, which is why Master Fu suddenly changed his mind."
"Sister-in-law," he hesitated, "Zuo Junjie is just a cornered rat. Don’t take his words to heart…""Among Ninth Master's close brothers, you've always been the calm and wise one," Fu Tingyun said with a faint smile. "Such insincere comfort—better not say it again in the future."
That smile lingered lightly at the corners of her lips, like morning mist in the woods—ethereal, translucent, as if it might vanish with the slightest breeze.
Jin Yuanbao lowered his head in shame. "Sister-in-law..."
"I was only teasing you!" Fu Tingyun chuckled. "No need to be so serious." Her expression then turned wistful. "Truthfully, I'd long had my suspicions, but I kept avoiding them, afraid to examine them closely. Now that Zuo Junjie has laid it bare, perhaps it's for the best..."
Jin Yuanbao felt a pang of sorrow.
What reason could Master Fu the Fifth, her own father, have for abandoning such a wonderful woman as his sister-in-law?
Taking a deep breath, he mustered his courage. "Sister-in-law, if you think me capable, I'd be honored to run errands for you."
"Without all of you, this matter truly couldn't be resolved," Fu Tingyun replied with a laugh. "Even if you hadn't offered, I would have asked for your help."
Hearing this, Jin Yuanbao relaxed and bowed with a smile. "At your service, sister-in-law!"
Fu Tingyun laughed.
Though she had lost much, she had also gained much.
Heaven was always fair.
Thinking of all the good people and things in her life, she found there was nothing left to resent!
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Apologies, apologies—it's very late today. Will definitely update more tomorrow!
Still shamelessly asking for pink votes...
O(∩_∩)O~
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(End of Chapter)
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