Chapter 173: A Solution
A Sen ground the ink while Fu Tingyun wrote a letter to her eldest uncle in the southern hall. She then handed the letter to Jin Yuanbao, saying, "The sooner this reaches my eldest uncle, the better. If it’s too late, we might miss the excitement!"
"Don’t worry, sister-in-law," Jin Yuanbao replied with a smile. "I know what to do."
Fu Tingyun nodded with a faint smile.
At that moment, Zheng San hurried in. "Madam, Lord Fu from Four Happiness Alley is here!"
So soon!
Fu Tingyun and Jin Yuanbao exchanged a knowing glance.
"Sister-in-law," Jin Yuanbao said quietly, "shall I accompany you to meet Lord Fu?"
To his surprise, Fu Tingyun smiled and declined. "No need. You should focus on arranging the delivery of the letter."
Jin Yuanbao was taken aback. "Sister-in-law, with others present, Lord Fu might at least show some restraint..."
Though Zhao Ling had never explicitly mentioned it, Jin Yuanbao could infer from subtle clues how Master Fu the Fifth regarded Zhao Ling and Fu Tingyun. With Zhao Ling around, things might be manageable, but now that he was far away in Guizhou, Master Fu the Fifth would likely assert his authority as an elder, leaving Fu Tingyun at a disadvantage.
Fu Tingyun shook her head, signaling him to drop the matter.
Jin Yuanbao hesitated, about to press further, when Fu Tingyun spoke up. "Zheng San, go and inform Lord Fu that our master is not at home, and with only women present, it would be improper to receive guests. If Lord Fu has no urgent business, he may wait until our master returns. If it is urgent..." She paused, scanning the room as if unsure whom to entrust with the task, then added, "Then let Yu Wei relay the message for him."
Far from going out to greet him, her attitude made it clear she had no intention of entertaining Master Fu the Fifth—effectively shutting him out.
Everyone in the room was stunned.
Jin Yuanbao, especially anxious, exclaimed, "Sister-in-law! This might not be appropriate..."
"What’s inappropriate about it?" Fu Tingyun cut him off with a smile before he could finish. "Master Fu the Fifth is a secretary in the Ministry of Personnel’s Bureau of Appointments, while our master is a general leading troops to suppress bandits in Guizhou by imperial decree. Civil and military officials move in different circles—there’s no reason for interaction. If there’s any connection at all, it’s merely that we’re both from Shaanxi. But how many Shaanxi natives serve in the court? Must I disregard propriety and show myself to every fellow provincial who comes calling? That’s simply unreasonable!" She blinked at Jin Yuanbao before instructing Zheng San, "If Master Fu the Fifth takes offense, repeat my words to him verbatim. As a scion of Huayin’s distinguished Fu family, renowned for its strict discipline, he should understand my adherence to decorum."
Young Master Yu’s visit to Four Happiness Alley left no doubt—he must have sought Master Fu the Fifth’s intervention, hoping to use filial piety to pressure her into dropping the matter.
How could she let him succeed?
Hadn’t Master Fu the Fifth repeatedly declared she was no daughter of his?
Fine. She would no longer be a daughter of the Fu family.
In that case, when Master Fu the Fifth came to see her, wasn’t it only proper for her to receive him strictly according to etiquette?
Fu Tingyun smirked inwardly.
Zheng San acknowledged her instructions with a smile and left."Sister-in-law, that's a brilliant idea," A Sen clapped his hands in delight. "This is what they call 'using their own spear to shield against their own spear.' Let's see if he dares to give you that look again."
Who talks like that?
Jin Yuanbao couldn't help but glare at A Sen.
A Sen stuck out his tongue and hid behind Fu Tingyun.
Fu Tingyun patted his shoulder with a smile and said to Jin Yuanbao, "His words perfectly express my thoughts."
Jin Yuanbao gave an awkward smile.
A Sen made a face at Jin Yuanbao.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside.
It seemed Master Fu the Fifth was quite displeased with her words...
As Fu Tingyun pondered, the noise grew closer, and amidst it, she could hear Master Fu the Fifth's furious roar: "...Let me see what you can do to me!"
"Sister-in-law!" A Sen nervously tugged at Fu Tingyun's sleeve, while Jin Yuanbao stepped forward, shielding her.
Warmed by their concern, Fu Tingyun reassured them, "It's fine! With Zheng San's skills, ordinary people are no match for him. He's just hesitant to stop Lord Fu out of respect for his status..."
Before she could finish, Master Fu the Fifth stormed in angrily: "Fu Tingyun, is this how a child behaves?" Behind him stood Zheng San, looking embarrassed.
Fu Tingyun nodded at Zheng San with a smile before turning to Master Fu the Fifth: "Lord Fu, what a strange thing to say. Didn't you claim to have only one son and one daughter? As you yourself declared, your daughter died of illness four years ago at the Azure Cloud Temple in Huayin. How could I suddenly be your daughter now? Have you encountered something unclean recently, to be speaking such nonsense?" She then called out loudly for Zheng Sanniang, "Which temple's abbot did Madam Wu say was particularly efficacious the other day?" With a disdainful curl of her lip and a mocking glint in her eyes, she added, "Though Lord Fu is busy with official duties, he must take care of his health. In my opinion, he should find time to visit a temple soon, lest he be haunted by unclean spirits, deluded and confused. If he makes a mistake in his official work and jeopardizes his fifth-rank position, it would be a great loss. After all, that's a lucrative post, with many eyes coveting it!"
"You..." Master Fu the Fifth trembled with rage at her veiled insults, unable to speak for a long moment.
Ignoring him, Fu Tingyun scolded Zheng San, "Didn't I tell you? When the master isn't home, how can I, an inner household woman, receive guests? Hurry and escort Lord Fu out!" She complained further, "Honestly, as a servant, your ignorance might be excusable, but Lord Fu is a Hanlin scholar, well-versed in etiquette and protocol. Couldn't you be more astute and seek his guidance?"
Zheng San, knowing this was all an act, immediately put on a pitiful expression and said with a pained look, "Lord Fu is an honored guest—how could I dare offend him!""Nonsense!" Fu Tingyun pretended to scowl, reprimanding him sharply, "Confucius said, 'When three men walk together, there is always something I can learn.' How can seeking knowledge from Lord Fu be considered an offense?" She then feigned sudden realization, "Perhaps you saw Lord Fu losing his temper over trivial matters, disregarding his status to rage at a mere servant, lacking the dignity of a scholar, and thus dared not humbly seek guidance..."
"Enough!" Master Fu the Fifth was so furious he felt blood rushing to his head. He bellowed, "Stop playing the fool! I came today to discuss the annulment of your engagement with the Yu Family back then. If you want to know the truth, find a quiet place, and I'll recount every detail of what happened that year. If not, I'll leave immediately..." He spoke with impatience, eyeing Fu Tingyun up and down disdainfully, "And don’t ever come to me again whining about injustice or asking questions!"
For a moment, Fu Tingyun was tempted to do as Master Fu the Fifth suggested—find a secluded spot and hear the full story. But when she noticed the impatience on his face, her heart clenched.
Had Yu Jingxiu not intervened, would he have ever told her the truth?
The answer was obvious.
Now, the initiative was in her hands. Yet whether it was Yu Jingxiu or Master Fu the Fifth, despite needing her cooperation, they still acted with arrogance in her presence—one relying on his family's prestige, the other on his status as her father... Was this why they had treated her so callously back then? Was this why they had been so reckless with lives?
A wave of sorrow washed over Fu Tingyun.
If not for Zhao Ling, the grass on her grave would likely be taller than a person by now.
Yet to this day, they had never shown remorse or guilt for their past actions. Instead, they blamed her for being ungrateful, for insisting on uncovering the truth!
Did they really think she had no other recourse without them?
Images flashed through Fu Tingyun’s mind—Master Fu, her grandmother, Zuo Junjie, Zhao Ling, Yang Yucheng, Jin Yuanbao... Some had waited twenty years for justice. Her grievance was only four years old. Besides, the key players were still alive, and she had her husband and friends who stood by her like family. What did she have to fear?
Courage surged within her.
"If you have something to say, Lord Fu, say it here!" She fixed Master Fu the Fifth with a piercing gaze, her expression resolute and unyielding. "I’ve done nothing wrong. There’s nothing that can’t be said openly and honestly!"
Master Fu the Fifth was stunned.
Fu Tingyun stood calmly, her eyes locked onto him.
Her gaze was sharp, her demeanor composed, as if she held all the cards.
Master Fu the Fifth thought of the past... and felt a pang of guilt. Then he recalled Yu Jingxiu’s visit... and a chill ran down his spine... With a dark expression, he snapped, "How dare you speak to your father like this? Filial piety is the foundation of all virtues. Don’t think the Emperor’s favor exempts you from the natural bond between father and daughter—"
When he needed her compliance, he played the father. When he didn’t, she was a stranger!Fu Tingyun erupted in fury: "Father? How dare you speak to me of father?" Her almond-shaped eyes blazed as she advanced step by step toward Master Fu the Fifth. "Where were you when I was praying day and night in Azure Cloud Temple? Where were you when Housekeeper Chen forced medicine down my throat as I cried out for my father? What did you say when I came to you with joy in my heart? What did you say when I knelt before you begging for recognition? Now that Zuo Junjie has fallen into my hands and Young Master Yu came running to you in panic, you suddenly remember you're my father? Is there anything more absurd in this world? For four years I've wanted to know what could make a father sacrifice his own daughter, but I know even better that if I want the truth, I can't let anyone manipulate me!"
Her eyes burned like fire, their scorching gaze making Master Fu the Fifth instinctively retreat until his back hit a corridor pillar. Only then did he realize his undignified posture, flushing with shame. His darting eyes met nothing but contemptuous faces around him.
"Lord Fu," Fu Tingyun stopped at a deliberately distant position, her tone cool, "If you wish to explain what happened back then but fear implicating others' privacy, I can have them withdraw temporarily. But if you expect me to follow you to some secluded spot to listen to your nonsense, I'm afraid I don't have time for that. You may leave now!"
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Lin Jiacheng returns with "Spring Scenery of Southern Dynasties." Those who appreciate the Wei-Jin and Southern-Northern Dynasties period might enjoy it.
Synopsis: She thought, in this life she wouldn't be a femme fatale. In this world of outwardly extravagant but intrinsically thorny reality, she would pursue what even the most noble and outstanding favorites of heaven wouldn't dare seek: peaceful days in a tranquil world.
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(End of Chapter)
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