Chapter 175: Return to Court
Although Fu Tingyun had long anticipated that Yu Jingxiu, having been rebuffed at her door, would turn his attention to Zuo Junjie, she was still taken aback when it actually happened.
She quickly looked Jin Yuanbao and the others up and down, asking urgently, "Are all of you alright?"
"We're fine, we're fine!" A Sen replied cheerfully. "We ambushed the ones who sneaked in and beat them up in the cellar. They either broke their arms or legs—suffered big losses. In the end, we even kept two of them as witnesses. They’ll probably have a hard time explaining this one."
With the Yu Family's influence spanning far and wide, two mere lackeys wouldn’t shake Yu Jingxiu’s foundations. A Sen was still young, and unlike his optimism, Fu Tingyun and Jin Yuanbao remained cautious. Still, Jin Yuanbao added, "Sister-in-law, don’t worry. No matter what tricks Yu Jingxiu pulls, we’ve got the moral high ground in every move. He’ll have a headache over this." Then he continued, "We captured Zuo Junjie the day before, and the very next day, Yu Jingxiu came knocking. I suspect he had people watching us, so that same night, we moved Zuo Junjie to another location. Even if he tears the place apart, he won’t find him."
Fu Tingyun let out a sigh of relief.
Yang Yucheng sneered, "He probably chose to strike now because he thought we’d be busy with wedding preparations. But who knows—was he trying to silence Zuo Junjie or snatch him away?"
"Killing someone is much simpler than kidnapping. Of course, he wanted to silence him!" Jin Yuanbao said. "Otherwise, if the Shuntian Prefecture or the Five Cities Patrol Brigade got involved, even with the Yu Family’s power, it’d be a messy affair right under the Emperor’s nose." He chuckled. "But why bother guessing his intentions? Right now, the priority is to inform Zuo Junjie about this, so he doesn’t see Yu Jingxiu as some savior. If this ever goes to court, at least he won’t switch sides last minute."
Neither of them mentioned where Zuo Junjie was hidden, and Fu Tingyun didn’t ask—some things were better left unknown.
As they spoke, a commotion erupted outside.
Fu Tingyun assumed it was Master Fu the Fifth causing another scene. She had already instructed Zheng San and the others to simply shut the gates and ignore him, so she paid it no mind and continued speaking with Jin Yuanbao and Yang Yucheng. "Be careful. Since Yu Jingxiu sent people after Zuo Junjie, he might target you as well." She also reminded A Sen, "Don’t go to school these next few days. I’ll ask your teacher for leave. Stay home and study until things calm down."
Jin Yuanbao nodded obediently, but Yang Yucheng scoffed, "He probably has no idea what we’re capable of. The men he sent were quick, but compared to us, who’ve lived by the blade, they were still a step behind. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been beaten so badly."
A Sen chimed in, "Sister-in-law, don’t worry. We’re tougher than them."
Jin Yuanbao shot them both a glare. "Sister-in-law’s advice makes sense. Just follow it—better safe than sorry!"Yang Yucheng was about to retort when a man's voice tinged with amusement suddenly reached his ears: "What's happened? You're all discussing 'better safe than sorry'?"
The familiar voice stirred excitement among everyone in the room.
"Ninth Master!" Fu Tingyun murmured as she stood up, tears instantly blurring her vision.
Meanwhile, A Sen, Jin Yuanbao, Yang Yucheng, and the others crowded around him in joyful surprise.
"Ninth Master, when did you return?"
"Weren't you supposed to return triumphantly in mid-May? How come you're back in early April?"
"Did something change in the Guizhou campaign? Or did His Majesty issue new orders?"
They bombarded him with questions, their concern evident in every word.
"The campaign went smoothly," Zhao Ling replied with a smile, though his gaze lingered on Fu Tingyun—so intently, so focused, as if she were the only person in the world, as if his words were meant solely for her. "Originally, we were scheduled to return in mid-May, but His Majesty had urgent inquiries, so I volunteered to return to the capital ahead of time."
Fu Tingyun blinked hard, trying to hold back the tears, but her eyes still glistened, her face wet with emotion.
Eleven months and three days apart, over three hundred days and nights of longing...
She smiled and lowered her head, discreetly wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes before calling out loudly to Zheng Sanniang, "Hurry to Penglai Pavilion and order a feast for us!"
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The night was deep, yet a lamp still burned in the inner chamber of the eastern main room.
The warm, dim glow seeped through the Korean paper-covered window lattice, exuding comfort and tranquility.
Zhao Ling gently stroked his daughter's soft, raven-black hair, his expression tinged with melancholy. "When I left, she was still tiny like a kitten. Now she's grown so well, yet she doesn't recognize me."
Fu Tingyun, sitting across from him as she mended his socks, couldn't help but smile faintly. She paused her needlework and said, "She was just shy at first. Later, she clung to your arm and wouldn't let go!"
Otherwise, Youyou wouldn't be sleeping here now.
Zhao Ling chuckled. "True. Once she realized I was her father, she wanted no one else—just me!" His brows lifted slightly, a hint of pride in his tone.
This childlike side of Zhao Ling made Fu Tingyun laugh softly.
"Don't wake her!" Zhao Ling whispered, unable to tear his eyes away from his daughter's face. "Look at her—so beautiful... her little cheeks rosy, her eyelashes thick, long, and curled like tiny fans..." Unable to resist, he leaned down and kissed Youyou's cheek.
Disturbed in her sleep, Youyou pouted unhappily.
As if witnessing something extraordinary, Zhao Ling suppressed his excitement and whispered to Fu Tingyun, "Look, look! She's frowning!" Then he marveled, "How is she so clever? She understands everything!"
Anyone would frown and pout if disturbed while sleeping.
He was spouting nonsense!
Fu Tingyun barely resisted the urge to dampen her husband's enthusiasm, though her heart swelled with sweetness.
"You should rest now," she said, tidying up her sewing supplies. "You've been traveling day and night for days without even dismounting. Tomorrow, you still have to go to the palace..." At this, her voice faltered, and her expression grew hesitant.Zhao Ling took Fu Tingyun's hand and said, "I'll stay here with Youyou tonight. You go sleep in the side room!"
Fu Tingyun was still in mourning.
"Ninth Master!" Her face flushed crimson, a pang of guilt in her heart.
Zhao Ling cupped her face and lightly kissed her cheek like a dragonfly skimming water. "Go quickly, or I might not be able to restrain myself... and then we'd have quite the embarrassing situation..."
Fu Tingyun's face burned as if on fire, and she immediately turned to enter the side room where Youyou was sleeping.
After Madam Fu's passing, she had been utterly grief-stricken. Worried about her health, Zhao Ling had weaned Youyou, leaving the child to the wet nurse. The following month, her monthly courses had returned...
She looked down at her bosom, fuller now than before her marriage, and her waist, still as slender as a willow branch... Gritting her teeth, she resolved to walk to the door, only to hesitate and slump back onto the bed.
"A-Jun!" Zhao Ling's sigh came from the inner chamber. "Stop pacing around—you're making me restless. I'm busy tomorrow, but the day after, I'll make time to visit the Shuntian Prefecture first thing to sound out the prefect."
Fu Tingyun gasped, leaped onto the bed, and buried her head under the covers.
This was just too... too mortifying...
Her entire body felt like it was burning.
After lunch, they drank tea in the main hall. Jin Yuanbao and Yang Yucheng recounted everything that had happened in detail to Zhao Ling.
Hearing that Yu Jingxiu was involved, Zhao Ling showed little surprise, merely nodding slightly and remarking with piercing insight, "That explains it." This nearly drove Fu Tingyun mad. If not for the presence of Jin Yuanbao and the others—and her concern for Zhao Ling's dignity—she might have lunged to grab his collar and demand what else he knew.
The thought reignited her frustration.
Dinner passed, and Jin Yuanbao and the others retired early. She had intended to question Zhao Ling properly, but he swept her into his arms, showering her with kisses until she forgot all about it...
Blushing, Fu Tingyun rolled over and hugged Youyou's little pillow to her chest.
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Early the next morning, after seeing Zhao Ling off, Fu Tingyun sat before her dressing table, scrutinizing her reflection. No matter how she looked, she was convinced dark circles shadowed her eyes.
Zhenzhu held the mirror while Yu Wei held the lamp, but neither could spot any dark circles.
"Really?" Fu Tingyun murmured. "Am I seeing things?"
Yu Wei, rarely one for jest, teased, "A woman adorns herself for the one who appreciates her. Madam's concern surely stems from Ninth Master's return!"
"Nonsense!" Fu Tingyun, who usually spoke casually with Yu Wei, scoffed. "I just didn't sleep well last night."
The maids in the room stifled their laughter.
Fu Tingyun flushed with embarrassment.
Kou'er hurried in, slightly flustered. "Madam, a man claiming to be your uncle insists on seeing you. Zheng San told him you don't receive the Fu family, but he said he came from Jinhua..."
The letter had been sent only four or five days ago, and yet her uncle had already arrived...
A chill ran down Fu Tingyun's spine. She instructed Kou'er to escort Master Fu to the southern hall for tea while urging Yu Wei to finish her toilette. Within the time it took to drink a cup of tea, she was dressed and heading to the southern hall.
Both men and women of the Fu family were exceptionally handsome. Compared to Master Fu the Fifth, Master Fu was no less striking in appearance and bearing, though he carried an added air of innate solemnity.When Fu Tingyun appeared, he let out a soft sigh.
"I still remember when you were little. You and your sisters would practice calligraphy in the waterside pavilion. Whenever guests arrived, the housekeepers would take you all to play in the garden. The other children obediently followed their housekeepers to the garden, but you—you ran straight up to Housekeeper Chen, demanding to know why you couldn't stay in the pavilion before finally going to the garden." Master Fu stood quietly, his expression tinged with regret. "At the time, I thought, why is this child so stubborn? I even told your aunt about it, hoping she could temper your nature. Who would have thought that after more than a decade, you're still the same. Truly, it's easier to move mountains than to change one's character!"
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This chapter was scheduled for release... O(∩_∩)O~
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(End of Chapter)
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