Chapter 179: Grand Secretary Yu
While Grand Secretary Yu was silently pondering, Master Fu the Fifth, who stood nearby, mistook his silence for anger at Fu Tingyun's defiance. Panic surged through him.
Any whisper of cheating in the imperial examinations would not only ruin him but also tarnish the Fu family's century-old reputation. The only one who could save him now was Grand Secretary Yu, who was close with Liu Shutong. No matter what, he had to maintain good relations with the Yu family.
Master Fu the Fifth was entirely focused on how to please Grand Secretary Yu and distance himself from Fu Tingyun. He couldn't help but resent her for her ingratitude. The recent rejections from the Zhao family, the disdain he faced for breaking his promise to Yu Jingxiu, and the endless troubles this daughter had brought since arriving in the capital—all these grievances welled up in his heart. Overcome with rage, he took several steps forward and raised his hand to strike Fu Tingyun.
Fu Tingyun had come to the Yu family as a guest, and the two Masters of the Fu family had been fawning over Grand Secretary Yu. Never did she imagine that Master Fu the Fifth would disregard the host-guest relationship and dare to raise his hand against her in the Yu family's flower hall, right in front of Grand Secretary Yu.
Zhao Ling, however, had never trusted Grand Secretary Yu or the two Fu masters. He remained vigilant, his senses sharp. The moment Master Fu the Fifth stepped forward, Zhao Ling was already on guard. As soon as the hand was raised, he swiftly blocked Fu Tingyun, gripping Master Fu the Fifth's wrist with a steely glare directed at Grand Secretary Yu.
"Lord Yu," Zhao Ling said coldly, "I accepted your invitation and brought my wife here to admire the flowers—as a guest, not to be humiliated. If you have no further business, my wife and I shall take our leave. I'd hate for a mere disagreement to escalate into the risk of being slapped."
Before he could finish, Grand Secretary Yu's face flushed crimson with fury.
Never in his life had he witnessed someone daring to strike a guest of the Yu family right in their own residence, in his very presence!
This was not only an insult to the Yu family but also a direct challenge to his authority.
Grand Secretary Yu's expression darkened.
Meanwhile, Fu Tingyun rose to her feet, seething with anger.
She clutched Zhao Ling's sleeve tightly, silently reminding herself: This was her man, standing up for her. She must not lose her temper or argue with the Fu family, lest she undermine Zhao Ling's authority or appear to distrust him. If she clashed with the Fu masters, she risked being branded unfilial. But Zhao Ling, as a son-in-law with a different surname, could afford to be at odds with his father-in-law—at worst, others might call him hot-tempered, but it would never touch upon matters of loyalty or filial piety.
Before Grand Secretary Yu could react, Master Fu the Eldest yanked Master Fu the Fifth back and hastily interjected, "Lord Zhao, please calm your anger!" Then, with a forced smile, he added, "You may not regard my younger brother as a father, but he has always treated you as his child..." His implication was clear: A father had every right to discipline his children, whether through scolding or striking.
As he spoke, he shot a glance at Grand Secretary Yu.
Having navigated the treacherous waters of officialdom for decades, Grand Secretary Yu saw right through the irreconcilable rift between the Fu father and daughter.
He had invited the two Fu masters with the intention of negotiating peace with Fu Tingyun under the condition that "the Fu family acknowledges her, and she ceases to pursue Yu Jingxiu's wrongdoing." But now, it seemed he had miscalculated.Previously, Master Fu the Fifth had appeared modest and courteous, poised and dignified, but who would have thought he was merely a sprout that never bore fruit—flustered and at a loss when faced with difficulties. No wonder De Pu had him under his thumb.
A hint of disdain arose in his heart.
Yet this was also the perfect opportunity for his own plans. He quickly concealed his contempt and chimed in with Master Fu, smiling: "Lord Zhao, I am older than you and have seen more of life. Call it an old man’s presumption if you will. You young people can hardly understand the minds of us elders. No matter how good our children are, we always wish for them to be better, and thus hold them to stricter standards than others. And no matter how lacking they may be, they are still our own flesh and blood—stern on the surface, but aching for them in our hearts."
As he spoke, he rose and approached Zhao Ling, speaking gently: "Lord Zhao, Xiao Fu Daren may have acted rashly, but he never intended harm toward Madam Zhao—only that his methods were misguided. Today, I invited you here for two reasons: first, to apologize on behalf of my son, and second, in hopes of reconciling father and daughter. You may choose not to visit your father-in-law’s house, but surely you wouldn’t deny your child an uncle?"
Having said this, he gazed quietly at Zhao Ling, his expression sincere and earnest.
Fu Tingyun inwardly cursed Grand Secretary Yu for his cunning.
Zhao Ling was the son-in-law. If he refused such a humble plea for reconciliation, word would spread, and others might criticize him for arrogance. But if he agreed, the two Masters of the Fu Family could then, as elders, pressure her into yielding to the Yu Family.
She quickly tugged at Zhao Ling’s sleeve, then put on a look of distress, choking back sobs: "Husband, what should we do? My mother’s dying wish was that, as a married woman of the Zhao family, I should never set foot in the Fu household again... If I consider our child, I betray my mother’s trust; if I honor her command, I fail our child..." As she spoke, she cast a pleading glance at Zhao Ling.
Beside them, Grand Secretary Yu and the two Fu masters were momentarily stunned.
Zhao Ling, attuned to Fu Tingyun’s thoughts, immediately grasped her meaning. He feigned hesitation before finally saying, "The departed must be honored, and filial piety comes before all virtues... Now that we are parents ourselves, if we fail in our duty to our elders, our child will follow our example... We must respect my mother-in-law’s final wishes."
Fu Tingyun exhaled in relief, her expression softening. "Husband, you are wise. I shall obey your decision." With that, she even performed a proper curtsy toward Zhao Ling.
Master Fu the Fifth flushed with anger, but Master Fu, seeing Grand Secretary Yu’s furrowed brow, swiftly restrained his younger brother with a hand on his shoulder.Others might not know, but he was well aware that his fifth brother valued face above all. Back then, if Yu Jingxiu hadn’t pushed him into a corner, he would never have confessed to the imperial examination cheating. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been left so helpless. That’s why, the moment he heard Fu Tingyun was still alive, he immediately wrote to his fifth brother, urging him to downplay the matter and let it fade away. When he learned Fu Tingyun had also written a letter to his wife, he grew anxious, fearing she would refuse to let it go while his fifth brother wouldn’t reveal the truth. If both sides remained stubborn, trouble would surely flare up again. A year passed with no resolution regarding Fu Tingyun’s situation, and he realized things were likely worse than he had imagined. After much deliberation, he feigned illness, abandoned his official duties in Jinhua, and rushed day and night to the capital… only to arrive too late.
At this thought, he shot his brother a fierce glare before turning a pleading gaze toward Grand Secretary Yu.
Whether Fu Tingyun’s words were true or false didn’t matter—what mattered was the intent behind them.
Grand Secretary Yu inwardly cursed the brothers for their incompetence but chuckled amiably as he turned and sat back down. He gestured to the teacup before Zhao Ling. “An old colleague of mine, now the prefect of Hangzhou, recently sent me some Longjing tea picked before the rains. Lord Zhao, please try it.” He was trying to smooth over the conflict.
Fu Tingyun and Zhao Ling had come precisely to resolve this matter, so they naturally wouldn’t dwell on it further.
Zhao Ling smiled and took his seat, while Fu Tingyun’s expression softened as if nothing had just happened. The couple each took a sip of tea. Zhao Ling praised its quality, while Fu Tingyun remained silent, her demeanor unreadable.
Grand Secretary Yu nodded subtly to himself. His gaze flickered over Fu Tingyun’s serene, beautiful face, and suddenly, an idea struck him. He smiled and asked, “Madam Zhao, what do you think of the tea?”
Fu Tingyun had come today for a confrontation. Even if Grand Secretary Yu had served dragon liver or phoenix marrow, she wouldn’t have batted an eye—let alone Longjing tea picked before the rains!
“The tea is excellent, and so is the water,” she replied with a smile. “If I’m not mistaken, this is water from Yuquan Mountain, isn’t it? Yuquan’s water is famed for its clarity and crispness. However, your household brewed it in haste—the water wasn’t fully boiled three times before use, so the aroma isn’t as rich as it could be. Still, it’s a minor flaw, and quite drinkable.” Her tone was light and guileless, like a picky girl next door, making her criticism inoffensive.
Grand Secretary Yu was astonished. “Oh?” he exclaimed, unable to hide his surprise. “I didn’t expect Madam Zhao to be so knowledgeable about tea!”
“My grandmother loved tea,” Fu Tingyun explained with a smile. “I often attended to her and picked up a little along the way.”
Being able to discern how many times the water had boiled was no small feat.
Such a fine young woman, and the Yu Family had simply let her slip away.
Grand Secretary Yu couldn’t help but glance at Master Fu the Fifth.
If only Wu Laoye had brought this matter to him back then, would there ever have been a broken engagement?
Lost in thought, he found himself asking impulsively, “I heard Madam Zhao has a daughter—she must be bright and lively?”
Even though she was at odds with the man before her, the mention of her daughter brought an involuntary, radiant smile to Fu Tingyun’s face. “She can’t walk yet, but she’s already talking. She understands everything—if things don’t go her way, she pouts and gazes at you with teary eyes…”If there was one thing in his life that Grand Secretary Yu found unsatisfactory, it was his lack of descendants. Moreover, as he grew older and his official career flourished, he naturally yearned for the joy of dandling grandchildren on his knees. Hearing this, he couldn't help but show an envious expression. After some thought, he called for Yu Huaian: "Go to the study and fetch the longevity lock I prepared for Miss Zhao."
This was originally intended to win over Fu Tingyun. However, having never met her before, the one in his sleeve was a gold lock inlaid with rubies—too extravagant, more like a social courtesy than a genuine gift. The one in the study, though, was a simple silver lock—ordinary yet wearable, representing a true elder's blessing for a younger generation.
As Grand Secretary Yu's trusted aide, Yu Huaian understood this distinction perfectly.
He cast a surprised glance at Fu Tingyun before acknowledging the order and withdrawing.
Fu Tingyun didn’t wish to accept Grand Secretary Yu’s gift. She smiled and said, "You’re too kind. She hasn’t even reached her first birthday—it’s too early for her to receive gifts from elders."
Unless one was destitute, it was customary to have a child’s fortune told at birth, with many traditions surrounding it. Grand Secretary Yu genuinely wanted to give the child something, but hearing this, he hesitated.
After some thought, he called Yu Huaian back in: "...Then let’s send a few small playthings for the little girl instead!"
Master Fu was astonished.
Grand Secretary Yu had only met Fu Tingyun once, and under such circumstances at that, yet he had already taken a liking to her... Could it be that his niece truly possessed the noble destiny and auspicious fortune of prospering both husband and descendants, as the Yu Family’s Taoist priest had claimed?
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O(∩_∩)O~
Finally managed to update at a normal time today!
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(End of Chapter)
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