Chapter 195: Venting Anger (Bonus Update Seeking Pink Tickets)
Her daughter’s fearless gaze and blunt tone left Master Fu the Fifth stunned. He widened his eyes, staring at Fu Tingyun.
Fu Tingyun sneered disdainfully. "Has Lord Fu finished speaking? If so, this humble woman has a few words to say."
Before Fu Tingyun had emerged, Master Fu the Fifth had already berated Yan Qing, Zheng San, and Jin Yuanbao one after another. Though his words were as meticulously crafted as an essay, with no repetition, he had already expressed everything he intended. Any further words would merely be reiterations. Yet, seeing Fu Tingyun’s contemptuous expression, the nameless fury in Master Fu the Fifth’s heart flared even hotter. He exploded in rage, "I’m not done yet—"
Fu Tingyun, upon hearing this, instructed Zheng San, "Fetch me a stool and bring a pot of tea while you’re at it."
Zheng San loudly acknowledged the order and swiftly brought over an embroidered stool, placing it behind Fu Tingyun.
She sat down, and Zheng San promptly handed her a cup of tea.
She lifted the teacup, blew on the floating tea leaves, and took a few deliberate sips.
"You—" Master Fu the Fifth’s pointing hand trembled uncontrollably. The person he was berating clearly held him in no regard, treating him like a ridiculous clown putting on a show, utterly detached from the matter. What meaning did his tirade hold then?
Fu Tingyun watched as she handed the teacup to Yu Wei, who stood nearby in attendance, straightened her sleeves, and calmly repeated, "Has Lord Fu finished speaking? If so, this humble woman has a few words to say!"
Master Fu the Fifth trembled with rage, unable to utter a single word.
Fu Tingyun rose to her feet and spoke softly, "From what I gathered in Lord Fu’s earlier remarks, it seems you’re accusing me of selfishness and ingratitude, failing to repay the kindness of my upbringing… However, there’s one thing I don’t understand." Her gaze suddenly sharpened like an arrow, her expression turning severe. "Just who are you to me? What gives you the right to come to my doorstep and shout insults at me?"
Jin Yuanbao and the others paled in shock.
Though no one had explicitly voiced it, they all knew Master Fu the Fifth was Fu Tingyun’s birth father.
If word of this spread—that a father had come to his daughter’s home to berate her, and the daughter had stood at the gate to retaliate—it would likely become a topic of gossip in the capital for the next decade.
Even if it wasn’t Fu Tingyun’s fault, it would be made out to be.
Master Fu the Fifth leapt to his feet. "I am your—"
The word "father" lingered on the tip of his tongue, but with a sudden jolt of awareness, he forcibly swallowed it back.
Grand Secretary Yu’s voice, though disappointed yet still gentle, echoed in Master Fu the Fifth’s ears:
"...You’ve served diligently in the Ministry of Personnel for so many years—if not with merit, then at least with hard work. Yet, while the Six Ministries are prestigious, advancing further without experience in local governance is difficult. Coincidentally, the Deputy Surveillance Commissioner of Henan is retiring due to mourning, leaving a vacancy. The current Surveillance Commissioner is already over seventy and will retire in a few years. I recommended Xiao Fu Daren to Grand Secretary Shen for the position.
"Who would have thought that when it was reported to His Majesty, the Emperor somehow inquired about Xiao Fu Daren’s children. At the time, the official on duty beside the Emperor was Chen Zhongming of the Office of Transmission, a colleague and close friend of my son. Unfamiliar with Xiao Fu Daren, Chen replied, ‘I don’t know.’ The Emperor paused, brush in hand, and Chen hurried to the Ministry of Personnel to inquire."“When the Emperor heard that Xiao Fu Daren’s youngest daughter had passed away early, leaving him with only one son, he muttered ‘unsuitable’ and crossed Xiao Fu Daren’s name off the list.
“Minister Chen, knowing that Xiao Fu Daren was recommended by me, hurried to inform my son…
“Xiao Fu Daren, I suspect this matter might be due to your son-in-law and daughter lodging a complaint before the Emperor. There’s nothing I can do now!” Grand Secretary Yu sighed with regret. “We’ll have to wait a few years until the Emperor forgets this incident before we can make any plans.” He added, “To untie the bell, one must seek the one who tied it. I suggest you visit Shi Family Alley and persuade your daughter. It’s better to resolve grievances than to prolong them—such opportunities are rare.”
From fifth rank to fourth rank—many spend their entire lives unable to cross this coveted threshold. Not only did he have a chance to surpass this enviable hurdle, but he might even rise to third rank, becoming a provincial governor, earning an honorary arch for the Fu family, and having his name engraved on the central wall of the Fu ancestral hall for posterity… Such an opportunity was not only ruined by Fu Tingyun but also earned him the Emperor’s remark of “unsuitable” because of her… Grand Secretary Yu spoke kindly, suggesting they wait until the Emperor forgot before recommending him again, but the Emperor was only thirty-three this year!
Twenty-eight years younger than Grand Secretary Yu, and twenty-five years younger than him.
Even if the Emperor forgot, the imperial records would remember.
Even if he could endure until the current Emperor’s passing, the successor would be the Emperor’s son—the Crown Prince. Would a mere fifth-rank official’s appointment or dismissal warrant the son overturning his father’s words?
His life was effectively over.
Master Fu the Fifth felt as if he had plunged into an icy abyss. His eyes rolled back, and he fainted. It was only after Grand Secretary Yu’s servant splashed cold water on him and pinched his philtrum that he regained consciousness.
Leaving the Yu Family, he stormed straight to Shi Family Alley.
But to his surprise, the Zhao family’s gatekeeper barred his entry, refusing to let him in no matter what, saying, “The mistress has ordered that no one from the Fu family is to be admitted.” Unable to contain his fury, he began shouting…
Having already lost the Emperor’s favor and now at the center of controversy, if word got out that his supposedly deceased youngest daughter was still alive… any investigation would surely expose his past examination fraud.
At this thought, his face turned ashen, and his gaze toward Fu Tingyun darkened with malice.
Fu Tingyun, however, smiled faintly and said, “Lord Fu, this isn’t the first time you’ve caused a scene at my home. My husband was orphaned young and achieved his standing today solely through his sincerity, integrity, and noble character. Whether friends or superiors, all were willing to support and guide him. You keep claiming my husband ruined your prospects—what proof do you have?”
Yu Guodong, as a grand secretary, was duty-bound to recommend talent to the Emperor. If this matter were publicized, Grand Secretary Yu would be accused of factionalism or abuse of power—how could Master Fu the Fifth speak of it?
Besides, the matter was already doomed. Bringing it up now would only invite ridicule.
He stammered, “You know full well what you’ve done. How dare you brazenly demand evidence from me…”If her father had even a shred of responsibility, he wouldn’t have thought of sacrificing his daughter’s life to preserve his own power and status... Fu Tingyun had bet everything on his cowardice—that he wouldn’t dare acknowledge her as his daughter.
Once again, reality proved her right.
"Lord Fu, your words are utterly unreasonable," Fu Tingyun interrupted Master Fu the Fifth with a cold laugh. "Without any evidence, relying solely on conjecture, you’ve already decided it was my husband’s doing. By your logic, if the oxen from our estate go missing, and the neighboring estate belongs to Master Liu, then surely it must be Master Liu’s steward who secretly took them? What kind of reasoning is that?"
A few untimely chuckles suddenly echoed in the alleyway before abruptly cutting off.
Master Fu the Fifth’s face flushed a deep, mottled red.
Fu Tingyun continued, "Lord Fu serves as a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Personnel, while my husband is a military officer stationed outside the capital. Their paths should never cross. Yet, you’ve come here personally—you must have heard some whispers. Imperial officials are forbidden from associating with frontier commanders. You, Lord Fu, have connections everywhere in the capital, so you may not fear such accusations. But my husband leads troops outside, relying solely on His Majesty’s favor in court. He wouldn’t dare risk even the slightest association with such matters. I demand you reveal the malicious schemer behind this, lest my husband’s reputation be tarnished!"
Her words were righteous, her expression unyielding.
Master Fu the Fifth froze, inwardly cursing his misstep.
He hadn’t expected this damned girl to be so sharp—with just a few words, she had found a loophole to corner him.
Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as a flicker of regret passed through him.
If he had known it would come to this, he should have planned carefully at home instead of rushing here recklessly...
But that regret was quickly replaced by fury.
Not only had she ruined his career, but now she was pinning the grave accusation of "an imperial official colluding with frontier commanders" on him—she was trying to destroy him!
The thought of losing everything stripped away his restraint. He lunged forward to strike Fu Tingyun. "I’ll teach you to spout nonsense—"
Jin Yuanbao and Zheng San immediately seized him from either side, their eyes darting toward Fu Tingyun.
With a cold snort, Fu Tingyun ordered A Sen, "Go to the Shuntian Prefecture and report this at once."
A Sen hesitated. Jin Yuanbao and Zheng San widened their eyes in shock. Even Master Fu the Fifth momentarily forgot to struggle.
For a moment, silence hung heavy before the gate.
Fu Tingyun snapped at A Sen, "What are you waiting for? Must we endure his rampage any longer?"
Seeing her stern expression, A Sen immediately obeyed and dashed out the gate.
Only then did Master Fu the Fifth realize Fu Tingyun wasn’t bluffing.
The prefect of Shuntian Prefecture was an acquaintance of his—would he dare act against him?
Yet Fu Tingyun’s resolute demeanor filled him with dread.
"Fu Tingyun!" he roared, his voice hoarse with agitation. "Don’t think I won’t expose everything—"
"Go ahead, expose it!" Fu Tingyun replied wearily. "It’ll give me a chance to return to Huayin to visit Grandmother and pay respects to Eldest Sister-in-law." Her voice softened as she murmured, "I won’t have to keep silent for your sake anymore, nor worry that my actions might harm my other sisters... Tell the Shuntian officials everything. I’ve done nothing wrong—I have nothing to fear!"
Master Fu the Fifth fell silent.
Words died on his lips.
If he truly spoke out, he would become the eternal disgrace of the Fu family.The Fu family's century-old reputation for integrity would be ruined by his hands.
His face turned deathly pale as his head slumped weakly forward.
"Lord Fu, I've told you long ago that apart from sharing the surname 'Fu', we no longer have any relationship," Fu Tingyun said. "I won't seek you out for my affairs, and you needn't come to me for yours. Though your actions were heartless and cruel, I've repaid your upbringing with my very life. From now on, we owe each other nothing. I ask that you never again come to my home to harass my family. Should we meet, I'll pretend not to know you—neither offering help in times of need nor kicking you when you're down. You can rest assured of that!" With these words, she lifted her chin to cast him a final glance before turning to enter the moon gate.
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Meanwhile, Grand Secretary Yu sat cross-legged on the meditation chair in his study, his expression dark as still waters.
"Have you verified this thoroughly?" he asked his son, who stood respectfully before him with hands at his sides, his voice low and grave. "Did His Majesty truly say so?"
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Dear sisters and brothers, I squeezed in an extra update—will fix typos later. Today's regular update will be delayed by a few hours... O(∩_∩)O~
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(End of Chapter)
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