Escape to Your Heart

Chapter 196: The Plan

"At that time, Chen Zhongming was in the side hall and personally heard the Emperor say to Grand Secretary Shen, 'To cultivate oneself, regulate the family, govern the state, and bring peace to the world—if Lord Fu cannot even manage his own household affairs, how can he oversee the judicial matters of an entire province?'" Yu Jingxiu recounted. "Grand Secretary Shen appeared very surprised, but the Emperor merely waved his hand and told him to drop the matter. Not daring to say more, Grand Secretary Shen let the official appointments proceed as decided."

Grand Secretary Yu's brows knitted tightly together.

Yu Jingxiu hesitated before calling out softly, "Father... what do you think of this?"

Grand Secretary Yu turned the question back on his son: "What do you think?"

After careful consideration, Yu Jingxiu replied, "I have long suspected that Fu Shi and Zhao Ling were united without a proper matchmaker!"

"Oh?" Grand Secretary Yu straightened in his seat, his expression grave.

"I once heard from one of Zhao Ling's subordinates that Fu Shi encountered bandits while fleeing famine. To preserve her chastity, she was about to slit her own throat when the Emperor intervened and saved her life," Yu Jingxiu mused. "This shows that their current standing is entirely due to encountering the Emperor when he was still in his princely residence.

"Then I looked into Zhao Ling.

"Before meeting the Emperor, he was completely unknown. Afterward, he suddenly entered the military register and was appointed as a Centurion in the Zhuanglang Garrison... Later, he repeatedly distinguished himself in battle there and even joined the Emperor in the Purge the Emperor's Entourage campaign. After the Emperor ascended the throne, he was made Commander of the Left Feather Forest Guard. In just two years, he rose from an insignificant soldier to a third-rank military official. The Emperor saved his life and likely regards him as a retainer.

"Even so, I find it unlikely that Zhao Ling would lodge an imperial accusation—firstly, the Emperor is no fool, and secondly, as a military officer accusing a civil official, the process of his feud with the Fu family would have to be explained. There must be a reason. I suspect the Emperor may have already known about the Fu family's affairs before his ascension. Wasn't Zhao Ling by the Emperor's side at the time? Could the Emperor have heard something in anger and, to rally his followers, casually promised something... Otherwise, why would the Empress Dowager suddenly bestow a marriage upon them?"

The Empress Dowager probably doesn’t even know what Zhao Ling looks like!

Grand Secretary Yu nodded in satisfaction. "You and I think alike!" Then, his expression darkened slightly as he sighed. "De Pu, you’ve always been so clever—since childhood, you’ve never given me, your uncle, or your third uncle any cause for concern. How could you make such a blunder at a critical moment? In the end, it’s because we spoiled you too much!"

Hearing his father’s self-reproach, Yu Jingxiu bowed his head in shame. "Father, I..."

His son was already grown; saying too much would only make him resentful, even if he agreed outwardly.

Seeing Yu Jingxiu’s remorse, Grand Secretary Yu smiled. "But then again, who doesn’t make mistakes in their youth? The key is not to repeat them. This time, take it as a lesson—never make the same mistake again. If this matter were to spread, you might be branded as 'unrighteous' or 'lustful,' and your reputation would be ruined. No pain, no gain!" He added, "You heard about Xiao Fu Daren’s situation firsthand—'To cultivate oneself, regulate the family, govern the state, and bring peace to the world.' It’s time for you to reflect deeply on how to proceed."Yu Jingxiu straightened up with a solemn expression and quickly bowed in response, "Understood."

Grand Secretary Yu nodded slightly and said seriously, "What do you think we should do now?"

Ever since learning of the Emperor's praise for Xiao Fu Daren, Yu Jingxiu had been pondering this matter. After a moment of contemplation, he replied, "Father, I have another concern... Fu Shi didn't even spare her own father. Do you think she might also be waiting for an opportunity to act against us? The fact that the Emperor sought the Empress Dowager's blessing for their marriage to cover up their coinciding intentions shows how highly he regards Zhao Ling..."

This was also a concern for Grand Secretary Yu.

With the Emperor favoring Zhao Ling so much, even if Zhao Ling refrained from lodging a formal complaint to demonstrate his impartiality, who could guarantee he wouldn't seize an opportunity to strike when they were vulnerable?

As the saying goes, a thief may steal for a thousand days, but no one can guard against theft for a thousand days.

"Originally, we planned to control both Lord Fu and Xiao Fu Daren, using filial piety to suppress Fu Shi," he said with a hint of displeasure. "But who knew Fu Shi would be so impenetrable—neither needles nor water could get through. She even used the late Madam Fu as an excuse. Clearly, she's a formidable opponent. We must indeed be cautious."

"That's why I think we should strike first," Yu Jingxiu said darkly. "Didn't Zhao Ling rise to prominence from Zhuanglang Garrison? I suggest we find a way to investigate him there. I refuse to believe he doesn’t have a single flaw we can exploit!"

Grand Secretary Yu asked gravely, "How do you plan to investigate?"

Yu Jingxiu smiled. "Father, do you remember the Xiping Marquis?"

Grand Secretary Yu was taken aback.

Yu Jingxiu continued, "The Xiping Marquis has long governed Liangzhou Garrison, but the Shaanxi Regional Military Commission first had Marquis Yingchuan, followed by He Fu. Marquis Yingchuan, being of noble birth and a mild-mannered man, would at least give him some face. But He Fu is different—he rose from the ranks of a junior officer and is utterly uncompromising. When his temper flares, he wouldn’t hesitate to draw his sword even against his own lieutenant for disobeying orders. The Xiping Marquis has been suffocating under his pressure. In fact, in October, he sent his second son to the capital. I heard he wanted to seek Grand Secretary Shen’s favor but lacked an introduction..."

Grand Secretary Yu raised an eyebrow. "Who else knows about this?"

"No more than ten people," Yu Jingxiu replied, a trace of smugness flashing across his face. "He disguised himself as a silk merchant when entering the capital. If not for my friend Zhongming wanting to buy a high-quality longevity lock for our teacher’s youngest son at the silver shop, where we happened to catch him exchanging gold and exposing himself, I wouldn’t have known either."

Grand Secretary Yu remained silent.

Yu Jingxiu stood quietly by his father’s side, awaiting his decision...

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Meanwhile, Fu Tingyun leaned listlessly against the bolster by the window in the heated kang.

Yu Wei brought in tea and snacks.

"Madam, it’s truly not worth being upset over these matters," she said, picking up a piece of candied fruit with a toothpick and offering it to Fu Tingyun. "Wu Laoye now understands you genuinely want nothing to do with him. He surely won’t trouble you again. Seen this way, it might even be a good thing.""I'm not troubled by Wu Laoye's affairs," Fu Tingyun took the toothpick and said softly. "I'm thinking about my mother... She lived a life of integrity, yet ended up married to someone like Wu Laoye. She must have known everything before her passing, which is why she suffered so much. On her deathbed, she repeatedly urged me not to return to the Fu family and not to blindly follow filial piety, fearing I might be exploited by Wu Laoye again..." She sighed deeply. "I've come to realize—how many lives do I have to spare, to be manipulated by Wu Laoye time and again? Besides, I have children now. If anything were to happen to me, what would become of them?"

Yu Wei nodded repeatedly. "It's for the best that Madam has come to this understanding."

Just then, Youyou ran in.

"Mother, look, look! Housekeeper Tong taught me how to make this flower," she said proudly, holding up a clumsily crafted date-red velvet flower and thrusting it toward Fu Tingyun. "I want to put it on Mother!"

Tong Shi, who had followed her in, glanced at the kingfisher feather hairpin at Fu Tingyun's temple and explained awkwardly, "Madam, it was too cold outside, so I entertained the young miss by making a velvet flower... I'll make a better one for you later."

"No need!" Fu Tingyun laughed, picking up Youyou and tilting her head. "Youyou can put it on me."

Delighted, Youyou placed her little flower beside her mother's kingfisher feather hairpin.

Fu Tingyun asked Yu Wei to bring a hand mirror.

"Lovely, lovely," she said, nodding. "Very pretty."

Youyou giggled and turned to climb off the kang. "I'll make one for my brother, one for Second Uncle, one for Yu Wei, one for Zheng Sanniang, one for Housekeeper Tong..." She counted on her tiny fingers.

Everyone laughed.

Tong Shi, moved, carried Youyou off to the warm room.

Fu Tingyun and Yu Wei discussed the New Year gifts, deciding which households A Sen would deliver to and which Zheng San would handle.

That evening, A Sen got the news and hurried to the kitchen, where Yu Wei was fetching hot water. "When are we delivering the New Year gifts to the Wang family?" he asked.

Yu Wei covered her sleeve with a smile. "They should all be delivered before Laba. As for which household gets theirs when, that's entirely up to you, Second Young Master."

A Sen dashed out of the kitchen.

Yu Wei chuckled. "What's gotten into him?"

"Who knows," Zheng Sanniang, stoking the fire, laughed. "He's been acting odd these days."

Yu Wei fetched the water and helped Fu Tingyun retire for the night.

Early the next morning, A Sen went out and returned at noon for lunch. "I’d like to deliver the Wang family’s gifts this afternoon," he told Fu Tingyun.

He had been on holiday since the start of winter.

"Of course!" Fu Tingyun instructed Zheng San to accompany him.

He didn’t return until nightfall. "Wang Furen insisted I stay for dinner. Seeing that Lord Wang wasn’t home and the household only had Wang Furen and her two daughters, the place felt so big and empty. So I stayed."

It was merely a two-courtyard residence, housing their family of four and seven or eight servants—hardly what one would call "empty."

Fu Tingyun stifled a laugh and asked about the gift delivery. Learning that Wang Furen, busy with New Year preparations, had been delighted by A Sen’s visit and promised to send return gifts soon, she dismissed A Sen to rest.

A Sen returned to his room.

But Fu Tingyun called for Yan Qing, who had accompanied him. "What did A Sen give the Wang family’s two young ladies?" she asked.Yan Qing was initially shocked, then relieved—thinking A Sen must have mentioned it to Fu Tingyun—and said, "The second young master sent a kumquat tree to Eldest Miss Wang and a daffodil to the second young miss of the Wang family. Because of this, the second young miss sulked for half a day and was scolded by Wang Furen."

A Sen wasn’t usually so lacking in social graces.

Fu Tingyun asked curiously, "Why did he think of sending Eldest Miss Wang a kumquat tree? In such cold weather, where did he even get it from?"

Yan Qing chuckled, "A while ago, when Eldest Miss Wang visited, she mentioned that during New Year celebrations in Fujian, their family always kept a kumquat tree at home. The second young master searched all over the streets but couldn’t find one. Later, he asked a daffodil seller and learned that there were greenhouses in Fengtai. So he went there, but only two places grew kumquat trees, and each pot cost fifty taels of silver. The second young master helped people hunt birds outside the city and earned over ten taels, finally saving enough to buy the kumquat tree. He’s been thinking every day about how to deliver it to Eldest Miss Wang..."

No wonder he volunteered to deliver the New Year gifts to the Wang family!

But it was meant for Eldest Miss Wang...

Most families would likely keep their eldest daughter at home.

Fu Tingyun felt a headache coming on and quietly confided in Yu Wei.

"I always thought the second young master got along better with the second young miss of the Wang family..." Yu Wei was also surprised. "Perhaps you could sound him out?"

"He’s still so young—he might not have thought that far ahead," Fu Tingyun sighed. "And even if he does have such intentions, the Wang family would have to approve. If we ask him and the Wangs aren’t interested, wouldn’t that just hurt A Sen’s feelings?"

Yu Wei smiled. "Madam, you’re overthinking this out of concern. Why not ask Wang Furen someday which daughter she plans to keep at home, then casually mention it to the second young master during conversation? Look at how he went out of his way to gift the kumquat tree—it’s clear he has a mind of his own. He might already have his own plans before you even bring it up."

"You’re right!" Fu Tingyun laughed. After the Lantern Festival ended on the seventeenth day of the first lunar month, she sent an invitation to Wang Furen, inviting her for an outing to Yuming Mountain on the second day of the second month.

But just as the invitation was sent, Zhenzhu came in to report, "Madam, Fu Da Nainai from Four Happiness Alley is here to see you."

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Fortunately, it’s not too late... O(∩_∩)O~

PS: Due to internal training these past few days and an exam tomorrow, there will only be one update tomorrow.

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(End of Chapter)