Chapter 250: The Truth (Bonus Update Seeking Pink Tickets)
Madam Wu's face had turned slightly pale at this moment.
She stammered as she asked Wu Daren, "Is this true?" Her expression was full of disbelief.
Wu Daren wore a deeply troubled look. "I asked Hao Jianfeng. Didn’t he serve as a counselor in Shaanxi back then? I originally just wanted him to help inquire about that Shen Rensi. Who knew that Hao Jianfeng, seeing how fiercely Shen Rensi had kicked Yu Jingxiu to the ground, was also investigating his background? That’s why he got the answer right away—it turns out Shen Rensi is the son-in-law of the Fu family from Huayin." He added, fearing Madam Wu might not know, "That’s Lord Fu, who serves as a director in the Ministry of Personnel." He continued, "According to Hao Jianfeng, he almost married into the Fu family back then, so he knows a thing or two about them.
"At the time, the Fu family’s Ninth Miss was already betrothed to Yu Jingxiu, the son of Grand Secretary Yu. Later, for some reason, the Ninth Miss passed away, and the engagement was dissolved." At this point, Wu Daren paused and lowered his voice to his wife, "Madam Zhao’s maiden name is also Fu. Do you think she could be the Fu family’s Ninth Miss?"
Madam Wu was startled. "N-no, that can’t be, right?" Though she said this, she couldn’t shake the inexplicable feeling that it might be possible. Otherwise, how could two families—one in the north and one in the south—have developed such a deep grudge?
She grew visibly agitated. "I think you should stop speculating here. Why not take the time to ask Hao Jianfeng again... Since they’re both now in the Ministry of Personnel and under his supervision, if Hao Jianfeng steps in to ask, neither of them can easily refuse."
Wu Daren was displeased when his wife accused him of "speculating." His expression darkened. "What do you mean, speculating? I have grounds for saying this. Think about it—the Fu family has always upheld a spotless reputation, and their women are known for their chastity and loyalty. Even if the Ninth Miss had died of illness, she was still betrothed. By all rights, the Fu family should have insisted that the Yu Family welcome her spirit tablet into their ancestral hall, ensuring she had a place to receive offerings. Failing that, even if the Fu family hesitated to confront Grand Secretary Yu, they should have at least demanded compensation—after all, their daughter had yielded the position of principal wife. But look at the situation now: the two Fu family members in office are merely a fifth-rank director and a fourth-rank prefect. The Yu Family got off far too lightly..." He stroked his sparse beard and mused, "...Could it be that the Fu family was at fault and couldn’t speak with conviction?"
If a young woman was at fault, what else could it be but a breach of chastity?
Madam Wu immediately grew excited. "If Madam Zhao really is the Fu family’s Ninth Miss, what do you think happened back then?"
"How should I know?" Wu Daren could tell exactly what Madam Wu was thinking. He glared at her sharply. "Don’t you dare act recklessly. Zhao Ling is not someone to be trifled with! If you make him unhappy, he’ll ruin your family and cut off your descendants. Just look at how he dealt with the Zhao family... Don’t bring disaster upon us!"Madam Wu shivered upon hearing this and hurriedly said, "I know, I know. I'm just discussing it with you. As for others, I wouldn't dare breathe a word." Yet she couldn't suppress her discontent and muttered under her breath, "But what if Madam Zhao really is the Ninth Miss of the Fu family? Does Lord Zhao even know about his wife's background?"
Official Wu, seeing she still clung to this troublesome matter, slammed his palm onto the kang table with a loud "smack." "If you dare treat my words as wind past your ears, I'll send you back to your parents' house!"
This—what kind of nonsense was this?
She had merely muttered a few words, and now he wanted to send her back to her family!
They had been married for over thirty years!
At this thought, Madam Wu couldn't hold back her tears. "Your heart is too cruel, my lord! After all these years by your side, when have I ever caused you trouble? Back then, if I hadn't sold my dowry lands, how could you have gone to the capital for the imperial exams? Later, when you were posted elsewhere, if I hadn't swallowed my pride and borrowed silver from my family, how could you have afforded your official uniform, sedan chair, or hired advisors? And now, just because I said one extra thing, you want to send me back? After all these years, have I had it easy...?"
Official Wu, having his past laid bare by his wife, flushed crimson with anger. Yet every word she spoke was undeniably true—there wasn't a single exaggeration he could refute.
Just as he was about to storm off in a huff, a young maid announced from behind the door curtain, "My lord, my lady, Lord Hao has arrived!"
The couple froze in surprise.
Official Wu lowered his voice to scold Madam Wu, "Go wash your face—what kind of state are you in?" Then he instructed the maid, "Escort Lord Hao to the study."
The maid hurried off to comply.
Madam Wu pulled out a handkerchief to hastily wipe her face and called for her personal housekeeper to attend to her.
Official Wu seized the chance to exit the inner chamber.
Madam Wu wondered—today wasn't a festival, holiday, or rest day, so why had Hao Jianfeng come?
Could it be about the Fu family matter?
The possibility made her restless.
That Zhao Ling treated his wife like a priceless treasure. Since returning, he hadn't gone anywhere without Fu Shi in tow, taking her everywhere for outings. Once, when they returned from outside, she'd seen with her own eyes how Zhao Ling carried Fu Shi down from the carriage... If Fu Shi had a tarnished reputation, would Zhao Ling still dote on her so obsessively once he found out?
Her mind buzzed with temptation.
She only wanted to know if Madam Zhao was connected to the Fu family. If there was a connection, she certainly wouldn't reveal it. If not, this was the perfect chance to clear Madam Zhao's name. Perhaps Madam Zhao would even feel grateful and become her close friend!
Hadn't they said that the reason Young Master Yu failed to secure the position of Left Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Personnel was because Madam Zhao interfered? Back then, the Emperor had even asked the Empress Dowager to arrange her marriage! With such influence, and with her husband stuck in his position as Vice Minister of Rites for six or seven years—hadn't the Emperor recently replaced both Grand Secretary Shen and Grand Secretary Mo in one sweep? Maybe by clinging to Madam Zhao's lofty branch, her husband could also be transferred somewhere better?
Madam Wu justified her thoughts and quietly instructed her housekeeper, "Go to the study and find a way to listen to what my lord and Lord Hao are discussing!"
Understanding her mistress's intent, the housekeeper slipped away without a sound.Before long, the housekeeper returned: "The main gate is tightly shut, all the servants inside have been sent to the courtyard, and the master's personal attendant is guarding the door. There's truly no way to get close!"
Upon hearing this, Madam Wu felt almost certain her guess was correct.
She waited restlessly in her room for Wu Daren to return.
Wu Daren didn't come back until the second watch drum had sounded.
Madam Wu eagerly went to greet him and immediately noticed her husband's ashen complexion.
Her heart pounded as she hurriedly asked, "What happened? What did Hao Jianfeng say?"
Wu Daren dismissed all the maids and servants, personally closed the door, and led Madam Wu into the small chamber beside their bedroom before speaking in a low voice: "Madam Zhao is indeed the ninth young lady of the Fu family!"
At these words, Madam Wu felt as if her heart skipped several beats, leaving her breathless for a long moment.
Wu Daren, preoccupied with his own thoughts, didn't notice his wife's unusual reaction.
He paced around the room, wringing his hands and muttering to himself: "Hao Jianfeng was also probing Shen Rensi's background when he discovered this about Madam Zhao... Shen Rensi was quite frank, not denying his relationship with Fu Shi. He only said that during the bandit troubles in Huayin, Fu Shi went missing, and to protect her reputation, the Yu family claimed she had died of illness. If that's the case, when their daughter returned from hardship, the Fu family should have been overjoyed. Even if they couldn't acknowledge her publicly for reputation's sake, they could have maintained private contact or adopted her as a goddaughter. Why is there absolutely no interaction between the Zhao and Fu families? This makes no sense!"
Madam Wu, however, perked up at this: "Now that I think of it, when Lord Zhao first moved here, someone came to visit the Zhao family—a carriage with official green curtains stopped at their gate. I didn't pay attention at the time, but now I wonder, could it have been Lord Fu coming to see Madam Zhao?"
"No," Wu Daren shook his head. "Hao Jianfeng said that back then, the Henan Surveillance Commissioner was already over seventy, frail and likely to pass away or retire at any time. When the deputy position became vacant, many in court were eyeing it, hoping to take over if anything happened to the commissioner. Grand Secretary Yu had recommended Lord Fu for the position. If Madam Zhao could influence Grand Secretary Yu to arrange her cousin's husband as Left Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Personnel, why wouldn't she help her own father get promoted? This clearly shows their relationship must be terrible."
"Moreover," Wu Daren continued, "when Hao Jianfeng asked about Lord Fu, Shen Rensi said twice: 'Lord Fu is my wife's uncle. He's been in the capital for years. My wife married into the Shen family right after her coming-of-age ceremony. Since Hanchang is remote, I only met Lord Fu a few times after coming to the capital.' He seemed very eager to distance himself from the connection..."
"Then what exactly is going on?" Madam Wu grew increasingly confused. "For a daughter to disrespect her father like this—if it were anyone else, they would have slapped her long ago. Yet Lord Fu tolerates this humiliation...""That must mean he did something wrong to his daughter!" Official Wu said with certainty. "And it's probably not just wronging his daughter, but also a breach of morality. Otherwise, Lord Fu wouldn't be so guilty." Thinking of the discord between the Zhao and Yu families, he added, "Perhaps this matter was even instigated by the Yu Family..." As he touched upon the gossip involving the grand secretary's household, his curiosity got the better of him. He instructed his wife, "Aren't you close with Madam Ji? Find a way to inquire about the Yu Family's affairs. We might gain some unexpected advantages!"
Madam Wu was taken aback. "Didn't you say Zhao Ling is someone we shouldn't provoke and told me not to meddle in their family's business?"
"Why must you be so dense!" Official Wu was exasperated by her foolishness. "If the Zhao Family is in the wrong, naturally we should keep silent. But if justice is on their side, we must stand up for them... Do you understand? Hao Jianfeng shares the same view!"
Madam Wu suddenly saw the light, but then voiced her concern, "What if Grand Secretary Yu finds out..."
Official Wu shot her a disdainful glance. "Do you think we'll be beating drums and shouting it through the streets?"
Ah, of course!
Their goal was to curry favor with Zhao Ling, not to plead his case before the emperor on his behalf. They only needed to say a few fair words in front of Zhao Ling. Even if Grand Secretary Yu found out, since they'd be speaking the truth, how could he accuse them of slander?
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Today I'll first finish the extra chapter. I'll continue writing the update next, though it might be quite late...
O(∩_∩)O~
PS: There are only a few hours left until the double pink votes event ends. Dear sisters and brothers reading this, if you still have any pink votes left, please lend your support. Thank you!
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(End of Chapter)
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