Chapter 265: Making Connections
The Zhao family were military officers, while the Hao family were civil officials. The former guarded the frontiers, and the latter held high positions at court—their paths never crossed. Apart from Hao Jianfeng's matter, what else could Madam Hao possibly need her help with?
Fu Tingyun pondered silently.
Madam Hao had been tagging along with Madam Wu lately, trying to cozy up to her and Third Sister. By now, it was about time for the real purpose to surface. Besides, there was Zhao Ling's instruction to consider!
"Madam Hao, you flatter me too much," she said with a smile. "I'm merely a woman confined to the inner quarters, with limited knowledge and only some skill in needlework. How could I possibly live up to your words? But as the saying goes, 'In a foreign land, fellow travelers are kin.' If there's anything I can assist you with, please don't hesitate to ask. Though my strength may be meager, with Madam Wu's guidance, even the most challenging matters can be resolved through discussion."
Madam Hao laughed and replied, "Who in the capital doesn't know that the wife of Lord Zhao, the Guizhou Regional Commander, is virtuous, kind, and exceptionally clever? If even Madam Zhao can't accomplish something, then no one can!" After a few more compliments, she got to the point.
"...It's like this. Recently, my husband acquired a set of Go stones, said to be an antique from the previous dynasty. While he is quite skilled at appraising calligraphy and paintings, he lacks expertise in miscellaneous artifacts. Hearing that Madam Zhao is an excellent Go player, he hoped you could help examine this set and determine whether it was a worthwhile purchase."
Fu Tingyun raised an eyebrow slightly, feeling a hint of admiration for Hao Jianfeng.
Mr. Zhao enjoyed playing Go, so using antique Go stones as a way to approach him was perfect—it was both elegant and subtly established a connection with Mr. Zhao. What surprised her even more was that Third Older Cousin's Husband had exhausted all efforts back then to procure a set of antique Go stones as a gift for Mr. Zhao, yet Hao Jianfeng had managed to obtain one so quickly.
The question was—did Hao Jianfeng find out about Mr. Zhao's fondness for Go on his own, or did he receive guidance from Third Older Cousin's Husband?
The thought flashed through her mind, but Fu Tingyun was already smiling. "Though I do play Go, I'm no expert in appraising antiques. However, if Madam Hao trusts me, you may leave the Go set here. I’ll consult a knowledgeable friend and get back to you with an answer..."
Before she could finish, Madam Hao beamed eagerly. "Of course I trust you! If I can't trust Madam Zhao, then there's no one in this world I can trust." She added, "If I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t have dared to ask for your help in the first place." With that, she produced an embroidered box. "Please have someone take a look at this for me."
Fu Tingyun opened the box to find a pair of aged rosewood Go bowls inside. The black stones were as dark as lacquer, while the white ones were as pure as snow. Though she couldn’t identify the material, the set had an undeniable elegance.
"Then please await my reply, Madam Hao." Fu Tingyun handed the box to Yu Wei to put away.
Madam Hao thanked her profusely.
Madam Wu then brought up Third Sister. "...Didn’t she mention wanting a sandalwood screen the other day? When I visited Madam Li recently, I noticed a finely crafted sandalwood screen in her room. Upon asking, I learned it was purchased on West Street. I was just about to send word to Madam Shen, but Madam Hao dragged me here instead.""Thank you, Madam Wu," Fu Tingyun said with a smile. "You've kept such a small matter in mind all this time."
"Whether the children's clothes are warm enough, where my husband's ear muffs are stored, reminding the kitchen to prepare hotpot when the weather turns cold... Aren't these the little things we women always worry about?" Madam Hao chimed in cheerfully. "As for major affairs, even if you asked me to handle them, I wouldn't be capable!"
Fu Tingyun and Madam Wu both laughed at her amusing words.
The atmosphere in the room grew even more congenial.
After chatting about various topics for quite some time, Fu Tingyun noticed it was getting late and invited them to stay for lunch. Neither declined the invitation, and they remained at the Zhao residence for the midday meal. Afterwards, Madam Hao pulled Madam Wu along to visit Third Sister: "...This is the perfect opportunity to tell her about the agarwood screen and maybe enjoy a cup of tea while we're at it."
Madam Wu nodded with a smile and invited Fu Tingyun to join them.
"Another day," Fu Tingyun politely declined. "After I've taken care of the matter Madam Hao entrusted to me, I'll invite everyone over for tea."
"Then it's settled," Madam Hao said, pleasantly surprised by her efficiency. She showered Fu Tingyun with compliments before leaving with Madam Wu for Third Sister's residence in Hat Lane.
Fu Tingyun then sat down to write a letter to Mr. Zhao, explaining Hao Jianfeng's wish to have the go set authenticated and inquiring whether he might have time to do so. She then sent Zheng San and Baoshu to Tanzhe Temple to deliver the letter.
Before the hour of you (5-7 PM), Baoshu returned from Tanzhe Temple accompanied by the little monk who attended to Mr. Zhao. The young monk had been sent by Mr. Zhao to retrieve the go set.
Fu Tingyun promptly wrapped the brocade box and handed it to the little monk.
The next day, Third Sister came to inquire about any news. Upon learning that Mr. Zhao had sent someone, she couldn't help but sigh in relief.
Fu Tingyun laughed openly, making Third Sister somewhat embarrassed. Pretending to be angry, Third Sister lightly hit Fu Tingyun and said, "The well-fed don't understand the hungry. If this matter is successful, won't Hao Jianfeng look at your Third Older Cousin's Husband in a new light? Then your Third Older Cousin's Husband would gain another ally—wouldn't that be beneficial for his future?"
"I'm being mercenary, so mercenary!" Fu Tingyun laughed even harder, teasing Third Sister. "I failed to appreciate Third Sister's deep concern for Third Older Cousin's Husband."
Third Sister then pinched Fu Tingyun's cheeks. "Stop your glib talk!"
"I won't dare again!" Fu Tingyun giggled, dodging to the side.
As the two sisters were playfully bantering, Yue Chuan announced from outside the door, "Madam, Mr. Zhao has sent someone to return the go set."
Fu Tingyun was taken aback.
So soon!
She exchanged a glance with Third Sister.
Third Sister urged her, "Why don't you call them in and ask?"
Fu Tingyun nodded and had the little monk brought in.
The little monk smiled and said, "Master said this is a relic of Master Shi De from the previous dynasty and is extremely precious. He asks that Lord Hao keep it safe. He also said that since Lord Hao has gone to such lengths to acquire such a fine item, he must be a fellow enthusiast. When Lord Hao has time, Master would like to invite him for a game."
Third Sister couldn't contain her delight.
Fu Tingyun also smiled joyfully. "I'll have someone return the go set to Lord Hao right away."
The little monk prepared to take his leave but was called back by Fu Tingyun."Mr. Zhao rarely finds someone who can keep him company in chess, so I shouldn't interfere," she said with a smile. "I think it would be better to have Zheng San make a trip to Tanzhe Temple to ask Mr. Zhao's opinion. If he agrees, Zheng San can take you along to return the chess set to the Hao residence. Firstly, this way we can directly convey Mr. Zhao's intentions to Minister Hao without any miscommunication through intermediaries. Secondly, you can familiarize yourself with the place for future dealings with the Hao family. What do you think?"
Both the Little Monk and Third Sister were surprised by this suggestion. Third Sister, mindful of the presence of outsiders, held back her questions for the time being. The Little Monk, recalling Mr. Zhao's longstanding goodwill toward the Zhao family, felt this arrangement was unnecessarily complicated but still agreed with a smile.
Fu Tingyun instructed Zheng San to go to Tanzhe Temple and had Baoshu accompany the Little Monk to rest in the outer courtyard's reception hall.
Once they were alone, Third Sister immediately tugged at her sleeve. "Helping Mr. Zhao pass on a message would earn us even more favor with the Hao family! Clearly, Mr. Zhao intended this, which is why he sent the Little Monk back with a reply so promptly. Others wouldn’t even dream of such an opportunity—why are you turning it down?"
"Civil and military affairs should remain separate, especially since our Ninth Master is a general guarding the frontier," Fu Tingyun replied with a smile. "If it weren’t for Third Older Cousin's Husband being in the Ministry of Personnel, we would have pretended not to know about this matter, let alone act as intermediaries between Minister Hao and Mr. Zhao. Whether it’s Mr. Zhao or the Emperor, as long as they know Ninth Master has good intentions, that’s enough. Getting too involved might backfire, inviting unnecessary gossip and displeasing His Majesty."
Third Sister was taken aback, then sighed in admiration. "No wonder Brother-in-law Zhao has been gaining increasing Imperial favor over the years. Just this decisiveness alone is rare. It shows that success isn’t just about luck."
Fu Tingyun smiled but said nothing.
When Third Sister returned home, she couldn’t help but share her amazement with her husband. Though equally impressed by the Zhao couple’s ability to act with such clarity, Third Older Cousin's Husband didn’t seem overly surprised. Instead, he chuckled, "Otherwise, how could Zhao Ling have stirred up half of Shaanxi without consequence?"
"What?" Third Sister gasped. "Has something else happened?"
"Look at you, acting as if Zhao Ling is some troublemaker!" her husband teased. "It’s Feng Laosan—somehow, he found out about our connection to Zhao Ling and begged Fourth Uncle to bring him to me, hoping I’d pass on a message to Zhao Ling about reconciling."
"What did you say?" Third Sister pressed anxiously, worried that her husband might agree out of respect for Fourth Uncle’s kindness. "This is Zhao Ling’s affair—he’s always had his own plans. We shouldn’t interfere."
"Rather than letting Feng Laosan run around like a headless fly and stir up gossip about Zhao Ling, it’s better to relay his message and clear the air. This might even align with Zhao Ling’s intentions," her husband said calmly. "As for what Zhao Ling decides, that’s not something a nobody like Feng Laosan can influence. Don’t worry about it—I’ll handle it."
But how could she not worry about her sister’s family?
She eventually found a chance to ask her husband in detail: "What did Zhao Ling say?""I don't know," said Third Older Cousin's Husband. "I wrote a letter originally intending to send it to Guizhou along with the military department's official documents. But when Feng Laosan found out, he insisted on personally delivering it to Zhao Ling. Seeing how frantic he'd become, I gave him the letter."
Third Sister pondered this for a long while before going to Fu Tingyun's place. She recounted the whole incident to Fu Tingyun, explaining: "Your cousin's husband has always been this way—liking things clear-cut and straightforward. He meant well."
Fu Tingyun actually thought Third Older Cousin's Husband's approach was better. Zhao Ling didn't know many people to begin with, and suitable intermediaries like Feng Laosan were extremely rare. If they randomly sought help everywhere in their panic, Zhao Ling's reputation as an overbearing bully who abused his power might become firmly established.
She offered Third Sister some words of comfort.
Seeing that Fu Tingyun wasn't concerned, Third Sister put the matter aside and asked about Mr. Zhao and Hao Jianfeng: "...How are things now?"
"Madam Hao came by a couple days ago," Fu Tingyun said with a smile. "She mentioned that Mr. Hao specifically took a few days off and spent a day at Tanzhe Temple, where he happened to meet Senior Minister Qian who came to play chess with Mr. Zhao... It seems they managed to make contact."
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Sigh... getting medical treatment is truly difficult...
O(∩_∩)O~
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(End of Chapter)
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