Chapter 295: Discovery
Fu Tingyun had sent Anxin to deliver her letter to Zhao Ling in Guizhou. Upon hearing Baoshu's report, she quickly instructed him to bring Anxin inside.
Anxin's eyes and brows were brimming with unconcealable joy. "Madam, something has happened in Needlemaker Alley..." He trailed off, glancing at Third Sister.
Third Sister smiled and stood up. "I'll go check on Youyou."
Fu Tingyun felt this matter would eventually become known to everyone, so there was no need to avoid Third Sister. She smiled and tried to persuade her to stay. "It's about Yu Jingxiu—nothing urgent!"
This only made Third Sister more determined to leave.
After all, the Zhao and Yu families were sworn enemies. The Yu family had repeatedly set traps for the Zhaos, and given Zhao Ling's temperament, it was unlikely he would let the Yu family rest easy.
Judging by Anxin's expression, the Zhao family had probably dealt the Yu family a blow.
Some things could be done but not spoken of, while others could be spoken of but not heard.
Third Sister insisted on going to the side room.
Seeing she couldn't persuade her to stay, Fu Tingyun let her go.
"What happened in Needlemaker Alley?" Fu Tingyun asked Anxin.
Anxin stepped closer and lowered his voice. "The kitchen maid from there just sent word. Yesterday at noon, a young man around twenty suddenly showed up at Needlemaker Alley. The moment Miss Min's personal maid saw him, her face turned pale. Despite having plenty of food at home, she sent the kitchen maid to a distant restaurant to order dishes—clearly trying to get her out of the way so they could talk privately. But the maid was sharp. She tipped a neighbor's boy a dozen coins to run the errand for her, then quietly doubled back and eavesdropped from behind the house.
"It turns out the young man was Miss Min's fiancé..."
"Ah!" Fu Tingyun gasped in surprise before her expression shifted to sudden understanding. "I knew it! When I heard about Miss Min's situation, something felt off—she's not young anymore, so she must have been engaged. Given how serious her family's troubles were, why hadn't her fiancé's family stepped in to help? Even if they looked down on her family's downfall, there should have been some reaction. Yet she seemed utterly alone!" She urged Anxin, "What happened next?"
"You guessed right," Anxin said with a smile. "Miss Min's fiancé's family is the Guo family. When Magistrate Min was in office, Mr. Guo served as the county deputy. After Magistrate Min was implicated in a crime, the Guo family, disliking the Min family's decline, wanted to break off the engagement. But Young Master Guo was deeply infatuated with Miss Min and refused. Afraid their son would make a scene and draw accusations of snobbery, the Guo family let the matter hang. Later, when Young Master Guo heard about Miss Min's family troubles and that she was stranded in the capital, he came looking for her. From what he said, he'd persuaded his grandmother to intervene, and his father had agreed not to mention breaking the engagement again..."
Fu Tingyun sighed. "I'm afraid Young Master Guo arrived too late. Miss Min may not be willing to go back with him now.""You guessed right again," Anxin said with a smile. "But Miss Min's explanation was quite interesting. She didn't say she was unwilling, only that her clan wouldn't tolerate her—if she returned, her life might be in danger. If she went to stay temporarily with Young Master Guo at the Guo family, his father already looked down on her for her family's poverty. Now that she'd be eating and drinking at the Guo family's expense, his father would surely despise her even more. Even if she managed to marry in, his father would hold it over her head, and she'd never be able to lift it for the rest of her life.
"Upon hearing this, Young Master Guo sternly demanded, 'Do you mean you're not planning to come back with me?'"
Fu Tingyun was slightly taken aback. "This Young Master Guo doesn't seem to be a fool either."
"Anyone who saw Miss Min's situation would have doubts," Anxin said. "Not only does she have maids, matrons, and servants at her disposal, but the house itself is worth several hundred taels of silver. How could an orphaned woman like her afford such things?"
Fu Tingyun nodded.
Anxin continued, "Miss Min then swore an oath, saying that once she found her younger brother and had a male heir to rely on in her branch of the family, she would definitely return. She even brought up Yu Jingxiu, calling him a good man—the house originally belonged to his family, and the servants were all from the Yu Family. They had merely lent it to her out of pity. If Young Master Guo didn't believe her, he could ask the neighbors, or she could invite Yu Jingxiu over to confront him face-to-face. Then she started crying again, lamenting how difficult her life was and how Young Master Guo was slandering her. She said that if she had known it would come to this, she should have just accepted the betrothal token his father had returned. She added that if it weren't for searching for her brother, she wouldn't be living here in such an ambiguous situation. Finally, she challenged him—if he could help her find her brother, she would pack up and leave with him right away..."
"Oh!" Fu Tingyun raised an eyebrow. "It seems this Miss Min is no simple character either."
Anxin smiled and nodded. "Young Master Guo deflated at that. He could only mumble and ask when she planned to return. Miss Min said she had already agreed with Yu Jingxiu that next year, whether she found her brother or not, she would leave..."
Fu Tingyun couldn't help but laugh. "Next year, Miss Min should be out of mourning, shouldn't she? There's nothing wrong with what she said."
Anxin chuckled along. "Later, Miss Min kept Young Master Guo for dinner and arranged for him to stay at an inn nearby. This morning, her personal Housekeeper went to the inn and spoke to Young Master Guo about something. Shortly after, he left the capital, and then the Housekeeper left as well."
Fu Tingyun was surprised. "Did you find out what the Housekeeper went to do?"
"Not yet," Anxin said tactfully. "We only know she took the same route as Young Master Guo. It seems they were heading to the same place! I've already sent someone to follow the Housekeeper. If anything happens, they'll report to me immediately."
"You've worked hard these days." Fu Tingyun was pleased with Anxin's thoroughness and smiled approvingly at him. Then she asked about the letter to Zhao Ling: "Has it been sent out?"
"Yes," Anxin replied cheerfully. "It should reach Ninth Master in about fifteen or sixteen days."By the time Zhao Ling's reply arrived, a whole month had passed—so long that the yellow flowers had gone cold.
Fu Tingyun praised Anxin a few words, then served tea to see her guest out. She summoned Zhenzhu to help her change clothes and do her makeup, while instructing Yu Wei to have Zheng San prepare the carriage.
Third Sister said, "Shall I accompany you?"
"That would be nice," Fu Tingyun replied with a smile. "We can chat along the way."
So Third Sister went with Fu Tingyun to Tanzhe Temple.
When Mr. Zhao heard the little monk announce Fu Tingyun's arrival, he was slightly taken aback.
For Fu Tingyun to visit him at this time surely meant something significant!
He had the little monk invite Fu Tingyun to the main hall for tea.
Fu Tingyun left Third Sister in a side hall to be served tea while she went alone to see Mr. Zhao.
Since Mr. Zhao was capable of strategizing for the nation, if he set his mind to something, there was little he couldn't accomplish.
Fu Tingyun felt there was no need to hide anything from him—not that she could even if she tried. So she didn't beat around the bush and candidly shared her concerns: "...If she were seeking Youyou's hand for her own illegitimate son, that would be one thing. Such an absurd proposal—if I refused outright, no one would think me impolite. Instead, they'd consider the Marquess of Wuding's wife to be acting thoughtlessly. What I fear is that she might be proposing a match for one of the Duke of Fuguo's sons... The second son of Marquis Yingchuan seems to be of marriageable age! And I’ve also heard that Marquis Yingchuan hasn’t returned since going to Liaodong. The Duke of Fuguo is old and lacks energy, leaving his household in disarray—sometimes even the heir can’t keep things in order. Some in the Meng family hope Marquis Yingchuan will step in and say something. Even if he doesn’t take sides, just causing the heir some headaches would be enough for them."
"Your concerns are not unfounded," Mr. Zhao said with a grave nod. "If I recall correctly, the Fifth Prince is also of marriageable age, isn’t he?"
Fu Tingyun was so startled she froze.
Mr. Zhao burst into laughter.
Only then did Fu Tingyun realize he had been teasing her.
"Scaring people like this could kill them," she chided. "And here I was, respecting you like a national advisor."
Mr. Zhao chuckled, looking slightly awkward. But he quickly regained his usual refined demeanor and asked gently, "What? You wouldn’t want a marriage alliance with the imperial family?"
"A mother knows her own child," Fu Tingyun said seriously. "Our household is simple, and Youyou has such a lively temperament—she really isn’t suited for marriage into a grand, complicated family. Rather than chasing empty prestige, it’s better to live a steady, peaceful life."
Mr. Zhao smiled faintly, seeming to agree. "Don’t worry. If the Mengs propose a match with the Duke of Fuguo’s family, just send word to me. I have ways to dissuade them."
With Mr. Zhao’s assurance, Fu Tingyun’s worries eased. She cheerfully chatted with him about Han Ge’er, and seeing that it was getting late, she took her leave.
Mr. Zhao sent several guards to escort them back to the city.
On the way, they encountered Third Older Cousin's Husband.
Unlike his usual composed self, he looked rather disheveled.
He stepped forward and pulled aside the carriage curtain, urgently asking, "You went to Tanzhe Temple? Did you see Mr. Zhao? What did you talk about?" His questions came rapid-fire, each more urgent than the last.Third Sister asked in surprise, "But we didn't say anything..."
She had barely started speaking when Third Older Cousin's Husband interrupted in visible distress: "I only asked you to pass a message to Ninth Sister. How did you end up going to Tanzhe Temple with her? That's not someplace you can just casually visit! When I returned from the yamen and saw you still hadn't come home, I knew something had gone wrong... Couldn't you have walked fewer steps? Spoken fewer words? The waters outside run deep—far too deep for an inner chamber woman like you to wade through!"
Being publicly chastised by her husband before so many people was unprecedented. Third Sister found it hard to save face, yet couldn't defend herself in front of the crowd. Her fingertips trembled with anger, and her face flushed crimson instantly.
Fu Tingyun quickly interjected, "Third Brother-in-law, please calm down. I went to Tanzhe Temple on some personal business to ask a favor of Mr. Zhao..."
This only made Third Older Cousin's Husband more anxious. "Ninth Sister, trying to anticipate the emperor's will is most unwise. Sometimes stillness is better than action..."
Only then did Fu Tingyun realize that her brother-in-law had mistaken her visit to Tanzhe Temple as an attempt to seek official promotion for Zhao Ling based on Third Sister's words.
Looking at his sweat-drenched face, she felt deeply grateful.
"Third Brother-in-law," Fu Tingyun hurried to explain, "We didn't go to Tanzhe Temple for Ninth Master's affairs. It was for other matters."
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[Author's note: Suffering from shoulder periarthritis, undergoing physical therapy, can only write when time permits... (>_
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