Chapter 296: Waiting
Third Older Cousin's Husband still harbored some doubts, but Fu Tingyun couldn't explain clearly, so she vaguely replied, "It's getting late. Let's head back first and talk later!"
This wasn’t the right place for such a conversation anyway.
Third Older Cousin's Husband nodded and smiled. "I searched all along the way but didn’t see you. I thought you might stay overnight at Tanzhe Temple, but I didn’t expect you to rush back through the night."
By the time he had left the city, the gates were already closed, and now there was no way to re-enter.
As he spoke, he cupped his hands in a respectful salute toward the leader of the escort party—a mounted man who appeared to be in charge—introduced himself humbly, and expressed his gratitude.
The leader had already guessed they were relatives or close family friends when Third Older Cousin's Husband urgently lifted the carriage curtain and the Zhao family’s coachman didn’t intervene. He had simply stood by, watching quietly. As a former imperial guard now serving under Mr. Zhao, he had encountered all kinds of people. Though only a minor Centurion, he carried an innate pride. Seeing Third Older Cousin's Husband’s respectful demeanor, a faint smile appeared on his face. After introducing himself, he exchanged a few polite words.
Third Older Cousin's Husband then suggested, "If you don’t mind, I’ll book a few rooms at the Peace Inn up ahead. We can rest there tonight and enter the city first thing tomorrow. How does that sound?"
The Peace Inn was the best lodging along this route.
His offer not only showed respect for the leader but also conveyed gratitude for escorting Fu Tingyun and the others safely.
The leader’s smile grew warmer.
"No need to worry, Lord Shen," he said tactfully. "Since the master instructed me to escort Madam Zhao home, I’ll ensure she arrives safely at Shi Family Alley."
With the matter settled so decisively, Third Older Cousin's Husband could say little else. After a few more polite remarks, he followed Fu Tingyun’s group back toward the city.
When they reached the city gates, they were met with blazing torches and heavily armored soldiers.
Third Older Cousin's Husband watched as the leader pulled something from his pocket and showed it to the guards. Their expressions changed instantly, and one immediately ran toward the gate tower. Soon, with a heavy creak, the gates slowly opened, leaving just enough space for a carriage to pass through.
Lowering his head, Third Older Cousin's Husband struggled to suppress his shock before forcing a smile and entering the city alongside the leader.
That night, he lectured his wife in bed: "Did you see that? The Emperor has even entrusted the capital’s defense to Mr. Zhao. Such trust and favor—do you really think people of our standing should be trying to befriend him? You’re usually so sharp-witted, yet today you acted so recklessly. Thankfully, Ninth Sister went to Tanzhe Temple for Youyou’s sake. If you’d persuaded her to seek Mr. Zhao’s help, the Emperor would’ve known the moment you left." He sighed. "Ninth Sister truly is Zhao Ling’s pillar of support—clear-headed, composed, and discerning beyond most women."
Third Sister flushed with shame and whispered meekly, "I... I know I was wrong... I won’t say such things to Ninth Sister again."
An older husband doted on his younger wife—especially when their bond had always been strong.Third Older Cousin's Husband immediately softened, his voice gentler: "How would you know about outside matters? It's not your fault. Actually, I shouldn't have mentioned these things to you. You only wanted the best for Ninth Sister."
Third Sister nodded.
After some thought, Third Older Cousin's Husband advised his wife: "In the future, if such matters arise, discuss them more with Ninth Sister. She's a perceptive and intelligent person."
Third Sister gave an "Mm" of agreement, then hesitantly added: "What about Chunbing's matter..."
Third Older Cousin's Husband smiled wryly: "Best not bring it up again. It would make future meetings awkward."
Did Third Sister not already know this?
Yet whenever she recalled the way her son looked at Youyou, her heart ached for him.
She couldn't help but sigh deeply and suggested to her husband: "Let's not arrange a marriage for Chunbing too early, shall we? When the children are older, we'll see things more clearly. It would prevent an unhappy marriage and domestic discord."
At heart, she was still unwilling to give up so easily.
Third Older Cousin's Husband saw through this clearly. He considered that the daughter-in-law entering their household would likely spend more time with his wife than with Chunbing. If the chosen bride didn't please his wife, it might still lead to domestic unrest. So he smiled and said: "Very well! This will give Chunbing peace of mind to focus on his studies for a couple more years."
Third Sister breathed a sigh of relief and quietly kept an eye on Youyou's marriage prospects.
As expected, the Meng family sought Youyou's hand for Marquis Yingchuan's second son. But just as the matchmaker conveyed this intention to Fu Tingyun, the Empress Dowager issued an Imperial Decree betrothing Marquis Yingchuan's second son to Qin Feiyu's eldest daughter. The nobility of the capital were astonished, whispering among themselves while maintaining an oddly calm facade.
All eyes turned to the selection of the Governor-General of Yunnan and Guizhou.
During the cabinet deliberations, Zhao Ling was not among the candidates.
After much deliberation without finding a satisfactory candidate, the Emperor decreed that Zhao Ling, as the Guizhou Regional Commander, would oversee the garrisons and military offices of Yunnan and Guizhou. As for the Governor-General position, it would remain vacant until a suitable candidate emerged.
Thus, Zhao Ling became the de facto Governor-General of Yunnan and Guizhou.
Those with keen insight began to discern the underlying message.
The Emperor did not wish for the Zhao family to form marriage alliances with the powerful frontier commanders.
Mo Yi couldn't help but lament to Madam Mo: "Had we known this would happen, we should have settled this matter earlier. With four sons, they could have chosen any one of them!"
Madam Mo found this both amusing and exasperated, teasing: "Are you saying the sons I bore are so unimpressive?"
"Not at all," Mo Yi laughed. "I just feel unwilling that Fu Shi became someone else's mother-in-law." He added, "Imagine if Youyou had married into our family—wouldn't we have had a granddaughter as lovely as Youyou? How proud I would have been! At the very least, we might have had grandsons like Xi Ge'er or Xu Ge'er!"
Madam Mo couldn't resist giving Mo Yi a sharp pinch: "You and your reckless tongue! How can you say such things so casually!"
"What's the harm?" Mo Yi remained unperturbed. "I mentioned this to Zhao Ling back in Xuanfu, but he avoided giving a direct answer. He must fear our sons won't amount to much and won't be worthy of their Youyou. I'm telling you, you must discipline our sons well—we must make Zhao Ling regret this decision!" His expression was full of chagrin.
Madam Mo shook her head, at a loss for words.Yu Wei stomped her foot in frustration. "Mr. Zhao's handling of this matter... How will our young mistress ever find a good marriage prospect now?"
Fu Tingyun, however, smiled. "I think it's been handled quite well. I never wanted Youyou to marry into those aristocratic families anyway. Such households are too complicated with their internal affairs. I don't want Youyou to be constantly troubled by such matters."
Yu Wei couldn't help but feel disheartened.
Fu Tingyun comforted her with a smile. "Youyou is still young. Who knows what the situation will be in a few years? Perhaps Ninth Master will return to the capital and take a nominal post at the Five Armies Commandery. Then it wouldn't matter whom Youyou marries. Or perhaps Ninth Master will win more battles, and the Emperor might be so pleased as to bestow a marriage upon Youyou... There's no need for you to worry unnecessarily."
"Imperial-bestowed marriages usually only consider family status, not the groom's character," Yu Wei muttered under her breath. "What if she ends up married to some wastrel? Wouldn't it be better to marry our young mistress to her cousin instead? At least we've watched the young master grow up. Not only is his family background impeccable, but he's also upright and well-behaved despite his young age, and treats our young mistress so well, always giving her the best of everything..."
These words struck a chord in Fu Tingyun's heart.
Just then, Zhenzhu rushed in. "Madam, Madam! Anxin requests to see you."
Anxin's visit was likely related to the Needlemaker Alley affair.
Fu Tingyun quickly composed herself.
Anxin had already been delayed in the capital for over a year because of this matter. Although Zhao Ling's letters never mentioned it, being without his usual attendants must have caused some inconvenience. Besides, most of the necessary investigations were complete. As the saying goes, to catch adulterers you need both parties, to catch thieves you need the stolen goods. Miss Min was still in mourning, so the Yu Family couldn't possibly bring her into their household at this time. Without her formal entry, no amount of talk would serve as proof. Since they already had Young Master Guo as leverage, it might be better to keep an eye on Miss Min's side and wait for any developments before making further plans.
As she pondered this, she went to the main hall.
Anxin greeted her with a grave expression.
Seeing this, Fu Tingyun felt a sense of foreboding, and her expression turned serious as well. "What's happened?"
Anxin looked at her with a strange expression and said quietly, "Young Master Guo is in trouble!"
Fu Tingyun's heart tightened.
Anxin continued, "We had someone follow Miss Min's personal housekeeper. The housekeeper trailed Young Master Guo from a distance as he returned to his hometown. After he entered his home, the housekeeper rented a secluded residence nearby. Every day, dressed in coarse clothing, she would loiter around the Guo family's vicinity. Later, she discovered that Young Master Guo would visit a nearby tavern every few days to drink. The housekeeper then bribed a member of the local freelance gangs to pick a fight with Young Master Guo, resulting in his death."
"What!" Fu Tingyun was horrified. "How could this happen? Didn't you have someone following the housekeeper? Why didn't they intervene? A life has been lost!"
Anxin said regretfully, "The person I sent was a military scout. Their habit is never to expose themselves while gathering intelligence, no matter what happens. Besides, we never expected a woman like that housekeeper to be so ruthless. By the time they realized something was wrong, I wasn't there, and the scout didn't know what to do. By the time I received the news, Young Master Guo had already succumbed to his injuries."
Fu Tingyun frowned deeply. "Does Ninth Master know about this?""I haven't had the chance to inform Ninth Master yet," Anxin said. "I was thinking of returning to Tongren Prefecture in the next couple of days to report everything that's happened recently to Ninth Master in detail and seek his advice."
Initially, they had only wanted to gather evidence against Yu Jingxiu to teach him a lesson, but now a murder case was involved, making the situation entirely different. It was indeed necessary to go back and inform Zhao Ling.
Fu Tingyun agreed: "Then you should return in the next few days! As for Miss Min, unless absolutely necessary, avoid contacting that kitchen maid again to prevent Miss Min from finding out and causing harm to another person."
Anxin respectfully acknowledged the order and withdrew.
The military scout Anxin had called for assistance stood silently under the eaves like a shadow.
Seeing Anxin emerge, he approached with light steps and asked in a low voice, "What did Madam say?"
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Seeking pink votes... O(∩_∩)O~
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(End of chapter)
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