Chapter 67: Decision (Bonus Chapter for 560 Pink Votes)
At the break of dawn the next day, the residence at Willow Lane was already bustling with activity.
Madam Lu and Luwei were in the kitchen making pancakes and steaming buns, preparing both breakfast and provisions for the journey. After all, it was a year of famine, and once they left Xi'an Prefecture, there was no telling where they might find food.
Master Lu directed Sanfu and Shizhu to carry out the pre-packed trunks and cases. Amidst laughter and chatter, some carried bundles, others held bedding, and still others carried utensils, shuttling back and forth between the main hall and their respective rooms to pack their belongings.
An elderly servant came in to announce, "The horse trader is here!"
Without official travel documents from the Regional Military Commission, they couldn't enjoy the privileges of staying at or using transportation from post stations. Thus, they had to arrange their own means to reach Zhangye. Jin Yuanbao had sent the coachman Ma Er early yesterday to look for horses and buy a large carriage.
Hearing the announcement, Jin Yuanbao set aside his tasks and called for Sanfu, who knew about horses: "Come with me to take a look. We don't want to be cheated with inferior horses. Otherwise, we'll have to walk to Zhangye."
"Not a chance," Sanfu replied with a laugh as they headed out. "I may not be good at much, but judging livestock is something Ninth Master personally taught me. If even I get fooled, then the loss would be well-deserved."
Yang Yucheng burst into laughter at this, but after just two chuckles, he clutched his head and plopped down onto a Grand Tutor chair, calling out, "A Sen! Get me some vinegar from the kitchen." He muttered under his breath, "Damn, this liquor is strong."
A Sen hurried off to comply.
Master Lu chuckled heartily.
Yang Yucheng, feeling unwell and irritable, looked around at the cluttered room and suddenly exclaimed, "Where the hell is Zheng San? We're leaving this afternoon—he should at least show his face and lend a hand!"
Master Lu also found it odd but tried to keep the peace. "Perhaps something came up," he suggested.
As they spoke, Zhao Ling emerged, dressed neatly in a lilac Straight Robe tied at the waist. He instructed Yang Yucheng, "Go to Baoqing Silver House right now and exchange two thousand taels of silver. Miss Fu needs it for something."
"What?" Yang Yucheng gaped, glancing at the mess in the room. "Now?"
Zhao Ling nodded firmly. "Now." Then he turned to Master Lu. "Later, accompany Miss Fu when she goes out. See what she needs and what she buys..." He paused thoughtfully. "If it's just items worth a few dozen taels, let her do as she pleases. But if it's hundreds or thousands, help check their authenticity. Also... if Miss Fu goes to a temple, send someone to inform me immediately!"
Last night, Fu Tingyun had left in high spirits, but Zhao Ling had tossed and turned for half the night, unable to sleep. He kept worrying that she might have been persuaded by the abbot of Daxingshan Temple to donate money for the Buddhist assembly on the first day of the ninth month.
Master Lu was startled. "What happened?"
Zhao Ling, mindful of Fu Tingyun's dignity, avoided giving details.
Hearing that Master Lu would also be accompanying Fu Tingyun in the morning, Yang Yucheng pointed at the clutter in the hall and hesitated. "What about all this?"
"We'll pack later," Zhao Ling said dismissively. "Miss Fu's matters come first. Whether we leave an hour earlier or later makes little difference."Yang Yucheng called Shizhu and left with his head hanging low.
Only then did Zhao Ling pull Master Lu aside to give him some instructions.
Master Lu nodded repeatedly, "Don't worry, young master, I understand."
He then followed Fu Tingyun the whole way, only to find that she merely bought some cotton-padded clothes and fur coats with Zheng Sanniang, not even adding a single piece of jewelry. She spent less than two hundred taels of silver and shopped for less than an hour.
"Won't you buy anything else?" Master Lu asked suspiciously.
"There's nothing else I need," Fu Tingyun replied with a smile as she boarded the carriage. "Let's hurry back!" She didn't mention going anywhere else.
Master Lu was full of confusion. When they reached the entrance of Willow Lane, they ran into Zheng San, who had been missing since early morning.
He was driving a black-painted carriage with an even front.
"This is..." Master Lu pointed at the carriage in puzzlement.
Zheng San smiled, "Miss Fu asked me to buy it."
Their conversation caught the attention of Zhao Ling, who was at the gate with Jin Yuanbao checking if the carriages were ready. He strode over and called out from a distance, "What's going on?"
Zheng San answered respectfully, "Miss Fu said we're also going to Zhangye. She had me buy this carriage early this morning."
The news came so suddenly that Zhao Ling was dumbfounded, taking a long moment to react.
Jin Yuanbao and Master Lu exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what to say.
For a moment, the only sounds in Willow Lane were the loud snorts of the horses and the restless clopping of hooves on the stone pavement, accentuating the quietness of the lane.
From inside the carriage, Fu Tingyun watched Zhao Ling's stunned expression through the curtain. For some reason, she felt a surge of satisfaction and wanted to surprise him even more.
With Zheng Sanniang's support, she stepped down from the carriage unhurriedly.
Only then did Zhao Ling snap out of it.
He was both shocked and delighted.
Shocked that Fu Tingyun had quietly prepared everything for the journey without his knowledge; delighted that he wasn't alone in his feelings—Fu Tingyun had actually chosen to go to Zhangye with him... But in the next moment, this joy turned into anger.
Did she even understand the decision she was making? Did she know what kind of situation she would face in the future? Without consulting anyone, she had decided on her own to go to Zhangye!
He forgot that he was the one who had started it all.
His expression darkened, and he stiffly asked Fu Tingyun to step aside for a talk.
Any man with pride would not tolerate his betrothed becoming a hostage, let alone Zhao Ling.
Fu Tingyun had long known that once he learned of her decision, he would never agree to let her go to Zhangye. That was precisely why she had kept it from him.
Now that the truth was out, Zhao Ling was bound to have a private conversation with her.
She didn't refuse and silently followed him into the study.
"You're staying in Xi'an. There's no room for discussion on this matter," Zhao Ling declared firmly the moment she stepped into the study. "I'll send word to the capital. At most, it'll take two months for a response."
His expression was stern, even carrying a hint of chilling severity, making his resolve and determination unmistakable.
But Fu Tingyun remained unfazed.He had once tried to strangle her, yet she had survived just fine. And knowing she had nowhere to go, despite his annoyance, he still hadn’t abandoned her; when they encountered Feng Laosi, he hid her in a water vat; at the City God Temple, even when feverish and delirious, he shielded her behind him... He was just intimidating in appearance.
"I heard everything you discussed with Young Master Yang and Young Master Jin in the study." Since things had come to this, there was no need for pretense. She spoke openly, "Why did Mo Yi ask about me? It’s because I claimed you and I were 'engaged.'" Though she told herself this was serious business, not some romantic entanglement that required bashfulness, a blush still crept onto her cheeks. "If I hadn’t spouted such nonsense, how could things have turned out this way?" she said slowly. "Since this mess started because of me, I should be the one to take responsibility." Her voice carried unshakable resolve.
"If anyone should take responsibility, it should be me." Zhao Ling’s expression darkened further. If it hadn’t been to save him, would she ever have said such things?! Now that things had gone awry, as a man, how could he let a woman shoulder the blame? "Stay out of this. Just remain quietly in Willow Lane." His tone was even firmer than hers. He turned to leave, making it clear the discussion was over.
She had expected this!
Fu Tingyun watched his retreating figure and said leisurely, "Then I’ll go on my own!"
Zhao Ling spun around, glaring at her with a frosty expression, veins bulging at his temples.
Fu Tingyun smiled, straightened her back, and walked past him with her head held high.
Her determination was unmistakable.
Zhao Ling felt a splitting headache.
He knew his icy demeanor wouldn’t make Fu Tingyun back down.
"Miss Fu!" he called after her. "This matter isn’t as simple as you think..." His voice carried a trace of helplessness he didn’t even realize was there.
Fu Tingyun, with her back to him, couldn’t suppress a smirk.
So you’re angry, are you?
Giving me that stern look?
What else can you do to me?
Her mood could almost be described as cheerful.
"I admit my thinking is simple," Fu Tingyun turned to face Zhao Ling, her gaze steady. "But sometimes, the best way to solve a complicated problem is with a simple approach." Like this time—if she had discussed it with Zhao Ling, not only would she never have made it to Zhangye, she wouldn’t even have gotten her hands on those two thousand taels, let alone acted as she wished. Now, with money and people at her disposal, she felt even more assured. "If Ninth Master worries I’ll slow everyone down, we can split up—you go ahead, and I’ll follow with Zheng San as my escort."
Suddenly, Zhao Ling understood why Fu Tingyun had asked him for money.
It was her travel funds—her means to reach Zhangye.
He had provided the men and the money. Wasn’t this like lifting a rock only to drop it on his own foot?
His expression grew even colder.
"Nonsense!" he snapped in a low voice. "Do you even know how far Zhangye is from here?" It was a rhetorical question. "From Xi’an Prefecture to Zhangye is 2,446 li, passing through forty-three post stations, a journey of one hundred and ten days...""It is quite far!" Fu Tingyun interrupted Zhao Ling, frowning with a troubled expression. "No wonder you're worried." A hint of mischief flickered in her eyes as she added, "But if I send a letter to Mo Yi, do you think he would send someone to escort me?"
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From the backyard came Fu Tingyun's cheerful and clear voice: "No need to bring this—Zhangye surely has it for sale. Pack this instead, it'll be good for passing time on the journey. And this too—I hear the sandstorms there are fierce..."
In the front hall, everyone cast cautious glances at Zhao Ling, who stood under the eaves with a stormy expression. Moving quietly, they packed the trunks with extra care, afraid any noise might further provoke the man. This only made Fu Tingyun's melodious voice from the backyard seem even more vibrant.
Suddenly, Zhao Ling pressed a hand to his forehead and laughed.
Fine, fine.
If a young woman like her wasn’t afraid, how could he, a grown man, shrink back?
Since they had already come this far, no matter what hardships lay ahead, he would face them calmly.
There were always more solutions than difficulties.
He didn’t dare examine too closely whether this was reluctant compromise or an excuse for the stubborn longing still buried in his heart.
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Writing emotional scenes always slows me down.
PS: After checking historical records, I learned that during the Ming dynasty, the journey from Beijing to Xi’an took a month, while reaching Zhangye required a hundred and ten days... Faint!
(End of Chapter)
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