Escape to Your Heart

Chapter 83: Harassment (Bonus Chapter for 800 Pink Votes)

Fu Tingyun lowered her head and adjusted the scarf draped over it, allowing most of her jade-like fair complexion to be concealed in the shadow of the fabric. She quickened her pace past a group of idle ruffians sitting on the stone railings outside the main hall of the Great Buddha Temple, who were whistling and jeering at her. Only after passing them did the prickling discomfort she felt begin to ease slightly.

She instructed the coachman, "Hurry back to the back street of the General Military Headquarters."

The coachman, having witnessed the earlier scene, promptly acknowledged and urged the horses to leave the Great Buddha Temple swiftly.

Fu Tingyun let out a sigh of relief.

She couldn't understand why, despite dressing modestly and behaving with utmost humility, she still stood out among the crowd of women. Those men had spotted her immediately... Their gazes, filled with undisguised greed, followed her as if she were a piece of meat on a chopping block. One of them had even pretended to donate to the alms box just to get close to her... If she hadn't been quick to dodge, he would have bumped right into her.

Thankfully, she had managed to leave the Great Buddha Temple unscathed!

Before her sigh of relief could fully settle, Fu Tingyun heard Zheng Sanniang's frightened voice: "Miss, they're following us all the way!"

Fu Tingyun turned to look.

Zheng Sanniang was holding up the carriage curtain, her face pale with alarm as she stared at her.

A heavy feeling settled in Fu Tingyun's chest as she leaned toward the window to peer outside.

The man who had followed her to the alms box was riding a chestnut horse, accompanied by four or five other ruffians, trailing their carriage at a leisurely pace. Pedestrians on the street hastily made way for them.

Fu Tingyun's mood grew even graver.

She asked the coachman, "Do you know who these people are?"

"I do," the coachman replied, glancing back with a troubled expression. "The leader is Feng Dahu, the brother of Liu Fuzongbing's concubine from the General Military Headquarters." He then added, puzzled, "Though this man likes to cause trouble, he usually doesn't dare act too brazenly in Zhangye. Why is he following us like this today?"

Fu Tingyun focused on his words—"doesn't dare act too brazenly"—and quickly asked, "May I ask, elder, is it because the Marquis governs Zhangye, or is there another reason?"

"Of course it's because of the Marquis," the coachman said. "The Marquis detests any lawlessness in his jurisdiction. It doesn't matter if it's the brother of a concubine—even the legitimate son of the Pingxi Hou's Feng family was once caned for misconduct." He then reassured her, "Don't worry too much. Once he sees you're heading to the back street of the General Military Headquarters, he'll likely back off."

She could only hope so.

Fu Tingyun remained vigilant, keeping a close eye on Feng Dahu.

Sure enough, as soon as he saw their carriage enter the back street of the General Military Headquarters, he stopped following. Instead, he stood there, watching them for a long time.

Upon returning home, Fu Tingyun immediately wrote a letter and had A Sen deliver it to Wang Furen. She recounted everything that had happened at the Great Buddha Temple in detail and asked Wang Furen to send a trustworthy person to help guard their residence.

Wang Furen promptly dispatched a burly, honest-looking man in his forties to accompany A Sen back to the back street. She also sent a message through A Sen: "This man's surname is Wei, given name Shi. He has served our family's lieutenant for over twenty years, and everyone in Zhangye knows him."

Fu Tingyun's past experiences had taught her one thing—to rely entirely on others was to place one's life in their hands.She had Zheng Sanniang buy several boxes of pastries from the market to take to Wang Furen as a token of gratitude. Then she sent A Sen out: "Buy or beg, just get a few large dogs for the house."

Back when she visited the estates, they had kept many dogs to guard the property.

Although raising dogs from puppies ensured the most loyalty, she needed an immediate solution. Desperate times called for desperate measures—even if they just barked to intimidate, it would help.

A Sen was overjoyed at the idea of keeping dogs and happily set off. By the afternoon, he returned with two large black dogs and four or five small yellow ones.

"These two big black ones are for scaring people," A Sen explained excitedly. "The little ones we’ll raise properly—they’ll guard the house later."

His thinking aligned perfectly with Fu Tingyun’s.

She praised him with a smile, then instructed him to bathe the dogs daily: "Otherwise, they’ll get fleas or lice, and those might crawl into the house or onto people. If that happens, I’ll shave your head bald."

A Sen clutched his head and stuck out his tongue but obediently bathed the dogs every day, with Linchun squatting nearby to help rinse them.

The sight of the two—one big, one small—surrounded by a pack of docile dogs brought smiles to everyone who saw them.

Seven or eight days passed without incident, and Fu Tingyun gradually relaxed.

Then Zheng San returned.

Upon entering, he was startled to see Wei Shi but quickly masked his surprise. Respectfully, he went to the hall to report to Fu Tingyun: "I rode hard and fast, reaching Ninth Master before Commander Lu returned. As soon as Commander Lu arrived, Ninth Master went to see him." He grinned. "Xiaoqi Yang said Commander Lu kept probing Ninth Master’s ties to the Mo family. Last time, when he took Ninth Master to deliver New Year’s gifts to Marquis Yingchuan, it was also to gauge how the Marquis treated him. Ninth Master saw through it and wrote a letter in advance to Lin Chi, saying he had matters to discuss after meeting the Marquis. Worried that requesting leave might displease Commander Lu, he asked Lin Chi to find an excuse to detain him after Commander Lu’s audience with the Marquis. Lin Chi, suspecting nothing, did as asked—pulling Ninth Master aside as soon as Commander Lu emerged and taking him to his quarters at the General Military Headquarters. Since Lin Chi was Marquis Yingchuan’s personal guard, Commander Lu assumed the Marquis had privately summoned Ninth Master for a word... From then on, Commander Lu treated Ninth Master very differently. This time, when Ninth Master acted as if he already knew why Commander Lu had gone to Zhangye, it further dispelled any suspicion. With just a slight hint from Ninth Master, Commander Lu agreed to let him go to Xining Guard, even assuring him that as long as he followed orders, a promotion to centurion was guaranteed."

Fu Tingyun pondered the matter carefully.

Zhao Ling’s abilities were undeniable, and with Lu Cheng willing to give him opportunities, she believed he would distinguish himself. But securing a centurion’s rank after just one merit would likely require Marquis Yingchuan’s influence.

Lu Cheng assumed Zhao Ling had the Marquis’s backing, hence his confidence. But if Zhao Ling failed to get the promotion, wouldn’t all their previous efforts be wasted?

Who could she turn to?

Wang Furen?

No.

Judging by how Wang Furen had lectured her, she was likely a strict adherent to propriety. If Fu Tingyun intervened on Zhao Ling’s behalf, Wang Furen might disapprove, even seeing it as a woman overstepping her bounds—backfiring entirely.

Mo Yi?

As a woman, how could she meet with him casually?She didn’t know anyone else.

For a moment, she found herself in a dilemma.

Should she just leave it to fate?

If Marquis Yingchuan promoted Zhao Ling to the rank of centurion, that would be ideal. But if he suppressed Commander Lu’s recommendation for merit, claiming that promoting Zhao Ling after just one military achievement would lead to arrogance and hinder his future, then what?

Fu Tingyun’s thoughts wandered in all directions until she suddenly noticed the unusual silence in the hall. Snapping back to reality, she realized Zheng San was still standing respectfully before her, awaiting her instructions.

“I understand the situation,” she said with a smile. “You’ve had a long journey—go rest for now.” Then she told him about Wei Shi’s matter. “Give Wei Shi ten taels of silver as a reward. Tomorrow, take him to a restaurant for a meal, then personally escort him back to Wang Furen.” She then called for Zheng Sanniang. “Since Zheng San is back, prepare something special for dinner today.”

Lately, everyone had been on edge. With Zheng San’s return and Fu Tingyun’s order for a better meal, the atmosphere lightened. Though Wei Shi and Zheng San were meeting for the first time, Zheng San was skilled in social interactions, and Wei Shi, sent by Wang Furen to help guard the household, was honest and straightforward. The two hit it off, bringing cheer to the home.

After seeing Wei Shi off, Zheng San carefully inspected all the doors and gates, taking advantage of the good weather to reinforce the courtyard walls.

By late March, news arrived from Xining Garrison: Lord Hu, the garrison’s deputy general, had led centurions Li Bing, Sun Shuo, Tang Bin, and Wang Yuan into battle against the Mongols at Tuba Fort in Datong. Lord Hu was struck by an arrow and killed, while Li Bing and the others were beheaded—their entire force annihilated.

The news sent shockwaves through Zhangye.

This was the first time a third-rank military officer had died since Marquis Yingchuan took command of the General Military Headquarters in Gansu.

Marquis Yingchuan mobilized a thousand men from each of the ten garrisons in Ganzhou and personally led them to Xining Garrison. He ordered Commander Lu Cheng of Zhuanglang Garrison to retreat east of the Datong River to prevent the Mongols from crossing. Deputy General Lord Liu was left to defend Zhangye, while Guerilla General Mo Yi accompanied the marquis.

Tension immediately gripped Zhangye.

Fu Tingyun set up a shrine at home, enshrining a statue of Sakyamuni. Every morning, she washed her face and hands, offered incense to the Buddha, then paid respects before the ancestral tablets of Zhao Ling’s parents, praying for his safety.

In early April, Nianbo Garrison fell, and Chiliarch Wu Ying was killed.

Two days later, news arrived that the Tibetans were attacking Jiayuguan.

Panic spread through Zhangye. The streets grew emptier as people kept to themselves, fearing the worst.

Then, out of the blue, Lu Shi sent someone to invite Fu Tingyun for a drink.

Fu Tingyun politely declined. “I’m still in mourning.”

Undeterred, Lu Shi came in person.

“The drink is just an excuse,” she murmured listlessly. “I just wanted to spend time with you. These days… they’re truly unsettling.”

Fu Tingyun had Zheng Sanniang serve her tea and said with a smile, “Consort Lu should have faith in Marquis Yingchuan and General Mo.”

Lu Shi’s face flushed slightly. She lowered her head to sip her tea, hiding her embarrassment. When she looked up again, she changed the subject and earnestly pressed Fu Tingyun: “Please, you must come tomorrow. After learning cooking from you all this time, let me show off a little.”"Thank you," Fu Tingyun still declined. "Let's talk about it another time. If Consort Lu feels uneasy, she's welcome to visit me often. I'm planning to copy the 'Heart Sutra' these days—why doesn't Consort Lu join me in copying scriptures?"

Lu Shi's smile became somewhat forced.

After exchanging a few awkward words with Fu Tingyun, she rose to take her leave.

Fu Tingyun found her behavior odd, but merely pondered it briefly before putting it out of her mind. Each day she worshipped the Bodhisattva and paid respects to Zhao Ling's parents, instructing A Sen to begin copying the "Heart Sutra" after his studies.

Several more days passed like this until one morning when Zheng San, who routinely visited teahouses to gather news, returned with a grim expression to report: "Miss, I've heard the Mongols have crossed the Datong River. Zhuanglang Garrison has suffered over fifty percent casualties, and Commander Lu Cheng is missing."

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End of month, seeking pink votes... hoping to make top three... O(∩_∩)O~

(End of Chapter)