Chapter 87: Evasion (Bonus Chapter for 880 Pink Votes)
Feng Shi chased after Fu Tingyun in hot pursuit, pointing at her as she strode swiftly to the center of the courtyard. She shouted furiously at the maids and housekeepers standing around, "Seize her!"
Just moments ago, she had been warmly inviting Fu Tingyun, but now they were sworn enemies—the sudden shift left the maids and housekeepers exchanging bewildered glances. After a brief hesitation, they rushed toward Fu Tingyun.
"Who dares lay a hand on her?" A Sen roared, grabbing Fu Tingyun's hand and pulling her toward the exit. He threw a punch at the housekeeper blocking their path.
With a loud "thud," the woman clutched her stomach, doubling over like a shrimp as she staggered backward before collapsing to the ground, motionless for a long while.
The servants hadn't expected such ferocity from a boy as young as A Sen. They froze in shock, staring at him with a mix of fear and awe.
Seizing the opportunity, Fu Tingyun and A Sen bolted out of the courtyard.
Since becoming Liu Fuzongbing's concubine, Feng Shi had never suffered such humiliation. She flew into a rage, bellowing at the servants, "You fools! What are you standing around for? Go after them! If you don’t bring them back, you’ll face the household punishment!"
The women shuddered in unison, scrambling toward the gate—only to find Feng Shi's two coachmen and four accompanying housekeepers sprawled on the ground, bruised and groaning, clutching their waists or legs. Fu Tingyun and A Sen were long gone.
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This Feng Shi had truly lost all sense of law and decency!
In broad daylight, she had dared to order her servants to detain Fu Tingyun.
If not for Zheng San waiting outside to assist, Feng Shi might have actually succeeded!
As she stepped into her own residence, Fu Tingyun’s limbs still felt weak from the ordeal.
"Quick, close the gate!" she ordered Zheng San and A Sen, her voice trembling slightly.
Before she even finished speaking, the two had already bolted the door.
Feng Shi’s servants arrived moments later, pounding on the gate with thunderous force. They shouted without restraint, "Open up! If you don’t, we’ll break it down!"
Zheng San braced his shoulder against the door.
A Sen’s face flushed with anger. "Miss, let me climb the wall and shoot that shrew with an arrow. Let’s see if she still dares to act so arrogantly!"
"No!" Fu Tingyun grabbed his arm. "Our arrows don’t have tips. At most, you’d give her a scratch, and she’d use it as evidence to complain to Liu Fuzongbing. Then, even if we were in the right, we’d end up in the wrong. Don’t act recklessly—just follow my lead."
A Sen’s cheeks puffed out like a frog’s, but Fu Tingyun couldn’t bring herself to laugh.
The only sounds around were the jeers of Feng Shi’s servants. No one came to mediate, nor did any onlookers gather.
Fu Tingyun’s heart sank.
Then, Xuemei’s voice came from outside. "Housekeepers, Grandma Feng says to let the matter rest today. Please return to your quarters for now."
Fu Tingyun was taken aback.
One of the housekeepers asked skeptically, "Is that truly what she said, miss?"
"Would I lie to you?" Xuemei replied. "Grandma Feng is in the main hall—you can ask her yourself if you don’t believe me."
The housekeeper chuckled nervously. "Oh, we wouldn’t dare trouble Grandma Feng. If you say so, then it must be true."
The sound of hurried footsteps followed, and soon, silence fell outside.
Zheng San exhaled in relief.A Sen climbed onto the wall and peered outside, then turned back to Fu Tingyun with a delighted expression. "Miss, they've really left!"
However, Fu Tingyun frowned. "Feng Shi lives in the General Military Headquarters, so she might not care. But Lu Shi lives on the back street, surrounded by neighbors she sees every day. If someone asks about this, it’s hardly a flattering matter. Most likely, Lu Shi found a way to persuade Feng Shi." Her expression grew solemn. "I suspect Lu Shi must have proposed something tempting to Feng Shi. With calculated intent against our unpreparedness, this can’t go on. If nothing else, what if Feng Shi sends Liu Fuzongbing’s guards or soldiers from the General Military Headquarters to confront us? We’d be no match for them."
"Then... does Miss have any good ideas?" A Sen asked anxiously.
Zheng San also looked at Fu Tingyun expectantly.
"At this point," Fu Tingyun mused, "our only option is to gather our valuables and seek refuge with Wang Furen!"
A Sen’s face brightened at this.
But Zheng San hesitated. "But we don’t know if Wang Furen will take us in. What if she refuses to get involved? That could make things worse for us."
If they lost the initiative, they’d be at Feng Shi’s mercy.
"I believe Wang Furen isn’t that kind of person," Fu Tingyun said firmly. "If she truly refuses, staying here would mean waiting for disaster. In that case, we’ll go directly to Liu Fuzongbing..." Her brows furrowed with unwavering determination. "If even Liu Fuzongbing won’t intervene, we’ll capture Feng Shi and use her as leverage to demand an audience with Marquis Yingchuan."
If it came to that, so be it.
Zheng San nodded in agreement.
Everyone scattered to pack their belongings.
Zheng Sanniang couldn’t bear to leave anything behind—the sweet white porcelain flower vase on the hall table, the rosewood paperweight from Zhao Ling’s room, the set of thirty-six blue-and-white porcelain bowls in the kitchen, even Linchun’s silk jacket in the wardrobe.
Fu Tingyun sighed helplessly. "Anything that can be bought with money isn’t worth fretting over. Hurry and pack! Who knows what schemes Feng Shi and Lu Shi are plotting? Every minute we delay increases the risk."
With a pained expression, Zheng Sanniang reluctantly packed only a few changes of clothes and the silver longevity lock Fu Tingyun had given Linchun for his first birthday.
Aside from spare clothes, Fu Tingyun took only her mother’s jewelry, the carved red lacquer box containing land deeds, and the letters Zhao Ling had written to her.
When she returned to the main hall, Zheng San and A Sen emerged from Zhao Ling’s room, each carrying a cloth bag. "Miss, we buried five hundred taels of silver in the northwest corner of the yard where the firewood is stacked, and another five hundred taels under the kitchen’s woodpile. I’m carrying thirteen hundred taels, and A Sen has over three hundred taels."
Fu Tingyun nodded and instructed A Sen to fetch a ladder. "Place Ninth Master’s parents’ memorial tablets on the main hall’s beam."
Such items couldn’t be discarded or taken to someone else’s home—hiding them was the only option.
A Sen obeyed, nimbly climbing the ladder to place the tablets on the beam. He even bowed twice to them, murmuring apologies before descending.
Zheng Sanniang arrived, holding Linchun in her arms.
Perhaps due to his unusual upbringing, the child remained quiet and clung to his mother despite the chaos around him.
Fu Tingyun gently stroked his head, her heart aching with tenderness.Zheng San and A Sen each held a quarterstaff and opened the door.
The alley was eerily quiet. Feng Shi’s carriage was still parked outside Mo Yi’s house, with only two coachmen sitting on the steps, hands on their waists.
When they saw the group emerge, the coachmen jumped in fright and nervously stood up.
Zheng San had no time to spare for them now. He gestured toward the door, and A Sen pulled Fu Tingyun along while Zheng Sanniang carried Linchun. They filed out one after another, with Zheng San bringing up the rear. He locked the door, and the group hurried straight to the General Military Headquarters.
Less than two hours had passed since Fu Tingyun and Zheng San had left the General Military Headquarters. Moreover, their earlier entry had been quite troublesome, so the guards on duty still recognized them. Though the group appeared to be seeking refuge with relatives, the soldiers didn’t question them further and let them in.
Wang Furen was shocked to see them. “What’s happened?”
Tears welled up in Fu Tingyun’s eyes. “Wang Furen, please save us!” She then recounted the events in detail.
Upon hearing that Feng Shi had pursued them all the way to Fu Tingyun’s doorstep, Wang Furen flew into a rage. She slammed her palm on the table with a loud “bang,” causing the teacups to rattle. “Outrageous! A mere third-rank official’s concubine dares to act so lawlessly and viciously—where is her sense of propriety and shame?” She stood up. “Wait here. I’ll go see Lord Liu.”
Given Feng Shi’s arrogance, such behavior couldn’t have developed overnight. Could Liu Fuzongbing truly be unaware?
Liu Fuzongbing might spare Wang Furen some face, but would Feng Shi really back down because of that?
By standing up for her, Wang Furen would likely earn Feng Shi’s enmity. Wang Furen was upright and open-hearted, while Feng Shi was cunning and calculating. Wang Furen might end up at a disadvantage.
These thoughts flashed through Fu Tingyun’s mind. She quickly grabbed Wang Furen’s hand. “Wang Furen, these are trivial matters. I only wish to ask for your help in finding out whether Centurion Zhao is…” Her heart ached, and tears spilled over. “I’ve had my doubts, but Consort Lu showed no sign of grief. This matter… I fear…”
She had already made up her mind. If Zhao Ling had truly met with misfortune, she had nothing left to fear. At worst, she would perish together with Feng Dahu—but she couldn’t drag Wang Furen into this.
Wang Furen also seemed uncertain. “Very well, I’ll help you get to the bottom of this.”
Fu Tingyun then asked, “What is Feng Shi’s background? How can she be so brazen? Lord Liu is an imperial official—why doesn’t he rein her in? This reflects poorly on his authority.”
Since Wang Furen had taken them in without hesitation and indignantly offered to intervene, it was clear she was a woman of strong principles. If Fu Tingyun outright told her not to get involved with Feng Shi and her brother, Wang Furen would not only refuse but might even take it as an insult. The only option was to gently dissuade her from interfering."She's merely the daughter of a steward from the Xiping Marquis's household, serving as a maid by the Dowager Marquise's side," Wang Furen said disdainfully. "Once when Lord Liu visited the Xiping Marquis's residence to pay respects to the Dowager Marquise, he glanced at her twice. The Dowager Marquise then gifted her to Lord Liu as a concubine. She claims the surname Feng and pretends to be a distant branch of the Xiping Marquis's family in front of others. Pay her no mind!" Wang Furen faintly sensed there was deeper meaning behind Fu Tingyun's words.
Fu Tingyun was astonished.
She hadn't expected Feng Shi to have such origins.
She cautioned Wang Furen: "Then why haven't either the Xiping Marquis's family or Lord Liu come forward to clarify?"
Wang Furen paused slightly.
Fu Tingyun continued: "Military affairs cannot tolerate baseless rumors. Whether true or false, Feng Shi's claim that Commander Lu was defeated in battle yet Marquis Yingchuan hid him—if such words spread, Marquis Yingchuan would inevitably be accused of 'shielding his subordinate.' If someone fans the flames, it might even escalate to accusations of 'forming factions.' I suggest you first clarify this matter thoroughly. As for my situation, at worst it's merely a romantic affair of 'what a gentleman admires,' at best just women being shortsighted in protecting their own."
Wang Furen gazed at her, her eyes gradually brightening like morning stars.
"Miss Fu, you're absolutely right," she said, a warm smile like spring breeze playing at her lips. "I think we should first get to the bottom of this matter concerning Commander Lu and Centurion Zhao before anything else."
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Today is the last day of May—don't let your pink votes go to waste! Cast them for Blossoms in Splendor !
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(End of Chapter)
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