Goodbye, Madam Zhao

Fu Zhiqiao nodded.

Then, Song Fangfei walked to Madam Zhao's side and introduced her: "Madam Zhao, this is the Heir Apparent's wife of Prince Duan's mansion."

Upon hearing this, Madam Zhao quickly lowered her eyes and curtsied, "Greetings, Princess Consort."

Fu Zhi Qiao remained seated and accepted her bow.

Madam Zhao was very respectful, but Fu Zhi Qiao couldn't help but want to laugh. If Song Fang Fei hadn't reminded her, she really wouldn't have recognized Madam Zhao.

In her memory, Madam Zhao's image had become somewhat blurred. After many years, what would Madam Zhao's expression be if she knew that she was the one she had rejected back then?

“Madam, there’s no need for such formalities.” Fu Zhi Qiao slowed her speech. “Madam, how have you been?”

A look of doubt flashed in Song Fangfei's eyes. She glanced at her with some surprise and couldn't help but ask, "Are the Crown Princess and Madam Zhao old acquaintances?"

"I do have some connection with Madam Zhao."

That voice, that face... why does it sound so familiar? A bad feeling suddenly rose in Madam Zhao's heart, and her hands hanging at her sides trembled.

The next second she heard Fu Zhi Qiao speak: "Does Madam still remember me? My surname is Fu, and my given name is Zhi Qiao. Does Madam still remember me?"

Fu! Zhi! Qiao!

Madam Zhao was shaken, her lips trembled, and she could not speak.

"Speaking of which, it's been several years since we last saw each other. How has Mrs. Zhao been lately?" Fu Zhi Qiao asked with a smile.

Madam Zhao disregarded all etiquette and abruptly raised her head, her eyes meeting Fu Zhi Qiao's. It really was Fu Zhi Qiao, the Fu Zhi Qiao whom she had once rejected!

For a moment, Madam Zhao felt guilty and flustered, and almost lost her balance.

Fu Zhi Qiao was relaxed and at ease, her every move exuding an air of pampered luxury. Her gorgeous dress made her look like a fairy in a painting. She just sat there, doing nothing, yet she had an air of dignity that made people afraid to look directly at her.

Madam Zhao couldn't help but recall Fu Zhi Qiao's childhood appearance; that memory, which she had deliberately kept sealed away, flashed before her eyes like a revolving lantern.

In her memory, Fu Zhi Qiao was delicate and frail from a young age, with a small face no bigger than the palm of her hand and a sickly pale complexion that had never seen the sun for many years, which aroused people's protective instincts. Even she felt sorry for Fu Zhi Qiao when she saw her back then.

Looking at the radiant woman before him, exuding a powerful aura, he saw no trace of the delicate young girl he once was.

Wasn't Fu Zhi Qiao in Qingzhou? When did she come to the capital? How did she become the Crown Prince's consort?

A series of questions popped into her mind. Suddenly, Madam Zhao felt a pang of confusion, recalling the wedding of the Prince Duan's heir that people had been talking about recently. The wedding procession stretched for miles in red, the whole city was in celebration, and the Prince's mansion even held a three-day banquet. The scale of the event was in no way inferior to that of a princess or noblewoman's wedding.

Fu Zhi Qiao married the Crown Prince around that time!

The young girl she had once rejected was now someone far beyond her reach. The smile on Madam Zhao's face gradually faded; she froze in embarrassment, wishing she could just disappear on the spot.

Compared to the reserved and uneasy Mrs. Zhao, Fu Zhi Qiao appeared quite calm, with a faint smile always on her face, though the smile didn't reach her eyes.

Unaware of the undercurrents in their exchange of glances, Song Fangfei smiled at Madam Zhao and said, "I never imagined that Madam and the Crown Princess had such a connection."

A hint of unease flashed across Madam Zhao's face; her lips moved, but she couldn't utter a word.

"Please have a seat, both of you," Fu Zhi Qiao said, gesturing for them to sit down.

Song Fangfei wanted to befriend Fu Zhiqiao, so she sat down next to Fu Zhiqiao warmly. Madam Zhao was not very willing, but Fu Zhiqiao's status was now very important, so she dared not disobey.

Fu Zhiqiao asked with a smile, "What were you two talking about just now?"

Before Fu Zhi Qiao got married, Song Fang Fei could still call her "Sister Fu" because of her age. Now that Fu Zhi Qiao is the heir apparent of the Duan Prince's Mansion, she can no longer address her as casually as before.

After glancing at Madam Zhao, Song Fangfei said to Fu Zhiqiao, "I'm not afraid of being laughed at by the Princess Consort, but I've long heard that Lord Zhao Junhui is a noble and virtuous young man. Today, I happened to meet Madam Zhao at the birthday banquet, and I thought I'd ask her how she raised Lord Zhao to be so outstanding, so that I can learn a thing or two from her."

Wu Cuishan had already told Fu Zhiqiao that the ladies from various families brought their children to the birthday banquet, actually hoping to use the old lady's birthday as an excuse to find marriage partners for their own children.

Song Fangfei tried to cover it up, but Fu Zhiqiao exposed her, and she readily agreed: "I see."

Hearing their conversation, Madam Zhao could no longer maintain her gentle smile. She guiltily turned her face away from Fu Zhi Qiao, her hands clenching tightly in her sleeves as she tried to calm herself down.

Fu Zhiqiao then asked, "Has Lord Zhao gotten married?"

Seeing that Madam Zhao was lost in thought, Song Fangfei quickly nudged her, "The Crown Princess is asking you a question. Is Lord Zhao married?"

"...never."

Upon hearing this, Madam Zhao's face turned even paler. She had initially broken off the engagement under the pretext that Zhao Junhui needed to take the imperial examination and couldn't wait for Fu Zhiqiao to observe three years of mourning. However, so many years had passed, and Fu Zhiqiao had already married, while Zhao Junhui was still unmarried.

What does this show? It shows that her reason for breaking off the engagement was just an excuse.

When the lie was exposed in front of the person involved, Mrs. Zhao lost face and her expression became increasingly embarrassed.

Everyone has selfish motives. In fact, Fu Zhi Qiao did not have any deep hatred for Madam Zhao. It was just that when Madam Zhao came to break off the engagement, it really angered Yu Rou Lan. At that time, Fu Chang Yue was murdered. When she came to break off the engagement when the mother and daughter were most isolated and helpless, what difference was there between her and kicking someone when they were down?

Song Fangfei was so focused on building a good relationship with Fu Zhiqiao that she didn't notice Madam Zhao's unusual behavior.

The three of them had just sat down and hadn't exchanged more than a few words when a maid came over, bowed to them, and whispered in Song Fangfei's ear, "Madam, Master is looking for you in the outer courtyard!"

"Did you say anything?"

The maid shook her head. "No, Master only said that Madam should go there quickly."

"Princess Consort, I..." Song Fangfei looked troubled. She had finally managed to sit down and talk with the Princess Consort, and she didn't want to leave like this, but she didn't know what important matter her husband had to do.

"Mrs. Liu, you should go ahead if you have something to attend to." Fu Zhi Qiao noticed Song Fang Fei's hesitation.

Song Fangfei curtsied apologetically and left with her maid.

Madam Zhao, who was standing to the side, couldn't wait to stand up and leave with Song Fangfei. Fu Zhi Qiao found it amusing and said indifferently, "What? Madam Zhao also has something to do?"

Mrs. Zhao, who had not yet fully stood up, froze for a second before she had no choice but to sit back down in her chair. "N-nothing."

After Song Fangfei, who had been trying to liven things up, left, only Fu Zhiqiao and Madam Zhao remained in the pavilion.

The engagement was called off many years ago, and Fu Zhi Qiao has no intention of pursuing it, but she won't pretend nothing happened either.

Fu Zhi Qiao stared at her for a while before saying with a half-smile, "What Madam Liu said earlier is correct, Lord Zhao is indeed a handsome man!"

These words were ambiguous, making Madam Zhao feel extremely uncomfortable. She had come to the banquet today and was walking with Song Fangfei because Song Fangfei had mentioned that Marquis Kangping had a young daughter who was of marriageable age, and she had begun to have designs on her.

Marquis Kangping was a founding hero of the Great Wei Dynasty. His family was famous in the previous dynasty and has been prominent for nearly a hundred years. If Zhao Junhui could marry into such a family, his career would surely be smooth sailing and he would rise to prominence.

However, before she could find out more from Song Fangfei, she ran into Fu Zhiqiao.

Madam Zhao avoided eye contact with Fu Zhi Qiao.

Fu Zhiqiao did not miss the embarrassment on Madam Zhao's face.

Madam Zhao looks much the same as she remembers, except for a few more wrinkles on her face and a slightly fuller figure. Otherwise, she hasn't changed much. Well, with her son young and promising, she has fewer worries and naturally adopts a wealthy and elegant demeanor.

Fu Zhi Qiao was right. Madam Zhao had indeed been living a very comfortable life these past few years. Zhao Jun had become a third-ranked scholar in the imperial examination, which boosted his status. She had also gotten her revenge on those clansmen who had once looked down on her family. So what if they were from a collateral branch? None of your direct descendants were as successful as my son.

The only thing that bothers her is that Zhao Junhui, who is over twenty years old, is still unwilling to get married.

Zhao Junhui was accomplished in both knowledge and appearance, and many people wanted to arrange marriages for him.

When they first moved to the capital, Madam Zhao wasn't in a hurry. She thought that Zhao Junhui, with his official title, would surely find a good marriage. But as Zhao Junhui grew older, he still had no intention of getting married.

Every time she brought up this topic, Zhao Junhui would always find an excuse to avoid it, saying that he did not want to marry into the family or rely on his wife's family's connections, and that he wanted to establish himself in the court based on his own abilities.

Since the marriage with the Fu family was dissolved, an invisible barrier has formed between mother and son.

Having learned from Fu Zhiqiao's experience, Madam Zhao knew the crux of Zhao Junhui's problem and dared not pressure him too much.

As her son grew up and developed his own ideas, her words carried less and less weight. She was wholeheartedly concerned for her son's future, but he didn't appreciate it, which made her feel very wronged.

Fortunately, the mountains and rivers are far apart, and the son and the Fu family girl are in the capital and Yuzhou respectively, so the two will never have the chance to meet again in this life.

Time heals all wounds.

With this belief, Madam Zhao convinced herself. Little did she know that she and Fu Zhi Qiao would meet again in the capital after many years.

What she didn't expect was that Fu Zhi Qiao married the heir of Prince Duan and became the high-ranking princess consort, while she could only look up to her and could never reach her level.

Although she wasn't invited to the wedding ceremony at Prince Duan's residence, she had heard about the grand spectacle. The emperor had bestowed the marriage upon them, the Imperial Guards cleared the way, and the Prince's residence held a three-day banquet for the entire city to celebrate.

The Prince Duan's mansion wields immense power, and the heir is a general with military authority. What if Fu Zhi Qiao whispers in his ear and the heir targets Zhao Junhui in court? All his efforts over the years could be destroyed in an instant.

Thinking about this, and then about what she had done to Fu Zhiqiao, Madam Zhao broke out in a cold sweat.

When Zhao Junhui's career was involved, her last line of defense completely collapsed, and she could no longer hold back. "Princess Consort, what happened back then was my fault. I have let down your Fu family. I beg you to spare my son. He is innocent."

Fu Zhiqiao sighed softly: "What do you mean by that, Madam Zhao?"

"Princess Consort, what happened before was my fault. Please be magnanimous and don't hold it against me."

“Madam, you flatter me. I was just catching up with you.” As she spoke, she gave Madam Zhao an innocent look. “I don’t remember much about the past, but you seem to still hold a grudge.”

Madam Zhao's face went from pale to red several times before she hurriedly said, "Yes, I was too cautious. Thank you for your magnanimity, Princess Consort."

Fu Zhi Qiao's eyes sparkled as she picked up her teacup, elegantly brushing away the tea foam, a faint smile always playing on her lips: "Life is truly wondrous, Mrs. Zhao, don't you think?"