Anke lay lazily on the soft couch, propping her head up with one hand, listening with great interest to the information Xingxing had gathered.
Knowing that Fu Erkang was carried out of the palace in the end, and that his buttocks were bruised and battered, An Ke was in a very good mood. She could eat two more bowls of rice tonight.
*
The atmosphere in Shufangzhai had plummeted to freezing point. Neither mistress nor servants uttered a word. Mingyue and Caixia served her with utmost care, afraid that any oversight would worsen the princess's already sour mood.
They were all outside, working on small stools and tables, whispering about what had happened to Gege on her journey, as she seemed so downcast upon her return.
As soon as Ziwei returned, Jin Suo pulled her aside and asked her in detail about what had happened on the way. Naturally, Jin Suo's expression was not very good.
Seeing the two of them gossiping together now only made her more disgusted. She took three steps at a time and walked over to them. "Don't talk nonsense while we're working," Jin Suo said, her anger still burning.
Thinking about Xiao Yanzi and the others, he hurriedly walked inside after finishing talking to them.
The little stool and the little table were naturally dissatisfied. They were all servants, so why did she always act like she was in charge, criticizing them as if she were the master? The little table and the little stool huddled together and whispered bad things about Jin Suo.
*
When the Fujin learned that they were about to return, she had the servants tidy up the house. She stood at the door to greet them, and was naturally overjoyed to see Fulun and Ertai return.
But then I wondered, where did Erkang go? Could it be that he went to Shufangzhai as soon as he returned to the palace?
Although the princess consort thought this way, she ultimately didn't ask, since there were people coming and going on the street. It wouldn't be appropriate to stand at her own doorstep and gossip.
She happily welcomed her husband and son into the house. As soon as they reached the reception hall, the Fujin couldn't wait to speak, "My lord, was your journey safe? I heard you encountered assassins, and I haven't been able to sleep these past two days because of worry." After a few heartfelt words, the Fujin asked the question she had been wanting to ask, "Where is Erkang? He went to Shufangzhai as soon as he returned to the palace. Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
"Fortunately, with the Emperor's grace and protection, everything went smoothly. It's all thanks to Ertai for saving His Majesty, though he also sustained some injuries. Instruct the kitchen to prepare a medicinal meal tonight." Fu Lun recalled these events and felt honored. He patted Ertai on the shoulder.
Before he could finish speaking, he heard the princess ask about the rebellious son from behind.
Fu Lun's face immediately darkened, and his voice was as cold as ice, "He's our spoiled son. He's made a complete mistake along the way, not a single step he's done right. Now he's being punished in the palace."
After Fu Lun finished speaking, he stopped looking at his wife's pale face. He was quite tired on the way back, so he walked over and sat down, pouring himself a cup of tea.
When the Fujin heard the crisp sound of Fu Lun setting down the teapot, she came back to her senses. "My lord, no matter what mistake Er Kang has made, he is still our son. Why don't you plead with the Emperor to forgive him this time?"
Parents who love their children plan far ahead for them. Ertai deeply understood this, as it was fully embodied in his father and mother. From childhood to adulthood, whatever his brother wanted, he always got it easily.
Ertai stopped looking at the scene that was bothering him and sat to the side, waiting for his father to sever ties with him. This had been planned on the way back to the capital.
"Plead for him? How can I plead for that unfilial son?" Fu Lun was so angry that he smashed his teacup. "He has completely disgraced me. I have been telling him all along the way to avoid causing trouble. But instead, he has offended Princess Qing and Princess Yong'an along the way, and he was even nowhere to be found when the Emperor was in danger. Such dereliction of duty, it is already an extraordinary act of mercy that the Emperor has not taken his life."
Upon hearing this, the princess's face turned even paler, and she began to sway unsteadily, as if she could not stand. Fortunately, the maid behind her reacted quickly and supported her.
"There's no need to say more about this. It'll be good for him to learn a lesson." Fu Lun said sternly, glancing at the silent Ertai beside him. He realized that severing ties had to be put on the agenda. He couldn't let both his sons be ruined!
Fu Lun secretly made up his mind. Who knew that one day Er Kang would go crazy again and reveal the truth about the real and fake princesses? At that time, their family, alas, would really be doomed.
At the same time, he was also somewhat disappointed in his wife. But wasn't he also disappointed in himself? Knowing that Ertai had saved the Emperor and been injured, his wife was only concerned about their eldest son. No wonder Ertai was disappointed in his family.
The Princess Consort seemed to have thought of something else, and stammered, "What about Erkang's position?" Erkang had been demoted from Imperial Guard to Palace Guard a while ago, and had been dejected for a long time. Before the inspection tour, he had confidently declared that he would definitely return to his position as Imperial Guard.
Now he's being accused of dereliction of duty, and he probably won't be able to keep his position.
"Still thinking about his position?" Furen sighed. "Once he recovers from his injuries, he'll just be an ordinary guard in the palace."
The Fujin felt as if a thunderbolt had exploded before her eyes. "How could Erkang accept this?" The Fujin suddenly rushed to Fu Lun's side, tightly gripping his sleeve as if grasping at the last straw.
“He can’t accept it, but he has no choice but to accept it. The decree has been issued, and a king’s word is law; there’s no room for negotiation. Let him accept his fate.” After saying this, Fu Lun silently closed his eyes, leaving his wife alone on the ground, sobbing.
Ertai seemed a little annoyed. He had waited for so long and his father still hadn't said anything, so why should he stay here and watch them put on a show of parental love for their child?
Hearing the noise, Furen looked up and asked, "Ertai, where are you going?"
"Since Father and Mother still have things to discuss, then I will go back to the courtyard to rest first." Ertai's voice was filled with exhaustion.
The Fujin seemed to only then notice her second son, "Ertai, you went on the inspection tour with your brother. Why didn't you remind him when he was being confused? Why didn't you stop him when he was about to say something disastrous?"
Ertai was exhausted. This had been the pattern of trouble since he was a child, and he wondered why he hadn't tried to dissuade his older brother more. With his spoiled and arrogant temper, how could he possibly reason with him? He was the first to be blamed.
“He’s such a grown man, do I need to watch him every single moment?” Ertai said sternly. “Those who know him would think I’m his brother, but those who don’t would think I am! Even Father tried to stop him, but he still does whatever he wants. What good did it do?”
The princess was somewhat incredulous as her second son, who had never dared to raise his voice at her since childhood, gave her a severe dressing-down.
"If there's nothing else, Ama, I'll head back now." Ertai was just about to step out.
Then he heard Furen say from behind, "Let's settle this today, so we don't have to wait and see." After saying this, Furen felt as if his anger had dissipated a lot.
The princess was completely bewildered, not knowing what riddle the father and son were playing. She simply watched quietly from the side.
"Go and invite the clan members," Fu Lun said to a maid who was pouring tea behind him.
Upon hearing this, the young maidservant quickly withdrew to inform the clan members.
"Why is the master notifying the clan members at this time of year, when it's neither a holiday nor a festival?" the wife asked, puzzled.
Fu Lun merely glanced at her coolly without saying a word, seemingly pondering how his family had fallen into such a state of disarray.
In no time, the clan members arrived in a lively procession. Fu Lun had no brothers or sisters, and therefore no such thing as a first or second wife. He could only ask the elders of the clan to be witnesses.
"I wonder why Lord Fu has summoned us here?" a young member of the clan asked loudly. He was preparing to take the civil service exam this year to enter the court as an official, and he would have to rely on Lord Fu, so he quickly made his stance clear and then devoted himself to serving him.
"Everyone, please sit down," Fu Lun said, looking at the large group of people, feeling overwhelmed. He then instructed the maidservant beside him to serve them tea.
As for Ertai, he had already returned to his seat the moment Fulun called him over, and was waiting quietly.
"I have invited all of you clan members here today to discuss the matter of severing ties with our relatives. I ask that you all bear witness," Fu Lun said with a smile, as if he were asking if they had eaten—a question as casual as a lighthearted inquiry.
The lady-in-law was the first to furrow her brow. She was so flustered that she almost dropped her teacup, and her usual composure was gone. She thought that Erkang had done something wrong, and that the master was now going to expel him from the house.
Her mind raced, trying to figure out how to dissuade her husband. Seeing Ertai beside her, the Fujin straightened her back; it didn't matter, she still had a son. She would have Ertai plead with Fu Lun for Erkang's sake. Fu Lun wouldn't disregard the bond between father and son.
Even disregarding that, Ertai had at least saved the Emperor. She simply couldn't believe that the Master would be so heartless.
What she didn't expect was that Furen would then talk about the people who were dividing the family property.
"May I ask which young master you are severing ties with?" asked the eldest member of the clan. The old man was well aware of his position; he was neither Lord Fu's superior nor his parent. It was merely a formality, a favor he was doing as a favor.
"Today I sever all ties with my second son, Fu Ertai. From now on, whether it brings him fortune or misfortune, and how far he goes, that is his own business and has nothing to do with the Fu family." Fu Lun's nose tingled as he spoke, and he looked at Ertai as if he were seeing that newborn baby again.
She had said she would treat both brothers equally, but somehow her heart gradually shifted towards her eldest son. Now that her younger son is estranged from her, she has no one to blame but herself.
The clan was in an uproar. They were still somewhat out of touch with the news and did not know that Ertai had saved the emperor and had been appointed as a battalion commander.
They all looked at Ertai, who sat calmly to the side, with sympathetic eyes. They wondered how this child, without official position or family ties, would survive.
Some even thought that no matter how big a mistake they made, as long as they apologized to Lord Fu, they could still be the virtuous and upright Second Young Master Fu. Wouldn't that be better than having someone else run their own business?
"This..." The old man felt a bit troubled. Having gone to such extremes, he couldn't guarantee that Ertai wouldn't one day rise to prominence. If he did, wouldn't they have suffered a huge loss? His voice trembling, he asked, "Lord Fu, have you made up your mind?"
Fu Lun watched as Ertai, who had just been resting with his eyes closed, seemingly indifferent and unconcerned, now opened his eyes and listened with great interest. Fu Lun felt a mix of emotions welling up inside him, and his mouth tasted bitter.
Once he's made up his mind, they'll have no further connection. Two "福" (fortune) characters can't be written in one stroke. From now on, no boy will call him "Ama" anymore, but will only address him as "Master" from afar.
Furen felt a tightness in his throat. There was no way around it; what you sow, you reap. He snapped his eyes shut, forcing back the stinging tears. "It's decided. These are the three agreements I drafted on the way. One is with me, one with Ertai, and the other will be kept by the clan."
As he spoke, he handed over the three agreements in his hand. Ertai took them, glanced at them briefly, and didn't seem to care much. He didn't react much to the fact that they said he would get the two courtyards on Chang'an Street.
Anyway, I'm a battalion commander in the Green Camp, and I'll be going to the battlefield sooner or later. It's important to get to know them and build relationships early on; maybe he's even staying at the camp. I'm not particularly fond of this compound.
The clan members circulated the agreement among themselves, and when they saw that whether Fu Jia was a blessing or a curse in the future, it would have nothing to do with Fu Ertai, they all frowned.
The clan members were all driven by self-interest, and they even hoped that if Ruoertai rose to prominence in the future, he could help them out. But upon seeing this clause, they naturally felt some dissatisfaction with Fulun, who had drafted it.
Unfortunately, their branch of the clan was the most successful, and Lord Fu was highly regarded by the emperor in court. How could he possibly challenge him? He couldn't fight city hall.
“In that case, you and your son should sign your names and affix your fingerprints. That will be considered valid within the clan. After that, there will be no further connection.” The old man stood up to take charge.
Without the slightest hesitation, Ertai signed his name and pressed his fingerprint on the document. Seeing this, Furen also stopped hesitating; he was setting his child free.
The Princess Consort felt as if the sky had fallen, completely baffled by her husband's erratic behavior. Erkang had clearly lost the Emperor's favor, and she had even hoped he and Ertai could offer him some guidance. Yet, he had turned around and severed ties with Ertai, who had just saved the Emperor's life. She truly couldn't understand why.
After seeing off their relatives and clansmen, taking advantage of the early hour, the two went to the magistrate's office in Jingzhao to sign the document severing ties. From then on, Fu Ertai was no longer a member of the Fu family.
Ertai didn't have much to pack, but the land deed was free, so why not take it?
Ertai kowtowed to Fulun one last time, called out "Father," then mounted his horse and rode away, the two heading in opposite directions. But the place the young man was heading towards was brightly lit by stars, a road to heaven. His future was boundless.
Fu Lun smiled and waved at Ertai's retreating figure, muttering to himself: "Son, your father has always been proud of you."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com