Chapter 120

The next morning, Zhan Yue went to the yamen as usual, and Jia Shan went to Fu's house as promised. Fu's house had already been surrounded by the Jinwu Guards like an iron barrel.

The current commander of Jinwu Guard is Lu Sixian, and Lu Sixian's wife went to the Princess's Mansion yesterday to report the news to Jiashan. Therefore, Lu Sixian is naturally very familiar with Jiashan, and he was stunned when he saw Jiashan coming.

After a moment, Lu Sixian bowed and said, "I have seen the eldest princess."

"Hello, Master Lu." Jiashan smiled. She asked Dancui to take out a tiger-head hat from her bag with a normal look. "I didn't mean to embarrass you, Master. It's just that some time ago, Madam Fu came to my house and taught me needlework skills. It's also my fault that I'm not very smart now. I can't sew the last few stitches properly no matter what. And it's almost winter, and I haven't finished this hat yet."

"Mrs. Fu's embroidery skills are unparalleled in the world. Other embroiderers simply don't have such skillful hands. I have no choice but to see if you can be kind enough to allow me to come in and learn from her." Jiashan asked with a kind smile.

Lu Sixian frowned slightly, feeling a little embarrassed.

Emotionally, he was on the same side as Zhan Yue and Jia Shan, and he was unwilling to believe that Fu Xiao would surrender to the enemy on the battlefield. But since the king had sent him to wait outside the Fu family, it proved that their every move would be watched by someone with ulterior motives. In this case, he could not bend the law for personal gain.

Lu Sixian paused and said, "Please forgive me, Princess..."

"Master Lu," Jiashan was not in a hurry, and slowly interrupted him, asking, "When the emperor sent you here, did he say that no one was allowed to visit the palace?"

"That's not the case." Lu Sixian replied quickly.

Emperor Zhanghe would certainly not issue such an order. Under such circumstances, who would take the initiative to come forward and get involved in trouble?

"Since no one has done that, please open the door and let me in," Jiashan said readily.

Lu Sixian pursed his lips but still did not agree.

Jiashan said, "If you are still worried, you can send someone to search the package I brought to see if there is any letter or any trace of Fu Xiao in it."

Lu Sixian said hurriedly: "Princess, you are joking. I dare not think that Fu Xiao would be mixed in."

Having said this, Lu Sixian still waved his hand and asked the Jinwu Guards behind him to check Jiashan's package.

The package did contain some things that looked like tiger-head hats.

Lu Sixian nodded, bowed and said, "I will go in with the princess."

Jiashan said "OK" and told the other maids and guards to wait outside the mansion, and only took Dancui into the Fu Mansion.

It was so quiet in Fu's house that you could hear a pin drop.

When they entered the room, Song was sewing a pair of knee pads. When she saw Jiashan, she quickly put down her needle and thread and said in surprise, "Princess."

Jiashan smiled at her.

"I was just telling Lord Lu about my aunt's deft hands, but I didn't expect that my aunt and I are in sync." Jiashan seemed not to notice the worry and tension in Song's eyes. He walked up to her and quietly held her hand.

After entering the Fu Mansion, Lu Sixian calmed down. He bowed to Jiashan and whispered, "Princess, if you have anything to say, please tell Madam Fu. I will be waiting in the side room."

"Thank you for your help, Lord Lu." Jiashan didn't want Lu Sixian to be so cooperative, so he bowed to him solemnly.

As soon as Lu Sixian left, Song frowned tightly. She forcefully pried Jiashan's hand away, stared at Jiashan for a while with a complicated expression, and said softly: "The Fu family is already a place of trouble, Princess, please leave as soon as possible."

Jiashan's heart sank when he saw that his aunt's first reaction was not to care about his uncle's whereabouts.

Jiashan stared at her intently, then grabbed Song's wrist again: "Aunt knows something, right?"

Song's brows furrowed even more. She did not answer Jiashan's words, but only said, "A son of a rich family should not sit idle in the hall. The princess already has a child. Why bother to wade through this turbulent water? She should take better care of herself."

"As for the affairs of the Fu family, Princess and Yanqing please don't worry about it anymore." Song turned her head slightly and said softly.

Before coming here, Jiashan had never thought that the Song family would have such an attitude.

She stared at Song for a while, then suddenly smiled bitterly and said, "Aunt, don't you believe me?"

"If you really have something to hide, this is the best opportunity." Jiashan said, "Aunt, we are already as close as a family."

"Now that my uncle is in trouble, can Yanqing and I stay out of it?" Seeing Song pursed her lips, Jiashan added force, "When the old Marquis Yongding was in trouble, Yanqing's mother didn't give up on my uncle. We have overcome all the difficulties back then, so why should we be afraid of the small storms now?"

When Song heard Jiashan mention the old Marquis of Yongding, her eyes started to turn red. She slightly blinked her eyes, stroked her forehead with one hand, and after a moment, she finally lowered her eyelashes and said, "He sent me a letter more than a month ago."

Jiashan understood that this "he" referred to Fu Xiao, so he did not ask any questions and just listened to her quietly.

Song stood up, took the letter from the desk and gave it to Jiashan to read.

Written on the letter was a simple poem, which was Lu You’s last work, “To My Sons.”

"'After death, I know that everything is empty, but I am sad that I cannot see the whole country united. When the king's army conquers the Central Plains in the north, don't forget to tell your father during the family sacrifice.'" Jiashan recited it slowly, and then she looked up at Song and wondered, "More than a month ago, the border was peaceful, why would my uncle send me "To My Son"?"

Song stared at the words on the letter and said calmly, "This is an agreement between him and me."

Jiashan quickly straightened up and listened attentively.

"About five years ago, when the princess had just gotten engaged to Yanqing, Duke Han returned to the capital to report on his work and came to the Fu family privately." Song's eyes were dim and her tone was light and long. "In his words, he mentioned the overthrow of the Yongding Marquis' Mansion that year."

Twenty years ago, after Fu Yan was transferred from the border and escorted back to Beijing, it was the then Duke Han who took over his position. Unfortunately, later Ashina Khan invaded the border, and the old Duke Han was defeated and eventually died on the battlefield.

After Duke Han, the late emperor sent Marquis Anding to stabilize the situation. At that time, the prince of Duke Han, now Duke Han, also went with Marquis Anding.

"Han Guogong said that after he went to the northwest, he had a vague feeling that some of our generals seemed to have been communicating with the Turks."

Song's eyes fell into the void. Her throat tightened and she laughed at herself, "At that time, my father-in-law had already died, and even the descendants of the Fu family were few and far between. However, some of the old members of the Fu family stayed in the northwest and continued to follow Marquis Anding."

Song's words contained so much information that Jiashan couldn't help but frown when he heard it.

In Jiashan's mind, the incident at the Yongding Marquis' Mansion was naturally an injustice. However, if it was as Duke Han said, then it was not an injustice, but a premeditated frame-up.

Jiashan's eyes dimmed, and he turned to Song and said, "This is a serious matter. Duke Han, do you have any evidence for what he said?"

Song's expression was slightly serious: "No."

"But he said that the reason why the old Duke Han was defeated by Ashina was because someone leaked our military secrets to the Turks." Song's voice sounded particularly empty in the silent house, shocking Jiashan.

"Although there is no evidence, the man secretly met with the Turkish messenger, and it was witnessed by the old general of the old Han Guogong."

"This old general came to the Fu family with Duke Han. Your uncle and I have lived for most of our lives, and we are not deaf and dumb. We both think he has not deceived us."

Song's tone became softer, and she raised the corner of her lips sarcastically, "It's a pity that the man who leaked the secret has now transformed himself into a frontier general. He can't be easily moved."

Jiashan looked at Song in disbelief and whispered, "Yes..."

Song pursed her lips and said calmly, "Yes, he is exactly the person the princess is thinking of."

Jiashan's eyes flickered as he said softly, "I think my uncle must have discovered some clues about him after he went to the northwest, so he sent a letter home to my aunt. "To My Son" is your signal."

Song said, "Yes."

After the fall of Marquis Yongding and the death of Duke Han in battle, he became the biggest beneficiary.

A frontier official, guarding the northwest, cannot be easily moved... Who else could it be except Marquis Anding?

Jiashan's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she was slightly absent-minded.

Even though she had her doubts about Duke Han, she was willing to believe what Fu Xiao and Song said. But before, Feng Wanhua had clearly said that in the previous life, Marquis Anding also died on the battlefield fighting against the Turks. If they were really scheming against each other, how could Marquis Anding have died?

Seeing Jiashan was silent, Song said, "This matter is shocking, so it is normal that the princess does not believe it."

"I don't disbelieve it," Jiashan said with a gleam in his eyes, "I'm just thinking that if Marquis Anding is really in league with Yeli Khan, then my uncle's situation would be very dangerous right now."

"Losing my life is one of the concerns, but the most frightening thing is the possibility of becoming a captive," Jiashan said.

Song lowered her eyes, covered her face and trembled. How could she not know?

Jiashan sighed deeply, went forward and hugged Song, and said quietly: "Maybe it won't be that bad."

"Duke Han is the general of Guyuan, which is not far from the northwest. He and Marquis Anding have a grudge for murdering their father, and he came to Fu's house to warn in advance. I believe he will support my uncle in private." Jiashan said, "Now, no news is good news."

Song leaned on Jiashan's shoulder anxiously and closed her eyes silently.

After finding out the whole story, Jiashan did not stay in the Fu Mansion for long, so as to avoid making things difficult for Lu Sixian.

After returning home, she drank a few sips of warm cheese with Xuan Ge'er before she could finally put her mind at ease. The matter of Marquis Anding was a serious matter, and Zhan Yue had to come back to make a decision.

Zhan Yue returned home before dinner.

Seeing that Jiashan looked a little depressed, Zhan Yue coaxed Xuan'er to bed early after dinner, and then returned to the inner room to whisper to her.

After listening to Jiashan's retelling of Song's words, Zhan Yue looked down at her and asked softly, "You and your aunt think that the reason that Marquis Anding suddenly attacked my uncle is because my uncle discovered his secret correspondence with Turk?"

Jiashan nodded slightly.

Zhan Yue's eyes moved slightly, but he didn't say anything. He just hugged her quietly.

Based on his understanding of his uncle, he was a cautious and reserved person who believed in keeping his words to himself and shocking others. If he really wanted to take action against Marquis Anding, he should not be easily discovered by Marquis Anding.

This situation is more like a strategy of attacking the enemy from a distance... I'm afraid it's not just aimed at Fu Xiao.

Zhan Yue frowned, and thinking of this, he couldn't help but recall what Zhao Youcheng had interrupted him to say after the grand court meeting a few days ago.

Marquis Anding, Zhao Youcheng... I'm afraid these people have been mixed up and become corrupt at some point in time.

It is unknown whether Zhao You can become a great man, but Marquis Anding has a large army under his command, so we must be on guard. Zhan Yue looked solemn, thinking: It seems that I have to find an opportunity to test the king's heart.