Chapter 35 The Strong One: "Go to bed."
The room was filled with the aroma of alcohol he had brought in, which even the breeze coming in from the window couldn't dispel. Zhu Qing felt uneasy under his gaze and sat motionless on the edge of the bed, filled with anxiety.
Zhu Qing didn't know what he was doing today. If he didn't bring it up, she wouldn't bring it up either, lest she accidentally 'confess'.
However, Feng Huaihe didn't say a word, only stared at her fiercely.
Time ticked by, but Feng Huaihe remained silent. Zhu Qing dared not move, her neck stiffening until it ached. Unable to bear it any longer, she glared at him coldly and asked, "What's wrong with you?"
Feng Huaihe remained silent, his face growing increasingly grim, his hands clenching so tightly on the edge of the table that they creaked.
Zhu Qing gritted her teeth and said, "If you can't even utter a fart, then get out of here. Stop giving me that attitude..."
Before he could finish speaking, Feng Huaihe suddenly stood up.
The tall, muscular man suddenly stood up, and Zhu Qing shrank back in fright, afraid that he would rush over and control her like the head secretary, and dared not utter another sound.
Zhu Qing held her breath and watched Feng Huaihe stare at her intently. Surprisingly, he did nothing, clenched his fists, and turned to leave.
He was furious, and he slammed the door shut with a deafening roar, startling Zhu Qing once again.
Zhu Qing was furious. She ran to the window and saw Feng Huaihe already under the wishing tree. His tall figure was softened by the lantern light. Knowing he wouldn't come back, she emboldened herself and shouted at his back:
"What's the use of having a good-looking face if your temper is still horribly ugly? You're just a crazy person who does nothing but throw tantrums and threaten people. Don't even mention ten days, even if you give me a hundred days, I won't agree to any of your demands!"
The figure under the wishing tree paused, turned around, and stared at Zhu Qing with a slightly drunken face, saying, word by word, "You better remember what you said tonight."
Zhu Qing cupped his hands around his mouth like a megaphone and said loudly, "I remember it perfectly well!"
The person under the tree didn't speak again, but Zhu Qing felt that he seemed to give a cold laugh before turning and leaving.
Zhu Qing snorted inwardly, then ignored him, closed the doors and windows, and went to sleep comfortably.
-
The next day, just as dawn was breaking, a series of urgent knocks came from inside. Zhu Qing was awakened and rubbed her sleepy eyes as she went to open the door.
Seeing Tian Jiuzhu holding a book and standing neatly dressed outside the door, Zhu Qing said before she could speak, "I don't want to eat today."
After saying that, he shuffled off in his shoes, intending to go back to sleep.
Tian Jiuzhu said calmly, "Your third brother is in trouble."
"I don't want to eat anything..." Zhu Qing paused, all sleepiness gone, and turned to look at Tian Jiuzhu with wide eyes: "Who are you talking about?"
“Your third brother, Zhu Feichuan,” Tian Jiuzhu said calmly, befitting her ambitious nature, “he hoarded too much grain and became too ostentatious, which led to him being targeted and arrested. They demanded that he sell most of it to them at a price far below market value, but he refused and was arrested.”
Zhu Qing: "How did you know?"
Tian Jiuzhu: "Those people came to our door. They heard that the money he used to hoard grain was given to him by you. They want you to make the decision, since they don't want things to get too ugly."
Zhu Qing hurriedly grabbed the clothes from the rack and put them on. "Where is he? I'm going right now. His life is more important than stockpiled food or money!"
The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period was so chaotic that Zhu Qingzhen was afraid that if those people got angry, they would cripple or kill Zhu Feichuan like in the TV series.
Tian Jiuzhu said calmly, "They said that if you want to redeem the person, the person is in Xihuatang."
Without giving Zhu Qing a chance to react, Tian Jiuzhu continued, "Think it over carefully. I have to go to my shift. I'll be back at noon."
After saying this, Tian Jiuzhu took the scroll and left.
Zhu Qing was left standing there, bewildered.
What does it mean that someone is in the Washing Flower Hall? It was obvious that Zhu Qing understood immediately; this was Feng Huaihe's tactic.
She suddenly remembered what happened last night. He was reeking of alcohol, his face was sullen, and he wouldn't say a word. She didn't know what was wrong with him, but her attitude must have angered him...
Zhu Qing scratched her hair in frustration, suddenly realizing why netizens were saying not to make decisions at night, as one's mind isn't clear, and that she had actually argued with that crazy Feng.
Zhu Qing didn't have time to scold Feng Huaihe for suppressing and coercing people. After quickly washing up and taking her medicine, she rushed to Feng's residence.
The Feng family is currently holding a funeral. The Feng family, a century-old merchant family, is truly a force to be reckoned with. Even at a funeral, their gates are bustling with activity, with rows of luxurious carriages parked outside, creating a busy and crowded scene.
Zhu Qing blended in inconspicuously, whether because she was too busy to be noticed or because she had been instructed in advance, no one stopped her, and she went straight into the Feng residence.
The large courtyard was bustling with people, many of whom came to pay their respects. Everyone there was dressed in fine clothes and had an elegant demeanor.
However, among the group of people who were already outstanding in appearance, Zhu Qing spotted Feng Huaihe at a glance. He was the most conspicuous, dressed in a light-colored mourning outfit, blending into the crowd to greet the guests, like a cold moon shadow in the sky, out of place with the mundane things around him.
The man closest to Feng Huaihe asked, "Why haven't I seen your father today?"
Feng Huaihe said calmly, "My father has gone on a business trip."
"What a pity! He and your mother were once the talk of the town in Chang'an. Everyone said he was the most devoted lover in Chang'an. Unfortunately, your mother passed away suddenly, and he was unable to see her one last time."
Upon hearing this, Feng Huaihe gave a mocking smile and said indifferently, "Perhaps."
Zhu Qing had known for a long time that Feng Huaihe was a ruthless person, but she didn't expect him to be this ruthless.
Zhu Qing had witnessed the tragic state of his father Feng Ruling after his death, and the image was still vivid in his mind. Yet, he could lie to others without batting an eye and even laugh so mockingly.
She was a little afraid of people who didn't show their emotions on their faces, people who were too shrewd, and she hesitated for a moment, but then she saw him looking over.
His cold gaze pierced through the crowd and landed directly on her. She froze, wanting to rush up and ask about her third brother, but he had already turned and headed towards the mourning hall.
Zhu Qing hurriedly pushed through the chaotic crowd to catch up.
Upon arriving at the mourning hall, Zhu Qing saw Feng Huaihe kneeling on a prayer mat. She tried to go in, but two servants stopped her, saying, "Who are you? Guests of condolence, please go to the outer hall. The mourning hall is only for members of the clan."
Zhu Qing pointed to Feng Huaihe kneeling in front of the coffin, "I'm looking for him."
The servant glanced in the direction she pointed and said, "We'll pass on the message for you. Go to the outer hall first. The mourning ceremony is about to begin. Non-family members should leave immediately."
Zhu Qing looked at the kneeling figure. They weren't far apart, and he could definitely hear her speaking, but he didn't move or even turn around to look at her.
Zhu Qing clenched his fists in anger. It wasn't even midnight yet, how could the spirit be being summoned?
Feng Huaihe had clearly conspired with the servants to lie through their teeth, deliberately keeping her waiting, making her anxious and uneasy, and forcing her to make a choice as soon as possible.
She wanted to make a scene in the funeral hall, but her upbringing made her hold back.
"Young lady, let's go," the servant gestured to Zhu Qing.
Zhu Qing could only leave with the others.
The servant led her to the inner courtyard, to a secluded waterside pavilion. He also instructed the maids to bring some fruits and tea before saying to Zhu Qing, "Most of the mourning guests are in the front courtyard. Please wait here for a moment, young lady. I will go and inform the young master that I will come to see you soon."
After saying that, the person left in a hurry.
Zhu Qing sat in the waterside pavilion and waited and waited, until the sun set in the west, but Feng Huaihe did not come.
The waterside pavilion was beautiful and secluded, with lovely flowers, trees, and birdsong, but Zhu Qing had no heart to appreciate it and was getting increasingly anxious.
She also said that once Zhu Zhengyang returns today, she will pretend to be sick to gather everyone together, and then take advantage of Feng Huaihe being busy with the funeral arrangements to run away quickly!
Little did they know that Feng Huaihe would suddenly pull such a stunt.
They clearly agreed on a ten-day period, but less than three days have passed. Why are they suddenly pressuring her like this?
When the sun had already set, Zhu Qing couldn't wait any longer and hurriedly went outside.
Many of the mourning guests had left, leaving a large crowd of Feng clan members in the mourning hall. Feng Huaihe stood in the center, coldly giving instructions on the timing of the funeral procession and burial.
After the assignments were completed, Feng Huaihe slowly walked out. Upon seeing Zhu Qing, he frowned as if surprised and asked in surprise, "What are you doing here?"
"...Is this interesting?" Zhu Qing had been waiting all day, trying hard to suppress her temper: "What exactly do you want? Where is Zhu Feichuan?"
Feng Huaihe rubbed his forehead in bewilderment: "Didn't he go off to trade and stockpile grain? Why is he here demanding people from me?"
"You..." Zhu Qing's shrill voice rose, but seeing the prying eyes of those around her, she quickly lowered her voice and said, "Can you stop pretending? Didn't you ask Tian Jiuzhu to come and tell me?"
"say what?"
After Feng Huaihe finished speaking, he exclaimed as if he had just realized something, and said apologetically, "You mean that matter? Have you thought it over? If you have, I'll go back to Xihua Hall tonight. If not, think about it some more. I have other things to do, so I won't keep you company any longer. You should go back to Xihua Hall obediently. Who knows, Zhu Feichuan might be back tonight, right?"
His gentle tone revealed no hint of coercion.
Someone came to ask him to arrange the time for the Buddhist monks to perform the ritual for the deceased. Feng Huaihe didn't look at Zhu Qing again and walked past her towards the courtyard of the ancestral hall.
Zhu Qing was about to follow when she heard someone call her. She turned around and saw that it was Tian Jiuzhu.
Tian Jiuzhu stepped forward and said, "I'm off duty, I've come to pick you up."
Zhu Qing stared intently at Feng Huaihe, and seeing that his figure had already turned around and disappeared into the corridor, she anxiously tried to follow him: "I'm not in a hurry to go back."
Tian Jiuzhu grabbed her sleeve and pulled her back. "Zhang Yin changed his mind and went to Jinyang instead of Shandong. The secretary is very angry and he won't see you now. There's no use staying here. You might as well go back and think of a solution."
Zhu Qing suddenly realized.
So that's why, whether in this life or the previous one, Zhang Yin was his Achilles' heel.
She should have realized it sooner, but she still clung to a sliver of hope, thinking that he was doing it for something else. As long as he didn't bring it up, she wouldn't confess.
However, since he has managed to climb to this point, he must have the ability to force her to speak.
Zhu Qing rubbed her forehead in frustration, "He told you the solution, didn't he?"
Tian Jiuzhu paused slightly: "What do you mean?"
"He told you what he wants me to do to see me, didn't he?" Zhu Qing stared sharply at Tian Jiuzhu. "You've been the one who led me here from the beginning. Why don't you just tell me what he wants from me to release the person?"
Tian Jiuzhu didn't beat around the bush, "The secretary only said, 'You know what he wants.'"
Seeing Zhu Qing's anxious and distraught appearance, Tian Jiuzhu thought for a moment and then coldly reminded him, "Go back to Xihua Hall and think about it first. Staying here won't do anything. He won't make a move so quickly. Because this is his only bargaining chip."
Zhu Qing asked in confusion, "Do you know what he's trying to do?"
"What men want is nothing more than that, how hard is it to guess?" Tian Jiuzhu said coldly, and then advised, "Either you agree to him, or go back to Xihuatang and think of another way. What's the use of staying here?"
Zhu Qing was stunned for a moment, but was persuaded by her.
Tian Jiuzhu's thinking is indeed focused on efficiency.
Zhu Qing was thus persuaded and brought back to Xihuatang.
Sitting in the room, the table was full of food. Nie Zhen and Manman sat next to her. Noticing that she was in a bad mood, they didn't say much, but just kept putting food on her plate.
Zhu Qing looked at them, then remembered something and asked, "Hasn't Big Brother finished his shift yet? Wasn't he supposed to be back today?"
Zhu Zhengyang now lives in a dormitory in the Shence Army and can only come back once every now and then.
Nie Zhen said, "Someone came to say that there are other matters to attend to in the army, so he won't be coming this time." Her tone was somewhat downcast. She hadn't seen her husband for several days. Since their marriage, she had never been separated from Zhu Zhengyang for more than three days.
Zhu Qing had a bad feeling.
Could it be that Feng Huaihe, seeing her dawdling, lost patience and even made a move on Zhu Zhengyang?
Zhu Qing was filled with anxiety and unease.
After dinner, unable to fall asleep, Zhu Qing had a feeling that something was about to happen. Sure enough, as soon as the clapper sounded at midnight, there was a knock on the door.
Almost at the same time as the knocking, Zhu Qing suddenly got up from the low couch to open the door. Tian Jiuzhu stood outside and said, "Your elder brother has been assigned to escort Emperor Xizong of Tang to Xingyuan."
Zhu Qing's head buzzed.
When Huang Chao attacked Chang'an, Tian Lingzi would have taken Emperor Xizong of Tang to Xingyuan. The journey was fraught with danger. If Zhu Zhengyang had been assigned to participate in the escort, who knows what might have happened?
Before she could recover, Tian Jiuzhu continued, "Someone went to propose marriage to Zhuo Yunmeng today, and the head secretary agreed. The Zhuo family has practically sold her to the head secretary, and he has decided her marriage."
Zhu Qing's chest heaved with anger. "He really leaves no room for maneuver at all!"
She still remembered the tragic ending of her second brother, Zhu Yubo, and Zhuo Yunmeng in her previous life. Feng Huaihe helped them, but it seemed like he was tearing them apart.
"Qingqing," Nie Zhen's voice sounded from outside. Zhu Qing looked up, and Nie Zhen walked in with a pale face, asking in a low voice, flustered, "What kind of place is Xingyuan? How long will your older brother be gone?"
She was just an ordinary farm woman who knew nothing.
She idolizes Zhu Qing; with her husband gone, she can only rely on Zhu Qing as her pillar of support.
Nie Zhen carefully explained, "I just got up in the middle of the night and overheard it by accident. I didn't mean to listen to you talking."
Seeing Nie Zhen's frightened expression, Zhu Qing felt sorry for her and took her hand, patting it gently to comfort her: "You won't be gone for long. Xingyuan is right next to Chang'an. He'll be back soon. You go and take Manman to rest."
"Really?" Nie Zhen asked, her eyes filled with a mixture of doubt, expectation, and worry.
"When have I ever lied to my sister-in-law?" Zhu Qing forced a smile.
Nie Zhen didn't know what else to say, so she asked instead, "Before he leaves, can he go home for a visit?"
"They will definitely come to say goodbye, don't worry."
Nie Zhen hummed in agreement, told Zhu Qing to go to bed early, and then slowly left.
Zhu Qing watched her retreating figure; her steps were clearly trembling, showing that she was still worried.
In this world, women always look to their husbands as their pillars of support, and Zhu Zhengyang is probably more important than anything else in Nie Zhen's heart.
Zhu Qing slumped wearily on the round stool, utterly dejected.
Why was Feng Huaihe so determined to pressure her? It was just Zhang Yin; she simply felt that the grudges from their past lives shouldn't involve the nineteen-year-old Zhang Yin.
At this moment, Tian Jiuzhu said, "You should make a decision quickly. The chief secretary has never been patient."
She still spoke coldly and indifferently, like an emotionless machine.
Zhu Qing remained silent.
Tian Jiuzhu could tell that she was unwilling to compromise, so she lifted her skirt and sat down beside her, looking at her earnestly and saying, "I know you all think I'm cold-hearted. But I just feel that in today's world, all you need to do is strive for survival, and nothing else matters."
"If you really don't want to choose, then do what I do: wash your hands of it, go it alone, and let others do what they want. That way, the Secretary-General won't be able to threaten you."
Zhu Qing sighed, "But how could that be?" These were all family members she had worked so hard to gain.
She used to worry that they would still treat her well if they knew she wasn't the real Zhu Qing. Now that she remembered her past life and knew she was Zhu Qing, she no longer had those concerns and wanted to treat them even better.
Having come to this point, how could one easily say they would abandon everything?
Tian Jiuzhu said, "Since you want to manage it, what you want most is for your family to be safe and stable, without the suffering of displacement and separation. These management books can give you that."
“What he wants is you. As long as you don’t harm the public good or violate public morals, what’s wrong with following the chief secretary? It’s not pathetic for the weak to admire the strong. He can protect your whole family and doesn’t philander, even if his methods aren’t quite right. What’s pathetic is that he’s clearly the weak but he’s unwilling to accept it and compromise.”
As Zhu Qing listened, she felt as if she were being violently struck by another concept.
She finally understood why Feng Huaihe had kept Tian Jiuzhu by his side.
With a clear goal, a calm mind, and a detached attitude, he prioritized efficiency over emotion and saw right through Zhu Qing's dilemma.
Zhu Qing was still somewhat unwilling.
She felt that such things were only meaningful when done with a lover; otherwise, how could it be called love?
Thinking about sex, Zhu Qing suddenly remembered that the ancients valued filial piety the most. Now that Feng Huaihe's mother had just passed away, he had to observe three years of mourning. During these three years, he could not have sex with her.
But then I thought, Feng Huaihe even killed his own father, why would he care about these things?
Zhu Qing was torn between two conflicting thoughts. In the end, she decided to agree to his request first, keep him calm, and persuade him to observe the mourning period. Since he liked her, he would definitely respect her decision, right?
As long as it doesn't go to the last step, she can grit her teeth and accept any kissing and touching, just like being ravished by a handsome pig.
Then, during his mourning period, he fled with his family as originally planned.
This would be a perfect plan!
Zhu Qing perked up and said to Tian Jiuzhu, "Okay, tell him I agree!"
Tian Jiuzhu went out and instructed someone to deliver a message.
Zhu Qing waited at the Washing Flower Hall for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before Feng Huaihe finally arrived leisurely.
He changed out of his mourning clothes and put on a moon-white robe. Perhaps feeling guilty for killing his father, he wore a string of Buddhist prayer beads on his wrist.
When Zhu Qing saw the string of Buddhist beads, he thought that Feng Ruling's death was not unjust.
He killed so many daughters; he deserved it. Perhaps Feng Huaihe was avenging his elder sister who raised him.
"What are you thinking about?" Feng Huaihe walked up to her, extended his slightly cool fingers, lifted her face, and smiled in a way that was almost imperceptible: "Go to bed."
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