Chapter 26 Discussing the First Publication on Jinjiang
There's no smoke without fire. If even a scholar like Fu Zechen, who's just sitting at home waiting for news, knows about this, then the rumor has probably spread all over the capital.
Fu Mingzi couldn't help but feel a toothache. It seemed that the person behind the scenes really hated this examiner. Such hurtful words were truly deadly.
"To be so cruelly treated, Li Congwen is truly pitiful." The old man was a military officer, and he never held back his words.
Fu Mingsong gave a wry smile, not daring to say anything to his father, and only said in a low voice, "I did say a few words to him, but he seemed to be just a bookworm who only knew how to read books. I didn't expect him to become the center of the storm this time."
“Bookworm.” The old man sneered. “If Li Congwen were truly a bookworm, how could he have risked his life to become the chief examiner among so many talented people? He’s just a man of few words. I’ve done a little research on his little affair with Lu Ding. He may seem reckless, but he’s actually quite sensible. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have survived until now after offending that old scoundrel Lu Ding.”
"You found out about his relationship with Minister Lu?" Fu Mingsong asked, somewhat surprised.
Lu Ding, the Minister of Revenue, is the father of Consort De and the maternal grandfather of the Second Prince, Prince Yan. He is known for his shrewdness and vindictiveness, making him the most untouchable person in the court. Although Li Congwen is from the same hometown as him, it seems that he has offended him before. After learning this news from Zhou Xiaoyan, Fu Mingzi told the old man, and to her surprise, the old man found out the problem so quickly.
"What's so difficult about that?" The old man said with a hint of smugness, "Lu Ding can hide things from others, but he can't hide them from me. It's fine if we don't expose these things, but if we really investigate carefully, how can those clues escape my eyes? Back then, his marriage was snatched from Li Congwen. Because of this, the two of them broke off their friendship. If he hadn't given birth to a good daughter later, it's hard to say who would be superior between him and Li Congwen now."
The old man's words were somewhat biased. Although Lu Ding had countless flaws, he was indeed a capable man. He had reached this point not simply because he had raised a good daughter.
Fu Mingsong frowned slightly upon hearing this: "Lord Lu is about ten years older than Lord Li, and this lady is also his second wife. Could it be..."
The old man sneered, "It's just as you think. Lu Ding had just been promoted in the Hanlin Academy when his wife died. Li Congwen happened to pass the imperial examination that same year and entered the Hanlin Academy. One day, he happened to be out with his fiancée when he ran into that old scoundrel Lu Ding. He saw that the girl was beautiful and young and became interested in her. The girl's family, who were also power-hungry, agreed to Lu Ding's proposal, broke off their engagement with Li Congwen, and betrothed their daughter to Lu Ding. Later, that second wife entered the Lu family, and I've heard she didn't have a good reputation..."
Speaking of this, the old man sighed with emotion: "Li Congwen was a man of courage and integrity. He couldn't bear the hatred of having his wife stolen. According to the old servants that the Lu family released back then, Li Congwen went to Lu Ding's house to demand an explanation. However, he didn't get an explanation and was beaten up. He also severed ties with Lu Ding. Later, he even became irreconcilable enemies with Lu Ding in the court. At that time, Lu Ding tried his best to suppress the rumors that were unfavorable to him. In the end, he had no choice but to ask for a transfer to a post outside the capital with resentment. Because of this, Lu Ding hated Li Congwen to the core, feeling that he had cut off his path to success."
Fu Mingzi sat to the side, listening to the old story as if it were a storyteller, finding it quite interesting. At the end, she even tapped her palm: "According to you, if it weren't for Li Congwen, Lord Lu would very likely have entered the cabinet and become a close minister of the emperor, instead of being in this awkward, limbo position he is in now."
The old man nodded: "Lu Ding is very ambitious. Li Congwen has ruined his official career, and he will never let Li Congwen get away with it. But the fact that Li Congwen can still stay in the Hanlin Academy means that someone is protecting him."
“If that’s the case, then this rumor was probably spread by the Second Prince. It’s a good thing that my elder brother said before that Li Congwen was one of the Second Prince’s people,” Fu Mingzi said with a smile.
Fu Mingsong shook his head: "You can't say that. Although Li Congwen has such a past with Lu Ding, he has a good relationship with the Second Prince. Now is such a sensitive time. Maybe they have already made peace. This is just a smokescreen. After all, the merit of supporting the emperor is also a path to heaven. Since Lu Ding is so eager for fame and fortune, he must have made a choice."
“Your elder brother is right.” The old man nodded, then glared at Fu Mingzi: “You should stop showing off. Although this matter has nothing to do with our manor, Ze Chen is involved. We must be careful that these people do not plot against us. Ze Chen, go back and give your people a warning. Don’t let them mess things up at this critical moment. You should stay home and study for the next few days. Don’t worry about anything else. I think the palace examination will probably be postponed.”
"Grandson understands." Fu Zechen stood up to accept the order.
Fu Mingsong sighed. If he could, he wouldn't want his son to get involved in this matter. But now that Fu Zechen was almost thirty, some things couldn't be delayed any longer. He couldn't put it off any longer, otherwise it would be even more troublesome in the future. However, if they could get through this hurdle, things would be easier to handle later.
“Father, what about these past few days, your son…” Fu Mingsong looked up at his father-in-law, his expression probing.
"One cannot be a father-in-law without being deaf and dumb." The old man sneered, "The fiercer these people fight, the happier our Emperor will be. Now you're just a gourd with its mouth sawed off, watching them put on their monkey show."
The old man is getting old and has long since submitted a petition to retire. He is just waiting for the emperor's approval so that the title of Duke of Jingguo will be completely handed over to Fu Mingsong. Therefore, he has rarely attended court for the past month or so. Fu Mingsong has been handling all the major and minor affairs of the Fu family. Hence, this instruction was given.
Fu Mingsong had the same idea, so he wasn't surprised and calmly nodded.
Fu Mingzi watched with amusement. None of the Fu family members were stupid; they were all as clever as monkeys. He had anticipated this way of handling things without getting involved in either aspect, but he also understood one thing.
The situation is unclear now, and the Fu family can indeed play dumb and remain neutral. However, once things come to a head, they can no longer play both sides. If they try to please both sides at that point, they will end up pleasing neither side.
Thinking of this, Fu Mingzi lowered his head and twirled the jade pendant hanging from the end of his folding fan. If he could think of this, there was no reason why his father and elder brother couldn't. Their solution was to win over official families like the Yang family and strengthen their own power. In that case, these people would not dare to underestimate the Fu family or offend them, thus preserving the Fu family's foundation.
However, Fu Mingzi felt that this plan was not foolproof. The emperor was most wary of forming cliques and engaging in corrupt practices. The Fu family was now trying to win over civil officials in order to protect their family business. But when the next emperor came to power, he might also be wary of the Fu family. At that time, they might be in a difficult situation.
Fu Mingzi flicked his wrist, sending the pendant flying, a glint in his eyes.
After the old man finished assigning tasks to his eldest son and grandson, his eyes finally turned to Fu Mingzi.
"You're an adult now. Of your older brothers, only your eldest and second eldest are capable. You can't count on the others. But now that you've become the Fifth Prince's study companion, you have a future. Just serve him obediently from now on and don't meddle in anything else."
Fu Mingzi couldn't help but chuckle, her smiling peach blossom eyes looking at the old man with a hidden meaning, and the old man subconsciously raised his eyebrows.
"Sir, please rest assured." He said sincerely.
The old man lowered his eyes, tapped the table with his fingertips, and gave a light "hmm".
Fu Zechen glanced at Fu Mingzi sideways, his expression complex.
The people in the room had different thoughts, and some things couldn't be discussed further. In the end, Fu Mingsong said calmly, "You should all go back first and get some rest."
Fu Mingzi and Fu Zechen got up to take their leave and left the study together.
As soon as he stepped outside, Fu Mingzi reverted to his previous lazy demeanor, twirling the palace sash tied around his waist with one hand and fanning himself with a folding fan in the other. His unrestrained and dashing appearance made it seem as if he was about to harass a commoner at any moment.
"Fifth Uncle, what do you think of Grandfather's opinion?" Fu Zechen and the others walked quite a distance from the study before tentatively asking, their eyes fixed on Fu Mingzi's face.
Fu Mingzi chuckled: "I think it's good. I thought the master was getting senile, but now it seems he's still as sharp as ever, with two plans in place, which shows he's thought things through a lot."
Fu Mingzi understood the old man's meaning perfectly. On one hand, he wanted to win over the Yang family and strive to ensure that the Fu family was in an invincible position. On the other hand, he wanted Fu Mingzi to serve the Fifth Prince well and keep this cold stove in place, so that she might be able to take advantage of the situation if the princes fought fiercely in the future.
In this situation, having both the best and the middle options is already a rare feat.
However, Fu Zechen clearly did not think so: "But has Fifth Uncle considered that things may not be as easy as we imagine? Now that we have so easily tied you to the Fifth Prince's ship, it may not be easy for you to get off in the future."
Upon hearing this, Fu Mingzi's smile vanished instantly, and he turned to look at Fu Zechen.
"I used to think you were clever, but now you're saying such stupid things."
Fu Zechen looked surprised and somewhat at a loss for words: "What do you mean by that, Fifth Uncle?"
Fu Mingzi walked step by step to Fu Zechen, staring intently into his eyes, his tone more serious than ever before: "I am merely the fifth son of the Fu family. It doesn't matter who I'm on the same boat with, because even if my boat sinks, it won't affect the Fu family's century-old foundation. The most important branch of the Fu family is yours, the branch that inherits the title. As long as your branch stands, the Fu family will not fall. You are the eldest grandson of the Fu family's eldest branch. I hope that in the future you will consider the future of the entire Fu family, not the future of any one person. You'd better keep this in mind!"
Fu Zechen looked at Fu Mingzi in shock, seemingly never expecting that someone as unrestrained as his fifth uncle would say such a thing.
Does not inheriting the title mean one can only serve as a support and stepping stone for the branch that inherits it? Is Fifth Uncle really willing to do that?
He had always thought that his fifth uncle's indulgence was a waste of his talent, but now he realized that his indulgence was actually a sign that he had long seen through his fate and accepted it, which was why he had no desire for a future or fame.
Thinking of this, Fu Zechen felt a pang of sadness in his heart, and he couldn't bring himself to say some of the things he wanted to say.
After saying this, Fu Mingzi took a step back, his face returning to its previous frivolous expression. He lightly shook his folding fan and smiled, "Nephew, you should carefully consider the meaning behind this, otherwise your father and master will probably be crying in the future." With that, he turned and left.
Fu Zechen stood there, watching Fu Mingzi walk away, his expression growing increasingly serious.
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