Chapter 95 Escape from Jinjiang (first published)
"What, are you going back already?" Fu Mingzi feigned surprise. "I thought we'd have to wait until Third Sister-in-law was fully recovered before leaving. Didn't Third Sister-in-law call a doctor again yesterday?"
He didn't hear this from someone else; rather, he overheard a servant mentioning it "inadvertently" on his way here. As for how unintentional it was that it just happened to be mentioned on his way here, that was beyond Fu Mingzi's control.
Fu Mingfeng smiled wryly: "Your third sister-in-law is always like this. She always has some headaches and fevers when the seasons change. It's not a big deal, but you can't let it interfere with your work."
Fu Mingzi's heart skipped a beat, and she vaguely sensed Fu Mingfeng's meaning. She smiled and said, "It doesn't matter. These past few days, the Fifth Prince has been rewarding the troops at the Yuntai Camp. Even if I go back now, I'm afraid there won't be much for me to do. The key is to see what Ze Fan thinks." After saying that, Fu Mingzi looked at Fu Ze Fan.
Fu Zefan was taken aback when the topic turned to him. He felt flustered and his face turned bright red. He looked at Fu Mingfeng for help and said, "I... I've followed Father's orders in everything."
Fu Mingfeng laughed loudly upon seeing this: "If that's the case, then let's stay a few more days. The weather has been getting a bit cold these past few days, so it's definitely not a good time to set off."
Fu Mingzi nodded with a smile, "Then I'll listen to Third Brother."
Was Fu Mingfeng testing him with these words? Fu Mingzi was unsure, but he was reluctant to accept the offer and leave with Fu Zefan. He wanted to see Fu Mingfeng's true intentions, after all, he had genuinely respected him as his third brother for many years.
Fu Mingzi's eyes were filled with a mixture of light and shadow, and she couldn't quite describe the feeling in her heart.
After finishing breakfast, Fu Mingzi intended to return to her own courtyard, but as soon as she stepped out, Fu Zefan called her back.
"Fifth Uncle." Fu Zefan chased after him, his face still flushed.
Fu Mingzi raised an eyebrow and stopped in her tracks: "Is there something you need?"
Fu Zefan pursed his lips: "You've really gone to a lot of trouble for me this time. If you have anything else to do, you can leave earlier. I can go back to the capital by myself."
Fu Mingzi couldn't help but laugh when she heard this: "You silly child, what nonsense are you talking about? No matter how busy your fifth uncle is, he will not abandon you and let you return to Beijing alone. Don't say such childish things. Waiting a few more days won't delay anything."
Upon hearing this, Fu Zefan breathed a sigh of relief, but his face still showed gratitude: "Thank you for your understanding, Fifth Uncle."
Fu Mingzi smiled and waved her hand: "Let's go back. I was thinking of going to the horse farm outside the city with Uncle Fu today. Do you want to come along?"
Fu Zefan was taken aback, then shook his head: "I have to accompany my mother to see a doctor today, so I'm afraid I won't be able to accompany Fifth Uncle."
Fu Mingzi nodded: "Alright, I know you're a filial son. If the horse farm has any good horses, I'll definitely save one for you."
Fu Zefan smiled and nodded.
Watching Fu Zefan turn and leave, Fu Mingzi's face darkened completely. He quickly turned around and walked towards his courtyard. As soon as he entered, he saw Uncle Fu coming out. Uncle Fu greeted him with a smile, "Fifth Master, where would you like to go today? Third Master instructed me to show you around today."
Fu Mingzi suppressed the heaviness in her heart and smiled, "Of course, we'll go to the horse farm."
Uncle Fu nodded, not too surprised, after all, this was an itinerary that had been booked yesterday.
The two men led their horses and left the Fu residence one after the other.
Fu Zefan stood behind Fu Mingfeng, watching Fu Mingzi leave from the side. Fu Zefan was a little worried: "Father, why don't you let me go with Fifth Uncle? What will we do if he really leaves?"
Fu Mingfeng sneered: "I know Fifth Brother's personality very well. He won't move if you try to lead him, and he'll only back down if you push him. If I urge him to leave, he won't leave. And if he really wants to leave, you'll only become his hostage if you follow him, which is not worth it."
Fu Zefan's face turned bright red upon hearing this: "It is my incompetence."
Fu Mingfeng waved his hand: "It's not that you're incompetent, it's just that your fifth uncle is no ordinary person. Of all the brothers in the family, only the second brother and he have some skills in martial arts."
“But…” Fu Zefan hesitated for a moment before finally asking, “But why did you suddenly test Fifth Uncle? Did you discover something wrong?”
Fu Mingfeng frowned: "It's precisely because there are no problems and everything is going smoothly that I feel uneasy. This test is also an opportunity. If Lao Wu leaves, it means our plan has been leaked. If he doesn't leave, then he won't be able to leave either."
Fu Zefan bit his lip. He was still just a boy, and such a cruel blood feud was still hard for him to accept.
"Fifth Uncle has always been very good to me, so why can't..." Fu Zefan whispered.
"Womanly compassion!" Fu Mingfeng rebuked, then looked coldly at Fu Zefan: "I think I made a mistake in placing you in the Fu family. You haven't learned any of the Fu family's skills, but you've learned all these useless weaknesses."
Fu Zefan gritted his teeth, lowered his head, and his face was burning hot.
Seeing his reaction, Fu Mingfeng softened his voice and said, "Alright, you're still young and don't understand the intricacies of this. You'll understand once you've studied with me for a few years."
Fu Zefan nodded, daring not to raise any further objections.
**
Fu Mingzi followed Uncle Fu out the door and headed towards the North Gate. When they were halfway there, Fu Mingzi suddenly said, "Uncle Fu, I remember your son is about the same age as me. We used to play together when we were little. Why don't we invite him out today and go for a walk at the horse farm together?"
Uncle Fu was somewhat reluctant, because the county examination was approaching and his son was very busy with his studies. However, considering that Fifth Master had come all this time, he didn't want to spoil his mood, so he nodded and said, "Alright, this kid hasn't been out and about for a long time. He's always buried in his studies and I'm afraid he's getting really bored."
After saying that, the two turned and headed towards the county school.
When I arrived, I happened to meet Uncle Fu's son, Cheng Ge'er, who was out buying breakfast. Cheng Ge'er was in his early twenties and looked very energetic, with thick eyebrows and big eyes. He was wearing a scholar's robe, which looked a bit out of place, but perhaps because he had been studying for a long time, one could still see a bit of his scholarly air about him.
"Why is Fifth Master here?" He looked at Fu Mingzi with surprise.
Fu Mingzi smiled and said, "I have some free time today and I'm going to the horse farm in the suburbs. Why don't you come along?"
Cheng Ge'er hesitated for a moment: "This..."
Fu Bo was quick-witted and hurriedly said, "Hurry up and thank Fifth Master."
Cheng Ge'er glanced at his father, who glared at him. He swallowed the words he was about to say, bowed his head, and thanked Fu Mingzi.
After leaving the county school, they went to the horse shop to buy a good horse for Cheng Ge'er, and then the three of them headed to the outskirts of the city.
Cheng Ge'er, riding his newly bought horse, felt a little embarrassed: "How could I let Fifth Master buy a horse for me?"
Fu Mingzi smiled and said, "Brother Cheng will be a scholar in the future, so consider this horse as my early congratulations on your success in the county examination."
Cheng Ge'er became even more embarrassed: "My studies are not good, and I don't even know if I can pass the exam."
Fu Mingzi, however, seemed quite confident: "With Cheng-ge'er being so diligent, I think he will definitely pass the exam."
Hearing these kind words, Cheng Ge'er, despite feeling uneasy, put on a smile and was no longer awkward. He happily followed Fu Mingzi out of the gate of Qinghe County.
Once outside the city gate, Fu Mingzi suddenly sped up, rushing along the official road.
Uncle Fu and Brother Cheng, unaware of what was going on, also sped up, thinking that Fu Mingzi had suddenly become interested in horseback riding.
However, Fu Mingzi had been traveling non-stop and had already missed the road to the horse farm. Uncle Fu hurriedly said, "Fifth Master, which road do we need to take to get to the horse farm?"
Fu Mingzi pursed her lips and remained silent, continuing to run her horse in silence.
Just then, several horses suddenly came out from the side, each carrying a guard dressed in black.
Fu Mingzi's expression remained unchanged, but Uncle Fu was startled. The clothes these people were wearing were unfamiliar to others, but he himself was very familiar with them. Weren't they the guard uniforms he often wore before leaving the old man's side? Why were these people in Qinghe?
"Fifth Master, what exactly is going on?" Uncle Fu was in a state of utter confusion and couldn't help but shout.
Fu Mingzi turned his head to look at Uncle Fu. At this moment, there was no trace of the smile on his face, and he looked very cold: "Uncle Fu, you have served by Third Brother's side for so many years, haven't you noticed anything wrong?"
Uncle Fu felt a chill in his heart; his previous unease seemed to be confirmed at this moment.
Uncle Fu's son, Cheng Ge'er, looked even more panicked and hurriedly asked, "Fifth Master, what exactly do you mean?"
Fu Mingzi didn't speak, only saying, "Don't ask so many questions. Come back to the Duke's Mansion with me immediately. Once we get back, everything will be clear."
These words were rather harsh, and Cheng Ge'er immediately dared not reply, only looking at his old father with his eyes.
Uncle Fu frowned, his face unusually cold: "Fine, this old man will trust Fifth Master this once."
Upon hearing this, Fu Mingzi finally relaxed and a slight smile appeared on her face: "Uncle Fu, I assure you, you will not regret your decision today."
Uncle Fu did not reply.
At this moment, Fu Mingzi also looked at the guards who had spoken to her earlier: "Did you give yourselves away? The three of you actually tested me like this today."
As soon as Fu Mingfeng said those words today, Fu Mingzi immediately sensed something was wrong. He subtly hinted that Fu Mingfeng couldn't leave yet, while simultaneously feigning concern for him and trying to entice him to leave.
Given Fu Mingzi's past temper, he would never have left so easily. In fact, the more Fu Mingfeng urged him to leave, the less likely he was to leave.
However, Fu Mingzi at this time was not the Fu Mingzi of the past. He had long been wary of Fu Mingfeng. Therefore, Fu Mingfeng's probing made him realize the danger. So he didn't even have time to instruct the guards before he hurriedly pulled Uncle Fu and Uncle Fu's son away from Qinghe.
While finding out the truth was important, it was far less important than her own life—something Fu Mingzi had long been certain of.
The guard also looked troubled. He had heard that Fu Mingzi was coming to the horse farm today, so he and a few brothers came to the outskirts of the city early to wait. However, after waiting for a long time, although Fu Mingzi arrived, he had no intention of going to the horse farm. Instead, he rushed towards the capital.
He immediately sensed something was wrong, so he stopped hiding and hurriedly came out to meet him.
"We shouldn't have given ourselves away. We've already apprehended the wealthy man who provided us with the information, and the person who sent the message to the capital last night has also left. From beginning to end, we haven't dared to alert anyone at all," the guard replied immediately. He certainly wouldn't lie about this matter.
Fu Mingzi frowned, and after a long while, he seemed to have figured something out, and his expression softened: "Perhaps it was precisely because things were going too smoothly and peacefully that Third Brother became wary."
Come to think of it, Fu Mingfeng and Fu Mingsong have been fighting for many years. How could he not know Fu Mingsong's methods? This time, Fu Zefan's sudden departure from the capital might not have affected others, but how could someone as vigilant as Fu Mingsong not have any thoughts? Yet everything went so smoothly, so smoothly that it was unbelievable. How could Fu Mingfeng not be suspicious?
Fu Mingzi understood this, but her heart couldn't help but sink.
Things have gotten a bit complicated.
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