Chapter 36 Fu Changze
After breakfast, Aman lit a smoke with the Atractylodes lancea he had bought the day before and smoked each room to drive away the five poisonous creatures.
During this period, people came one after another to deliver zongzi (sticky rice dumplings).
In previous years, apart from Uncle Zhu's family, almost no neighbors would come to Wutongyuan.
Firstly, Fu Yunxiu's status was too high, making them hesitant to visit. Secondly, Fu Yunxiu rarely went out, and since they didn't know each other, they felt embarrassed to come.
But now things are different. Aman's vegetables have brought the neighbors closer together, and suddenly more people are coming to deliver them.
The courtyard, which used to seem quite large, appeared surprisingly small today. Men and women gathered together, some standing, some sitting, chatting and laughing, creating a lively atmosphere.
After experiencing the market shopping experience, Fu Yunxiu no longer resisted meeting people. So when neighbors came to visit, he could chat with them for a bit. Even if he didn't quite understand what they were talking about, he would listen attentively and carefully, looking as if he had learned something.
Aman and Mantou shuttled between them, serving tea and water. Seeing their young master's relaxed brows and genuine smile, they felt happy even though they were tired and hot.
It was almost noon, and after seeing Uncle Zhu and his family off, Aman and the others were finally able to catch their breath.
The noise gradually subsided, and the entire courtyard became eerily quiet.
Aman escorted Fu Yunxiu back to the east wing and poured him tea again.
Although the young master is not talkative, he has said quite a lot this morning.
Looking at the mountain of zongzi on the table outside, Aman was wondering if he should make a side dish to eat with the zongzi for lunch when he suddenly heard someone knocking on the door.
Mantou immediately stood up, but Aman stopped him, "I'll go!"
She had just been entertaining the neighbors, and afterwards, Mantou was the one who did most of the work, so she was allowed to rest. She'd had a long period of leisure.
Aman thought it would be the same neighbor knocking on the door, but when he opened it, he saw a handsome young man.
He was about twenty years old, dressed very elegantly, wearing a soft blue brocade robe with auspicious cloud patterns, a white jade belt around his waist, and a high-quality jadeite inlaid on his hair crown. He was tall and imposing, and his eyes revealed shrewdness yet also a touch of gentleness.
Aman paused for a moment before remembering to ask, "Who are you looking for?"
Fu Changze was also stunned for a moment when he saw Aman, then remembered her identity.
I suppose she was the concubine that my mother mentioned, the one my aunt found for my brother.
Since none of the previous concubines had been kept, he originally thought that this woman would be very beautiful, or at least shrewd, so that she could please his brother.
Unexpectedly, she turned out to be a pretty girl next door, but a bit impulsive in her actions.
That's interesting.
Fu Changze smiled slightly and said, "I suppose you must be Miss Aman. I am Fu Changze, and I've come to see my brother. I wonder if he's home?"
"Oh, I'm here," Aman replied instinctively, moving aside to let the other person in, seeing how polite they were. Only then did she realize who the other person was.
Fu Changze, isn't he the second young master of the Marquis's mansion?
He is Lady Liu's son.
That Madam Liu who bullies the young master at every turn!!!
Thinking of this, alarm bells immediately went off in Aman's heart. She closed the door and followed him closely, fearing that he might also harm Fu Yunxiu.
Mantou waited inside for a long time but didn't see Aman. When he came out to check, he bumped into Fu Changze who was about to enter.
"Second Young Master?" Mantou was slightly taken aback before bowing.
"Yes," Fu Changze nodded, "Is my brother here?"
“He’s inside,” Mantou greeted him as he entered, and then relayed to Fu Yunxiu, “Young Master, the Second Young Master has arrived.”
Fu Yunzheng was at his desk pondering his painting when he heard Mantou's words, so he put down his paintbrush and came out to greet him.
"It's been a long time, how have you been, brother?" Fu Changze entered the room and greeted Fu Yunxiu with a broad smile.
Two servants followed closely behind him, carrying some tonics prepared by Fu Changze, as well as some miscellaneous books he had collected.
"Put the things here, you can go down now!" Fu Changze said, gesturing with his eyes to the low table beside him.
Two servants obeyed, placing the tonics on a low table and neatly stacking the books. Two whole stacks of books piled up on the low table like a small mountain.
Fu Yunxiu glanced at him indifferently, then turned back and asked, "When did you get back?"
"I just got back last night. I thought my brother should have finished reading the book I gave him last time, so I sneaked out after the ancestral worship ceremony."
Fu Changze looked at Fu Yunxiu and nodded with satisfaction. "It's been a few months since I last saw you. Brother, you seem to be in much better health and you've become stronger. It seems that Miss Aman has indeed taken excellent care of you. Mother was right about you."
This mother naturally refers to Madam Fu, the legal mother.
Aman happened to come in to serve tea, and she heard Fu Changze's words as soon as she entered the room.
Aman already disliked Fu Changze from the start because of his identity, and hearing this made her even more convinced that she was right.
It seems that this second young master, like Madam Liu, deliberately brought up her identity to embarrass the young master.
Aman secretly glanced at Fu Yunxiu, only to find that the other party's expression remained unchanged.
Indeed, over the years, the young master has received no shortage of ridicule and sarcasm in the Marquis's mansion, and he's probably already used to it.
But while the young master didn't care, Aman couldn't swallow her anger.
During a major holiday, they insist on going to people's homes to cause them trouble.
Aman stepped forward with a tea tray and deliberately placed the teacup heavily on the table when serving tea to Fu Changze.
With a loud "thud," the smile on Fu Changze's face froze for a moment.
"Aman." Fu Yunxiu knew that Aman was not the kind of person who didn't know what was important, so he was sure that her voice just now was intentional.
Fu Yunxiu frowned slightly as a warning, then apologized to Fu Changze, "I'm very sorry, this girl hasn't been here long and doesn't know her own strength."
“It’s alright,” Fu Changze waved his hand, his probing gaze falling on Aman, his tone gentle, “I had long heard that Mother had found you a good girl, who is knowledgeable in medicine and very good at taking care of people. I didn’t believe it at first, but after meeting her today, I can see that Miss Aman is indeed as rumored, kind-hearted and intelligent, beautiful inside and out. I was too narrow-minded.”
His words were full of satisfaction and praise for Aman, seemingly unconcerned about Aman's earlier rudeness.
Whether Fu Changze was sincere or not remains to be seen, but Aman only felt that he had ill intentions.
As the young master once said, those who offer unsolicited favors are either treacherous or thieves.
But as the saying goes, one can't hit a smiling face. Since the other party was like this, Aman couldn't be too obvious. He could only put on a fake smile and say, "Thank you for the compliment, Second Young Master. I was very rude just now. Please forgive me."
"It's nothing." Fu Changze waved his hand, picked up the tea that Aman had brewed, took a small sip, and said, "Good tea, sweet aftertaste, long finish. It seems that Miss Aman is not only good at taking care of people, but also good at brewing tea!"
As he spoke, he looked at Fu Yunxiu and teased, "Brother, it seems you've struck gold this time!"
Fu Yunxiu ignored his words, glanced at him indifferently, and said gently, "Could it be that you came all this way on this festive day just to drink tea and praise my maid?"
"Of course not." Fu Changze stopped smiling, put down his teacup, and looked at Aman with a serious expression. "My brother and I have important matters to discuss. If there is nothing else, please excuse us for the time being, Miss Aman."
Upon hearing this, Aman looked up at Fu Yunxiu and asked for his opinion.
Seeing Fu Yunxiu nod, Aman frowned, "Young Master?"
She was somewhat uneasy about leaving the young master and the second young master alone together.
"Go down, it's nothing." Fu Yunxiu's tone was firm. Aman glanced at him again and could only reluctantly turn and leave.
As Fu Changze watched Aman leave, his serious expression vanished in an instant, replaced by a mischievous smile. "It seems this Miss Aman cares quite a bit about her brother."
He kept glancing back every few steps, as if afraid that he might harm his brother!
The problem is, this should be the first time he and this girl Aman have met, so why is she so wary of him?
Sensing the mockery in his tone, Fu Yunxiu didn't even bother to lift his eyelids. "Get to the point."
"Oh." Upon hearing this, Fu Changze immediately sat up straight, his expression becoming somewhat solemn. "It's like this, during this trip, I took a detour to Qiongzhou to visit my uncle."
This uncle of his naturally refers to his mother Liu Yu's elder brother, the current Grand General, Liu Xun.
Fu Yunxiu remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
Fu Changze continued, "My uncle said that now that His Majesty is seriously ill, both Prince Yu and Prince Ying are eager to seize the throne. My brother also knows that His Majesty has always favored Prince Yu. Although he was only granted the title of Prince, he allowed him to live in the Eastern Palace and even made him act as regent on several occasions. There are many rumors in the court that His Majesty intends to give him the position of Crown Prince."
"With His Majesty seriously ill, the Prince of Ying's faction is secretly forming cliques, seemingly eyeing the throne. The Prince of Yu intends to win over my uncle, so my uncle hopes that the Marquis of Cheng'an's mansion can also show its sincerity."
To put it bluntly, they hoped that the Marquis of Cheng'an's mansion would also surrender to King Yu.
"And what are your thoughts?" Fu Yunxiu asked.
“I’m also undecided, so I came here specifically to ask for my brother’s opinion,” Fu Yunxiu said. “Since our grandfather’s time, the Cheng’an Marquis’s Mansion has only had the title but no real power. After our father passed away, the mansion has become increasingly weak, and it no longer even has a voice in the court. Therefore, my uncle’s suggestion…”
Fu Changze hesitated, but Fu Yunxiu understood what he meant.
If you pledge allegiance to King Yu now, when he ascends the throne, your merits in assisting him will naturally restore your former wealth and glory.
However, this move is ultimately too risky.
If King Yu wins, all will be well, but if King Ying wins, I'm afraid those noble families who surrendered to King Yu will not have a good ending.
Fu Yunxiu lived a secluded life and had only a superficial understanding of court affairs, but he had been exposed to the intricacies of the situation through his own observations.
Wasn't it precisely to avoid getting involved in the court's intrigues that Father chose to become a carefree marquis, detached from worldly affairs?
Moreover, Fu Yunxiu couldn't help but recall a scene he had witnessed when he was a child, during a hunting trip to the imperial palace with his father...
People say that His Majesty only loves Prince Yu and treats the other princes as nothing, but what he sees is clearly not like that.
Perhaps everything right now is just a game of chess set up by His Majesty, and whether one makes a mistake or not depends entirely on the individual.
Fu Yunxiu pondered for a moment and said, "I am not very clear about the affairs of the court. You have asked the wrong person. You know my temperament. Like my father, I only seek to protect myself. You are the head of the Marquis's mansion. You have to make these decisions yourself."
“But I still want to hear my brother’s opinion,” Fu Changze said firmly. “My brother grew up with our father since childhood and should know more about court affairs than I do. I’m really unsure of what to do, so I have no choice but to ask my brother for advice.”
From childhood to adulthood, he saw countless times his dashing and charming father kindly and patiently teaching his ailing and frail older brother, and even personally taking him under his wing.
Even Fu Yunting, who was also born of the same mother, had never received this honor.
So he really wanted to know what decision his father-appointed head of the family would make when faced with such a difficult choice.
“Brother?” Fu Changze called out to Fu Yunxiu again, “Now that the Marquis’s mansion is in decline, this is indeed an excellent opportunity.”
The Emperor favors King Yu, so supporting him is probably the right thing to do.
But what if...
The struggle for the throne can change in an instant.
He wanted the Marquis's mansion to prosper, but he also feared that it would be destroyed in his hands.
"If that's the case, you can make your own decision. That's all I have to say!" Fu Yunxiu remained unmoved.
Seeing his reticent expression, Fu Changze knew he had no chance.
He could only sigh and nod, "In that case, let me think about it some more, and think about it some more."
After a moment of silence, Fu Changze got up to take his leave.
Fu Yunxiu pushed the wheelchair to see him out, but he stopped him, saying, "The sun is strong outside, brother, you should stay!"
The door opened, and Aman, who had been anxiously waiting outside, rushed forward immediately. After carefully examining Fu Yunxiu and seeing that he was unharmed, she softly called out, "Young Master."
Fu Changze saw all of this, his narrow eyes slightly narrowed, making his expression unreadable. "Is Miss Aman so wary of me, as if she's afraid I'll harm my brother?"
Unexpectedly, he spoke his mind so bluntly. Aman was a little embarrassed. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something in her defense, but she didn't know what to say. She could only bite her lip awkwardly.
"She's timid, don't scare her," Fu Yunxiu couldn't help but chime in when he saw her like this.
Upon hearing this, Fu Changze chuckled, gave Fu Yunxiu a deep look, and then said to Aman, "In that case, I would like to trouble Miss Aman to see me out. I happen to have some things to tell you."
Although Aman didn't like this second young master, he was still her master, and she had just had her thoughts exposed.
Aman couldn't refuse, so he could only nod sullenly.
"Don't scare her," Fu Yunxiu warned.
"Got it." Fu Changze waved lazily.
As the group walked out of the gate, Fu Changze stopped at the entrance, carefully looked around Wutong Garden, and then glanced at Aman, whose head was almost bowed to her chest. He said in a gentle tone, "I'll leave you here. Miss Aman, please go back!"
"Huh?" Aman looked up in confusion, her eyes full of surprise. She had thought that the second young master had called her out to vent his anger.
How could they let me leave so easily?
The suspicion in her eyes left Fu Changze somewhat amused and exasperated. He simply couldn't understand how he could be such a heinous person in her eyes.
He considered himself to be quite handsome and dashing, the kind of guy girls would like.
With a helpless laugh, Fu Changze didn't offer much explanation, but simply shared a few words from his heart.
“Miss Aman, my brother has been in poor health since childhood. The death of our father was a great blow to him, so he is somewhat withdrawn. Please forgive him.”
Aman glanced at him indifferently, her face conveying a "do you need to tell me?" attitude, and nodded slightly. "Yes, this servant will remember."
Fu Changze found it amusing.
This little girl is quite the actress.
Knowing that the other party was wary of him and that he couldn't find out anything, Fu Changze nodded. "In that case, I'll take my leave. If there are any difficulties at Wutong Garden, Miss Aman, please feel free to come to me. I will do my best to help."
His tone was sincere, but Aman dared not believe him easily, after all, she had seen how the Second Madam acted.
This second young master has inherited her true skills, so he shouldn't be bad either.
Since they had already said that, she couldn't say anything else, so she could only nod and agree, "Don't worry, Second Young Master, I will take good care of you."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
