Chapter 65 Sunken Eaves
On the third day after Aman woke up, Old Master Cheng, who had been "invited" to the Marquis of Yunyang's residence for medical treatment, finally showed up. He had clearly gained weight in the few days since they last met; it seemed the food at the Marquis of Yunyang's residence was quite good.
"What do you mean I've gained weight? I'm just swollen from not sleeping well." Old Cheng was so angry at Fu Yunxiu that his beard twitched. He complained to Aman, "Man girl, aren't you going to do anything about it? I'm only doing this to clear your name."
It is said that doctors are benevolent, and since Old Master Cheng was invited to treat her, he naturally did not refuse. However, during this time, Yao suffered a lot. The excruciating pain on her face was even worse than that of Aman. Moreover, Old Master Cheng took the opportunity to collect a lot of money from her.
He saved it all up, intending to leave it for Aman as her dowry in the future.
"However, the Yunyang Marquis's mansion is really strange. Such a large household is actually run by a concubine who acts arrogantly and domineeringly. Moreover, people even climb over the wall in the middle of the night, and the patrolling guards do nothing about it."
Old Cheng still remembers that night when he got up to pee after drinking too much tea, only to find someone climbing over the wall and entering. He thought it was an assassin (a side effect of staying in the palace for too long), and he was so scared that he held back his urine.
However, such incidents would occur every few days. Despite the commotion, the patrolling guards paid no attention, clearly indicating that someone had deliberately informed them beforehand.
Old Cheng spoke without thinking, but Fu Yunxiu took it to heart.
Ah Man has suffered so much, he can't just let it go like this. But all this time, he hasn't been able to think of a way to avenge Ah Man.
Now, however, he has been given an opportunity.
In a large, secluded mansion, there are bound to be some unsavory things going on; perhaps this is an opportunity.
Fu Yunxiu kept this matter in mind, so the next day he went to the Marquis's residence to find Steward Xu.
"Uncle Xu, that day I gave you the secret guard token to dismiss them, did you do so?"
"How could I disobey the young master's orders? As instructed, I sent them all back home," said Steward Xu.
"..." Fu Yunxiu's expression turned inscrutable. "Have they all been repatriated?"
"Now that you know how important they are, young master, how heartless you were when you gave me that secret guard token," Steward Xu complained.
The secret guards only serve the head of the Marquis's household. When the Marquis passed away, he gave the young master the token to mobilize the secret guards.
At the time, the young master was overwhelmed with grief over the loss of his father and had also suffered a relapse of poison while saving the Marquis. He was predicted to live past the age of twenty-five. Under this double blow, he threw the token at him and ordered him to return to the secret guards, ignoring all his pleas.
Those loyal guards have been lying low all these years, choosing not to leave.
Over the years, he had kept the token safe and kept it a secret from outsiders. Even the Second Young Master did not know that the Marquis's mansion had such a secret guard.
Seeing the regret on his young master's face, Steward Xu finally spoke up, "I would like to dismiss them, but they have to be willing to leave!"
These people were raised by the Marquis from a young age; the Marquis's mansion was like a family to them. So even though the Second Young Master had taken charge of the household in recent years, and their living conditions had deteriorated to conceal their whereabouts, they had never considered leaving.
"Young Master, what happened that caused you to mobilize the secret guards?"
"There's something I need my secret guards to do for me." He wanted to thoroughly investigate the secrets of the Yunyang Marquis's residence.
As per Fu Yunxiu's request, Steward Xu dispatched two bodyguards. The two men received Fu Yunxiu's orders and went to stake out the Yunyang Marquis's residence.
Although they have lived ordinary lives for the past three years, they still possess all their skills.
Soon, the two sent word that they had found out the man's background.
The man was not Yao's lover, as Fu Yunxiu suspected, but Yao's younger brother, named Yao Zhiyuan.
Fu Yunxiu didn't know much about Yao Shi and didn't know that she had a younger brother.
If they are siblings, why did the other party enter the Yunyang Marquis's residence by climbing over the wall instead of using the main gate, especially in the middle of the night? Yao Shi now manages the entire Yunyang Marquis's residence; logically, siblings wouldn't need to meet in such a clandestine manner.
The only possibility is that something shady has happened to the other person.
“We need to thoroughly investigate the past of the Yao siblings, and also the Earl of Yunyang. I want to know how he suddenly gained the favor of King Yu all these years.”
Fu Yunxiu had heard his father talk about the Earl of Yunyang, saying that the man was a dull person who wanted to enter officialdom, but unfortunately he was stupid and often ostracized in the officialdom, and was always frustrated and unsuccessful.
How could such a person become a guest of honor of King Yu?
King Yu never kept idle people around him.
That's really strange.
Such a massive workload was certainly not something two people could handle. Fu Yunxiu recalled all the secret guards and, along with them, took back the two shops that Steward Xu had in his possession.
These two shops were not under the Marquis's name, so even Fu Changze was unaware of their existence. Over the years, it was these two shops that had supported the secret guards.
Therefore, shops and secret guards are both symbols of the head of the household.
Now that Fu Yunxiu has taken these things back, the meaning is self-evident.
While Fu Yunxiu was waiting for news, good news came from the capital: Fu Yunting passed the provincial examination and ranked fifth, and was expected to win first place in the palace examination.
Madam Fu had been worried about Fu Yunxiu's movements these past few days, but now she can finally rest assured.
Although Fu Yunxiu had a good reputation, he was all talk and no action, unlike Fu Yunting, who was a genuine tribute student. Regardless of his performance in the palace examination, with the background of his Marquis's family, Fu Yunting's entry into the court as an official was a foregone conclusion.
This time, Madam Fu did not plan to hold a banquet, but instead intended to hold it together after Fu Yunting passed the palace examination.
While Madam Fu was happily awaiting good news from her youngest son at home, devastating news suddenly arrived from the capital.
The King of England was demoted to commoner status and imprisoned in a villa for secretly raising an army, minting coins, and even making imperial robes. His Majesty also fell ill as a result, and it seems quite serious. Even Prince Qi, who was stationed on the frontier, was summoned back to the capital to attend to his illness.
Therefore, this year's imperial examination was postponed.
When Fu Yunxiu heard that the Prince of Ying had rebelled and been deposed, he didn't react much. After all, how could someone who could rival the King of Yu not have some ambition?
He just didn't expect that Prince Qi would also be summoned back to the capital.
Recalling a scene he witnessed in the palace's back garden as a child, Fu Yunxiu couldn't help but smile. The arrival of that person would likely stir up even greater turmoil.
The situation in the capital is likely to change dramatically.
The emperor's summons to King Qi was a secret one, and King Yu, who served by his side, was naturally aware of it.
Although it is common for ministers to attend to the illness of an emperor when he is seriously ill, the emperor's actions are somewhat strange.
King Yu sensed something unusual.
Father Emperor has been seriously ill before, but he has never mentioned having Prince Qi come to the capital to attend to his illness. Only this time, Father Emperor not only requested Prince Qi to come, but also arranged for his trusted confidant to do so personally.
This made him very uneasy.
Over the years, everyone had seen that his father favored him. But he always felt that his father's favoritism was too superficial. If he truly favored him, why hadn't he made him crown prince? If he truly favored him, why didn't he have any military power?
On the contrary, it was Prince Qi, who was not favored by his father, who commanded an army of 800,000.
And this time, he felt that framing the King of England had gone a little too smoothly.
However, his father did indeed remove him from the imperial register, demote him to a commoner, and imprison him in a separate garden.
King Yu looked at the pitch-black night outside, a cold glint in his eyes.
Some things are better left unsaid; otherwise, he wouldn't mind regicide or patricide, even if it meant bearing eternal infamy.
My uncle once said that those who achieve great things are never concerned with trivial matters.
The day before King Qi's army marched into the city, the secret guards delivered news of Yao Zhiyuan.
As Fu Yunxiu had predicted, Yao Zhiyuan did indeed have a secret he couldn't hide.
To be precise, he should be dead now.
The Yao siblings came from a poor family and lost their parents at a young age, leaving them to depend on each other for survival.
Yao was skilled in embroidery and worked in the embroidery workshop every day, which helped the couple make a living. However, Yao Zhiyuan was not a good person. He spent his days fighting, gambling, and frequenting brothels, squandering all the money Yao had earned.
Later, on a rainy day, Yao happened to run into the Earl of Yunyang, who was preparing to return to the city, on her way home.
Upon seeing the beauty in distress, the Earl of Yunyang immediately felt compassion. After a while, he took Yao as his concubine.
To be fair, this Yao woman was quite capable. After entering the manor, she bewitched the Earl of Yunyang, and he soon became pregnant.
Now that her position in the Yunyang Marquis's mansion was secure, Madam Yao thought of her good-for-nothing younger brother.
Using his status as the Earl of Yunyang, Yao Zhiyuan successfully entered the military camp, and because of his keen insight, he was promoted to work by the general's side.
Later, the Western Rong Kingdom invaded the border, and the Shen family army was ordered to fight back. Under the influence of the Earl of Yunyang, Yao Zhiyuan became the grain and fodder officer, responsible for the grain and fodder supply of the Shen family army in Longxi.
After a fierce battle, a heavy snow fell, and Shen's army was trapped in Longshang. Yao Zhiyuan encountered an avalanche on his way to transport supplies, and all his men were buried alive.
It was also because of this avalanche that the Shen family army ran out of food supplies. That winter, nearly half of the soldiers froze to death or suffered frostbite in Longshang. General Shen Yan went out to find food supplies, but was also attacked by the enemy and fell off a cliff.
The battle back then was so tragic. Even though Shen Yan survived and was found, the Shen family army was severely weakened and never regained its former glory.
Fu Yunxiu still remembered that when the news came back then, he was blaming himself for his father's death, so he didn't pay much attention. Now it seems that there are many suspicious points in it.
When the grain convoy was caught in an avalanche, all the guards responsible for escorting it were dug out, but the grain was nowhere to be found. It seems that it was King Yu who ordered the investigation of this matter.
It seems that it was from that time that King Yu and the Earl of Yunyang began to have contact.
It's possible that Yu the Great orchestrated this, with Yunyang Bo and Yao Zhiyuan mediating and plotting to seize the grain for themselves.
Fu Yunxiu sensed something was amiss, but he decided not to investigate further. The court was currently unstable, and the slightest misstep could lead to disaster. He didn't want to get involved in factional strife, so he decided to stop there.
As for what's in that deep water, he believes someone would be very willing to dig.
"Mantou, find Yao Zhiyuan's hiding place. Remember, you must do it secretly and not let anyone find out."
"Young master is thinking..." Mantou had a rough guess in his mind, but he dared not be sure.
“It’s time to make a trip to the capital,” Fu Yunxiu said.
The guards acted swiftly, and soon Yao Zhiyuan was found with a sack over his head on his way home from playing cards. Because he often gambled for days at a time, his disappearance went unnoticed by the Yao family.
This greatly saved Fu Yunxiu a lot of trouble.
Upon hearing that Fu Yunxiu was going to the capital, Aman started packing his bags very early on.
Looking at the two bulging bundles, Fu Yunxiu couldn't help but chuckle. "My dear Aman, I'm just going to the capital to take care of some business. It's not like I'm never coming back. There's no need for such a grand ceremony!"
“Why wouldn’t you need it?” Aman opened the two packages. “Inside are two sets of clothes for you to change into, and here are some dry rations for the journey. And these are for you. It’s getting warmer these days, and there will inevitably be mosquitoes. I asked Grandpa Cheng to make some mosquito-repelling and calming incense. You can burn it for a while before you go to bed at night. It contains calming medicine, so you can sleep better.”
Each and every item was a testament to Aman's deep affection for him.
In truth, Aman was reluctant to let Fu Yunxiu go out. She hoped he would continue as before, reading books, playing chess, and painting, living a comfortable and carefree life.
She knew that the young master had been secretly plotting something these past few days.
She had also seen unfamiliar figures appear in Wutong Garden. Although they disappeared over the wall in an instant, she still noticed them.
She wasn't stupid, but since Fu Yunxiu wouldn't say, she wouldn't ask.
Her young master was like the free and unrestrained wind, and shouldn't be confined to this small space. Before, she had no choice, but now, Aman didn't want to let herself trap him.
“Young master, the journey is long, please take good care of yourself,” Aman said.
“Hmm,” Fu Yunxiu took two steps forward and pulled Aman into his arms. “Don’t worry, I’ll give you a surprise when I come back this time.”
"Mmm." Aman nestled in his arms and nodded heavily.
The next day, Fu Yunxiu left the city with steamed buns. This was, in fact, his first time leaving Yongzhou.
The carriage was rented, with a professional driver. Fu Yunxiu and Mantou sat inside, while two bodyguards disguised as servants followed behind.
Yao Zhiyuan was tied up, his jaw was dislocated, and he was stuffed under the carriage seat.
The group quietly left the city without attracting much attention. Fu Yunxiu, who usually kept to himself and rarely appeared in public, naturally did not arouse suspicion.
This is also why Fu Yunxiu didn't bring Aman with him.
The capital city was not far from Yongzhou, and the group arrived in the afternoon as the sun was setting.
It was getting late, and Fu Yunxiu felt they should rest first. The group found a rather ordinary inn and chose a quiet room on the far side. Fu Yunxiu and the others went upstairs first, and then the guards brought Yao Zhiyuan, who was bound hand and foot, in through the window.
Yao Zhiyuan had his jaw dislocated and had been tied up the whole way; he was already on the verge of death. Fu Yunxiu had his guards set his bones and gave him some water.
"Who...who exactly are you people?" After drinking some water, Yao Zhiyuan finally came back to life and asked in a hoarse voice.
Last night, on his way home from the gambling den, he felt like someone was following him. In an attempt to shake them off, he changed his route and went to a shady place, not emerging until the early hours of the morning.
I thought the other party was gone, but who would have thought I'd still be sacked.
He had initially thought the other party might be someone from the gambling den where he had owed money, but to his surprise, the other party neither wanted the debt nor inquired about any information, and simply tied him up like that.
He was still sound asleep in the morning when someone dislocated his jaw and stuffed it under the car seat, swaying and rocking him all the way.
He had no idea who the other person was or what their purpose was in kidnapping him.
Seeing that the other party did not speak, he said again: "You, do you know who I am? My brother-in-law is not someone to be trifled with. I advise you to let me go as soon as possible."
These words struck a nerve with Fu Yunxiu. He sneered, looked up at him as if he were a dead man, and said, "Yao Zhiyuan, the former grain and provisions supervisor of the Shen family army, and the younger brother of Yao, the concubine of the Earl of Yunyang, am I right?"
Now it was Yao Zhiyuan's turn to be dumbfounded.
He hadn't expected that the other party had investigated his background so thoroughly.
Since faking his death and escaping, he has been wandering around Yongzhou under the identity of Chen Sheng.
He wasn't from Yongzhou, so he wasn't afraid of being recognized. He would just occasionally borrow some money from his sister when he was short of cash.
My brother-in-law said that once King Yu ascends the throne, he will no longer need to hide or conceal his identity. At that time, he can choose from high-ranking positions and generous salaries.
Yao Zhiyuan was scared.
Since the other party was able to find out so much about him, they probably won't let him go easily.
And where have we arrived at along this journey?
"Where am I?" Yao Zhiyuan looked around in a panic. "Who are you? What do you want?"
However, Fu Yunxiu was too lazy to talk to him anymore, and gave a wink to the guard. The guard understood, took out a porcelain bottle from his pocket, took out a pill from it, pried open Yao Zhiyuan's mouth and fed it to him.
"Cough cough cough..." Yao Zhiyuan choked on his own saliva and coughed twice, as if spitting out the pill in his mouth.
Unfortunately, the pills melted in his mouth, and even though he vomited until tears welled up in his eyes, it had no effect whatsoever.
"Feed him something later, don't let him die, and don't disturb others' rest," Fu Yunxiu said.
"Yes, I understand." The guard replied firmly, but Yao Zhiyuan felt weak all over, and his hands and feet were completely powerless.
It's a cartilage powder.
*
The next day, in front of the imposing general's mansion, a little beggar peeked out, as if something was amiss.
The guards came to chase him away, but the little beggar handed him a letter. Then he ran off in a flash.
Because so many people usually send letters to their general, pouring out their hearts or asking for official positions, the guards didn't pay much attention to this letter. After glancing at it and seeing nothing unusual, they thought they would leave it at the gatehouse and deal with it when the shift changed later.
The guard entered carrying an envelope, only to bump into Yan Qing, who was about to leave. Seeing the letter in his hand, Yan Qing instinctively asked, "What are you holding?"
"Reporting to Lord Yan, the letter was delivered by a little beggar. He only said that the general should open it personally, but did not leave a signature."
Yan Qing took the letter and read it. Sure enough, as the guard had said, the entire envelope contained only five characters: "To General Shen." The handwriting was mature and powerful, penetrating to the core; it was clear at a glance that the writer was knowledgeable in calligraphy.
Yan Qing often handled these kinds of letters for his general. Although the envelopes were addressed to the general, what letter delivered to the general's residence wasn't?
With nothing else to do, Yan Qing tore open the envelope. It was clear that the sender was a very taciturn person; there were only a handful of words on the large sheet of paper.
"Bingzhou, Shen Family Army, Cuiyun Tower."
If it were anything else, Yan Qing could ignore it, but the words "Bingzhou" made it impossible for him to pretend to be deaf and dumb.
Yan Qing took the envelope to Shen Yan, who frowned subconsciously after reading it.
Although he didn't know who the other party was or what they wanted to do with him, the mere mention of "Bingzhou" was enough to pique his interest.
Upon seeing these two words, Chen Yan couldn't help but think of that person...
"General?" Seeing him dazed, Yan Qing was momentarily unsure of what to do.
"Let's go take a look." Regardless of the other party's motives, it must be said that he succeeded.
Shen Yan led Yan Qing out, and they arrived at their destination in no time.
Cuiyunlou was one of the top restaurants in the capital, and those who dined there were either rich or noble.
As Chen Yan traveled, he encountered many acquaintances along the way. However, his mind was elsewhere, so he only exchanged a few words with them before moving on.
The waiter rushed to greet him, "General Shen, it's been a long time since you've been here. Please come upstairs."
Chen Yan followed the waiter upstairs. Just as he was about to ask if anyone had asked him, the waiter said, "Your friend is waiting for you in the top-class room. This way, please."
Friend? This title made Shen Yan smile involuntarily, and at the same time, he became even more curious about the person who had invited him.
Upon arriving at the top-tier room, the waiter knocked on the door. Chen Yan looked up and saw a young man sitting inside.
His features were clear and bright, his face was like jade, and judging from his overall demeanor, one could tell he was no ordinary person.
He just couldn't remember where he had seen this person before, and he felt that this person looked very unfamiliar.
The waiter brought the person in, then closed the door and left.
Fu Yunxiu sized up the two men who entered. The man in the lead had an extraordinary bearing, with a heroic air about him, clearly a martial artist. As for the man behind him, he was dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, with a powerful and muscular build, and the long sword at his waist was not to be underestimated.
Fu Yunxiu stood up, clasped his hands in greeting, and bowed, "Fu Yunxiu of Yongzhou greets General Shen."
"You're from Yongzhou?" Shen Yan raised an eyebrow as if he had just thought of something. "If I remember correctly, I've never met Young Master Fu before. How do you know my identity?"
"Naturally, the waiter told me," Fu Yunxiu said.
Upon arriving at Cuiyun Tower, he immediately booked a private room and told the waiter that when General Shen arrived, he should simply bring him along.
Seeing how familiar he was with the place, the waiter had no suspicions and assumed the two had made an appointment. So, as soon as he arrived, he brought the person directly to him.
Shen Yan listened and couldn't help but admire Fu Yunxiu's intelligence.
He seemed certain that he would come.
This made him even more curious about Fu Yunxiu's purpose in coming here.
"I have heard that the eldest son of Marquis Cheng'an is intelligent and quick-witted. Seeing him today, I can confirm that his reputation is well-deserved."
Seeing that he had already figured out his identity, Fu Yunxiu didn't hide anything anymore. "General, you flatter me. It's just a trivial skill. Mantou, serve General Shen some tea."
Upon hearing the name, Shen Yan raised an eyebrow slightly. When he saw the person who came to serve tea, he felt that the person was indeed as round and plump as a steamed bun, just like the name suggested.
Shen Yan took the tea but didn't drink it; he simply placed it on the table. "I wonder what brings Young Master Fu here?"
“Of course, it’s something General Shen is interested in,” Fu Yunxiu said. “I remember three years ago, General Shen was ordered to lead the Shen family army to the Western Rong to quell the rebellion, but unexpectedly, a heavy snow fell, and all 80,000 Shen family soldiers were trapped in Longshang, suffering from hunger. His Majesty sent people to deliver grain and fodder, but they encountered an avalanche, and the people and grain and fodder sent to deliver the grain were all buried under the snow.”
Shen Yan certainly remembered these things; in fact, he could say they were all vivid in his mind.
At that time, they were besieged in Longshang, out of ammunition and food, and had reached a dead end. If it weren't for His Highness Prince Qi's secret rescue, the Shen family army would probably have all perished in Longshang.
Thinking of the soldiers who died from cold and hunger, Shen Yan felt an overwhelming sense of depression.
He looked up at Fu Yunxiu, "What do you want to say?"
"I think the events of that year might not have been so simple," Fu Yunxiu said.
"What do you mean?" Shen Yan asked.
"After the grain convoy disappeared, His Highness King Yu said the country was depleted and the only solution was for his ministers to donate. The Earl of Yunyang was the first to step forward and donated ten thousand taels of silver. Leaving aside whether the Earl of Yunyang's annual salary was enough to support his large family, even if he owned land and shops, ten thousand taels was not a small sum. And coincidentally, the supervisor of the grain convoy happened to be one of the Earl of Yunyang's men. Doesn't the general want to know what the connection is between these two things?"
After the heavy snow blocked the mountains, Shen Yan led a small troop out to find food, but they encountered enemy troops and he accidentally fell off a cliff. It was a year later when he returned to the capital.
He had also suspected this matter, but he didn't know where to start investigating, and the events of that year seemed like a natural disaster no matter how you looked at it.
Could it be that there's a man-made disaster involved?
Shen Yan looked at Fu Yunxiu and suddenly smiled, “Young Master Fu is indeed thoughtful. However, everything you have said is just speculation. Back then, when King Yu gave his advice, he saved the lives of tens of thousands of Shen family soldiers. I am grateful to King Yu, so how could I possibly believe your one-sided story?”
A strong sense of oppression swept over them, but Fu Yunxiu smiled slightly and said, "That depends on whether His Highness Prince Yu is more important to the general, or whether the wronged souls of the Shen family who died unjustly in Longshang and the 70,000 Shen family soldiers are more important."
Fu Yunxiu knew before he came that Shen Yan and King Yu had a very close relationship. But he was certain that Shen Yan would never pledge allegiance to King Yu.
Especially after seeing Shen Yan today, he became even more certain.
Therefore, his current outburst of anger is nothing more than a smokescreen, a performance.
Shen Yan glanced at Fu Yunxiu, as if deep in thought. After a long while, he finally spoke, "Do you have evidence?"
“Yes,” Fu Yunxiu said, “not only is there evidence, but it is irrefutable. Even if we cannot do anything to King Yu, we can at least cut off one of his arms.”
Yunyangbo, that's King Yu's money bag.
Seeing that Shen Yan remained silent, Fu Yunxiu knew that he needed time to consider.
After all, this matter was of utmost importance; one wrong step could lead to widespread devastation. Moreover, if he were to revive the events of that year, it would be tantamount to breaking ties with King Yu.
Now is not a good time.
After waiting for a while and not receiving a reply, Fu Yunxiu simply stopped waiting.
"General, please take your time to consider this matter. I, Fu, will be staying at the Huiyou Inn ahead and will be ready to welcome you at any time."
As he spoke, he picked up the cup of tea that Chen Yan had placed on the table and drank it all in one gulp, as if to prove his sincerity and credibility.
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