Chapter 67 Sunken Eaves 3
Fu Yunxiu was completely unaware of his current popularity. He had just finished breakfast and was preparing to head to the General's Mansion.
"Young master, why don't we let them follow you?" Mantou suggested.
The capital is not like Yongzhou, and the general's mansion is not like the marquis's mansion. The dangers involved are unpredictable.
"No need," Fu Yunxiu refused again. Since Shen Yan had invited him to go alone, it would be impolite of him to bring others along.
Moreover, he came to the capital not for fame or profit, so even if Shen Yan wanted to test him, he was not afraid.
Shen Yan had probably guessed that Fu Yunxiu would come alone, but she was still surprised when Yan Qing told her that he had come alone.
"Are you sure there's no one else?" Shen Yan asked, somewhat skeptical.
"I'm certain," Yan Qing confirmed again. With his skill, if he had hidden guards with him, there was no way he wouldn't have noticed.
That's interesting. Shen Yan smiled, a slight smirk playing on his lips.
It seems that this young master Fu is determined to be completely honest.
When the servants led Fu Yunxiu to the main hall, Shen Yan was already waiting.
Shen Yan didn't mince words and went straight to the point: "I've thought about Young Master Fu's suggestion yesterday carefully, and I think it's quite good. My Shen family's 20,000 soldiers cannot die in vain."
"General Shen's righteousness is a blessing for the soldiers," Fu Yunxiu said.
Shen Yan didn't accept his flattery, but instead asked, "Right now, I want to know, what does Young Master Fu hope to gain from this?"
People are busy with mundane tasks, some seeking power, others seeking profit. He has never mentioned his purpose in this affair since he began fighting Fu Yunxiu, which is highly suspicious.
Shen Yan realized that he might be trying to side with Prince Qi. But just as Prince Qi said, he himself was not favored by His Majesty and had very few supporters in the court. Standing on his side would obviously be courting death.
Unable to guess no matter how hard he tried, Chen Yan simply followed Fu Yunxiu's example and asked frankly.
But his question clearly stumped Fu Yunxiu.
What is he asking for?
He didn't need wealth, and he didn't want to get involved in the royal power struggles. But to say that he had no other desires seemed a bit far-fetched.
After thinking it over, Fu Yunxiu told the whole story, "To my shame, I came to the capital to find General Shen only to seek justice for my wife."
Fu Yunxiu recounted in detail how Aman had been subjected to private torture by the Yunyang Marquis's mansion. "Originally, I thought that person was Yao's lover, but I didn't expect to find such a scandal when I investigated further. The Shen family army has made outstanding contributions to the country's stability and prosperity. Even if they die, they should die on the battlefield to sacrifice for the country, not die under such conspiracies and tricks and be unable to rest in peace."
The following words explained why he came to the capital to find Shen Yan.
Shen Yan was deeply moved after hearing this. Every single one of his Shen family soldiers was a fine man, and it was truly humiliating for them to die from cold and hunger.
"Then thank you very much, Young Master Fu. I owe you a favor. I will do my best to help you when I need your help in the future," Shen Yan said.
Both of them were free-spirited and open-minded people, and over time, they developed a sense of mutual appreciation for each other.
"In that case, thank you very much, General Shen." Fu Yunxiu raised his hand in a salute.
Afterwards, Fu Yunxiu shared the information he had found with Shen Yan, and then took his leave.
Shen Yan saw him off. When he entered the room, he saw his younger sister hiding behind a pillar, acting suspiciously. It was obvious that she was up to no good.
Noticing that her older brother had noticed her, Shen Jiao took a step and ran, but was still stopped by someone who called out, "Come here."
"Big brother." Shen Jiao emerged from behind the pillar, clutching a handkerchief, looking timid and hesitant.
"What are you doing here, sneaking around like that?" Shen Yan looked at her coldly.
Upon hearing her elder brother speak of her like that, Shen Jiao immediately objected, "I wasn't acting suspiciously. I just came from my mother's place and happened to see you seeing off a guest. I was afraid of disturbing the guest, so I hid."
At this point, Shen Jiao suddenly became happy, jumped up in front of Shen Yan, hugged his arm and shook it, "Big brother, who was that person who came just now? They looked a little familiar?"
“Fu Yunxiu, the eldest son of Marquis Cheng’an,” Shen Yan looked down at her, “He is from Yongzhou. You probably haven’t met him before!”
Shen Jiao had almost never left the capital since she was a child, so how could she have met Fu Yunxiu?
Shen Yan assumed she had misremembered, but upon hearing the words "Yongzhou," Shen Jiao instantly recalled that she seemed to have indeed seen him in Yongzhou two years ago.
He seemed to be in a wheelchair at the time.
Because of her good looks, Shen Jiao still had some impression of her even after two years.
She had initially thought he was disabled, but now it seems she was wrong.
He is the eldest son of the Marquis of Cheng'an, so his status is quite prominent. It's just unknown whether he is married.
Shen Jiao looked up, wanting to ask her older brother, but when she met his serious face, she immediately gave up the idea.
Forget it, she should just send someone to investigate herself.
*
Not long after Fu Yunxiu returned to the inn, Shen Yan's men came and took Yao Zhiyuan away.
With everything done, Fu Yunxiu was eager to return home, realizing that he had been away for three days.
But right now, he had one last thing to do: to go to the academy and see Fu Yunting. In these turbulent times, Fu Yunting and his group of young students could easily be used as pawns.
At Yunshang Academy, Fu Yunting heard from the old gatekeeper that someone was looking for him. He thought it was Madam Fu sending someone to deliver something again, but when he went out, he found that it was Fu Yunxiu.
"Brother?" Fu Yunting's face lit up with joy, and he walked over to him in a few steps. "Brother, what brings you here?"
"I came to the capital to take care of some business and stopped by to see you. How are you doing? Are you tired from studying at the academy?" Fu Yunxiu asked.
"Not bad, not bad." Fu Yunting pulled Fu Yunxiu to look at it from left to right, up to down, and still found it incredibly amazing.
"Brother, I'm so happy."
It wasn't because his brother came to visit him, but because his brother's leg had healed. Even though he already knew and had seen him, he was still happy to see him again.
Seeing his beaming smile and happiness for him, Fu Yunxiu felt comforted and asked, "Do you still have schoolwork? It's almost noon, let's go have lunch together!"
“Okay,” Fu Yunting readily agreed, then, as if remembering something, he said, “Brother, wait for me a moment.”
He then rushed into the academy.
About half an hour later, Fu Yunting came out again, his hand covering his face as if he were holding something.
Fu Yunting didn't ask any questions, and the two brothers found a teahouse nearby.
After choosing a seat by the window and settling in, Fu Yunting ordered some food and then took out something from his sleeve with a embarrassed expression and handed it to Fu Yunxiu.
A porcelain box, with its colorful glaze and a wafting fragrance, clearly belonged to a woman.
Fu Yunxiu opened it, puzzled, and found that inside were indeed floral decorations used by women to adorn their faces.
"What is this?" Fu Yunxiu still didn't quite understand.
“This is for Aman,” Fu Yunting said, “as a thank-you gift to her. I was planning to bring it to her next time I go back, but since you’re here, you might as well stay.”
The floral patterns here are the most fashionable in the capital right now, and they cost a lot of money. He saved up by living frugally to buy all the patterns.
Since it was a gift for Aman, Fu Yunxiu didn't stand on ceremony and accepted it directly. "I'll thank you on Aman's behalf."
This floral ornament looks quite valuable. Come to think of it, Ah Man has been by his side for many years, but he has never given her a decent gift.
Although Aman now hangs the painting in his room, he always feels that something is missing.
He made up his mind that after dinner, he would pick out a nice gift for Aman.
The food was served quickly, and the two brothers ate and chatted, inevitably talking about Fu Changze.
“My second brother has been traveling around with his uncle lately, and I haven’t seen him in a long time.”
Since last month, Fu Changze has been in Beijing to attend his uncle's 40th birthday celebration and has been staying there ever since.
When news came that Fu Yunxiu's leg had healed, Fu Changze originally wanted to go home, but Liu Xun said that a true man should not limit his attention to just one household.
So these days, Liu Xun has taken him to meet many old friends and acquaintances. His purpose is very clear: to help Fu Changze expand his network of contacts and ask them if they have any vacant positions for Fu Changze to hold in name only.
In this way, when King Yu ascends the throne, he can rightfully be promoted and given higher titles.
Fu Yunxiu knew how much Liu Xun doted on his nephew, and could roughly guess what he was doing.
To be honest, he shouldn't have meddled in this matter, but out of brotherly affection, he still wrote a letter and sent it to the Liu residence before leaving.
Fu Changze was also puzzled when he received the letter.
He didn't know many people in the capital. If it were Fu Yunting, he would send his page to find him directly if he needed anything, and rarely used letters.
Fu Changze took the letter back to his room. When he opened it, he found only four large, flamboyant characters: "Protect yourself wisely."
The letter was unsigned, but for some reason, Fu Changze had a feeling that it was sent by Fu Yunxiu.
During this time, he did indeed travel around with his uncle and made acquaintances with many high-ranking officials and dignitaries.
His uncle held a high position in the court and was valued by King Yu, so those people treated him with utmost respect. Faced with his uncle's veiled suggestion, they verbally agreed, but he clearly saw the contempt in their eyes.
He even clearly heard the man tell his servants that he was a dog wagging its tail and begging. After all, the more people involved in achieving great things, the more of a share they get.
He wants to get ahead, but definitely not through this method.
These days, he has also considered refusing, but he has been unable to make up his mind.
This letter has undoubtedly put his mind at ease.
His desire to inherit the title was genuine, but so was his childhood admiration for his elder brother.
*
After lunch, Fu Yunxiu escorted Fu Yunting back to the academy and then went straight to the Treasure Pavilion, the best jewelry store in the capital.
As its name suggests, the jewelry at Zhenbaoge is the most fashionable in Beijing right now, and every piece is beautiful in terms of style and color.
It was lunchtime, but the restaurant was still packed with people.
Upon seeing Fu Yunxiu's attire, the waiter knew that another important person had arrived and hurriedly came forward to greet him, "Young master, what would you like to see? We have jade pendants and hair ornaments here."
Fu Yunxiu glanced around the shop and found that there were both men and women, so he didn't feel awkward. He then asked, "Do you have any hair accessories or bracelets for women?"
The waiter immediately understood, "Oh, yes, yes, you're picking out a gift for your wife, right!"
Fu Yunxiu didn't correct him, but nodded, which was taken as tacit agreement.
Soon, the waiter brought over a tray containing some of the new ornaments from his shop.
Everything else was fine, but Fu Yunxiu took a liking to the carved auspicious cloud bracelet almost immediately.
"This bracelet looks pretty good." Fu Yunxiu picked it up and examined it. The warm jade material was warm to the touch, the kind of jade that nourishes the skin. Moreover, the intricate openwork design showed some clever touches, unlike other bracelets that were dull and monotonous.
Seeing that he liked it, the waiter quickly introduced it: "Young master, you have excellent taste. This is a new bracelet from our shop, a work personally carved by Master Song. We just brought it over this morning."
"Look at this material, it's made of the finest Hetian jade. Look at the oiliness and luster, it's clearly top-quality. And the auspicious cloud pattern on it represents good fortune and happiness. Jade bracelets also represent completeness and happiness, making it the perfect gift for your wife."
Fu Yunxiu didn't know who this Master Song was. He just found the waiter's words about happiness and bliss particularly pleasing to the ear. After looking around at the others, but finding none that caught his eye, he made his decision, "This bracelet will do."
"Alright," the waiter hurriedly replied, "This bracelet is newly arrived and is worth one hundred and ten taels of silver. Since you are a new customer, I will charge you one hundred taels, to symbolize perfection."
One hundred taels is nothing to Fu Yunxiu now.
Mantou took out a silver note to pay the bill, and then the waiter took out a gift box, wrapped the items, and respectfully handed them to Fu Yunxiu.
"Please take care, young master. Welcome to visit again next time."
After leaving the Treasure Pavilion, Fu Yunxiu went to the nearby market and bought some snacks that were not available in Yongzhou for Aman. He did not return to the inn until it was dark.
The next morning, just after the rooster crowed once, Fu Yunxiu boarded the carriage for the return journey.
Mantou went to bed late last night and didn't even eat breakfast this morning. He took a nap as soon as he got on the bus.
Fu Yunxiu, on the other hand, was clear-headed and began to plan what would happen next.
Now that Yao Zhiyuan has been handed over to Shen Yan, the rest is no longer his concern. He's just waiting to see what happens to the Earl of Yunyang.
Once this matter is settled and the weather gets warmer, he will accompany Aman back to Jingzhou. If Aman wishes to stay somewhere for a while, he can take her sightseeing.
With that thought in mind, the carriage soon arrived in Yongzhou.
Looking at the familiar buildings, Fu Yunxiu felt an overwhelming longing to return home.
But he knew that Aman would definitely not be home at this time.
"Old man, would you please make a trip to Changqing Street?"
As Fu Yunxiu had predicted, Aman was indeed on Changqing Street.
The floral dew she brought in the morning had already sold out, and she only had a few boxes of rouge left. Since she was alone at home, she decided to wait and see if she could sell them.
Because of Fu Yunxiu, Aman's stall has been bustling with people chatting with her these days. And now, several women are using the opportunity of conversation to inquire about Fu Yunxiu.
"I've heard that Young Master Fu has a strange temper and is unpredictable. Is that true?"
"Of course it's true. You don't know, last time I just forgot to tell him before cleaning his study, and he flew into a rage. He not only punished me by not letting me eat, but also made me kneel down and copy the Precepts for Women a hundred times. My hands were swollen from copying. And that time, I just disturbed his sleep, and he locked me out and wouldn't let me go back to my room to sleep all night."
"It's that serious?" The others covered their mouths in shock, but Aman insisted, "It's more than that, sigh, anyway, it's all tears when you talk about it!"
The women exchanged bewildered glances, never expecting that the seemingly delicate woman could be so terrifying in private.
Seeing their respectful but distant demeanor, Aman couldn't help but chuckle to herself, only to then notice a pair of eyes watching her.
Aman looked in that direction and saw that the person in the carriage was none other than the person he had described as having a strange temper and being unpredictable.
Aman felt a moment of embarrassment at being caught talking badly about someone, but it was quickly replaced by joy. She lifted her skirt and ran over with a smile, asking, "Why are you back so early?"
Logically speaking, it should take until the afternoon to get home after leaving the capital.
The familiar smiling face stirred something within Fu Yunxiu. He rubbed his fingertips together and said, "Everything's done, so I'm just thinking about getting going. What about you? When are you packing up?"
"Right now, just wait a moment." After saying that, Aman rushed back and haphazardly packed the things on the stall into his basket.
The woman beside her watched her movements, and then looked at the face peeking out from under the carriage curtain not far away; she was both shocked and frightened.
Wow, they cleaned up so quickly. Did they come here specifically to arrest someone?
As they thought about it, the group couldn't help but cast pitying glances at Aman.
Aman didn't have time to care about any of that. He packed his things, waved, and got into the carriage.
Mantou knew that her young master must have a lot to say to Aman, so she consciously moved aside and sat in the front with the coachman.
Inside the carriage, Fu Yunxiu raised an eyebrow as he watched the group of people looking on in mourning for Aman. He asked, "How come I didn't know that I made you kneel as punishment, deprive you of food and sleep, and even make you copy the 'Precepts for Women' a hundred times?"
Aman choked for a moment, then immediately put on an even more ingratiating smile. "Oh dear, I'm just afraid they'll misplace their affections on you, that's why I'm saying this. You have no idea how many people have come to ask me about you these past few days under the guise of buying rouge."
"That very day, Aunt Wang, who runs a breakfast shop on the next street, came over and asked if you could give her some pointers, saying that her daughter really liked painting. And that same day, Old Hu, who sells pork, said that his niece really liked you and asked if she could serve you. What's even more infuriating is that widow Wang, who said that I'm clumsy and rough, always showing my face in public, so I must not know how to serve people. She also said that I look like a demon and that my voice is as rough as a pig butcher."
Aman got angrier and angrier as she spoke, and raised her hand to punch Fu Yunxiu twice. "It's all your fault. You're always attracting attention and making me suffer in silence."
Fu Yunxiu's original intention was to get Aman to admit that she was jealous, but he never expected to make her angry. Seeing that Aman was turning her back to him and ignoring him, he tentatively reached out and tugged at her sleeve, "Aman?"
"Hmph." Aman gave a coquettish laugh and shifted her bottom to sit even further away.
“Okay, it’s all my fault,” Fu Yunxiu replied.
But Aman still ignored him.
"Alright, stop being angry. Your injury just healed not long ago, don't upset yourself." As he spoke, he took out the bracelet from his pocket. "Look, what's this?"
The crystal-clear jade shimmered in the sunlight, immediately catching Aman's attention. "A gift for me?"
"Yeah, I saw it on the roadside and bought it because it looked nice." Fu Yunxiu said casually, but his eyes were always on Aman. Seeing that she seemed to have calmed down a bit, he put his long arm around her and pulled her into his arms.
Having not seen him for many days, Aman missed him terribly. Now, nestled in his familiar embrace, she struggled only slightly before giving up under Fu Yunxiu's firm attitude.
But he still wouldn't let it go, saying, "Hmph, don't think you can be forgiven just like that."
Fu Yunxiu knew she was all talk and no action, so he chuckled, took her hand, and put the bracelet on her wrist.
The bracelet he bought was based on the size of Aman's wrist, and it fit perfectly. Fu Yunxiu held her hand and looked at it from left to right. The warm, lustrous white bracelet looked quite nice on Aman's fair wrist.
"Look, how beautiful it is." Fu Yunxiu rested his head on Aman's shoulder and wrapped his large hands around Aman in his arms. "You, don't always listen to those people's nonsense. They're all just jealous of you. They can't stand to see you doing well. They'd rather you were as miserable as them."
“I know,” Aman whispered, leaning against him.
She knew, of course, that those people meant no harm by saying those things, but what they said wasn't entirely unreasonable.
She and the young master are indeed not a good match.
Whether in terms of background, education, or appearance, she was inferior to the young master in every way.
After a long silence, Aman finally asked the question that had been on her mind, "Young master, would you mind if I did business in the public eye?"
This is actually what bothers her the most.
No matter what, Aman's idea of opening a cosmetics shop never changed. That day, Widow Wang said that most men would mind their wives showing their faces in public. That's how the world is. Before, the young master supported her because of their circumstances; they had no choice. But now that the young master has recovered, if he wanted, whether it was a marquis's title or an official position, it would be within his grasp.
"How could you have such thoughts?" Fu Yunxiu turned Aman around, making her look at him directly. "Aman, I said before that you want to earn a living for yourself, which is a great thing. I support you so much that I would not mind stopping you."
"Can I continue doing business after I get married?" Aman continued to ask.
In the past, Fu Yunxiu might have teased Aman a little for her words and seen her blushing. But now, he knew Aman was serious. Therefore, he said very seriously, "Even after you get married, you can still pursue what you want to pursue."
"Really?" A hint of emotion flickered in Aman's eyes. He could sense the value placed on Fu Yunxiu from his attitude.
"Hmm, it's more real than gold." Fu Yunxiu raised his hand and patted her head. "Don't listen to everything others say. Have you forgotten how you always failed when you first started making rouge? Mantou even said you had no talent. How did you refute him back then?"
Of course, Aman remembered. But these days, people would often come to her, using the guise of chatting to say all sorts of nonsense. She listened to it so much, and with no one to vent to, she gradually began to doubt herself.
"Young master, I know what to do." Aman suddenly became happy. It was as if a heavy stone that had been pressing on her heart for the past few days had been lifted, and she felt extremely relaxed.
Soon, the carriage arrived at Wutong Garden.
This was the first time Fu Yunxiu had been away for so long since moving into Wutong Garden. Now, stepping back in, he felt a sense of unfamiliarity.
"Come in, what are you all standing there for?" Aman pushed open the door and went in. Fu Bao, who was playing in the yard, heard the noise and hopped over to see what was going on.
"Fu Bao'er." Aman took two quick steps and hugged Fu Bao in her arms. "Look, who's back?"
Fu Yunxiu took Fu Bao from him. After not holding it for a few days, it seemed to have gotten a little heavier than when he left. Perhaps it smelled the familiar scent, the rabbit, which had been struggling a bit, became much more docile and obediently nestled in Fu Yunxiu's arms.
The two were playing with the rabbit in the yard, while poor Mantou had to carry things into the house again and again.
That night, laughter filled the long-quiet dinner table once again. Fu Yunxiu didn't tell Aman the reason for his trip to the capital, and Aman didn't ask. They both tacitly avoided the topic.
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