Chapter 69 Old Stories
After King Yu's defeat, everyone in the capital felt insecure.
The emperor thoroughly investigated his associates, beheading some, confiscating their property, and exiling others. For the past few days, the ground at the vegetable market entrance on East Street has never been dry, and the air is filled with the stench of blood.
Liu Xun's act of joining forces with King Yu to raise an army was a serious crime, punishable by the execution of his entire family. However, the emperor, mindful of his past contributions, only confiscated the general's mansion and exiled him, without punishing his entire family.
However, none of those who were on good terms with the General's Mansion and had any connection to this matter escaped unscathed. The first to be implicated was Xue Changze, who had been running around with Liu Xun recently.
Although the matter was later dropped for some unknown reason, for now, it's better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free.
On the day Xue Changze was taken away, it rained heavily in Yongzhou.
Aman had just finished copying a calligraphy model when he felt a ache in his back and arms, so he stood up and stretched. Opening the window, a chill rushed in; it had been raining all night, and even the air felt damp.
"I wonder when this rain will stop," Aman sighed, when suddenly he heard a knock on the door.
It was hard to hear clearly in the rain and mist, but the sounds came one after another, as if the person was very anxious.
"I'll go." Mantou went out, and Aman, also curious about who would come at this moment, kept watching from the window. Until... that person entered the room.
"Madam Liu?" Aman frowned.
This is quite a rare guest!
Madam Liu didn't know what was going on. As soon as Mantou opened the door, she rushed in, ignoring even the maid who had held an umbrella for her the year before. She hurried in through the rain.
Upon hearing Aman's exclamation, Fu Yunxiu looked up from his books and saw Madam Liu, dressed in the wind and rain, kneeling before him.
Aman: "...?"
It had been raining all night, and the courtyard was already quite wet. When Madam Liu knelt down, her legs were completely submerged in the rainwater. Her beautiful hair was disheveled, and the rainwater had washed away all her makeup.
This was the first time Aman had ever seen Madam Liu in such a disheveled state.
“Yunxiu,” Madam Liu knelt in front of the door, her usual arrogance gone, “Changze has been taken away. I know you have a way, please save him.”
"I beg you, please save him." After saying this, Madam Liu immediately kowtowed.
The rainwater in the courtyard was even deeper, yet she still managed to make a sound as she banged on the stones, which shows how much force she was using.
At this moment, Fu Yunxiu had already reached the door.
To be honest, seeing Madam Liu behaving so humbly, Fu Yunxiu should have felt relieved, but seeing her so lowly behavior in the rain, Fu Yunxiu felt a little sorry for her.
"Madam Liu, are you deliberately trying to shorten my lifespan?" Fu Yunxiu asked in a chilling tone.
"No, I didn't," Madam Liu retorted instinctively, afraid of angering Fu Yunxiu, but Fu Yunxiu interrupted her, "Aman, help Madam Liu up."
The rain intensified, and Ah Man was soaked through in the short time it took to help someone. Madam Liu was completely drenched; her skirt dripped water as she walked.
After helping Madam Liu inside, Aman found a dry handkerchief and wiped her face.
Madam Liu took it, but only held it in her hand, looking at Fu Yunxiu with an earnest expression, "Yunxiu, please save Changze, I beg you."
She really didn't know who to turn to.
Now that the Liu family has fallen, those once friendly families have all severed ties, fearing that their elder brother's affairs will implicate them. As a woman confined to the inner quarters, she really doesn't know who to turn to for help.
"Madam Liu, you must have mistaken me for someone else. How could I, a powerless cripple, possibly have such great abilities?" Fu Yunxiu had also heard about the failed rebellion of King Yu.
Liu Xun is dead, and the Liu family's property has been confiscated. He originally thought that His Majesty was only confiscating property and wouldn't implicate Xue Changze, but he was wrong.
His Majesty not only investigated, but acted swiftly.
"Yunxiu..." Madam Liu knew that Fu Yunxiu's words were just an excuse, after all, he had done a lot of things in secret during the time his leg had recovered.
She remembered that Xue Changze suddenly returned from the capital a while ago. When she asked him, she found out that he had listened to Fu Yunxiu. At that time, she was petty and thought that Fu Yunxiu couldn't stand to see Changze doing well.
But then, something happened at the Yunyang Marquis's residence.
She hadn't initially connected this matter with Fu Yunxiu, but Changze said that it was too much of a coincidence that Aman had gotten into trouble at the Yunyang Earl's Mansion and then the mansion was raided.
Madam Liu knew that her husband had actually paved many paths for Fu Yunxiu before his death. However, Fu Yunxiu's silent and unassuming behavior over the past three years had made her forget how outstanding this former eldest son of the Fu family had been.
He must have a way.
"Yunxiu, I know you have a way. Please save Changze. I beg you, please save him. I beg you." Madam Liu reached out to pull Fu Yunxiu's sleeve, but he dodged her.
"Madam Liu, have you forgotten how you tried to kill me? What makes you think I would save him?" Fu Yunxiu said coldly.
Madam Liu was speechless. She glanced at Fu Yunxiu and knelt down again. "I know I wronged you before. I will do anything you ask as long as you are willing to save Changze. Changze has always regarded you as his most respected elder brother. Please save him, Yunxiu."
After saying this, Madam Liu kowtowed again.
Fu Yunxiu looked at the scene before him and felt nothing but irony.
He knew that Madam Liu disliked him, even hated him, and regarded him as an enemy, but now she was willing to kneel before her enemy just to save her son.
Why is there such a big difference between mothers?
"Enough." Unable to bear it any longer, Fu Yunxiu coldly shouted, stopping her from kowtowing.
Madam Liu looked up at him.
"Let me think about this some more."
“But…” Madam Liu wanted to say something more, but after seeing Fu Yunxiu frown, she finally stopped talking.
She was afraid of angering Fu Yunxiu.
Since he said that, there is still room for maneuver in this matter.
It's just a pity for Changze; he'll have to suffer in prison for a few more days.
The thought of Fu Changze possibly suffering inhuman torture in that prison caused Madam Liu great distress.
Having been soaked to the bone by the torrential rain, Madam Liu was now shivering from the cold as a draft blew through the hall. Aman, seeing this, couldn't bear it, being a woman herself.
“Madam, why don’t you go back to the manor first, and let the young master give you an answer after he has thought it through?” Aman said, “With your clothes wet like this, you will collapse before the second young master is even rescued.”
To be honest, Aman and Madam Liu really didn't have any major conflicts. The only time was when Aman went to ask for her monthly allowance.
Aman disliked her only because she could reduce the young master's food and mistreat him.
But right now, she's just a pitiful person trying to save her son.
Aman helped her up; Madam Liu's hands were as cold as ice in winter.
“Thank you,” Madam Liu said, supporting herself with Aman’s hand as she rose. She then looked at Fu Yunxiu. “Yunxiu, whether you believe it or not, I have deliberately tormented you over the years, but I have never intended to kill you. Back then, I did have someone put a drug in the steamed egg custard, but it was just croton oil. I calculated the dosage precisely; at most, it would only cause diarrhea. I know you don’t believe me, but I, Liu Yu, swear to heaven that if I am lying, may I be struck by lightning.”
She had said these words to the Marquis, but he didn't believe her, so even today, she hasn't been able to clean up this mess.
"Changze has always respected you. Please save him, even just for that reason."
Just before leaving, she turned back and said, "If you don't believe me, you can ask Granny Zhang."
Granny Zhang was an old servant of Madam Fu, and she was probably aware of all that had happened.
Aman understood this and couldn't help but frown.
She knew that Madam Fu disliked the young master, but even if she hated him, she wouldn't poison her own son. Even tigers don't eat their cubs!
As Mantou went out to see someone off, Aman saw her young master deep in thought and went over to pour him a cup of tea. "Have a sip of tea to soothe your throat!"
Aman said, "Madam Liu may have said those things out of desperation to save her son. Young master, don't overthink it."
If this were true, it would be far too cruel for the young master. She would rather remain in the dark.
Fu Yunxiu snapped out of his reverie, took the teacup, and said, "I know." Then he noticed Aman's clothes were soaked by the rain and said, "Go change your clothes first, be careful not to catch a cold."
“Alright, I’ll also make some ginger soup. Young master, have some too, to warm yourself up,” Aman said.
"Okay." Fu Yunxiu nodded. Seeing that he looked normal, Aman was relieved. "Then you can continue reading."
Watching Aman leave, a hint of coldness appeared in his dark eyes the moment the door closed.
How could he not overthink it?
He used to think that he was just unlucky, which was why he suffered so many misfortunes. But now it seems that's not entirely true.
Once doubts arise, they cannot withstand any scrutiny.
The steamed egg custard that day was made by Madam Fu herself.
His mother, who had never cooked for him before, gave him that bowl of steamed egg custard that day, ignoring his younger brother's incessant crying.
At the time, he thought it was a rare maternal love, but it turned out to be... honey coated with arsenic?
Footsteps sounded outside, and Fu Yunxiu composed himself, his expression returning to normal.
Aman brought in ginger soup and closed the door behind him. "The rain has lessened a bit now, and it should stop soon."
Aman placed the soup bowl in front of Fu Yunxiu, saying, "I let it cool for a while, so it should be drinkable."
Fu Yunxiu took it, and the strong smell of ginger rushed into his nostrils, making him cough twice. "Have you drunk it?"
“You’ve already drunk your soup. There’s another bowl for the steamed buns. This is for you.” Aman watched Fu Yunxiu drink the soup and saw that he looked normal, as if he hadn’t been affected by Madam Liu’s words.
After drinking the ginger soup, Fu Yunxiu covered his face with his sleeve and yawned, "I'm sleepy."
Rainy days like this are perfect for sleeping.
“It’s still early, young master, why don’t you take a nap? I’ll call you later,” Aman said.
“Alright,” Fu Yunxiu nodded and walked towards the bedside. Seeing that Aman picked up a pen from the low table to practice calligraphy, he said, “You should rest for a while too. You’ve been practicing calligraphy for a long time. Be careful, or your eyes will hurt.”
He walked over, grabbed Aman's arm, and pushed her toward the door. "Don't worry, I won't believe Madam Liu's words. You don't need to stay with me."
Aman wasn't embarrassed when her thoughts were exposed. She turned around and took his hand, saying, "Then you have to promise me that if you have any guesses, you must tell me and don't keep them to yourself."
"Yes, don't worry." Fu Yunxiu nodded solemnly. He naturally wouldn't keep it to himself; he wanted to verify it himself.
But he didn't want Aman to worry, so he had no choice but to keep it from her for the time being.
Aman closed the door and went out, just in time to run into Mantou coming from the backyard.
"Is the young master resting?" Mantou asked.
“Hmm,” Aman nodded, looking at the tightly closed door, she still felt uneasy. “Mantou, do you think what Madam Liu said could be true?”
Is it really possible for a mother to poison her own child?
"I don't think so." Mantou was somewhat skeptical. Although Madam Fu favored the Third Young Master more than the Young Master, she shouldn't have gone so far as to poison him.
But Madam Liu urgently needs the young master's help right now, so she probably wouldn't lie to him.
Perhaps there's something hidden or something went wrong.
The rain had lessened, but it hadn't stopped. The two chatted under the eaves for a while before returning to their respective rooms.
Aman braved the rain this morning to pick a batch of flower petals before the heavy rain arrived. Now that they've dried, they're perfect for making flower dew.
Aman has a flaw: when she gets busy, she only has eyes for her work. So even with the window open, she didn't notice that Fu Yunxiu had gone out alone with an umbrella.
The alley was filled with rainwater after the rain. Fu Yunxiu stepped into the rainwater, and the coldness in his heart had already overwhelmed his body.
After entering through the back door, Fu Yunxiu headed straight for the East Garden.
It was raining today and the humidity was high. Zhang Mama suffered from bone disease, and the pain would become unbearable on rainy days, so she could only lie down and rest. Therefore, Fu Yunxiu did not even go to Madam Fu's room, but went straight to the servants' quarters where Zhang Mama lived.
He knocked on the door, and a young girl he didn't recognize came out. She looked at him timidly and asked, "Who are you?"
Fu Yunxiu guessed that this must be the granddaughter that Granny Zhang had taken in some time ago. Facing the little girl, Fu Yunxiu finally suppressed some of his anger, forced a smile, and asked softly, "Is your grandmother here?"
Before the girl could speak, she heard Zhang Mama's voice from inside, "Ni'er, who is it?"
As soon as the little girl heard her grandmother's voice, she ran over excitedly, saying as she ran, "I don't know either, she looks unfamiliar."
The little girl didn't close the door before running away, so Fu Yunxiu simply pushed the door open and went in.
Zhang Mama's room was still the same as before. It wasn't luxurious, but like Steward Xu's room, it was the best among the servants in terms of both lighting and furnishings.
Fu Yunxiu had played in this room more than once, so he was very familiar with its layout. After entering, he sat down and poured himself a cup of tea.
The place where he sat was separated from the resting area by a screen. After a while, Granny Zhang came out, supported by the young maid. When she saw that the person who came was Fu Yunxiu, she was slightly surprised. "It's raining so hard outside, young master. Why did you come? You could have just sent someone to summon me. Why did you come in person?"
Looking around, Zhang Mama realized that Fu Yunxiu had come alone. Seeing his somber expression, she understood that he must have come for a reason.
"Did you come alone, young master?" asked Granny Zhang.
"Well, I was thinking that you suffer from leg pain whenever it rains, so I came to check on you. Are you feeling better? Have you seen a doctor?" Fu Yunxiu said.
"Thank you for your concern, young master. My leg is an old problem, and it's the same whether I see a doctor or not. Fortunately, I have this little girl with me now, which is some comfort." Zhang Mama looked at Fu Yunxiu and decided to break through the surface of peace. "Young master, you've come here because you have something to discuss with me, haven't you?"
"As always, Granny can see through my thoughts at a glance." Fu Yunxiu said, "Indeed, I do have some questions that I need Granny to answer. Please tell me the truth."
His seriousness immediately made Zhang Mama realize that perhaps what he was about to ask was not something nice.
Zhang Mama didn't speak, but that didn't stop Fu Yunxiu from asking, "Does Mama know the truth about the poisoning I suffered back then?"
“This…” Zhang Mama was flustered when she realized that he was asking about this. “Why is the young master asking about this? It’s been so long, and I’m getting old. I’m afraid I don’t remember.”
Judging from his reaction, Fu Yunxiu was almost certain that the truth was pretty much what he had guessed.
“Does Granny not remember, or is she too ashamed to speak?” Fu Yunxiu pressed, giving her no room to maneuver. “If Granny is unwilling to speak, perhaps I can go directly to ask Mother. She should tell me the truth.”
As he was about to get up and leave, he was stopped by Granny Zhang, who said, "Young master, please don't go."
The lady is straightforward; if the young master were to ask her, the mother and son would surely have a very unpleasant argument.
Zhang Mama had been serving Madam Fu since she was still unmarried, and over the years, she had come to regard Madam Fu as her own daughter.
As for Fu Yunxiu, she felt she owed him a lot, so when he was still in the Marquis's mansion, Zhang Mama treated him extremely well, which could be considered as making up for what Madam Fu owed him.
"Young master, please don't go. I'll tell you whatever you want to know." Granny Zhang sat in the chair, recalling the past, her old eyes still filled with sorrow.
"Actually, this is not the lady's fault. At that time, she had just married into the Marquis's mansion and had no relatives or friends. Before he was married, the Marquis was a womanizer, but after the marriage, he treated the lady very well, and the two had a very deep affection for each other."
Zhang Mama's narration made Fu Yunxiu subconsciously frown. What he said and what Zhang Mama was about to say seemed to be different things.
Perhaps there are things he doesn't know.
But he didn't interrupt her; he just listened quietly.
Granny Zhang continued, "But that's good, it only lasted until the lady became pregnant. When the Marquis learned that the lady was pregnant, he was very happy at first and put the lady first in everything. But because the lady was pregnant and could not serve him, the Marquis often frequented brothels. At first, the lady was saddened when she found out about this, but she turned a blind eye. But gradually, the Marquis became more and more outrageous and even brought those women to his home."
Isn't this humiliating the lady?
The lady had made a scene several times, but the Marquis would only chase her away temporarily and then continue doing as he pleased. Furious, the lady drugged herself.
Madam Fu's uncle was a doctor, and through his exposure to medicine, he learned some medical principles. He knew that the dosage of those medicines would not cause much harm to either herself or the fetus.
Sure enough, after the lady vomited blood and the doctor determined that someone had poisoned her, the Marquis dared not bring outsiders into the mansion again.
Several months passed peacefully. When the lady was eight months pregnant, the Marquis suddenly said he wanted to take a concubine and, disregarding the lady's objections, insisted on bringing her over.
That concubine is none other than the current Madam Liu.
After what happened before, Madam Fu had already lost all hope in the Marquis. But the mistake was that after Lady Liu was welcomed into the mansion, her servants ran up to Madam Fu and said that Madam Fu had stolen Lady Liu's title of Marquis's wife and that Madam Fu should step down.
In a fit of anger, the lady went into premature labor and had a difficult delivery.
Granny Zhang still remembers that at that time, almost all the midwives in Yongzhou City gathered at the Marquis's mansion. Basins of bloody water were brought out of the house, and it took a whole day and night before the mother and child were finally safe.
Every time she recalls that scene from back then, Granny Zhang feels lingering fear.
"And then?" Fu Yunxiu continued to ask.
Granny Zhang had already forgotten that Fu Yunxiu had come to inquire about the poisoning. Intending to ease the tension between mother and son, she continued, "Madam has given birth to a son, the eldest son of the Marquis's family, so the Marquis is naturally overjoyed. However, perhaps due to premature birth, or perhaps due to the poison, you are weak and sickly. Madam has been taking care of you, her mouth is full of blisters, and she can't sleep all night."
Fortunately, perseverance pays off. When you were three years old, your wife became pregnant again.
Similarly, Lady Liu also became pregnant.
That Lady Liu was always putting on an act. After becoming pregnant, she would often pester the Marquis with claims of being unwell. The Lady let her do as she pleased, her only thought being to take good care of you and the child in your womb.
Until three months later, on a rainy day, you insisted on going to play in the garden. The roads were slippery from the rain, and your wife fell on her way to find you, losing the child.
Although this is not your fault, your wife has just lost her child and, in her grief, has drifted apart from you.
But five months later, Lady Liu gave birth to a son, who is now the second young master.
Because of this incident, ever since Fu Yunxiu was three years old and had memories, he felt that his mother was not close to him.
When he was five years old, Madam Fu became pregnant again.
During this pregnancy, Madam Fu was extremely careful. Apart from necessary daily outings, she refused to even leave the house. After Fu Yunting was born, she did everything herself and refused to entrust anything to others.
She had tried to persuade the lady not to be so stubborn, lest she hurt the child's feelings and damage the mother-son relationship, but the lady wouldn't listen.
She was busy taking care of Fu Yunting and fighting wits with Liu Shi, and hardly gave Fu Yunxiu any care.
Until... when Fu Yunting was five years old, Liu's brother made meritorious contributions in the army and won the emperor's praise. At the same time, Liu was pregnant. The Marquis was so happy that he wanted to promote Liu to a concubine.
Originally, this was nothing special. Whether it was a concubine or a noble concubine, she was ultimately inferior to the principal wife.
However, Lady Liu had been used to fighting with Madam Fu for years, and she did not want to serve tea to Madam Fu in front of everyone in the Marquis's mansion. So she bribed a servant to tamper with the Third Young Master's food and drink, so as to prevent Madam Fu from attending the banquet.
But she didn't know that all those who served Madam Fu were loyal servants. The person she had bribed told Madam Fu everything the very next day.
Madam Fu was knowledgeable in pharmacology and immediately recognized that the medicine Liu had given her was croton, which would cause diarrhea.
However, her actions did indeed anger Madam Fu. Especially since Madam Fu had been riding high lately, repeatedly showing off her power and influence in front of her.
So, she decided to go all the way and replaced the croton oil she gave to the maid with poison. The jewelry she bribed the maid with was solid evidence of this.
“The Third Young Master has always been strong and healthy. That little bit of poison wouldn’t have been a big problem for him. But I never imagined that you would accidentally eat that bowl of egg custard.” Zhang Mama burst into tears, lamenting that Madam Fu had no choice in the matter. But Fu Yunxiu listened with only a deep coldness in his eyes.
If he had previously felt some guilt or deep affection for Madam Fu, all of that had vanished at this moment.
There's no such thing as a lucky break.
He still remembered that time when he was playing with Fu Yunting, who was only three years old, in the front yard. The Marquis's mansion was exceptionally lively that day, decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations. His father was also very happy, and his smile never stopped.
Later, Fu Yunting cried and made a fuss. His father said he was hungry and asked a maid to carry him back to the East Garden to eat.
His mother brought out a bowl of steamed egg custard from the kitchen; it looked tempting and smelled delicious. Fu Yunting waved his little hand, saying he wanted some, but his mother, who always granted his every wish, didn't do so for the first time. Instead, she beckoned to him, who was peeking through the door.
Even today, Fu Yunxiu still remembers the smile on her face, bright and loving, like the warm afternoon sun.
She held him on her lap and watched him eat the bowl of steamed egg custard, bite by bite.
Even when her younger brother was wailing beside her, she ignored him.
At that time, he naively thought that he had finally received his mother's favor, just like his younger brother, but little did he know... it was all a lie.
It's all... a lie.
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