Not only was Madam Cheng surprised, but Aunt Li was also taken aback that Fu Qiyuan already knew the whole story. When Fu Ting took out the letter left by Fu Qiyuan from the study and unfolded it in front of everyone, the two mothers reacted in exactly the same way: equally shocked and equally incredulous.
Fu Qichen raised an eyebrow slightly and gave a self-deprecating laugh.
Fu Qiyuan's meaning was simple: during the years he was away, his younger brother had taken care of their parents and fulfilled his filial duties in his place, for which he was grateful and therefore wanted to let the matter drop.
Fu Ting also had his own judgment, and when his son gave him this letter before leaving, he became even more certain of some of his thoughts.
After her initial shock and anger came boundless frustration and dejection. She had been focused on planning for her son's future and had finally found an opportunity to bring the mother and son down, but her son dealt her a fatal blow at the crucial moment.
She was heartbroken, yet a raging fire burned within her. She couldn't bear to ignore her son's decision, but the mother and son who were an eyesore before her had to endure her thunderous fury!
"Li Yun, I order you to get out of the Minister's residence right now, immediately! If I see you again, beat you to death! Fu Qichen, if you dare to lay a hand on my Yuan'er again, I will make you and your son wish you were dead!"
Cheng could take the opportunity to retaliate against her concubine Li Yun, but she couldn't do anything to Fu Qichen. Fu Tingcai was the head of the family, and no matter what his illegitimate son was like, it was not up to his wife to deal with him.
Fu Ting seemed not to hear Cheng Shi's words and said to the concubine who was slumped on the ground, "Go back to the Marquis's mansion or go to the house that I have prepared outside. You can choose. Chen'er, go and see your aunt off."
This farce ultimately ended in a way that no one was satisfied with but also accepted, with no one gaining anything.
Fu Ting, the true master of the Ministry of Personnel, with an indifferent yet fair attitude, dealt a heavy blow to the dignity and confidence of the matriarch, Madam Cheng, with a single sentence, and also resolved the more than ten years of scheming and maneuvering of the concubine, Li Yun, in the mansion.
Yes, it can be summed up in one sentence. Fu Ting ignored Cheng's eighteen years of grievances and resentment, and Li Yun's painstaking efforts over more than ten years ultimately came to nothing—an outcome Fu Ting had long foreseen.
Because I lost the person I cared about, I don't care about anything anymore!
And because there are people I care about, I no longer tolerate those flies and insects in the shadows.
Jiang Shan did not inquire about the progress of the case from Magistrate Cao again. It was Magistrate Cao's wife, Song Wanrong, who took the initiative to visit him and brought the truth that she desperately wanted to know but dared not know.
Just as Jiang Shan had predicted, the person behind the thieves who instigated them to attack him pointed directly at Yuzhou City. That force was not something a mere county magistrate could easily touch, especially since his influence did not extend to Yuzhou.
"Sister Shan'er, it's all my fault. That scoundrel of a man disregarded morality for his own future. He has no conscience. I must have been blind to have fallen for such an ungrateful wretch!" Song Wanrong cried while blowing her nose with a handkerchief.
She was truly heartbroken. She had thought her husband was a man who could be both flexible and resilient, but it turned out he was a coward who was afraid of offending powerful people. These past few days, the couple had almost turned the county government upside down with their arguments!
Jiang Shan forced a smile and comforted her, "Sister, what are you saying? Lord Cao is just the magistrate of Guyang County. Even if he wanted to help, he wouldn't have the ability to arrest people in Yuzhou City. Sister, please don't be angry. I really don't blame him!"
Song Wanrong flung her handkerchief aside and cried even harder, “Why not? He can ask his superiors to send troops to support him. No matter how powerful those people are, they can’t compare to the local prefect, right? He’s the local official, and if he doesn’t serve the people, he might as well go home and sell sweet potatoes! In a couple of days, I’ll take Qing’er back to our hometown and let him get promoted and make a fortune on his own!”
Jiang Shan was deeply moved. She shook off the jumbled thoughts in her mind and smiled, "Sister Wanrong, don't say such discouraging things. Even for Qing'er's sake, you can't act impulsively. This matter isn't urgent. We can discuss it further after the new magistrate of Guyang County takes office."
Song Wanrong's eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands forcefully. "I heard that the new magistrate was sent down from the capital. That's the imperial city, and it's never short of imperial relatives. Maybe the new magistrate himself comes from a powerful family. Who knows who will be afraid of whom then!"
Jiang Shan smiled bitterly to herself. She dared not think that way. The powerful and wealthy were not things that ordinary people like them could easily touch.
But for some reason, Fu Qiyuan's handsome face flashed through her mind for a moment. He was a true nobleman!
Like a sprout breaking through the soil, some evil elements were unleashed by Jiangshan. She thought of the story of "a beauty who would risk everything for a man's sake", the sticky and ambiguous feelings in the letters she wrote to Fu Qiyuan, and the look in his eyes when he left. Her heart had already drifted away to who knows where.
Seeing Jiang Shan's face turn pale and red in turns, sometimes biting her lip and sometimes gritting her teeth, Song Wanrong couldn't help but curiously move closer.
"Sister Shan'er? What are you thinking about, so engrossed!"
Jiang Shan was startled, touched his burning cheeks, and said with a dazed look in his eyes, "I... I wasn't thinking about anything. I just wonder how Sanlang is doing in Yuzhou..."
You little liar!
Song Wanrong curled her lip in disdain, but did not expose her, saying, "Don't worry, although my husband is not very capable, he has promised me that he will not ignore this matter. This is not over!"
The implication is that although Magistrate Cao cannot do anything about the forces in Yuzhou, he will not let them get away with it. He will investigate thoroughly and keep a close eye on the people who need to be investigated. If the new magistrate is a real powerful figure, he would be happy to do Jiangshan this favor.
For Jiang Shan, this was already an extremely difficult achievement, and she understood that it was only because of Song Wanrong's tireless assistance that such a result was possible.
"Thank you, Sister Wanrong!"
After seeing off the county magistrate's wife, Jiang Shan returned to the living room, where Jiao's mother also came out.
Seeing Jiang Shan clutching his lower back, unable to hide his exhaustion, her eyes were filled with tenderness, yet she remained silent, not uttering a single word.
“Mother, at this critical moment, we must take care of the present. The shop must continue to operate normally. We will have to trouble you to personally oversee things for the next few months!” Jiang Shan held Jiao’s mother’s hand, all his anxiety well hidden in his clear eyes.
Jiao's mother didn't speak. She looked at the pair of soft, white hands that were holding hers. The child was still a child, yet she had to worry about the livelihood of her family and was also carrying the heavy burden of becoming a mother. As her mother, she could only stand behind and watch, unable to do anything.
She painstakingly raised someone else's child, but in the blink of an eye, that immense kindness turned into a sharp blade held to her and the child's necks. How could she accept this?
A fierce rage surged within her once more towards that child. That blind, unfilial son! How could he, how dare he…!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
