Nineteen-year-old Delin knelt as still as a rock, saying nothing. Fifteen-year-old Dexuan, less composed than Delin, endured the stinging pain from the stones on his knees, but couldn't bear to see his great hero kneeling there in such a sorry state. He rose, walked to Fukang'an's side, and knelt again. "Father," he said, "I know you miss Grandmother, but if she were alive, she would be heartbroken to see you neglecting your health like this! Heshen holds absolute power in the court, and both Grandfather Gui and I are not in the capital. If no one in the court had spoken on your behalf, you would have returned long ago! I believe you must not let worry harm your health, but instead offer loyal advice to the Emperor to cleanse the court!"
Yan Ning stared in shock at De Xuan, who usually wielded a spear and sword. Having grown up alongside Fu Chang'an, he was usually glib and smooth-talking, unlike De Lin who was composed and steady. Apart from his martial arts skills, he bore no resemblance to Fu Kang'an. Yet, his words today were strikingly similar to Fu Kang'an's former calm and collected demeanor.
Fukang'an's gaze shifted, fixed on Dexuan for a long time. Dexuan met Fukang'an's gaze without the slightest fear. After about half an incense stick's time, Fukang'an glanced at the old lady's tomb again. He reached out to Dexuan, his hand like a rock that had stood for a day and a night, every movement accompanied by the cracking sound of his bones. Dexuan also reached out, grasping Fukang'an's hand to give him strength and help him rise.
The cracking sounds from Fukang'an's joints pained Yan Ning. She swayed as she got up, and Delin helped her up.
After resting at his residence for two days, Fukang'an inquired about some court affairs with Fu Chang'an before going to the palace to pay his respects to the Emperor. He understood the Emperor's intentions; if the Emperor hadn't been so heartless, he feared he would have been murdered on the way.
Upon hearing that he was kneeling outside to pay his respects, the Emperor personally came out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation to greet him, extending a hand from afar with faltering steps. Seeing this, Fukang'an rose and grasped the Emperor's hand without permission.
A middle-aged man and an elderly woman walked hand in hand toward the Sanxi Hall. On the table sat a plate of peony-patterned chestnut cakes. The Emperor's hand trembled slightly as he picked it up. "Your mother was the most beautiful woman in Manchuria. In her youth, she boasted that even peonies paled in comparison to her! Yet she loved these deep-colored chestnuts! Chestnuts, like 'li' (a homophone for 'son' in Chinese), she was telling me that I must not let you leave the Fucha Mansion!"
The Sanxi Hall was draped with black curtains, allowing no sunlight to penetrate. Relying solely on the flickering light of candles, the emperor's aged and decrepit appearance was all the more striking.
Fukang'an took two pieces of peony chestnut cake from the jade porcelain plate. The bright peony color and the deep chestnut color complemented each other on the jade porcelain plate, resembling a beautiful woman's face and a garland of clouds. He placed one in the emperor's hand and ate one himself. After adding the peony flower, which was the old lady's favorite, this chestnut cake was no longer the same as it used to be.
His eyes welled with longing, but he dared not provoke the Emperor's heartache. He looked at the Emperor and smiled, "Mother fears that Your Majesty's favoritism towards me would lead to a loss of ancestral rules!"
Upon hearing the ancestral rules, the Emperor's face showed a mixture of helpless anger. He gestured for Fukang'an to open the two discarded imperial edicts on the table, saying, "These were originally drafted by me before your mother passed away!"
Fukang'an's eyes narrowed sharply when he saw the two imperial edicts. One was the Emperor's declaration of repentance and restoration of his imperial lineage, and the other was the conferment of the title of Prince Zhong of the First Rank. He immediately put down the edicts and knelt beside the Emperor's boots, saying, "Your Majesty must not allow future generations to criticize Your Majesty's moral character!"
The Emperor placed his hand on Fukang'an's forehead. "You are now besieged on all sides, yet you still worry about me! Even though you are not a member of the imperial clan, I am willing to bestow this title upon you! It is solely for the sake of our father-son bond, and has nothing to do with blood ties or imperial lineage!"
Every inch of affection spread between the two, and Fukang'an held the Emperor's hand that was placed on his shoulder tightly.
The pavilion near Liuxiang Garden in Fuzhai was destroyed to connect the artificial hills that were previously blocked by the pavilion. As a result, Taihu stones stretch for several miles, interspersed with bamboo groves and gardens. Leaving Liuxiang Garden and stepping onto the covered walkway, one feels as if they are in the wilderness.
After the old lady passed away, Yan Ning took advantage of Fu Kang'an's presence at the mansion and moved to the Fu residence with her three children. De Lin, having a concubine and children, found it inconvenient and stayed at the mansion. Yan Ning knew that he was worried about Xi Ying and feared that Xi Ying would be neglected by the servants while he was away.
Because Fukang'an is no longer alive, Delin's principal wife has not yet been chosen. When the old lady was alive, matchmakers visited the mansion several times, but the eligible young ladies of the imperial clan all longed for Dexuan. Everyone in the capital knew that although Delin was nominally the eldest son of the Fucha family, the true legitimate son was Dexuan. When Delin was fifteen, the old lady arranged for him to take two concubines, Mianyanzi. Now that Dexuan has reached marriageable age, Yanning does not want him to marry so early. Now that the old lady has passed away, no one dares to mention this matter to the Fucha family.
Yunxin rarely went out and stayed in her own courtyard all day. Yunwan was spoiled since childhood and had no trace of the delicate beauty of a young lady. She stayed in Liuxiang Garden and clung to Fukang'an and Yan Ning. Seeing Yunwan's age, Fukang'an himself brought up the marriages of his two daughters to Dexuan.
There were few young men in the capital who were about the same age as Yunwan and Yunxin. The emperor once wanted to arrange a marriage between the beautiful Yunwan and the chief of a grassland tribe in order to win them over, but he gave up the idea because Yunwan was ill at home for a long time.
When Fukang'an was choosing marriage partners for his two daughters, he naturally excluded the sons of his relatives and mostly selected sons of civil officials, whom he looked down upon.
Knowing he wouldn't be staying in the capital for long, Fukang'an, after the old lady's seven-day mourning period, chose a well-known matchmaker in the capital to spread the news that he was going to select husbands for Yunwan and Yunxin. Soon after, the Fu residence became deserted.
Upon learning that Fukang'an was going to arrange a marriage for her, Yunwan disregarded Yan Ning's objections and stormed into the study to tell Fukang'an about her love for Wuergong'a. Fukang'an was furious, sweeping the writing implements off his desk. His middle-aged face was stern, his fatherly authority evident in his furrowed brows. He sternly rebuked Yunwan, saying, "You'd better abandon this idea now! My children will never be related to the royal family by marriage!"
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