Zhang Fuyong stood under the corridor of the main hall, his hands clasped behind his back.
The trees in the courtyard were blown by the northern wind, sending flurries of leaves falling to the ground. The servants passing by to sweep sneaked glances at the newcomer, making their own guesses about his identity.
When Xu Zhongyi arrived, he was full of anger, but upon truly seeing Zhang Fuyong under the corridor, it dissipated.
“Zhang Fourth Son,” Magistrate Xu called out, raising his voice.
Zhang Fuyong turned his head, looking at the hastily arriving Magistrate Xu, and said neither warmly nor coldly, “I had thought the Magistrate Xu had climbed up to a higher branch and would refuse to come see me.”
Magistrate Xu choked on his words. “What kind of talk…”
He had originally intended to try and get close to Zhang Fuyong, but Zhang Fuyong completely ignored the attempt at small talk. Staring at him coldly, he said, “Today, Zhaoyun and I were shopping on the street. We had some winter clothes made at home and figured we would drop them off for Zhihe on the way… But we seem to have arrived at a bad time. Zhihe suffered a severe fright and caught a chill. Listening to the subordinates explain the cause, it seems the Magistrate was planning to send Zhihe away to be someone’s concubine?”
Magistrate Xu’s face turned blue, then white.
Thank goodness the manservant was sensible and brought him through the side door, preventing others from seeing this.
Having spoken his piece in one breath, Zhang Fuyong was still not satisfied. “The Magistrate is already the parent official of a county. Yet I have never heard of a Magistrate sending his own daughter to be a concubine for a Xianwei under his command. Later, I asked Da-niangzi, but Da-niangzi hemmed and hawed, refusing to speak clearly. Only later did I find out that the Xianwei has a distant relative serving as a high-ranking official in the capital city of Bianjing… Ridiculous, how ridiculous! Is the Magistrate not worried that if word gets out, people will mock you for selling your daughter for glory?”
He spoke straightforwardly, not leaving Magistrate Xu even a shred of face.
Magistrate Xu’s face flushed the color of pig liver. Although he had indeed intended to use his daughter as a stepping stone for his rapid rise to power, having it laid bare so nakedly by someone else was ultimately hard to swallow.
In the distance, the sweeping servants bowed their heads low, wishing they could turn themselves completely deaf.
But with such a lively spectacle unfolding, they couldn’t bear not to listen either. Their feet were glued to the ground, unable to move away.
Magistrate Xu had little true ability, but he cared deeply about his face. After a brief flash of struggle crossed his features, he said in a muffled and heavy voice, “Why does Fourth Son say this? I have never said I would send Zhihe to be someone’s concubine. She is, after all, my daughter; how could I ever demean her? It must have been that Lü-shi sowing discord and spreading rumors, buzzing over like a fly smelling meat the moment she saw a bit of advantage… Rest assured, Fourth Son, women do not understand the rules. When I return, I will give her a good teaching!”
With just a touch of his upper and lower lips, he completely pushed all the blame onto Madame Lü.
Zhang Fuyong did not believe it in his heart, but with Magistrate Xu having spoken to this extent, arguing further would only cause them both to lose face and give outsiders a joke to laugh at.
He quit while he was ahead, his expression softening a fraction. “I knew it! Brother-in-law, you have always cherished Zhihe; how could you stand by and watch her be pushed into a fire pit? It turns out it was all a misunderstanding. Fourth Son apologizes to Brother-in-law here, and I beg Brother-in-law’s forgiveness.”
After speaking, he bowed slightly and cupped his hands in greeting toward Magistrate Xu.
Xu Zhongyi’s vanity was instantly and immensely satisfied.
He waved his hand. “No harm done, no harm done. As long as family speaks clearly, it is fine. You have come a long way from Shuiyang County; stay at the residence for a few days first and keep Zhihe company.”
When Zhang Fuyong arrived, he had already made up his mind to settle this matter regarding Xu Zhihe completely. If he left ambiguously and Zhihe suffered grievances in the future, his third sister would not be able to rest in peace under the Nine Springs.
Hearing Magistrate Xu’s words, he played along and said, “In that case, many thanks to Brother-in-law for the hospitality.”
Magistrate Xu exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then a registrar came to request him. Taking the opportunity, Zhang Fuyong cupped his hands and took his leave. “With Brother-in-law’s word, my heart is much more at ease. Brother-in-law is diligent in official affairs; Fourth Son will take a step first.”
Magistrate Xu watched him leave with a beaming smile. As soon as the person was gone, his face instantly turned several degrees colder.
The Zhang family originally came from a farming background and was nothing to fear. However, this Zhang Fuyong was a promising one. At twenty-eight, he had already become a Juren, and with Master Tang from the White Deer Grotto Academy passing down all his knowledge to him, becoming a Jinshi in the future was not entirely impossible.
If it weren’t for Zhang Fuyong’s sake, he truly wouldn’t have treated the idle gossip of others as anything important.
It was just… in this case, he could completely forget about using the Third Girl.
The Fourth Miss had Madame Lü protecting her, and behind her was her maternal grandfather, Lü Ding. The Sixth Miss was born of Concubine Yao, and Concubine Yao viewed this daughter as more important than her own life; if he touched her, he feared it would damage the affection between him and Concubine Yao. Moreover, he himself was very reluctant to part with her.
It seemed that the fast horse of Xianwei Wei was ultimately not one he could hitch a ride on.
He let out a somewhat regretful sigh in his heart. After this year, he would be thirty-nine next year. Having struggled and fought his whole life, his official career would eighty percent likely stall out at County Magistrate.
Thinking this way, his heart couldn’t help but feel terribly uncomfortable again…
With Tang Zhaoyun looking after her, Xu Zhihe slept very peacefully.
When Zhang Fuyong returned, she was still asleep. Tang Zhaoyun made a hand gesture, signaling him to step outside to talk.
“Has everything been settled properly?”
Looking at his expression, Tang Zhaoyun asked softly.
Zhang Fuyong nodded and smiled. “Magistrate Xu places heavy importance on face, and he bullies the weak while fearing the strong. A few words of warning, and he amounts to nothing.”
Tang Zhaoyun nodded. “Since we have gotten a firm answer, you and I will go and speak clearly with Da-niangzi shortly. There is no need to disturb Zhihe.”
The little girl had suffered this ordeal and was truly pitiful. As her elders, since they were already here, how could they let her worry over everything herself?
This was exactly what Zhang Fuyong meant as well. He looked at his wife, gently holding her hand. “However, with Zhihe like this now, I ultimately cannot put my mind at ease. Can you and I stay at the Xu residence for a few days, and leave only after things have completely stabilized?”
Tang Zhaoyun looked at him and smiled, “Husband’s heart and eyes are completely filled with Zhihe right now. If Zhihe is not stable for a single day, how could you calm your mind to do anything else? Your family is my family; you only need to rest assured.”
A warm current flowed through Zhang Fuyong’s heart. He took Tang Zhaoyun’s hand, and the two smiled at each other. Hand in hand, they walked to the main hall and clarified the matter with Madame Lü.
Madame Lü forced herself to listen through it, the smile on her face faint, and her expression exhausted.
Neither Zhang Fuyong nor Tang Zhaoyun were the unforgiving sort. After explaining the ins and outs of the matter clearly, they left together.
All that was left was Madame Lü, her head splitting with pain, resentfully clutching her handkerchief—that day, she had clearly discussed it with Magistrate Xu, but now, he had pushed all the blame onto her, making her, the legitimate mother, look petty and intolerant of others.
Sun Mama saw it all and felt the pain in her heart. “Da-niangzi, you look haggard; you really ought to rest properly.”
Madame Lü shook her head. “The Zhang family has brought people to stay for a few days. As Da-niangzi, I naturally must see to it that they are taken good care of.”
Seeing that her mind was made up, Sun Mama couldn’t easily persuade her otherwise. She cast a worried glance at her and turned away to make preparations.
In truth, she wanted to say that not everything required her personal involvement. These thankless tasks could easily be handed over to Concubine Yao or Concubine Du. If they hosted well, that would be the end of it; if they hosted poorly, she could use the opportunity to flare up at them.
But for so many years, Madame Lü had controlled the household keys and tallies, refusing to yield even the slightest bit of household management power to anyone else.
Doing this had both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage was that from top to bottom, all the servants and laborers in the residence only recognized Madame Lü and no one else. The disadvantage was the physical and mental exhaustion; in her early thirties, she had already grown white hairs and looked quite haggard.
When Xu Zhihe woke up, two pieces of good news arrived one after the other.
First, she no longer had to be someone’s concubine.
Second, her younger uncle and aunt would stay at the Xu residence for a few days.
Xu Zhihe became overjoyed. Climbing out of bed, she threw her arms around Tang Zhaoyun and refused to let go, her voice soft and leaping with joy, “Younger Aunt, you are truly my lucky star!”
Watching from the side, Zhang Fuyong suddenly felt a sense of emotion. If he had a daughter at home, he imagined she would look exactly like the girl before him.
He teased on purpose, “Could it be that your younger uncle is not?”
Xu Zhihe quickly replied, “Younger Uncle naturally is too. Younger Uncle and Aunt are both my lucky stars!”
Standing to the side, Fang Li laughed along with them.
What she was smiling about was very simple: the Zhang family had arrived. Out of consideration for the Zhang family’s face, the Miss would no longer have to suffer the freezing cold for these next few days.
And as for their allotted meals, they wouldn’t be completely devoid of meat anymore.
Dinner was just as Fang Li expected. Not only did the dishes contain slices of meat, but there was also a piping hot pot of mutton soup, seasoned with pepper and Japanese catnip. One sip, and her entire body warmed up.
Fang Li also received a bowl. Holding her soup, her eyes curved into smiling crescents as she said innocently, “This servant truly wishes Young Master Zhang could stay here forever.”
Xu Zhihe thought the exact same thing in her heart.
But how could that be possible? Staying for a period of time was justifiable, but if he stayed forever, wouldn’t they become a nuisance to others?
Furthermore, her younger uncle still had to go to the White Deer Grotto Academy to study and attain an official rank. She could not delay him.
Xu Zhihe finished the last bit of mutton soup in her bowl, picked up a handkerchief to dab the corners of her mouth, and tucked her little feet into the blanket.
Fang Li lit the brazier, called out an acknowledgement, packed up the used bowls and chopsticks, and returned them to the main kitchen.
Xu Zhihe watched her leave, but her mind was still calculating matters.
Looking at it now, this current hurdle was barely considered passed. However, as long as her marriage remained unresolved for a single day, the variable would always exist.
The words her younger aunt had said to her today served as a wake-up call—her younger uncle couldn’t be here forever. When her younger uncle and aunt took their cousin to Xunyang, the matter of her marriage would once again be entirely at the mercy of Magistrate Xu and Madame Lü.
The more she thought about it the more Xu Zhihe couldn’t help but want to pull her own hair. Yet, the moment her hands touched the top of her head, she couldn’t bear to pull.
Hair might seem insignificant, but if it fell out in large handfuls, her heart would truly ache.
Xu Zhihe could only rage incompetently in her heart. Curse the commands of parents and the words of matchmakers!
No, she absolutely could not let Magistrate Xu and Madame Lü lead her around by the nose. Between those two, one wanted absolutely nothing to do with her, and the other never even showed her a pleasant face. Expecting them to pick out a good marriage for her was no different from a fool’s daydream.
She still had to rely on herself.
Fang Li returned from delivering the bowls and chopsticks. As soon as she entered the door, she stomped her feet and said to Xu Zhihe, “This servant just returned from dropping off the things. I took a glance in the main hall. Young Master Zhang and Magistrate Xu drank a few cups and are just about to retire.”
Although Magistrate Xu was unhappy in his heart, he made sure to do a thorough job of keeping up appearances, preparing a full table of dishes to welcome the fourth son of the Zhang family.
Xu Zhihe gave a hum of acknowledgement, her gaze landing on the moonlight pooling on the floor of the room.
She needed to think of a way to settle her own marriage as soon as possible.
…
The chill Xu Zhihe had caught was not a major illness, but Tang Zhaoyun refused to relax her vigilance. She spent nearly eight or nine days recuperating before Tang Zhaoyun allowed Xu Zhihe to get out of bed and move around.
Tang Zhaoyun was doing this for her own good, and she knew it in her heart. She also didn’t want to end up with a sickly body, so the two women were of the exact same mind.
Following her younger aunt’s wishes, Xu Zhihe stayed quietly in the west wing, avoiding the wind.
She rested peacefully in the west wing. The Fourth Miss, the Sixth Miss, as well as the Fifth Brother and Seventh Brother raised by Concubine Du, were all driven over by Madame Lü to visit her. Madame Lü herself, however, claimed to be too busy with household affairs to find the time.
It was just a quick meeting; how much time could it possibly delay? Everyone knew it in their hearts and did not point it out.
The Fifth Brother, Xu Yingzhang, had already turned fourteen and would be fifteen after the New Year. The clothes he wore were entirely different from those of the newly five-year-old Seventh Brother. Dressed in a grayish-blue cloth shirt, he looked every bit the young scholar.
She had heard… Xu Yingzhang was currently terribly worried. The resources at the county school were limited, yet with the New Year approaching, he still hadn’t secured a place at an academy.
He hadn’t found a teacher, either.
Xu Zhihe’s gaze lingered on him for a moment longer.
Tugging on his younger brother’s hand, Xu Yingzhang said gently, “Third Sister is ill, and your younger brothers are worried in our hearts. Is Third Sister feeling better now?”
Xu Zhihe looked back at him just as gently. “I am feeling much better. Your studies are important, Yingzhang; why go through the trouble of making this special trip?”
Xu Yingzhang smiled. “It’s no trouble.”
Beside him, Xu Lanshu casually surveyed the layout of the west wing—she hardly saw this west wing a few times all year round. The furnishings inside were simple, and without the brazier lit, it truly felt exactly like an ice cellar.
She even felt a lingering smell of mildew hovering around the tip of her nose.
Xu Lanshu twitched her nose and looked at the maid serving beside her with a face full of complaint, “We’ve met who we needed to meet, and we’ve seen what we needed to see. There’s nothing new here! Dan Gui, let’s go back.”
T/n: The New chapter is up! Enjoy the ride and do join us on this adventure 😍🎉🎊. If you want to support me, do check my other novels on my Translator’s Page🫶. You can support the original author here. Please vote on NU here. If you’re interested, you can also buy me a Ko-Fi. Happy Reading 🤓 💅.