Fu Jiuyun’s eyes lit up: “Then we must go even more!”
“We do need to go, but how?” Lady Fu set down her teacup and looked at her son. “The invitation clearly states that it is for the young mistress of Fu Fu, Madam Shu, and the second young lady of Fu Fu, Fu Jiuyun. Your mother’s name is not on it.”
Only then did Fu Jiuque realize the situation, and his expression changed.
“This means that without Shu Nansheng, I cannot even enter the palace gates,” Lady Fu said word by word. “Your sister going alone? An unmarried young lady, without an elder accompanying her, entering the palace alone to attend a banquet? What would people say if word got out! Others would only say that our Fu family has no manners and lacks upbringing!”
The room fell silent.
Fu Jiuyun bit her lip and whispered, “Then why didn’t Imperial Consort invite Mother?”
“That brings me to the second matter,” Lady Fu rubbed her temples. “I’ve been thinking, this invitation is quite peculiar. It didn’t come earlier or later, but precisely when Shu Nansheng is making a fuss about divorce and wanting to return to her maiden home. Think about it, although we’ve suppressed the matter of her hanging herself, where in this world is there a wall that doesn’t leak wind?”
Fu Jiuque’s heart skipped a beat: “What do you mean, Mother?”
“Someone wants to see our family become a laughingstock,” Lady Fu’s voice turned cold. “Shu Nansheng is at her maiden home, and our household is missing its young mistress—this cannot be hidden. Imperial Consort might have mentioned it casually, but those below are bound to gossip. If we truly don’t let Shu Nansheng go, we’ll be giving them exactly what they want.”
Fu Jiuyun grew anxious: “Then what should we do? We can’t really go beg her to come back, can we? Wouldn’t that make Brother’s beating for nothing?”
“The beating might be for nothing, but compared to the family’s future, what does that matter?” Lady Fu looked at her son, her tone turning serious. “Jiuque, you haven’t been back in the capital for long, and the Ministry of Personnel’s commendation document hasn’t been issued yet, has it?”
Fu Jiuque nodded.
He had served as a general for several years with good evaluations and was waiting for a substantive appointment.
This matter had already been delayed for two months, and he was anxious about it.
“Think about it, if news spreads now that our family is forcing our lawful wife to divorce, what would those in the Ministry of Personnel think?”
Lady Fu lowered her voice. “Can someone who can’t even manage their household well be a good official? Besides, Zhaoping Hou has many old acquaintances in the Ministry of Personnel. If the Marchioness deliberately causes trouble, Jiuque’s commendation might fall through.”
Cold sweat broke out on Fu Jiuque’s forehead.
Lady Fu continued: “And there’s also Jiuyun’s marriage. She’s sixteen this year, not too old, not too young. How many sons of noble families will attend this flower-viewing banquet? It’s the perfect opportunity for matchmaking. If Shu Nansheng doesn’t go and Jiuyun can’t go either, once this chance is missed, there won’t be another.”
Hearing this, Fu Jiuyun’s eyes reddened even more: “Mother, I want to go, I must go! Sister Wang and Sister Li have both received invitations. If I’m the only one who can’t go, who knows how they’ll laugh at me behind my back!”
She turned to Fu Jiuque, her tone pleading: “Brother, please lower your head and go fetch Sister-in-law back. After the flower-viewing banquet, you can quarrel however you want. But this time, we really can’t afford any mistakes!”
Fu Jiuque’s face turned pale and then flushed.
He remembered the humiliation he suffered yesterday at Zhaopinghoufu, and his chest tightened with frustration.
Yet his mother and sister’s words made sense, and he couldn’t disregard the family’s interests.
"But," he struggled, "what if the Zhaopinghoufu humiliates me again when I go to fetch her?"
"Humiliation is humiliation!" Lady Fu declared resolutely. "A true man knows when to yield and when to stand firm. You go and apologize, say a few kind words, coax Shu Nansheng back. Once the flower-viewing banquet is over, the commendation documents are issued, and Yun'er's marriage is settled, we can plan our next steps carefully."
She looked at her son, speaking earnestly: "Jiuque, you must understand, things in this world don't always go as you wish. If our Fu family takes one wrong step, it could lead to utter ruin."
Fu Jiuque lowered his head and fell silent.
After a long while, he finally spoke hoarsely: "What about Huiyi? I promised to marry her as Pingqi."
Lady Fu and Fu Jiuyun exchanged a glance.
Lady Fu sighed: "I'll talk to Huiyi. She's sensible and will understand us. Right now, the most important thing is to bring Shu Nansheng back and get through this crisis safely. As for the Pingqi matter, we'll discuss it after this storm passes."
"But, given Shu Nansheng's current temperament, will she agree to come back?" Fu Jiuque thought of Shu Nansheng's resolute attitude and felt uncertain.
"If she won't, her mother will persuade her." Lady Fu sneered coldly. "The Lady of Zhaoping Marquis values face above all. If Imperial Consort personally sends an invitation, would she dare not let her daughter attend? That would be disrespecting Imperial Consort. Besides, if Shu Nansheng truly doesn't go, it's her reputation that will suffer."
Fu Jiuyun interjected: "And think about it, elder brother, how long can sister-in-law stay at her parents' home? She's a married daughter—if she stays at her parents' house too long, won't her younger siblings resent her? Over time, she'll grow anxious herself."
This reminded Fu Jiuque.
Yes, Shu Nansheng was a guest at her parents' home. Staying a day or two was fine, but staying too long would surely invite dislike.
By then, he wouldn't even need to fetch her—she'd have to come back obediently on her own.
Thinking this, he felt slightly better, but still somewhat resentful: "If I'd known today, I shouldn't have let her take her dowry back in the first place!"
"What's the use of saying that now?" Lady Fu sighed. "I was foolish back then too. Enough, enough, we learn from our mistakes. From now on, we must all be smarter."
She stood up and walked over to her son, reaching out to touch the wound on his face: "Does it hurt?"
Fu Jiuque's nose tingled: "It hurts."
"You'll have to endure it." Lady Fu's eyes also reddened. "Mother knows you're wronged, but in families like ours, grievances are common. Once you have prospects and Yun'er marries well, we'll stand tall and won't have to endure others' disdain anymore."
Fu Jiuyun also came over, tugging her brother's sleeve: "Elder brother, just go once. After the flower-viewing banquet, I'll personally cook your favorite lotus seed soup for you, alright?"
Seeing the hopeful looks in his mother and sister's eyes, Fu Jiuque finally nodded.
"I'll go bring her back."
But as he spoke the words, the resentment in his heart grew even more suffocating.
Seeing him relent, Lady Fu quickly said: "That's right. Get ready, change into decent clothes, bring gifts. Don't go empty-handed—it would look insincere."
"Bring gifts too?" Fu Jiuque widened his eyes.
"We must put on a full show." Lady Fu lowered her voice. "At least the surface appearance must be acceptable. Don't worry, once this matter is over, Mother will definitely stand up for you."
Fu Jiuyun also said, "Elder brother, go with peace of mind. Mother and I will wait for you at home. Once you bring sister-in-law back, we can properly prepare for the flower-viewing banquet. I heard Imperial Consort loves peonies the most. I have a few new bolts of fabric, perfect for making sister-in-law a new dress."
She chattered on, but Fu Jiuque did not hear a single word.
His mind was in turmoil.
Whether he was willing or not, whether he cared about face or not, he had to go to Zhaopinghoufu, lower his head, and make this apology.
Lady Fu knew her son was unhappy, so she said, "Go back to your room and rest first, then go in the afternoon. I’ve asked the kitchen to prepare a nourishing soup. Drink some to refresh yourself."