When he was patrolling the border a while ago, he was extremely amazed when he saw this bracelet. He thought that You Tong's hands were soft and slender, and her wrists were delicate and exquisite. He thought that she would look beautiful wearing this jade bracelet, so he spent a lot of money to buy it.
The jade bracelet was smooth and lustrous, and her hands were delicate and soft, almost boneless, so she put it on effortlessly, and it fit perfectly.
Fu Yu held the hand and examined it closely, quite satisfied.
After her initial amazement and admiration, You Tong realized the meaning behind Fu Yu's actions. The bracelet was indeed very valuable, and given her current situation, it was not appropriate for her to accept it openly. Slightly startled, she quickly snatched the bracelet back, removed it, and handed it back to Fu Yu.
"The jade bracelet is beautiful; the general has excellent taste," she praised sincerely. Seeing that he refused to accept it, she added, "I cannot accept it."
"Why?" Fu Yu leaned closer, his eyes probing.
This would require a lot of explanation and discussion. It was the dead of night, and not the time to talk; after all, she was a young woman of marriageable age. So she took a half-step back and said, "This is too precious." She had assumed he had important business to attend to, but since he had nothing to say, it was inconvenient for him to stay. So she called Chuncao and the others in, and then said, "It is very late. If the General has nothing else, please return."
When outsiders are present, some things become less appropriate to say, and forcing someone to give a gift is even more strange.
She's cunning, she knows how to find a shield. Unfortunately, she's too young and inexperienced.
Fu Yu glanced at Miao Li's beautiful features, then at the jade bracelet she handed him, and walked out on his own.
"Then I'll leave it here for now and come back for it when I need it." His voice was calm and unhurried. As he spoke, he had already gone outside the hall, showing no intention of taking back the jade bracelet.
You Tong stood there, dumbfounded.
...
After Fu Yu left, You Tong temporarily put away the jade bracelet and then took out the family letter to read it carefully.
Since the news of her divorce from Fu Yu was sent back, Wei Sidao and his wife had sent her several letters, all about the divorce. This letter, though delivered by someone pretending to be Fu Yu, didn't mention the divorce at all. Instead, it discussed another important matter—after returning to Beijing at the beginning of the year, You Tong asked Wei Sidao to secretly spread rumors about Xu Shu and investigate the source of the rumors spread by the Xu family. Wei Sidao agreed to all of this.
Compared to the initial wariness during the uproar, Xu Shu secured her position as princess, and after her marriage to Qizhou, the Xu family's vigilance gradually decreased.
Although the Wei family was not capable of confronting the Xu family in the eye of the storm, they were capable of conducting investigations secretly after things calmed down.
Without alerting the enemy, Wei Sidao spent more than half a year gradually gathering evidence.
This letter was to tell her that things were starting to get under control at the beginning of the year.
You Tong was very pleased to see this, and immediately wrote back, saying that once the hot pot restaurant's business stabilized, she would definitely return to the capital before the end of the year, and only asked Wei Sidao to keep an eye on the movement of the knife she wanted to borrow.
After finishing the letter, I thought about the past and tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep.
When I woke up the next day, it was gloomy outside and the wind was chilly.
After having breakfast, You Tong didn't go back to the restaurant to oversee things. Instead, she put on a thin, soft cloak and went to Bitan Temple in the city to offer incense.
Last year, when she married into the Fu family, You Tong still vividly remembered the trip to Jinzhao Temple with Fu Deqing and his son to offer incense. The Fu family had guarded the border for decades, fighting valiantly for the people, and countless soldiers had lost their lives protecting them. At Jinzhao Temple, besides the Tian family, there were also memorial tablets of some soldiers receiving incense offerings. You Tong was quite shocked when she saw this.
Now that she is no longer a member of the Fu family, it is naturally impossible for her to go to Jinzhao Temple.
But her respect for them remained unchanged, and she still held Fu Yu and Fu Lanyin's mother in high esteem. Letters from home continued to arrive, and she was worried about her parents in the capital. Last night, in a half-awake state, she dreamt of many moments with Xue Shi when she was waiting to be married, a testament to her loving mother's deep concern and longing. You Tong, unable to be with her parents and burdened by the divorce, could only offer incense at the temple and pray for Xue Shi's well-being.
It was a cloudy and cold day, and there weren't many worshippers at the temple. After You Tong finished offering incense, he heard that there was a very nice old ginkgo tree in the temple, so he went to take a look.
Unexpectedly, they ran into an acquaintance—Shen Yueyi.
Chapter 87 Choking
Since the commotion caused by the Shen family, You Tong has not seen Shen Yueyi for a long time.
But we still managed to hear a few bits and pieces of news about her.
On the day Shen caused trouble, Fu Deming was furious and questioned her about the reason. Shen tried her best to distance herself from her family, only saying that she would send Shen Yueyi out of the mansion and not allow her to linger in Shou'an Hall. A few days later, the news of You Tong and Fu Yu's divorce came out. Fu Deming did not expect that his wife's selfishness would cause the second couple to separate, and he felt very guilty.
Not two days later, Fu Yu arrived at the door again with the old lady's maid.
The uncle and nephew spoke behind closed doors, and no one knows what they discussed. However, shortly after Fu Yu left, Fu Deming, with a dark expression, summoned his brother-in-law, Shen Feiqing, and ordered him to quickly find a marriage for his daughter and not to linger in Qizhou. Shen Feiqing was a civil official, not particularly talented, and already struggling to navigate the complexities of officialdom. Seeing that his wife and daughter were being cared for by his sister who had married into the Fu family, he was quite at ease. Little did he know that this would cause such trouble.
Upon learning that her daughter coveted another man's husband and conspired with her aunt to murder the original wife, causing the couple to divorce, the servants and young ladies of the Fu family all knew about her wicked intentions, which terrified them.
After leaving Fu Deming's study, he encountered Fu Yu at the gate of the mansion. When he met Fu Yu's cold and sharp gaze, he felt even more ashamed.
Upon returning home, he immediately gave his wife and daughter a severe scolding and hurriedly sought a husband for his daughter.
Unwilling to give up, Madam Mei brought Shen Yueyi to Shou'an Hall, hoping to gain some favor, but the old lady refused to let her in, citing her poor health. They stood there for a long time before leaving in a huff.
These commotions reached Fu Lanyin's ears in bits and pieces, and when she went to You Tong's place for dinner, she would also relay some of them to her.
"The blame lies with her and her mother for their greed. They originally thought they could win over Grandmother with sweet words and marry a fine young man from Qizhou, but they were delusional and did such a thing. They even had the nerve to plead with Grandmother. What a shameless thing to do." Fu Lanyin had always disliked Shen Yueyi and dared to give her attitude to her face. When she brought up those things, she didn't hide her sarcasm. "Although Grandmother loves her, it's because she's good with words and knows how to please. She can keep her company, like a cat or dog. If she's obedient and considerate, she'll naturally reward her with good things. But if she scratches someone and causes a ruckus, she won't care about her anymore."
As she said this, Fu Lanyin was enjoying a plate of glutinous rice ribs, praising it with delight.
You Tong was quite surprised that Fu Yu, someone who disdained to concern himself with the inner quarters of the household, would take the opportunity to cause trouble for Shen Yueyi. She casually inquired about her betrothal, only to learn that he was the son of one of Shen Feiqing's colleagues, nearly twenty years old, still diligently studying for the imperial examinations. Because Fu Yu was pressing her, the traditional wedding rites were simplified, and they agreed that she would marry at the end of October—the old lady's previous promises to help her find a husband and provide a dowry were naturally no longer mentioned.
The Shen family mother and daughter came for the power and influence of the Fu family, but failed to climb the social ladder and ended up with a hasty and unsuitable marriage. You Tong felt a bittersweet feeling when she thought about the psychological gap that Shen Yueyi felt when she was arranged to marry into this family.
Today, I ran into Shen Yueyi at Bitan Temple. Her appearance confirmed You Tong's guess.
...
The old ginkgo tree at Bitan Temple has been around for a long time and is very robust, with cracked bark and a canopy-like crown.
In autumn, the tree's green leaves turn golden, creating a beautiful and pleasing sight. Locals say that this old ginkgo tree is spiritually powerful, and when they come to Bitan Temple to offer incense, they always walk around the tree twice and make a wish.
When You Tong arrived, Shen Yueyi was standing under a tree with her hands clasped together, next to a maid and a servant.
At Shou'an Hall, Shen Yueyi was kind and courteous, and with the care and gifts of the old lady, her clothes and jewelry were all of the highest quality, no less than those of noble ladies from Qizhou. As a young woman in her prime, even if her appearance was not outstanding, she won the favor of the old lady with her lively and talkative spirit, showing a knack for being tactful and adept at social maneuvering.
His demeanor is completely different now.
Not only did he appear much thinner, but his hands and feet also seemed somewhat restrained. He closed his eyes, clasped his hands together, and couldn't finish making his wish even after a long time.
It was her maid who recognized You Tong, and after widening her eyes to make out who she was, she tugged at her clothes to remind her and whispered a few words in her ear.
Immediately, Shen Yueyi turned around and looked this way. When she saw the figure standing behind the Buddha Hall, her expression changed drastically.
It was Wei Youtong!
Wei Youtong, who caused her to be disliked by the old lady and her uncle, scolded by her father, and hastily arranged to marry!
In that instant, all the anger and resentment that had accumulated over the past few days surged into Shen Yueyi's mind like a tidal wave.
—The embarrassment when Madam Fu told her she should move back to her own mansion and not stay at Shou'an Hall; the unease when she walked out of Shou'an Hall with her luggage and was stared at by the servants; the anxiety of suddenly losing favor and glory; the panic and confusion when Shen Feiqing was humiliated by Fu Deming and returned home to angrily rebuke her and her daughter; the despair and heartbreak when Shen Feiqing insisted on marrying her off to a family outside Qizhou and could not find a suitable match in time; and the disheartened feeling when she went to Shou'an Hall to plead for her but was turned away…
In just two months, she almost fell from the peak of prosperity to the bottom of desolation.
And all of this is because of the woman in front of him.
If it weren't for her pretentious threats of divorce, and if it weren't for her feigning pitifulness in front of Fu Yu, given the relationship between the Shen family and the Fu family, how could she have been driven to such a desperate situation?
Shen Yueyi's blood rushed to her head, her eyes were bloodshot, and she subconsciously rushed forward a few steps.
The accompanying maid noticed that her young mistress looked unwell and, fearing something might happen, quickly pulled her back and whispered, "Miss, there are still people outside. This is a Buddhist temple."
This tug finally brought Shen Yueyi back to her senses somewhat.
She stared intently at You Tong, and after a moment swallowed, as if trying her best to control her emotions.
A dozen or so steps away, You Tong stood gracefully, glanced over twice, and then lightly moved away, intending to go to the Guanyin Hall behind the ginkgo tree. Although the two rarely spoke when they were at the Fu family's house, and never openly confronted each other, they saw each other frequently at Shou'an Hall and could be considered acquaintances.
This indifference, in Shen Yueyi's eyes, was like disdainful mockery, a blatant insult.
She couldn't hold back and shouted angrily, "Stop right there!"
The weather was gloomy and cold, and there weren't many worshippers at Bitan Temple. Most of them were still burning incense in the Buddha Hall, and there was no one else around in front of the ginkgo tree at this moment.
You Tong paused slightly, a half-smile playing on her lips. "Does Miss Shen have any further advice?"
"Stop pretending!" Shen Yueyi's anger surged. If it weren't for the maids and servants secretly holding her back, she would have almost pounced on You Tong and started a fight. Seeing You Tong's mocking expression, she became even more furious and sneered twice, "What are you pretending to be so noble in front of me! You've been kicked out of the Fu family, and you still think you're the young mistress!"
"Kicked out?" You Tong's face remained calm as she slowly and deliberately smoothed her sleeves. "Let me make this clear: this is a divorce. The elders have given their approval, so there's no need to hurt feelings. The Fu family is renowned throughout Qizhou. The old general and the military governor have been very polite and courteous. Why would they kick someone out for no reason? Could it be that Miss Shen thinks you were the one who was kicked out, and that's why she assumes I was too? I haven't done anything immoral or shameful, so there's no reason for me to be kicked out."
"You!" Shen Yueyi choked, knowing that making a fuss was shameful, so she wanted to mock her for being a married woman.
Unexpectedly, You Tong sneered and, before she could speak, coldly retorted, "Don't glare at me like that! You're the one who coveted another man's husband, you secretly harbored wicked thoughts, and you're the one who got exposed. Now that you've committed a crime, it's your own fault. The Fu family has kept quiet about this, but you're making a scene here, as if you want everyone to know how big your Shen family's ambitions are and how shameless you are?"
That's practically accusing her of being shameless.
Shen Yueyi was already emotionally agitated, and when she was rebuked, she became so angry that she trembled all over. She wanted to retort, but her lips trembled and she couldn't speak fluently enough.
Just then, two women who were offering incense together bypassed the Buddha hall and also came to the ginkgo tree.
The maidservant from the Shen family knew what was good for her and knew that if word got out, her young lady would be in the wrong. She quickly pulled her back and advised, "Young lady, calm down. Don't let people laugh at you."
Shen Yueyi angrily called out to You Tong, her anger clouding her judgment. She hadn't thought clearly about what You Tong wanted to do, nor had she considered the consequences.
He wanted to vent his anger by cursing, but someone interrupted him, making him tremble with rage.
Now that there were outsiders around, the fight couldn't continue. She rushed up to hit someone, but was beaten back up and didn't even have a chance to fight back! Seeing You Tong return to calm and head towards the Guanyin Temple, Shen Yueyi was so angry that her chest swelled and ached. Unable to swallow her anger, she went straight to the Fu family's east courtyard in a fit of rage.
—She has many things to do before marriage, but she can't do anything about Wei Youtong. Her aunt, Madam Shen, has plenty of ways to help her!
...
In the east courtyard of the Fu family, Madam Shen is now in dire straits, barely able to save herself.
The assassination attempt that day was forgotten, and it was also her fault for acting carelessly and being used by others. Fu Deming punished her by making her kneel in the ancestral hall every day, and she had no choice but to bite the bullet and go. As the mistress of the mansion who had been so glamorous for most of her life and who had always been so authoritative in front of the servants, it was easy to guess what the gossip would be about if she suddenly had to kneel in the ancestral hall for days on end.
As for Fu Deming's claim of handing over power within the inner quarters, Shen initially didn't take it seriously.
After all, the inner quarters were her and the old lady's domain. Since Madam Wei was not favored by the old lady, she would put on a show first, and then use the same tricks again, making things difficult for her both openly and secretly. There would be no evidence to hold her accountable for the affairs of the inner quarters, and she would have plenty of ways to vent her anger. She knew the old lady's temperament very well and knew how to manipulate her.
Who knew that not only did Madam Wei not take over the power, but she also caused a scene and left the mansion for divorce?
Since the Fu family established its fortune, there had never been a case of divorce. It's easy to imagine how angry the matriarch, who always valued face, was at Wei's tantrum. While blaming Wei for being ignorant, the matriarch also vented her anger on her, giving her a cold shoulder for several days. She blamed Wei for being foolish and cruel, damaging the Fu family's reputation, and completely forgetting the harmonious relationship they once had as mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
In front of Fu Deming, her crime was aggravated—originally it was just attempted murder, and she had been in the Fu family for over twenty years, managing the household and raising her children; that little crime was bearable. But now, in addition to attempted murder, she was also accused of breaking up a couple and causing unrest in the family.
What's even more hateful is that Han family.
The grudges formed in the early years have not been resolved to this day! While living in the temple, Han Shi did not become indifferent to the world, but rather she has worn down her former sharpness and become slippery and cunning. She advances by retreating and leaves no handles, and she often exposes her shortcomings in front of the old lady. She is very difficult to deal with.
Coincidentally, Fu Deming felt guilty towards Fu Yu and had promised Fu Deqing to take care of Han Shi. He specially detained the maids and servants around her and gave them a good scolding. The old lady had always liked Han Shi very much, and seeing how much she had suffered over the years, she felt even more sorry for her. As soon as Han Shi returned, she immediately treated her like the apple of her eye and protected her in every way.
She was disliked by her husband on one hand and complained about by her mother-in-law on the other, and her life immediately became difficult.
Not only did Madam Shen relinquish most of her power, but she was also driven half to death by Madam Han every day when she went to pay her respects at Shou'an Hall.
After enduring a lot of hardship, she realized that Wei was extremely insidious. Not only did she frame her for breaking up the couple, but she also attracted a troublesome thorn in her side who had a past grudge against her, causing her a lot of headaches.
All things considered, this autumn has been incredibly unlucky; nothing good has happened anywhere!
Just then, Madam Shen returned from Shou'an Hall. Because of the matter of handing over a few account books, Madam Han pointed out several flaws with a smile and said a lot of sarcastic things. The old lady turned a blind eye and actually defended Madam Han. She didn't want to fall out with her mother-in-law, lest the old lady get upset and give her a hard time.
—That Han family member was quite cunning. She said that she had been away from the mansion for too long and was afraid that she would not be able to manage everything if she took everything at once. So she insisted on handing things over one by one.