She stood alone in the room, her face flushed slightly, her posture upright, her features beautiful, yet with a hint of lonely pride. That pride wasn't outwardly displayed, but rather like a slender bamboo, strong and resilient, unyielding to the weight of wind and snow. He was inexplicably reminded of the time she visited the Two Books Pavilion and pleaded with him.
Although it was only a few words, it left a deep impression on him.
The couple looked at each other. You Tong didn't flinch, but her eyes were slightly red, showing both grievance and stubbornness.
Seeing that Fu Yu's expression seemed to be questioning, he said, "In this private room, I have always acted uprightly and honestly, without the slightest improper intention. Spring Grass and Fragrant Wood can both serve as my witnesses."
With the old lady present, Su Ruolan mustered her courage and said, "Muxiang is still nowhere to be found, and Chuncao is the young mistress's attendant; how can we believe what she says?"
"And what about me?" Fu Zhao suddenly asked. "Can I be trusted?"
The voice, neither too loud nor too soft, managed to reach everyone's ears during a brief pause.
The old lady frowned in surprise and subconsciously said, "Don't meddle in the affairs of adults."
“I was also on Shuanggui Street that day—” Fu Zhao interrupted to get to the point, “and I saw what happened in the private room.”
This was completely unexpected, and everyone looked at him in surprise.
Fu Yu's expression was originally cold and stern, but upon hearing this, his thoughts stirred slightly, and he asked, "What's going on?"
...
On that day on Shuanggui Street, Fu Zhao accidentally hit a horse's neck while testing iron pellets, causing the horse to be startled and lose control, dragging the cart to the side of the road. This was the origin of all the trouble.
Fu Zhao was at an active age. Since he felt that his second sister-in-law rarely went out and was afraid that the carriage incident might hurt others, he went to sit in the teahouse across the street. He wanted to see what You Tong was doing and also to observe secretly. If nothing happened on the street, that would be fine. But if the coachman and his second sister-in-law wanted to find the culprit after they rested, he couldn't stand aside and let innocent bystanders take the blame.
He was young and impetuous, and not afraid of the cold. As soon as he entered the teahouse, he opened the window to look outside.
You Tong also complained that the windows were open, so he could see clearly what was happening in the private room.
The matter was originally insignificant, and since the incident of the iron ball accidentally startling the horse should not be publicized, Fu Zhao did not mention it to anyone. Who would have thought that today, the incident would cause a lawsuit in Shou'an Hall? As for Su Ruolan's words, they were clearly fabricated rumors and malicious slander. She not only framed You Tong but also smeared her second brother's reputation, taking advantage of the fact that there were no witnesses to bully You Tong who was isolated and helpless.
Even though Fu Zhao didn't have a very good impression of You Tong, how could he tolerate it?
The whole story will be explained clearly.
Because of his youthful arrogance, he raised his chin and looked down at Su Ruolan, saying, "You're just speculating from the outside, but I see things clearly from the inside. My eyes aren't blind; if there's something out of line, do you think I wouldn't see it?" Seeing Su Ruolan's face change color, as if she were feeling guilty, he shouted, "Speak!"
Although this rebuke wasn't as cold and harsh as Fu Yu's, it was still enough to make Su Ruolan tremble with fear.
She never imagined that when she bumped into Jin Deng on the street that day, there would be other people present besides her and Jin Deng.
And that person was none other than Fu Zhao!
Now that she's testifying in court, if it were just a maid or servant, she might dare to act arrogantly, but how could she have the confidence to compete with Fu Zhao?
Compared to her speculative attempts to provoke him, Fu Zhao's words were almost irrefutable evidence, completely overturning her claims.
Su Ruolan, feeling guilty and flustered, was trying to figure out how to cover up her embellished story when her robes swayed slightly, and Fu Yu's black boots stepped two steps away, his cold and imposing aura hanging over her head like a thousand pounds. She didn't even dare to look up, only kneeling on the ground, trembling as she said, "General, this servant truly did not lie, this servant really saw it..."
"Insolence!" Fu Yu's deep voice boomed like thunder overhead.
He suddenly raised his hand, the short sword at his waist flipped slightly, and pressed it directly against her chin.
The short sword was forged from cold iron, and the scabbard was intricately woven with silk threads, giving it a chilling feel even in the sweltering room.
Su Ruolan was so frightened that she jumped up, her mind went blank for a moment, and she didn't dare to move her hands or feet.
Fu Yu lightly pressed the hilt of his sword, forcing Su Ruolan to look up. His gaze was sharp as ice. "Who taught you to spread rumors and cause trouble?"
"General, please calm down, this servant... this servant..." Su Ruolan stammered, trying to dodge the words, unable to utter a single syllable. Her once pretty and striking face was now deathly pale with fright. Despite her clever and charming attire, her cowering and begging posture was utterly repulsive.
In such a state of panic, his guilty conscience was hard to hide.
Fu Yu's eyes were full of disgust. When he glanced at the old lady, he frowned slightly, looking somewhat troubled.
Then, she looked at You Tong.
You Tong didn't look at him, but only at the old lady.
Fu Zhao's words just now were like a long-awaited downpour after a long period of pent-up thunder, washing away the mud and dust from her body.
Not only was Su Ruolan speechless with fear, but even the old lady was speechless.
The old lady had relied on Su Ruolan's words to reprimand her earlier, but now she had been humiliated. How could she not feel ashamed in front of her children and grandchildren? She was advanced in years, sitting sideways with a slightly hunched back, her face lined with wrinkles revealing her advanced age. Perhaps worried that Fu Yu would press her about the past, making it difficult to explain in front of her two grandchildren, she didn't even mention the impropriety of being discreet or avoiding suspicion. She simply turned her head away, her eyes narrowed with slight anger.
You Tong's feelings were quite complicated.
Among the elderly in their twilight years, some are wise and old, while others are senile and muddle-headed. Even the most brilliant and decisive emperors sometimes fail to maintain their integrity in their later years. The old lady, living secluded in her inner quarters, is seventy years old and frequently ill. How much composure can she possibly possess? Though she may be dissatisfied on ordinary days, she manages to maintain a peaceful coexistence. However, if provoked by someone with ulterior motives, she becomes easily angered, biased, and emotionally agitated.
Su Ruolan's audacity may well be due to her having already figured this out, using the old lady's dissatisfaction to stir up trouble and hoping to use someone else to do her dirty work.
If things have escalated to this point, and the old lady is unable to save face, she could easily feign illness and faint, thus turning the tables on the old lady.
But how could Su Ruolan, who had caused so much trouble, be let off so easily?
From their first meeting at the South Tower until now, petty grudges and resentments had accumulated for far too long. She had deliberately gone to the Two Books Pavilion earlier to prepare for today's events. Now that the truth was clear, Su Ruolan knelt on the ground, looking at the old lady with pleading eyes. Did she still hope to plead for a way out?
You Tong slowly rolled up her sleeves and took half a step forward.
"Speechless?" she spoke, standing condescendingly. "Back in the South Building, you stirred up trouble, and even after being punished, you showed no remorse. Now you've gone to the Old Madam to confuse the public! Your narrow-minded prejudice has caused chaos and made the Old Madam even angrier—"
She paused deliberately.
The old lady felt embarrassed and worried that You Tong would pursue her relentlessly like before, making her lose face as well. She was considering how to clean up the mess when she heard this and subconsciously looked up.
Then You Tong changed the subject, saying, "If you have a prejudice against me, just come to me. The old lady has been kind to you to an immense degree, yet you slander and deceive her like this, showing no regard for the bond between master and servant!" Her words were laced with sternness at the end.
Su Ruolan wanted to defend herself, but when she raised her head, she met You Tong's gaze, which was sharper than she had ever seen before.
You Tong didn't wait for her to finish her sentence and turned to the old lady, saying, "Just now, my granddaughter-in-law was wronged for no reason and was very anxious. If I said anything inappropriate, please forgive me. I will keep your instructions in mind and pay attention to them at all times."
After saying this, he gave a slight bow.
The old lady was completely taken aback when You Tong offered her a way out, and was immediately stunned.
Fu Yu, who was standing next to her, was also surprised and stared at her in astonishment.
Madam Shen reacted quickly and hurriedly tried to smooth things over: "That Su Ruolan is really something! I only trusted her a little because you came from Shou'an Hall, but who knew she wouldn't change her ways and would even deceive the old lady! Look at the mess this has made, we almost wrongly accused someone. The old lady's health is already not good, and you've made her so angry. If something goes wrong, who can bear the responsibility! Fozhu—quickly go and fetch a doctor to take a look."
Following You Tong's suggestion, they pinned all the blame on Su Ruolan.
The old lady was stunned for a moment, looked You Tong up and down in surprise, and then said, "Take her to the woodshed and lock her up. When we have time, we'll punish her severely."
Fu Yu suddenly spoke up at this moment, "No need to wait. Sell it to Yinzhou."
Though brief, his words were cold and decisive, causing Su Ruolan to change color abruptly.
Yinzhou is remote and desolate, a place that even men can't endure.
Although she was a maidservant, sold to the Fu family as a child, she was taken in to serve in the Shou'an Hall because of her beautiful and lovely appearance. She had always lived a life of luxury and had never experienced such hardship. Shocked, she forgot all about respect and immediately kowtowed, "General, spare my life! This servant knows her mistake! This servant will do any kind of rough work from now on, please, General..."
"Take him out." The deep voice was filled with anger.
Su Ruolan looked up in surprise and saw Fu Yu's face dark and his gaze sharp as a blade, chilling her to the bone.
Beside him stood You Tong, graceful and poised, no longer the weak and easily bullied figure she appeared to be in the South Tower.
A maidservant immediately came in, hastily crumpled a handkerchief into a ball, and stuffed it into her mouth.
Su Ruolan struggled and pleaded, her sobbing voice broken and muffled. In her terror and despair, tears immediately welled up in her eyes.
The old lady glanced at it only once before looking away and waving her hand, "Go back, all of you. I'm tired and want to rest."
...
Stepping out of Shou'an Hall, the cool breeze swept away the heat and stuffiness that had been plaguing me.
You Tong, who had been feeling down for half a day, found herself somewhat craving the cold winter wind. She took a few deep breaths and noticed the person in front of her had stopped, so she looked up in surprise.
Fu Zhao had already made a hasty escape, leaving Fu Yu standing in front of her with deep, cold eyes.
She blinked, wondering if Fu Yu was secretly angry about this, but then she saw him suddenly reach out and land on her hair without warning. Then, with a slight movement of her hair, he straightened the slightly crooked gold phoenix hairpin with pearl in its bead, and as he withdrew his hand, his fingertips intentionally or unintentionally brushed against her temples and ears.
Despite the chill of the winter weather, his armor felt slightly cold, and his expression revealed a rare gentleness.
"Thank you for earlier." His eyes were deep, his expression unfathomable, but his voice was quite gentle. "You Tong."
For the first time since their marriage, he showed tenderness and called her by her name.
The sound was deep and steady, like the strings of an ancient zither, pure and harmonious with the sound of metal and stone.
You Tong froze, staring blankly at him, when Fu Yu explained, "Grandmother is getting old and sometimes acts stubbornly. She spent her early years alone in the mansion, worrying about her children and grandchildren. It wasn't easy for her, so she may be biased and overthink things. Thank you for your kindness just now."
—This saved the old lady's face and spared him from embarrassment.
You Tong understood and smiled, "It is said that people become a bit childlike as they get older, let alone her, who is an elder."
Fu Yu nodded, still with his hands behind his back, "Let's go back to the South Building first. I'll go there tonight."
This means you have something to say.
You Tong's emotions were in turmoil today. She felt unjustly blamed and realized that the desires and thoughts of the two families were different, making it difficult for them to reconcile. If they were to be bound together as a family like this, the Fu family would not respect her reputation. She disliked being bound by rules and regulations, which was tiring for everyone. She also had things she wanted to say to him, so she said, "Then I will prepare some food."
"good."
The couple made a pact and then went their separate ways.
You Tong took Chuncao back to the courtyard, while Fu Yu went to Xieyangzhai and briefly recounted the day's events while Fu Deqing was eating.
“Grandmother has a prejudice against Wei, and Wei is unwilling to reconcile with her like Aunt did. This estrangement is not a long-term solution. Father is busy with military affairs, and I may not have time to visit him every time. Why don’t you and I each try to persuade him to stay, so as to avoid trouble from these trivial matters?”
After he finished speaking, he raised his cup, took a sip of tea, and frowned deeply.
Fu Deqing smiled and casually poured him half a cup of tea. “Cultivate oneself, manage one’s family, govern the state, and bring peace to the world. The affairs of the inner quarters are also essential for managing the family. When your mother married into the family, I put in a lot of effort. After all, Wei is your wife, and only you can resolve her issues. As for Shou’an Hall, you can also persuade them.”
"My father also knew about my grandmother's temper."
No one knows a child better than their mother. Fu Deqing smiled. "After your grandfather passed away, Shou'an Hall became deserted. She was upset after what happened to Hui'er, and her temper is short-tempered; she won't listen to advice. Alright, I'll go there later. But what about the Wei family... will you go?"
He was experienced and composed on the battlefield, but kind and gentle with his children, his eyes narrowing with a hint of inquiry in his smile.
Fu Yu lowered his eyes, using indifference to conceal the unnaturalness in his expression, and said, "The Wei family is still reasonable."
As he spoke, the corners of his lips unconsciously curled up slightly.
Fu Deqing nodded in satisfaction, "That's good."
If he remembered correctly, when he first married Wei, Fu Yu bluntly stated that he intended to treat her as a decoration, not as a wife. His words about Wei were always dismissive, and he wouldn't waste a single word on her. Now, he's actually going to great lengths to ensure Wei gets along well with the other women, preventing the old lady from harboring prejudice and neglecting her, and even smiling when Wei is mentioned. This change in attitude is truly remarkable.
Fu Deqing didn't point it out, and after they reached an agreement, they each ate their own meals.
Chapter 24 Teasing Her