On Shibao Street in the east of the capital, there were rows of taverns and shops, and the people coming and going were mostly traveling merchants and people from all walks of life.
After Fu Yu visited his old friend on behalf of Fu Deqing, he did not immediately return to the Wei family's residence. Instead, he rode alone to Shibao Street, took a detour to avoid his spies, and entered a tavern. The weather was overcast, and it was a bit chilly as evening approached. The tavern was filled with many drinkers who had left their hometowns, making a lively scene with their shouts and laughter.
He bowed and entered through the side door. The innkeeper, who seemed to have been waiting for him for a long time, hurriedly led him into a private room.
Upon entering the house, Du He was already there. Seeing him, he bowed and clasped his hands in greeting, saying, "General!"
Fu Yu raised his hand, and only after the shopkeeper had left and closed the door did he ask, "How was it?"
“I’ve found out.” Du He walked over, took out a piece of paper from his sleeve, on which several place names were written. He said, “Consort Zhao intended to help Prince Ying make connections, but Prince Xiping made outrageous demands, asking the Emperor for military power and taxes in these several prefectures—” He spread the paper in front of Fu Yu and continued, “This is clearly taking advantage of someone’s misfortune, so of course the Emperor will not agree.”
Where is the King of England?
“That person…” Du He’s face showed a slight sarcasm, “is said to be willing to make an exchange, and has promised the Prince of Xiping.”
“No wonder.” Fu Yu’s expression turned cold as he looked at the names of those prefectures.
Prince Wei Jian of Xiping was inherently greedy. He had already seized military power from the Dingjun military governor and fraudulently obtained a title of prince from a different surname, yet he was still not satisfied. Over the years, he had annexed several nearby prefectures, building a powerful and well-equipped army. Now, with these demands, his ambition was obvious. Even if Emperor Xiping was mediocre and unable to regain control of the various armies, would he easily back down and watch Wei Jian siphon off the remaining meager tax revenue of the court?
He then asked, "Your Majesty must also be aware of the promises the Prince of Ying made to Wei Jian?"
"He should know. But the general didn't agree. He wasn't sure, and he might still be counting on the Prince of Xiping, so he just pretended not to hear."
Fu Yu nodded, pondering over the note.
The Fu family, the military governors of Yongning, guarded the north and enjoyed the advantage of popular support, while the Wei family, the military governors of Dingjun, bordered the west and possessed a strategic advantage. They were considered among the most powerful military forces in the region. Although the two families did not interact, Fu Yu had already gained a fairly good understanding of Wei Jian's character and actions. Wei Jian was insatiable and never acted without a clear objective; having proposed the annexation of several prefectures, he was determined to succeed.
Now that the Fu family has intervened, he can't reach an agreement with Emperor Xiping on business, so how can he give up so easily?
Emperor Xiping and Xu Chaozong would rather bow down to the Fu family than give up their territory, so Wei Jian could only rely on the Prince of Ying.
So--
Fu Yu tapped his fingers on the table, then suddenly looked up. "It must be quite lively outside Xu Chaozong's residence lately."
Du He's eyes suddenly lit up, and he said, "That's right."
"Who else are the Wei family's informants associating with?"
Du He then reported the information he had recently gathered. After finishing, he tentatively asked, "Does the general think that the Wei family will eliminate Prince Rui?"
"Between Prince Rui and Prince Ying, Wei Jian will only choose the latter. Without Xu Chaozong, even if I send troops to quell the rebellion, in Prince Ying's eyes, the greatest merit will still belong to Wei Jian. Prince Ying lives a life of luxury and is unaware of the suffering of the people; all he desires is the throne. In his eyes, the merit of following the emperor to show loyalty surpasses all military achievements. They are birds of a feather, each getting what they want."
Du He was quick-witted and understood things immediately.
He came from a poor background, crawled out of piles of corpses, and couldn't help but mutter, "This kind of person, apart from being of royal blood, is hardly fit to be a king!"
Fu Yu slightly raised his eyelids, his expression cold and indifferent.
Du He was startled and quickly clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your subordinate misspoke."
He paused, then asked, "Should we remind Prince Rui?"
"No need," Fu Yu replied readily.
Xu Chaozong was completely unaware, which gave the Wei family the opportunity to assassinate him. Once the mastermind behind it was exposed, the struggle for the throne could be temporarily put to rest. After all, the capital still needed an emperor to keep the people's hearts at ease. Compared to the Prince of Ying, who was in cahoots with Wei Jian, temporarily supporting Xu Chaozong was a choice made out of necessity.
He sat upright behind the desk, a cup of hot wine in his hand, slowly making his calculations.
Afterwards, he summoned Du He to find Wei Tianze and gave him instructions on how to make arrangements.
...
When Wei Tianze arrived in Beijing, he kept a much lower profile than Fu Yu.
He's been staying nearby lately, keeping a low profile. Very few people in the entire capital know his whereabouts.
The valiant young general, wearing a felt hat, with thick eyebrows and a full beard, was sitting in a corner of the tavern drinking. Seeing the innkeeper give him a meaningful look, he nodded slightly, calmly finished his wine, paid the bill, and then slipped away. A moment later, he returned to the private room through a hidden spot.
Fu Yu had been fighting alongside him for several years, and seeing his burly, rugged appearance was somewhat unexpected.
Wei Tianze smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, explaining, "I infiltrated the caravan to avoid attracting attention."
"I really didn't recognize him." Fu Yu raised his chin, gesturing for him to sit down.
He then briefly relayed what Du He had found out, saying, "Judging from their movements, they may choose to make their move during the Lantern Festival when everyone is in a chaotic situation. I have already promised to assist Prince Rui to some extent, so we must ensure his safety. Du He doesn't have enough manpower, so you will help him these next two days to find out the details of their actions and make sure no one escapes."
"Okay," Wei Tianze replied. "What's their background? Any leads?"
Du He, who was standing nearby, described the appearance of several people and said, "The leader is Wei Jian's brother-in-law."
"Brother-in-law?" Wei Tianze's expression froze for a moment, then he quickly covered it up, only laughing and saying, "You've sent out all the relatives?"
Fu Yu didn't join their conversation, lost in thought. Du He, oblivious to the oddities, simply smiled and said, "Wei Jian is greedy and lustful, with a multitude of children. His concubines could form an army to fight. This brother-in-law has no background and is worthless."
Wei Tianze nodded, lowered his head to drink a cup of hot wine, discussed some details with Fu Yu, and then took his leave.
...
Once the agreement was reached here, Xu Chaozong sent another invitation to the Prince Rui's residence, regardless of whether Xu Shu was willing or not.
The invitation was still written by Xu Chaozong himself, saying that on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, the Prince's Mansion would hold another banquet and invite Fu Yu to attend. Along with it was an invitation for Wei Sidao.
Since Xu Shu married into the Prince Rui's mansion, this is the first time the mansion has held a banquet, and it will definitely invite many prominent families.
Such a banquet is naturally the best opportunity to clear one's name in public.
You Tong played with the invitation, thinking of Xu Shu's distraught appearance that day, and shook her head.
Fu Yu had just come out of the inner room to wash up when he saw her shaking her head at the invitation alone, which puzzled him slightly.
"Don't you want to go?" he asked casually.
Upon hearing this, You Tong raised an eyebrow, and what met her eyes was a picture of a handsome man emerging from a bath—
He was tall and imposing, with long legs, broad shoulders, and a slender waist. His hair was wet and casually tied back with a jade crown, unlike his usual stern appearance. Instead, he had a relaxed air about him, which softened his cold and stern demeanor. His nightgown was loose, and the water droplets on his face and neck rolled down his collarbone and disappeared into his almost bare chest, as he didn't bother to wipe them away.
Compared to his neat attire in the South Building, he seemed to have become lazy lately, his cross-collar nightgown loosely draped over his shoulders.
Beneath the loose-fitting nightgown, bulging muscles accentuated the contours of his body, his chest was half-naked, revealing the firm outline of his upper abdomen.
He strode over, seemingly unconcerned by her gaze. His Adam's apple bobbed, his eyebrows were handsome, and his eyes were deep.
A man in his prime, dressed in loose robes and with a superb physique, walked over with a radiant presence, causing one's heart to inexplicably pound.
Even if one has already decided to divorce, the vivid and alluring scene before them is undeniably tempting.
You Tong almost choked on the saliva she swallowed, so she quickly lowered her head and closed her eyes to avoid looking.
—Who is this person! Can't you put on some clothes before coming out?!
Chapter 40 Embrace
Fu Yu was clearly unaware of this, and a slight smile even appeared on his lips without him noticing.
His gaze, warm as it was, lingered on You Tong's face.
The room was dimly lit by candlelight. She sat at the table, wearing a reddish-brown, high-necked nightgown, each button fastened securely. Her long, dark hair, half-dry, draped over her shoulders like ink satin, its blackness contrasting beautifully with her soft, white skin—more beautiful than any ink painting on plain silk.
Her beautiful, slightly surprised eyes lowered, her posture gentle and graceful.
Her delicate cheeks had inexplicably flushed slightly, and the tips of her fair earlobes were also tinged with red.
Fu Yu understood immediately, but remained calm and simply walked over slowly.
"What, don't you want to go to the banquet?" he asked again.
"No, this is the invitation I've been waiting for." You Tong lowered her head, watching him walk over in his slippers, his nightgown swaying slightly. She slightly raised her eyelids and saw that Fu Yu's nightgown was still open at the chest. As he got closer, the candlelight flickered, and the firm outline of his chest and abdomen was clearly illuminated. The crisscrossing lines looked hard and solid, as if they were full of strength.
No wonder he's a fearsome war god; his looks and physique are truly impressive.
You Tong wasn't a serene and indifferent hermit. Sharing a room as husband and wife, he was hot and radiant, wearing only a nightgown, still damp with moisture. This temptation was indeed easy to make one's heart flutter. Fortunately, she wasn't one to be blinded by lust. This man was deep and unpredictable, proud and arrogant, strict with himself, and not necessarily kind to others. Moreover, the Fu family behind him was bound by strict rules, and their women were difficult to deal with—just thinking about it gave her a headache.
Aside from his iron fist, that's probably the only redeeming quality Fu Yu has left.
Just take a look, just take a look.
You Tong focused her mind, letting her thoughts wander through the Buddhist temple before suppressing the urges and taking a sip of tea.
Fu Yu was still unwilling to leave, and even bent down to take the invitation and read it slowly.
He bent over, and his loosely fastened nightgown opened a little, revealing half of his chest, without covering a single thread.
The man's warm breath immediately enveloped her, and when she glanced over, the scenery inside was even more dazzling.
You Tong almost wanted to scream for help. She stood up as if fleeing, turned her head to face him, and said as if nothing had happened, "Xu Shu is guilty and refuses to admit to spreading rumors before. However, at Liuyuan, I mentioned that I asked her and Prince Rui to help me clear my name. This banquet is the perfect opportunity, and I really want to go."
"Okay." Fu Yu said in a deep voice, looking at the increasingly red color on her cheeks, a smile appeared in his eyes.
You Tong could feel his gaze, as if it were thorns in her back.
I glanced at him sideways; the man still showed no sign of getting dressed.
She could no longer bear it and reminded him, "There's no charcoal brazier in the house, so put on your clothes and be careful not to catch a cold."
"Hmm." Fu Yu looked down at his nightgown and said in an almost innocent voice, "The buttons are loose."
You Tong looked over in surprise. Her gaze had been drawn to the woman's chest and abdomen, and she had barely noticed the nightgown. Now, looking closely, she saw that the frog buttons were loosely hanging there, and the opposite clasp was also half-loose. She wondered how Fu Yu could sleep like that; both had frog buttons sewn with fine silk thread, but hers were securely fastened, while his was dressed like that!
However, this can be considered an oversight on her part as the nominal young mistress.
Having no other choice, You Tong called out to the outside of the tent, "Chuncao, bring the basket."
Chuncao was brought in as ordered, but Fu Yu suddenly walked towards the bed, turning his back to them and showing only the back of his head.
You Tong felt an urge to facepalm.
...
After being married for less than half a year, You Tong now has a basic understanding of Fu Yu.
Outside, he is a formidable military deputy commander, ruthless and decisive, his iron cavalry invincible, his conduct strict and dignified, and no one in or outside Qizhou dares to challenge his prowess. Only when he is in the inner quarters does he reveal his true thoughts—for example, hiding the shrimp paste while eating hot pot to enjoy it slowly, deliberately threatening and frightening her after she slaps his face, and turning his head inwards at this moment, clearly unwilling to let outsiders see his chest beneath his nightgown.
Having no other choice, You Tong had Chun Cao thread the needle and then leave.
The curtains were drawn, leaving only the couple alone in the room.
You Tong took the needle and thread and went over, wanting Fu Yu to take off his clothes. But then she thought that Fu Yu was probably only wearing underpants under his nightgown. If he took off all his clothes now, the atmosphere would be extremely awkward. So she gave up the idea and just reminded him, "Husband, please sit down. I'll sew it up first and make do with it. I'll have someone take it to get a new one tomorrow."
Fu Yu snapped out of his daze, glanced at her, and asked, "Just make do with this?"
"My abilities are limited, I'm ashamed." You Tong shamelessly grabbed his nightgown and slowly began to mend it.
Fu Yu stood there, his collar open, letting her do as she pleased.