Now that the military governors have become too powerful, military power is almost decentralized. Although the Ministry of War has the power to mobilize troops, it rarely succeeds. The power and benefits are not as great as before. He is in charge of maps and other matters in the Bureau of Military Affairs. Every day he deals with old and worn-out documents. The warehouse contains maps and beacon towers from all over the country, as well as detailed records of changes. It is also piled up with population and land registers reported from various places. Because they are old and there are many volumes, the previous officials were lazy and negligent, and the arrangement is very messy.
These things are hardly touched all year round, except for preventing insects and moisture. They are very boring.
To outsiders, his job was nothing short of a dead-end job. Not only did he have no chance of gaining the emperor's favor or being given important positions, or of taking the opportunity to make some extra money, but he also had to live in constant fear that one day a fire might break out and burn down the storeroom, resulting in a severe punishment.
Wei Sidao took it very seriously, throwing himself into it with all his heart. He not only organized the thousands of volumes in an orderly manner, but also often sat down at his desk in his spare time, looking up the changes in the beacon tower maps over the past hundred years and comparing them with the population and land records reported by the local authorities, pondering them in secret.
Over time, people become boring and harsh, and shallow vertical lines appear between their brows.
He sat upright, holding the hot tea brought by a servant. When he looked up, the furrows between his brows seemed to have deepened.
"Grandma Sun said you wanted to see me about something?"
"I have a few questions for you, Father."
"Go ahead and say it," Wei Sidao said, not taking it too seriously.
His rigid nature resonated with Xue's; he didn't seek high office, wealth, or glory, but only a peaceful life. Even though his daughter was deeply favored by the late emperor and had one foot in the royal family, he never tried to gain anything from it. He remained steadfastly in the dull and uninteresting government office, without taking advantage of the situation to scheme or curry favor.
When Wei Youtong was young, he doted on her and personally taught her to read and write. Later, his daughter became spoiled by the old lady and grew increasingly arrogant. He tried to discipline her several times, but seeing that she wouldn't listen, he gradually lost interest. In addition, he was busy with official duties and rarely had time to inquire about matters within the household, so he let his mother teach her. Later, Wei Youtong committed suicide by drowning because of Xu Chaozong's affair, causing a great uproar in the city. She was condemned by everyone and her reputation was even tarnished by the deceased old master. Wei Sidao felt that his daughter's behavior was absurd and that she was disobedient, and he was truly angry for a while.
His attitude towards You Tong became increasingly harsh, and he rarely smiled.
When You Tong returned to the capital this time, although he was concerned, he did not show much of a fatherly attitude. Instead, he valued the young and promising Fu Yu quite a lot.
Now, the father and daughter are facing each other with indifferent attitudes.
You Tong had seen many parents like this and knew his nature, so she didn't take it to heart.
She had considered this conversation back in Qizhou, and now that her name had been cleared and she would soon be returning to Qizhou, the timing seemed opportune. She glanced at the servant woman at the door and said, "I wish to speak with you privately."
Wei Sidao seemed surprised, but still waved for people to leave, and then led You Tong into the inner room of the study.
...
The study was simply furnished. The bookshelves against the wall were filled with books, and the writing implements on the desk, though not of the finest quality, were those that Wei Sidao was accustomed to, with a few books piled haphazardly around them. Besides that, there was a table and chair, two pots of blue lotus, and not even an incense burner.
Wei Sidao walked to the table, sat in the wide chair, and asked You Tong to sit down opposite him.
"Say what you have to say here, it's fine."
You Tong sat down with a slight bow, raised her eyes slightly, and knew that the original owner was always afraid of her father and often hid from him. She did not dare to show any affection or coquettishness. She said, "These past few days, I have been talking with my mother and noticed that she has become much thinner and has even grown a few more gray hairs. It seems that she has been quite worried for the past six months."
"It's all for you," Wei Sidao said with a serious expression. "How are things going with the Fu family?"
"It's barely acceptable."
Wei Sidao looked at her, nodded, and remained silent.
You Tong continued, "General Fu is an upright man, her husband is quite reasonable, and her sister-in-law and brother-in-law are also good. It's just that the Grand Madam and my aunt have a deep prejudice against me. I think the Grand Madam is very unwilling to accept this marriage."
“I discussed the marriage with Fu Deqing; the Grand Madam didn’t interfere.” Wei Sidao paused, looked at You Tong’s clear, watery eyes, sighed inwardly, and said, “I know you blame me. The Fu family is far away in Qizhou. You’ll be all alone there, without any relatives or friends, and you won’t know the situation. Your situation won’t be easy. Oh dear—you used to have it too easy, relying on His Highness Prince Rui’s old favors, you acted arrogantly and didn’t know your limits.”
"Did my father want to use adversity to temper my character?"
"It's good to suffer a little."
You Tong didn't quite agree with his idea, but since things had come to this point, there was no point in pursuing it further.
He lowered his eyes and said in a low voice, "I have indeed suffered a lot in the past six months, but I didn't dare to say it for fear of worrying my mother."
Even if a sixteen-year-old girl is married, she is still a child in her parents' eyes. Not to mention, You Tong's voice was low and soft, her head drooping, and she sounded quite aggrieved.
Even though Wei Sidao was hard-hearted, he couldn't help but soften a bit when he saw her like this, and he sighed.
Then You Tong raised her head and said softly, "Actually, I've wanted to ask this before: if the Fu family is dissatisfied with me, why did they suddenly propose marriage? Father, what did you promise them that made them so willing to compromise and marry me?"
Her voice was very soft, yet quite firm. Her gaze was both aggrieved and composed as she looked over.
This appearance is completely different from her former spoiled and innocent self.
Wei Sidao's lips moved slightly, still feeling lingering fear from what had happened back then. He only said, "Father won't harm you. Fu Deqing is upright and Fu Yu is not an unruly person. Even if the old lady has prejudices, if you get along well with her, she may not make things difficult for you. The Fu family's desires are all in me, so you don't need to overthink it."
They still wouldn't say.
But he wouldn't tell her, and he wouldn't even let her guess or test him?
You Tong bit her lip, then suddenly stood up. Seeing Wei Sidao's surprised expression, she said, "The Fu family is powerful and well-equipped. Now that they've returned to the capital, even the Emperor and Prince Rui have to give them some leeway. My husband is arrogant and speaks disdainfully of Prince Rui. And with war raging outside, Father—they're plotting to seize the throne, aren't they?"
The voice was very low, yet it resounded like thunder in Wei Sidao's ears.
He stood up abruptly, staring at You Tong with a look of astonishment.
After all, not long ago, her daughter, raised in luxury, was still full of romantic notions, not caring about the world or even politics. Even if these words were clearly explained to her, given her temperament, she might not believe them. Yet now, she understood perfectly, and even in her clear eyes, a sharp glint and a hint of insight were hidden.
Caught off guard, Wei Sidao tried his best to hide his surprise, but ultimately his true colors were revealed.
You Tong understood in an instant, and her heart pounded wildly like a drum.
Chapter 46 Male lust
An eerie silence fell over the room. You Tong watched Wei Sidao's changing expression, her heart pounding faster and faster, and her throat gradually went dry.
This statement was originally just her speculation and had no basis.
Having stayed at the Fu family for half a year, all she could hear and see was that while at Shou'an Hall, the Fu brothers, though occasionally mentioning the outside situation, were merely discussing everyday matters, with no secrets whatsoever. At Nanlou, although Fu Yu stayed overnight many times, he never uttered a single word concerning military or political affairs. Even this time in the capital, when negotiating with Xu Chaozong, Fu Yu personally handled everything. All she was left with was the old grudge against Xu Shu; aside from gleaning clues from Fu Yu's attitude, she couldn't glean any other information.
In everyone's eyes, she is still the same naive girl.
Despite her good birth and the late emperor's favor, secretly promising her the position of princess, she had no patience or interest in politics or worldly affairs, only indulging in personal relationships. Arrogant and naive, she was prone to acting recklessly and becoming the subject of gossip. Therefore, Wei Sidao kept it from her, and the Fu family dared not reveal even a little bit to her.
But You Tong is not.
On her way to her wedding and back to the capital, she witnessed the chaos outside and had a rough understanding of the current situation.
Although the royal family possessed a noble lineage and supreme status, it had long been powerless to control its ministers and generals. Emperor Xiping, though not a foolish ruler, was mediocre in ability, barely managing to maintain his existing power base, let alone regain control of the military. His two sons, Prince Ying, were treacherous, and Prince Rui, lacking in ruthlessness, meant that the once majestic and magnificent palace was actually on the verge of collapse.
In comparison, the Fu family, with its large army and peaceful territory, was far more capable than the Xu family father and son.
With frequent peasant uprisings in the south and a surge of rebel armies, the imperial court suffered repeated defeats and was powerless to resist.
Since the Fu family had clung to military power even after their deaths, they were certainly not blindly loyal, so how could they really remain indifferent?
It is possible for them to amass military power, cede territory and declare themselves kings, or even plot more.
Otherwise, why would Empress Sun have specifically inquired about her marriage to Fu Yu when she first entered the palace? She must have been afraid that the Fu family was colluding with officials in the capital and harboring treacherous intentions, and she wanted to reassure herself by getting information from this naive woman.
Following this line of thought, You Tong dared to make a guess and took a gamble.
Anyway, even if the father and daughter aren't very close, they are still blood relatives, so there's no need to worry too much.
Who knew she would be so lucky, guessing right on the first try?
Or perhaps she wasn't very lucky; she had only hoped to live a peaceful life, but ended up with such an ambitious in-law family.
The father and daughter stared at each other, and You Tong clutched her chest, trying her best to remain calm. After a moment, she said, "I guessed right, didn't I?"
Wei Sidao remained silent, only turning his head away, revealing a serious profile.
You Tong felt as if her throat was burning. She went to the outer room, brought in a tea tray, and poured two cups.
Without saying a word, Wei Sidao grabbed a glass and gulped it down.
You Tong also drank tea to soothe her throat, and after the shock of her guess being confirmed, she sorted out her thoughts.
...
The Fu family was powerful and its members were brave and fierce. Logically, if they had any ulterior motives, they should have colluded with the emperor's important officials. Why would they have approached the insignificant Fu family? After all, Xu Chaozong didn't even think much of the Fu family's abilities in the capital, let alone offer them any assistance.
Of all the people in the Fu family, only Wei Sidao's abilities were somewhat useful.
In warfare, besides the crucial supplies of food and soldiers, the timing, location, and human factors are also important; using them well can lead to greater success with less effort.
Leaving aside the factors of timing and human factors, history shows countless examples of victories achieved through geographical advantage.
Fu Yu had a thorough understanding of the terrain of Qizhou, but beyond Qizhou lay vast lands. If he were to launch an attack without knowing the terrain and encountering an army skilled in military strategy and combat, he might be trapped and killed in deep valleys and treacherous passes. This was why some generals would consult with locals and send scouts to explore before taking action.
In fact, these defensive terrains and beacon tower arrangements were all drawn in the dossier maps that others were too lazy to look at.
Although the maps are outdated and not entirely accurate, they provide a general overview, making scout reconnaissance much more efficient.
You Tong drank the two cups of tea, and her thoughts were mostly cleared up. She then looked up at her father.
Wei Sidao's expression still showed surprise.
"The Fu family is after Father's map in the Ministry of Personnel, isn't that right?" You Tong paused, looked at him, and slowly took two steps back. "Then what is Father seeking? To keep me in the dark, so I won't become arrogant and cause trouble. To compromise first, to temper my character, and then to please the Fu family, to hold onto my position as the first wife, in exchange for a better future after things are done?"
Thinking about everything that had happened in Shou'an Hall, she suddenly scoffed, "You've overestimated me. I don't have that ability."
His tone couldn't help but reveal his grievance.
The bewilderment she felt as she prepared to marry, the restlessness she experienced while pondering in the South Tower—all these anxieties were actually a gift from her father.
If he truly harbored thoughts akin to selling his daughter for personal gain and wealth, then he was truly heartless.
To everyone's surprise, Wei Sidao shook his head.
“It’s easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one’s nature. I didn’t expect that. Oh, you are surprised by your daughter’s insightful eyes. He pointed to the chair opposite him and told her to sit down before he said slowly, “I do want to temper your character. I also know that you are innocent by nature. Even if you restrain yourself in the future, you may not be willing to pretend to be nice and fight for power and profit.”
Why is that?
"For the Fu family, this map is merely a sharp sword, adding luster but not determining victory or defeat. Does it mean that without the map, he cannot plot to conquer the world? It would only require more scouts and more bloodshed. Father's assistance to the Fu family is actually quite limited. His agreement to the marriage was not for future prospects, but for the circumstances at the time."
Wei Sidao paused for a moment and looked at You Tong.
You Tong didn't speak, only lowered her eyes slightly.
“You may not care about the situation in the manor at that time. The whole city was filled with infamy, not only against you, but also against your mother, grandmother, and even against your grandfather’s memorial tablet.” Wei Sidao’s gaze was deep and heavy. He couldn’t bear to blame you, nor could he comfort you. He only said, “In that situation, those with social standing would look down on our reputation, and those without social standing would not dare to touch someone who was entangled with Prince Rui. Agreeing to the Fu family would not only find you a place to stay, but also help to salvage the situation a little.”
You Tong remained silent.
Even if her marriage was difficult to arrange for the time being, it was not necessarily without a way out. At that time, Wei Sidao was probably more concerned about the latter.
"So the condition at the time was that my father would help the Fu family with the map, and the Fu family would step in to put out the fire and save face a little?"
Wei Sidao did not deny it.
You Tong's lips twitched slightly, but she only fiddled with her clothes.
After a moment of silence, Wei Sidao stood up. "That day, Fu Deqing personally sneaked into the capital to discuss this matter with me. If you can handle the position of the young mistress of the Fu family and get along well with Fu Yu, you can keep it for a long time. If you can't have a harmonious marriage, he won't treat you badly and will keep a place for you in the Fu family. Keeping these things from you and tempering your character is just my plan. Youyou, knowing too much is of no benefit to you."
“My daughter understands that the more she knows, the faster she will die.”
This statement is too blunt, but it is not without reason.