On that dignified face, the rage turned to cold indifference, leaving him expressionless.
Such a Fu Deming is undoubtedly terrifying.
Shen was of humble origin, and her methods over the years were mostly confined to the inner quarters. She was adept at dealing with the noble ladies of Qizhou, but she had no ability to stand up to her husband.
The facts are undeniable, and denial is futile. After a long silence, she turned and left the room without uttering a sound.
Chapter 75 Punishment
It was quite late at night. Shen was covered in cold sweat and felt sticky. She stepped into the wind and couldn't help but shiver.
The plan failed, and apart from spraining her ankle, You Tong suffered no other misfortune, leaving her with no way to proceed. Both of them were annoyed by this, but not too worried—after all, Liu Xiong had already escaped, and without solid evidence, how could Wei You Tong's few suspicions sway her? Unexpectedly, not only was Liu Xiong arrested, but he also revealed the truth, and even Qiu Niang disregarded their past relationship and confessed everything.
It came so fast that it caught her completely off guard!
When Shen saw the look in her husband's eyes, she knew that this matter would not be easily resolved.
Shocked and terrified, the only thought in my mind was to escape that house as quickly as possible and find a secluded place.
No matter how much a couple settles their differences, it's a private matter behind closed doors, and she didn't want anyone to know—coming from a humble background with no powerful family to rely on, she lived in this mansion solely on her husband and son. If someone saw her and Fu Deming questioning her, how could she maintain her standing in this household afterward?
Shen clenched her fists and, seeing that Fu Deming's study door was closed, went straight over.
She was the mistress of the East Courtyard, and the servants in the study dared not stop her, each bowing respectfully.
A moment later, Fu Deming, leaning on his cane, came over, waved for everyone to leave, and went inside. He saw Shen standing in front of the bookshelf, her back to him. The door creaked shut, and the room was dimly lit. After a moment of silence, Shen slowly turned around. All her anger, pretense, and denial had vanished. Her face was pale, her lips slightly dry, and she looked at him without speaking.
Fu Deming suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice, "Is everything Qiu Niang said true?"
"It's true." Madam Shen seemed deflated, her body slumping slightly. "It was indeed me who arranged for her to find Liu Xiong, which led to those thugs causing trouble. But I knew nothing about the assassination attempt on Madam Wei. Even if I had wicked intentions, I never went so far as to harm anyone."
"Nonsense! Hiring thugs to cause trouble, but not taking lives, doesn't mean it's not harming people?" Fu Deming was so angry he almost laughed. He walked a few steps to the table, threw down his cane, and sat down.
Having been married for over twenty years, Fu Deming knew his wife's temperament quite well.
—Because he and Fu Deqing were handling things outside, Madam Shen stayed at home to take care of the elders and children. Although she managed the affairs of the inner quarters well, her vision was limited. In this case, her first thought was not who was using her behind the scenes, but only how to shirk responsibility.
He rubbed his temples and said in a deep voice, "Do you know why Liu Xiong came back? Do you know who ordered the assassination of Wei Shi? If Xiu Ping hadn't saved her in time, Wei Shi would have died outside. You would be the culprit who gave them the opportunity! Others couldn't find any loopholes in my Fu family, but you, on the contrary, handed over your services as an inside agent!"
These words were quite harsh, and Madam Shen's expression changed slightly, but she remained silent.
Fu Deming didn't expect her to think long-term. He glared at her for a moment with a stern face before saying, "For the sake of Yueyi, you were fooled by a servant and even had thoughts of poisoning your nephew's wife. Ask yourself, are you worthy of the position of mistress? Even if Wei Shi makes a mistake, Xiuping will not look down on Yueyi!"
Shen's promotion of her maternal family was for personal gain. Now that things have gone wrong, how could she dare to involve the Shen family again?
Forgetting all about saving face, she said with a look of shame, "This time I was confused, but it wasn't because of Yueyi. Mother said she wanted Wei to help manage the inner quarters, so I..." She glanced at Fu Deming's expression and tentatively continued, "The military power outside is all in the hands of my second brother and Xiuping. All that's left for us here is..."
These words struck a nerve with Fu Deming.
His suppressed anger was instantly triggered, his expression changed drastically, and he grabbed the inkstone beside him and threw it at her.
The inkstone was heavy and had sharp edges. Shen was unable to dodge in time and was hit on the shoulder, staggering back two steps.
The rest of her words caught in her throat. She looked at Fu Deming in disbelief, her face turning extremely pale in an instant.
—In their twenty-odd years of marriage, although Fu Deming was not a gentle and considerate person, he had never laid a hand on her. Even when the couple occasionally had disagreements, he would usually scold her and slam the door, never resorting to violence.
Who would have thought that this time, he would actually throw an inkstone at me?
The ink in the inkstone was still wet, and it was all spilled onto Shen's brand-new brocade robe. She ignored the pain in her shoulder and just stared at him intently.
Fu Deming trembled with rage. After a moment, he pointed at Shen and said, "Stupid woman, stupid woman!"
...
The struggle for power among brothers and nephews, and the resulting internal strife, was a major taboo for Fu Deming.
If he were still as fierce and valiant as he was back then, able to command a group of powerful generals, and his sons were also accomplished, it wouldn't be unreasonable for him to be power-hungry and protect his younger brother. But what is the situation now? He is injured in the leg and unable to fight, and neither of his sons is as capable as Fu Yu. The Fu family's current prestige and reputation are largely due to the efforts of Fu Deqing and Fu Yu. This time, Fu Yu's iron cavalry has crushed the Tatars, and he has been ordered to go south to quell the rebellion, further enhancing his prestige.
The veteran generals under his command were mostly subservient to Fu Deqing and his son.
Fu Yu has the ability to intimidate everyone, but which of the Fu brothers, Fu Zhang, has that courage and authority?
In this situation, arguing is pointless and will only lead to internal strife. It would be better to assess the relative strengths and weaknesses and accept a secondary position. With brothers in harmony and nephews united, the Fu family's power will remain intact. Fu Yu is not a heartless or self-serving person, so he will naturally not mistreat his cousins.
Compared to infighting between the two houses and rifts between the brothers, this is the best solution for both sides.
Who would have thought that even after living most of her life, Shen was still blinded by greed and unable to see this point?
At such a critical juncture, why are they still weighing the relative importance of the two governments' powers?
Fu Deming was so angry that his chest heaved. He barely managed to control himself and pointed to the old man's belongings on the wall, saying, "Kneel down!"
Madam Shen had never seen him so angry. Shocked, her eyes turned red, but she still knelt before the relics.
"My position as military governor should have been handed over to my second brother. It was only because of brotherly affection that he cooperated with me. If he wanted to take it, he could easily take away not only your petty affairs, but also the political affairs under my control. What we need to do is not to establish our own power, but to support him and preserve the foundation of the Fu family! You must remember this well!"
Fu Deming spoke sternly and clearly.
Shen was utterly humiliated by this reprimand, her nails digging almost into her flesh, but she forced herself to say, "I understand."
Fu Deming was still furious and, facing his father's belongings, he revealed the taboo subject.
Finally, he said, "Although Xiuping managed to salvage the situation, your intentions were truly malicious! Tell me, how should you be punished?"
"Qiu Niang and Cao Yingfa sold..."
“Betraying your master and colluding with outsiders, Qiu Niang was secretly colluding with others, and you knew nothing about it! They can't be allowed to live; they should be killed.” Fu Deming interrupted in a deep voice. Seeing Shen Shi’s lips move, he felt a surge of irritation. “As for you, you are morally corrupt and malicious. Find an excuse to kneel in the ancestral hall for two hours every day. Don’t hold onto the affairs of the inner quarters too tightly; gradually hand them over to the second branch of the family. If you still don’t understand the bigger picture, are greedy and unwilling to let go, and cause unrest in the mansion, I will inform my mother and divorce you!”
Since their marriage, with a large family of children and grandchildren, this is the first time he has ever mentioned the word "divorce".
Shen felt a chill in her heart, but she knew that Fu Deming was unusually angry this time. Despite her reluctance, she could only nod.
“It’s not appropriate for Yueyi to stay in the mansion. Send her back to her home.”
"Fine," Madam Shen said, swallowing her anger. "I will persuade Mother tomorrow morning."
Fu Deming nodded. "The Wei family was frightened because of you. Go to the South Tower tomorrow and apologize to her."
This treatment surprised Madam Shen, "She is, after all, a junior..."
How could she possibly save face by apologizing to her niece-in-law, who was her aunt?
Fu Deming sneered twice, "How can an elder act like this? Although Wei is young, she is more sensible than you!" After saying that, he stood up, leaned on his cane and walked to the door, and said in a deep voice, "If you understand, you are still my wife, Fu Deming. If you are still so confused, then what I said just now was not just said in anger."
As the sound faded, the door creaked shut.
Shen was left kneeling on the ground, looking at her disheveled clothes, feeling a sharp pain in her shoulder.
In the more than twenty years since she married into the Fu family, she had never seen her husband so furious. Kneeling in the ancestral hall, relinquishing his power, and apologizing to the younger generation were, for her, the matriarch of the family, nothing short of a slap in the face.
As Shen heard the footsteps outside fading into the distance, tears suddenly streamed down her face.
...
The following afternoon, after much hesitation and deliberation, Madam Shen finally headed towards the South Tower.
Inside the South Building, You Tong, whose foot injury had not yet healed, was leaning against the chaise lounge peeling chestnuts, while Fu Lanyin was slowly munching on chestnuts next to her.
You Tong didn't publicize what happened that day, so no one else knew about it. When Fu Lanyin asked Chuncao, You Tong only said that she had gone out to run errands.
The two women chatted idly until Aunt Zhou mentioned that Madam Shen had arrived, at which point You Tong's smile froze slightly.
Fu Lanyin was completely unaware of what was happening. When Madam Shen came in, she smiled and said, "I thought Auntie was too busy to come over."
Madam Shen was slightly embarrassed to see her there, but smiled kindly and said, "I've been wanting to come and visit, but your two cousins are coming back and leaving again in a few days. I've had a lot to do, so I only had time now. What are you doing?"
"If you have nothing to do, have some snacks. Please have a seat, Auntie," Fu Lanyin said on her behalf.
Madam Shen did as instructed. Seeing You Tong's indifferent attitude, she felt embarrassed. So she first teased Fu Lanyin. After Aunt Zhou brought over tea and she took a couple of sips, she said, "I've come at an inopportune time, interrupting your heart-to-heart talk. But I have something to discuss with your sister-in-law. Lanyin, would you mind making a sacrifice for a moment?"
Fu Lanyin smiled and said, "My aunt gave the order, so how could I not obey? Second sister-in-law, you take care of yourself first, and I'll come to see you tomorrow."
After saying that, he went out with a grin.
Zhou Gu was perceptive and noticed that You Tong was not as respectful and polite to Shen Shi as usual, so she took the other maids and servants out with her.
Only Shen Shi and You Tong remained in the room.
This was the first time the two had met since their parting outside the city. You Tong had been thoroughly tricked by Shen this time and knew that Shen must have been behind it all. Seeing the other woman's rather embarrassed expression, she guessed that there was a reason for her visit. So she simply bowed slightly and said in a nonchalant tone, "My foot injury has not yet healed, and the doctor said it is not advisable to move around. Please forgive any neglect, Auntie. It is rare for Auntie to have time. Please have a seat."
Madam Shen sat down, looked at her ankle hidden by the hem of her skirt, and asked, "Is the injury serious?"
"He was seriously injured. After all, he almost lost his life." You Tong said with a half-smile.
Shen felt guilty and knew the barb in You Tong's words, making her even more embarrassed and unable to feign concern any longer.
"I came here this time..." She paused, seemingly finding it difficult to speak.
You Tong didn't respond, but just held the teacup and played with it, looking at Shen Shi, waiting for her to continue.
Chapter 76 Apology
After a moment of silence in the room, Madam Shen glanced at You Tong's expression. The woman leaned back on the chaise longue, a half-smile on her face, her eyes cold.
That almost playful look was too blatant, and Shen felt extremely uncomfortable.
However, since things had already come to this point and Fu Deming was furious, it was best to calm things down as soon as possible. Shen Shi figured that as a junior, she wouldn't pursue the matter relentlessly, so she gritted her teeth and said vaguely, "I've come today because of what happened at Shili Peak. It was my negligence at the time; I didn't take good care of you, which led to your dangerous situation. I feel very guilty. There are some tonics outside, all top-quality and rare, to help you recover."
"We have no shortage of tonics," You Tong said calmly, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Just now, Auntie said... she was sorry?"
Ms. Shen nodded. "What happened that day was my fault."
"I don't understand what you mean." Seeing that her words were ambiguous, You Tong's smile also turned cold. "Auntie is of noble status, so it is only natural that she would not ride with me. What is wrong with that? Or is there something else that makes Auntie uneasy, which is why she came here? You Tong is foolish and dare not accept this gift for no reason. Please explain yourself, Auntie."
This meant they weren't going to fool her or save her face, and Shen's expression froze.
You Tong was too lazy to play along, so she put down her teacup and her gaze gradually sharpened.
"The thugs who started the trouble that day have all been caught and have confessed to some of the inside story. According to their confessions, it was my aunt who instructed her people to find him and plot against me. This is truly shocking. At first, I couldn't believe it. After all, for the wife of a military governor to hire street ruffians to plot against her own family is really despicable and contemptible. Now that my aunt is here, I would like to offend an elder and ask if this is true?"
As soon as he finished speaking, his eyes sharpened and stared directly at Shen's face.
Shen was taken aback by her directness, and her face immediately turned pale and then flushed.
The words "despicable and base" are like hot coals branded on one's face, making one's cheeks burn.
She could clearly see the mockery in You Tong's gaze.
In the years since marrying into the Fu family, Madam Shen had been gentle, obedient, and perceptive. Apart from some reprimands from the old lady in her early years, no one had ever dared to be so disrespectful or scold her to her face. A surge of anger rose in her heart, and she clenched her sleeves, ready to turn around and leave. But then Fu Deming's furious threats and cold gaze from the previous night flashed through her mind.