Chapter 15: Chapter Fifteenth

The Minister of the Secretariat's family, the Fu Residence.

When Old Lady Su returned, the residence bustled. Some maids spread out the Arhat bed that Old Lady Su liked to lean on, others helped heat water for her to bathe and change.

In short, the servants of the Fu Residence were eager to show deference; no one dared offend Old Lady Su. Not only is she the mistress of the Fu Residence, she is also the daughter of the Marquis of Shou and the Lady of Qingping County, so even casually one would not offend her. Moreover, Lord Fu and Old Lady Su are a deeply attached couple; their three legitimate sons are all born of Old Lady Su, and only the younger daughter died unjustly. When speaking of a family blessed with both sons and daughters, who does not praise Old Lady Su of the Su family?

Old Lady Su was ushered by Aunt Zhao into the main hall; before she could even stand, the daughters‑in‑law of the various branches grew restless, eager to pay their respects. Everyone in the Fu Residence knows that to establish authority in the house, one must first catch Old Lady Su's eye. Naturally, they offered modest attentions, not letting the daughters‑in‑law set formal procedures for paying respects; the third branch's daughter‑in‑law also adhered to protocol, occasionally waiting in Old Lady Su's courtyard.

They sought Old Lady Su's favor, even resorting to indirect tactics by finding Cheng Lingyan, delivering pearl‑flower pastries to her daily, waiting for a chance to become close. Who doesn't know that this outside‑surname granddaughter is Old Lady Su's beloved child? If they please her, and then lavishly praise the aunt of that branch before the old lady, it would be a complete success.

Cheng Lingyan is not foolish; she can appear more radiant in the Fu Residence than the primary lady, naturally thanks to Old Lady Su's favor. She has no desire to return to the Cheng Clan far from Jingdu; even if she is the Cheng Clan's legitimate daughter, she refuses to leave the dazzling, decadent Jingdu to marry a local noble.

When it comes to wealth and honor, where does Jingdu surpass? Otherwise why do officials from all over aspire to have a place before the Son of Heaven in Jingdu?

The Ten‑Fragrance Courtyard where Cheng Lingyan lives is the closest to Old Lady Su's courtyard; when news arrives, it is immediately relayed by the downstairs whispering maid. Cheng Lingyan changed her attire, planning to don colorful robes to entertain and tease Old Lady Su.

Usually, even if Old Lady Su does not see the third branch's daughter‑in‑law, she still meets Cheng Lingyan; yet this time she was turned away. Cheng Lingyan's complexion darkened, and seeing the Third Aunt standing nearby, drawn by the commotion, her face lost some dignity.

The Third Aunt verbally praised Cheng Lingyan's frank nature, but it was merely face‑saving; a little maid, relying on Old Lady Su's protection, has always been impolite to her, let alone showing respect as an elder.

At this moment the Third Aunt harbored a mischievous thought, deliberately pretended not to hear that Qiuju barred Cheng Lingyan from entering the courtyard, and feigned ignorance, asking, "Why is Lingyan waiting here? Has the old An person returned?"

Cheng Lingyan felt uneasy at her words; if the person had indeed returned, she would still be blocked by Qiuju at the gate, making a laughingstock before the Third Aunt. She is the most favored granddaughter, yet she cannot even see her great‑grandmother.

Cheng Lingyan stammered for a moment, saying, "I suppose great‑grandmother has just returned to the residence and is still freshening up, so it's inconvenient to see people."

"Oh, I see," the Third Aunt tucked her sleeve, pursed her lips, and the corner of her eye curled in a half‑smile.

Was Cheng Lingyan being mocked? She stormed back to her own courtyard, muttering that she despised the Third Aunt Sun Que, who came from a general's family; despite her father and brothers being tall, robust warriors, she herself was dainty and delicate. But what good is her beauty?

Her family consists of military generals who daily practice sword and spear; lacking any aristocratic aura, they seem like a family of common folk!

Sun Que, seeing the person leave and the drama over, planned to return to her own third branch's courtyard.

The accompanying maid Red Leaf, beside her, asked in surprise, "Does the third lady not ask Qiuju whether she can pay respects to the old lady?"

Sun Que, seeing Cheng Lingyan being rebuffed, felt especially pleased and said to Red Leaf, "What's there to ask? Didn't you see Miss Cheng also blocked at the gate? It must be that the old An person is unavailable. If there's time, why not make an extra pot of soup for Third Lord Fu?"

Sun Que and the Fu Residence's legitimate third son, Third Lord Fu, fell in love at first sight in the mounted‑archery arena; during the emperor's autumn banquet hunt, the emperor summoned youths skilled in riding and archery from each family, and she, itching to join, tied her hair back, changed into barbarian attire, and rode to shoot.

When the Son of Heaven first ascended the throne, the situation was unstable; the entire burden fell on General Sun to ease the emperor's worries. After General Sun pacified the unrest, to allay the emperor's suspicion he personally handed the tiger tally to the sovereign. As a meritorious official yet a paper tiger stripped of military command, the emperor felt reassured, though somewhat guilty.

General Sun's decisive choices earned the emperor's praise. His children were also favored by the sovereign, receiving generous treatment. Sun Que, raised under the emperor's watch, may not be literate like a typical noble lady, but her frank nature and masculine skill in riding and archery won the emperor's favor; she found maidenhood quite amusing.

This time she disregarded her brothers' and father's admonitions, sneaking off to practice riding and archery, fearing scolding, yet also harboring a thought of atonement. If she hunted a white fox to present to the emperor, under the sovereign's protection, would she still fear her father's punishment?

Sun Que, triumphant, rode her horse at full speed into the snowfield. Unexpectedly, her horse slipped, and she fell from the saddle. At that moment, she encountered the on‑coming Third Lord Fu on horseback.

In the white winter, a jade‑faced young man rode up, looking exactly like the man of her dreams. Seeing the dazzling woman tumbling in the snow, Third Lord Fu was also at a loss.

The two fell in love at first sight and immediately confessed their feelings to the emperor at the autumn banquet.

Perhaps elders love to play matchmaker; the emperor, upon hearing, laughed a few times and promptly granted them marriage.

General Sun originally intended to keep his beloved daughter for a few more years, but after a riding‑archery event, she was taken away by a scholarly lad. Because of this, he has harbored resentment toward Third Lord Fu for many years.

Sun Que recalled the past, a smile curling her lips. Fortunately she did not misjudge; now, with Third Lord Fu she shares deep marital affection, both sets of parents are kind, and thanks to her boldness she secured a good marriage.

On the other side, Old Lady Su, still wearing makeup, called out anxiously for Lord Fu. Tears welled in her eyes; the doubts in her heart had long swelled, and she choked out, "There is a matter that has been hidden in my heart for many years. I never asked you, Lord Fu, thinking I could just turn a blind eye."

Lord Fu, seeing his wife in tears, was pained and hurriedly helped Old Lady Su, taking a handkerchief and, as in his youth, dabbing her tears: "What's wrong? Which family dares to offend my lady? If there's anything, tell me, okay?"

"Today I saw a person who looks exactly like Yao'er, as if carved from the same mold, even wearing the jade pendant I gave Yao'er. How could such a coincidence happen?"

Lord Fu, upon hearing, let out a long sigh, truly a cursed fate! Years ago, when Old Lady Su heard of their daughter's death, she fainted. He could not find the granddaughter, fearing his wife would be hurt by the daughter's matter, harming her health. He considered himself selfish; as long as his lady was fine, losing a daughter could be treated as having no parental bond.

It was to ease Old Lady Su's mind that he found a baby in a cradle, claimed she was the sole surviving Cheng Lingyan, and used her to coax Old Lady Su to take care of herself; only by being firm could he protect Fu Yao's bloodline.

Old Lady Su, as a mother, was resolute, and indeed her health recovered. Lord Fu, however, suffered day and night. He felt guilty toward his wife and toward the Cheng Clan; he could not let the Cheng descendants' bloodline be disrupted, so he tacitly allowed Old Lady Su to raise Cheng Lingyan in the Fu Residence, and secretly gave the Cheng Clan many favors, as his compensation.

At this moment, when Old Lady Su asked about this matter, Lord Fu also did not know whether the woman she mentioned was truly the granddaughter. How many lookalikes exist in the world? If it were a coincidence and Old Lady Su learned Cheng Lingyan was a fake, wouldn't she fall gravely ill again?

Lord Fu was at a loss, not knowing how to bring it up.

Old Lady Su, seeing his expression, guessed the crux, sighed, and said, "Lord Fu, after decades of marriage, have you ever hidden anything from me? Feiyu, I have trusted you for most of my life; please don't break my heart!" If she weren't on the brink of grief, she wouldn't have called him by his courtesy name.

Lord Fu recalled the year they first married, when he teased her, calling, "Feiyu brother, how about it?" Now decades have passed…

Lord Fu, feigning gritted teeth, said to his wife, "You guessed right; Cheng Lingyan is indeed a child I found. I didn't locate the infant of Yao'er, fearing you couldn't endure, so I…"

That's why I used a 'raccoon‑for‑prince' trick, deceiving Old Lady Su for a full thirteen years.

Old Lady Su sighed, "Fine, after all Cheng Lingyan is also innocent. Lord Fu, if it weren't for me, you wouldn't have sought her out. Let's say I have a fate with Lingyan, fulfilling this grand‑parent‑grandchild bond. But you must investigate that Mrs. Xie's family! Her father is named Lu Jin, residing in Jinhua Town; you must get to the bottom of it. If she truly is Yao'er's child, I want her to be recognized as her ancestral kin! I often dream at night of Yao'er drenched in water, calling me cold; it's because I have wronged her…"

Lord Fu clasped Old Lady Su's hand, solemnly saying, "Rest assured, I will give you an answer. For now, ease your mind; if you like that Mrs. Xie, you may from time to time send her a letter of invitation, asking her to visit the residence."

"I'll manage," Old Lady Su nodded. Today's commotion was too loud; the various branches still thought Lord Fu and Old Lady Su had been harmonious all these years, and now a quarrel made them uneasy.

The next morning, the various branches came to pay respects to Old Lady Su.

Upon seeing the old lady, Cheng Lingyan leapt onto her knee, smiling sweetly to win her favor: "Great‑grandmother, did you sleep well?"

"Fine, fine," Old Lady Su replied as usual, chatting with her, but in her words she couldn't help scrutinizing Cheng Lingyan's features. Cheng Lingyan possessed a beauty that could eclipse the moon and shame flowers, yet she did not resemble Yao'er. Perhaps because she had never doubted her before, she had taken her for a true great‑granddaughter; now suspicion rose, and looking at Cheng Lingyan, everything seemed unlike before.

She suddenly wished to see Lu Bao'er again; whether she truly was a granddaughter or not, she would keep in contact, treating it as fulfilling her own longing for her daughter.

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