Marrying The Imperial Elder Chapter 52

Ever since marrying into the family, Eldest Madam Pei had always been deeply valued by the Peis. She had never once seen her father-in-law wear such a terrifying expression.

Her heart trembled. For a moment, she even forgot to cry.

She hurriedly dropped to her knees and, without daring to conceal anything further, honestly recounted the entire matter of the examination credential.

After hearing the entire story, Grand Secretary Pei felt a throbbing pain in his temples. He bitterly regretted that he was now old, with aging arms and legs, no longer as strong and vigorous as he had been in his youth. Otherwise, he truly would have gone straight to the Zhen residence, dragged his daughter Madam Pei back himself, and given her a sound beating.

After all, Eldest Madam Pei was his daughter-in-law. As her father-in-law, it was inappropriate for him to say too much. Her discipline should ultimately be left to his son.

But Madam Pei was his own daughter. Having done something so foolish, there was nothing wrong with a father teaching her a lesson.

The moment Old Madam Pei saw her husband’s expression, she immediately realized he was genuinely furious and that both his daughter and daughter-in-law were about to suffer for it.

She quickly rose as well and tried to persuade him with a smile. “Yuanjun fell ill yesterday. At first I didn’t know why, but now that I think about it, she’s probably overcome with regret and feeling miserable herself. Don’t make yourself sick over this. As the saying goes, ‘If one isn’t willing to play deaf and blind, one cannot be a father-in-law.’ We’re both at this age now. Why trouble yourself over such trivial matters? Let the children handle it themselves…”

Grand Secretary Pei let out a cold laugh. “She still has the nerve to be sick?! If I were her, I’d die of shame!”

The moment those words were spoken, everyone lowered their heads, unsure how to respond.

Even Old Madam Pei was momentarily rendered speechless. Only after a pause did she softly continue, “What exactly are you so angry about? It’s only a small matter. The women’s academy examination is already over. Tingyun passed the examination. Although Mingzhu failed this time, she can simply work harder and try again next year. Why make such a huge issue out of it? Our daughter is already a mother herself. She isn’t a child anymore. How can you simply scold or beat her whenever you please?”

Yet Grand Secretary Pei remembered the Regent’s words. His heart tightened. Even such a private matter within his own household had reached the Regent’s ears. It was obvious the Regent had been deliberately paying attention.

Today it might seem like only a minor incident. But if his family failed to exercise restraint and committed some truly unforgivable act in the future…

Thinking of the Regent’s handsome yet razor-sharp face, thinking of the foolish things his daughter and daughter-in-law had done, Grand Secretary Pei slowly closed his eyes and let out a long breath.

The political situation at court was changing by the moment. He could no longer continue tolerating this sort of behavior.

Very quickly, he made up his mind. “A thousand-mile dike collapses because of an ant’s nest. You all think it’s only a trivial matter and not worth arguing over, but you fail to realize that a person’s audacity grows little by little through repeated indulgence. If she isn’t disciplined now, I’m afraid she’ll eventually cause a disaster, and the entire family will be dragged down with her!”

After a brief pause, Grand Secretary Pei wasted no further words.

Turning to Old Madam Pei, he said firmly, “I don’t care whether she’s genuinely ill or pretending. Send someone to bring her here immediately. If she refuses to come then she need never come again.”

Seeing that he had made up his mind, Old Madam Pei could only try to buy some time. “It’s already getting dark, and Yuanjun is sick. If she hurries back and forth tonight and something happens along the way, what then? Let’s wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow is your day off, and you’ll be home. I’ll send someone to fetch her then. If you, as her father, want to scold her, then scold her. I won’t interfere.”

Grand Secretary Pei still had a lump of anger lodged in his chest. Yet when he lowered his head, he met his wife’s almost pleading gaze. In the end, he could only nod. “Tomorrow, then.”

With that, he left behind only one sentence,  “An overly indulgent mother ruins her children.”

Then he flicked his sleeve and strode away.

Old Madam Pei watched him leave and finally breathed a slight sigh of relief. As she reached out to help her kneeling daughter-in-law to her feet, she also sent someone to the Zhen residence to inform Madam Pei. After so many years as husband and wife, she knew Grand Secretary Pei was truly enraged this time. She only hoped that delaying him for one night would allow his temper to cool somewhat.

Otherwise, when her daughter arrived tomorrow, she would likely be coming only to receive a beating.

As for her eldest daughter-in-law… 

Old Madam Pei looked at Eldest Madam Pei, who had cried herself into a complete mess, shook her head, and sighed. She truly had a hard life. She had traded away a shop in exchange for an examination credential. In the end, her daughter still failed. And afterward, she herself would probably be reprimanded as well.

She had truly suffered a double loss, losing both the lady and the army.

Sigh.

That’s why people should never have entertained crooked thoughts in the first place.

If the examination credential had been lost, they should simply have prepared to take the examination again the following year.

Judging from Pei Mingzhu’s performance this time, perhaps losing the credential had actually been Heaven’s warning all along, foretelling that she would not pass this year and should simply try again next year…

***

By the time the messenger from the Pei family arrived, Father Zhen was speaking with Madam Pei, patiently trying to comfort and persuade his wife.

Father Zhen was not someone who lacked reason.

Although people often said that both the palm and the back of the hand were made of flesh, even flesh had its thicker and thinner parts.

Parents were human. And humans naturally had favorites. It was perfectly understandable to love one child a little more than another.

Even Father Zhen himself, though he felt deeply guilty toward his youngest daughter and dearly loved how much she resembled the young Madam Pei in both appearance and temperament, could honestly admit to himself that, deep down, he still favored the eldest daughter and youngest son whom he had personally watched grow up.

But the reason humans were human was precisely because they possessed reason.

They did not act solely on emotional impulse.

Even if they were biased, there had to be limits. They could not lose their rationality or descend into madness. At the very least, outwardly they had to treat all their children equally.

From Father Zhen’s perspective, Madam Pei’s favoritism had already reached an unbelievable level.

She had completely trapped herself in an obsessive dead end and become irrational.

Where in this world was there a mother who treated her own flesh and blood as though they were an enemy?

Unfortunately, Father Zhen had never succeeded in reconciling Madam Pei with Old Lady Zhen over the years.

Now, although he genuinely wanted to persuade his wife, it proved equally ineffective. 

Madam Pei simply refused to admit that she was being biased.

Once she denied the very premise, there was no way for the conversation to continue. 

It was at this moment that someone from the Pei family arrived with a message.

Old Master Pei had summoned Madam Pei to return to the Pei residence tomorrow.

Father Zhen immediately let out a huge sigh of relief.

Very well.

Since Madam Pei refused to listen to her husband’s advice, then let her own father try to reason with her instead.

Thinking this, Father Zhen comforted his wife for a few more moments before turning to counsel his eldest daughter, whose right palm had been injured.

He even brought up the story of Kong Rong yielding the larger pear. As the elder sister, she ought to be more broad-minded. Giving up a single estate to her younger sister was hardly a major sacrifice. Later, he would certainly find another opportunity to make it up to her.

After making the rounds like this, Father Zhen still remembered Zhen Tingyun’s matter.

He did not forget to order servants to prepare a carriage, horses, and gifts of apology for Zhen Tingyun to take to her teacher who lived in the Western Hill villa.

It had to be said that, although Father Zhen had come from a humble background, he had reached his current position while still relatively young.

Aside from the support of his wife’s family, he was, at the very least, a capable and sensible man.

Thus, early the next morning, as Zhen Tingyun departed by carriage for Western Hill, Father Zhen and Madam Pei also had a carriage prepared and set off for the Pei residence.

Of course, Zhen Tingyun didn’t care about any of those matters.

She had spent the entire previous night tossing and turning over Yuanhui’s affairs, unable to sleep at all. She was truly worried that because of Madam Chu’s incident, he might have become angry with her. Throughout the journey, her mind was occupied solely with this concern, and she completely forgot about Madam Pei and Father Zhen’s situation.

After worrying all the way there, when she finally arrived at the Western Hills villa, she asked the guards at the gate and learned that Yuanhui was indeed inside. Only then did the breath she had been holding the entire journey finally ease.

Even if Yuanhui was angry this time, he probably wasn’t too angry. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have stayed here waiting for her to come apologize.

Thinking this, a smile finally appeared on Zhen Tingyun’s face. She asked the guards to help carry all the gifts she had brought as an apology from the carriage, while she herself walked inside. But just as she reached the doorway, she stopped and secretly raised her eyes to observe Fu Changxi, who was sitting in the inner room reading, trying to gauge the expression on his face.

Since he was staying at the villa, Fu Changxi’s attire was quite casual. He wore a lake-blue robe embroidered with subtle cloud patterns. Only the collar and sleeves were decorated with intricate, delicate embroidery stitched in fine silver thread. Though he wore no unnecessary ornaments, no golden crown, and no jade belt, an understated air of noble elegance still emanated from him.

He held a scroll in his hand, reclining sideways against the couch as he leisurely read. He seemed completely unaware of this unexpected visitor, keeping his head lowered. His right hand held the scroll while his left rested upon its pages, occasionally lifting to turn one.

From where Zhen Tingyun stood, she could clearly see half of his profile and the hand resting on the pages.

His hand was broad and powerful, with long, slender fingers and distinct knuckles. Even his neatly trimmed fingernails were impeccable, and a jade thumb ring adorned his thumb. Such a hand, merely resting quietly upon the pages, possessed an astonishing steadiness, conveying an indescribable sense of control.

From the very first day she met him, Zhen Tingyun had known he was handsome but this was the first time she had looked at that beauty so carefully and so directly.

It was like facing a perfectly sharpened blade.

Bright as snow, razor-sharp, unmistakably direct, it inspired fear and unease, yet was utterly impossible to resist.

Without realizing it, Zhen Tingyun bit her lip.

At that moment, Fu Changxi suddenly spoke. “How much longer do you intend to stand in the doorway staring?”

Originally, Fu Changxi hadn’t intended to say anything. He had planned to put on a proper teacher’s dignity for a while.

But this foolish student of his had simply stood there in the doorway, staring at him without even blinking. Her gaze was almost tangible. As it settled upon him, it felt like tiny insects crawling over his body, making him strangely uncomfortable. The skin wherever her eyes seemed to pass gradually tingled with a faint itch, causing his body to unconsciously tense. In the end, he had no choice but to speak first.

Only then did Zhen Tingyun snap out of her daze.

“Teacher,” she called reflexively.

Without even lifting his head, Fu Changxi merely gave a faint, “Mm.”

Hearing that response, Zhen Tingyun immediately relaxed. She hurried inside from the doorway and sat down beside the couch, right next to Fu Changxi.

Then she secretly looked at him again.

Seeing that he still wasn’t speaking, she understood that he was waiting for her to say something, to coax him.

Well… not exactly coax him.

To explain herself.

So she didn’t beat around the bush and asked directly, “Teacher, have you already learned about me taking Madam Chu as my teacher?”

Fu Changxi glanced at her before once again responding only with a quiet “Mm.”

Watching his expression, Zhen Tingyun cautiously reached over and tugged at his sleeve as she explained, “Actually… I never wanted to become Madam Chu’s disciple in the first place…”

Fu Changxi lowered his gaze and looked at the fingers clutching the corner of his sleeve. Because his robe was lake-blue, her delicate fingertips resting upon it appeared dazzlingly white. 

He stared at them for a moment before quickly looking away. At least this time, he said more than a single syllable. “Let go. Speak properly.”

Zhen Tingyun had long since grown accustomed to behaving boldly in front of Fu Changxi, and she understood his temperament well.

If he truly disliked people tugging at his sleeve, he would have pulled his arm away long ago, or simply shaken her off outright. Since he hadn’t done so, she figured he was merely saying it for appearance’s sake.

So not only did she refuse to release his sleeve, she even blinked at him defiantly and huffed, “I won’t!”

Fu Changxi sincerely felt that this student had been accepted into his tutelage for the sole purpose of annoying him.

Annoying him to no end.

He simply pretended that half of his sleeve no longer existed and steered the conversation back on track. “Weren’t you going to explain yourself?”

Hearing this, Zhen Tingyun hurriedly nodded. After thinking for a moment, she asked, “Teacher, do you remember the night we returned to the capital? After we parted ways at the inn, I played a tune on my bamboo xiao?”

“Mm.”

Fu Changxi nodded.

He remembered it well. That night, he had heard the sorrow of parting and reluctant farewell within the melody. It had deeply moved him, and it was also through that performance that he recognized Zhen Tingyun’s talent in this area. Naturally, the memory remained vivid.

Tilting her face upward, her fair cheeks puffed slightly, Zhen Tingyun spoke with complete sincerity. “That was the night I met Madam Chu. After hearing my xiao, she wanted to take me as her disciple. I rejected her immediately without even thinking about it.”

That genuinely surprised Fu Changxi.

He looked at Zhen Tingyun.

She hurried to declare her loyalty. “I already have you as my teacher! Besides, you’ve treated me so well. You’ve taught me to read and write, and you’ve even given me gifts. If I repaid kindness with ingratitude and let you down… would I even deserve to be called human?”

It had to be said, whenever Zhen Tingyun wanted to coax someone, her words were sweeter than honey, enough to leave anyone completely dazzled.

Even Fu Changxi found his heart softening at her words.

After a moment of silence, he finally asked, “If you had already refused her, why did you go looking for her yourself just before the examination?”

Ordinarily, a matter like Madam Pei exchanging the deed for the shop would have been considered a family disgrace. People of the time believed that family scandals should never be made public, so such things were generally never spoken of outside the household.

But Zhen Tingyun trusted Fu Changxi, her teacher, greatly. She hesitated only briefly before recounting the entire incident from beginning to end. After finishing, she once again declared her loyalty. “If it hadn’t been because of that, I definitely would never have secretly taken another teacher behind your back.”

In truth, Fu Changxi had already known all of this.

He wasn’t the sort of master who accepted a disciple and then ignored them. Naturally, he had people secretly watching over her.

Now that Zhen Tingyun had finally explained everything herself, his long brows slowly drew together. At last, he voiced the question that had been weighing on his mind for so long. “Since something like this happened… why didn’t you come to me?”

Zhen Tingyun replied naturally, “I can’t always rely on you, Teacher.”

Fu Changxi lowered his eyes and pressed his lips together. In the end, he said nothing more. Deep down, he actually wished she would rely on him a little.

After all, she was the only female student he had ever taken. Although he had been suffering from partial memory loss at the time, he had personally guided her hand as he taught her calligraphy, instructed her in playing the xiao, taught her the art of tea… He had devoted so much effort to raising her into the person she was today. Surely it wasn’t so that she could be bullied, even if the ones bullying her were her own parents.

Of course, Fu Changxi also knew that such thoughts weren’t entirely appropriate. He pursed his lips but ultimately kept them to himself, changing the subject instead. “Now that you’ve been admitted to the Women’s Academy, what are your plans going forward?”

At the mention of this, Zhen Tingyun immediately became much more animated. She struck her right fist into her left palm and said, “I’ve already thought it through. The Women’s Academy provides boarding, so when the time comes, I’ll simply live there. Anyway, I already own an estate, and it brings in some income every year. If my family gives me money, I’ll use it. If they don’t, I’ll live off the income from the estate first. Either way, I’ll be able to get by…”

Listening to her, Fu Changxi couldn’t help feeling a little bitter. He couldn’t resist scolding her. “And after things have come to this, you still insisted on returning all those things I gave you last time! Now you’re going to have to scrape by.”

She really was making herself suffer just to preserve her pride.

Hearing this, Zhen Tingyun lifted her chin and replied with complete confidence, “Even if I’d accepted everything you gave me, Teacher, it wouldn’t have helped! I couldn’t exactly sell or pawn the gifts you gave me, could I? Since they couldn’t be eaten or drunk, they were only there to look pretty. Rather than taking up space, I thought it was better to return them to you.”

Although Zhen Tingyun spoke with great conviction, the moment she thought back to that little chest filled with gold and jade treasures, her heart practically bled.

Ah… if only I’d kept them. Even if they couldn’t be eaten or drunk and only took up space, they were so beautiful to look at!

Still…

As the saying went, “A gentleman loves wealth, but acquires it by proper means.”

She had to exercise restraint.

Suppressing the urge to think about that chest full of precious jewels, Zhen Tingyun continued, “Besides, living at the Women’s Academy will let me get to know more young ladies my own age and focus on my studies. My foundation is weak. I can’t compare with the others, so I’ll definitely have to work much harder. At the very least, I need to improve my handwriting. And the qin too, you said before, Teacher, that once I entered the academy, I’d be able to start learning it properly from the beginning…”

The more she spoke, the more she realized just how many things she still had to do. The days ahead were going to be busier than ever.

Fu Changxi found himself quietly watching her.

She tilted her head slightly upward, happily talking about all the hopes she held for the future. Her eyes sparkled brightly, like stars submerged beneath the surface of a lake, twinkling with light.

Suddenly, Fu Changxi once again felt as though a fluffy fox’s tail were brushing against his palm. His fingertips tingled faintly.

Without realizing it, he reached out his hand.

Halfway through speaking, Zhen Tingyun noticed his outstretched hand. She instinctively widened her eyes and called softly, “…Teacher?”

Fu Changxi reacted remarkably quickly.

Without missing a beat, he placed his hand atop her head and gently ruffled her hair before flicking her forehead lightly with a finger.

Using the gesture to cover up what he’d almost done, he teased, “Work hard, yes, but remember to balance work and rest. Don’t keep yourself so busy that you end up exhausting yourself.”

Covering the spot on her forehead where he’d flicked her, Zhen Tingyun muttered quietly, “I’m not an idiot.”

Only an idiot would work themselves to exhaustion.

Even so, from his tone she could tell that Fu Changxi no longer seemed angry.

Growing bolder, she reached over and tugged at his sleeve again, asking in a slightly spoiled tone, “Teacher, have you had breakfast yet? I’m starving.”

She had been so worried he would be angry that she hadn’t slept properly all night. This morning, she had climbed straight into the carriage without eating a single bite. Only now, seeing that he no longer seemed upset, did she finally relax, and immediately became aware of how hungry she was.

Fu Changxi glanced at her before graciously nodding.

What he didn’t tell her, however, was that he himself hadn’t eaten breakfast either. He had spent the entire morning sitting here reading while waiting for her to arrive.

Before getting up, though, he gave his sleeve a shake, signaling for Zhen Tingyun to let go. Then he said, “If you keep doing this, people will think I’m a sodomite.”

The joke was truly terrible.

So terrible it could freeze the air.

Zhen Tingyun awkwardly released his sleeve.

Secretly, she couldn’t help grumbling to herself,

With someone your age who’s still all alone, even if I weren’t tugging on your sleeve, people would probably still suspect you of liking men behind your back.

Just as she was criticizing him inwardly, she noticed him looking her way.

Immediately, she lifted her fair little face, blinked innocently, and put on the most well-behaved expression imaginable.

Naturally, Fu Changxi had no idea what his student had just been thinking.

Seeing her rare display of obedient sweetness, his expression softened slightly as he instructed the servants to prepare breakfast.

Thus, the master and disciple, both preoccupied with their own thoughts, and both having missed breakfast, sat down across from one another at the table, finally ready to eat their belated morning meal.

Since Fu Changxi had spent the previous night at the villa, breakfast had already been prepared there.

Upon hearing their master’s orders, the servants promptly brought the dishes in. There happened to be bird’s nest porridge.

Zhen Tingyun first served a bowl to Fu Changxi before taking one for herself.

After examining it, she said, “I’ve heard people talk about bird’s nest before, but this is my first time actually eating it.”

Compared to things like blue-stem rice, which she had never even heard of before, luxurious tonics such as bird’s nest and ginseng were far more famous.

Back when she lived in the countryside, she had at least heard of bird’s nest.

Unfortunately, Old Lady Zhen was notoriously frugal. She always believed children should be raised simply. Even she herself couldn’t bear to eat such expensive nourishing delicacies as bird’s nest or ginseng, so naturally she never let her granddaughter have any either.

Hearing this, Fu Changxi suddenly found himself unable to swallow his bird’s nest porridge.

It felt as though something were lodged in his throat.

After a long pause, he finally said, “If you like it, I’ll have someone prepare some for you. You can take it home and cook it yourself whenever you want.”

His tone was remarkably similar to the time when Zhen Tingyun had taken a liking to the beijing rice, and he had ordered someone to prepare a small sack for her to bring home.

Zhen Tingyun did not answer immediately. Instead, she scooped up a spoonful of bird’s nest porridge and tasted it first before declining Fu Changxi’s offer. “It’s enough just to try it once. I think it tastes pretty much the same as white fungus.”

Fu Changxi choked on his words.

After a moment of silence, he said, “You should still take some back with you. Even if it’s just for your grandmother, it’d be good for nourishing her health.”

Hearing this, Zhen Tingyun rested her chin in her hand and thought for a moment before nodding. “Just a little, then.”

After a pause, worried that Fu Changxi might misunderstand what she meant by “a little,” she deliberately explained, “Just give me a tiny bit. It’ll be enough for Grandmother to have a taste.

“My grandmother has always been rather frugal. If I bring back too much, she’ll think about saving it instead of eating it and will probably look for an opportunity to sell the bird’s nest to save up money. But if there’s only enough for a few servings, she’ll carefully store it and eat it little by little. Then she’ll probably keep saving it until it goes bad. So it’s better if I only bring back a little. I’ll cook it for her as soon as I get home so she can try it. Besides, it tastes about the same as white fungus anyway. If Grandmother likes it, next time I’ll just buy her more white fungus instead. She’ll be happy eating that too, and she can eat as much as she likes.”

Fu Changxi didn’t even know how to respond.

Keeping his expression unchanged, he simply said, “As long as you’re happy.”

Thinking back to the Old Lady Zhen he had met before, Fu Changxi suddenly felt that Zhen Tingyun had indeed thought everything through remarkably well.

As they chatted, Zhen Tingyun had already finished her small bowl of bird’s nest porridge. She picked up a steamed flower roll and, while eating it, urged him, “Teacher, if you don’t drink your porridge soon, it’ll get cold.”

Fu Changxi hadn’t had much of an appetite to begin with. He casually scooped up a few spoonfuls of the hot porridge and slowly drank them before raising his eyes to look at Zhen Tingyun.

She was holding a flower roll with her chopsticks, tilting her head slightly as she took a bite.

She was eating with obvious enjoyment, her rosy cheeks puffed up adorably.

The longer Fu Changxi watched, the more his own appetite returned.

He, too, picked up a flower roll and sampled it.