Chapter 348: Seeking Survival
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Mingzhu suddenly felt relieved and blinked, “So elder brother and I are on the same page?”
“More or less,” Fu Mingda smiled at her and said softly, “You’re doing better than me.”
Mingzhu never thought she could do better than her elder brother, so she didn’t believe it. “Elder brother is just teasing me again.”
Fu Mingda said seriously, “No, I’m not. Whether you’re doing well or not, you can tell from Fu Lin’s demeanor. If he listens to you and trusts your words, it means you’re doing very well.” He sighed, “Our little sister has truly grown up.”
Mingzhu felt extremely embarrassed by his praise and tried to change the subject, “Father and His Highness are talking at the pavilion. Aren’t you going?”
“I will. But before that, I have a few words to say to you.” Fu Mingda gestured for Mingzhu to follow him. “Come, I’ll accompany you to Mother’s side, and we can talk as we walk.”
Mingzhu said, “I promised Eldest Sister-in-law to watch over Fu Lin for her. I can’t go back on my word.” She was worried that Fu Lin might seem okay on the surface but struggle inwardly. What if he behaved differently once they left?
Seeing her worried expression, Fu Mingda couldn’t help but smile slightly. “What’s there to worry about? It’s not like his appearance is ruined, nor is he truly crippled. If he can’t handle such a small setback, how will he manage the Fu family’s affairs in the future? It’s better to find someone else while we still can.” His voice was not low, obviously meant for Fu Lin to hear.
Mingzhu broke out in a cold sweat. Well, she thought she was ruthless enough, but her elder brother turned out to be even more ruthless. After hearing this, even if Fu Lin felt miserable, he would have to endure it and live on properly.
Sure enough, she heard Fu Lin’s muffled voice from his room, “Father, please rest assured, your son won’t die! If someone wants to take my place, they’re welcome to try! Let them come and challenge me!”
Truly father and son! Mingzhu secretly gave Fu Lin a thumbs up. Well done!
Fu Mingda finally breathed a sigh of relief at this point, showing a hint of a smile. He whispered to Mingzhu, “It’s all fine now.”
Mingzhu smiled back, understanding that as long as a person was still alive and their spirit not crushed, there was nothing that could defeat them!
“You previously warned about someone targeting Fu Lin. Father and I also had this concern and took precautions. Otherwise, Fu Lin would have been more severely injured this time, or even lost his life.” Fu Mingda’s smile faded as he spoke softly, “Of course, if the precautions had been strict enough, he might have escaped this time, but next time, it might not be the case. The opponent’s methods will be more subtle and cruel, and irreversible. It’s better to seize the opportunity to seek a chance for a safe retreat. A gecko sheds its tail to survive, you understand?”
Mingzhu understood. Whether to live with one less hand or die completely, she would choose to live with one less hand. But thinking that Fu Lin was the one taking this risk, she couldn’t help but feel sorry and scared afterwards.
“His injury can’t be too light. If it’s too light, no one will let him off easily. The court struggle is inherently cruel, it doesn’t tolerate soft-heartedness. If he is to take charge of the Fu family, with so many lives entrusted to him, if he doesn’t realize this cruelty, how will he know what true cruelty is? Only by understanding cruelty can one learn how to protect one’s family and clan. This is a gamble.” Fu Mingda asked Mingzhu calmly, “Hearing your fourth brother, do you already know?”
This referred to Mingzhu knowing about what the family and Yuwen Chu were planning. Mingzhu nodded, “Yes, I know.”
“In that case, you must understand even more. Since we already have our own plans, Ah Lin cannot have any entanglements with that person anymore. Otherwise, what will happen in the future? If he joins that person’s faction, he will become a traitor, a stigma that he cannot erase for the rest of his life. Even if that person intentionally elevates him, the people below won’t accept him. If he doesn’t join, it means he’s finished for life, and so is the Fu family. We also need to prevent that person from becoming dissatisfied and unable to be used anymore. What’s the point of keeping him? So we can only gamble, take advantage of the opportunity created by the other party to retreat, to save Ah Lin’s life, future, reputation, and the future of the Fu family. It’s completely worth it for Ah Lin to endure this suffering.”
The person Fu Mingda referred to was Yuwen Fu, while “the other person” referred to Yuwen Chu. People always say a loyal subject serves only one master. If Fu Lin stays with Yuwen Fu for too long, people will naturally consider Yuwen Fu his master. If he leaves and joins Yuwen Chu, it’s considered betrayal and won’t be tolerated by society. Refusing openly would hurt the feelings of the Great Empress Dowager, leading to internal conflicts in the Fu family. It would be almost like playing a joke.
Mingzhu sighed in relief and said seriously, “Since we’ve suffered a great loss, shouldn’t we let that person know and show gratitude? I’ll go talk to him.” For the sake of promoting Yuwen Chu to power, the future heir of the family had suffered greatly. It wouldn’t do to keep it from him. Although she was close to Yuwen Chu, it was a different matter from being close to the Fu family and Yuwen Chu.
Fu Mingda smiled slightly, “Your third brother and father have already handled this matter, so you don’t need to intervene. Remember, don’t mention Ah Lin in front of him. If he asks you, just answer calmly, don’t exaggerate, just tell the truth.”
So it was arranged for the teary-eyed third brother to receive them. Father intentionally arranged it. Father’s casual attitude, Tang Chunlai’s diagnosis, were all just strategies for Fu Lin and the Fu family’s future. Not mentioning it actively was to prevent her from damaging the relationship between husband and wife. Answering when asked was to avoid being too artificial and hypocritical. Mingzhu understood that after doing something, it was better to let the other party remember it in a relaxed mood, rather than forcing it, the effect would be completely different.
“Remember, what happened to Ah Lin is an uncontrollable conspiracy. Neither the Great Empress Dowager nor Ying Wang will openly admit it, even if they see through it. This is not hiding or playing tricks, it’s for the betterment of each other.” Fu Mingda escorted Mingzhu outside the main courtyard and nodded slightly, “Wangfei, please take care.”
Indeed, the struggle for the throne was really complicated. Mingzhu sighed and lifted the corners of her drooping mouth with her fingers, making herself look less dejected and more spirited, then walked into the room with big strides to comfort Madam Cui.
Madam Cui was delighted to hear that Fu Lin had awakened and was in good spirits. She wanted to get up and see him, but Mingzhu and Lady Su quickly stopped her, advising, “He wakes up and falls asleep intermittently, and the sedative dosage has been reduced. If he’s in pain, he’ll become agitated. It’s better not to go.”
After dinner, Yuwen Chu had finished talking with Fu Cong, and specially came in to bid farewell to Madam Cui before taking Mingzhu home.
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