Chapter 585: Adding New Members
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The Mei family was surprised. Deliver the letter? Did he mean for them to sue the Fu family? How could they sue? It was precisely because they knew they couldn’t sue, couldn’t find a way to sue, that they came to cause trouble. If they could sue, wouldn’t they have done it earlier?
Yuwen Chu patiently explained, “You can file an official complaint.” With a slight nod, he walked inside.
The Mei family’s eldest son already held an official position and often accompanied Mei Lingzhi on social outings, so he had some understanding of court affairs. Since the relationship between the Fu family and the Emperor and Empress Dowager Min had always been tense, there was some logic to filing an official complaint. So, they stopped causing trouble and began preparing to write the complaint with the help of others.
Before Yuwen Chu even entered, Fu Cong heard about his instruction for the Mei family to write an official complaint. Fu Mingqing sighed, “This Ying Wang is really something. Isn’t the situation chaotic enough for him? If this escalates to the court, who knows how big a storm it will stir up.”
Fu Cong stroked his beard, smiling as he said, “This is good. Not only should we encourage them to file the complaint, but we should also help them make a big fuss about it. It would be best if the whole world knows about it.”
Fu Mingzheng immediately agreed, “Yes, Father, I’ll take care of it.”
Fu Cong then instructed Fu Lin, “Do you understand why your uncle did this?”
Fu Lin smiled and replied, “I do. If we just let the Mei family linger outside, even if we eventually settle things and cover them up, it would still be a matter between our two families. It would be seen as a loss of virtue and a debt to their family. But if it reaches the Emperor’s attention, it ceases to be a family matter; it becomes a state affair. Then, we can follow the thread to find out who’s behind it all, unite against them, and no longer fear their slander against us.”
“That’s the reasoning. But it’s easier said than done. You’re not young anymore; you should learn from your fourth uncle. We can’t keep burdening the elders.” Fu Cong gestured to Fu Mingzheng. “From now on, it’s up to you to take care of him. If he doesn’t behave, you’re responsible for disciplining him.”
“Yes.” Fu Mingzheng solemnly agreed. As the eldest grandson of the main branch, the next generation’s leader of the Fu family, his father entrusted Fu Lin to him, showing a great deal of trust. While he felt happy about it, he also felt the weight of the responsibility.
“Let Fu Lin handle the trivial matters. You should spend more time with your wife. The joyous occasion has been disrupted like this. However, your wife is lucky. Your mother has gained some fortune from this misfortune.” Fu Cong dismissed Fu Mingzheng and Fu Lin, then frowned at Fu Mingqing, who was still sitting there motionless. “Isn’t your wife also injured? And there’s the mess with her family. Aren’t you going to attend to that? What are you doing here, guarding me?”
Fu Mingqing protested, “I can’t just watch Fourth Brother and my nephew be busy while I do nothing.”
It was rare for this celestial son to want to deal with worldly matters, so Fu Cong chuckled, “In that case, go cry to your friends who don’t care about worldly affairs. We’ve been wronged, haven’t we?”
Fu Mingqing blinked and left in high spirits.
Fu Cong shook his head, then wrote a letter. Just as he sealed it, Yuwen Chu walked in. They exchanged a glance and went into the inner room together to discuss how to escalate the situation.
They deliberated for over two hours, repeatedly analyzing various scenarios and possible responses. They had a plan in mind before turning to personal matters.
Fu Cong’s eyes dimmed when he heard about Mingzhu’s hearing loss. He rose and bowed to Yuwen Chu, earnestly saying, “My daughter has never faced any setbacks. If this affects her temperament, I hope Your Highness will show her mercy.”
Yuwen Chu shook his head. “Father-in-law worries too much. It’s good if she can hear, but it doesn’t matter if she can’t. She can read, speak, run, and laugh; that’s good enough. In our family, she doesn’t need to show herself in public to earn a living.”
Though he said so, Fu Cong still worried deeply. He had never heard of a deaf empress, and even now, with Mingzhu as Ying Wangfei, she would need to socialize and manage household affairs when they went out. Not everyone could communicate with her through writing, could they?
Yuwen Chu continued, “I heard that some people can understand what others are saying by watching their lip movements, and gestures can also solve problems.” If necessary, they could teach Mingzhu these skills and assign more people to serve her to solve the problem.
Fu Cong nodded. “That seems to be the only way. Let’s deal with it first.”
As they walked and talked, they went to see Madam Cui. Before they even saw her, someone came to report, “The Great Empress Dowager has sent someone to the mansion to bring the Wangfei and her son to the palace. She said she misses and worries about the Wangfei, so she wants to see her.”
Yuwen Chu’s expression changed slightly. He hastily bid farewell to Fu Cong and hurried back.
At Ying Wang’s mansion, Mingzhu looked expressionlessly at the newly appointed steward, Mei Yusi, who came to deliver the decree. She had no idea what he was saying; she only knew it was irritating. Su Lan took a pen and paper and wrote for her, explaining that it was normal for her to enter the palace since she had given birth and received rewards. However, given her current condition and the chaos outside, it would be uncomfortable for her to bring the child into the palace. If the Great Empress Dowager truly missed and worried about her, then she should understand and not insist on bringing the child into the palace.
Mingzhu immediately laid back down, frowning to indicate her headache.
Mei Yusi, completely different from Liang Youyi’s gloominess, had a naturally cheerful face. Seeing Mingzhu’s reaction, he didn’t get angry. Instead, he smiled and said, “This servant also knows that Ying Wangfei is unwell, but the Great Empress Dowager is elderly and heard about the trouble in her family. Others describe it as changed. It would be better for close relatives to describe the situation in person.”
Seeing the words “close relatives,” Mingzhu nodded slowly. “Alright, I’ll go with you. But the child will stay. I’m currently unwell and preoccupied, fearing that bringing him along would inconvenience the Great Empress Dowager.”
Mei Yusi didn’t insist, still smiling and flattering lightly.
Mingzhu got ready, leaving Su Lan and Zheng Momo to take care of Zhuang Zhuang. As she walked out, before reaching the second gate, she saw Jing Song approaching with a maid and a servant. After exchanging a few gestures, they indicated that these three would accompany her to the palace.
The maid, in her forties with bright eyes, a slightly protruding temple, and thin lips, looked unapproachable. The two servants, both in their twenties, were elegant and dignified, with lowered eyes and folded hands, appearing very gentle. However, they exuded a similar aura to Dong Hui, which made Mingzhu understand that they were the people Yuwen Chu had chosen to protect her. Since the Great Empress Dowager had summoned her to the palace before they could be sent to her, they were hurriedly sent over.
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