Chapter 657: Clearing Up
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Fu Mingzheng came in holding a bowl of medicinal soup and happened to see Mingzhu’s state. He frowned and asked, “What’s going on with you?”
Mingzhu mustered her energy and smiled at him. “I’m just tired.”
Fu Mingzheng scrutinized her with suspicion for a moment and said, “If you’re tired, go rest. Father’s condition has stabilized. I need to go out and take care of some matters. I’ll hand over the care here to Ah Lin, Third Brother, and a few of our sisters-in-law. You should freshen up and prepare to enter the palace. Just now, Qi Wangfei sent someone over to say that you weren’t present during the mourning, and many rumors have started. You can rest today at most, but tomorrow morning, you must be in the palace.”
“Oh,” Mingzhu replied as she got up to leave. She then asked in a low voice, “Fourth Brother, if Fourth Sister-in-law suddenly told you she had come back to life after dying, how would you feel?”
Fu Mingzheng was just about to feed a spoonful of medicine to Fu Cong when he almost spilled it upon hearing this. “That’s a serious question.”
“Oh,” Mingzhu lowered her head. “I’ll leave now.”
“Wait,” Fu Mingzheng put down the medicine bowl and called out sternly, “You, stop right there. Why are you saying something so strange out of the blue? You seem to have something on your mind. Did Yuwen Chu do something to you? Tell me quickly!”
Mingzhu whispered, “What can he do to me? Look, I’m perfectly fine, aren’t I?”
Fu Mingzheng sneered, “Mingzhu, you’re truly foolish! Is your brain even functioning properly? You encounter problems but don’t consult us. You want to handle everything on your own, don’t you? Can you handle it? Life and death matters, huh? Come on, if you don’t explain everything to me today, don’t even think about leaving.”
Unable to do anything else, Mingzhu sat down, looking like a wronged little wife. “It’s about Jiang Shanshan… when she died, she caused trouble…” She recounted Jiang Shanshan’s crazy talk and shrugged, “Although I’m confident I’m not the person Jiang Shanshan described, I now find myself at a loss for how to defend myself.”
Fu Mingzheng’s expression turned serious. As smart as he was, he understood where the crucial issue lay. He stared into Mingzhu’s eyes, but she avoided his gaze, indicating her reluctance to tell the truth. At least for now, she hadn’t decided whether to speak. Although he was annoyed that she didn’t trust him, he was also pleased with her cautious attitude.
Yuwen Chu’s identity was sensitive, and Mingzhu’s was also unusual, not to mention Zhuangzhuang. Any misstep could cause a huge uproar or a sudden reversal of the current good situation. So, every word had to be carefully chosen. Fu Mingzheng asked Mingzhu, “So, are you the kind of person Jiang Shanshan described?”
Mingzhu shook her head without hesitation. “Of course not. From the moment I opened my eyes, I’ve been Mingzhu. Until now, I’m still just Mingzhu. I only understood half of what Jiang Shanshan said.”
“Then just be Mingzhu forever. Don’t overthink things. Since you’re confident, you need to act confidently. Otherwise, if you feel guilty yourself, how can you blame others for seeing you as a thief?”
Fu Mingzheng didn’t bother asking for the truth. He just stared into her eyes and said firmly, “I know you want to be honest, but let me tell you, Fourth Brother understands men best. He may be trustworthy now, but he may not be in the future. You have to protect yourself and Zhuangzhuang. So, you just need to give him a trustworthy reason. Before that, you need to convince yourself of this reason. If you’re not ready, then avoid him and don’t see him until you are.”
Mingzhu hesitated. “But…”
“No ‘buts.’ If Father were awake, and if Eldest Brother and Second Brother were here, they would give you the same advice. No, it’s not advice, it’s invaluable words of wisdom, and you must follow them. Your time with him has been too short for you to give your all.” Fu Mingzheng scratched his head in frustration and whispered, “Really! You’re too honest!”
“Oh.” Mingzhu felt a bit embarrassed. As the saying goes, the leopard can’t change its spots. She had been like this since forever, and it was hard for her to suddenly change. It was like trying to turn a red flower into a white one overnight—impossible.
“You go back to the children. I’ll think about what to say.” Fu Mingzheng hurried Mingzhu away but then stopped her. “Died and came back to life… when did you die? Did you fall and die while you were at the Jade Emperor Temple?”
“No way!” Mingzhu was surprised by his sharpness but then realized her behavior had changed since then. “I was just giving an example, just a metaphor, you know? I’ve never actually died.”
Her way of ‘dying’ was strange and couldn’t be described as ‘coming back to life.’ It was more like waking up from a dream and realizing all the unpleasant things were just dreams. She still had plenty of time and opportunities to start over. Yes, it was like waking from a dream. As for how much truth to reveal, that was her own business. Yuwen Chu couldn’t just enter her dreams to uncover her secrets.
Indeed, as Fu Mingzheng said, the only obstacle was herself. Not telling Yuwen Chu the truth wasn’t about deceiving him but about what was best for everyone. There was nothing wrong with that. She smiled brightly. “Fourth Brother, thank you. I know what to do now.”
Fu Mingzheng said in a low voice, “I won’t ask you anymore. Just remember what I said. Time will tell you whether he’s worth all your efforts. Go.”
Mingzhu looked at him admiringly. “Fourth Brother, you seem so wise now, like those famous scholars and recluses. A few words from you can enlighten the world.”
Seeing her joking, Fu Mingzheng knew she had found a solution. He chuckled and shooed her away. “Go on! Instead of arguing with me, you should think about how to deal with the trickster in your family.”
Mingzhu smiled and quickly left. From now on, she would believe it was all just a dream, and no one could wake her up from it. That’s how it would be.
In the outer room of Madam Cui’s residence, Zhuangzhuang and Stone sat on the bed playing with toys. When they saw Mingzhu come in, they reached out for her to pick them up. Mingzhu picked up Zhuangzhuang, who started rubbing his little head against her chin. Mingzhu couldn’t help but feel helpless. She wished she could just pour her heart out to him.
Lady Qian asked someone to prepare breakfast for Mingzhu. “Just now, a palace maid came and said Imperial Consort Min wants you to bring the child to the palace to see her.”
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