After last night's spring rain baptism, the air was exceptionally fresh. As Yuxi stepped outside, a cool spring breeze greeted her, carrying the scent of earthy grass, which was quite refreshing.
When Yuxi arrived at the Fu Residence, she saw Chen Shi with red, swollen eyes. She immediately understood that Chen Shi must have found out about Fu Jian's plan to give Fu Tianlei a second wife. Yuxi didn't want to interfere too much with other people's family matters, so she politely asked, "Where's the child? Why isn't the baby in the room?" It was rather strange for a newborn not to be with its mother.
Chen Shi replied with a guilty look, "I had a difficult delivery and no breast milk, so I hired a nainiang1. She took the child outside for feeding." Only she knew the real truth.
Yuxi had prepared some gifts for the child, and since the child wasn't present, she handed them directly to Chen Shi. The gifts weren't particularly unique, just the usual things: a gold lock and some gold bracelets and anklets. They weren't heavy, but the craftsmanship was exquisite.
When talking to close relatives, one could be more casual, but when the relationship wasn't so good, one had to be careful with one's words, as any mistakes could be remembered for a long time. Therefore, Yuxi didn't want to linger at the Fu Residence for long. Just as she was about to take her leave, a maid rushed over with an anxious expression and reported, "Da Nainai2, something terrible has happened. Da Gunainai3 is missing."
Without waiting for Chen Shi to speak, Yuxi stood up and said, "Since there's an issue in your family, I'll take my leave. When I have time, I will come back to visit Saozi4."
Chen Shi could tell that Yuxi did not want to get involved in this matter, but as she was currently in postpartum confinement and unable to exert herself, she immediately requested, "Dimei5, my husband and General Yun are as close as brothers. Could you please help me find Qingluo? I know this request is somewhat inappropriate, but I am in my postpartum confinement, and my husband is not in the mansion, so I have no other choice."
Yuxi replied, "It would be best to inform Old General Fu immediately. I have some business to attend to at my residence, so I will head back first." Running away from a marriage was a family scandal, and she wasn't foolish enough to get involved in such matters.
Seeing this situation, Chen Shi didn't insist and exchanged a few polite words before having a maid escort Yuxi out. After Yuxi left, Chen Shi regained her composure and asked, "When did Da Gunainai3 go missing?" Chen Shi became furious when the maid told her that Qingluo had just been discovered missing from the courtyard. It was almost noon, and they had just noticed someone had disappeared. What kind of useless people were they keeping?
On the way back, after noticing that Yuxi was resting in the carriage with her eyes closed, Mama Qu stated, "Madam, I have heard that Old General Fu is preparing to give General Fu a second wife." Since the previous assassination attempt, Mama Qu had accompanied Yuxi whenever she went out. It was General Yun's request, as he felt that the maids around Yuxi were too young and tended to be unreliable when things went wrong. Only those who were older and more experienced could be relied upon.
Yuxi asked, "What were you actually going to say, Mama?" Mama Qu did not like to meddle in other people's affairs or gossip, so there must be a purpose behind her bringing up the Fu family matter.
Mama Qu was no longer going round the curves and skirting the corners6, "The Eldest Young Miss is already ten months old, Madam. It's time to prepare for another child." Yuxi had long since recovered from her illness. During this period, she ate nourishing food, cared for her body, and exercised daily. Her health had been completely restored. Madam Qu felt that it was about time.
Yuxi smiled slightly. "Just let nature take its course." She wasn't against the idea, but having a child couldn't be forced.
Upon returning to the Yun Residence, Yuxi informed Yun Qing of Fu Qingluo's escape from her family's arranged marriage, "If my guess is correct, she should have escaped in the middle of the night and left through the city gates in the early morning." Fu Qingluo had been missing for most of the day before anyone noticed her disappearance. It was either due to Chen Shi's lax management or Fu Qingluo's being too clever at bribing people. However, based on Yuxi's speculation, it was probably the former.
Yun Qing had no interest in the matter and said, "Let her do as she pleases." For Yun Qing, it was unsurprising that Fu Qingluo would run away. It would be rare for her to obediently marry someone without causing any trouble!
Seeing Yuxi's unusual expression, Yun Qing explained, "Fu Qingluo is skilled in martial arts. Even if she escapes, she can protect herself."
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When Fu Tianlei learned that Fu Qingluo had run away, he returned to the mansion and asked his father furiously, "Father, why didn't you send someone to find Qingluo and bring her back?"
Fu Jian replied, "What is the point of bringing her back? She doesn't want to get married. Even if we force her, it will only cause chaos. So, let's just go along with her wishes." He had completely given up on this daughter of his.
Fu Tianlei questioned him coldly, "What if something happens to Qingluo out there? Her life will be ruined." This time was different. Before, Qingluo always went out with a group of female guards. But this time, she only brought her two personal maids. Her life could be in danger if she met someone with bad intentions.
Fu Jian replied expressionlessly, "She should also know that without the protection of the Fu family, she is nothing." No matter what happened, it was her fault. She couldn't blame anyone else.
Fu Jian was unwilling to find Fu Qingluo for two reasons. First, he felt that Fu Qingluo had already brought shame to the family. Second, he knew it wouldn't be good to bring Fu Qingluo back and force her to marry. If she caused trouble in her husband's family, they would still have to clean up the mess. Sometimes, Fu Jian felt his daughter was here to collect old debts from him.
Fu Tianlei said, "If you won't look for her, then I will." His father might have given up on Qingluo, but he couldn't. Finding Fu Qingluo wasn't going to be easy, though, as she had every intention of hiding.
Fu Qingluo's escape from marriage became a hot topic in Yu City. As for Yuxi, she was busy these days. Her time to manage affairs, which had been limited to three shichen7 a day, had now increased to four. When Yun Qing saw that Yu Xi was busy and no longer indulging in idle thoughts, he was very satisfied.
Before dinner that evening, Yuxi was in the yard, holding Zaozao and teaching her how to walk. Zijin walked in at that moment and informed her, "Madam, I just received news that the Marquis of Taining's Shizi8, Chen Yu, has been seriously injured."
Yuxi paused momentarily, holding Zaozao's hand, and asked, "How did he get seriously injured? Was he attacked by an assassin?" Chen Yu had many skilled guards around him, so the probability of an assassination attempt was low. Yuxi couldn't think of any other reason for his injury.
Zijin shook her head. "I'm not sure."
Yuxi didn't go to the front courtyard to ask Yun Qing either. If Yun Qing thought it was urgent and difficult to handle, he would have come to discuss it with her right away. Since he hadn't, it meant that the matter wasn't that urgent. Of course, there wasn't much to worry about in the first place. It was Chen Yu who was injured, and it had nothing to do with them.
Seeing that Yuxi didn't move, Zaozao babbled in her baby language to protest. She was walking happily; how could her mother stop!
Yuxi lowered her head and smiled at Zaozao. "All right, let's keep walking." This little girl had an abundance of energy, and Yuxi couldn't handle her alone. She felt a bit tired even after spending a short time with her.
Footnotes Full List
- (dialect) wet nurse
- da=eldest, nainai=a young mistress of a family
- da=eldest, gunainai=other than being used to a married daughter, this word is also a colloquial way of addressing an unmarried girl or woman, expressing affection or reproach)
- lit. elder brother's wife; sister-in-law. Saozi is also a general term for a young married woman.
- younger sibling / younger brother's wife; sister-in-law
- Chinese idiom: to speak in a roundabout way
- 2 hours
- heir to a noble house
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The Rebirth of Han Yuxi