Rainy Day and Father Wants to Receive a Person
An shi’s words caused Feng Jin Yuan to become a little angry: “I will naturally make sure to make up for that amount of money later. It is unrelated to this matter.”
An shi went against this crime and added: “But husband also took another Su Zhou embroidery three days ago, but he did pay at that time. Also, it just happened to be 200 taels. It was paid with banknotes.” An shi was completely puzzled, “Husband, what are you buying so many celebratory embroideries for?”
The words celebratory embroideries caused everyone to freeze. The so-called celebratory embroideries were not just a single type of embroidery. Instead, they were things that could be used for joyous occasions. For example, during weddings, childbirths or when one succeeded in imperial examinations. Normally, the color and pattern would have a joyous scene, thus people would call them celebratory embroideries.
But the Feng family had been conducting a funeral over the past few days. What was Feng Jin Yuan buying celebratory embroideries for?
Everyone turned their gaze on Feng Jin Yuan. Cheng Jun Man was the fastest and was the first to say: “When mother was being moved, there was no Su Zhou embroidery in the new coffin. Is husband certain that those embroideries were bought for mother?”
Feng Zi Rui pondered while saying: “When I saw father leaving, the Su Zhou embroidery that he held was indeed red. Teacher said that red must not be used during a funeral. It’s impossible that father does not even know this, thus they were not bought for grandmother.”
With a young child exposing the matter, Feng Jin Yuan felt that he had lost even more face. He had that he could not find a crack to crawl into to hide from others. He hated even more that he could not strangle all of his wives and children.
In the end, he still valued his face. Seeing that he was about to lose control of the situation, he quickly shot a look to He Zhong to disperse the citizens standing in front of the entrance. He Zhong glanced at Feng Yu Heng. Seeing that she did not express anything, he led the family’s retainers to disperse the crowd.
On one side, the servants were dispersing the crowd. On the other side, Feng Jin Yuan was negotiating with his second daughter: “If there is something to talk about, can we talk about it back in the manor?”
Feng Yu Heng glanced at him and asked: “Why did father not think to discuss the matter of the coffin earlier in the manor? You had to force this imperial daughter to pay that 600 taels in front of all those people?” Although she said this, she did not deliberately embarrass him any further. Instead, she turned around and entered the Feng manor, going straight in the direction of Peony courtyard. In regards to this father, she felt that she was about to lose that last bit of patience that remained. This person never knew how to stop before going too far. He also never knew what sort of person he could plot against and what sort he could not. Thinking back to when Feng Jin Yuan was given a government post after being the top-ranked scholar, who knew how much wealth the Yao family spent to help this mediocre person reach the prime minister’s position.
Feng Jin Yuan followed closely behind her the entire time; however, he did not forget to fiercely glare at An shi a few times. A hatred within the family could not be shown to the outside world. Why was it that all of the problems in his family were all well-known?
As he remained puzzled after thinking it over many times, Fen Dai, who had been following further behind said to her personal servant: “When you get back, ask concubine mother. Did she receive any Su Zhou embroideries from father over the past few days.”
The group of people finally returned to the main hall. Originally, this hall had been turned into a mourning hall. After the matriarch was moved to her coffin in the morning, the servants returned it to its original arrangement. Feng Yu Heng found her own spot and sat down. The people that followed her in also sat down.
Feng Jin Yuan very shamelessly sat in the seat that had always belonged to the matriarch. In his eyes, the matriarch was no longer in the family. He was now the eldest, thus he ought to sit there. But he very quickly realized that something was off because everyone had turned their eyes on him. In their eyes, there were two very clear thoughts. One was querying and the other was contempt.
He wanted to get angry; however, he was truly uncertain and a little disturbed and even more afraid.
Cheng Jun Man was the first to speak; however, the words that she said caused everyone to be stunned. She said: “A few days ago, Jun Mei and I went into the palace to see aunty. While eating with aunty, we heard aunty mention that while snuffing out the remaining evil forces of Qian Zhou, they found on their list that there was a maidservant that had come with Kang Yi that was missing. After inquiring, it was said that the servant had been beaten to death by Kang Yi because of a mistake many months earlier. At that time, nobody thought anything of it. A master beating a servant to death could not be more normal; moreover, it was a servant from Qian Zhou; however, for some reason, why is there a knot in my heart that I can’t seem to get rid of?”
She had brought this up as though she was speaking about the daily life. Feng Yu Heng looked toward Feng Jin Yuan and found that Feng Jin Yuan’s face was extremely pale, and his hands trembled uncontrollably.
Feng Yu Heng curled up the corner of her lips into a smile and asked Cheng Jun Man: “It’s just a servant. Why has mother brought this up?”
Cheng Jun man pondered for a while then said: “I entered the Feng manor after Kang Yi. After we sisters arrived in the Feng manor, we did not pay too much attention to the servants at her side. Speaking about it, I indeed cannot recall when one went missing. But… I could occasionally hear husband call out a name while dreaming. It seemed to be…”
“Was it Xiao Jing?” Cheng Jun Mei finished her sentence, “Did elder sister also hear this name?”
Cheng Jun Man nodded, “Xiao Jing is the one. At first, I did not think much of it. After all, even if husband had a close female friend outside, it’s nothing major. But for some reason, that girl from Qian Zhou keeps coming to mind. Perhaps I have been overthinking it.”
The fear in Feng Jin Yuan’s heart had reached a certain degree, as he did not even dare pick up the cup of tea brought up by the servant. He feared that he would knock over the cup of tea with his trembling hands.
Yet at this time, Fen Dai’s servant hastily returned. Walking over to Fen Dai’s side, she quietly whispered into her ear, and Fen Dai’s face also turned dark. She then turned to ask him: “Father, that Su Zhou embroidery was not given to my concubine mother?”
Her words caused others to feel even more puzzled. If Feng Jin Yuan had secretly spent money to provide the pregnant Han shi with some joy, Cheng Jun Man may be able to accept it, and she would be able to handle it. After all, being pregnant with a child was a joyous matter. Using a few embroideries to make Han shi happy was nothing. But now that Fen Dai said that they were not given to Han shi, one could only imagine where they had gone.
Feng Yu Heng smiled and looked at the still pale Feng Jin Yuan. She then asked An shi: “Back then, grandmother had told concubine mother An to help take care of the matters in the manor. Does concubine mother remember which people came into the manor and what they were called?”
An shi replied: “The specifics cannot be recalled, but because she was from Qian Zhou, I have a clear memory of the servants that were brought in.” While saying this, she said to her maidservant: “Go fetch the register. Just say that second young miss wishes to take a look.”
Just as the servant was about to run out, a sudden “bang” rang out. Feng Jin Yuan had suddenly slapped a table. He looked as though he was willing to try his luck, saying: “No need! The servant that was missing was indeed Xiao Jing. Currently, she is living in the suburbs of the capital, and she is already seven months pregnant. I was preparing to bring her back to the manor in a few days. Since you know about it now, it’s also fine.”
Once these words were said, everyone in the room had different reactions. Feng Fen Dai became furious. An shi and Xiang Rong revealed their disappointment, and the Cheng shi sisters suddenly stood up. Zi Rui’s face was filled with disgust, and Feng Yu Heng began to giggle.
Feng Jin Yuan ignored the emotions of others. He even ignored the Cheng shi sisters that had suddenly stood up. He just glared at Feng Yu Heng, as though he was looking at someone who had committed some sort of unpardonable evil. He fiercely asked: “What are you laughing for?”
Feng Yu Heng laughed for a while and finally stopped; however, she replied with her own question: “Father, do you not even know what I am laughing for? Then this imperial daughter will ask you. What did you just say?”
It felt as though Feng Jin Yuan was deliberately making the situation worse. He did not even understand why he felt uncertain, replying: “I said that I want to bring Xiao Jing back to the manor to allow the Feng family’s flesh and blood in her belly to return to live with its family!”
“Oh.” Feng Yu Heng nodded and did not say anything further to him. Instead, she turned to say to Cheng Jun Man: “Mother, send someone to the government office. Since father wants to drag this family to accompany Qian Zhou in the grave, there is no need for us to worry about any familial relationship with him. Go to the government office and say that we are willingly leaving the Feng family. We will be removed from the genealogical records and the family. From this moment forth, we will have nothing to do with each other.”
“What are you saying?” Feng Jin Yuan became even more furious. Pointing at Feng Yu Heng, he said: “Now that you have become an imperial daughter, you look down on this family. If you want to leave, leave on your own!”
The person that replied to him, however, was not Feng Yu Heng. It was Cheng Jun Man, saying: “I agree with imperial daughter’s arrangements.”
Cheng Jun Mei also said: “Although I am called second madam, I am not that old. I have not lived enough and do not wish to die.”
An shi also said: “My Xiang Rong still has not gotten married. I must remain alive until I can see her get married.”
Even Fen Dai expressed her position at this time: “Father, if you want a son, concubine mother Han is pregnant with one. If you want women, there are many women in the world, yet why must you choose someone from Qian Zhou? Aren’t you just making a joke out of our family’s lives.”
Feng Zi Rui was young and did not want to comment on this topic; however, he placed his small hand in Feng Yu Heng’s hand. He quietly told Feng Jin Yuan, no matter when or where he would always stand on his sister’s side.
This was not the first time that Feng Jin Yuan had experienced being deserted by all. It was not that he did not hear what they had said, and he knew that her status as someone from Qian Zhou was sensitive. Once this matter was exposed, perhaps the entire Feng manor would be sent to the grave. But he did indeed like that Xiao Jing. In practically the first instant that Kang Yi brought her to the manor, he became enamored. Later on, he came up with a method to get the servant out of the Feng manor and secretly raised her on the outside. He had been planning to bring her back; however, who knew that it would be exposed without him being prepared. This caused him to feel completely caught off-guard.
Feng Jin Yuan gritted his teeth and said something extremely shameless: “As long as you don’t say anything, this matter will never leave the Feng manor. She is nothing more than a normal woman.”
Feng Yu Heng truly did not know what she should say. She had lived two lives and had seen a large number of people. She had also seen shameless people; however, Feng Jin Yuan was truly the top among them.
He was the most outstanding among the best, the VIP of the best!
She raised a finger and tapped her forehead. Not a single person spoke. It seemed as though everyone was waiting for her to make a decision. Even Feng Jin Yuan looked at her with eyes filled with expectation.
Feng Yu Heng suddenly felt that this was hilarious. The father wanted a woman, yet he was now waiting for his daughter to agree?
She felt that this was hilarious and actually ended up laughing; however, after she stopped laughing, she said to Wang Chuan: “Go call back the soldiers that had left earlier. Tell them that this imperial daughter will not handle the matter of Feng Jin Yuan deceiving the ruler. Have them quickly take this person away!”