The Foolish General's Mute Spouse - Chapter 17

17: “He’s the One Who’s Gay, Go Ask Him!”

“You’re the Minister of Rites, and yet you’re cursing at me just for asking a question?” Qi Ren jumped back to dodge the brush thrown at him, protesting.

As the saying goes, when a scholar meets a soldier, reason goes out the window. Yu Liao had no desire to engage in a debate about “propriety” with him and waved his hand, urging him to leave.

Seeing that there was nothing more to gain, and having already obtained the book he came for, Qi Ren bid his farewell and left.

Just as he reached the door, Yu Liao suddenly called out to him.

“If you really want to know, I suggest you go ask Fu Yanxiao. I heard he recently took in a young gentleman and is keeping him at the prince’s residence. You… I already have children of my own, but he’s the one who’s gay. Go ask him!”

“That actually makes a lot of sense,” Qi Ren pondered. “But he doesn’t have any kids at his place, so I don’t have a reason to visit. Maybe I should just ask you—”

“I’ll help you call him over to my residence. Just leave me alone!”

Having gotten the answer he wanted, Qi Ren burst into laughter and left, satisfied.

…

When Qi Ren returned home, Fu Yu’an was taking an afternoon nap.

He tiptoed into the room and quietly closed the door behind him.

The wooden door let out a creak, startling the parrot by the window, which fluffed its feathers and began squawking, “Someone’s here! Someone’s here!”

Qi Ren, alarmed by the strange noise, hurried over to tap the bird’s head, worried it might wake Fu Yu’an.

“You’re back?” A lazy, hoarse voice came from behind. Fu Yu’an had indeed been woken up.

Qi Ren, feeling guilty, stood facing him and nodded, his fingers fidgeting in front of him, as if the word “guilty” was written all over his face.

Expecting to be scolded, he was surprised when Fu Yu’an simply gave a slight nod, yawned, and said, “Good that you’re back. Did you eat lunch? Should I ask Xiao Zhu to prepare something for you?”

His tone was gentle and soft, without a hint of blame.

Qi Ren waved his hand, saying it was unnecessary, and asked what the parrot was.

Fu Yu’an explained the origin of the bird to him. Qi Ren’s eyes darkened for a moment, then immediately switched to a look of delight, picking up the birdcage to go out and play.

Fu Yu’an had just lain down for less than a quarter of an hour before being disturbed by him. Naturally, he was more than happy to send the bird away. Qi Ren cheered and ran out with the parrot.

Li Ke, who had just returned from outside, saw the parrot in his arms and couldn’t help but ask where it came from.

Qi Ren pointed in the direction of Qi Ziqian’s courtyard and said, “Big brother gave it to me.”

Li Ke nodded and said, “What does this mean? Is the young mistress implying that the master is a mute?”

“She wouldn’t stoop to such tasteless acts; it must be my dear brother’s idea again! By the way, have you finished collecting those conch shells I asked you to find?”

“Those conches are quite rare; they can actually record sounds. When the wind blows, they can reproduce the sounds. It’s truly marvelous! We’ve already collected three or four of them. Even the eldest young master wouldn’t be so persistent, would he?”

Qi Ren snorted and kicked him lightly, “Just keep collecting! Fu Yu’an is young, not like us veterans from the battlefield. I’m afraid he might get scared.”

Li Ke suppressed a laugh and bowed in agreement.

He hasn’t said anything about being scared, yet you’re already on edge, what are you so nervous about!

Fu Yu’an slept until evening, awakened by the sound of rain hitting the roof, then stretched and got out of bed.

It had been a long time since he slept so comfortably. Since coming to the general’s mansion, life was ten times better than in the palace.

Xiao Zhu knocked on the door outside: “Master! Master, the first lady is here. Are you awake?”

The first lady?

Fu Yu’an didn’t dare to make a sound. He put on his shoes and opened the door for her.

“Why has she come?” Fu Yu’an asked in a low voice.

Xiao Zhu shook her head: “I don’t know, she said she has important matters to discuss. The second madam is also here!”

“What about Qi Ren?”

“He’s in the front hall too.”

“…”

Fu Yu’an didn’t dare to delay any longer and quickly changed his clothes to go over.

As soon as he stepped into the front hall, Qi Ren looked up and called him: “An’an! Come here! Sit with me!”

Fu Yu’an walked over and sat down, and Qi Ren immediately clung to him, his large, rough hand grasping Fu’s, the calluses on his fingers rubbing against Fu’s hand.

A warm current of reassurance surged in Fu Yu’an’s heart, and he subtly squeezed Qi Ren’s hand in return.

“Now that everyone is here,” the first madam said with a smile, “my sister and I have come today for no major issue. It’s just that Qi Ren’s condition… can’t be delayed any longer. After all, our general’s mansion is a prestigious family, and His Majesty has not stripped Qi Ren of his position, which shows he still has high hopes for him!”

She spouted a lot of high-sounding words, from which Fu Yu’an extracted the useful information, feeling a surge of joy.

Were they finally going to find a doctor to treat him?

But wasn’t it said that even the imperial physicians were at a loss…

“Tomorrow, I will send someone to post notices offering a reward of a hundred taels of gold, seeking skilled doctors from all over the capital to come to our mansion to treat Qi Ren!”

Fu Yu’an quietly waited for her to continue, always feeling that she wouldn’t be so kind-hearted.

Sure enough, she paused, looked at Fu Yu’an, and said with a smile: “However, the mansion is currently tight on funds, so the reward money… could Your Highness perhaps advance it?”

The second madam showed anxiety: “This… the child doesn’t have that much money, you see—”

“He still has his dowry, doesn’t he!”

The first madam cut in, saying: “After all, we’re all family now. We haven’t even seen what his dowry looks like since it entered the mansion. Now, taking some out to treat his husband is only right and proper, isn’t it?”

Qi Ren rolled his eyes and gripped Fu Yu’an’s hand even tighter.

So they’re still coveting the dowry. For a lady of a great house, how could she be so petty!

Fu Yu’an freed his hand and gestured: “You’re right, this is indeed what we should do. Please go ahead and post the notices. If someone can really cure him, I will naturally pay the doctor’s reward.”

Madam glanced at him sideways and reluctantly agreed, “Alright, let’s do it this way for now! After all, we’re all doing this for your own good. If Qi Ren’s illness can be cured, won’t your future days be easier?”

“It’ll be even harder to run away then,” Fu Yu’an thought to himself.

But on the surface, he went along with it, smiling as he saw them off. The second wife still wore her pitiful, sorrowful expression, brushing the dust off Qi Ren’s clothes, saying, “My child, it’s all because your mother is useless… Sigh…”

Qi Ren’s lips moved slightly, but in the end, he said nothing.

The rain had stopped at some point, and the sky outside had completely darkened. Fu Yu’an invited the second wife to stay for dinner, trying to ease her worries a little.

Poor Qi Ren, he hadn’t found a chance all afternoon to hide the book he was carrying. He had spent the time playing with the parrot, anxiously had dinner with his mother, and even after she left, he still hadn’t found the opportunity.

There was another book under the bed that he needed to get rid of as soon as possible, lest Fu Yu’an find it. If that happened, he wouldn’t be able to explain himself clearly.