The Foolish General's Mute Spouse - Chapter 56

56: Father and Son

Fu Yu’an gave him a cold glance. “You’re quite skilled at painting grand promises for your subordinates.”

“How is that painting promises?” Qi Ren retorted indignantly. “I always keep my word—what I say, I do! Ask Li Ke, have I ever lied to him? Li Ke, have I ever deceived you?”

Li Ke hurriedly shook his head. “The General is true to his word and has never deceived this subordinate!”

Qi Ren: “See? I didn’t lie to you!”

Fu Yu’an: “…”

Xiao Zhu was also an orphan without parents, so the two of them wouldn’t need parental approval or a matchmaker’s arrangement to marry—having their masters oversee the matter would suffice.

Fu Yu’an said, “You two discuss it among yourselves. Qi Ren will handle the betrothal gifts, and I’ll prepare the dowry. We can’t afford to be outdone by others!”

Xiao Zhu was overwhelmed with gratitude, kneeling and kowtowing in a grand gesture, repeatedly expressing her thanks.

The master and servant had relied on each other for many years, and Fu Yu’an had long regarded her as an older sister, naturally wanting to arrange everything as well as possible for her.

Ah! Watching this grown woman about to marry—time truly flies!

…

The Tan family was supposed to have been exiled after the Double Ninth Festival, but by the tenth month, there was still no news of their departure.

Fu Yu’an wasn’t particularly concerned about their fate, but he found it somewhat strange.

Had the Emperor changed his mind? Or had the items Tan Zhiqi sent to the prison that day played some role, giving the family a chance to turn things around?

He and Qi Ren discussed it at length but couldn’t come up with a plausible explanation.

One afternoon, Yu Liao arrived at the General’s residence with Xiao He in his arms, his expression grim.

“There’s been an outbreak of plague in the prison. Someone died.”

The group exchanged glances, sensing that since he had come specifically to deliver this news, the deceased was likely no ordinary person.

Xiao Zhu took Xiao He to play in the courtyard, and the three men closed the door. Yu Liao said solemnly, “Indeed, the one who died was none other than Tan Zhiqi’s birth mother.”

“What?” Fu Yu’an was shocked. “How could it be her? What about the others?”

“Imperial physicians were sent from the palace, and most are fine. But her birth mother, perhaps due to her frail health, couldn’t pull through.”

“Where is the body now?”

“Thrown into the mass graves outside the city, wrapped in a straw mat.”

Human life was as cheap as grass, and Fu Yu’an felt a deep pang of sorrow.

It was a pity that his sister-in-law couldn’t see her mother one last time.

“How did a plague suddenly break out in the prison? And now there’s not even a whisper of it—could the news have been suppressed?” Qi Ren frowned as he asked.

Yu Liao nodded. “Prisons have always been filthy, and plagues aren’t uncommon. But this time, it just happened to strike the Tan family. If word got out, people would just sigh and say they got what they deserved.”

“That corrupt official is still alive, while a weak woman died. What kind of ‘deserved’ is that?” Qi Ren sneered.

“Originally, the plan was to treat the illness and then exile them. But the Fourth Prince insisted there was something suspicious about it and demanded the Dali Temple investigate thoroughly.”

“Actually, we had initially planned to use the Crown Prince as our leverage. At the time, Tan Zhiqi wanted to see her mother, but when she couldn’t get help from the Fourth Prince, she turned to the Crown Prince.” Fu Yu’an said. “We only wanted to catch him colluding with a disgraced official. How did things escalate like this?”

“Did Tan Zhiqi go?”

“No, she claimed she wasn’t feeling well and only sent a letter to her mother.”

“…”

Qi Ren thought for a moment, then speculated, “Could the things she sent into the prison have been the problem?”

“Unlikely.” Yu Liao said. “If the Crown Prince’s people delivered the items, they would’ve inspected them first. The issue probably isn’t there.”

“Then it must’ve just been an accident.” Fu Yu’an said. “Since the court is keeping this under wraps, let’s not tell our sister-in-law for now, lest it distress her and affect the baby.”

“Of course.” Qi Ren agreed. “Has the Dali Temple uncovered anything?”

Yu Liao shook his head, indicating they hadn’t.

Fu Yu’an said, “We don’t need to rush. The Fourth Prince will likely take action at the right moment. For now, we should focus on keeping this quiet so our sister-in-law doesn’t find out and grieve.”

Yu Liao sighed. “My wife has gone back to her family for a visit, so I’ll leave the child with you for the afternoon. I need to return to the Ministry of Rites to prepare for the imperial concubine selection.”

Qi Ren was shocked. “Another selection? Is His Majesty’s health even up for it?”

“With those immortality pills sustaining him, he looks quite rosy-cheeked. Rumor has it his appetite has improved over the past few months. Besides, this selection was Concubine Jue’s idea—we’re just following orders.”

“Her idea? The Empress didn’t object?”

“That’s beyond my knowledge. I’m just an official in the Ministry of Rites—how would I know about palace secrets?”

Though he didn’t get the full story, Qi Ren guessed that Concubine Jue had likely pressured Fu Yangyao to corner the Crown Prince in court. The Empress had always been frail and sickly, so she probably had no energy to intervene.

The situation had unfolded almost too smoothly. No one had wanted Tan Zhiqi’s mother to die, but her death had inadvertently escalated the matter.

After half a month of investigation by the Dali Temple, with Fu Yangyao fanning the flames, the Emperor finally learned that the Crown Prince’s people had secretly entered the prison that day and delivered something inside.

Fu Yangyao accused him of trying to silence a witness, while the Crown Prince’s faction vehemently denied it, leading to a stalemate.

But the evidence was solid, and the Emperor was inclined to believe Fu Yangyao. After all, if not for the pressure from the Empress’s family years ago and Fu Yangyao’s youth at the time, the Crown Prince would never have been appointed in the first place.

Now, the Crown Prince had no choice but to reveal that Fu Yu’an had asked for his help. The Emperor had nearly forgotten this son of his, and the sudden reminder filled him with melancholy. He summoned Fu Yu’an to the palace to confront the Crown Prince face-to-face.

Fu Yu’an was frantic with anxiety, deeply regretting ever getting involved in this mess!

Qi Ren couldn’t accompany him and was equally worried. Fortunately, the eunuch who delivered the summons was from Concubine Jue’s faction and assured him there was no need to worry—Concubine Jue would be there to support him.

Only then did the two of them relax slightly. After all, when examined closely, Fu Yu’an had little to do with the matter. At most, he was just a messenger.

So when he arrived at the palace, he communicated through sign language, and with Concubine Jue speaking on his behalf, he was quickly absolved of any blame.

The Emperor looked at this son of his with a mix of familiarity and strangeness, especially that face so reminiscent of his mother’s, which always brought back painful memories of the past.

“Summon the Tan woman from the General’s residence to the palace!” the Emperor commanded, rubbing his temples, his voice brooking no argument.

Fu Yu’an sighed inwardly, realizing that the truth could no longer be concealed.

He could only hope his sister-in-law would remain strong and not let the shock harm her pregnancy.

At least the palace had plenty of imperial physicians—surely nothing too serious would happen.

With that, his role in the matter was over. Fu Yu’an cupped his hands in salute, preparing to take his leave, but the Emperor stopped him.

“It has been a long time since We last saw you, Seventh Prince. Why are you in such a hurry to leave? Do you truly dislike seeing us so much?”

Concubine Jue shot him a meaningful glance, and Fu Yu’an quickly gestured his deference.

The Crown Prince waited in the outer hall, while the inner chamber was filled with an overpoweringly sweet incense, so thick it was almost nauseating.

Fu Yu’an couldn’t fathom how anyone could enjoy such a heavy fragrance.

“What happened back then… We wronged you.” the Emperor began slowly. “At the time, We were blinded by rage. Your mother’s sudden passing struck Us deeply. And since it was due to difficult childbirth, We… unconsciously directed Our anger toward you.”

Fu Yu’an: “…”

“Now that We think about it, what fault was yours? And yet, in Our resentment, We even forced you to marry that half-wit General Qi.”

Concubine Jue’s expression darkened instantly.