Chapter 30: Seconded to the Phoenix Department
No one around Princess Yuan Shu dared to break into the inner prison. At the very least, they would tremble with fear when they saw Aunt Chun's terrifying face, let alone snatch someone away from her.
Seeing that he could not escape, A Rong had to go to the gate of the inner prison in person and urged the gatekeeper: "The princess urgently wants to summon Zhang Ying, please make a trip." He also gave away a small gold ingot, and only then was he able to meet Tang Ying.
Tang Ying went to the inner prison for a tour and had a pleasant chat with Aunt Chun. The old woman ran over with a gold ingot and put it in front of Aunt Chun: "Mr. Chun, let him go."
Tang Ying thought the bribe was right in front of her, but she heard Aunt Chun scolding with a hoarse voice: "You old hag who is greedy for money, take you away quickly." Then she was pulled out by her sleeve.
The maid guarding the gate kept apologizing to her, "Don't be offended, young lady. It's true that since Princess Yuan Shu took over the Phoenix Department, the little girls under her command have been avoiding the inner prison. When they saw that the young lady wanted to come in to see, the maid didn't stop her."
What they disliked most were the people serving the princess. They took advantage of the princess's power and acted arrogantly. Even the Grand Princess's people were not as arrogant as them.
Before accomplishing anything, he shows off his power.
※※※
When Tang Ying came in, the old woman thought she was someone close to the princess, but after running back and forth, she pieced together the general idea and realized that this person came from the Fu Mansion. Naturally, she felt a little embarrassed and had even thought of letting the little girl in to scare her and teach her a lesson.
Tang Ying smiled amiably: "You are too polite, Auntie. Since I have entered the Forbidden Cavalry Division, I will naturally go around everywhere. Aunt Chun is a very capable person. If I can learn a little bit from her, it will be enough for me."
The old woman smiled happily when she heard this, and treated her even more differently: "That's right! Even the Grand Princess is full of praise for Chunniang's abilities."
When Ah Rong saw Tang Ying chatting and laughing with the gatekeeper, he was immediately furious: "The princess only told you to look around, but she didn't tell you to look around until you disappear. The princess summoned her urgently and she even asked people to search for you, as if you had escaped into the ground."
Are you calling her a rat?
Tang Ying smiled innocently: "The princess asked my sister to take me around, but my sister was afraid of tiring her feet, so I had to wander around by myself."
A Rong was in an annoyed mood. He glared at her fiercely and walked back first.
When Princess Yuan Shu saw Tang Ying, she didn't scold her. Even though she was furious, she was still polite and said, "The snacks were just sent from the palace. The Phoenix Department is busy investigating the case and has no time to eat. Why don't you and A Rong go and give some snacks to Master Fu and ask him if there is any case that needs the Phoenix Department's assistance?"
A palace maid brought a huge food box and handed it to Tang Ying.
Tang Ying carried a heavy food box and followed A Rong to Fengbu, wondering if Princess Yuan Shu was treating Fu Chen like a pig?
Lord Fu is tall and slender, with a thin waist. He wears a casual robe and sits quietly with a book in his hand without saying a word. Coupled with his handsome face that is like an immortal, one can actually see some scholarly air from him, as if he is a noble scholar from a family, making people forget the world when they see him - provided that Lord Fu does not say anything or act, and does not give people the cold shoulder.
Lord Fu's cold eyes were as freezing as an ice knife, but he ate elegantly and gracefully. It was obvious that he had been well-educated since childhood. He was fundamentally different from Tang Ying, a rude man who grew up in a military camp. It was hard to imagine that he could use such a large box of snacks.
"Snacks... aren't they a bit much?"
Tang Ying expressed a slight objection, and Ah Rong scolded her: "Shut up!"
She then shut up and said nothing.
The new recruits in the barracks have to be demoralized by the veteran soldiers for a few days, let alone the arrogant palace maids from the Forbidden Cavalry Division?
Ah Rong took her all the way to Fengbu. They met many people along the way. Some of them teased: "Miss Ah Rong, are you bringing snacks to our commander again?"
There were also those who were openly trying to comfort her with good intentions but actually had ulterior motives: "I advise Miss Arong not to send it. The adults won't eat it anyway , and running back and forth will tire the girl out."
Since entering the Feng Department, A Rong's arrogance has actually decreased by half. When being laughed at by these people, he just rolled his eyes and with a tense face led Tang Ying to the door of Fu Chen's office.
"Master Fu is inside." Before she knocked on the door, it was opened from the inside.
The person who opened the door was Liu Zhong, and Lei Xiao was also sitting inside. The three of them were obviously discussing something.
A Rong went in first, glanced at Tang Ying and whispered, "Why don't you speak quickly?" She had reminded Tang Ying on the way here that she should speak up, because even if she was rejected, it would be embarrassing for the girl.
Tang Ying held the food box in one hand, covered her mouth with the other, and shook her head repeatedly.
A Rong became anxious and pulled her hand: "Why don't you speak quickly?" His voice was a little higher.
Fu Chen frowned: "What's going on?"
Tang Ying still covered her mouth and shook her head vigorously, still holding the food box, looking pitiful.
Ah Rong was so angry that he wanted to beat her up, but he knew very well that there was a huge gap in strength between the two, so he could only shamelessly say, "The princess asked me to bring some snacks to comfort the Phoenix Department, and also asked me to ask if there is a case that needs assistance from the Phoenix Department?" The normal assistance of the two departments in handling cases is handled by Chun Niang, and Princess Yuan Shu has never bothered with it. This is just an excuse.
Fu Chen ignored her and asked Tang Ying in a gentle voice, "What's going on?" He knew very well how muddy the water was in the Forbidden Cavalry Division, and that it involved many unknown inside stories. The Tang family was born straightforward and was not suitable for getting involved in conspiracies and intrigues. He felt that if he threw her next to Princess Yuan Shu, the maids who grew up in the palace more holes than lotus roots, and she might suffer a great loss.
Seeing him asking, Tang Ying let go of her hand and explained in a low voice: "On the way here, Sister Arong told me to shut up!"
“……”A Rong was so angry that he almost vomited blood!
——I’ve been telling you about love in vain, and you only remember this one sentence?
"Did I tell you to shut up now?" She became irritable when she got anxious, and her voice rose octaves involuntarily.
Tang Ying shrank aside, as if frightened by her anger: "Sister Rong, it's my fault, don't be angry!"
Fu Chen unconsciously became stern: "Get out!" How could he just sit there and watch as he saw the people from the Fu family being bullied?
Ah Rong suddenly came to his senses and realized that the person in front of him did not buy Princess Yuan Shu's account. He blushed and pulled Tang Ying to retreat. He secretly regretted that he should not have followed him. It would be better to let this girl suffer the shame alone.
She had come to Fu Chen many times before, bringing snacks from the palace and the princess's love, but was always turned away. She had lost face many times before, and as a result, the people from the Fengzi tribe looked at her with mockery in their eyes.
These people were very well-behaved in front of the princess, but when the princess was not around, they were not necessarily polite to her.
Tang Ying was pulled to the door by A Rong. Unexpectedly, Fu Chen suddenly pointed at her and said, "You, stay." He ordered A Rong, "Go back and tell the princess that the Wanshou Festival is just around the corner. The Phoenix Department wants to borrow Chun Niang, Yao Niang, and their 20 subordinates, as well as Zhang Ying to work together. She will stay here for the time being."
Ah Rong: “…”
Commander Fu gave Ah Rong a cold look, and Ah Rong was frightened. He quickly bowed and left.
After the door of the office was closed, Ah Rong heard through the door that the pacification envoy Lei asked flatteringly: "Miss Zhang, I will go to Lingnan on business in two days. After work, can you accompany me to pick a good horse?"
Liu Zhong teased him: "How much taels of silver are you going to spend to invite Miss Zhang?"
Lei Xiao: "...Can I owe you the money first? I'll pay you back when I come back from Lingnan?"
She heard the girl change her previous timidity and said in a clear voice: "Our shop is small and the profit is thin. We don't sell on credit!"
Lei Xiao bargained with great reluctance, as if he was cutting meat: "Five taels, no more. Otherwise, my family won't be able to make ends meet after I'm gone. Poor my wife, she's only been married for less than three months..." It has become his habit to cry about being poor recently. He would cry about being poor to everyone he met, and then he could not help showing off his affection, which made those colleagues who were still single want to beat him up.
Liu Zhong, who had a wife and children, was not moved at all. He patted his chest and assured him: "Lingnan is a tough place. If you can't come back, I will definitely find a good matchmaker for your wife!"
Lei Xiao was so angry that he wanted to scratch him, but Liu Chong saw through his chance and pushed him to the ground. He raised his rough face and acted pitiful: "My lord, please make the decision for me..."
Fu Chen didn't fall for it. He ignored the two people's scratching and even got involved in other people's business for the first time, bargaining for Tang Ying: "Ten taels per trip, get out if you don't give it."
Liu Zhong laughed out loud and let go of the boy.
Lei Xiao said with a bitter face , "Get lost!" When he opened the door, he bumped into A Rong's fleeing figure. He said with disdain, "Do people who come out of the palace like to eavesdrop? Why not send him to the 'Shadow Department' for some good training? Maybe he will be a good talent."
Liu Zhong glanced at Fu Chen's expression and quickly cursed: "You are so careless. If you keep talking nonsense, I will cut off your tongue."
Lei Xiao covered his mouth and ran away. After a moment, he came back and winked at Tang Ying: "Miss Zhang, wait for me after work."
For the sake of ten taels of silver, Tang Ying felt it was worth it. She nodded readily, and the big head that popped up at the door disappeared.
Liu Zhong chased him out right after him, making an excuse: "This kid just got promoted, and he doesn't know the seriousness of the matter. I'll teach him a lesson."
Soon, Fu Chen and Tang Ying were the only two people left in the room, and it was very quiet.
"Isn't it heavy?" Fu Chen pointed at the food box.
Tang Ying quickly put it on the table and laughed: "Why do I feel that the princess is eager to send all the snacks from the imperial kitchen here?" She pretended that she had not heard Lei Xiao say anything about the "Shadow Department" before.
Rumor has it that the Forbidden Cavalry Department only has the Phoenix Department and the Huang Department. Since it is called the "Shadow Department", it must be filled with people and things that are not allowed to be seen in the light. It is better for her to stay away from it.
Fu Chen didn't seem to want to let her know, so he just chatted with her: "Did the princess's men bully you?"
Tang Ying sighed deliberately: "Yes. I had a grudge with them before, and they came from the Fu Mansion. Who else could they bully if not me?" She really looked like a pitiful little girl.
She opened the lid of the food box and saw pink translucent petal-shaped snacks on the top layer of delicate plates. She exclaimed, "Wow, so beautiful." She opened the food box layer by layer. Six plates filled Fu Chen's desk, and even the documents on it had to be moved.
Fu Chen saw that she was originally full of sorrow, but she forgot her sorrow in a blink of an eye when she saw the delicious snacks. He just felt that she was childishly cute, and his mood, which was originally busy with work, suddenly became relaxed.
"Eat if you want." He was not good at comforting people, but ever since he learned her true identity, he couldn't help but feel more pity for the girl in front of him.
