Chapter 70: A cornered dog jumps over the wall
Mrs. Tang San's wish was undoubtedly beautiful. She found Tang Yao's daughter, brought her back to Bingzhou, and chose a good man of equal status to marry her in the future. With the support of , no one in Bingzhou would dare to bully her. This would be considered as doing justice to the deceased Tang Yao and his wife.
Unfortunately, she met Tang Ying. Everyone was happy and harmonious during the meal, but when he mentioned taking her back to Bingzhou after the meal, the little girl firmly refused.
"Third aunt, I am now working in the Imperial Cavalry Division. Lord Fu is my niece's immediate superior, and he also has cases to handle. How can I leave my job without a reason?" Tang Ying exaggerated and kept winking at Fu Chen, wanting him to testify for her.
Fu Chen felt relieved and said immediately, "Madam, Miss Tang is indeed working in the Forbidden Cavalry Department and cannot leave for a while."
"How long has she been in Beijing? How come she can't leave?" The old man is still cunning. Especially Mrs. Tang San, who has experienced the world and is stubborn, she pointed out the suspicious points in the two people's words: "Even when the enemy is at the gates, there have been temporary changes of generals. How important can she be? Don't think that I, an old woman, don't go out all day and stay in the countryside of Bingzhou and don't know anything!"
She raised her eyebrows and didn't give him any face at all. She got angry on the spot: "You are the only flesh and blood your father has left. Do you still want to serve the royal family? I will beat the drum tomorrow and ask His Majesty the Emperor who dares to stop you from resigning?" She also glanced at Fu Chen meaningfully.
Sir Fu had been scolded many times but he never took it seriously. However, for some reason, when Madam Tang San glanced at him with such a sharp and harsh gaze, he felt as embarrassed as when he was a child and had teased the teacher with his classmates in class and was discovered by the teacher.
He thought to himself: Perhaps the families of those officials who were stabbing him in the back actually knew in their hearts that their relatives might not be innocent, and they were just shouting a few words to show outsiders - it was the Imperial Cavalry Division that framed the loyal officials, and our master is innocent!
In fact, he is a bit fierce on the outside but weak on the inside.
But Old Madam Tang was different. She had always been upright and honest, raising her children and caring for the orphans, the young and the elderly. Although she was strict with others, she demanded even more of herself. She had an open and selfless heart, and therefore was not afraid of the evil spirits in the world.
People who truly have a correct mind have eyes as bright and straight as candles, which make no one escape their gaze.
"No, Third Aunt, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have thought of hiding the truth from you!" Tang Ying was dumbfounded. She didn't expect that Third Aunt was still as angry as she was in her old age. She would beat the drum and file a complaint to the emperor over a disagreement.
——When she was a child, her third aunt was difficult to deal with. She was not as kind and easy to fool as the other aunts. After not seeing her for more than ten years, the old lady had developed a keen eye for her.
"You are a very observant person. How could my niece's little tricks be hidden from you?" She quickly thought of reasons that could convince her father: "Besides, I am not familiar with Bingzhou. I will have nothing to do after returning, and I might even get into trouble!"
Mrs. Tang San was determined to take her back: "You'll get familiar with it after living here for a long time, and your sisters are here to keep you company. Your room is ready, it's in my yard." With me personally watching over it, what trouble could come of it?
Tang Ying's scalp exploded when she heard this - Oh my dear mother, help me!
"Third Aunt, how can I bother you? Besides, I have unfinished business in Beijing, and I will not go back no matter what!"
"You are just a little kid. You don't even know all the people in Beijing. How could you have unfinished business?" Mrs. Tang San insisted and refused to give in.
Fu Chen wanted to help her, but every time he was about to open his mouth, Mrs. Tang San would glance at him with her eyes as if to say: This is the Tang family's family affairs, you better know your place and don't get involved!
Tang Ying saw that reasoning was not going to work, so she could only play tricks: "I have never been to the capital since I was a child. I will go back to Bingzhou when I have had enough fun. I will have plenty of time to stay in Bingzhou in the future."
Mrs. Tang San didn't expect that Tang Ying was naughty when she was young, and even worse when she grew up. She was so angry that she hit her twice and said, "You troublesome girl, you are left alone in Beijing with no one to take care of you. How can I be at ease? You won't be able to explain to your parents when you die in the future!"
Master Fu took the opportunity to say, "Don't worry, old lady. Miss Tang will stay in Beijing. I will take care of her!"
It would have been fine if he didn't speak. Once he spoke, he would have brought trouble upon himself. Madam Tang San couldn't get angry at Tang Ying, who looked pale and sick and had just lost her father. She had no concerns about Fu Chen: "Feng'er, go down and pay the bill. We can afford a meal. There's no need to eat for free and let others point fingers at the Tang family's affairs!"
"The old lady misunderstood!"
Tang Ying: “…”
"I'm old but still bright. Do you think I'm Xiaoying? It's not uncommon for a young girl to lose her mind after being coaxed by a handsome man. Xiaoying grew up at the border, surrounded by dark and strong men, some as burly as bears. When she sees a fair-faced young man, she thinks he's gentle if he speaks a little lower, and thinks he's affectionate if he treats her to a meal generously... I just want to ask, who would be so kind as to pay the bill for a young girl for no reason?" Isn't that a sinister intention?
Fu Chen was filled with bitterness: "Old Madam, you are too polite. I take care of Miss Tang because I admire the Tang family's loyalty, bravery and passion!" He actually hoped that Tang Ying would fall for this. She would be distracted when she saw a handsome man. After all, he still had a presentable face.
Mrs. Tang San's words gave Tang Ying inspiration. She suddenly gave Fu Chen an apologetic look. Before the other party understood what she was saying, she had already taken his arm, rested her head on his shoulder, and bravely looked directly into Mrs. Tang San's eyes.
Tang Jiayi: “…”
Tang Jiayue: “…”
Tang Feng: “…Nonsense!”
Tang Song: "Hey, could this be my cousin's husband?"
Lord Fu stood there stiffly, knowing in his heart that this was Tang Ying's stopgap measure. He just didn't want to go back to Bingzhou, but his body was completely out of his control. He could feel the force of her head resting on his shoulder, especially in front of Mrs. Tang San's sharp gaze. He dared not move at all, for fear of being labeled a "lecher" by this stern old man, which would make it difficult for him to clear his name in the future.
Mrs. Tang San was shaking with anger: "Xiaoying, you... your father and brother's mourning period has not yet passed..."
"I'm sorry, Third Aunt!" Tang Ying held Fu Chen's arm tightly and refused to let go. Recalling Tang Ying's humble situation when facing the Second Prince, her brows were sad: "I don't want to go back to Bingzhou, I don't want to leave him! Third Aunt, after I came to Beijing, I saw Master Fu for the first time, and I fell in love with him. I tried my best to live in his house. It's not easy to be with him. I don't want to be separated from him again! If you don't believe it, you can send someone to ask if I have lived in Fu's house since I came to Beijing."
Lord Fu was so upset that he felt like he was swallowing bitter herbs: “…” You said it as if it were true. I believed your ghost!
Mrs. Tang San's face turned pale, she was greatly shocked, and she seemed to want to slap her hard on the spot: "I am the daughter of the Tang family, without the permission of my parents, without the words of the matchmaker, and I am also in the filial piety of my father and brothers, how can... how can you be so shameless?"
Tang Ying knew that if she didn't break her heart today, she would definitely take her back to her hometown in Bingzhou with her sense of responsibility, so she had to add fuel to the fire. She threw herself into Fu Chen's arms, hugged his thin waist, and no longer dared to look at Mrs. Tang's hurt and loving face: "Wuwuwu, anyway, I don't care, I would rather die than be separated from you! Third Aunt, just treat me as if I died in Baicheng! I've died once, why should I care about so many red tape?"
Sweat was pouring down Lord Fu's forehead . If it were a different scene or with a different person, he wouldn't mind acting with this little girl. However, the Madam Tang San in front of him was a well-known virtuous woman in the Tang clan. If she had a prejudice against Tang Ying, she would no longer be able to stand firm in the clan in the future.
"It's not like that. The Third Madam is not like that!" As much as he hoped that what Tang Ying said was true, he hoped that she would be loved by the clan members instead of carrying the stigma of being shameless.
Madam Tang San suddenly stood up and threw the teacup on the table to the ground. "I have worried about you for nothing! How could a daughter like you who has no sense of shame appear in our Tang family?"
She pushed open the door of the private room and left angrily.
Tang Jiayi looked back at her little cousin and the man surnamed Fu who were still hugging each other, and pulled Tang Jiayue who was still watching the show from a distance: "Let's go!"
Tang Feng has been studying for many years and vowed to change the family's fortune in his generation. However, he has a strict mother like Mrs. Tang San, who thinks that his little cousin is simply violating moral standards, so she left after saying "take care of yourself".
Only Tang Song was a straightforward person who did things based on his likes and dislikes. He didn't have so many rules and regulations in his mind, and he even felt that what his cousin said made sense - he had struggled to survive among the pile of dead bodies in Baicheng, so why should he care about so many worldly etiquette?
Isn't it a waste of time?
He patted Fu Chen's shoulder: "Take good care of my little cousin." He also reminded Tang Ying: "If you have any trouble in the future, send me a message. I will run to Beijing to support you!"
Then heavy footsteps were heard and he left the private room.
The room fell completely silent.
Tang Ying quickly let go of Fu Chen and smiled awkwardly: "My lord, if you want to kill me or chop me up, I will bear the consequences. I really had no choice just now. But don't worry, my third aunt is not a nosy person. If she is angry, she will definitely leave the city and return to Bingzhou overnight. She will definitely not want to stay in Beijing for more than a quarter of an hour, and no one will know that you, my lord..."
"I have a corrupt character and had sexual relations with Tang's daughter during her mourning period?" Fu Chen frowned and asked coldly.
"Your Excellency is of noble character. I am grateful to you forever. I was desperate and had no choice but to do this. Please be magnanimous and don't bother with a villain like me!" Tang Ying smiled and observed the terrain. She felt that she might have a bad luck today. She jumped from one pit to another and everything was going wrong.
She walked towards the door with small steps while grinning evilly. She looked nothing like the sad and infatuated look she had just had when she was lying in Fu Chen's arms. She was just a heartless little bastard.
Fu Chen let her retreat to the door, took two steps forward with his long legs, and closed the door with a bang, blocking Tang Ying who was about to escape at the door.
