Chapter 72: The Empress Meets Her Daughter-in-Law for the First Time

Chapter 72: The Empress Meets Her Daughter-in-Law for the First Time

At this moment, Lin Yingxue and Fu Jiaze were also stepping out of their home.

Today, they had heard that some fine goods from foreign lands had arrived in Liuli Alley, and Lin Yingxue was thinking of taking Fu Wanan to join in the excitement.

However, Fu Heng pulled her daughter's collar back, tugging her away.

"The shop is busy today; let An'an stay and help me. You two go ahead."

"If the shop gets busy..." Lin Yingxue wanted to offer help, but her husband placed a hood over her head and put an arm around her shoulders, "Mother wants us to enjoy ourselves."

Though she was dressed warmly, the warmth of his hand seeped through her clothes.

Lin Yingxue's eyelashes fluttered; even in front of her mother-in-law, such intimacy made her feel somewhat uncomfortable.

Lin Yingxue looked up at him, and Fu Jiaze smiled, gently ruffling her hair, "Let's go. This is Mother's wish, and mine too."

Fu Heng nodded with a smile, "Go on."

After Lin Yingxue joined the family, she helped Fu Heng take care of Wanan. Fu Heng never took Lin Yingxue's efforts for granted.

With Fu Jiaze having some free time, Fu Heng decided to take their daughter away from the young couple so they could spend time together.

Fu Wanan liked Lin Yingxue very much, and being held back by her mother left her somewhat disappointed. But seeing her brother and sister-in-law walk away, she couldn't help but feel a bit envious.

"Mother, is marriage like what I see between Brother and Sister-in-Law?"

Fu Heng led her daughter back inside, half-heartedly replying, "Yes, yes, if you have a husband, you can cling to him too, and no one else will be able to interfere."

Fu Wanan's eyes twinkled as she thought of someone. But after Uncle came to visit the Fu family, Qin Brother seemed unwilling to let her cling to him anymore. Was he... going to get married?

By now, Lin Yingxue had already climbed into the carriage. The curtain was lifted, allowing her to see the bustling street outside.

The cold air seeped in with the curtain lifted, but Fu Jiaze didn't interrupt her enjoyment. He reached out and held her hand, rubbing it to warm her.

The warmth from his fingertips spread, bringing a smile to Lin Yingxue's face. If she had a mirror, she would have seen the sweetness in her eyes, almost overflowing.

In the small carriage, Fu Jiaze stretched his legs, holding Lin Yingxue's hand and closing his eyes, thinking about the homework assigned by his teacher.

When they arrived at the market, he opened his eyes, helped Lin Yingxue out of the carriage, and left the carriage waiting there without anyone else.

In the market, the alley in front sold glassware. The sun was bright, and the glassware refracted the light beautifully. Lin Yingxue instinctively used her feet to step on the most dazzling spots of light.

At first, it seemed that Lin Yingxue was walking randomly, but after a while, Fu Jiaze noticed her pattern.

Unable to hold back a laugh, Fu Jiaze let her continue.

After walking for a while, the light spots became too scattered. To reach the next spot, she would have to jump, so she gave up on the game.

Realizing how childish her actions were, she turned to look at Fu Jiaze, who was smiling at her.

Her face flushed, and she slowly walked to Fu Jiaze's side.

They had set out after noon, and the sunlight was perfect, even the wind had stopped. Fu Jiaze casually removed her hood, ruffled her hair, and the earring brushed against her cheek, causing a tingling sensation.

Lin Yingxue cleared her throat, "This is my first time here. What about you?"

"I've been here before, let me tell you." Fu Jiaze held Lin Yingxue's hand.

Fu Jiaze had visited Liuli Alley before. It was mostly filled with imported goods. He had once used a feather pen from a foreign land but found it less practical than a charcoal pen, so he abandoned it.

Lin Yingxue listened attentively to Fu Jiaze's descriptions.

/

The Jian family seemed to have naturally sharp senses, able to hear faint sounds and see distant objects. This allowed Jian Yunyao to pull a heavy bow and hit her target.

Jian Yunyao, for some reason, despite focusing on the glassware, subconsciously shifted her attention when she heard Fu Jiaze's familiar voice.

Following the sound, she saw Fu Jiaze among the crowd.

Fu Jiaze was draped in a crane robe, his long hair tied with a jade crown, his profile gentle as he spoke to the woman beside him.

Lin Yingxue, tall for a woman, appeared petite next to Fu Jiaze's slender frame.

Her hair was simply styled into a single bun, adorned only with a Ruyi Bao Hua Zan, her skin as white as snow, and her red robe accentuated her fair complexion, making her hair appear even more lustrous.

As Fu Jiaze spoke, Lin Yingxue smiled and nodded, her eyes reflecting the joy in his.

Their conversation and the way they looked at each other clearly showed their deep affection.

Jian Yunyao had always wondered what kind of woman could capture Fu Jiaze's heart. Now, she finally saw her.

Black hair, red lips, and skin whiter than snow—she was a true beauty.

Perhaps because Jian Yunyao had once been infatuated with Zhuang Hesheng, who preferred her plain appearance, she had assumed Lin Yingxue would not be conventionally beautiful but rather talented. Seeing Lin Yingxue now, her expectations were somewhat different.

Jian Yunyao then thought that she had initially noticed Zhuang Hesheng because of his good looks. So, perhaps Fu Jiaze, like her, had a soft spot for beauties.

Jian Yunyao smiled involuntarily.

Thinking Jian Yunyao was interested in something, Jian He began to haggle with the vendor.

Hearing the haggling, Jian Yunyao snapped back to reality, rubbing her temples, almost wishing to just buy it, but knowing that if she interfered, her brother would be upset for a long time. She waited until he finished haggling and held the item in his hands before sighing, "Your haggling skills are getting better."

"Military pay isn't easy to come by. We should save where we can," Jian He said.

Jian Yunyao paused. Emperor Chengde was actually quite generous with military pay, but the past years hadn't been favorable, and the army couldn't afford excessive expenses. Thus, Jian He's situation wasn't comfortable either.

"Let me think..." Jian Yunyao subconsciously pondered ways to increase income and reduce expenses.

"Sis." Jian He interrupted Jian Yunyao with a playful smile, "Let's not think about these things when we're out."

Jian He thrust the glass vase he was holding into his sister's arms, "It actually looks quite nice."

Jian He didn't let Jian Yunyao hold the vase for long; after a brief moment in her arms, he took it back.

The two of them walked and talked, having initially moved far from Fu Jiaze and Lin Yingxue, but now they caught up again.

This time, Jian He also noticed Fu Jiaze, and he said to his sister, "Sis, the person ahead is Wen Bai's (Pei Jin's courtesy name) student, and the one beside him should be his newlywed wife."

Jian Yunyao replied succinctly, "I've met Scholar Fu."

Jian He asked curiously, "How did you come to know him?"

Jian Yunyao recounted the previous cheating scandal.

Jian He said, "I don't understand much about literature, but if you say he's good, then he must be. Besides, Wen Bai has taken him as a disciple."

Jian Yunyao smiled faintly. For some reason, hearing her brother praise Fu Jiaze made her heart ripple slightly.

"Because he is Wen Bai's student, I once had a drink with him and got him drunk."

After saying this, Jian He chuckled, but soon felt a chill down his back as his sister looked at him with a very displeased expression.

Jian Yunyao frowned, though she didn't speak, Jian He understood her meaning: how could he have gotten Fu Jiaze drunk?

Her gaze was so sharp that Jian He felt guilty and laughed dryly, "I didn't mean to get him drunk, I just poured him some wine..."

His voice grew softer towards the end, and he finally admitted his mistake, "Sis, I was wrong. I shouldn't have poured him any wine."

For some reason, whenever Jian Yunyao thought of Fu Jiaze being drunk, she felt uncomfortable. After all, she had only met him once, and paying too much attention to him wasn't a good thing, especially since Concubine Chen seemed to favor him.

It wasn't good for a palace lady to show favoritism towards a scholar. Once next year's imperial examination results were announced, people might suspect his success was unfair. Fu Jiaze already had a powerful eunuch uncle; he didn't need more trouble on his path to the imperial examinations.

Jian Yunyao tried to ease her frown and said to her brother, "He is a junior, you shouldn't have gotten him drunk, and you should also drink less yourself."

"In the army, especially in such a cold place, how can we not drink?" Jian He replied, "There's a teahouse ahead. Why don't we invite him for tea as an apology?"

Jian He always acted on impulse, and he walked straight over. Jian Yunyao had a chance to stop him, but her curiosity about Fu Jiaze and Lin Yingxue prevailed, so she followed slowly behind.

/

When Jian He appeared, Fu Jiaze and Lin Yingxue greeted him, and then Fu Jiaze looked directly at the direction Jian He came from.

Jian Yunyao was walking towards them slowly.

Jian Yunyao wore a black cloak, the black fur collar wrapping around her slightly pale face, and she wore black boots. Her demeanor was extraordinary, and her walk was not typical of a woman. If Fu Jiaze hadn't seen her before, he wouldn't have easily guessed her gender.

Fu Jiaze gently pulled Lin Yingxue's hand, making her bow together with him to Jian Yunyao.

Jian Yunyao smiled faintly and said, "When I go out of the palace, I use my brother's identity, but now... just consider me a distant cousin of Liqiu, and call me Master Jian."

Jian Yunyao didn't lower her voice, allowing Lin Yingxue to clearly hear her clear and bright voice.

Lin Yingxue's lips pressed tightly together, showing signs of nervousness, realizing it was the Empress.

Fu Jiaze squeezed Lin Yingxue's hand and whispered to reassure her, "Master Jian has helped me before and is very kind. You don't need to be nervous."

Even if the Empress hadn't helped him, Fu Jiaze still found her kind at heart.

Jian Yunyao had only seen Lin Yingxue's profile before, from a distance among the crowd, finding her beautiful. Now, upon closer inspection, her skin was flawless, and her eyes were captivating.

"Let's sit in the teahouse," Jian He said, "My cousin heard I got you drunk and scolded me. Today, I have the chance to apologize to you."

Jian He led the way, guiding everyone into the teahouse. Due to the many people gathered today, there were no private rooms available, so they sat in the main hall, surrounded by a screen.