FYM - 98

By the time the court session ended, the sky had brightened considerably. It was a rare day in the Eastern Capital without snow or rain. After finishing his duties, Song Mingzhen handed over his shift to a colleague and prepared to ride to the Lou residence to retrieve his wife, who had been staying at her family home for far too long. As he was about to exit the palace gates, he spotted his third brother in the distance and quickly turned back to greet him.

Wang Mu was personally escorting the Marquis out of the Ming Hall. Upon seeing Song Mingzhen, he politely bowed and addressed him as “General of the Imperial Guard.” Song Mingzhen returned the greeting with a simple “Eunuch Wang” but then locked eyes with his uncle, Song Bo, standing behind Wang Mu. His expression cooled slightly, and he lowered his head, remaining silent.

Those who served long in the imperial court were adept at reading social cues. Seeing this exchange, Wang Mu promptly bowed to the Marquis and quietly withdrew, leaving the heavyweights of the court to handle their own family matters. True enough, as soon as Wang Mu left, Song Bo stepped forward and called out, “Ziqiu.” His expression was one of difficulty as he sighed, “When you have time, do go home and visit… Your efforts in protecting the emperor have earned you promotion, and your birth mother was delighted to hear of it.”

Song Mingzhen remained silent and unmoving, clearly unwilling to engage. Song Bo’s face flushed with embarrassment. After bowing to Fang Xianting, he turned and left.

Some things didn’t need to be said. By now, Fang Xianting understood why Song Mingzhen had fallen out with his family. Thinking about this, he glanced back at the Ming Hall behind him, imagining that she must already be back in her chambers. He wondered if the confined space behind the curtain was suffocating, and whether her voice had grown hoarse when she spoke those final words earlier.

“Third Brother, are you heading to the Ministry of War?”

Song Mingzhen finally spoke, making no mention of the subtle tension from his encounter with their uncle moments ago.

Fang Xianting reached out and patted his shoulder—a gesture that spoke volumes without words. Then he replied, “To the Lou residence, to check on Yuanxi.”

Yuanxi was the courtesy name of Lou Wei, the young general of the Lou family. Previously, he had served as the commander of the Six Armies of the Northern Palace and had even clashed with the Prince of Yinping and his son to protect Song Shuyan. However, he was defeated due to inferior forces and had his shoulder dislocated by Wei Lin. He was now recovering at home and hadn’t reported for duty in over half a month.

“That’s quite a coincidence—I’m headed to the Lou residence as well,” Song Mingzhen said, his eyes lighting up with a rare smile. “Tong has been missing her brothers terribly and refused to come home with me. A few days ago, she even took Huan along. This is truly…”

Though his words carried a tone of complaint, his eyes and brows betrayed unmistakable joy. Having both wife and child was undoubtedly a great blessing. Fang Xianting offered a faint smile, though the teardrop-shaped mole at the corner of his right eye revealed a hint of detachment.

“Then let’s go together.”

He responded matter-of-factly, walking alongside Song Mingzhen toward the palace gates.

The Lou family had once been a prominent clan in Zhou, second only to the Fang family of Yingchuan among military households. However, their defeat at Shangxiaogu brought them disgrace, and even Lord Lou Xiao’s death in atonement couldn’t undo the damage. After Lou Shan succeeded him, the family moved their residence from Jinde Lane east of Xuanren Gate to Xingjiao Lane in the southern part of the city, far from the imperial palace—a move that demonstrated their humility and penitence.

Fang Xianting arrived without any entourage, accompanied only by Song Mingzhen. Still, the entire Lou household was stirred into action. Lord Lou Shan personally led several family members to greet them outside, bowing deeply with expressions of fear and respect. “We were unaware of Your Excellency’s arrival. The Lou family deeply regrets our failure to welcome you properly—”

The jest “With Fang, Without Lou” circulated only among the common folk, but Fang Xianting harbored no ill will toward the Lous. Though Lou Xiao had committed grave errors that brought suffering to the nation, he had paid for them with his life. In the years since, his family had served the country tirelessly. To continue holding a grudge would harm the greater cause and go against Fang Xianting’s principles.

“Uncle, there’s no need for formalities. Outside the court, you should address me as Yizhi.”

He gently helped Lou Shan to his feet and nodded in acknowledgment to the several Lou family members standing beside him. Yet those burdened by guilt could not easily straighten their backs. Lou Shan remained as deferential as ever and inquired about the purpose of the Marquis’s visit.

“I heard that Yuanxi was injured, but I’ve been tied up with affairs and haven’t been able to visit until now,” Fang Xianting replied courteously. “Today, I happened to meet Ziqiu, so we came together.”

These words left the Lou family deeply flattered. Their repeated bows inadvertently elevated Song Mingzhen’s status as well. Later, Lou Shan instructed his nephew, Lou Feng, “Yuanjing—quickly, lead His Excellency to Yuanxi’s room.”

Ten years had passed, and the eldest son of the Lou family was no longer the young general who once sought to compete with Fang Xianting under his father’s orders. After Lou Xiao’s suicide, his personality changed drastically—he became silent and reserved. Whenever he encountered the patriarch of the Fang family, he bowed his head and respectfully addressed him as “Your Excellency,” no longer calling him by name as he did with childhood friends like Song Mingzhen.

“Yes,” he murmured, still keeping his head bowed. “…Please follow me, Your Excellency.”

Fang Xianting glanced at him but said nothing. After signaling to Lou Shan, he followed Lou Feng deeper into the residence. Meanwhile, Song Mingzhen exchanged a few words with the servants of his in-laws and learned that his wife was in his elder brother-in-law’s courtyard, having tea and chatting with her sister-in-law. He hurried to catch up and joined them.

Before they even entered the courtyard, they heard the sound of clashing swords and the hearty laughter of a man from several dozen steps away. “Your movements have slowed down quite a bit. You claim you can beat Ziqiu at home? Surely he’s just been humoring you—”

“Nonsense!”

A woman’s sharp rebuke followed, laced with three parts annoyance and seven parts anger.

“What do you mean, humoring? Are you saying Song Ziqiu lets me win on purpose? I don’t need him to let me win! He simply can’t beat me!”

These few sentences made Song Mingzhen break out in a cold sweat. Without waiting for his third brother, he rushed into Lou Wei’s courtyard and shouted, “Lou Yuanxi! Stop spreading lies and sowing discord!”

Upon closer inspection, the ones dueling with swords in the courtyard were none other than Lou Feng and Lou Tong, siblings. Seeing her husband arrive, Lou Tong’s eyes widened, and she strode up to him, demanding, “You’re here just in time! Settle this now in front of everyone! Do you let me win at home, or am I truly better than you?”

The answer was obvious, but if the General of the Imperial Guard were to publicly embarrass his wife, their marital troubles would likely worsen. For now, he glared at Lou Wei, then solemnly declared, “Ridiculous! My lady’s martial skills are unparalleled. How could I possibly let her win? Clearly, you’re the stronger one. Don’t listen to your brother’s nonsense…”

But Lou Tong wasn’t satisfied. Dressed in a striking pink martial outfit, she remained radiant despite having given birth to a child. She frowned at her husband, scrutinizing him for a long moment before pouting, “But… I really did lose to him just now… Logically speaking, he should be evenly matched with you…”

Hearing this, Song Mingzhen grew even more frustrated with Lou Wei, unable to comprehend why he would fight his younger sister so seriously. Trying to placate his wife, he continued, “It’s because you haven’t fully recovered after giving birth to Huan. That’s why your brother got the upper hand. Give it another year or so, and he’ll end up like me—defeated by you…”

This display of obsequiousness was unbefitting of a man of stature. Lou Wei, watching from the side, couldn’t help but feel disdainful. Just as he was about to mock his brother-in-law, he noticed his third brother and eldest brother entering the courtyard. The playful expression on his face vanished instantly, and he quickly bowed, addressing them, “Third Brother—”

Unlike others in the Lou family, Lou Tong’s younger brother hadn’t participated in the campaign ten years ago and thus hadn’t witnessed the family’s grave sins firsthand. Though he felt guilt toward the Fang family, he was somewhat different from his eldest brother, Lou Feng—at least he could still call out “Third Brother” as he did in his youth. As for Lou Tong, although she had personally experienced the devastating defeat ten years ago, marrying Song Mingzhen naturally brought her closer to Fang Xianting and the Yingchuan Marquis’s household. Now, she also composed herself and greeted him with a respectful “Third Brother.”

The courtyard fell silent. The previously light and joyful atmosphere dissipated completely. Fang Xianting’s expression remained unchanged, but the shadows in his eyes deepened slightly. Finally, he addressed Lou Wei, “I just happened to pass by and thought to visit. There’s no need to be so formal.”

—He had indeed planned to visit.

First, with the southern migration approaching, the political landscape would inevitably shift after the capital relocation. If the Lou family were to drift apart from the Fangs, it could lead to future complications. Visiting Lou Wei was a natural and clear gesture of goodwill. Second, he genuinely felt gratitude toward him. Last month, while trapped in Xizhou due to the war, if Lou Wei hadn’t fought valiantly against the Prince of Yinping and his son in the palace, then she…

Thinking of her, his expression softened further. His gaze lingered on the injury to Lou Wei’s shoulder as he asked, “How’s your wound healing?”

Lou Wei could feel the sincerity in this concern. Warmth filled his heart, but it was accompanied by a twinge of guilt. “Much better… But I was useless. I couldn’t defeat Wei Lin that day in the Ming Hall… I’ve disappointed you, Third Brother…”

His apology was heartfelt. Fang Xianting offered a faint smile and lightly patted his arm. “He outnumbered you significantly. The fact that you held out until Ziqiu arrived was already commendable. Don’t blame yourself.”

In truth, the Fang family boasted many capable individuals, including numerous generals with high reputations in the military. Yet, Fang Xianting was the only one unanimously recognized as their leader—not just because of his ability to turn the tide in crises, but also because of his remarkable capacity to forgive and understand others.

Lou Wei lowered his head and called out softly, “Third Brother…” This time, there was a hint of委屈 (grievance) in his voice. Fang Xianting patted him again and said, “Your injury is improving, but you mustn’t be careless. Take good care of yourself for now. I’ll have something for you to do in a few days.”

Lou Wei’s eyes lit up. It seemed he had grown restless being cooped up at home for nearly a month—hence the serious sparring match with his younger sister. As soon as his third brother finished speaking, he eagerly pressed for details. Fang Xianting shook his head helplessly and replied, “The date for the capital relocation is approaching. I will lead troops north to cover the rear. At that time, you and Ziqiu will be responsible for protecting the Empress Dowager and His Majesty.”

This was an extremely important task. Not only Lou Wei but even Lou Feng, who had been silently waiting outside the stone gate of the courtyard, was momentarily stunned. They hadn’t expected Fang Xianting to personally take on the arduous task of covering the rear while leaving the prestigious duty of guarding the imperial presence to the Lou family. Deeply moved, Lou Wei tried to decline: “Third Brother, I’m willing to take your place and head north. Let me handle the protection duties instead…”

“Follow orders. No need to say more,” Fang Xianting interrupted, his authoritative tone as unyielding as ever, yet infused with an inexplicable warmth and magnanimity. “I can only trust you and Ziqiu with this task.”

Those final two words carried immense weight, especially for the Lou family, who had once committed grave mistakes. To them, such trust felt like a second chance at life. Lou Wei was at a loss for words, his throat tightening as his blood surged with emotion. Fang Xianting offered a faint smile, his gaze briefly sweeping over Song Mingzhen and Lou Tong before returning to rest on Lou Wei.

“I still have official duties to attend to, so I won’t stay long,” he said simply, perhaps seeing himself as an uninvited guest unwilling to overstay his welcome and make the family uncomfortable. “After the southern migration, we’ll meet again.”