"The Fang family?"
Fu Zhen raised her eyes in surprise and looked at Bi Yu. Bi Yu nodded. "Yes, it's the Fang family."
"The Fang family seems to have three sons. The first two are legitimate sons. The eldest son is already married. Could it be the second legitimate son, Fang Junhua?" she murmured.
Cui Huan was fanning at the side. The sky had turned gloomy in the afternoon, as if a heavy rain was coming. It was oppressively stuffy.
"Given Miss Chen Huanyun's personality, she probably won't take a fancy to a concubine - born son, even if he is very favored," Cui Huan said softly.
The master of the Fang family was fond of beautiful women and had many concubines in his family. But Madam Fang was not the jealous type. Over the years, she had only given birth to one legitimate son.
Just based on this, Madam Fang didn't seem to be an easy - going person.
There was a rumor in the capital that Master Fang couldn't stand Madam Fang's personality, so he indulged in the company of concubines and doted on his concubine - born son very much.
Fu Zhen always scoffed at such rumors. Could a man's promiscuity be blamed on a woman?
However, from this rumor, one could tell that the Fang family was no paradise.
"Why did she take a fancy to the Fang family?" Fu Zhen thought for a while. "Status?"
Cui Huan gave a soft laugh. "Miss Chen Huanyun went to great lengths to enter the Marquis's Mansion. Naturally, she won't choose a family of lower status than the Marquis's Mansion."
This was true. But Chen Huanyun had always wanted to marry a husband who was easy to control so that she could manage the household affairs in the future. But after several attempts, she found that even if she married a kind - tempered husband, she still had to kneel and kowtow to the noble families.
"Wasn't she eyeing the Jin family?" The Jin family was a newly - rising noble family. The eldest son of the Jin family was supported by a great Confucian in the court and had a bright future. Given time, his achievements might not be inferior to those of the Marquis's Mansion.
"No matter how good the Jin family is, its status is still inferior to that of the Fang family," Cui Huan said.
"That's true," Fu Zhen smiled and didn't say anything more.
The Fang family was good. Since she had this intention, she would definitely help her achieve it.
*
Xie Yan invited Chen Tingfeng to a restaurant.
He leaned against the window. There was a lake outside, with a few tender lotus leaves growing here and there on it. The gentle breeze blew, and he squinted slightly.
Chen Tingfeng sat down in front of him, smoothed his robe, and looked out with him. The lake was unfathomably deep.
"I haven't seen you go out these days," Xie Yan looked back at him with a smile on his face. "Are you held up by something?"
The tea in front of them was steaming. Chen Tingfeng picked up the teacup and took a sip. "It's nothing."
What Xie Yan really wanted to ask was not this. He just missed someone. But Chen Tingfeng was on high alert. If he said it directly, the person in front of him would turn hostile immediately. "You've been buying pastries from Yongchun Building every day recently. Have you changed your taste?"
Hearing this, Chen Tingfeng couldn't help but think of the woman who never ate pastries. Although he seemed calm on the surface, he couldn't help feeling a bit depressed inside.
In the past, it was always others who tried to please him. When had he ever racked his brains to please someone else?
He had finally felt guilty and wanted to be nice to her, but she didn't appreciate it at all.
"Why do you keep staring at my family's affairs? Are you very idle recently?" Chen Tingfeng raised his eyes.
Xie Yan leaned back lazily, playing with the folding fan that was always with him. "I'm idle. Why not?"
The third prince was dead, and the eldest prince was on the border. He was the only prince in the court. The old emperor was as vigilant against him as against a thief. He used to give him some tasks, but now he didn't let him have any power at all. It was really annoying.
He couldn't stay idle. He wandered around here and there, but the capital was only so big. After playing everywhere, he felt even more bored.
When he was bored, he just wanted to stare at people.
Chen Tingfeng naturally knew that he had his informants, but he didn't care. After all, they were in the same boat. Before the situation was settled, Xie Yan didn't dare to do anything to him.
"Have you found out anything about the eldest prince?" he asked.
After chatting with Xie Yan that day, Xie Yan immediately sent a beautiful woman into the old emperor's harem. The woman fascinated the old emperor, who stayed with her every night. In just one month, she was promoted to a concubine and was now in a fierce struggle with Concubine Li.
Xie Yan shook his head. "It's not that easy. That old man has a tight mouth. I can't find out anything, either openly or secretly."
Then he sneered. "He's keeping his mouth so shut. It must be something extremely important."
Apart from the throne, could there be anything else of such importance?
Chen Tingfeng didn't say a word. After finishing a cup of tea, he said, "Be neither arrogant nor rash."
Xie Yan, who had just sat up straight, slumped back down again. He collapsed in the chair, looking like a disabled person. "If I keep enduring like this, I'll turn into a turtle soon."
"Fine. You don't need to raise fish in the pond in your mansion anymore," Chen Tingfeng said calmly.
Xie Yan could tell that he was making fun of him. He gave the other person a sidelong glance. "There's only so much excitement in my family. It's not as interesting as yours. I heard that Chen Huanyun, who is staying in your mansion, seems to be getting quite close to the Fang family?"
His "hearing" was only from his spies.
The matter between Chen Huanyun and the second young master of the Fang family was kept very secret, and no news had leaked out. But they could hide it from others, not from the secret guards under him.
"What does it matter to me?" Chen Tingfeng raised his eyebrows.
"Tsk tsk," Xie Yan swayed his legs. "You're really cold - hearted. Aren't you afraid that she'll ruin your family's reputation?"
If Chen Tingfeng cared about reputation, he wouldn't have associated with a dissolute person like Xie Yan. Reputation meant nothing to him, just like the little flowers and grass by the roadside that didn't deserve his attention.
"Are you afraid that it will ruin my reputation or someone else's?" Chen Tingfeng looked at him coldly, well aware of his intentions.
Xie Yan touched his nose and gave an embarrassed smile. "Of course, I'm afraid it will ruin your family's reputation."
If the reputation of the Marquis's Mansion was ruined, how could the girls in the family get married?
She already had a humble family background. If her reputation was further damaged, it would be extremely difficult for her to marry into a good family.
Chen Tingfeng was impatient with his round - about talk. "Since I still have a bit of patience, give up your little scheme as soon as possible."
Xie Yan lowered his eyes and played with his folding fan for a while. Just when Chen Tingfeng thought he had almost acquiesced, he suddenly said, "It might be too late."
His life was like the unfathomable stagnant water outside the window. Occasionally, a dragonfly would skim over it, causing a slight ripple, but it could never change its dead and dull nature.
But Fu Zhen was different.
She was like a pure and clean mountain spring. At first glance, there was nothing amazing about her, but once you got in touch with her, you would know how refreshing she was.
The innocent mountain spring flowed towards the stagnant water. As a result, it could only be tightly entangled with the stagnant water.
But Chen Tingfeng insisted on being the dam in the way!
He slammed the teacup on the table. For the first time, he showed a gloomy face openly. "Do you know what you're saying?"