Chapter 33. Fierce Battle (Part 2)

Fierce Battle (Part 2)

"Gongno need to be too polite." I returned the courtesy while sitting on the pushcart.
Zhao Jun sat perilously, his gaze still filled with surprise, focused on my injured foot.
I continued, "Qie has sprain one's ankle and cannot perform the full courtesy. Hope Gong understands."
Zhao Jun hurriedly responded, "How could Jun dare to accept such courtesy from Furen?"
Seeing that his demeanor wasn't overly cold, my heart slightly settled, and I looked at him. "It has been many years since we last met, yet Gong still appears spirited. I remember the last time I saw Gong was in Chang'an."
"Indeed," Zhao Jun replied.
I let out a soft sigh and said, "At that time, Gong and Xian Fu were playing chess in the backyard. Gong won with three moves, yet Xian Fu stubbornly refused to let Gong go."
Zhao Jun remained silent for a moment, without responding, but he said, "The last time Jun saw Furen, was not at the residence. Furen left the capital upon your marriage, and Jun stood on the tower, bidding Furen farewell from afar. Jun also remembers that at that time, Furen married into the Han family of Laiyang."
I hadn't expected Zhao Jun to bring up my marriage to Laiyang.
"Is that so?" I said, "Gong has an excellent memory."
"Furen has overpraised," Zhao Jun replied. "Jun heard rumors later on that the Wei family had taken another wife, but Jun couldn't believe it. Being of limited abilities, Jun still remembers that Fu Gong valued family reputation greatly during his lifetime. Under his upbringing, a daughter would never be allowed to remarry. If it wasn't for seeing Furen today, Jun would have thought it was a false claim by the Wei family."
These words were sharp and piercing. This is the first time since I married Wei Tan that someone has openly mocked my remarriage in front of me. I was taken aback. I had imagined various excuses and rejections from Zhao Jun, but I never expected him to bring up this matter.
"Oh?" My expression remained unchanged, but in my heart, I had no doubt that in the next instant, I would command the jailer to open the prison door and have him kicked, followed by delivering a few slaps to his face.
I coldly chuckled, "According to Gong words, I, a remarried woman, am here to advise you, an Er Chen, is the highest act of shamelessness."
Zhao Jun didn't reply but calmly bowed to me, saying, "Furen, please go back."
I forcefully pinched the palm of my hand.
I stared at him, suppressing my anger, and gradually calming the restless state of my mind.
"How long has Gong been detained here?" I suddenly asked.
"It has been half a month," he replied.
I nodded, "Why did ChengXiang detain Gong here?"
Zhao Jun looked at me with a calm voice, "It was for the purpose of persuading oneself to surrender."
I said, "If Gong refuses, what will ChengXiang do? Whether it's imprisonment or the executioner's blade, one can never serve Tan Gong again."
Zhao Jun remained composed, "Since Jun tied up one's hair and received education, One has never forgotten the teachings of the elders. One is willing to demonstrate loyalty and righteousness, even if it means sacrificing one's life."
"In that case," I said, "if ChengXiang were to release Gong and send you back to Tan's camp, do you think Tan Gong would trust you?"
Zhao Jun smiled lightly, "Even if not, it's just one life."
These words have likely been touched upon multiple times since Zhao Jun's detention. He responds effortlessly, as if he had rehearsed them beforehand.
I wasn't afraid and said, "Gong keeps talking about loyalty and righteousness. May I dare to ask, why Gong initially sought refuge with Tan Gong?"
Zhao Jun showed a hint of surprise, then answered, "When the state is in turmoil, as officials, how can one abandon the world and ignore it. Among all the warlords, Tan Gong had the greatest power and influence, so I resolutely sought refuge with him."
"If that's the case, is Tan Gong still waging war for the sake of the country?" I asked.
Zhao Jun replied, "Of course."
I sneered, "Gong has a profound education in the ways of the state, but I wonder if your teachers ever spoke of enjoying the emperor's salary while remaining loyal to him? Your family has served the imperial court for generations, and even though you have resigned from your official position, you still bear the reputation of filial piety and righteousness. Yet now, the Prime Minister, as the commander of the emperor's forces, is fighting against rebels, and you not only aid the enemy but also claim not to be an Er Chen." I smiled faintly, "I wonder whose filial piety and righteousness you are talking about."
Upon hearing these words, a slight change appeared on Zhao Jun's expression, as if the icy surface had momentarily softened. Though it was gone in a flash, my eyes didn't miss it.
"In the name of the Prime Minister, he claims to be one, but in reality, he is a usurper," his voice carried a hint of anger. "To wield the emperor's power and command the vassals, his intentions are unfathomable!"
"Oh?" I replied calmly, "I wonder, with Zhao Gong's wisdom, if Tan Gong were to possess the emperor's power, would he truly return it and prioritize the emperor's authority?"
Zhao Jun's expression became uncertain.
I, on the other hand, changed the topic slightly and eased the tension. "Qie remember that you have a son and a daughter. If Qie recalls correctly, Gongzi is of the same age as Qie, and NǚJun is ten years younger than Qie. Is that correct?"
t/n: notice how Fu Jin changes from using Wo (I/me) to Qie (this wife of someone) which is more formal
After a moment of silence, Zhao Jun responded, "That is correct."
"When Qie got married back then, Gong also saw me off. Do you know what was on Qie's mind at that time?" I slowly continued, "Qie had no virtues and didn't understand matters of life and death. All Qie wished for at that moment was, if Qie could have another chance, Qie would be willing to be born in the countryside, just hoping for the well-being of one's parents and the good health of one's elder brothers. Even if Qie had no wealth or status, even if one didn't recognize a single character, as long as there was the warmth of family, the preciousness of having one's parents see me off when I got married, it would be enough."
"Zhao Gong, perhaps you should consider this: if you were to die, who would be the most grief-stricken person? And if you were to survive, who would be the most joyous?"
Zhao Jun fell silent, his eyes fixed directly on me.
I, however, ignored him. The conversation had left me feeling uneasy, and I just wanted to leave this place. I turned my head and called out, "Someone, come here."
A prison guard entered and respectfully greeted, "Furen."
"Take me out of here," I said.
The guard complied and approached the pushcart to escort me.
"Furen," Zhao Jun suddenly spoke as I was about to leave.
I turned around.
He sat on the mat, bowing deeply to me, "Thank you, Furen, for visiting." After a brief pause, he spoke softly, "If One has offended you earlier, please forgive, Furen. Jun did not mean to diminish your honor."
I looked at him without responding, then turned my face away.
Just as I came out of the prison cell, to my surprise, I saw Wei Tan. He was standing in front of the door, with the light casting long strips on the side of his face through the gaps in the wooden boards. His expression was calm yet inscrutable.
Upon seeing me come out, he didn't ask any questions. He simply looked at me and said, "Let's go back." With that, he took the cart from the prison guard's hands.
*****
I thought that even if Zhao Jun had been swayed by my words, it would take another two or three days before I heard any response. However, to my surprise, in the afternoon, a soldier came to inform me that Zhao Jun had surrendered. However, his allegiance was to the emperor, not Wei Jue.
Is there any difference? I appeared happy on the surface, but in my heart, I was not convinced.
Wei Jue was naturally overjoyed and personally went to the prison to welcome Zhao Jun, treating him to a banquet. As a family member and with my assigned tasks already completed, I was naturally sidelined and overlooked.
Wei Tan stayed in the main tent and reportedly had detailed discussions with Wei Jue and Zhao Jun.
Feeling bored and idle, I went to find Wei An to express my thanks for his help in making a pushcart for me. However, when I arrived at his tent, a soldier informed me that he had gone out with Wei Ci.
"Si Gongzi said he wanted to test some kind of catapult," the soldier said.
I didn't know what a catapult was, but knowing that Wei Ci was accompanying Wei An, I figured there was no need to worry. Since it was inconvenient for me to walk around with the pushcart, I decided to return to the tent.
In the evening, Wei Tan returned.
"Have you had your meal?" he asked me.
"I have already eaten," I replied.
Wei Tan nodded and instructed a soldier to bring the heated water for me to soak my feet. He had been taking care of my feet for half a month, and in his presence, I felt no embarrassment. We often engaged in conversations together.
However, today, I had no inclination for idle chatter. I simply watched as he transferred my feet from one bucket to another.
"Why aren't you speaking?" Wei Tan broke the silence.
I looked at him, "Say what?"
Wei Tan massaged my injured foot and said calmly, "Furen have endured even the calamity of annihilating your clan. Shouldn't you be able to handle the mere mention of a second marriage?"
The words were straightforward, and I looked at him with suspicion. "Fujun has heard it all?" I asked.
"With no walls in the room, it would be difficult not to overhear," Wei Tan replied, glancing at me. "Do you regret marrying me?"
I was taken aback.
Wei Tan's eyes were deep, seemingly casual, but there was no trace of jest in his words. This person was indeed cunning like that, occasionally throwing out a question that caught people off guard.
As I harbored my internal frustrations, I was not bothered by his question. Indeed, since marrying Wei Tan, there have been more sorrows and joys than I have experienced in the past five years. However, do I regret it? I couldn't think of anything worth regretting.
"No," I answered honestly.
Wei Tan released my injured foot and locked eyes with me. "Then, what brings Furen no joy?" he asked.
What brings me no joy? The mention of my second marriage and family reputation by Zhao Jun, it was all just an attempt to provoke me, but I've long ignored it. What truly angers me is not only being insulted in such a manner for the first time, but also the fact that this frustration is due to the treatment by the Wei family that I endured, the feeling of being used as a tool. It's truly frustrating.
As I harbored my inner frustrations, I turned my face away. "From a young age, Qie received teachings from the classics, but despite having the aspiration for loyalty and righteousness, Qie has failed to abide by the teachings. One is truly ashamed," I said.
"Oh?" Wei Tan raised an eyebrow, a half-smile on his face. "So, Furen used to study before?" he asked.
he is inquiring whether she had a formal education and received teachings from classic scholarly texts.
"It is exactly so."
"What did you study?"
"The Four Books and Five Classics," I responded, then added after a moment, "Oh, and also the Book of Women's Instructions."
"Oh?" Wei Tan asked as he dried my feet with a towel. "What is the first sentence of the Book of Women's Instructions?"
Me: "..."
I stared at him, taken aback.
"It's been too long, I've forgotten," I said stiffly.
Wei Tan smiled and paid no further attention to it. He applied the medicine and wrapped my injured foot with a piece of cloth.
"I need to go out, you rest first," he said, getting up.
"Where are you going?" I blurted out, but as soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them.
Wei Tan lowered his head and as he looked at me, a subtle smile formed on his lips, with an ambiguous implication.
"I'm going to take a bath. Will Furen come with me?" he whispered softly, reaching out to lift my chin.
I turned my head away, using my left foot to push him back slightly, and smiled, "Fujun, go slowly."
*****
What surprised me was that Wei Tan didn't return until late at night.
The next morning, I still didn't see him, but around noon, there was suddenly a commotion outside.
"Furen!" Ah Yuan rushed in anxiously and said to me, "Furen, The Tan Army has attacked the front camp. The soldiers are saying that they might not be able to hold on!"