Chapter 26: How Long Will You Keep Me Locked Up? p1
Before the carriage had even come to a complete stop, Fu Tangli had already lifted the curtain and jumped down. Her movements were so hasty that she lost her footing and stumbled.
Yanzhi, behind her, was startled and cried out, “My Lady, be careful!”
Fu Tangli seemed not to hear. She walked quickly, lifting her skirt, almost breaking into a run. But after just a few steps, she suddenly stopped.
The pavilion was empty.
Fu Tangli was a little bewildered. She looked around.
The wilderness was vast, the clouds low, the long pavilion standing alone. It was past noon and raining, and the pedestrians had all gone home.
In that moment, she couldn’t quite place the feeling. Was it relief? Or perhaps… a sense of loss?
Yanzhi was inexplicably surprised. She hurried down from the carriage, holding an umbrella, and chased after her. “My Lady, slow down! Don’t get caught in the rain.”
Fu Tangli’s rapid heartbeat gradually calmed. She let out a long breath, waved her hand to signal Yanzhi to stop, and slowly walked into the pavilion herself.
The charcoal in the small red clay stove was still glowing. The water in the tea kettle was steaming, seemingly warm. But now the rain was a little heavier, and the slanting wind carried it into the long pavilion, bringing with it a taste of desolation.
On the table was a pot and two cups. The tea in one of the cups was not finished, as if someone had drunk half of it and just left. Now, looking for them, they were nowhere to be seen.
The rain fell on the old tiles of the pavilion, a pitter-patter sound, not loud, like spring insects nibbling on something, never stopping.
Fu Tangli stood alone in the Changfeng Pavilion, silent for a long, long time, until the charcoal fire went out and the tea grew cold.
***
Missing her appointment with the Prince of Huai at Changfeng Pavilion left Fu Tangli feeling uneasy. But later, thinking of their respective statuses, she felt it was better that she had missed it. And so, after struggling with it for a long time, she couldn’t quite figure out her own feelings and had to temporarily set it aside, continuing to play the role of a composed and virtuous lady in front of others.
Fortunately, the next two days were calm and uneventful. She gradually began to relax.
Fu’s aunt had come from Shuzhou and had given Fu Tangli two bolts of Shu brocade as a gift. Shu brocade was precious, known as “an inch of brocade for an inch of gold.” Although Fu Tangli was not in short supply of it, she still took her aunt’s kindness to heart.
Her cousin from the Xu family would soon be taking the spring civil service examination, so Fu Tangli thought of giving him the Four Treasures of the Study as a return gift. The next afternoon, she took Yanzhi to Xuanyang Square in the East Market. There was a shop there called “Songshi Tang,” the most famous stationery shop in Chang’an, where high officials and nobles loved to come to affect elegance.
The clerk at Songshi Tang was very efficient. Seeing a customer arrive, he presented various items such as ice-patterned crabapple paper, eight-treasure five-gallbladder Hui ink, and peach blossom clear-mud inkstones. Needless to say, everything was of the highest quality, and the prices were not cheap.
Fu Tangli was not one to lack money. She only picked the most expensive and the best, carefully selecting a few items for her cousin Xu, and also picked up some floral Xuan paper and small goat-hair brushes for herself.
As she was choosing, the owner of Songshi Tang came over and politely cupped his hands in a bow. “This young lady has excellent taste and is very generous. You are truly a valued guest of our humble shop. Our shop has a few unique treasures, different from these common items, very rare, kept in a private room in the back. Would the young lady be interested in taking a look?”
The owner was well-dressed, a businessman with a genial air, looking naturally approachable. Moreover, Songshi Tang’s reputation in Chang’an was very well-known; there was no official or noble family in the capital who did not know of it. So there was no need to worry about being deceived.
Fu Tangli’s interest was piqued. She nodded and said, “I would like to take a look.”
The owner raised his hand to lead the way. “This way, please.”
Fu Tangli and Yanzhi followed the owner out of the front hall, through a covered corridor, and past a moon gate. There were shop assistants coming and going, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Soon, they arrived at an elegant cottage in the back courtyard. The owner personally lifted the curtain. “My Lady, this way, please.”
Fu Tangli, suspecting nothing, walked in. But unexpectedly, the moment her foot crossed the threshold, with a bang, the door was shut.
A group of soldiers was waiting in the room, wearing iron armor and holding long sabers. They were all powerfully built, with fierce gazes. One of them drew his saber and, with a whoosh, placed it on Yanzhi’s neck. “Silence!”
Fu Tangli was startled. In an instant, a hundred thoughts flashed through her mind, but none were sufficient to deal with the current situation. Fortunately, her will was strong, and she could still maintain a calm demeanor. She looked around and asked directly, “What do you intend to do?”
A slightly older woman stood among the soldiers. Her clothes were elegant, but the style was plain, like a female servant from a prominent household. She now came forward, bowed to Fu Tangli, and apologized, “We have startled you, My Lady. It is our crime. We are under our master’s orders to invite you to be a guest at our home.”
The owner of Songshi Tang, his face long, kept bowing at the side. “I was forced. I beg for your forgiveness, My Lady.”
Yanzhi, eager to protect her mistress, shouted, “What kind of scoundrels are you? How dare you be so rude? Do you know who my lady is? Withdraw at once!”
The saber on Yanzhi’s neck pressed in a little closer. The soldier holding it said coldly, “Silence!”
Fu Tangli could feel the bloody, fierce aura. These soldiers were not the pampered Jinwu Guard or Yulin Army of the capital, but elite warriors seasoned by battle. Her heart grew bitter, but she didn’t dare to show weakness. She said calmly, “Is this how you treat your guests?”
The female servant apologized again. “My subordinates are rude and have offended you. As long as My Lady comes with us as a guest, we can naturally guarantee your servant’s safety. Otherwise…”
Otherwise what? She only said half of it, then stopped and smiled.
Yanzhi was frantic and was about to cry out. She had just uttered a single syllable when the soldier holding the saber turned the hilt and struck her on the back of the neck. She let out a muffled grunt and fell down softly, unconscious.
“Stop!”
Fu Tangli was shocked and angry. Just as she was about to check on Yanzhi, the female servant stepped forward and blocked her way, her tone both respectful and firm. “The master has been waiting for a long time. Lady Fu cannot delay any longer. Your servant will be taken care of. My Lady, please.”
In this situation, Fu Tangli had no room to refuse. She was silent, glanced at Yanzhi again, gritted her teeth, and had no choice but to follow the female servant.
They went out through the back door of Songshi Tang. A sedan chair was already waiting there. The bearers were also four strong soldiers.
The female servant took out a dark silk scarf and, with a smile, said in a humble tone, “I have heard that My Lady is intelligent. To avoid any mishaps on the way, we must blindfold you. Please forgive me, My Lady.”
With that, she blindfolded Fu Tangli with the silk scarf, tying a knot behind her head, and then said, “I’m afraid we must trouble you further, My Lady. Your hands cannot be allowed to move freely either.”
And so, she tied Fu Tangli’s hands behind her back.
What had she done to deserve this? To be treated like a major criminal by this group of people. Fu Tangli gave a bitter smile.
But at this point, she was the fish, and they were the knife. She could only endure it. Without a word, blindfolded and with her hands bound, she got into the sedan chair.
The sedan chair was lifted. The soldiers seemed to have mounted their horses. The sound of hooves was a flurry as they traveled together.
At first, Fu Tangli tried to discern the route they were taking, but because she was blindfolded, she couldn’t feel the direction at all. After a while, she had to give up.