Scarlet Robe Murder

In the eleventh year of Jiajing's reign, an early winter snowfall blanketed the capital city. 。Yesterday, snow fell all night. This morning when I woke up, the world was white, and silver frost covered the ground. 。The maidservants of the Zhenyuan Hou Mansion got up early to sweep the snow. The brooms scraped across the ground, making a rhythmic "rustling" sound, which set off the courtyard even more peacefully. 。Two maids with braided hair, each holding a bowl of soup, walked briskly across the corridor. 。These two were different from the maids who swept floors. They were handmaidens by the master's side, not required to do chores in their daily lives. They wore brightly colored clothes, styled their hair high, and if they pleased the master, they could even wear jewelry. They lived a life more luxurious than that of ordinary young ladies. 。Therefore, these maidservants held their heads high wherever they went, with great arrogance. 。The maid in a red dress whispered to her companion in a low voice, “Did you hear The marriage between the Lord and the third young lady of Yongping Hou’s Mansion has been decided. After the old Lord's mourning period, they will get married next spring.” 。“Isn’t this what it should be” a maidservant with lake-green armor sneered. 。The Marquis was only twenty when he inherited his title. He excelled in both literature and martial arts, possessed a noble bearing, and even earned the admiration of the Martial Marquis. Of course, the Marchioness would want to marry someone from a distinguished family. 。The third daughter of the Yongping Marquis's Mansion is the niece of the Wuding Marquis. The marquis also follows the Wuding Marquis to do business. Now that the Fu family and Hong family are related, the marriage further strengthens their ties, bringing joy to all. 。The maidservant who had spoken earlier, upon hearing this, kept pointing towards the northwest courtyard and muttering, "If Lord Hou and Miss Yongping of the Third Rank were to become betrothed... what about that one" A maidservant with clothes the color of jade green glanced forward and replied, “They’ll return to their respective positions once their true nature is revealed." 。He is just the son of an ordinary soldier. His family has fallen into poverty. The old marquis took him in as a favor to his father, who saved the old marquis's life on the battlefield by taking an arrow for him. He has been able to live a life of wealth and prosperity in the marquis's household for ten years, so he should be content. 。“Old Marquis, you really are foolish. You want her to marry into the Marquis’s household Just say it and stop pretending you’re already the mistress of the house!”,Just so happens that Wang Yanqing is about the same age as Fu Tingzhou, so Fu Yue placed the two children beside each other and personally raised them. 。Speaking of this, there's actually another case... 。Fu Yue often fought on the battlefield for years at a time, going home only after several years of war. 。Fu Yue's son, Fu Chang, was spoiled by his elderly wife. Later, he moved to the capital and had a son with the Marquis's son. Gradually, he developed a bad habit. 。After Fu Yue was transferred back to the capital from Datong, seeing his son sleep in flowers and willows, gamble and ride horses wildly, he was furious. 。But by then Fu Chang was nearly thirty. What use was there in trying to change him Fu Yue had beaten and scolded him, but nothing worked. Unable to correct him any further, he chose to ignore him and focused on teaching his grandson instead. 。These years, his battles have been arduous. He must absolutely not let the vast family business fall into the hands of prodigal grandchildren. 。Luckily, Fu Tingzhou is still young, so it's not too late to teach him now. 。Wang Yanqing arrived at the Fu family at this time. 。Fu Yue let Fu Tingzhou and Wang Yanqing address each other as siblings, personally teaching them reading and martial arts. In his spare time, he took Fu Tingzhou to visit colleagues and comrades-in-arms, tidying himself up a little bit... 。Wang Yanqing understood his position very well. He was the son of Fu Yue's subordinate, and he was far from the Fu family. 。Fu Yue remembered the kindness of saving his life and wanted to raise the child by his side, but he had to understand that Fu Yue was teaching his grandson, just as a side effect. 。So Wang Yanqing studied very diligently, Fu Tingzhou learned whatever he learned, never complaining. 。When Fu Tingzhou went to the training ground, his maidservants all said that Wang Yanqing, as a young lady, shouldn't endure such hardship. But Wang Yanqing remained silent and insisted on continuing. 。The Wang family were military households, serving in the army for generations. As a result, marriage was very difficult to arrange, often confined within the small circle of military households. 。Wang Yanqing's grandmother and mother were both daughters of military families. Datong Prefecture was one of the nine major fortified towns on the border, guarding the capital city. It was constantly in conflict with the Mongols, resulting in a tough and warlike culture. Whether it was men or the elderly, they could go from tilling the fields with a hoe to wielding a knife in the next second. Even children were raised to be brave and skilled in combat. 。Wang Yanqing was raised in Zhongchang, enduring much more hardship than his peers. The noble families of the capital thought their lives were miserable, but they had never endured what Wang Yanqing went through. 。,Fu Tingzhou went to Yongping Hou's mansion privately and agreed after returning. 。The third young lady of Marquis Yongping has found a good husband, and Houfu Zhenyuan is now connected to an old prestigious family. Marquis Wuding has won over a young military talent, everyone is happy except Wang Yanqing. 。。