Chapter 104: It Is Time to Set the Grand General’s Residence in Order

Page 1 of 3

Du Qi'an shot Du Kang a disdainful glance. He had not come to take him back to the Du family.

Now that he had obtained the answer he wanted, Du Qi'an no longer cared whether Du Kang lived or died.

The Du family would find the midwife and the evidence Du Kang had left behind proving Chu Renqing's true parentage.

He had no interest in watching what came next. With a cupped-fist salute toward Shen Zhao, he said, “Many thanks, General Chu, for helping this humble official find the Du family's descendant. What follows is a private matter of the Chu family, so this humble official will take no further part in it. I shall take my leave. In a few days, I will return to collect him. At that time, I ask that General Chu make all the necessary arrangements. I promise that I will not short you by a single coin of what I agreed to give.”

Shen Zhao understood the meaning behind Du Qi'an's words: the Du family would no longer concern itself with Du Kang's life or death.

The terms Du Qi'an had promised remained unchanged, but on the condition that she persuade Chu Renqing to return to the Du family with him.

That would be easy. Given Chu Renqing's guilt toward Chu Mu, even if Chu Mu asked him to die, he would agree without the slightest hesitation.

“Master Du, you may rest assured. Once you have prepared everything this general requested, you may come to take him back to the Du family at any time. This general guarantees that you will not be disappointed.”

Having received Shen Zhao's assurance, Du Qi'an did not wish to remain another moment. He immediately turned and left.

Du Kang was utterly bewildered. Why had he simply gone?

Whatever the bastard wanted, the Du family would give him. They should have taken him away at once. What was there left to prepare?

“Minister, don't leave! Take me with you! I am a member of the Du family! Whatever he wants, just agree to it. Once we return to the Du family, I will repay you in full!”

Du Qi'an did not even turn his head. Amid Du Kang's hopeful cries, he quickened his pace and disappeared.

Du Kang was instantly dumbfounded. The reason he had dared to be so arrogant was that he was a member of the Du family.

For the sake of the Du family's reputation, the bastard would never dare kill him easily.

But now, panic began to seize him.

What did the Minister mean by this? Was he refusing to save him?

Impossible. The Du family would never abandon a single member of their branch.

The bastard must have demanded too much, angering the Minister and causing him to ignore Du Kang.

The Du family would certainly come to rescue him.

They would.

“Mu'er, I only came to the dungeon to interrogate this villain because I was too angry to bear it. Everything he said was meant to sow discord and drive a wedge between us—between mother and son, and among you brothers. You must not believe him.”

The Dowager Lady gazed at Shen Zhao earnestly.

Shen Zhao deliberately assumed a wounded expression. “Madam, I once trusted you without reservation. But now that you have appeared here, I cannot help wondering whether Du Kang was telling the truth.

“Your actions can only make me suspect that you feel guilty and wish to kill someone who threatens you.”

The moment Shen Zhao said this, the Dowager Lady's heart gave a jolt.

But a sense of grievance soon surged through her.

Her eyes reddened despite herself. Mu'er actually suspected her.

Page 1 of 3

How could Mu'er suspect her?

“Mu'er, would you really rather believe the words of a petty villain than your own mother? Very well, very well. Your mother understands.”

With that, she let a tear roll down her cheek.

“Madam, how am I supposed to trust you? I had only just ordered that no one was to visit Du Kang. What, then, have you been doing?”

As she spoke, Shen Zhao looked toward the guards behind him and mocked himself.

“I truly wonder whether this is still the residence of the Grand General, and whether I am still the highest authority in this household.

“Every one of you pays lip service to me while defying me in secret, treating my orders as though they were nothing. Ha!

“Madam, tell me—whom am I supposed to trust? There is not a single person in this entire residence who truly answers to me. How can you ask me to trust you?”

Shen Zhao's words were grave indeed.

One after another, people fell to their knees with loud thuds.

“General, please forgive us!”

“General, please forgive us!”

Everyone kowtowed toward Shen Zhao in terror, begging his pardon.

What was wrong with the General today? That was the Dowager Lady he was speaking to.

When had he ever lost his temper with her?

“Mu'er! Are you accusing your mother of usurping your authority? How could you harbor such thoughts?

“You are the child I raised with my own hands. I have devoted most of my heart to you. Do you truly suspect that I have ulterior motives toward you?

“Your actions now leave your mother no face at all. Who in this residence will dare obey my orders in the future?

“You have disappointed me beyond words.”

As she spoke, the Dowager Lady wept bitterly.

Mu'er could never bear to see her in such anguish.

It was true—over the years, she had subtly trained everyone in the General's residence to regard her as their sole authority.

Most of the servants belonged to her faction, but she deserved that much.

She had raised Mu'er into the man he was. She had helped him become Grand General. She had contributed more than half to everything this residence had achieved.

What wrong had she done?

“So, Madam means that the one at fault is this general! I understand now. Since I am not your biological son, you believe you need not care about my feelings.

“You repeatedly claim that everything you do is for my sake. Then may I ask, how exactly have you acted for my sake?

“By having the servants of this residence defy me in secret? Or by concealing everything from me?”

Page 2 of 3

“Mu'er! No... It isn't what you think.” The Dowager Lady was thoroughly flustered.

“Then what is it? Madam, if you truly wish me well and want me to trust you, stop interfering in every affair of the General's residence.

“If you can do that, I will believe you.”

The Dowager Lady clenched her teeth. Mu'er had already grown suspicious of her. The most important thing now was to regain his trust.

“Very well. Your mother promises that from now on, I will no longer concern myself with anything in this residence.”

She would get past this crisis first. After a few days, she could coax him properly. In the end, would it not still be her decision?

“Good. For now, I will believe you. Guards, escort Madam back to her courtyard.”

Someone immediately scrambled up from the floor, and several others rushed forward to assist her.

After they had left, Shen Zhao addressed the few people still kneeling.

“All of you, get out of my sight.”

The group crawled and stumbled out of the dungeon. The General was terrifying today.

Once everyone had dispersed, only Shen Zhao, Chu Mu, and Du Kang remained in the dungeon.

Shen Zhao leisurely approached Du Kang. From the brazier of glowing coals, he removed a branding iron and waved it before Du Kang.

The searing heat rushing toward him made Du Kang shrink back again and again.

“You... What are you going to do? I am a member of the Du family. The Minister came to take me back to the Du residence. If you kill me now, the Du family will never let you off.”

Shen Zhao let out a cold laugh. “Du Kang, Du Kang—you still don't know, do you? I have already signed an agreement with the Minister you mentioned.

“I will deliver him one descendant of the Du family, and he will give me a million taels of silver. But there is more than one descendant of the Du family here in the Chu household.

“Do you think the Du family will thank me for delivering an entire group of their descendants to them, or resent me for killing you, a useless cripple?”

Du Kang's eyes widened. “The Du family will not abandon me! How could they possibly abandon me? Even if they agreed, my siblings and relatives would never allow it.”

Shen Zhao looked down at Du Kang from above. It was difficult to say that she hated him enough to insist on putting him to death.

After all, it was Chu Mu—not her—who bore the grudge of having his father murdered.

And yet Du Kang had harmed her indirectly as well, had he not?

She looked mockingly at Du Kang, who still did not understand the situation and remained hopeful that his relatives would come to save him.

Then, word by word, she shattered his fantasy:

Page 3 of 3