Chapter 119: The Pang Estate Invitation

"Brother Chu, I’ve subdued the horse..." Xie Yuheng trotted toward Shen Zhao, beaming. He had been expecting a word of praise for his handiwork, but why was Brother Chu looking at him with such fury?

Xie Yuheng’s voice trailed off. Had he done something wrong?

Shen Zhao truly wanted to slap Xie Yuheng twice. Did he have to go around kicking people like that?

"You bear the surname Chu... and you are a general." Chen Baoyi stared intently at Shen Zhao. Suddenly, a spark of realization lit up her eyes. "I know who you are. Are you Chu Mu, the Commander of the Capital Garrison?"

She had heard her brother mention that this Commander was a man of rare excellence—someone who had fought his way up to the position of Commander through sheer grit. He was a talent among the youth. Her brother rarely praised anyone, and anyone who could earn such acclaim from him must be a dragon among men.

Yet, this General Chu was apparently married. A faint sense of loss welled up in Chen Baoyi’s heart. Her father and brother would never consent to her becoming a concubine, and she herself had no desire to be one. Her eyes were clouded with inner conflict, yet she was truly taken with this General Chu. What was she to do?

Shen Zhao didn't care what this Miss Chen was thinking. She roughly pried the girl’s clinging hands off her. "Yuheng, follow me back to the Capital Garrison." She had no intention of finishing that meal.

Chen Baoyi rubbed her aching wrists, her large, watery eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

Shen Zhao mounted Yufeng and rode away. Xie Yuheng, completely bewildered, hurriedly spurred his horse to follow. Why on earth had Brother Chu suddenly decided not to invite him to dinner? He didn't think he had done anything wrong.

Chen Baoyi watched Shen Zhao’s retreating back and bit her lip. As Shen Zhao disappeared around the corner, she said firmly, "Brother Chu, we will meet again, sooner or later."

She dared not ride the white horse again. She had only been back in the capital for two days; yesterday, she had received an invitation from Madam Pang to attend a banquet. She had left the Duke’s estate early, not wanting to travel with her cousins. No sooner had she set out on the horse provided by the estate than the beast had gone mad.

A cold look flickered in Chen Baoyi’s eyes. Were those people really so impatient to harm her?

Back at the estate, Chu Mu was handling household chores when he saw the invitation the steward had handed him. His expression turned foul.

This invitation was from Madam Pang—or rather, it was intended for A-Zhao. Ever since A-Zhao had married into the Chu household, she had never attended such banquets, nor had she ever received such an invitation. Why was Madam Pang sending one now? Moreover, the date of the banquet was today; clearly, Madam Pang had not originally intended to invite A-Zhao and had added her at the last minute for some unknown reason.

Chu Mu tossed the invitation aside, having no intention of going. What would a man like him be doing in a crowd of women? Just as he walked into the courtyard, intending to check on Yu Zihuan, who had arrived the day before, he was met by several people.

Chu Mu’s expression shifted several times.

"Sister-in-law, I heard you received an invitation from the Grand Tutor’s estate?"

"When does Sister Shen plan to leave the estate?"

Zheng and Lin Jiaojiao approached together, with Chu Miao trailing behind. Zheng’s hand rested on Lin Jiaojiao’s arm, and the two were chatting and laughing with an intimacy that was quite unusual.

"What business is it of yours?" Chu Mu retorted sharply. He currently felt a deep aversion toward Zheng and a growing dislike for Lin Jiaojiao. However, no matter how much he disliked her, he couldn't simply toss her out of the Great General’s estate. He had to find a way to get rid of her properly.

Zheng rolled her eyes at Chu Mu, suppressing the irritation in her heart. *Damn little slut,* she thought; if it weren't for the fact that Madam Pang had sent her an invitation, she would never have come to seek out this wretch.

She forced a smile. "Miao’er is new to the capital. Since you are going to the Grand Tutor’s banquet, could you take her along so she can broaden her horizons?"

Although Chu Miao hated this Third Aunt—who had always sown discord and treated her poorly—the thought of attending the banquet at the Grand Tutor’s estate and seeing that man who looked like an immortal made her suppress her dissatisfaction with Shen. She said in a sweet, obedient tone, "Don't worry, Aunt, I will stay by your side every step of the way and will never cause you any trouble."

Lin Jiaojiao added in a soft voice, "Sister Shen, Jiaojiao is worried about you going alone. I am willing to accompany you to the banquet at the Grand Tutor’s estate. There are so many rules at these noble banquets, and I fear you might make a mistake. I can offer a reminder or two by your side."

Chu Mu scoffed. "You come from a modest background; your manners are not even one-ten-thousandth of mine. Do you intend to follow me to 'advise' me on etiquette just to make a spectacle of me?"

Where did Lin Jiaojiao get the confidence to offer her advice on etiquette? Had she forgotten her own origins? He had previously thought her sensible and well-mannered, but over these few days of swapping bodies with A-Zhao, Lin Jiaojiao’s ugly nature had been laid bare.

Lin Jiaojiao’s face flushed with shame. *Damn her,* she thought, *how dare she humiliate me like this?*

"If you don't want me to go, Sister, just say so. How can you humiliate me like this? It is true that my origins are humble, not like yours, born into wealth and luxury. If my brother were still alive, I would certainly be no worse than you."

Whenever Lin Jiaojiao mentioned her brother in the past, Chu Mu had felt a sliver of guilt. But with every repeated mention, that guilt had diminished. Yes, he owed Lin Jiaojiao’s brother his life, but he had been doing everything in his power to compensate her. He catered to her every whim; in the Great General’s estate, her status was even higher than A-Zhao’s. She could torment him, she could scheme against him, but A-Zhao owed her nothing. Why did she keep targeting A-Zhao?

Zheng, standing by, fanned the flames. "Third Sister-in-law, how can you humiliate Sister Lin like this? She is already living under someone else’s roof and suffering enough. Can’t you show a bit of tolerance for the sake of her brother, who sacrificed himself to save the Third Brother? You are the one who owes Sister Lin, not the other way around. You should be fulfilling her requests, not being so overbearing. If word of this gets out, how will the world judge you? They will only call you ungrateful and heartless..."

"Enough!" As Zheng continued her prattling, Chu Mu let out a roar. "I, Shen Zhao, have never owed anyone, and I certainly do not owe Lin Jiaojiao!"

Lin Jiaojiao began to wipe away tears, tugging at Zheng’s sleeve. "Sister-in-law, please, say no more. Sister Shen is the wife of the Great General and the mistress of this house. It doesn't matter if I am wronged. Please don't let a rift form between you and Sister Shen because of me."

Chu Mu was incensed. It was always the same lines. What exactly was Lin Jiaojiao being wronged by? Who dared to wrong her? He was merely speaking the truth, and yet she acted as if she were the victim. What was she implying? Was she trying to sow discord, hinting that he was using his status to bully her?

Watching this scene, Chu Mu felt both anger and regret. Had the people in the house always taken Lin Jiaojiao’s side because she feigned such grievances to win their sympathy, only to frame A-Zhao time and time again? He had ruined A-Zhao’s reputation, and he had actually believed Lin Jiaojiao’s nonsense and doubted A-Zhao.

Chu Mu’s gaze toward Lin Jiaojiao grew colder and colder. She could not stay. He had to get her out of the Great General’s estate.