Chapter 22: To Her Surprise, Chu Mu Was Even More Skilled in the Arts of Women Than She Was

A crisp slap rang out.

Chu Mu stared in disbelief at his own hand.

Ah Zhao had struck him!

Shen Zhao knocked away the hand Chu Mu had used to hold her.

Afterwards, she felt a pang of regret.

Her poor hand!

"If you have something to say, just say it—don’t go grabbing people." Whenever she saw Chu Mu now, she couldn't help but recall the Northwestern Army's treatment at the hands of the Capital Garrison. Anger and vexation welled within her.

Everyone present was stunned by this scene.

Xie Yuheng’s mouth hung open; he needed a moment to recover, for today had thoroughly overturned his understanding.

First, he thought Brother Chu and Lady Chu were at odds.

But in the prison, Brother Chu had defended Lady Chu at every turn.

Then, when Xie believed their feelings to be deep, Brother Chu publicly put Lady Chu on the spot.

Pang Yunjin watched with a cold glint in his eyes. The rumors were true: General Chu did not care for Miss Shen.

He showed that dislike openly, even before outsiders.

One could only imagine the sort of days Miss Shen spent at the General’s residence.

The heart that had been extinguished now reignited.

"General Chu, you—"

Chu Mu, stung by Shen Zhao’s slap, exploded just as Pang Yunjin began to speak.

He roared, "Shut up! Our matters as husband and wife have nothing to do with you!"

With that, he forcefully grabbed Shen Zhao’s hand and strode toward the inner hall.

How could Ah Zhao hit him in front of others? His chest felt tight, his eyes stung.

Shen Zhao tried to pull her hand free, but he was too strong. She could only let herself be dragged inside.

In the hall, Xie Yuheng threw Pang Yunjin a pitying glance, mingled with a hint of schadenfreude.

So even the beloved Young Master Yunjin, the darling of the ladies, could be troubled by matters of the heart.

How delightful!

He was not the only one feeling miserable.

Pang Yunjin’s eyes flickered with disappointment, but he quickly regained his calm, adopting a serene, detached air. Yet, paired with the bruises on his face, it looked somewhat comical.

Inside the inner hall, Chu Mu turned to face Shen Zhao, looking directly into her eyes.

"What exactly happened between you and Pang Yunjin?"

Shen Zhao was at a loss for words.

"I saved him, nothing more. You dragged me in here just to ask about that?"

"That's not all. Pang Yunjin said..." Chu Mu hesitated, unable to get the words out.

Shen Zhao, preoccupied and watching Chu Mu fumble, grew impatient. "If he said something, just spit it out!"

Chu Mu’s eyes reddened instantly. "You actually yelled at me for Pang Yunjin! In your heart, is he more important than me?"

Shen Zhao was momentarily stunned.

When did she yell at him? That counted as yelling?

Chu Mu was jealous!

A most unexpected jealousy.

"No one is important." Indeed, neither meant much to her—she’d saved Pang Yunjin’s life once, five years ago. As for Chu Mu, he was perhaps hard to let go of, but only that. The love she’d once held for him had long been worn away.

Chu Mu’s heart ached. Did she not care for him anymore?

Shen Zhao lowered her voice. "Chu Mu, I have important matters to discuss with you. For now, you must not touch Pang Yunjin."

"Why not? Or do you care about him?"

Shen Zhao was baffled by Chu Mu’s reaction.

"What are you talking about? Listen to me—"

"I won’t listen!"

Shen Zhao was at a loss.

Chu Mu, gazing at her, was wounded. "Go ahead, speak. If I don’t listen, will you stop defending yourself?"

Shen Zhao now doubted whether the soul inside her body was truly Chu Mu’s. He was even more adept at playing these tricks than she was.

"Now you won’t even bother to defend yourself?"

"I... There’s nothing to defend. I don’t want you to touch Pang Yunjin because yesterday, among the Capital Garrison, there was a young officer surnamed Shen—my kinsman..."

Shen Zhao explained the conflict between Shen Tianci and Pang Yunjin in detail.

At the end, she added, "I know you dislike me, perhaps even resent that I occupy the position of General’s wife, blocking your beloved’s ascent. But as commanding officer, how can you divide your soldiers by rank? For now, since I have become you, I will manage the Northwestern Army if you won’t. I only ask that you neither help nor hinder me. I will use the debt of gratitude to persuade Pang Yunjin to spare Tianci. And I’m letting you know in advance: I have officially opposed the Crown Prince’s faction. Once I’ve fulfilled my wish, I’ll ask to step down as your wife."

Chu Mu, hearing this, felt even more stifled, his eyes stinging. He had never disliked her—she had always been the one in his heart.

He realized Ah Zhao had misunderstood him again.

Though he was commander of the Capital Garrison, he did not hold all the power. The force was complicated: apart from the fifty thousand who followed him, the other fifty thousand were drawn from various factions—the Crown Prince, noble families, royal princes, each with their own officers.

If not for his covert protection, the four thousand Northwestern troops would have long since perished.

"Alright, I understand. Whatever you need, I’ll fully support you. But you must first return my covert forces to me; only I can use them to their full potential. And, I never said I disliked you. You don’t need to step down."

Shen Zhao’s heart tightened. He may not have said it, but his actions spoke otherwise.

Without a second thought, she agreed, "That’s not a problem. Even if you hadn’t asked, I would have given your people back to you."

Though she didn’t mention that it would only be partly, not wholly.

"Now that it’s settled, go tell Pang Yunjin to release Tianci," Shen Zhao said.

Chu Mu grunted in reply, his mood gloomy.

Shen Zhao felt a headache coming on. Helpless, she said, "You said earlier Pang Yunjin told you something. Now can you tell me?"

Chu Mu opened his mouth, suppressing his sour feelings, and asked, "Pang Yunjin said you stripped off his trousers, saw everything, ruined his innocence, and that you owe him responsibility."

Boom!

Shen Zhao’s temper flared instantly.

That Pang Yunjin truly dared to say anything.

"It’s not true! When I saved him, he had a wounded leg. While cleaning his wound, I accidentally pulled off his trousers. I swear I saw nothing, had no untoward thoughts, and certainly didn’t take advantage of him or ruin his innocence."

No wonder Chu Mu’s reaction had been so intense.

If someone pointed at you, saying your wife ruined their innocence and saw their body, any man would be furious.

Even if Chu Mu didn’t care about her—

He cared about his reputation.

The two reached an understanding and emerged from the inner hall.

The atmosphere in the front hall was distinctly strange.

Xie Yuheng looked mortified, hiding behind Pang Yunjin’s wheelchair.

On the opposite chair sat a young girl, sobbing quietly.

Shen Zhao found her face familiar but couldn’t quite place her.

Seeing Shen Zhao appear, Xie Yuheng hurried over, grumbling, "Brother Chu, are the young ladies in your household always so bold? Throwing themselves into men’s arms, refusing to let go, and now accusing me of ruining her innocence, when in fact I’m the wronged party..."

The more he spoke, the more aggrieved he became.

That girl had tried to pounce on Pang Yunjin, but he’d dodged in his wheelchair.

Instead, Xie, standing nearby, was caught off guard and got tackled.

Worse still, the girl clung to him, loudly proclaiming he’d ruined her innocence.

He hadn’t even moved!

He was the one disgusted, yet she was now crying.

Chu Mu frowned. That girl looked awfully familiar, like someone he knew.

Just then, the sobbing girl lifted her tear-stained face and called out plaintively to Shen Zhao, "Third Uncle, he’s the villain here, please stand up for Miaomiao!"