Chapter 76: It’s Only Fascinating When Enemies Are Made

“Wait! Madam, have you forgotten that in Southern Chu, filial piety is the foundation of our rule? The old lady is still, in name, my mother. Since we know the truth now, why not gather the culprits together and expose their misdeeds to the world, so all may witness their wicked faces? Are you not afraid that if you kill the house physician now, the old lady will deny everything until her dying breath, and then how could we avenge our wronged mother?”

She could not allow Chu Mu to deal with the house physician just yet. If her suspicions were correct, Chu Renqing and the house physician were likely father and son. If that were true, there would be much more to watch unfold. Death would be too merciful for them; wounds of the flesh pale beside pain that pierces the heart and soul.

The deepest agony is that which seeps into the marrow, stabs the heart, and strikes the soul—a torment so intense that one craves death, yet finds no escape, betrayed by one's own kin. Would the old lady, confronted in public with the child she bore from her paramour and accused of her crimes, be so enraged as to die on the spot?

“Yes, Third Brother is right. It was my mother, myself, and this villain who brought about the death of our legitimate mother. We cannot let you, sister-in-law, bear the stigma of murder. We deserve punishment, but cannot let your hands, or Third Brother’s, be sullied.”

Chu Renqing’s gaze shone with a determination never seen before. The injustice suffered by their mother ought to be redressed. It was time to give her justice.

“Master… Master, what are you saying? I am innocent!” Chen Kang struggled to free himself from Qing’er’s iron grip, which held him fast, as if intending to crush his bones through his robes. He had never known Qing’er to hate him so. That wretched woman was their enemy, he thought. Why would Qing’er care so much about her fate, to the point of destroying himself and his mother to clear a name that had been dead for years?

Chen Kang, unable to escape Chu Renqing, pleaded with Shen Zhao, “General, save me! Master is hallucinating, unable to distinguish reality from illusion. You mustn’t believe his nonsense. I have served you faithfully for years, never harming you. You must trust me, General. I swear on my life that my name is Chen, not Du. I am not the person Master claims.”

Shen Zhao regarded the house physician, who was still trying to argue his way out even as death approached, with amused interest. “Oh? Doctor Chen, are you certain you never tampered with me? Think carefully before you answer. I will accept nothing but the truth now. If you speak honestly, I may consider that my brother has mistaken you for someone else.”

Chen Kang replied without hesitation, “Everything I say is true. I have served you for years, never harmed you.”

Shen Zhao sneered, “Doctor Chen, you had your chance, but failed to use it. Never harmed me, you say? Then who gave me the sterility drug?”

At those words, Chen Kang’s face turned ashen. How could the bastard know… know about the drug in his body? The bastard had always been treated only by him, never by other physicians.

“General… what are you talking about? I know nothing, nothing of any sterility drug in your body. Perhaps others misdiagnosed you. You must believe me, General. I have followed you through many campaigns, risking death, never intending you harm. If I ever had a mind to harm you, there were countless chances to take your life without suspicion. Why would I risk everything to give you a sterility drug, living in constant fear? I am wronged, General!”

Chen Kang cursed himself. Had he known Qing’er would recognize him, he would never have appeared before him. Watching from afar would have sufficed; why did he insist on approaching, courting disaster?

Chu Mu too wondered. The house physician had had ample opportunity to kill him, just as they had conspired to kill his mother years ago. Yet he was only given the sterility drug, not killed. The physician had served him for years, with many chances to end his life after severe injuries—yet he never did.

Shen Zhao’s sneer deepened. Now that she suspected a connection between Chu Renqing and the house physician, she understood why the latter never killed Chu Mu, opting only to render him sterile.

“Chen Kang—or perhaps I should call you Du Kang—the reason you spared my life is twofold. First, while my father lived, nothing could happen to me. If I died, the old lady would be the first suspect and my father would not forgive her lightly. It might even expose your earlier crime against my mother. Second, I earned honor and wealth for the Chu family through my military achievements. Even after my father’s death, you wouldn’t want me dead; if I died, your current glory and riches would vanish. If I lived, you could continue to enjoy the honor and wealth I brought. Besides, I became a useless man, unable to produce heirs, posing no threat to you. Du Kang, am I correct? If I had remained unaware, the estate of the Grand General and even the Chu household would eventually become the wealth of your descendants!”

Du Kang’s face drained of color, sweat soaking his back. When had the bastard become so shrewd?

And what did the bastard’s final words mean? Did he know the truth about his relationship with Qing’er? Impossible! No one had ever suspected anything between him and his cousin; to outsiders, he was merely the paramour of the woman who usurped his cousin’s place. If there were suspicions, they should have concerned his relationship with the bastard, not Qing’er. He must be frightening himself; the bastard could not possibly know this long-hidden secret.

Shen Zhao’s words brought sudden clarity to Chu Mu. Of course—he had been nothing but a tool for these people to amass wealth and ensure their survival. Even Ah Zhao saw through it, while he remained oblivious. How foolish he must have been, to serve as his enemies’ pawn and be deceived for so many years.

Chu Renqing felt Third Brother’s words sounded strange, though he could not pinpoint why. Yet Third Brother was right: had he remained ignorant, the family estate would have ended up in his descendants’ hands, and the Grand General’s estate would fall to Second Brother and his line. These should all have belonged to Third Brother.

“Come, let us face the old lady together,” Shen Zhao ordered, stepping out of the room first.

Chu Mu followed close behind, then Chu Renqing, dragging Du Kang from the room.

The servants waiting in the courtyard, unaware of what had transpired, bowed their heads timidly. The atmosphere at the Grand General’s residence had changed entirely. Everyone knew that the house physician belonged to the old lady; what grave mistake had he made to provoke the General’s icy demeanor and the Master’s furious restraint?

As the saying goes, even a dog’s owner must be respected; and this dog belonged to their mistress.

Servants encountered along the way greeted Shen Zhao and the others with proper etiquette, then whispered among themselves, wondering what had happened.

Servants from the old lady’s quarters, upon witnessing the scene, hurried off to her residence to report.