Chapter 93: There Is More to the Death of Chu’s Father

She refused to believe that Mu'er could still tolerate Du Kang being alive.

The old madam’s gaze sent a jolt through Du Kang, and the cold, sinister chill in her eyes made his skin crawl.

What was this vicious woman plotting now?

Watching his reaction, the old madam’s contempt for him deepened.

So this was all the courage he had.

Back then she had truly been blind to ever fancy such a useless creature.

“Mu'er, in truth, your father did not simply fall from his horse and die all those years ago.”

The moment those words left her mouth, everyone drew in a sharp breath.

Du Kang’s eyes flew wide open. This poisonous woman was determined to see him dead.

Had she forgotten that the death of that man had also involved her?

Was she not afraid that if everything came out, she would be dragged down with him?

Or was she certain he was still the same man as before, willing to do anything for her?

Dream on.

Shen Zhao swept her gaze back and forth between the old madam and Du Kang, her thoughts turning.

She had married into the Chu family only three years ago, and Chu Mu's father had died in an accidental fall from his horse five years earlier.

Chu Mu did not get along well with his father, and rarely mentioned him in her presence.

As for the old man’s death, Chu Mu had never even brought it up before her.

Now that she knew the truth of those years, it turned out Chu Mu’s father had not been indifferent to his son after all; it was only because of Chu Mu’s mother that father and son had found it difficult to be close.

Now that Chu Mu knew his father’s death had not been so simple, this stubborn fool must be feeling awful inside.

Why was she thinking about that? He was not worth pitying. Besides, in her own present situation, what right had she to pretend she was feeling any better?

From the old madam’s tone and Du Kang’s reaction, it was not hard to guess that Chu Mu’s father’s death had something to do with Du Kang.

Not only with Du Kang, but perhaps even with the old madam as well; otherwise, after his panic and fear, Du Kang’s eyes would not have been filled with such deep menace when he looked at her.

The old madam was willing to burn everything to the ground just to bring Du Kang down.

A former lover, now turned mortal enemy.

Shen Zhao immediately put on a look of shock and disbelief, turning to the old madam. “Old madam, what are you saying? Did Father not die from falling off his horse? Was he murdered?” Her voice was thick with grief.

Chu Mu clenched his fists. When his father had died in that fall, he had been commanding troops at the frontier.

At that time, Du Kang had been at his side. How, then, had Du Kang’s hand reached from the frontier all the way into the capital?

Because of the misunderstanding he had harbored for so many years against his father, he had never investigated the fall in detail.

Had he examined it carefully back then, he would surely have uncovered the truth.

Hatred rose in him for the murderer who had killed his father, and at the same time he felt hatred toward himself.

What had he been doing all these years, really?

Like a fool, kept in the dark, deceived and led around by the nose.

He had even treated his parents’ murderer with reverence.

Du Qian’an prayed inwardly that this matter must not become entangled with Du Kang again.

Just from that deed of indenture earlier, the man surnamed Chu had already been ready to raise the stakes. If a blood feud over a murdered father were added to it, he truly feared the entire Du family would be ruined, and the man surnamed Chu still might not relent.

At the same time, he hated Du Kang so much he wanted to beat him senseless. How could he be so cheap, so vile, doing every heaven-defying thing imaginable? Did he not fear having children without a rear end, did he not fear falling into the abyss of hell after death?

Eldest Brother Chu, meanwhile, felt a little dazed.

He and Second Brother had handled their father’s funeral arrangements together.

At that time, Third Brother had been fighting at the frontier. When he heard the dreadful news, he had ridden day and night from Jinzhou to the capital, arriving seven days after their father had passed.

By then, the Grand General’s Residence had already prepared the mourning hall.

He had been too consumed by grief to think about why his father, in perfectly good health, would have fallen from his horse and died.

Though their father had indeed been a scholar, he was also well-versed in martial arts.

In particular, his horsemanship and archery were no worse than a warrior’s.

How could someone so skilled in riding and shooting suddenly die from a horse fall?

And according to Second Brother, the horse their father had ridden that day had been his beloved steed of many years.

The servant who had accompanied him said that, for reasons unknown, the horse had suddenly gone mad and thrown their father from the saddle.

It had even crazed itself into stomping on their father several times.

After the accident, Mother had ordered that both the horse that killed Father and the servants who had accompanied him be dealt with.

Now that he thought back, the clues had been glaring. Why had he not noticed them then?

Hearing their mother say that Father’s death had not been simple, he was filled with regret that he had never investigated the cause of death.

Their father had been left to die in vain all these years.

The old madam looked at Shen Zhao with a sorrowful expression. “Mu'er, your father was indeed murdered.” Then her gaze turned viciously toward Du Kang. “It was all him. He was the one who killed your father. I never told you all these years because he threatened me, Mu'er.”

As she spoke, the old madam lifted the embroidered handkerchief in her hand and dabbed at her tears. If she wanted to get rid of Du Kang now, she would have to be willing to risk everything.

After thinking it over carefully just now, she understood that the identity of that wretched woman could no longer be hidden. That beast, Second Brother, would sooner or later expose the matter.

Rather than guarding and guarding until she could only wait for death, she might as well expose that woman’s identity first.

Mu'er had always been the most filial to her. Whatever she said, he would believe. If anything truly came to light later, so long as she denied it to the end, Mu'er would not believe it.

Having made up her mind, she said at once, “Mu'er, there is something I have been hiding from you all along.”

The old madam could not conceal her sorrow; tears welled in her eyes as she struggled to continue. “I am not your birth mother.”

Shen Zhao’s brows knit slightly.

This old hag had just been denying it to her death, claiming all three children were born of her.

Now she was exposing the fact that she was not Chu Mu’s biological mother.

What exactly was she trying to do?

Chu Mu shared the same doubt. Was this poisonous woman plotting something else now?

He would not believe her again.

Though Shen Zhao was puzzled, the performance had to go on. She looked at the old madam in utter disbelief, her eyes reddening at once as she choked out, “Old madam, do you even know what you’re saying? You have been so good to me, always thinking of me in everything. How could you not be my birth mother? Are you lying to me, or not?”

Seeing Shen Zhao so agitated, the old madam felt a measure of comfort. Look how important she was in Mu'er’s heart.

“Mu'er, listen to your mother. Your mother never wanted to hide this from you. It is only that your background is too shameful to speak of. Everything I have done is for your own good. Today, I have no choice but to tell you the truth of your identity.”

Hearing this, Shen Zhao felt a chill in her heart.

Too shameful to speak of?

It seemed the old hag was about to smear mud all over Chu Mu and his birth mother.

Chu Mu suddenly raised his head and looked at the poisonous woman. How was she planning to twist everyone’s minds this time?

He was the legitimate son of his mother and father. How had it become something shameful in her mouth?

Du Qian’an secretly glanced at Shen Zhao.

Could it be that the man surnamed Chu had some unspeakable secret after all?

If so, he would thank the old madam’s ancestors for eight generations. At last, she had given him a chance to strike back, instead of being crushed under the man surnamed Chu without end. That had been far too stifling.

“Old madam, why would my identity be too shameful to speak of? Since you are not my mother, may I ask whose child I truly am? Am I the child of the previous madam?”

“Mu'er, she is not fit to be called the previous madam. Yes, you are her child, but she was unworthy of being a mother, and unworthy of being a wife!” the old madam cried emotionally, pointing at Du Kang.