Chapter 323: I’m Willing
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Father, what did my wife do wrong? Why are you criticizing her? She’s just a weak, fragile woman and she was bullied by Su Ying previously…”
Duke Zhenguo closed his eyes in disappointment. When he opened them again, his eyes were clear.
“Even though Princess Consort Qi is powerful, she would never lay her hands on a useless woman from the back of the house for no reason. Let this woman speak for herself what she has done before! Zheng’er is already eight years old this year. Why is he being raised by you until he resembles a useless piece of trash? He changed completely when he only stayed for seven days in Prince Qi’s Manor. Little Madam Zhou, how are you going to explain this?”
It never occurred to Little Madam Zhou that Duke Zhenguo would interrogate her at a time like this. Her eyes were red-rimmed as she choked back her tears and said, “Lord Duke, you’re very perceptive. 1… I have not taken good care of him…”
“Hmph! Is it merely not taking good care or deliberate ill-treatment? It is also because of my negligence all these years that you were able to trample on the descendants of my Duke Zhenguo’s Residence! 1 heard that not only did he not have enough to eat all these years, he did not even have a decent room. Now, you still dare to pretend in front of me, saying that you love the child. And you still have the guts to cry?”
Duke Zhenguo almost roared out the last sentence. Although he was advanced in age, he had been stationed at the border earlier. He had only returned not long ago this year and had seen Fu Zheng. At that time, he did not like this child either. He was too timid and could not shoulder the great responsibility of leading Duke Zhenguo’s Residence. Coupled with Little Madam Zhou’s explanation, he did not think too much about it.
He never thought that all these secretive shameful scheming by the women in the back of the house would be used on his grandson!
Duke Zhenguo was very angry. He was also angry at himself. If only he had discovered it earlier, Fu Zheng would not have been mistreated for so many years!
“Father, is there a misunderstanding? Everyone in the residence has witnessed how much effort my wife has put in for Zheng’er all these years.”
“If you truly cared about your son for even a day, you wouldn’t have said such foolish words!”
“Father…” Fu Jun was still somewhat unconvinced.
Duke Zhenguo glared at him. “To think that all the years of learning you have received have gone to the dogs, you useless thing! If you can’t even protect your own son, what great achievement can I possibly expect you to accomplish?”
Fu Jun shut up completely.
When Little Madam Zhou saw that Fu Jun was reprimanded until he did not dare to make a sound, she became even more afraid and trembled all over.
“Little Madam Zhou, 1 will spare your life for the time being on account of you having given birth to a son and a daughter for Duke Zhenguo’s Residence. However, my Duke Zhenguo’s Residence will definitely not tolerate a venomous woman like you. In a while, pack up Eldest Mistress’s luggage and send it to the manor outside the city. Without my order, if anyone dares to bring her back, I will expel him from the Fu family’s lineage!”
Fu Jun was shocked. Expelled from the family’s lineage! This was an extremely harsh punishment that Duke Zhenguo had never used before in all these years.
“I have not been strict in managing the household and have allowed Duke Zhenguo’s Residence to turn into a laughing stock in outsiders’ eyes. I will kneel in front of the ancestral hall and beg for forgiveness from my ancestors.” “Lord Duke…” The Old Mistress said worriedly.
Duke Zhenguo looked at her. “You can’t distinguish right from wrong. You are in charge of the back of the house yet you turned a blind eye. Taking into consideration that we’ve been husband and wife for so many years, 1 won’t punish you. However, if you let such an unfair thing happen to my Duke Zhenguo’s Residence again, you can go to the temple to eat vegetarian food and pray to Buddha for the rest of your life.”
The Old Mistress was so frightened that she fell back into the chair and did not dare to say anything.
“Lord Duke, 1 know my mistake. I really know my mistake. Please let me off this time. The children are still young. They can’t live without a mother.” Little Madam Zhou came back to her senses and cried and begged.
Duke Zhenguo was unmoved. He stared icily at Little Madam Zhou. “Back then, 1 let you marry into this household so that you could take better care of Zheng’er. You are also Zheng’er’s aunt, yet you treated him so badly. Your heart is completely rotten. Drag her away.”
“Lord Duke, please spare me! Lord Duke, please spare me!”
The entire Duke Zhenguo’s Residence was filled with the cries of Little Madam Zhou, but no one dared to come out and plead for her.
Duke Zhenguo stood up and came up to Fu Zheng. “Follow me.”
Fu Zheng stood up and followed Duke Zhenguo into the ancestral hall.
Duke Zhenguo looked at the row of ancestral tablets with a solemn expression. He lit three sticks of incense and knelt on the floor cushion.
Fu Zheng also went forward and knelt down. The dukeship title of Duke Zhenguo’s Residence had been won with the blood and flesh of the Fu family’s ancestors. The ancestors were worthy of their respect.
“Do you hate the people of Duke Zhenguo’s Residence?”
Fu Zheng glanced at Duke Zhenguo and said softly, “I don’t hate anyone.”
Duke Zhenguo inserted the incense sticks into the incense burner and turned to look at him. “You’ve grown up in the blink of an eye. I saw that you didn’t have many permutations in your moves when dealing with those guards, but you were very skilled in circulating your energy. Did Princess Consort Qi teach you this?”
Fu Zheng nodded. “Yes. Princess Consort Qi is really amazing. I never thought that I would live to see this day.”
Duke Zhenguo nodded. “Are you willing to go to the border with Grandfather?”
Fu Zheng widened his eyes in shock. “Grandfather…”
“The border is not like the capital. Even if you are treated badly in the residence, you don’t have to be exposed to the wind and sun, nor do you have to face the sandstorm all day long. Are you willing to go?”
Fu Zheng clenched his fists excitedly. “I’m willing! I’m willing!”
Duke Zhenguo nodded in gratification. “Good.”
After Su Ying left Duke Zhenguo’s Residence, she returned to Prince Qi’s Manor.
She took out the silver taels from her pocket and looked at them. Thereafter, she put them away with a look of amusement.
“Why are you so happy, Your Highness?”
Bai Shuang felt that Su Ying had a special fondness for silver. Other than when she was eating food, Her Highness’s eyes would only light up when she saw silver.
“Indeed. Back when we were exiled, how much food could you exchange this silver for?”
Bai Shuang was silent. The days of exile were too difficult. Life was so hard that she did not want to recall that period. However, after Her Highness’s personality changed, their days were not so difficult after that.
“Your Highness, do you think Duke Zhenguo’s Residence will still mistreat Young Master Fu?”
Su Ying casually picked up a piece of snack from the table and started munching. “Maybe.” She had gone through all this trouble to lure Duke Zhenguo out. Xiao Jin had said that Duke Zhenguo was an upright person, but because he was at the border all year round, he did not know much about the matters in the residence. He had given full authority to the Old Mistress to manage the household. Now that he knew about Fu Zheng’s situation, if he still did not do anything, she did not mind having another mouth to feed in Prince Qi’s Manor. That child was good for martial arts. She did not want to let him go to waste.
“We have been back for so long. Has there been any news from Sky Alpha City?”
“Your Highness, ever since the last letter reported that everything was normal and that Your Highness need not worry, there hasn’t been any more update after that.”
Su Ying nodded. If there was no message, it probably meant everything was normal.
“Your Highness, the caretaker is here.”
“Let him in.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Zhang Shuming entered the room and bowed to Su Ying.
“Caretaker Zhang, no need for formalities. Please rise.”
Zhang Shuming straightened up and handed the piece of paper in his hand to Su Ying. “These are the dates that Your Highness asked me to check previously. The Feng Shui master said that these few dates are all good.. Your Highness, which one would you like to choose?”
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