Chapter 294: Chapter 266: Aren’t You Afraid of Retribution?
Fu Zhen returned to the carriage, and Liang Chen, offering tea, asked, "Is Zhe Yu’s injury serious?"
Fu Zhen shook her head, "With Lu Chongyang there, it’s nothing serious. But the mental hurt is hard to say."
The burdens Zhe Yu carries are feelings they cannot empathize with, but the betrayal is something they all understand at this age. Princess Rong views Zhe Yu merely as a tool, her possession, but ultimately, Zhe Yu is a person.
Pei Zhan asked, "What should we do next?"
She looked at the gradually setting sun and said, "Let’s go back to the mansion. Leave Xu Yin to Mrs. Zhang, and Zhe Yu to Lu Chongyang. I have done all I could."
Zhe Yu’s case was originally a game Xu Yin set up to stir conflicts between Princess Rong and Mrs. Zhang, unrelated to Fu Zhen and the others. Xu Yin had left people behind, indicating further digging and settling of accounts. If they stayed, the fire would eventually reach them. Xu Yin’s hypocritical face has been torn open for Princess Rong, Mrs. Zhang, and Zhe Yu to see. After today, their choices will come as consequences.
Both of them had no objections.
Liang Chen asked Fu Zhen, "Will you return to the Liang family?"
The sudden incident spoiled a good banquet.
Fu Zhen naturally wanted to go back. If possible, she would even want to stay with the Liang family for a week or two.
But Pei Zhan said, "Before I left, my mother said today is Brother Mu’s birthday, urging us to try to go back for dinner."
Fu Zhen, hearing this, looked at Liang Chen, "You might as well come with us."
Pei Zhan said, "He’s not coming; he said he still has to go back and deal with Brother Xuan."
Liang Chen hadn’t planned to go initially. Xu Yin left people at the Zhe family, and he was thinking about how to handle the matter. Hearing this, he pointed at Pei Zhan and asked Fu Zhen, "Look at him! Does he look like he’s welcoming me as a guest?"
"You’ve been here quite often!..."
The brothers, who had lived through life and death, began to bicker on the spot...
Liang Chen eventually returned home. Fu Zhen also left Chen Shun at the Zhe family’s side. On the way back to the mansion, she pondered over what gift to give Pei Mu.
After freshening up and changing, she came out to see Pei Zhan naturally arranging the brocaded couch. At this stage, Fu Zhen had nothing more to say... but hoped for peace moving forward.
Pei Mu now held a minor position in the camp, diligently working every day. After all, staying home carried risks, and if he upset his sister-in-law, he could be exiled to the frontier for twenty years.
Today, he turned seventeen, Mrs. Pei personally cooked, and usually managed their own households but today gathered for a meal.
However, such a grown child inevitably had social engagements. At the dining table, eating was secondary, talking was primary.
Fu Zhen sent someone to the warehouse to find a gold-inlaid jade saddle for him, which delighted him immensely. He voluntarily said, "I heard from my sister-in-law that her maternal family is in Huzhou. In a few days, I’m ordered to go to the Front Army Commander Mansion for a task, and I’ll stay overnight in Huzhou. Does Sister-in-law or Aunt Ning have any messages to send? I can deliver them."
This remark caught Fu Zhen’s attention.
Mr. Ning, although without family relatives, still had many old friends. Many cared about Mrs. Ning after he passed, sending letters or messages, while Mrs. Ning would sometimes instruct local shopkeepers to visit during holidays.
Perhaps Mrs. Ning might need this opportunity.
She said, "Thank you in advance! I’ll ask my mother tomorrow and get back to you."
Mrs. Pei quickly said, "I’ll accompany you tomorrow; it’s been a long time since I’ve seen your mother, I’ll go chat with her."
The Pei family was joyful here, but the Dali Temple had just quieted down.
Mrs. Zhang handed the assassin to the Dali Temple and immediately urged the interrogation. Yet, before they uncovered much, Zhe Yu’s document withdrawing the complaint arrived.
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Zhang naturally disagreed, as the Zhang family was also a victim. Now, with the culprit at hand, if not thoroughly investigated, the Zhang family would continue to shoulder the blame, with no washing clean possible.
Because of this affair, Zhang Shicheng was demoted. Later, conflicts with the He Family arose, leaving him unable to vent his anger.
This reason was justified, so the Dali Temple had to send someone to negotiate with Zhe Yu. Halfway, they encountered Princess Rong leaving the Zhe family.
Princess Rong was so infuriated she couldn’t possibly confront Mrs. Zhang directly at the Dali Temple, so she returned to the mansion, discussed with Xu Yin, and decided to use a new position for Zhang Shicheng to persuade Zhang Feng to retrieve Mrs. Zhang from the Dali Temple.
Zhang Feng naturally sided with Mrs. Zhang, but Zhang Shicheng was already in such a state, with no prospects. The Zhang family still depended on him to uphold their lineage. If he didn’t agree, wouldn’t it mean Zhang Shicheng stood almost no chance of rising again?
Upon receiving the news, Mrs. Zhang immediately remarked, "My father is confused," then sent the person back and continued to press the Dali Temple.
Hence, the Dali Temple had no choice but to intensively interrogate the assassin. But the assassin was steadfastly silent, admitting only a personal grudge against Zhang Shicheng and targeting Zhe Yu to frame him.
Mrs. Zhang didn’t believe he wasn’t afraid of death and personally oversaw the interrogation, yet despite fainting three or four times, the man persisted that he alone was responsible.
At nightfall, Mrs. Zhang emerged from the Judicial Hall, meeting Xu Yin under the eaves. She stopped, gritting her teeth and sneering coldly, "Xu Yin, what a schemer you are! Such malicious actions, aren’t you afraid of retribution?"
Before Xu Yin could reply, she strode away.
Xu Yin frowned, watching her silhouette, and only when she disappeared did he inhale deeply, turn around, and with a grim expression, glance at the dark Judicial Hall before descending the steps.
"To the Zhe family!"
...
After several days of treatment by Lu Chongyang, Zhe Yu actually felt he was visibly recovering, but the shock Princess Rong gave him was too overwhelming. After tearing open the wound, it took Lu Chongyang quite some effort to heal it.
When the steward came to report Xu Yin’s arrival again, Zhe Yu had just finished his medicine, lost in thought at the bedhead.
Upon hearing the name Xu Yin, his unfocused gaze immediately gathered.
"Let him in."
"Master..."
The steward’s eyes revealed unwillingness.
He was the "veteran" in charge at the Zhe family after Zhe Yu moved out of the Prince Manor, knowing Zhe Yu’s relations with Prince Rong’s Mansion all too well. Since Zhe Yu was injured, many events occurred, but none was as heartbreaking as today.
Earlier, when Fu Zhen came, though not courteous to them, it was still Lu Chongyang she brought who saved Zhe Yu’s life, indicating Fu Zhen wasn’t a bad person, whereas Xu Yin was surely not a good person.
Now that Zhe Yu was just treated, and Xu Yin came back, how could anyone be at ease?
Who knows what he had come for!
"Go ahead." Zhe Yu gazed keenly at Qian. "He was bound to come; you can’t stop him."