Chapter 133

Chapter 133

[Isn’t the Villain Tempting? Not Really – 3]

Hu Guangshuo’s head throbbed at the sound, and his already panicked heart grew even more uneasy.

In the past, he would have stormed inside and slapped each of the two little beasts across the face. But the Assistant Governor was still in the room, and his brother-in-law might descend upon them at any moment. How could he possibly dare lay a hand on the children now?

He would not dare even if someone lent him the courage!

Hu Guangshuo stood frozen for several moments before finally recovering. He forced himself into the room and found Lady He clutching her children as she wept her heart out. The servants who had accompanied her from the He Family into this marriage were also shedding tears, while the Assistant Governor stood nearby and offered a few words of comfort from time to time.

Hu Guangshuo wanted to plead for mercy and ask his wife to say a few good words on his behalf when her brother arrived. But with the Assistant Governor present and the children and servants gathered before him, he had no face to voice such pleas. He could only approach awkwardly, take a handkerchief from his robes, and feign tenderness as he wiped his wife’s tears.

“We have a guest, and the children are watching. Look at what crying has done to your face.”

He continued gently, “Elder Brother is alive and has achieved great things. You should be overjoyed. Why are you crying instead?”

Lady He raised her eyes and looked through her blurred vision at the man before her-her husband-whose face brimmed with tenderness even as flattery and ingratiation lurked between his brows.

How long had it been since he had spoken to her with such patience and gentleness?

She could not remember.

At some unknown point, they had gone from sharing every thought to treating each other with a respect as cold as ice.

No. At least the phrase *treating each other with respect* still contained the word *respect*. What respect had she ever received?

Her husband had transferred his affections elsewhere. He had taken several concubines into the residence, to say nothing of his bedmaids and the household entertainers. Meanwhile, the affection between husband and wife faded with every passing day.

Late at night, when they were alone together, she had tactfully spoken of the grievances she suffered and asked him to intercede with his mother and younger sister. How had he answered her then?

“It wasn’t easy for my mother to raise me. You’re her junior and her daughter-in-law. Is there anything you can’t discuss properly? Why must you show an old woman such an ugly face?”

“I have only one younger sister. She’ll marry in a few years and become part of another family. As her sister-in-law, must you be so narrow-minded that you can’t wait to sweep her out the door?”

What could Lady He possibly do after hearing that?

She had no choice but to suffer in silence.

Hu Guangshuo had numerous women in his inner residence and quite a few sons and daughters by his concubines. Lady He had neither support from her natal family nor respite from the trouble stirred up by her mother-in-law and sister-in-law. Terrified that her children would repeat the story of her and her brother, she dared not completely fall out with Old Madam Hu or Lady Hu. Time after time, she compromised and swallowed the humiliation, all to preserve the meager protection Old Madam Hu extended to her two children.

A concubine surnamed Zhang lived in the rear courtyard, and Hu Guangshuo was especially fond of her. His affection extended to Concubine Zhang’s son, who had quarreled with Lady He’s daughter several times. Without ever asking who was right or wrong, Hu Guangshuo always placed all the blame upon his daughter. How could Lady He’s heart not grow cold?

Years of her husband’s neglect and favoritism had long since worn away Lady He’s last trace of marital affection. She remained in the Hu Family and maintained a false peace with these people only because her children were still young. Had she been alone, even leaving the Hu Family only to find a rope and hang herself would have been better than remaining here to suffer such indignities!

Heaven had taken pity on her and given her and her children a path to survival. Her brother had returned.

Not only had he returned, but he had returned covered in glory.

The husband who had always treated her with every possible coldness instantly changed his face. Now he was both an attentive lover and a tolerant, kindly father. Lady He was no fool. How could she fail to understand the reason behind his transformation?

So he had always known that he was in the wrong. He had known that he had failed her and their children all these years!

Yet he had done it anyway!

Of course, Lady He thought mockingly. Who told you to be born into a family that no longer supported you? Who told your brother to vanish without word for more than a decade after joining the army? Who told you to have no road forward and no retreat behind, leaving you entirely at their mercy?

When all was said and done, Hu Guangshuo merely chose the softest persimmon to squeeze. He knew she lacked the strength to resist, so he could disregard her, bully her without restraint, and turn a blind eye while his mother and sister humiliated her. He had simply never imagined that her brother was not dead-and that he would return!

Mockery flashed through her eyes. She wiped away her tears with the handkerchief, her expression and voice as meek as ever, then rose and asked, “Why has my lord come back again? I already know that my brother is alive and will soon come to see me. You should attend to matters in the front courtyard. The wedding day is almost upon us. Miss Fei saved Mother’s life, which makes her the benefactor of the entire Hu Family. Since she is entering the household as an equal wife, we must not slight her. The stewards may overlook something, so you should personally supervise the arrangements and make certain that no guest has been forgotten and no preparation is inadequate.”

In the past, any mention of Miss Fei had brought a beautiful woman to Hu Guangshuo’s mind. Now, it summoned only an executioner’s blade.

He knew perfectly well that an official family marrying an equal wife was absurd and represented an enormous humiliation to the principal wife. But his principal wife’s natal family had declined, and a second wife controlled that household. They would never intervene in such a matter. As for his wife herself, she always swallowed every grievance. Even if she was unhappy, the most she would do was shut herself in her courtyard and shed a few tears. She certainly would not dare make trouble for him.

The realm was in chaos, and rites and order had collapsed. Who still had the leisure to care whether a man took an equal wife? His principal wife was powerless to object, and he would gain a beautiful young bride for nothing. Since the arrangement brought him no harm, why should he refuse?

The smugness with which Hu Guangshuo had once made those calculations was matched only by the panic he felt now.

He knew what sort of man He Zhenkui was. His temperament blazed like fire, and his build was immense. At eighteen, he had gone into the mountains alone, killed a tiger that had been terrorizing the area, then carried its carcass all the way back down.

Hu Guangshuo had known He Zhenkui even before marrying Lady He. Back then, He Zhenkui had invited him to drink. After draining a cup, he had said with grave solemnity that he would soon leave home and was entrusting his younger sister to Hu Guangshuo. He hoped Hu Guangshuo would treat her well and never fail her. Otherwise, his eyes might recognize his brother-in-law, but the blade in his hand would not.
How could Hu Guangshuo possibly dare offend that fiend? He hurriedly agreed. Later, he accompanied He Zhenkui to pay respects at Madam He’s grave and swore that he would devote his heart and soul to treating his wife well.

Then He Zhenkui left for more than a decade. News came back at first, but eventually there was no word at all. The realm had seen endless warfare over the years, with casualties beyond counting. Hu Guangshuo decided He Zhenkui must be dead, which was the only reason he found the courage to bully Lady He. Who could have imagined that He Zhenkui would suddenly reappear-and as the Great General who commanded the realm’s armies?!

The man had been terrifying enough when he held no official post. Now that he occupied such an exalted position and commanded an enormous army, wasn’t he the King of Hell walking the earth?!

At this moment, Hu Guangshuo wished desperately that he could turn back time to the moment he agreed to marry Miss Fei as an equal wife-or simply erase the entire affair from everyone’s memory. How could he still dream of welcoming a beautiful young bride into his residence?

Cold sweat nearly burst from him when he heard Lady He’s gentle speech. Forgetting that the Assistant Governor was still present, he bowed over and over. “I was foolish before and wronged you, my lady. In official families like ours, husband and wife have always stood together. Who ever heard of taking some so-called equal wife? I won’t marry her. I won’t! I’ve already ordered the servants to tear down all that troublesome nonsense!”

So you understood all these principles yourself?

The mockery in Lady He’s heart deepened, but aloud she said, “Mother also said that Miss Fei saved her life. The young woman seeks neither money nor profit and only wishes to enter the residence and serve. She is the Hu Family’s benefactor. Wouldn’t refusing even such a small request chill her heart?”

Sweat poured even more heavily from Hu Guangshuo’s forehead. “Mother has grown muddleheaded in her old age. Why take her words seriously, my lady? Miss Fei did help Mother, but we cannot call her a lifesaving benefactor. Even without her, were all the servants of our household dead? Would none of them have known to step forward and pull the old lady from the water? As for making her an equal wife, that is even more impossible. We are a family that understands proper conduct. How could we do something so disgraceful?”

Lady He studied her husband’s face, observing the panic and unease written across it. She listened to his endless self-justification and all those grand, righteous principles, then lost even the desire to speak.

Her son, Hu Kanglin, looked at his father and curled his lip. “Father, if you already understand all these principles, why did you agree to marry that woman surnamed Fei?”

“Exactly,” Hu Jiaojiao echoed her brother. “If we’re a family that understands proper conduct and can’t afford to disgrace itself, why were Grandmother and Aunt so determined to arrange this marriage and find Father an equal wife?”

Hu Kanglin added, “I saw Father bustling happily around these past few days. You didn’t look reluctant at all.”

Hu Guangshuo fell silent.

He truly wished he could return to many years ago and strangle these two little beasts to death!

Did they even remember their own surname?

They were Hus, not Hes!

Resentment churned within him. When he saw Lady He sitting calmly in her chair without saying a word, he could not help cursing inwardly that she had become arrogant the moment she gained influence. But his power fell short of hers now, so he had no choice but lower his head and yield.

Hu Guangshuo dug his fingernails into his palms, steeled himself, and let his knees buckle. He dropped directly to the floor before Lady He.

“My lady, I was wrong. I was blind and foolish-I did something so vile that it broke your heart!”

He had already lost all the face he could lose, so a little more hardly mattered. Hu Guangshuo raised a hand and slapped himself across the face with a sharp crack.

“I am a bastard! I am less than human! I forgot the oath I made all those years ago. I have failed you, my lady!”

After so many years of marriage, when had her husband ever humbled himself before her like this?

Much less slapped himself and knelt on the floor to apologize?

Yet Lady He watched coldly. Not the slightest ripple stirred within her heart. She neither softened nor felt the least bit moved.

What did this one act of kneeling amount to?

What did a single slap amount to?

Was she supposed to help him up, weep with gratitude, reconcile with him, and live from then on without the slightest rift between them?

Then what did all the grievances she had suffered over the years amount to?

What of his mother’s oppression and humiliation? What of the many storms his sister had stirred up in her attempts to steal the precious keepsakes Lady He’s mother had left her?

And that was not even mentioning how he permitted his concubines to disrespect the principal wife, blindly favored his concubine-born son, and allowed the boy to bully her two children!

She had shed too many tears in the Hu Family and borne too much anguish and injustice. His one paltry kneel and single slap could not begin to compensate for any of it!

Lady He sneered inwardly without allowing a trace to show upon her face.

She hated Hu Guangshuo, Old Madam Hu, and Lady Hu. She hated every member of the Hu Family who had tormented her and her children over the years. But she would not rush to reveal that hatred.

Her brother had not yet arrived. If she truly drove the Hu Family into desperation and made them choose mutual destruction, then even though her brother had achieved success and wielded tremendous power, he was still a thousand miles away. His reach might not extend far enough, and afterward, even he would be powerless to undo the damage.

Forgiving Hu Guangshuo immediately would seem false and unreliable.

But gnashing her teeth in hatred, erupting on the spot, and threatening to have her brother avenge her would only drive the Hu Family to desperate measures.

The best response was to control the heat precisely, making the Hus believe that although she was angry, she still wished to remain with Hu Guangshuo.

As for all the humiliation and injustice she had suffered over the years, would she lack opportunities to recount them once her brother arrived?

A noble person could wait ten years to take revenge. She might be a woman, but she understood that principle perfectly well.

After slapping himself, Hu Guangshuo remained kneeling on the floor, suppressing his humiliation as he waited for Lady He to speak. Yet he waited and waited without hearing a sound.

Impatience rose in his heart, along with fear that Lady He would refuse to forgive him and her brother would arrive ready to kill. When he looked up, he saw Lady He sitting silently in her chair as tears rolled down her face. Perhaps she had cried too much today; even the front of her robe had grown damp.

Hu Guangshuo kept many concubines and knew more than enough about women’s thoughts. Seeing this, he knew he still had a chance. Casting aside all concern for his dignity, he shuffled forward several steps on his knees and launched into another flood of soft pleas for mercy.
Lady He wept for a long while as everyone around her offered endless consolation. At last, she stopped crying with a resentful, angry expression and said bitterly, “If my brother had not achieved such success today, would you ever have been willing to bow your head like this?”

The moment Hu Guangshuo heard those words, he knew the earlier affair had passed. Secretly relieved, he adopted the practiced, teasing manner he used when bantering with his concubines. “Fortunately, my lady still cherishes me and is willing to protect her husband before Elder Brother. This humble fellow offers his thanks in advance!”

Then he bowed and fawned over her some more.

Lady He gave a cold snort before ordering someone to help him up.

The Assistant Governor had watched quite a spectacle and marveled inwardly at it all. Now that he had accomplished his purpose, he naturally did not linger. He asked Lady He for a letter, then ordered a swift rider to carry it back to the capital and place it in the Great General’s hands.

Lady He was literate and accomplished, so writing a letter presented no difficulty. Hu Guangshuo feared that some resentment remained in her heart and that she might complain to He Zhenkui in writing. He clung to her shamelessly and followed along, stealing glances at the page. When he saw that she wrote only of the affection between siblings and events from years past, he finally relaxed. His words grew even more tender and affectionate as he coaxed her in every possible way.

The Assistant Governor left with Lady He’s letter. Before entering the provincial capital, he first met with a trusted aide of the Governor of Yanzhou’s eldest son.

Madam Hu, the second wife whom the Governor of Yanzhou had married several years ago, had finally become pregnant. Although no one yet knew whether the child was a boy or a girl, she had already begun extending her influence into the courtyards of the two sons left by the governor’s first wife.

Since she had made her move, the two brothers naturally would not sit and await their fate.

Both the Hu and He families lived in Yanzhou, and the Governor’s residence had been the first to learn that the Great General He Zhenkui’s sister was married to Madam Hu’s older male cousin. This greatly worried the governor’s eldest son.

Connections by marriage sometimes meant nothing, but at other times they proved remarkably useful.

The eldest son already knew that the He Family had removed the Great General’s name after he left home. Even after achieving success, He Zhenkui had not returned home to share his wealth and status. He had merely sent people to search for his full sister. Clearly, the He Family meant less than nothing to him. This sister was the only one he cared about.

And the Great General’s sister was Madam Hu’s aunt by marriage…

Old Madam Hu was still alive, and she was Madam Hu’s own grandmother. If the old lady acted as an intermediary and persuaded Lady He to ask the Great General for a favor on Madam Hu’s behalf, wouldn’t that place the two brothers at an enormous disadvantage?

Madam Hu was young and beautiful. If she gave birth to a son in one stroke, he would be their father’s youngest son. Who could guarantee that their aging father would not begin entertaining other ideas?

The eldest son was deeply worried. He had therefore secured this errand for one of his men, hoping to test the waters and prepare early.

When the Assistant Governor returned to Yanzhou, he immediately said with a smile, “The eldest young master need not worry.” He then recounted everything he had seen and heard at the Hu residence.

The eldest son was indeed delighted. “I have always heard that the Great General’s temper blazes like fire. Now that the Hu Family has humiliated his sister so thoroughly, how could he possibly let the matter rest?”

The Assistant Governor snorted with amusement. “The Hu Family brought this death wish upon themselves. If they had treated Lady He a little better over the years instead of taking matters to such extremes, how could they have fallen into their current predicament?”

Lady He’s letter was sent to the capital together with a letter from the Assistant Governor. His letter explained everything he had seen and heard in the Hu Family, along with information he had gathered from elderly servants who had accompanied Lady He from the He Family when she married.

Old Madam Hu, for example, frequently summoned her daughter-in-law to wait upon her and learn the household rules. Several times, she deliberately picked quarrels and ordered Lady He to kneel in the Buddhist hall. Lady Hu endlessly pestered her sister-in-law for precious items from her dowry. Hu Guangshuo blindly favored his concubine-born son: even when the boy was clearly at fault, Hu Guangshuo listened to the provocations of his beloved concubine, ignored right and wrong, and scolded Lady He’s two children instead. The list went on and on.

One could easily imagine how the Great General would respond upon reading that letter.

…

Hu Guangshuo saw that his wife’s letter said nothing of the Hu Family’s abuse and finally set his mind at ease. He also knew that his brother-in-law controlled the capital and possessed boundless prospects. Casting aside the coldness of so many years, he became tender and attentive in a thousand ways. He even summoned the two children, lovingly asked about their studies, posed a few simple questions, then praised them over and over. He performed the role of a chameleon to perfection.

Lady He disdained him inwardly but allowed none of it to show upon her face. She merely smiled as she watched her husband speak to their children, saying nothing.

Before long, Old Madam Hu arrived with Lady Hu supporting her arm. Only a few days ago, the old lady had lain paralyzed in bed, constantly complaining that her head hurt and she could not breathe, insisting that her fall into the water had left her ill. Now her waist no longer ached, her legs no longer hurt, and she brimmed with energy.

Hu Guangshuo felt guilty and afraid when he learned that his brother-in-law was not only alive but successful. Old Madam Hu possessed thicker skin than her son. The moment she entered, crocodile tears filled her eyes. Taking her daughter-in-law’s hand, she said with satisfaction, “The first time I saw your brother, I knew his future would be limitless. Today’s news proves I was right!”

Lady He felt as though she had been walking peacefully down a road only to step suddenly into a pile of dog dung. It was almost as though her mother-in-law had swallowed some miraculous elixir and abruptly learned to speak like a human being.

In the past, the old lady always claimed that Lady He’s brother knew only brute violence and would never amount to anything. Now, he had possessed limitless prospects all along.

Lady He remained calm and silent. Sure enough, Old Madam Hu became frightened. She humbled herself and poured out an endless stream of pleasant words. One moment, she claimed she had always treated Lady He like her own daughter. The next, she insisted Miss Fei was sly and had used the debt of saving her life as leverage. Old Madam Hu had only agreed to let her son marry the girl for the sake of the Hu Family’s reputation.

Finally, she dragged Hu Kanglin and Hu Jiaojiao into it. “No matter how many faults I possess, I have always treated the children well! Everyone in this residence knows I love them most!”

Lady He smiled at that.

Old Madam Hu did not truly cherish the twins. She merely kept them beside her like living lucky charms for her amusement. If she had genuinely treasured them as precious grandchildren, how could she have stood by while their half brother bullied them?

Afterward, Hu Guangshuo had punished his own children instead, and the old lady had not said a single word. Lady He had gone to plead with her in person, only for Old Madam Hu to claim she was napping and refuse even to see her!

Old Madam Hu had no idea how deep her daughter-in-law’s hatred ran or how long it had accumulated. Seeing Lady He smile, she assumed the matter had passed. A smile appeared on her own face. Then she tilted her head slightly, signaling for her daughter to hurry forward, humble herself, and apologize to her sister-in-law.
The Great General was a rank-one official who commanded all military power beneath the heavens!

The warlords might currently be fighting among themselves, but He Zhenkui controlled the vital northern territory stretching from Yanyun to Yanzhou and Xuzhou. Of all the powers in the realm, his was the most likely to reunify it!

If he ascended the throne and became Emperor one day, Lady He would become a proper Grand Princess. He Zhenkui had already fallen out with the rest of the He Family, so wouldn’t all the benefits flow to his sister and her two children?

The Hu Family would grow stuffed to bursting merely by trailing behind and sipping a little of the broth!

Lady Hu’s eyes were narrow and long, both alluring and shrewd. At her mother’s signal, she hurried forward, kowtowed to her sister-in-law, and admitted her mistakes. Lady He offered a few pointed remarks with an ambiguous smile, making Lady Hu flush. Then Old Madam Hu and Hu Guangshuo stepped in to smooth matters over. To any outsider watching coldly, they truly resembled one warm and loving family.

That night, Hu Guangshuo naturally intended to sleep in his wife’s rooms. Lady He claimed she was tired and drove him out.

Hu Guangshuo tried to shamelessly cling on and stay, but when impatience appeared on Lady He’s face, he finally agreed with resentful reluctance, turned, and left.

Hu Kanglin and Hu Jiaojiao had been excited all day. Now they lay side by side upon the bed, staring at their mother without blinking.

Lady He extinguished the lamp. Seeing that neither child looked remotely sleepy, she could not help laughing. “Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

Hu Kanglin felt indignant on his mother’s behalf. “Mother, have you forgotten how they used to bully you?”

Hu Jiaojiao bit her lip. “Mother has shed enough tears over these years to fill an entire water vat. How can you pretend none of it happened just because they coaxed you with a few words?”

Hu Kanglin hesitated for several moments, then finally said, “Mother, don’t be upset when I tell you this, but I don’t think they truly regret what they did. They don’t feel sorry for you in their hearts. To put it plainly, they’re only afraid Uncle will make trouble for them!”

Lady He smiled faintly and gently stroked both children’s faces. “Mother knows. Go to sleep.”

…

Over the next several days, Lady He enjoyed the most comfortable stretch of time she had experienced since marrying.

After the Assistant Governor’s visit, Hu Guangshuo sent someone to the Fei Family to cancel the engagement. At first, they tried to make trouble. But the moment they learned that Lady He’s elder brother was the Great General of the current dynasty, they did not dare utter so much as a fart and promptly surrendered the marriage contract.

The next day, Madam Fei brought her daughter to the Hu residence. They kowtowed before Lady He and apologized, their posture so humble and their words so abject that they seemed entirely different from the arrogant, triumphant pair who had come to discuss the marriage only days before.

Old Madam Hu and Hu Guangshuo also appeared to have transformed into different people, treating Lady He with greater devotion than they would their own ancestors. Hu Guangshuo’s mind had grown remarkably clear as well. He declared that Concubine Zhang had previously disrespected the principal wife and repeatedly caused trouble in the inner residence. He had her dragged away, beaten with thirty strokes of the board, and sent directly to a country estate. Even her son suddenly seemed to have become a dangerous scourge. Hu Guangshuo casually handed him over to another, unfavored concubine in the rear courtyard to raise, then punished the boy for causing trouble by ordering him to spend three months reflecting in the Buddhist hall.

Lady He watched their performance with a smile and quietly waited for her brother to arrive.

…

By the time Emperor Gaozu and his party reached Xing’an, evening had already fallen. The Assistant Governor who had delivered the letter to the Hu Family accompanied them. The moment they passed through the city gates, someone hurried to inform the Hus. Old Madam Hu quickly sent for her daughter-in-law, and the entire family gathered at the entrance to welcome their honored guest.

Emperor Gaozu did not hurry to the Hu residence. Instead, he instructed one of his guards, “Make a trip and summon the family of the young woman who saved the Hu old lady. You needn’t bring them all. Just bring whoever leads the family.”

The guard departed under orders. The Assistant Governor rode behind them and immediately tucked in his neck. It was about to begin. The Great General would not be an easy trial to survive. The Hu Family could only pray for good fortune!

Old Madam Hu waited outside with the entire household for a long while. The weather was bitterly cold, and her face had gone stiff, but she paid no attention to her own discomfort. Instead, she asked her daughter-in-law with a face full of concern, “Are you cold? The wind is rather strong today.”

Lady Hu ordered the nearby servants with exceptional thoughtfulness, “Why haven’t you replaced Sister-in-Law’s hand warmer? She has waited so long that it must have gone cold!”

When Lady He’s gaze met hers, she smiled tenderly.

The sound of hoofbeats carried from the distance, and everyone’s spirits immediately lifted. Before long, a column of powerful riders galloped toward them.

The man at their head wore a black cloak. His face was resolute, his eyes shone with piercing brilliance, and his bearing was bold and expansive. A long saber hung at his waist, and his build was extraordinarily imposing. He was none other than He Zhenkui, Great General of the current dynasty.

Old Madam Hu and Hu Guangshuo wanted to step forward and exchange greetings, but their guilty consciences left them too frightened to approach rashly. They glanced repeatedly at Lady He, hoping she would go first and test the waters.

Lady He did not notice their urgent looks. The instant she saw that familiar face, tears filled her eyes. She hurried forward and called, “Brother!”

When they parted years ago, his sister had been plump and lovely, with a gentle, refined bearing. After so many years apart, she was thin and haggard. Only her eyes remained extraordinarily bright, brimming with the excitement of reunion and the joy of seeing her own flesh and blood again.

Countless emotions surged through Emperor Gaozu’s heart, leaving him momentarily unable to speak. He raised a hand and patted his sister’s shoulder, his voice slightly choked. “Your brother came too late. I allowed you to suffer.”

Lady He shook her head. “I am already overjoyed simply to see you again!”

Then she called her children forward. “Come greet your uncle!”

Hu Kanglin and Hu Jiaojiao stepped forward, knelt, and kowtowed in greeting to the uncle they were meeting for the first time.

Emperor Gaozu approached and helped both children to their feet. He examined them carefully and saw that each was exceptionally beautiful, likely because they had inherited the finest features of both parents. They truly looked like a golden boy and jade maiden.

He regarded Hu Kanglin, the male protagonist of this original world, with considerable emotion. In the end, however, he said nothing. He merely laughed heartily, ordered his attendants to present the gifts he had prepared for both children, then entered the residence with the Hu Family.

Old Madam Hu had already been anxious, and both Hu Guangshuo and Lady Hu were deeply uneasy. They feared He Zhenkui might suddenly attack and kill someone on the spot. Unexpectedly, he behaved with great warmth and never once mentioned what Lady He had suffered in the Hu Family over the years.

Could it be that he still did not know?
Or perhaps he knew, but because Lady He had not mentioned it in her letter, he did not intend to pursue the matter too closely?

That would be wonderful!

Old Madam Hu and Lady Hu exchanged a glance and secretly breathed sighs of relief. Hu Guangshuo was delighted as well. But before he could even settle into his seat, one of He Zhenkui’s guards entered to announce that Fei Zhuo, Miss Fei’s father, had arrived.

That single announcement was no small matter. Hu Guangshuo’s legs trembled, and he dropped directly to the floor, landing hard on his backside. The hand with which Old Madam Hu held her tea began to shake, and the cup crashed to the floor. Lady Hu also looked over in panic, her gaze meeting the equally terrified Fei Zhuo as someone led him into the room.

Emperor Gaozu laughed heartily, stepped forward, and helped Hu Guangshuo to his feet. He patted Hu Guangshuo’s shoulder without concern. “Guangshuo, why react like this? You and I are old friends of many years, not to mention relatives by marriage. Do you think I would harm you?!”

The Hu Family did not know what to think. Deeply uneasy, Hu Guangshuo forced a smile and explained, “Over these past few years, I have indeed caused my wife to suffer somewhat…”

Emperor Gaozu waved casually, cutting him off. “Oh, a married daughter is like water poured away. She belongs to the Hu Family now. How could I interfere too much? I have heard the whole story. Miss Fei saved the old lady’s life, and you were merely trying to repay her kindness. What did you do wrong?”

Hu Guangshuo stared blankly. Was this man truly He Zhenkui?

Had more than a decade of warfare beaten him senseless?

Or did he have some other scheme in mind?

Hu Guangshuo’s smile was rigid as he repeatedly murmured, “I wouldn’t dare. I wouldn’t dare.”

Emperor Gaozu clicked his tongue. “You are far too suspicious. That is an illness, and it must be treated!”

Then he turned to the trembling Old Madam Hu and Lady Hu. “You are my elder, so of course I respect you. As for Miss Hu, I naturally regard her as my own younger sister!”

With that, he seated himself imposingly in the place of honor. “But Guangshuo, you did not handle this matter properly. As your elder brother, I must criticize you!”

Hu Guangshuo hurriedly nodded. His brother-in-law raised a hand and pointed at Old Madam Hu, then declared in a booming voice, “Who is this woman? Your own mother! The woman who gave birth to you and raised you! She fed you and wiped your backside until you grew into a man. It wasn’t easy! Her life is priceless to you. Do you think you can just marry some young woman as an equal wife and call the debt settled? That isn’t enough! You have to pay her too! Let me think of a number. Ten thousand taels… No, that won’t do. Valuing your mother’s life at only ten thousand taels would be an insult! One hundred thousand taels. Not a coin less!”

Hu Guangshuo’s face changed color, while Old Madam Hu’s complexion turned green.

Emperor Gaozu acted as though he saw nothing. With a wave of his hand, he ordered, “Summon the Hu Family’s steward and open the treasury! What sort of gratitude is this? The young woman saved his mother’s life, yet she was expected to sacrifice herself in the bargain!”

One hundred thousand taels. The entire Hu Family could produce no more than one hundred thousand taels in ready silver. If they gave it all to the Fei Family, how would the Hus survive? By drinking the wind?

Old Madam Hu felt as though a knife were carving flesh from her heart. The thought of all that silver pouring away brought piercing agony. It was truly killing her!

Hu Guangshuo’s lips trembled as he tried to argue, but Emperor Gaozu looked at him first and asked, “Guangshuo, this is your own mother. Surely you don’t believe her wretched life isn’t worth that much?!”

Hu Guangshuo fell silent.

His smile looked uglier than tears. “How could I possibly think that?”

“That is what I thought.”

Emperor Gaozu smiled, then slapped the table. “There is another matter you handled badly: your plan to marry Miss Fei as an equal wife!”

Hu Guangshuo shuddered and hurriedly said, “I truly failed to consider that matter properly. The engagement has already been canceled, and I have kowtowed and apologized to my wife…”

“It isn’t my sister you have wronged. You have wronged the Fei Family!”

Hu Guangshuo gaped at him. “What?!”

“What do you mean, what?! I summoned the Fei Family here today precisely to discuss this matter!”

Emperor Gaozu planted one boot on the chair beside him and offered a pointed hint. “Their daughter saved your mother. That means she has shown kindness to you and your sister as well. Besides giving them money, shouldn’t you offer some other token of gratitude?”

Hu Guangshuo’s thoughts had dissolved into chaos. “Well, this…”

“Enough of this and that. Listen to me!”

Approval appeared on Emperor Gaozu’s face. “Your original idea was excellent: unite the two families through marriage! You cannot marry Miss Fei as an equal wife, because that would be taking advantage of her. But you have a younger sister. You can marry your sister into their family!”

Hu Guangshuo froze, and Lady Hu stared in astonishment. When she finally recovered, she forced a smile. “The Fei Family has only one son, and he is already married. There is no way to unite our families through marriage, Great General.”

Emperor Gaozu frowned at her in exasperation. “Little Sister, don’t be so narrow-minded. You can become his concubine!”

Lady Hu was speechless.

Before the words finished echoing, Emperor Gaozu’s expression turned cold and severe. He slapped her heavily across the face. “Is he some ordinary man?! He is the elder brother of the woman who saved your mother’s life. If we round things up a little, that makes him your benefactor!”

Looking utterly pained, he unleashed a furious torrent of abuse. “You are the daughter of a respectable family. How can you refuse to repay such kindness? If word of this spreads, will your mother and brother have any face left to show in public?! You heartless wretch!”