"So you've guessed it. Yes, it was because your master was unhappy that your mistress always had the upper hand, so he poisoned her slowly, making her disappear from the world entirely. My attacking Zhu Yuxuan was also with his tacit consent, otherwise do you think I could have succeeded so easily?" Madam Zhu couldn't help but laugh heartily as she spoke of these things, and tears flowed as she laughed. She had long known of her husband's cold-heartedness and cruelty, and had guessed that following him would not end well. It was all retribution.
"Rest assured, no one who has harmed my husband will have a good end." Wu Caiwei only followed her instructions today to confirm her suspicions. She could still hear her frenzied laughter even from a distance.
The next morning, as the couple was eating, Master Zhu unexpectedly came before them and asked guiltily, "About what you said yesterday, that I should drive you out of the family, does that still stand?"
"Of course it does. I've said it before, I don't want to be your son. I'm willing to leave empty-handed to get away from the Zhu family." Zhu Yuxuan happily put down his chopsticks and looked at him with great interest.
He was a court official, and countless commoners envied him. Yet, this boy disliked him so much. His face darkened.
"Who wants to be your son? If I hadn't been lucky, the grass on my grave would be so tall by now. I even suspect my mother's death was suspicious," Zhu Yuxuan said meaningfully, looking at him.
Master Zhu immediately raised his head. His hesitant heart became firm. It seemed this boy knew a lot. Keeping him around was ultimately a disaster.
"I admit I've been neglecting you recently, and it's normal for you to hold grudges. Since you wish to leave the Zhu family so much, I will grant your wish. Why wait? Let's do it now." Master Zhu acted out his heartache and reluctance to the fullest, making anyone believe he was a truly loving father.
"Hurry and take that disgusting expression off your face, or I don't mind exposing your evil deeds on the street for everyone to see your true colors." Since the two had already fallen out, Zhu Yuxuan gave him no face at all.
Master Zhu's beard bristled with anger. His mouth opened and closed, then opened and closed again, speechless for a long time.
After the deed of severance was written, Zhu Yuxuan unhesitatingly signed his name and pressed his handprint on it. It was Master Zhu who hesitated for a long time, unable to make up his mind.
"Are you so reluctant to part with me? You'd better think carefully. I will settle the score for my mother. Aren't you afraid of..." Zhu Yuxuan threatened in a voice only they could hear.
Master Zhu gritted his teeth, extended a trembling hand, and with difficulty pressed his handprint. His heart felt like a piece was missing. When he looked up, he saw that his heartless son's face was beaming with a smile. His fatherly love had truly been wasted.
"Don't you regret it. If you can't make it out there and come begging on your knees, I won't acknowledge you as my son again." Master Zhu thought he was too young and naive, believing life outside would be easy, but in reality, without him, he was nothing.
"Don't worry, that day will never come. Those words are more fitting for you," Zhu Yuxuan said happily, taking his copy of the deed of severance after all the procedures were completed, and left.
Master Zhu watched his retreating back with a complicated expression. When he returned to his manor, he saw Wu Caiwei and her son leaving together, each with their personal maids and servants. They acted as if they didn't recognize him.
Master Zhu was furious and shouted, "You two stop right there! We agreed you would leave empty-handed. Now you're taking so much with you, how am I to know if there's anything belonging to the Zhu family inside? I need to inspect it."
Master Zhu hadn't wanted to be so ruthless, but seeing their nonchalant attitude, he felt a surge of anger with nowhere to go and wanted to find trouble for them.
Wu Caiwei opened one chest after another without a word. Inside were all her dowry items. Not to mention anything belonging to the Zhu family, she hadn't even taken a single piece of their daily clothing. With no excuse to stop them, Master Zhu awkwardly rubbed his nose.
"Master Zhu, have you finished your inspection? May we leave now?" Zhu Yuxuan asked sarcastically.
Having experienced so much, Zhu Yuxuan could see that Master Zhu was actually trying to keep him. Unfortunately, it was too late. The original owner had already been killed by him, and the person standing here now had a different soul. Reconciliation was impossible this lifetime.
That night, Master Zhu drank himself into a stupor. The next day, he rallied his spirits, moved Madam Zhu to the main courtyard, and showered the concubine with riches as if they were flowing like water into her storeroom.
When the couple settled down in the city, they were still confused by the arrival of the yamen runners. They hadn't done anything recently, busy with the move.
When the yamen runners mentioned Zhu Chenxing, they remembered him. They hadn't expected him to still be alive.
The couple quickly went to the county yamen and repeated their prepared story to the magistrate. No matter what, they claimed to know nothing about what happened in the manor and were not involved in any way.
Soon, Liu Zhiyi's case was publicly heard. The couple specifically went to watch the spectacle. This was the first time they had seen Zhu Chenxing since the last incident. If they hadn't known him too well, they truly wouldn't have recognized him.
At this moment, his hair was disheveled, and there was no unblemished skin visible. His hands and feet were bent at strange angles. Without even looking, one could tell they had been broken long ago. He lay on the ground, and if he hadn't moved occasionally, one would have suspected he was a corpse. Li Wenwen was not much better.
To implicate Zhu Chenxing, the servants who had accompanied Liu Zhiyi to the Zhu family all testified that he was the one who poisoned Miss Liu and that he was the first to stab her in the abdomen, with Li Wenwen delivering the second blow. Neither of them could escape.
Life for a life. The magistrate quickly sentenced both of them to be executed in the autumn. The news reached Madam Zhu's ears, and she directly vomited a mouthful of fresh blood. That night, she died in unwillingness, her eyes wide open.
When Master Zhu heard the news, he didn't even bother to see her. He shed a symbolic tear or two, and the funeral was held low-key and simple.
He had originally thought his son would be destitute after leaving the Zhu family, but unexpectedly, their business prospered. The restaurants and rouge shops in the capital that brought in huge profits were all opened by them.
He felt a sense of loss. The feeling of not being needed was unpleasant. Since his body had recovered, he had to consider his position.
However, when he visited his old friends with valuable gifts, they either refused to see him or began to complain as soon as they met him, saying they were in difficult circumstances and unable to help.
Master Zhu returned in disappointment. He knew that good positions required waiting for the right opportunity, but they wouldn't even respond when he merely sought a job. They truly judged people by their appearance.
While he was feeling dejected, someone leaked the news that he had accepted bribes for many years. Although it didn't cause any substantial harm, the matter escalated, and the Emperor had to give an explanation to the common people.