Chapter 143

Chapter 143: The Skull

This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.

Old Madam Pei collapsed onto the ground, clutching Pei Yao Zu’s hand tightly.

“We’re family! We’re family!” she cried.

“Why must it come to this? To killing and fighting?”

“Shi Yun, Shi Yun, you’re the soft-hearted one. This is your uncle. Yao Zu is the Pei family’s only heir. He cannot die! Yao Zu is the sole seedling of the family,” she pleaded, tears streaming down her face. “The only male heir…”

Desperation filled her voice as she tried to persuade Madam Xu.

“Shi Yun, won’t you listen to your mother? If you do, I will still see you as the daughter-in-law of the Lu family,” Old Madam Pei stepped forward, grasping Madam Xu’s hand.

“Tell Yan Shu; Yan Shu listens to you. If you forgive Yao Zu, I will let Yuan Ze return to see you. How about that?” she asked, her eyes hopeful.

Madam Xu, however, pushed Old Madam Pei away, her expression cold and detached.

“Pei Yao Zu harmed my son with a heart of a wolf and the lungs of a dog, and you ask for forgiveness? I can only wish to tear him into a thousand pieces!”

“Sole heir? That kind of inferior bloodline dying out would be a blessing for the people.”

“When Yan Shu was still the heir of the Marquis, conspiring against him was an unforgivable crime. I implore Official Zhong to issue the harshest judgment!” Madam Xu’s icy words cut through Old Madam Pei’s cries and wails like a knife, her demeanor unyielding.

With that, Official Zhong ordered Pei Yao Zu to be immediately taken into custody and pronounced the verdict.

Back when Lu Yan Shu was the heir, plotting against him was considered treason. The judgment was clear: execution after the autumn harvest.

Upon hearing this, Old Madam Pei fainted on the spot, collapsing to the floor.

Madam Xu wiped her tears with a calm hand, completely ignoring the wails and pleas of the Marquis household. Meanwhile, the Xu family members stood resolutely in support of their sister. After returning home, her elder sister-in-law and Madam Xu shed tears together.

“Yan Shu is blessed. After enduring so much, he has come through unscathed. It’s fortunate that he divorced.”

“It’s only a pity that Lu Jing Huai managed to escape,” someone lamented with a sigh.

Xu Yi Ting looked at his nephew with admiration. In less than half a year, Lu Yan Shu had grown to an astonishing degree, one that even surprised him.

“Lu Jing Huai is exceptional at poetry, but in the imperial exams, essays and strategy are far more important.”

“Your essays,” he continued, “I’ve read them. He is far from your equal.”

“This time, Marquis Zhongyong has truly picked up sesame seeds only to lose the watermelon.”

In the study, Lu Yan Shu and Xu Yi Ting chatted casually. Meanwhile, Hostage Prince Xuan Ji Chuan stood obediently behind Chao Chao, occasionally wiping her hands and mouth.

Xu Yi Ting glanced at him.

“East Ling has repeatedly provoked Northern Zhao. The hostage prince has now found himself a protector.”

“Without Chao Chao, he would likely have been executed at the first sign of war. Instead, he’s managed to find a way to survive.”

“With East Ling’s defeat in this war, Stabilizing General will soon return to court. The hostage prince’s days are bound to grow harder. Following Chao Chao, at least, ensures no one dares humiliate him.”

Lu Yan Shu chuckled lightly. “It’s only because he’s met Chao Chao. Even the Crown Prince couldn’t protect him like this.”

“Speaking of the Crown Prince, his treatment of Chao Chao seems…” Xu Yi Ting hesitated. “Overly attentive. It’s as if he holds her in higher regard than himself.”

“Don’t worry, Uncle. The Crown Prince’s intentions toward Chao Chao are genuine,” Lu Yan Shu reassured him. That day, he had personally witnessed the Crown Prince’s drastic transformation, screaming for others to leave his body.

It was Chao Chao who had calmed his soul.

He had nearly been possessed.

This was also why Lu Yan Shu didn’t stop the Crown Prince from interacting with Chao Chao.

“Next month, your second uncle will return to the capital. He’s likely to be promoted. When the time comes, we’ll owe Chao Chao our gratitude again.”

During the floods in Lin Luo, if not for overhearing Chao Chao’s inner thoughts and avoiding disaster, Second Master Xu might not have survived the collapse of the levee.

Lu Yan Shu smiled gently. “Chao Chao still doesn’t know we can hear her thoughts.”

The two exchanged a knowing glance.

“Next month, Uncle, let us await Yan Shu’s good news together.”

The Xu family stayed for dinner before finally heading home. Just as they left, a servant hurriedly came to report.

“Madam, the Stabilizing General has returned to the capital and sent a visiting card. He’s waiting outside and wishes to call upon you.” The servant scratched his head awkwardly.

“Coming to see the Madam late at night isn’t very appropriate, is it?” he muttered. “But the General looked so expectant and travel-worn, I couldn’t refuse.”

Madam Xu coughed lightly. Lu Yan Shu smiled, saying, “It’s already late; let me meet the General instead.” Internally, he wondered, Why would General Rong Che come to the Lu household instead of the Stabilizing Duke’s Manor?

They never had any known connection to my mother…

Lu Chao Chao giggled, her short legs toddling along behind him.

[The Stabilizing General? I remember him…]

[In the original timeline, he returned to the capital without orders, burying the Xu family, my mother, and everyone else.…]

[He was a loyal general, but when the Xu family was sentenced to execution, he betrayed Northern Zhao and joined Xuan Ji Chuan in waging war against it!]

[Oh, he never married, dying alone as a solitary man.]

[He liked my mother. But my mother is… well, she’s a romantic fool…]

Lu Yan Shu’s steps faltered. He took a deep breath, steadying his emotions.

When he reached the front courtyard, he saw a tall, imposing man clad in silver armor standing in the room. The armor gleamed coldly under the moonlight.

Unlike Lu Yuan Ze’s scholarly elegance, this man radiated a murderous aura, though it was carefully restrained within his eyes.

He lacked Lu Yuan Ze’s eloquence, appearing somewhat clumsy.

This fearsome general, who would never yield on the battlefield, stepped back nervously upon seeing Lu Yan Shu. His eyes darted toward the entrance behind him.

“She didn’t come… Don’t bother looking,” the little one chirped sweetly.

Rong Che towered over her, so tall that Lu Chao Chao barely reached his legs.

“Ah, I wasn’t looking for your mother,” he stammered, waving his hands in denial.

“But I didn’t say you were,” Lu Chao Chao replied with a mischievous tone.

The general froze, his whole body stiffening, his lips sealing shut. If not for his tanned skin, the redness in his face—all the way to his ears—would have been plainly visible.

Awkwardly, he muttered, “I heard your mother divorced… How unfortunate…” His attempt at a somber expression was betrayed by his rising smile.

“Uncle, you’re smiling so happily,” Lu Chao Chao pointed out without hesitation.

The tall man scratched his head anxiously, cycling through a thousand sorrowful thoughts to suppress his grin.

“I… I…” he stammered, sweating profusely. Despite rehearsing countless times on the way, the words wouldn’t come out.

“I’m your mother’s friend. My name is Rong Che,” the general finally managed, his gaze burning as he looked at Lu Yan Shu and Chao Chao, as though seeing someone else through their faces.

“You’re Yan Shu, aren’t you?”

“And you’re Chao Chao?”

“It’s our first meeting, and I didn’t prepare a proper gift. Here…” Rong Che hesitated before pulling out a peculiar item from his belongings.

“This is for you. It’s quite significant—the skull of the tyrant I defeated.”

Under the moonlight, the stark white skull of the tyrant had an eerie, chilling aura.

“The only tyrant’s skull in the world,” Rong Che declared, placing it into Lu Chao Chao’s hands.

He had returned in haste, and this was the only valuable item he could offer.

“If you ever face difficulties, you can find me at the Stabilizing Duke’s Manor.”

“This is the manor’s token,” he added, handing a jade pendant to Lu Yan Shu.

With that, the fearsome general, who was decisive and ruthless on the battlefield, fled in embarrassment.

Lu Yan Shu held the jade pendant.

Lu Chao Chao held the skull.

Lu Chao Chao?!