Chapter 280: Killing the Chicken to Scare the Monkeys
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation.
“Please, stop talking! Your sneaky plans are so obvious; it’s like they’re written all over your face! We don’t want people thinking you sent her off to the afterlife!” Lu Yan Shu quickly covered his little sister Chao Chao’s mouth.
Chao Chao’s tiny face immediately showed her disappointment. She felt no sorrow for the old lady, who was known for her nastiness.
[Hmph, what’s wrong with sending her to the afterlife? She tried to hurt me when I was born. At first, Bad Daddy just wanted to accuse the Xu family of stealing money and lying. But then the old lady said, “Stealing money? They can clear those charges! It’s better to accuse them of treason!” With just one sentence, she wanted to destroy the Xu family completely.]
Lu Yan Shu almost burst into laughter. He had been worried that Chao Chao might feel some pity for their grandmother, who looked so frail and weak. But now, it seemed his worries were pointless.
“Chao Chao, is studying really that hard? Here’s an idea: Big Brother will teach you for a few days. The Prime Minister even asked me to tutor his students at the academy earlier this week,” Lu Yan Shu said, gently patting his sister’s cheek. She was just too adorable.
Chao Chao’s big eyes sparkled as she thought about it. “Okay! But Big Brother no give any homework!” she said in her tiny, childlike voice.
Lu Yan Shu nodded without hesitation, agreeing to her terms.
The next morning, Chao Chao happily grabbed her little school bag. “Today, Big Brother is teacher! Yay, yay!” She held her brother’s hand and skipped out the door, filled with excitement.
Back at home, Madam Xu was giving orders. “Keep an eye on things over there. If the old lady passes away, send someone to check.”
“But mourning clothes? That’s not happening!” she added firmly.
“They were the ones who cut ties and took my children’s names out of the family records. The mourning clothes are for her own children and grandchildren, not for us!” Madam Xu stated, her expression firm and unyielding.
Madam Xu had pieced together what might happen by listening to Chao Chao’s thoughts. [Why should my children suffer that type of fate? They didn’t show mercy to mine, so why should I show mercy to them? They’re getting what they deserve.]
“Exactly! That’s only fair! Serves them right!” Deng Zhi added with a big smile.
Later that afternoon, before Chao Chao could return home, Madam Xu’s older brother, Xu Yi Ting, arrived first.
“Brother, what brings you here today? Come in, have a seat. Chao Chao was just saying this morning how she wants to visit her uncle’s house to eat pork knuckle,” Shi Yun greeted him warmly.
Xu Yi Ting’s face was serious. He waved his hand, signaling for everyone to leave the room. He then instructed his attendants to stand guard outside, ensuring no one could come near.
“Shi Yun, where is that dragon-patterned jade pendant? Has anyone seen it outside?” Xu Yi Ting asked, his brows furrowed with concern.
His sister had a tough start in life, nearly freezing to death as a newborn. She had escaped a bad marriage to Lu Yuan Ze and was now engaged to Rong Che. Things were looking up until people from the Southern Kingdom showed up, bringing new problems.
Madam Xu’s face grew tense. “Only Chao Chao, Deng Zhi, and Lu Yuan Ze know about it,” she paused. “I showed it to him when we first married, not thinking much of it. A few years ago, Pei Jiao Jiao even pushed him to ask for it. After I said no, I gave it to Chao Chao.”
Shi Yun looked a bit guilty. “Has the pendant caused some sort of trouble?”
Xu Yi Ting shook his head. “Keep the pendant hidden. Don’t show it to anyone. It seems to be very important to the royal family of the Southern Kingdom. I found out that the envoy from there is Nan Mu Bai, the eldest son of their First Princess.”
“The bloodline of the Southern Kingdom is special. Their daughters don’t marry outsiders, and all their descendants have an equal chance to summon the gods. Originally, the First Princess was the top choice for the throne. But one year, the old king was attacked and disappeared. A farmer’s daughter saved him, and while he lost his memory, he married her. They eventually had a daughter,” Xu Yi Ting explained, sharing what he had discovered during his investigations.
Madam Xu’s eyelids flickered. She looked up sharply at her brother, tightened her grip on her teacup, and took a sharp breath.
“It’s said that during that time, the old king survived by selling his paintings and calligraphy. The First Princess found him and forcefully brought him back to the palace. After his memory came back, he couldn’t find the farmer’s daughter and their child again. However, the old king left behind a dragon-patterned jade pendant as a form of identification…”
Madam Xu’s teacup slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor. She stared at her brother, her eyes red and lips pressed tight, at a loss for words.
“After he returned to the palace, he secretly sent people to look for them. But it’s been over thirty years, and there’s still no news.”
“As I’ve said, the Southern Kingdom’s king originally wanted to make the First Princess his successor, but he hasn’t mentioned it in years,” Xu Yi Ting’s brow creased. “He even started a rumor that he would only step down if the lost daughter was found. If that happens, the First Princess probably won’t tolerate their existence. Your last assassination attempt was likely her doing.”
“Brother, I just want to be a daughter of the Xu family. I don’t want to leave North Zhao or our home,” Madam Xu’s voice broke with emotion. “I have no desire for the Southern Kingdom, no ambitions for their power. I just want a peaceful, simple life.”
“I understand,” Xu Yi Ting sighed softly. “Don’t worry. You’ll always be our little sister. No one can take you away.”
“Right now, Nan Mu Bai is trying to find out if any girls were abandoned in the capital thirty-five years ago. Back then, Mother had just had our little brother, so we said you two were twins. That story has protected you. No one suspects anything.”
“As for Lu Yuan Ze…” Xu Yi Ting’s gaze now grew fierce and dangerous.
A dead man tells no tales. But Lu Yuan Ze was a court official and never left the capital. His infamous affair had made him the talk of the town. It wouldn’t be wise to deal with him now.
“Don’t worry. There will always be a way out. Your children are all strong, and with Chao Chao and General Rong, they won’t let you be taken away. The king wouldn’t allow it. Just stay away from any envoys from the Southern Kingdom for now.”
His sister Shi Yun was just an ordinary person, and the people from the Southern Kingdom are cunning. If Shi Yun goes there, they’d ruin her. And even if Chao Chao were around, she was just a two-and-a-half-year-old child. What could she possibly do against those people who could summon the gods?
Xu Yi Ting stayed just long enough to give his instructions and then hurriedly left. He needed to return to the estate to discuss things with their father. Despite not being their biological sister, she was the cherished treasure of their entire family.
After the conversation with her older brother, Madam Xu remained deep in thought until nightfall. It wasn’t until Chao Chao returned home that Madam Xu snapped out of her stupor. She immediately noticed the downcast look of her daughter, who had left home beaming that morning.
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation.
“Did you enjoy Yan Shu’s teaching today?” Madam Xu asked her daughter.
Lu Yan Shu’s eyes sparkled. “It went very well.”
“Did Chao Chao’s classmates actually listen to you?” Madam Xu was curious and also skeptical. The Prime Minister always got so frustrated he nearly fell ill, yet Yan Shu managed them so smoothly?
Chao Chao pouted, looking gloomy. “Big Brother used me to scare everyone. Now they’re all scared of him.”
“How did he scare them?”
“I was the chicken that got killed!” Chao Chao puffed up her cheeks, glaring at her brother angrily.
[Of course he did well! He used his little sister to make his point!]