Chapter 81: Lu Yuan Ze Spits Blood
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation
Lu Yuan Ze was brought back to the mansion, his forehead smeared with blood and his back marked by deep bruises from a severe beating. Amidst his pain, he was furious.
“Damn her, damn her, she has cursed me! Lu Chao Chao has cursed me!” he exclaimed vehemently, his eyes glowing with intense anger.
Upon hearing this distressing news, the elderly lady in the house, overcome with emotion and tears, hurried outside only to be met with the sight of Lu Yuan Ze in such a pitiful condition. She screamed in agony and fainted on the snowy ground outside.
“The old lady has fainted out in the snow,” Deng Zhi hurriedly reported to Madam Xu after witnessing the scene.
Observing the unusually bright sunshine, Madam Xu remarked, “It’s actually quite warm outside. Let’s not disturb the old lady; let my mother-in-law enjoy the sunlight. We should help her only when she wakes up naturally.”
Suppressing a giggle, Deng Zhi concurred, “Yes, Madam.”
“And what of my husband?” Madam Xu probed further.
Deng Zhi, barely concealing her contempt, answered, “He was in a frenzy, demanding that Miss Chao Chao be brought to him, claiming that she has cursed him. It seems he had a severe setback in court today and even faced the king’s anger,” she reported, her face showing clear disdain for Lu Yuan Ze.
Madam Xu was disgusted by the idea of a father accusing his own daughter of such misdeeds. She quickly made her way to the Qingping Courtyard, hearing Lu Yuan Ze’s angry tirades even before she entered.
“A child so young, already so malevolent, she should have been drowned at birth. Bring her here, drown her! She’s a calamity, that cursed girl, born to torment her own father. If only Jing…” he paused suddenly, remembering that Lu Jing Yao was not to be mentioned in public.
“The madam has arrived,” announced Su Zhi Qing, who maintained her composure in front of Madam Xu. Her recent elevation to formal wife not only raised her status but also ensured frequent visits from Lu Yuan Ze to her courtyard, making her days especially pleasant.
“Wife, Wife, you’ve come! Do you know what Chao Chao has done outside? She dared to borrow money using the names of my colleagues’ grandchildren! She’s completely out of control, absolutely reprehensible. Bring her here, make her kneel in the snow! Let her kneel, and she must not rise without my permission!” Lu Yuan Ze bellowed, his voice coarse with anger.
“Husband, Chao Chao is barely a year old; making her kneel in the snow could kill her. You’re asking for her life!” Madam Xu cried out, her indignation at boiling point.
“Wife, you don’t understand, Chao Chao cursed her own father. Ever since she was born, nothing has gone smoothly,” he argued.
In Lu Yuan Ze’s eyes, all his misfortunes began with Lu Chao Chao’s birth. Misfortunes like lightning striking him and his wife becoming defiant had thrown his life into chaos.
“Moreover, kneeling won’t kill anyone,” he insisted, desperation in his eyes.
“Really? I see Chao Chao as my lucky star, my salvation. With Chao Chao, there is hope,” Madam Xu sharply retorted, her displeasure evident in her expression.
As they were talking, a servant rushed in with urgent news.
“Milord, the Vice Minister of Revenue, Mr. Wu, has arrived,” the servant announced breathlessly.
Startled, Lu Yuan Ze knew that Mr. Wu, holding a high position in court, rarely interacted with him due to his lower status. The visit was unexpected.
“Please invite him in,” Lu Yuan Ze said, attempting to rise, but his injuries forced him back down in pain.
“The Ministers asked me to deliver these lender notes. All of them are accounted for,” Mr. Wu stated, looking around with a polite smile.
Despite his personal dislike for Lu Yuan Ze, Mr. Wu knew better than to offend the father of Lu Chao Chao, who was reputed to create magical talismans. He also saw this as an opportunity to secure one of these talismans for himself.
“Where is Chao Chao?” Mr. Wu inquired, clearly interested.
Lu Yuan Ze grew incensed: “Mr. Wu, my young daughter doesn’t understand her actions, and I will ensure everyone knows this. This wretched girl doesn’t know the ways of the world. Tonight, I will have her kneel in the snow for three days and three nights, apologizing at each family’s door.”
Mr. Wu was startled upon realizing that Lu Yuan Ze was completely oblivious to his own daughter’s unique abilities. Recalling the king’s confidential advice to keep certain matters under wraps, the astute minister quickly grasped the serious nature of the situation.
“No, no, no, Lord Yuan Ze, you are being excessively harsh. Chao Chao is merely a one-year-old child; making her kneel for three days and three nights is tantamount to sentencing her to death,” Mr. Wu protested vehemently, his face transforming into a mask of anger. “If you persist in this course of action, I will be forced to impeach you in court tomorrow! I cannot simply stand by and watch such disgraceful conduct, where you use your own daughter as a scapegoat!” exclaimed Mr. Wu, standing up abruptly, his face flushed with fury.
In reaction to the accusation, Lu Yuan Ze spat blood. He hadn’t stolen any money—not even a single penny!
“Lu Yuan Ze, take care of yourself. Chao Chao is innocent!” the minister declared emphatically before storming out, lamenting how the Protectorate Duke and the wealthy Lin Family had luckily avoided giving away their talisman today by not attending the court session.
Shaking with anger, Lu Yuan Ze yelled towards the now empty doorway, “I didn’t take the money, not a single copper coin!”
His frustration mounted as he glanced at the lender’s note in his hand.
Twenty-two thousand taels!
“Are they insane? Who lends twenty-two thousand taels to a one-year-old child?! Is the wealthy Lin family out of their minds to lend so much?!” he shouted in disbelief.
Overcome by mounting anger, Lu Yuan Ze fainted on the spot.
Madam Xu was also stunned when she saw the amount on the lender’s note.
Somehow, Chao Chao had managed to borrow such an enormous sum!
When Lu Yuan Ze regained consciousness, he was so distraught that he struggled to catch his breath. “Disaster, disaster! This disaster! Quickly, bring that disaster here. Where is the money hidden? Twenty-two thousand taels, she really dared. She’s only one year old!”
Given these circumstances, how could Madam Xu possibly bring Chao Chao to him? Additionally, when Chao Chao returned to the mansion earlier, she came back empty-handed. Ultimately, Madam Xu decided to send Deng Zhi to investigate.
After half an hour.
“Madam, the young miss said all the money has been spent. Not a single copper coin is left,” Deng Zhi reported, equally astonished by what the young miss could have spent it all on.
“Did you hear that? The money is gone,” Madam Xu stated, her voice reflecting her indifference.
“This child has been spoiled by you! Twenty thousand, that’s twenty thousand!” Lu Yuan Ze fumed, nearly choking on his own saliva in his rage. “Look at what you’ve raised the children to be! The eldest is disabled and still holds the position of heir! The second is a debauchee, the third is empty-headed, and Chao Chao is already deceiving others for money. The Marquis House will sooner or later be ruined in their hands!” he lamented bitterly.
“Husband, are you planning to appoint a new heir?” Madam Xu snapped back, her anger rising.
Lu Yuan Ze paused, his voice dropping to a weary sigh: “Wife, I meant no harm. Since you protect her, then this money, I’m afraid we’ll have to use your dowry.” With a deep sigh, Lu Yuan Ze expressed his resignation.
Madam Xu shook her head and responded, “Husband, didn’t I tell you yesterday that Zheng Yue is going into business? He needs capital. I’ve given all my dowry to Zheng Yue.”
Lu Yuan Ze trembled as he asked, “All, all given to him?”
Madam Xu, the favored youngest daughter of the Xu family, had brought an exceptionally large dowry into their marriage. Over the years, Lu Yuan Ze had comfortably used this dowry, not only for their household but also to support the entire family of Pei Jiao Jiao. Unfortunately, he had recently depleted these funds. The financial strain was evident as even the engagement gifts for Lu Jing Huai and Jiang Yun Jin had to be partially returned, causing great embarrassment to Lu Jing Huai.
“Rich family, poor road,” Madam Xu remarked pointedly. “My dowry was always intended for our children, so I gave it all to him.”
Madam Xu had deliberately instructed her second son, Zheng Yue, to transfer the assets to his own name, ensuring that not a single penny went to Lu Yuan Ze. This act was also a form of venting her own frustration.
Lu Yuan Ze’s face turned pale. Now he faced the daunting task of covering the twenty-two thousand taels from his own resources. Moreover, he still had the obligation to contribute three thousand taels for the clan elders from the village.