Chapter 9: Grievance

"What are you making a scene for!"

Wu Que was already suffering from a splitting headache. He had attended the morning court session today, and the news that Zhao Xingjin had ordered the Grand Court of Revision to thoroughly investigate corruption within the military had already reached his ears. He was currently as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

Although he no longer held military power, he had certainly lined his pockets plenty of times in the past.

With his hands far from clean, he was naturally terrified.

In particular, he had learned that the list of corrupt officials and the evidence Zhao Xingjin had tossed out during the morning court were all linked to him.

While it hadn't been explicitly stated that he was involved, a mere cursory investigation would lead directly to him in almost every single instance.

This was a capital offense punishable by death!

With this pressing trouble, Wu Que had no time to care about the fact that Xie Jiu was cuckolding him.

Therefore, when he saw his younger sister, Wu Qingchan, approach, he wore a dark expression.

"Brother, she is unchaste, she has been unfaithful—why do you still keep such a woman by your side? Our Wu family is, at the very least, a prestigious and noble house, a Marquis's estate! Divorce her, and what kind of fine young lady wouldn't you be able to marry?!"

"Shut your mouth!" Wu Que slammed his palm onto the table. "If the adulterer were anyone else, that would be one thing; I certainly wouldn't let her off lightly. But it is the Emperor—it is the Emperor! Do you want me dead?"

As a man, how could Wu Que not feel stifled?

There was a world of difference between offering one's wife up personally and having one's wife go behind his back to take up with another man.

Startled by the shout, Wu Qingchan was a bit frightened. She pursed her lips, her momentum waning, but she still muttered indignantly, "Even if it is the Emperor, he shouldn't be doing something like having an affair with another man's wife! Isn't he afraid of being reviled for ten thousand generations, of being drowned in the spit of the censors?"

"Hold your tongue! The Emperor ordered the Xie woman to be the Second Princess's tutor, which is why she remains in the palace. What other matters could there possibly be!" Wu Que’s face was gloomy.

Clearly, he couldn't even convince himself of these words; his expression was twisted and unsightly.

Yet, Wu Qingchan was blinded by her own rage, fixated on hating Xie Jiu for bringing shame upon the Wu family. She hadn't paid close attention to her brother's state. Hearing Wu Que's words, she immediately retorted.

"Those are just excuses to cover up the shame, Brother! How can you deceive yourself? That Xie woman is unfaithful and shameless; she climbed into another man's bed. How can we tolerate her!"

These words were like rubbing salt into Wu Que's wounds. Finally unable to hold back, he flipped the desk in front of him.

"Enough! Do you think I'm a fool? Do you think I'm just weak, incompetent, and cowardly, only capable of swallowing my pride? I am doing this to survive! For you, and so that the Marquis's estate can continue to exist!"

"When I led the troops to surrender back then, how many people pointed at my spine and cursed me? But was I truly just a coward afraid of death? I was afraid that the century-old foundation of this Marquis's estate would be destroyed in an instant! I was afraid that if we all died, you would be left alone as a woman, helpless and destitute. As long as the green hills remain, there will be wood to burn!"

Wu Que accused her loudly, seemingly shifting all the responsibility onto his sister.

"Brother..." Wu Qingchan froze.

But Wu Que did not stop.

"The Emperor is investigating the corruption of military provisions. If they trace it back to us, that means death!"

"I am already keeping my head down, not daring to even breathe loudly, terrified that I won't be able to escape this. And now you want me to divorce the Xie woman? To tell the world in plain sight that the Emperor and the Xie woman are having an affair? Isn't that slapping the Emperor in the face? Are you in such a hurry to die?!"

"Do you want all my hard work to go to waste?!"

Wu Que roared these words until he was hoarse. His ferocious expression made Wu Qingchan recoil in fear.

She had never seen her usually gentle brother in such a terrifying state.

And these words finally snapped her out of it.

Indeed, even if their teeth were shattered, they had to swallow them along with the blood.

Even if Xie Jiu had cuckolded the Wu family, they had to endure it.

They even had to act happy about it, basking in the Emperor's grace.

"I was wrong, Brother." Wu Qingchan’s eyes turned red as she clutched her handkerchief. "I didn't know you were doing this for me and the Wu family. I didn't know you were bearing so much alone. I was being unreasonable."

As she apologized through tears, Wu Que’s anger dissipated somewhat after his outburst. Now that he had calmed down, he couldn't bear to be harsh to his own sister.

"It's alright, Brother doesn't blame you. You were thinking of me, too. But from now on, don't mention this matter again." Wu Que comforted her, then finally asked, "What was it you brought to show me earlier?"

At the mention of this, Wu Qingchan recounted how she had secretly sent items to Xie Jiu in the palace.

She was inevitably scolded by Wu Que for being too reckless, but he still wanted to know what Xie Jiu had sent back.

Wu Qingchan hadn't been able to stop her.

Well, when he took it out to look, his face turned green.

There was no other reason: Xie Jiu had written on the letter paper, as someone with experience, advising Wu Qingchan to choose her tree wisely, to keep her eyes open when picking a husband, and not to marry a piece of trash like she had.

After all, not everyone could be as 'lucky' as her, having the chance to choose another man.

The magpie-on-a-branch hairpin sent to Wu Qingchan was meant to serve as a reminder.

However, that was only what Wu Qingchan knew from reading half of it. She had come over in a rage and hadn't finished reading it. So, Wu Que, who had finished reading the entire content while suppressing his anger, discovered a new piece of news.

He immediately glared and scolded, "You still haven't cut ties with that Zhou Zhiqing?!"

"I..." Wu Qingchan was shocked.

She immediately grabbed the letter, scanned it in a few hurried glances, and her face turned pale. Her lips trembled, unable to speak.

This Zhou Zhiqing was a poor scholar.

But he was talented; after placing high in the imperial examinations, he was able to become an official in the Hanlin Academy. Last year, he had accidentally met Wu Qingchan, who had just come of age, and the two had developed feelings for each other.

However, Zhou Zhiqing came from a humble background. Even though the Wu family had already fallen, Wu Que still held himself in high regard and looked down on the man, strictly forbidding Wu Qingchan from having any further contact with him.

Back then, Wu Qingchan had cried bitterly over this and even went on a hunger strike for several days, but in the end, she couldn't hold out and succumbed to her brother's pressure.

Wu Que assumed the matter was over, not knowing that at the beginning of this year, the two had met at the market and secretly reunited.

Qingfang had discovered this by accident and told Xie Jiu.

Xie Jiu herself had been married off blindly and felt quite regretful. Thinking she could provide some shelter for her sister-in-law, she kept it a secret from Wu Que, only having someone keep an eye on things to ensure Wu Qingchan didn't do anything out of line.

Now that Wu Que learned from Xie Jiu's letter that they were still in contact, his liver ached with rage.

"From today on, you are not to step one foot outside the Marquis's estate. Stay at home and behave yourself! If you ever secretly contact this Zhou Zhiqing again, I will break your legs!"

"Brother, he really is a good person!" Wu Qingchan said anxiously. "With the Marquis's estate in such a state, everyone avoids us, but he has never looked down on me. He is still sincere toward me and is willing to marry me. Brother, why won't you..."

*Slap—*

Before Wu Qingchan could finish, a crisp slap landed on her face.

She was stunned, looking at Wu Que in disbelief. But Wu Que was in the heat of his anger; he just pointed at the door and said sternly,

"You are a young lady of a noble house—do you have no shame in saying such things? Now get back to your room! Without my permission, you are not allowed to leave!"

From childhood to now, Wu Qingchan had never suffered such a grievance. Overcome with anger, she ran off crying.

Wu Que still felt stifled. He grabbed the magpie-on-a-branch hairpin, intending to smash it, but suddenly remembered that this was a palace-made item—it must have been a gift from Zhao Xingjin to Xie Jiu, making it an imperial bestowal.

Deliberately damaging an imperial gift was a major crime.

A sense of resentment, powerlessness, and the inability to resist rose in his heart, making Wu Que wish he could slap himself a few times.

But even if he wanted to slap himself, he didn't dare smash the hairpin now.

He was terrified of giving anyone a handle to use against him.

So, his hand tightened and tightened, until he finally squeezed a sentence through his teeth.

"Chen Shun, put this away."

The Weiyuan Marquis's estate was in an uproar, but Xie Jiu, the 'culprit,' was quite at ease in the palace.

Little did she know that the events sparked by her were not limited to the Weiyuan Marquis's estate.

In the Yanqing Palace, Consort Zhuang was also furiously cursing.

(End of chapter)