Chapter 25: Who Cares About Being a Gentleman?

Xishan Hunting Ground!

The moment these words reached Zhang Shaode's ears, his blood rushed violently to his head. It was some time before he could force his consciousness back to clarity.

As a military officer, Zhang Shaode was far from frail, yet now, facing Yuetang—who was barely half his size—he found himself involuntarily taking several steps back. The face of a six-year-old child differs greatly from that of an adult; he could not possibly have remembered her exact appearance from back then. But the composure of this woman, walking through mortal danger, and the cold cruelty she displayed toward her sworn enemies were exactly the same as that noble, peerless golden branch who had once charged at them with the fury of a thunderbolt on that night three years ago!

Who else could remember the details of that night so clearly, if not the person involved? Who else could it be, if not Princess Yongjia, who should have died three years ago?!

He clenched his trembling hands into fists, but even his fists continued to shake. How could she have escaped such a meticulously planned ambush three years ago? He cast his gaze toward her again, his mouth opening several times as he tried to deny it. Yet, the facts left him no room for doubt. No one in this world could look more like that person than the woman before him.

"...Kill anyone who dares to block the way!"

Cold sweat poured down his forehead like rain. From outside, the low, grim commands of the assassins mingled with the clashing of swords. Standing there in a daze for a moment, he suddenly snatched up his dropped blade, slashed toward Yuetang without a word, and then turned to bolt toward the door.

Since the person who was supposed to be dead was still alive, he understood everything now—the situation with the He family, and the token found beneath He Jianzhong’s corpse! The Du family might not have valued him or He Jianzhong highly, but they had never intended to target them in the first place! He had been completely deceived. The many lives lost in the He family were merely paving stones for today's scheme. It was the lives of everyone in the He family and the Zhang clan that had built Yuetang’s trap for today.

She had come to claim lives. His only chance of survival now was to rush out and tell the Du family everything! Even if the Du family already had murder in their hearts, Zhang Shaode was certain that the news of Princess Yongjia being alive—and being the true mastermind behind the murder case—would be even more vital to the Du family.

"Where do you think you're going?!"

A sword flashed from the side, stopping just before his throat. At that moment, he was only a foot away from the hall door. He immediately executed a flourish with his blade, his eyes filled with murderous light as he hacked at Yuetang.

Yuetang merely crossed her arms and sneered. Huo Yun flew forward, kicking Zhang Shaode in the back. As he collapsed to his knees, the long sword in Huo Yun’s hand pierced his throat.

***

Zhang Shaode’s movements were by no means slow, but he was merely a third-rate general; how could he withstand the strength and speed of someone personally trained by Wei Zhang? After this brief scuffle, Yuetang hadn't even been touched, yet blood was already seeping from Zhang Shaode’s neck.

Zhang Shaode ground his teeth. "I, Zhang, have been cautious all my life, yet I never thought I would fall into your trap today. It is my fate. Kill me then!"

Yuetang snorted coldly. With a kick of her right leg, she overturned a bound figure hiding in the shadows. Zhang Shaode gasped in horror. "Ying-er!"

Zhang Ying cried out, "Father, save me!"

Zhang Shaode looked at Yuetang with a twisted face. "Let her go! Take out your grievances on me!"

Yuetang snapped the ropes on Zhang Ying, grabbed her by the collar with her left hand, and lifted her up. Her right hand stroked the girl’s tear-streaked face. "What, your heart aches? When you killed my Ali, did you ever think this day would come? I hear she’s not yet betrothed? A perfectly fine maiden! I imagine there are plenty in the brothels who would fight over her!"

Zhang Ying trembled uncontrollably under her grip, weeping until she could barely breathe.

Zhang Shaode’s face turned deathly pale. "You wouldn't dare!"

Huo Yun stepped on his back. "Why wouldn't the Princess dare to do what you were capable of doing?!"

Zhang Shaode was forced to grovel on the ground. Zhang Ying screamed in terror. Seeing this, the guards who had been trying to rescue them stopped in their tracks.

Yuetang pinched Zhang Ying’s chin, pulled the hairpin from her hair, and let her dark locks cascade down. "Truly, raised with such delicate skin and flesh! But why? Your father killed my Ali to make you the lady of the Zhang house, while my son suffered in the grave. If I don't destroy your family, sell you into slavery, and let you taste the suffering my Ali endured, how can I quench the hatred in my heart?"

Zhang Ying was on the verge of fainting. Yuetang smiled. "Scared? If you're scared, beg your father to plead with me."

Zhang Ying looked at Zhang Shaode through tear-filled eyes. "Father, Father, save me..."

Zhang Shaode nearly shattered his own teeth. "Bullying a weak girl—you are no lady of honor yourself!"

Yuetang burst into laughter. "When you mongrels conspired to ambush a mother and child, you didn't call yourselves despicable! Now that you’ve fallen into my hands, you turn around and lecture me with your hypocritical morality! Open your dog eyes and look closely—do I look like the type who cares to be a ‘lady of honor’?"

Zhang Shaode was speechless. Three years ago, she had kept a low profile and taken a husband in, with no one in the capital witnessing the event except the late Emperor and Prince Duan. A year later, she gave birth, then immediately left her husband, kept her child, and returned to the capital to inherit the throne. She was capable of such unconventional, rebellious acts; would she care about morality now when exacting her revenge?

His face turned ashen.

"A bunch of trash! Charge in!"

The sounds of battle outside had grown increasingly intense. The guards, distracted by this scene, were forced to focus their full attention on the fight. That roaring voice outside—it sounded like He Hui!

Zhang Shaode was dazed, and suddenly he understood the Du family's intentions even more clearly. The Du father and son he served not only wanted to kill him, but they also intended to use He Hui’s hands to do it! He Jianzhong was already dead, and He Hui was a spineless coward. Even if he survived, he could no longer rely on his parents; the Du family was his only hope. Therefore, he would surely risk everything to carry out the Du family’s orders.

If Zhang Shaode did not die at Yuetang’s hands today, he would certainly die at the hands of He Hui and the Du family!

He struggled to lift his head and gritted his teeth. "You must already know that the Du family was the mastermind back then! Then now... whatever you want to know, I will answer without reservation! I will not hide a single word!"

Yuetang merely glanced at him. "Who told you I still have things I want to know?"

Zhang Shaode swallowed hard. "The Princess is flawless in her schemes. The He family, the Zhang family, and the Du family have all become pieces in your game. If you only wanted to kill for revenge, you would not have needed to reveal yourself to me tonight. But since you have, there must be questions that remain, and I, perhaps, can provide the answers."

Yuetang’s hand, resting on Zhang Ying’s neck, paused. Then, she let out a cold laugh. "Since you are so 'clever,' you should be able to guess what I want to know without me saying it. That you are still waiting for me to ask shows you are still playing tricks!"

Zhang Shaode hurried to say, "If the Princess wants to know who is behind the Du family, I truly do not know!"

Yuetang sneered. "So you also know that Du Minghuan is not the mastermind?"

Zhang Shaode’s eyes flickered with fear. "I only guessed; I have no hard evidence. The Du father and son are tight-lipped. Over the years, they haven’t let a single word slip..."

"Then why do you have such a suspicion?"

Zhang Shaode swallowed again but remained silent. Yuetang suddenly tugged at Zhang Ying’s dress ribbon! The silk garment loosened instantly, and Zhang Ying shrieked. Yuetang pulled her close with one arm, her gaze cold as she looked at Zhang Shaode. With her holding her like this, Zhang Ying wouldn't be exposed, but if she let go...

Zhang Shaode’s jaw trembled. He gritted his teeth and spoke. "First, the source of the Du family’s vast wealth is suspicious. Second, for the past two years, the Marquis of Guangling has been secretly winning over scholars in the court, painstakingly cultivating his own influence. Many of the new scholars from this year’s spring examinations, including the top graduate, were recruited by him. The key is that these scholars he recruited are precisely the ones slated by the Secretariat!"

Yuetang’s fingertips twirled a lock of Zhang Ying’s hair. "The Secretariat?"

"Yes!" Zhang Shaode nodded heavily. "Before the late Emperor passed, he left a final decree ordering Empress Dowager Shen to temporarily hold the imperial seal, and she would only yield power once the new Emperor had been on the throne for three years. In other words, before the Emperor turned twenty, the Empress Dowager had the power to oversee and interfere in politics. This year’s spring examination was the first since the Emperor ascended. Aside from the top graduate, Xu He, who was personally chosen by the Emperor, the rest were almost entirely decided by the Empress Dowager and the Secretariat. Xu He was transferred to the Ministry of Justice within the Secretariat; he is both a close aide to the Emperor and has ties to the Imperial City Guard. The Marquis of Guangling has arranged a marriage between his niece—the daughter of his wife’s family—and Xu He. The betrothal rites are currently underway! Everything seems normal, but the Du family has been of modest means for decades, and the Marquis of Guangling’s career was stagnant for years. Only after that incident three years ago did he suddenly have a large sum of money to order He Jianzhong and me to commit murder. And now, three years later, during this very first spring examination, he is so aggressively courting the scholars... I believe that if the Du family had no one backing them, they would not dare to be so high-profile! In other words, what the Du family has done only makes sense if someone is pulling the strings from behind the scenes!"

Yuetang’s fingers, which had been winding Zhang Ying’s hair, stopped right at her throat.