Chapter 697 - 254: Divine Punishment

Chapter 697: Chapter 254: Divine Punishment

Listening to her spout nonsense, Xu Shiniang and Mr. Xu felt a headache coming on again.

Only she could come up with such a wicked scheme. How on earth was she born into their family? What kind of good karma had they accumulated in their past lives to deserve this?

Xu Shiniang actually wanted to ask about the commoners who had provided testimonies. How did she arrange that? Could the Imperial Guard patrolling the streets really not have noticed anything amiss when the incident occurred? Then again, considering her endless supply of crooked ideas and the fact that she had friends all over the world in her younger years, she might have cashed in every favor she had for this stunt.

Besides, those Western Regions Envoys had been genuinely arrogant. Everyone was happy to see someone rid the people of a menace. If they could also make the Xu family owe them a favor, it would be an even better deal.

Xu Su Ying walked out of the study, humming a cheerful little tune as she returned to the backyard.

Watching his sister’s relaxed and carefree pace, Xu Shiniang asked his father in exhaustion, "Can’t you discipline her a little more?"

Mr. Xu replied unhurriedly, "How am I supposed to discipline her? She is forty years old. Her personality has long been set in stone. Even if I tried, would she listen?"

Xu Shiniang grumbled, "At the end of the day, you and Mother spoiled her. You used to say that a young tree won’t grow straight without pruning, but I only ever saw you ’pruning’ us three brothers. I never saw you lay a finger on her. If you had used even a third of the harsh methods you used on us on her, she wouldn’t be like this today."

Mr. Xu frowned at him. "What’s wrong with the way she is?"

Xu Shiniang was left speechless once again. In the end, he said nothing more. He stood up and walked out the door, completely forgetting to bow to his father. He wondered what kind of father he was; he had never seen anyone so biased toward daughters over sons. With such indulgence, it was entirely due to the ancestors’ blessing that his sister hadn’t landed herself in prison yet.

When Xu Su Ying arrived at Wangyue Inn, Chen Wanqing and Zhao Jing were taking a walk in the courtyard. At this hour, they weren’t eating dinner but were strolling while constantly glancing toward the gate. It was obvious they were specifically waiting for her.

Smiling, Xu Su Ying walked up and supported her daughter’s other arm, gently comforting her. "It’s fine. I am your grandfather’s biological daughter. It’s not like he would eat me alive, right?"

She added smugly, "He couldn’t handle me when I was little, so there’s no way he can handle me now that I’m all grown up. Don’t worry, everything is truly fine. Your mother smoothly passed the test."

Zhao Jing hurried a couple of steps forward and bowed deeply with his hands folded in front of him. "Thank you for your trouble, Mother. You took the blame on my behalf."

"Oh, come on, since you call me Mother, I will treat you like my own son. There’s no reason for parents not to back up their children when they’re in trouble. Jing, you are a promising young man. Never dirty your own hands over such things. If anything like this happens again, tell me, and I’ll vent your anger for you."

Zhao Jing didn’t agree, but simply bowed to her again. "Mother, there won’t be a next time."

It sounded like a promise, but even more so, a solemn vow. He wasn’t a pushover who would allow himself to be bullied time and time again. He couldn’t keep hiding his edge, nor could he always let his family charge to the front lines for him. It was time for him to cultivate his own subordinates and show off his capabilities to the world.

The matter passed just like that, vanishing without a trace, much like a wild goose flying through the sky. It seemingly had no impact on Zhao Jing whatsoever.

But how could there be no impact? Because the weather was warming up and the corpses would quickly rot, the bodies of the three Western Regions Envoys were moved to a suburb of the capital and cremated three days later. They had arrived as three living, breathing men, but they were returning as a few handfuls of ash, carried away in small wooden urns.

Whether Zhao Jing was the one who did it or not—even if he wasn’t, the Xu Family certainly was. However, this incident severely crushed the arrogance of the Western Regions people, bringing only benefits and no harm to the Wei Dynasty. Therefore, even if some clues were found, no one would dare to expose them.

This event also proved that Zhao Jing truly held significant weight within the Xu family. Since he could trouble Mr. Xu and the eldest son of the Xu family to clean up his mess, it was best to avoid provoking a man like him in the future if possible.

As if everyone had reached a tacit agreement, Zhao Jing’s life in the Hanlin Academy suddenly became much easier. The subtle ostracization faded away, and the sarcastic mockery disappeared. When shifts were scheduled, his night shifts noticeably decreased. Even when he entered and exited the palace gates, the little eunuchs bowed slightly lower to him than usual.

There were still a few discordant voices around him; some colleagues continued to sneer that he relied on a woman to climb the ranks and lacked integrity. However, none of that mattered anymore.

At this moment, Zhao Jing finally tasted the sweetness of power, and a true desire for it bloomed within him. Fortunately, the scene in the Xu family’s study that night and the admonitions of his elders acted as a red-hot brand, searing itself into his heart and preventing him from ever forgetting his place. Otherwise, he couldn’t even imagine what lengths he might go to in order to attain power as quickly as possible.