Chapter 74 - Slap

Chapter 74: Chapter 68: SlapZhao Zhongyu then strode forward, with the guards jogging to keep up, explaining, "The Marquis was also in a sorry state, saying he encountered Xiongnu soldiers on the road and was chased by the refugee army, losing his way amidst the chaos."

Zhao Zhongyu stopped in his tracks and asked, "What about the Eldest Son, Eldest Lady, Second Lady, and Fourth Lady, are they safe?"

The guard quickly nodded and said, "They are safe."

Zhao Zhongyu couldn’t suppress his anger and exclaimed, "They’re all safe, so how come the main house’s people are missing? Does he take me for a fool, or does he think the whole world is full of fools?"

After saying that, he turned and stormed back to the tent in anger.

Zhao Ji caught up with the main army and took some effort to find Zhao Zhongyu. After the imperial guard confirmed his identity, they let him stay in Zhao Zhongyu’s tent.

At this time, the family was still a bit unsettled; the experience of the past two days was indeed very dangerous.

Zhao Zhongyu lifted the curtain and came in, and the people in the tent immediately stood up, tearfully calling him Grandfather, even Zhao Ji tearfully called out "Father."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Zhao Zhongyu slapped him across the face.

The tent fell silent instantly, and everyone looked at Zhao Zhongyu with fear, not daring to speak.

Zhao Zhongyu’s hand throbbed with pain, and he clenched his fist tightly at his side, holding back the urge to strike again, but his face was livid. He said to his grandchildren, "You go out first."

Zhao Hewan hurriedly led her younger siblings away, the guards also quickly retreated, and the servants followed suit in single file, leaving only Zhao Zhongyu and Zhao Ji and his wife in the tent.

Once everyone was gone, Zhao Zhongyu couldn’t hold back his anger, stepped forward, and slapped him again, glaring at him with fury, "Tell me, where is your uncle’s coffin, Mrs. Wang, and Second Son and Third Lady?"

Zhao Ji’s face was pale, holding his cheek he said, "It’s my incompetence, I got separated from them on the road."

"You!" Zhao Zhongyu was so angry that he closed his eyes and asked, "I left you with so many people, the family’s guards and servants, and the troops under Zhao Ju..."

He remembered and asked, "Where is Zhao Ju?"

Zhao Ji couldn’t help but raise his voice, "Zhao Ju never came, Father, who do I have to use?"

"The city fell into chaos too quickly, he might have been caught up, or perhaps..." All dead, Zhao Zhongyu’s heart ached, these were the troops the Zhao Family had invested in heavily to maintain, "This is not the time to discuss this, even without Zhao Ju, with the manpower the Zhao Family has, you shouldn’t have lost all the main house’s people."

Getting angrier as he spoke, "Tell me, where did you lose them, how did you lose them? Before I left, didn’t I repeatedly tell you to discuss with Third Lady if there was any problem, to deal with this ordeal before anything else? You are already the Marquis of Shangcai, why argue with two children, Mrs. Wang is just a woman, even if she has a sharp tongue at times, how can she really hurt you..."

Mrs. Wu saw Zhao Ji being scolded into a pale face and couldn’t help but interject, "Father-in-law, you don’t know, Third Lady had sent off her dowry to the Fu Family days ago..."

Zhao Zhongyu was stunned, then held his forehead, taking two steps back and fell into a chair with a headache.

"Clearly she didn’t trust us, otherwise, she wouldn’t have sent off her dowry in advance..."

Seeing her still babbling, Zhao Zhongyu was furious, trembling as he pointed at her, cursing, "Shut up, a wise wife brings less trouble to her husband, I see all these troubles are stirred up by you."

Zhao Zhongyu’s face was flushed with black and red, glaring at Zhao Ji, "Is that her dowry? That’s Second Son’s inheritance! She signed the contract in front of you, those things belong to the siblings, as long as this last sum can end up in Second Son’s hands, what do you care how she handles it, why are you angry, do you also want to seize those things for yourself?"

Zhao Ji’s face turned red with shame, defending, "I didn’t."

"If not, why complain, why abandon them? You really are, you really are..." Zhao Zhongyu was so angry that he felt weak in his limbs, a breath stuck in his chest, his vision went black, and he fainted.

Zhao Ji panicked, hurriedly stepping forward to support him, "Father, Father—"

Mrs. Wu was also terrified, if something happened to Zhao Zhongyu, it would be because of their anger, if such an unfilial reputation spread, it would ruin not only the couple but also their children.

Mrs. Wu hurriedly stepped forward, helping Zhao Ji to get him onto the bed, then ran out to get a doctor.

Now that Zhao Zhongyu was promoted, his residence wasn’t far from the central tent, Prince East Sea, upon hearing that he was ill, unhesitatingly sent an Imperial Physician to see him.

The Imperial Physician’s diagnosis came quickly, "Overexertion, combined with shock and anger led to a faint, he must recuperate, rest well, and must not get angry again."

Zhao Zhongyu was unconscious for just half an hour before waking up, the part about not getting angry was quite difficult because as soon as he woke and saw Zhao Ji, his face started to look bad, and his internal fire began to rise.

The Imperial Physician took a look at his complexion, sensibly stood up, and also advised, "Don’t get angry, but if you really can’t suppress it, just let it out, otherwise holding it in will be worse for your health."

Zhao Zhongyu, although full of rage, wouldn’t vent it on his son and daughter-in-law in front of outsiders, waiting until the Imperial Physician left before suppressing his anger and saying heavily, "Send someone back to search!"

"We must find the people and the coffin," with a sharp look towards Zhao Ji, warning, "If Second Son and Third Lady are unharmed, that’s fine, but if they and your uncle’s coffin are not found, your life is over, Eldest Son is over, and the Zhao Family will be over!"

Zhao Ji’s face turned pale.

Zhao Zhongyu grabbed his wrist tightly, staring at him, "You think your Eldest Uncle hated me, yet why didn’t we separate the family for decades? Because above personal interest is the small family, above the small family is the large family, and above the large family is the clan!"

"You’ve lost the three of the main house’s mother and children, and also your Eldest Uncle’s coffin, do you think using the excuse of war can make it reasonable?" Zhao Zhongyu continued, "No one will believe you, your wife and children returned safely, every single one, so how come there’s not a single person left from the main house? Moreover, living people can get lost, but where is your uncle’s coffin?"

"That’s your Eldest Uncle’s coffin, it was his coffin! Why didn’t you get lost with it!" Zhao Zhongyu spoke more and more angrily, wishing to throw this son out to let him cool his head.

When Zhao Changyu intended for Zhao Ji to inherit the title, some in the clan suggested letting Zhao Ji adopt both households, or just adopt Zhao Ji outright.

Firstly, he was unwilling, and secondly, Zhao Changyu didn’t want it either, so the matter was dropped.

Although it was dropped, people tacitly acknowledged that Zhao Ji inherited Zhao Changyu’s title, so he should regard the other’s deceased as his father, leaving "father’s" body to escape alone would result in contempt from the world.

"If this matter is reported back to the clan, even as the Clan Leader I cannot protect you, not to mention the scholars would be ashamed to associate with you, Zhao Ji, did you not consider the consequences before acting?"

Zhao Ji and Mrs. Wu knelt pale-faced by the bedside without speaking.

Zhao Zhongyu closed his eyes and said, "Why are you still kneeling, go quickly and send people out to search!"

Zhao Ji snapped back to his senses, quickly got up, and went out.