"Lu Tao, do you really think my Langya Prince's Estate is your own home? You beat my people whenever the mood strikes you."
Just as Lu Tao was at the height of his arrogance, Chu Xuan appeared in the courtyard, his face cold.
But as Lu Tao had claimed, he had never truly held Chu Xuan in any regard. He continued arrogantly, "Chu Xuan, stop putting on a show in front of me. Forget about a mere servant—even if it were you, the Heir to the Nation-Guarding Prince of Langya, if you really ticked me off, I would beat you just the same."
In the past, although Lu Tao often came to Chu Xuan to demand money, he at least had to maintain a veneer of civility because he was taking things; he would only dare to say that if Chu Xuan refused to pay, he could forget about marrying Lu Xueqing.
But now, Lu Xueqing had completely broken ties with Chu Xuan, and since Lu Tao was here to return the betrothal gifts, he naturally had no reason to hold back.
"You'd beat even me, the Heir to the Nation-Guarding Prince of Langya? When did your Lu Family become so bold? Or is it that even before the engagement is officially dissolved, Lu Xueqing is already so impatient to marry Wushuang Muqing?"
"My sister and Young Master Wushuang are a match made in heaven. If it weren't for you interfering, we would have already formed an alliance with the Chancellor's Estate. Enough with the nonsense. The betrothal gifts are all here. After today, if you dare to pester my sister again, I will break both your legs."
With that, Lu Tao signaled, and his men brought up three wooden crates.
Looking at these battered, sealed crates, the coldness on Chu Xuan's face deepened.
Just as he had expected, the Lu Family was indeed prepared to act like thugs. These three crates—even if there were thirty—could not possibly hold the entirety of the betrothal gifts he had sent.
However, Chu Xuan was actually curious to see just how shameless the Lu Family could be and what exactly they had brought back.
"Since you are here to return the betrothal gifts, I shall inspect them."
At this moment, the people of the Langya Prince's Estate wanted to slip away quietly. They knew that today’s events would cause Chu Xuan to lose all face and become the laughingstock of the entire Imperial Capital. As members of the Langya Prince's Estate, how could they bear to watch their own master be humiliated? Sneaking away and pretending they hadn't seen anything was the best course of action.
However, Chu Xuan spoke up: "I said, count the betrothal gifts. Are you treating my words like wind passing by?"
The guards and servants looked at each other, cursing their luck in their hearts.
"Someone else, go check on Xiaoyu's injuries. We’ll settle everything together in a moment."
Xiaoyu was the young maid who had been beaten by Lu Tao. But no one thought Chu Xuan’s "settle everything" meant settling accounts with Lu Tao. They only assumed he meant calculating her wages before kicking her out of the Langya Prince's Estate.
Lu Tao sneered, "A fallen prince’s estate for a good-for-nothing heir, truly a perfect match. You don't even have the stature to see that our Lu Family—the grand Grand General's Estate—would never skim off your pathetic betrothal gifts."
Chu Xuan didn't care to trade insults with Lu Tao, nor did he care what his own people were thinking. The memorial days for his parents and brothers had already passed; there was no need to rush this moment.
Soon, several guards pried open the three crates.
Upon looking inside, they were all left dumbfounded.
"Heir, there... there is nothing in these three crates but a ragged quilt, a walking stick, and a broken bowl!"
What? A ragged quilt, a walking stick, and a broken bowl?
The others from the Langya Prince's Estate turned deathly pale upon hearing this. They all knew the betrothal gifts Chu Xuan had sent to the Lu Family were worth an astronomical sum. Yet, the three items the Lu Family had returned were not only worthless, but they were also a deliberate insult.
Lu Tao burst into laughter. "Chu Xuan, these are the betrothal gifts you originally gave; now they are all returned in full."
"However, I must say, I am actually a bit impressed by you."
"You must have known long ago that with your fallen Langya Prince's Estate and your empty title as Heir, you would eventually run out of resources."
"When that time comes, the only things that will keep you alive are a quilt for warmth, and a stick and a bowl for begging."
"So, you planned a way out for yourself long ago and stored this 'begging three-piece set' at my house."
"My family is kind, and after learning your intentions, we specially kept this begging three-piece set safe for you."
Every word of Lu Tao's humiliation and mockery made the people of the Langya Prince's Estate boil with rage. Several guards gritted their teeth and said, "Heir, as long as you give the order, we will stake our lives to protect the dignity of the estate and yourself!"
Hearing the guards, Lu Tao laughed even harder. "Stake your lives? Dignity? Does Chu Xuan dare? I am standing right here; if he dares to say a single word, I’ll respect him as a man!"
Chu Xuan ignored Lu Tao, instead patting the shoulders of his guards, and asked the person supporting Xiaoyu, "How are her injuries?"
"Heir, Xiaoyu only has minor injuries. It's nothing serious; she'll recover in a few days."
"Minor injuries? How can that be? It looks to me like this girl is quite seriously hurt. It would surely cost a million taels of silver to cure."
What? A million taels of silver? It was just a slap, and only half her face was swollen... Wait, what did the Heir mean by that?
Before anyone could ask, Chu Xuan looked at Lu Tao, his voice frigid. "My Langya Prince's Estate has rendered meritorious service for generations and achieved great feats for Dayuan!"
"Five years ago, in that battle against the Xiliang Kingdom, my parents led my nine brothers into the fray. They all died in battle, and to this day, their remains have not even been recovered!"
"His Majesty, remembering the contributions of my Langya Prince's Estate and the sacrifice of my father and brothers, posthumously conferred upon my father the title of Nation-Guarding Prince of Langya, my mother the title of Nation-Guarding Prince's Consort, and my nine brothers the titles of Marquises of Zhenyuan. He even specifically honored me as the Heir to the Nation-Guarding Prince of Langya, permitted to ride within the Imperial Capital, exempted from bowing before the Emperor, and granted a golden pardon from death!"
"Today, you and your lot, under the guise of returning betrothal gifts, have trespassed into my Nation-Guarding Prince of Langya's Estate without report or permission, injured my people, and dared to humiliate the Heir to the Nation-Guarding Prince of Langya, specifically honored by His Majesty!"
"Your crime deserves death!"
What! A crime deserving death?
When Chu Xuan spoke, especially the final four words, everyone present was stunned. No one expected Chu Xuan to sound like a completely different person, every word sharp as a blade. Even though he was still invoking the merits of the deceased, it felt incredibly satisfying to hear!
"What are you all still standing there for? Take them all down, every last one of them!"
The guards immediately reacted. In the past few years, they had suffered enough of Lu Tao's arrogance and had been beaten by him more than once. But they had always swallowed their anger because they knew their Heir, for the sake of that woman Lu Xueqing, would never hold Lu Tao accountable.
Now, looking at their Heir's demeanor and tone, this was clearly not a momentary flare of anger, but a true awakening—he was no longer going to be a lovesick fool. What more did they have to worry about?
"Following the Heir's command! Those who insult our Nation-Guarding Prince of Langya's Estate and insult our Heir deserve death!"
*Shing!*
The guards drew their blades, and in an instant, they surrounded Lu Tao and his men.