Inside the Grand General’s Estate, Lu Youwei and his wife were counting boxes of gold, silver, and various rare treasures. They performed this ritual every single day, as if terrified that even the slightest amount might have gone missing. These riches were the very betrothal gifts that Chu Xuan had bestowed upon their family years ago.
"My lady, everything is in order here. Let’s head to the martial arts archive to check on things there."
Compared to the treasures, Lu Youwei cared far more about the martial arts manuals. In this world where Martial Dao reigned supreme, everything could be quantified by value—except for martial arts, which were priceless treasures. Undeniably, the techniques their family possessed were also part of those betrothal gifts from Chu Xuan, and arguably the most important part. Their three sons and one daughter had all relied on those techniques to establish their footing in the imperial court.
"My lord, I inspect the archive three times a day; you can rest easy. The most pressing matter now is to send someone to check on the situation with Tao’er. I truly worry that Chu Xuan, that good-for-nothing, might go back on his word."
"There is no need to worry, my lady. Given the importance Her Majesty currently places on Xueqing, coupled with our ties to the Chancellor's Estate, even if you gave Chu Xuan a hundred guts of steel, he wouldn't dare go back on his word."
Lu Youwei’s confidence was not blind; after all, one was a good-for-nothing heir to a fallen estate, and the other was an up-and-coming Grand General. Since Lu Xueqing had already laid her cards on the table, in anyone's eyes, as long as Chu Xuan had a shred of sense, he would never do something as foolish as throwing himself into a fire.
However, no sooner had the words left Lu Youwei’s lips than a clamor erupted from outside.
"My lord! My lady! It’s bad—something has happened outside the estate!"
Hearing this, the couple rushed out of the storehouse and glared at the servant reporting to them. "You dog of a servant! How have I taught you to behave? Have you no sense of decorum?"
The servant, his face pale with urgency, could hardly worry about decorum now. "My lord, my lady! It’s… it’s Chu Xuan! Chu Xuan has come, and he’s killed our men!"
What! Chu Xuan was here? And he had killed men from the Grand General’s Estate?
How was this possible? Hadn’t his son gone to the Langya Prince’s Estate to return the betrothal gifts? How could Chu Xuan have possibly shown up here? Even if he were dissatisfied with the return of the gifts, he wouldn't have the nerve to come here and demand them back, let alone kill the Grand General’s men.
With this logic in mind, just as Lu Youwei was about to dismiss the servant’s claims as nonsense, a thunderous roar echoed from outside the gates.
"The Heir to the Nation-Guarding Prince of Langya has arrived. Lu Youwei, get out here and welcome him at once!"
The couple exchanged a look, their expressions turning grim. Madam Lu remarked, "That good-for-nothing Chu Xuan actually dared to come."
Lu Youwei questioned the servant, "How many men did he bring?"
"Reporting to you, my lord, there are over thirty of them. They are all wearing armor and wielding swords. Our men were killed the moment they tried to block them!"
"Daring to kill the men of my Grand General’s Estate—that is a capital offense. I would like to see where Chu Xuan gets the audacity."
With that, the couple, seething with rage, marched toward the entrance. But the moment they stepped out of the gate, they stood frozen in their tracks.
Outside, in addition to the men from the Langya Prince’s Estate, there was a sea of onlookers—at least ten thousand commoners. There were also the servants who had been subdued, along with a cold, lifeless corpse.Lu Xueqing had just been named the Country-Toppling Nation Grand General, and the plaque for the "Grand General’s Estate" had only just been hung. To think that within a few days, someone would come to their home to commit murder, with so many commoners watching—it was an utter humiliation. And the person who had brought this humiliation upon them was none other than the notorious good-for-nothing.
Lu Youwei was incensed. Pointing at the carriage where Chu Xuan sat, he bellowed, "Chu Xuan, you have quite the nerve! You dare to come to my Grand General’s Estate and commit murder? If I don't chop you into a thousand pieces today, then my time as the Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture has been a total waste!"
"Men! Seize these murderers at once!"
At Lu Youwei’s command, dozens of men charged out from the Grand General’s Estate, all brandishing blades, squaring off against the men from the Langya Prince’s Estate. The surrounding crowd instinctively retreated, fearing they might be caught in the crossfire, yet not a soul left the scene.
"The Langya Prince’s Estate versus the Grand General’s Estate—swords are finally drawn. The show is about to start."
"I bet a hundred taels of silver that the Langya Prince’s Estate will fold."
"I bet three hundred taels; Chu Xuan is such a spineless sycophant, he won't just fold—he’ll be kowtowing for mercy."
While the commoners were unhappy about the Lu family’s humiliation of the Langya Prince’s Estate, business was business. Everyone knew Chu Xuan was Lu Xueqing’s lapdog; whenever she said east, he never dared say west. His show of force earlier was only possible because the Lu family hadn't come out yet. Now that Lu Xueqing’s parents were present, and they were just as overbearing as the others, it was a foregone conclusion, according to Chu Xuan’s reputation, that he would fold.
"The Langya Prince’s Estate is nothing! Daring to commit murder in our Grand General’s Estate? None of you are leaving here today!"
Since Lu Youwei had given the order, the servants felt no need to hold back and prepared to strike. However, one of them had barely taken a step before a powerful burst of internal energy sent him flying. He smashed into the stone pillar beside Lu Youwei, spat blood, and died instantly.
The one who had struck was, naturally, Heiyun.
The scene left everyone in shock. No one expected that the men of the Langya Prince’s Estate would dare to kill someone right in front of Lu Youwei. This didn't fit the script—by all rights, Chu Xuan should have been begging for forgiveness by now, claiming it was a momentary impulse, all for a chance to reconcile with Lu Xueqing. Otherwise, once she found out, he would have no chance left.
What exactly was Chu Xuan playing at? Was he really ready to burn everything to the ground?
Lu Youwei finally snapped back to reality. Seeing another corpse nearby, he trembled with rage. Snatching a sword from one of his men, he stepped forward and shouted, "Chu Xuan, you spineless wretch, if you're a man, come out here! Let’s see if I don't slaughter you with my own hands today!"
Lu Youwei valued status. He knew Heiyun was merely a personal guard and didn't want to waste his breath on a subordinate. As long as Chu Xuan showed himself, he would have his head, even if he was the Emperor-sanctioned Heir to the Nation-Guarding Prince of Langya. Chu Leiting was long dead; the estate was now a house of one. Even if the Emperor found out, he would know how to weigh a dead hero against a living, useful one.
The onlookers held their breath as Lu Youwei prepared to kill Chu Xuan himself. This was the Prefect of Jingzhao and the father of the Grand General. Would the men of the Langya Prince’s Estate really dare to lay a finger on him?
Sure enough, as Lu Youwei approached the carriage with his sword drawn, the men of the Langya Prince’s Estate all parted to clear a path. Even Heiyun stepped back. But no one noticed that as Heiyun retreated, a cold, sinister smirk touched his lips.