"I understand," Lu Qi said with a wry smile.

He said with a self-deprecating tone, "I am very self-aware. I have no ambitions to reach the heavens. I only want my family to be well."

"If it weren't for my wife, I would have left the capital long ago, so I wouldn't have to live in fear in the officialdom, lest I be implicated by the Zhang family one day."

"My wife shares the same thought; the capital city is simply not suitable for us."

Shen Yunting nodded knowingly, and listened as Lu Qi continued, "I know I cannot escape punishment, I only hope that after this is over, you can find someone to escort my wife and children out of the capital."

"As long as they are safe, I don't care what happens to them."

Shen Yunting gave a soft "hmm" and waved his hand, ordering someone to take Lu Qi away and lock him up first.

Lu Qi, however, appeared quite relaxed.

As long as Shen Yunting agrees, his wife and children should be safe.

After asking question after question, Shen Yunting returned to the General's Mansion.

The General's Mansion sign has now been put back up, restoring its former solemnity.

We've made some significant progress today, and we should be able to find out the cause soon.

Meanwhile, the Zhang family was plunged into prolonged chaos.

The whole family gathered together, their expressions filled with panic.

"Lu Qi has been arrested, and we don't know where his wife and children are now. They've probably already confessed everything about us. What should we do?" Madam Zhang was extremely anxious.

She couldn't help but mutter a complaint under her breath: "If I had known Lu Qi was so useless, I shouldn't have asked him for help in the first place."

"What's the point of saying all this now? Besides, Shen Yunting has far more evidence than this." Zhang Zhou rolled his eyes helplessly.

"What should we do then? I finally got the title of Jinshi, is it just going to be gone like this?" Zhang Xuanhe asked, looking displeased.

He's gotten a bit carried away by all the praise he's received lately.

He really likes the current atmosphere and doesn't want to lose it.

He wanted to show off in front of those people later.

Unexpectedly, after saying this, Zhang Zhou slapped him hard on the forehead.

"You're still thinking about your title of Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations)? Because of you, our Zhang family is almost finished!" Zhang Zhou was furious.

He almost became the top scholar in the imperial examination back then, how come he had such a useless son?

If it weren't for Zhang Xuan and Wuyong, he wouldn't have ended up in such a passive situation.

Zhang Xuan was slapped for no reason and was still angry.

But upon hearing these words, her anger vanished instantly.

He pressed on impatiently, "Then what should we do? General Shen has always been at odds with the Zhang family. If the investigation eventually leads back to our Zhang family, won't we all be executed?"

Zhang Xuanhe seemed to realize the seriousness of the situation only then, his eyes filled with fear.

Seeing him like this, Zhang Zhou simply closed his eyes to avoid further annoyance.

How could he have such a useless son!

Zhang Zhou couldn't help but think of Shen Yunting's children.

There was a time when he always viewed the three Shen siblings with a sense of anticipation, as if they were the ones having a good show.

No matter how powerful Shen Yunting and Qu Jingyun are, their child is still useless.

But now everything has turned out the other way around.

Shen Yunting's children are all outstanding, while his own children are hopeless and good-for-nothings.

Looking at Zhang Xuanhe in front of him, Zhang Zhou took a deep breath, trying to force himself to calm down.

But it turned out that all of it was in vain.

He couldn't help but glare at the other person fiercely.

He angrily rebuked, "Isn't this all your fault? I sent you to study under various great Confucian scholars since you were a child, and used my connections to get you into the Imperial Academy, but how have you repaid me?"

“If you were more capable, I wouldn’t have needed to resort to such methods, and the Zhang family wouldn’t have been dragged into this mess.”

“Look at Shen Cong again. Even though he was harmed by Qu Jingyun’s cousin and ended up like that, he has only been studying seriously for a short time. He has not only surpassed you, but he is also a genuine Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations).”

"You have really embarrassed me."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xuanhe immediately became dissatisfied.

She couldn't help but mutter a complaint under her breath: "Like begets like. You're no match for Shen Cong's parents either, so how can you blame me entirely?"

These words made Zhang Zhou laugh in anger.

“Who says I’m inferior to them? That Shen Yunting is just a roughneck who only knows how to fight; he can’t compare to me when it comes to writing.”

"As for Qu Jingyun, she's just a woman. How could she possibly be compared to me?"

Zhang Zhou growled indignantly.

This is something he has never been able to accept.

He was clearly exceptionally talented, and it took him ten years of hard study to achieve his current position.

Why should Shen Yunting be able to trample on him just because he fought a few battles? That's not fair.

Fortunately, he was foolish enough to arouse the emperor's suspicion.

Otherwise, Shen Yunting would likely rise higher and higher in battle, making him unable to reach him.

Even so, Zhang Zhou's joy didn't last long.

The Emperor's fear of Shen Yunting gradually dissipated, and his three children grew up to be exceptionally talented.

However, the Zhang family was embroiled in a scandal involving cheating in the imperial examinations.

The person investigating this matter was Shen Yunting, which truly put them in a desperate situation.

Thinking of this, Zhang Zhou glanced at the butler not far away and suddenly had an idea.

He beckoned the butler to his side and asked meaningfully, "Butler, how long have you been with the Zhang family?"

The butler had a bad feeling in his heart; he knew Zhang Zhou very well.

Seeing Zhang Zhou's appearance, what else could one not understand?

Even if the butler understands what the other party wants to do, he will only obey and have no other thoughts.

Firstly, he was extremely loyal to the Zhang family, and secondly, his and his family's lives and fortunes were in Zhang Zhou's hands.

Therefore, he had no choice but to obey.

The sensible one replied, "More than thirty years."

"So, do you think I've been good to you?" Zhang Zhou pressed again.

"Of course, you are like my second parents to me. Without the Zhang family, I wouldn't be who I am today." The steward's heart sank to the bottom.

It seems this is the only way things can be.

The butler didn't give Zhang Zhou a chance to continue speaking, but instead knelt down in front of him.

He spoke sincerely, "I remember your kindness to me, but I have always been disappointed that I have no way to repay you."

"The Zhang family is currently in dire straits, and this is the time for me to step forward and repay them. I implore you, sir, to allow me to take all the blame and save the Zhang family from this predicament."

"Oh?" Zhang Zhou raised an eyebrow.

They seemed pleased with the butler's tact.

Then he asked, "So tell me, how do you plan to save the Zhang family?"

“At the time, I was the only one who contacted Lu Qi. Even if there is evidence, it should only prove that I did it. So just push all the blame onto me and let me take all the blame.”

The butler's expression grew increasingly resolute.

He stated directly, "I will take full responsibility and extricate the Zhang family from this matter."