Chapter 85 Ants and the Big Tree

“Spit out the dowry you swallowed.”

Wu Ruzhou's words left Madam Wu speechless, her mouth agape. So he knew? Did he know anything else? He must know, right?

"What? Didn't you say you wanted Jung-yeon to calm down?" Wu Ru-zhou looked at her and said, his tone calm but with an indescribable coldness.

Madam Wu suddenly realized that she didn't understand her husband at all. She had always thought she had Wu Ruzhou completely under her control, but now it seemed that he had her completely under his control!

But since he knew he had swallowed half of Wu Zhengyan's mother's dowry, why didn't he say so before, and instead pretended to be fooled? Madam Wu clenched her fist and pondered for a while, then she understood. Because if she hadn't swallowed half of Wu Zhengyan's mother's dowry, it would have all been taken away; he wouldn't have gotten a single penny.

He pretended not to know anything, secretly pleased with himself, which made him even more attentive to her. Thinking about it carefully, she realized that she had given so much to this man and this family over the years, while this man enjoyed all her kindness without giving anything in return.

He did all the dirty and tiring work himself, yet he remained completely clean and innocent. When he went to apologize to Oh Jung-yeon, he could still say that he had been deceived and that he was the victim.

This man is ruthless and cunning.

“Hahaha…” Madam Wu suddenly laughed, “In your heart, nothing is more important than your interests, right? Your daughter can be sacrificed, and so can I.”

Wu Ruzhou was embarrassed when he was exposed, but he stubbornly said, "I don't know what you're talking about. I only found out in the last few days that you swallowed half of Zheng Yan's mother's dowry and gave it to Zheng Huan as her dowry. Now go find Zheng Huan and get the dowry back to Zheng Yan."

"If we take back Zhenghuan's dowry, how will Zhenghuan live in the Liang family in the future?" Madam Wu asked rhetorically.

Wu Ruzhou snorted, "If you hadn't been so greedy back then, none of this would have happened. If you had always been sincere towards Zheng Yan, would she have become so distant from you, and would she have hated her own father like this?"

Mrs. Wu: "..."

She had nothing to say, and didn't want to say anything.

"Go quickly, I'll go to the Duke of Chu's mansion right now to request an audience with the Duke and persuade Zheng Yan."

Although the Duke of Chu's mansion was on the verge of decline, crushing him was still as easy as crushing an ant. He was now filled with regret, regretting that he had been blinded by his promotion, otherwise he would never have done as the Lady of Jiangling Marquis had told him to do.

He was filled with regret.

Just then, the steward came running over, bowed, and said, "Master, someone from the Marquis of Jiangling's residence has arrived."

Wu Ruzhou was taken aback, then looked at Madam Wu and said, "Go and receive them, just tell them the truth."

Now he doesn't care about getting promoted anymore; he just wants to stay in office.

Mrs. Wu: "..."

She was speechless again.

Ignoring the disdainful expression on Madam Wu's face, Wu Ruzhou strode out and ordered a carriage to be prepared; he was going to the Duke of Chu's residence.

Here, Madam Wu met with the old woman who served the wife of the Marquis of Jiangling, and truthfully recounted what had happened since she arrived at the Duke of Chu's mansion. Then she said:

“Please go back and tell Madam Hou that I really did my best. Now our eldest daughter wants to sever ties with us.”

"This..." The old woman looked shocked. "How could this be?"

Madam Wu gave a stiff smile, but the old woman was not giving up and said again, "Your eldest daughter was just saying that out of anger. Maybe if Lord Wu can persuade her, she will be fine."

Mrs. Wu was exhausted. She said weakly, "I really can't do anything about it."

Seeing that she really couldn't help, the old woman's expression turned sour, and she took her leave. Madam Wu slumped in her chair and smiled bitterly; she hadn't gained anything and had only gotten herself into trouble.

......

Wu Ruzhou arrived at the Duke of Chu's residence by carriage and, smiling, told the gatekeeper that he wished to see the Duke. The gatekeeper went inside to announce his arrival and then led him in. However, upon reaching the hall, he was not greeted by the Duke of Chu, but by Jiang Yu, who sat in the main seat.

He was stunned, unsure whether he should bow. Just then, he heard Jiang Yu say, "Lord Wu, please sit down."

Wu Ruzhou sat down carefully. At this moment, he had no time to think about why a woman was receiving him, an outsider, at the Duke of Chu's mansion.

Then Jiang Yu's voice rang out again, "Madam Wu just left, and Lord Wu is here again. Is he determined to get what he wants?"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a sense of pressure. Wu Ruzhou quickly said, "No, no, Miss... you've misunderstood."

"Oh? What did I misunderstand? Did Lord Wu not listen to the Lady of Jiangling Marquis's words and ask me to have the legitimate heir of the Chu State Mansion adopted by someone else? Did Lord Wu not have your lady tell my sister-in-law that if she didn't agree, we would sever ties? Does Lord Wu think that no one in the Chu State Duke's Mansion is easy to bully, and that the issue of our family's offspring is something you can interfere with and manipulate?"

Jiang Yu bombarded him with questions, and cold sweat broke out on Wu Ruzhou's forehead. He wiped it with his sleeve and said in a panic, "I...I didn't mean that. My wife doesn't know how to talk. I'm here to apologize."

Jiang Yu didn't speak, just looked at him calmly, but Wu Ruzhou felt even more pressure. He didn't know why a woman could have such a powerful aura.

"Please, Miss, let me...let me see Jung-yeon. I have something to say to her in person," Wu Ruzhou said.

“No need,” Jiang Yu said, looking down at her fingertips. “My sister-in-law is so angry with you that she can’t face anyone. Besides, her letter of severance from your household has already been sent to the yamen. From now on, she has nothing to do with you or your household. It’s best if you don’t bother her.”

"No, I really came to apologize..."

Wu Ruzhou wanted to say a few more words in his defense, but Jiang Yu had already stood up and said to Li Zhong, who was guarding the door, "Show the guest out!"

She stepped out, and Li Zhong waited until she was out of the hall before gesturing to Wu Ruzhou and saying, "Lord Wu, please."

Wu Ruzhou stood there stunned for a long time, then looked at Li Zhong and said, "Even if you send the letter of severance, she still can't sever ties with me without my consent."

Li Zhong smiled, "This old servant believes that Lord Wu is a smart man and will agree."

Looking at Li Zhong's smiling face, Wu Ruzhou suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. Yes, with such a powerful figure as the Duke of Chu's mansion speaking, how could he possibly argue? He could only comply.

"Yes, yes, I will agree." He slumped out of the Duke of Chu's mansion, looking utterly dejected.

Wu Zhengyan had been married into the Chu State Duke's mansion for many years without offering him any help, and the Chu State Duke had retired due to illness. Deep down, he felt that the Chu State Duke's mansion was not as unapproachable as he had imagined.

But now, he finally realized that compared to the Duke of Chu's mansion, he was like an ant compared to a giant tree, completely incomparable.