Chu Jingde had no idea what had happened. On that day, he learned that the Consort's family had bribed He's family to have Wang Da frame Chu Jinjin. He was so angry that he almost choked.
He was worried about his son, whether Chu Jinjin could escape the machinations of those around him, and even more worried about the future of the Chu family.
Since ancient times, the common people have never fought with officials, and she was still a powerful imperial concubine.
He hadn't been involved in family affairs for many years. He had a son and daughter-in-law, but they hadn't gotten out of bed for the past few days. If it weren't for the spies planted by the old housekeeper, they probably would have remained completely unaware.
However, his informant had grown old and was now a nobody. He only vaguely heard people talking about how the First Madam had tied up the pharmacy manager.
The old eyeliner looks a bit off.
The pharmacy owner has worked diligently for many years, so why did he suddenly come to the Chu residence and get kidnapped?
Something big must have happened at the pharmacy.
The old steward personally went to the people around Wang, but couldn't get any information out of them.
It was clear that Wang had given a death order.
The Chu family is now in dire straits; one wrong step could lead to utter ruin. After a moment's hesitation, the old steward reported the truth.
Then, the two old brothers came to kill them.
The carriage ride was so bumpy that Chu Jingde felt like his old bones and internal organs were about to fall apart. He coughed violently, panting and squinting, "What happened?"
At least seven or eight guards lay on the ground, some with bruises and swelling, others with broken bones, and the worst one was covered in blood, which the apprentice was reluctantly bandaging.
The head of the guards swallowed hard: "I was... I was beaten by the Third Miss."
Chu Jingde didn't even consider Chu Jinjin: "That Third Miss?"
Chu Jinjin went to Black Eagle Mountain Stronghold. According to the normal route, even if she rescued the person immediately, she would not be able to return until the day after tomorrow.
The head of the guards glanced into the room: "It's...it's in the Fifth Madam's room."
Chu Jingde: "......."
The old steward thought he had misspoke and frowned, asking a pointless question: "Speak clearly, which Fifth Madam?"
It wasn't that he lacked imagination; even though the master had secretly hinted that Chu Jinjin knew martial arts, these were a group of guards, not something a young lady of noble birth could do.
"The master's fifth wife." The head guard felt that if he continued, he would be addressing her by her first name, but he understood the reason for this reaction, and said seriously, "The third young lady's martial arts are very powerful; none of us are her match. She, she..."
I didn't dare say the rest.
The Third Miss is not only formidable, but also ruthless. She can cut off two fingers with a single stroke without blinking an eye, and even put the knife to the First Madam's neck.
Chu Jingde swayed slightly. He grabbed the old butler's arm and asked, word by word, "Where's Zu Jian? Did he come back with us?"
He felt there probably wasn't.
They were most likely injured along the way and came to their own pharmacy for treatment; however, each one who returns is a blessing in disguise.
The head of the guards finally understood what had happened. He had barely uttered a word when the old man seemed to spring back to life, instantly recovering and rushing briskly towards the pharmacy.
Those inside had already heard it and came over to pay their respects.
Chu Jingde couldn't see anything.
He had three sons in his life. When his first son was born, he was still a peddler who traveled from street to street and had little money. His son died when he was one year old. His second son died when he was five years old.
It seemed that God was trying to compensate him. Chu Zujian was healthy from a young age and even surpassed his father. In just a few years, he made the Chu family one of the top ten richest families in the capital.
That was not only his son, whom he was very proud of, but also the pillar of his life.
Chu Jingde stared blankly as he walked over step by step, his hands, covered in age spots, trembling uncontrollably. He stared at his unconscious son, his voice old and hoarse: "What happened to him?"
The doctor knew Chu Jingde's condition and couldn't bear the slightest shock. He knew that such a serious matter was going to be fatal. He subconsciously looked at Wang Shi with a troubled expression, then, realizing that she was one of the culprits, he turned to Chu Jinjin for help.
After a moment's consideration, Chu Jinjin said in a low voice, "Grandfather, I told you, you have to hold on."
This can't be kept secret.
My grandfather has weathered so many storms in his life; it's better to tell him the truth than to keep it from him. The Chu family needs him now.
"Let me speak," Wang said, her face pale and her eyes filled with despair. "Father, your daughter-in-law is unfilial, she raised a..."
Chu Jingde suddenly waved his hand to interrupt: "Let's talk about it when we get home."
After saying this, he suddenly burst into tears.
He cried for himself, and he cried for his son.
As a father himself, he understood what kind of pain that was.
For the first time, Chu Jinjin's eyes stung. She wasn't afraid of getting hurt, but her grandfather's tears were sharper than knives.
Wang suddenly burst into tears and slapped herself hard: "Father, I'm sorry, it's all my fault."
Chu Yan also cried and hugged his mother's arm.
The pharmacy was filled with weeping, and with Chu Zujian lying unconscious, it looked like a funeral parlor.
How did our perfectly good home become like this?
The loud and festive suona music drifted from afar. Chu Jinjin didn't think much of it at first, until she noticed that Liu Shi, who was pretending to cry with her head down, suddenly looked up and silently cursed.
Chu Jinjin blurted out, "Xu Wenda is getting married today?"
Everyone forgot to cry, wiping away their tears as they looked at each other.
Today is the day Xu Wenda marries the imperial concubine's younger sister.
She attempted suicide for a man, which not only disgraced her family but also the royal family. It is said that the imperial concubine pleaded for favors, and in the end, the empress dowager intervened to arrange the marriage.
Since things have already come to this, let's skip the whole traditional betrothal ceremony and just get married quickly to put an end to this.
Today happens to be an auspicious day.
Chu Jinjin picked up the steel knife and started walking out.
"Jinjin, don't be impulsive." Madam Liu was terrified. Her revenge was limited to going to someone's door and cursing them. Going to someone's door to kill them was a serious crime punishable by beheading.
"I'm going to get the dowry." Chu Jinjin wasn't stupid. It wasn't worth dying for such a scumbag. He could marry whoever he wanted; it had nothing to do with her, but the dowry was hers.
With the Xu family's wealth, they simply couldn't afford a wedding related to the royal family. If they arrived late and their money was used, they couldn't very well write an IOU.
The blood on her steel knife was still wet, and she single-handedly took down dozens of guards; no one dared to stop her.
Chu Jingde had no time to grieve, and gave a desolate laugh: "Jinjin, we have to swallow this for now."
With their son still unconscious, the Xu family is now too powerful to offend. Before anything has even happened, they've already started plotting in secret. This time it's a big deal, next time they might use even more insidious tricks.
"Grandfather, do you think she will let us go even if we try to please her?" Chu Jinjin had already figured it out. Just like in the apocalypse, showing weakness is useless and will only make the other party more unscrupulous. It's better to fight desperately. If we can scare her, we can scare her. If we can't scare her, we should still take a bite out of her.
Chu Jingde was speechless.
He suddenly felt that he was getting old, timid, and narrow-minded.
Chu Jinjin earnestly assured him, "Grandfather, please go home and wait patiently. I can save Father and protect the Chu family."
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