"What?"
Cai Tingshu immediately slammed the table and stood up.
Song Ci quickly pressed her down.
"Mom, calm down. First, send people out to investigate. Know yourself and your enemy, and you will be sure of victory."
"You're right. Someone... go and investigate quickly."
Cai Tingshu was very anxious; her son needed her support.
Song Ci wasn't idle either. She instructed Amber to find the group of informants her Eldest Brother used.
They were all veterans and would likely have news soon.
The guards and old women of the General's Mansion also dispersed under Cai Tingshu's orders.
The Second Branch soon heard the commotion.
Liu Yuru looked shocked.
"What is Eldest Sister-in-law doing? Making such a big fuss?"
"How would I know?"
Sun Wei shook his head. How would he know?
Liu Yuru looked at the old woman.
The old woman immediately shook her head.
"This old servant doesn't know."
"If you don't know, go and find out! What use are you?"
"Yes..."
The old woman hurriedly withdrew in panic.
Liu Yuru's gaze shifted.
Hmph!
Waiting for these good-for-nothings would take forever. She'd better go see for herself what Eldest Sister-in-law was up to.
Liu Yuru went to Cai Tingshu's courtyard.
She was directly refused entry.
She stomped her feet in anger.
She could only curse under her breath and return to her own courtyard, looking at her own man.
"Look, look at this! Eldest Sister-in-law is getting more and more excessive. Since Eldest Brother passed away, she's acted like she's the only authority, not even putting you, her brother-in-law, in her eyes. Now she won't even see me. Soon this General's Mansion will have only one master—her."
"Enough. What's the use of saying all this? It's better to keep a low profile and live our own lives—drink some wine, listen to some tunes. Isn't that good?"
"Get lost..."
Liu Yuru was furious. Her own man was a hopeless case; he depended on her, a mere woman, to fight and scramble for everything.
At that moment, the entrance to Duke Zhenguo's Mansion was already surrounded by a crowd.
Shen Huaizhou was blocked at the gate. At his feet knelt a young man of about eighteen or nineteen, wearing a half-worn scholar's robe, pale-faced, as thin as a bamboo pole, with tears at the corners of his eyes.
"Eldest Brother, I'm not here to fight for the family property! I just want to be acknowledged by the clan and to give my mother some closure!"
The young man choked, "My mother suffered her whole life. On her deathbed, she still called Father's name... My only wish is to continue my studies."
The young man's voice was hoarse from shouting.
"Eldest Brother, I beg you."
"I'm seriously ill now and have no way out. I beg you, give your brother a way to live!"
Shen Huaizhou's face turned green with anger.
"Get lost! Don't try that moral blackmail on me. If you have the guts, go find our father. I don't have a brother like you."
"Eldest Brother, I'm of humble status. I can't see Father. Please help me..."
The young man's eyes were red.
The onlookers whispered among themselves.
"This person looks like a scholar."
"Yeah, and he's sick too. Quite pitiful."
"Exactly! Just for his mother's dying wish—it's not like Duke Zhenguo can't afford to support him."
"If you ask me, this scholar is far better than that dandy Young Master Shen. All he wants is to study."
"Everyone knows Young Master Shen is just a dandy. He's probably afraid that if the Duke recognizes this son, he'll be abandoned."
Shen Huaizhou heard the harsh comments. His fists clenched with a crack.
He was legitimate and honorable.
Healthy and strong. Wasn't he far better than this consumptive ghost?
These people had no taste.
Someone couldn't help it and stepped forward to speak.
"Young Master Shen, help him out. He's still your brother by blood."
"Yeah, even if you don't acknowledge him, at least get this young man some medical treatment first."
"Treat my foot! I..."
Shen Huaizhou was furious. These people were so quick to be generous with others' things.
Just then, a hand rested on his arm.
Seeing it was Song Ci, Shen Huaizhou swallowed the words that were about to come out.
His savior had arrived.
He said excitedly,
"Little Sister."
"Step aside!"
"Right away!"
Shen Huaizhou happily skipped over and obediently stood behind Song Ci.
Song Ci looked at the young man. Though her face was expressionless, her eyes were startlingly bright.
"May I ask, Young Master, what is your honorable surname?"
"I... my name is Shen An. My mother gave it to me. She said Father's greatest wish was for the country to have lasting peace and stability."
Shen An looked at the woman who had suddenly appeared before him. She was so beautiful that he unconsciously softened his voice.
Song Ci's brows twitched.
This was a master. Asking for his name, and he had to drag in patriotism and the greater good?
"Where are you from?"
"Huaizhou."
"When did you enter the capital?"
"The day before yesterday."
"Entered the capital the day before yesterday, and you already managed to block Young Master Shen to claim kinship? Your news sure travels fast."
Song Ci sneered.
Shen An's expression changed. Her smile was faint, yet it unsettled him.
He hurriedly defended himself.
"I... I just happened to run into Eldest Brother when he was leaving. Miss, who are you? Why are you meddling in the affairs of the Duke's Mansion?"
"That's not the point." Song Ci didn't give him a chance to change the subject. "Right now, I'm the one asking the questions. How long did it take you to travel from Huaizhou? How did you come? Do you have any proof?"
"I do."
Sweat beaded on Shen An's forehead. He reluctantly took out his travel permit and household registration.
Song Ci tossed them to Shen Huaizhou for inspection.
Shen Huaizhou tossed them to Guard Geng.
Soon, Guard Geng's expression turned grave, and he nodded at Shen Huaizhou.
Shen Huaizhou's face darkened. He looked at Song Ci.
"Little Sister, they're real."
Song Ci's heart skipped a beat. He came fully prepared?
She continued pressing.
"Young Master Shen, from Huaizhou to the Capital City is over a thousand li. Taking the official road, the fastest is a month, and you'd need a cart. Your determination to claim kinship is admirable."
Shen An breathed a sigh of relief.
Song Ci changed her tone.
"However, I still have one question."
"Miss, please go ahead."
"Duke Zhenguo guarded the Northern Border for twenty years and only returned to the capital a year ago. Huaizhou is in the south, the Northern Border is in the north. The two places are more than a thousand li apart. How did Duke Zhenguo come to know your mother?"
Shen An's face turned pale.
"My mother said... it was twenty years ago..."
"Twenty years ago?"
Song Ci smiled.
"Twenty years ago, Duke Zhenguo was attacked and recuperated in the Capital City. Your mother was in Huaizhou. How did they meet? Through a dream?"
Pfft...
Someone in the crowd laughed.
"This young lady is so funny."
Shen An's lips trembled, and his eyes reddened again. "You... you're going too far! My mother is no longer with us. Maybe they met on the road. How dare you speak ill of my mother?"
"Fine. The dead are to be honored. Let's not talk about your mother. Let's talk about your token. Is this jade pendant?"
"Yes. My mother said it was left by Duke Zhenguo."
Shen An sounded very confident.
Shen Huaizhou had examined it and recognized it as his father's.
Song Ci understood.
"But I clearly remember that Duke Zhenguo lost this jade pendant a long time ago. Did your mother happen to find it?"
"Preposterous!" Shen An trembled with anger.
"You're talking nonsense! This is slander! If you don't believe me, we can do a blood oath to confirm kinship."
A blood oath?
The crowd buzzed with noise.
A gleam of intelligence flashed in Song Ci's eyes.
Good, good, good.
The big show begins.
"If your blood mingles with Young Master Shen's, even if Duke Zhenguo doesn't acknowledge you, Young Master Shen will recognize you."
Song Ci's lips curled up.
She smiled beautifully, but it sent chills down Shen An's spine.
Shen An gritted his teeth. "Fine."
Soon, everything was ready.
The two each dripped a drop of blood into a bowl of water.
Everyone's hearts were in their throats as they stared at the bowl.
The blood... didn't mingle?
"Impossible... how can this be? There must be a mistake. That person said it would... it has to mingle. It will mingle."
Shen An stared fixedly at the blood in the bowl, the corners of his eyes twitching wildly.
His legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground.
"Fake?"
The crowd also erupted.
"I thought it was real..."
"Me too. I thought it was a case of a son seeking his father from afar. Never expected a con artist."
"Exactly. I said earlier that Duke Zhenguo was renowned across the land back then. How could he do something like abandoning his wife and child? This is slander."
"Coming to Duke Zhenguo's Mansion to start trouble—this poor scholar must have a death wish."
Public opinion instantly turned.
No one believed Shen An anymore.
"You..."
Shen An was going mad with rage.
Song Ci's expression was calm. She brushed off some non-existent dust from her clothes. Alum had been added to the water; even real blood wouldn't merge.
Trying to play tricks with a modern person like her?
She would teach him what science was.
Song Ci's voice turned cold.
"Speak. Who sent you?"
✦✦✦