The Command to Pamper the Husband - Chapter 230

“Old Madam, the lanterns are all hung up outside. Do you want to go out and take a look? It’s very festive and bright red, really beautiful.”

Zhou He’s mother, Madam Qiao, dressed in a festive red gown, came in with a bright smile on her face.

The Old Madam was holding her month-old grandson, teasing his soft little cheeks.

“Why are you shouting? You’ll scare my precious grandson,” the Old Madam scolded Madam Qiao playfully, then looked down to tease her grandson again. “Our Xiao Yi isn’t afraid. Our Xiao Yi is the best.”

Madam Qiao rolled her eyes helplessly and moved closer to take a look at her son.

“Mother, he’s only a month old. What can he understand?” She couldn’t help but reach out to touch the baby’s cheek.

Before she could, the Old Madam swatted her hand away.

“You have cold air on you. What if you give my precious grandson a cold?”

Madam Qiao protested, “I’m not a stepmother!”

The Old Madam just glared at her. “If you were a stepmother, I could still reason with you. But since you’re his birth mother, I don’t even have a place to argue.”

Madam Qiao was both annoyed and amused.

“Mother,” she said coquettishly, “Are you going to go outside and look or not?”

“Are they all hung up?”

“Yes, they are. Just like you said, all auspicious red lanterns. They’re so pretty.”

The Old Madam wrapped the baby in a thicker blanket.

“Alright, Grandmother will take my precious grandson to see the lanterns. Tomorrow is your full month celebration, and we’ll have a big party!”

Madam Qiao hurriedly helped the Old Madam.

Zhou Qisheng had repeatedly made great contributions on the battlefield. He was one of the generals most favored by the Empress.

For his youngest son’s full month celebration, the Empress and the Emperor personally sent gifts.

Even the few pots of peonies in the courtyard were sent by the Empress herself.

Zhou Qisheng had spent half his life in battle, guarding the borders far more than he spent time with his family in the capital.

For his youngest son’s full month celebration, the Empress personally decreed that it should be celebrated grandly.

The lanterns were custom-made.

The words “Auspicious” and “Joy” were carved at the bottom and sides of the lanterns.

The hollowed-out patterns were exquisitely designed. When the candles inside were lit, the words “Auspicious” and “Joy” were projected onto the ground, walls, and trees, making the courtyard look extremely festive.

The baby in the Old Madam’s arms was fascinated by the bright red lanterns and laughed gleefully.

“Old Madam, something’s wrong!”

Under the lanterns, the family was beaming with joy when a maid suddenly rushed over in panic.

In her terror, she stumbled, her face pale, and beads of sweat rolled down her cheeks.

“What happened? Why are you so flustered?”

The Old Madam’s Head Maid immediately stepped forward.

The young maid ignored the Head Maid and hurriedly knelt before the Old Madam.

“Master Zhao said, Old Madam, you must take Madam and the young master and leave through the secret passage immediately.”

Before she could finish her sentence, the sounds of killing from outside reached them.

The Master Zhao she mentioned was Zhou Qisheng’s deputy general.

Since he was still unmarried, he usually stayed with the Zhou family whenever Zhou Qisheng returned home.

Covered in blood and wielding a sword, he rushed in from outside.

“Old Madam, hurry! Take the young master and leave through the secret passage! Now!”

His voice was urgent and filled with panic. Before he finished speaking, a black-clad assassin swung a blade at him from behind.

“Watch out!”

The sudden attack shocked the Old Madam and Madam Qiao.

Madam Qiao sprang into action, drawing a soft whip from her waist and striking the black-clad assassin.

“Mother, take the young master and leave. Zhou He is still in the study being punished by me for his mischief.”

Madam Qiao was one of the Empress’s most trusted maids.

She had followed the Empress into battle and was invincible.

Her martial skills were second only to the Empress.

As soon as she acted, four or five black-clad assassins around Deputy General Zhao fell.

For reasons unknown, the grand residence of a general suddenly had so many black-clad assassins.

Madam Qiao grabbed one assassin by the collar, punched out his back teeth, and forced out the poison hidden in his mouth.

“Who sent you?” she demanded.

The assassin just smirked defiantly and remained silent.

Furious, Madam Qiao lashed at him with her whip.

The man cried out in pain, about to speak, when he was shot through the throat by his companion.

What began as a close-quarter surprise attack turned into a relentless fire assault.

The black-clad assassins retreated, replaced by crossbowmen who had somehow surrounded the Zhou residence.

They fired flaming arrows at the Zhou residence.

The capital’s guards, who should have arrived immediately, were nowhere to be seen.

The Zhou household was not to be underestimated. When faced with the attack, everyone capable of fighting resisted.

However, despite their efforts, they were overwhelmed by the sudden and ruthless attack.

Zhou He, who had been punished earlier for his mischief, heard the fierce battle outside.

He grabbed a sword from the study wall and slashed at the door, charging out.

Deputy General Zhao, covered in blood, rolled down from the wall. Seeing Zhou He rushing out, he grabbed him.

“What’s happening outside?” Zhou He asked, seeing Deputy General Zhao’s state, his anger rising.

Deputy General Zhao had no time to explain. He picked Zhou He up and scaled the wall.

As they climbed over the wall, Zhou He saw his grandmother running towards the courtyard gate with his month-old brother in her arms. Just as she stepped over the threshold, she was stabbed in the back.

The Old Madam fell to her knees in pain.

The baby was snatched from her arms and thrown aside.

In that instant, Zhou He’s blood boiled with rage.

He struggled to break free and run back, but Deputy General Zhao’s iron grip silenced him.

Zhou He couldn’t make a sound as he was carried over the high wall.

His mind was filled with the image of his grandmother falling and his brother being thrown.

He thought that was the worst pain he could endure.

But as he climbed the wall, he saw his father surrounded by dozens of black-clad assassins.

The assassins stabbed his father with their swords.

His father looked like a porcupine, blood pouring from his mouth as he gazed towards Zhou He.

Not far away, his mother lay in a pool of blood.

The entire Zhou residence was engulfed in flames, filled with screams of agony.

It was a living hell.

He didn’t know what had happened to his family, only that Deputy General Zhao carried him over the wall and they fled.

After fighting off seven or eight assassins, they stole a horse and galloped away.

The horse’s hooves pounded as they raced at breakneck speed.

The night wind whipped against his face, stinging with the scent of blood.

Tears streamed uncontrollably down his face, but he knew he could only cry silently.

Finally, they passed through the city gates.

Deputy General Zhao abandoned the horse and, despite his injuries, carried Zhou He through the forest outside the capital.

After running for a long time, Zhou He regained some clarity from the shock and blood.

Seeing the injuries on Deputy General Zhao’s back and the blood still oozing, Zhou He took a deep breath.

“Uncle Zhao, let me down. I can run on my own.”

Maybe Deputy General Zhao was running too fast, or maybe Zhou He was too weak to respond. He didn’t listen to Zhou He, only focusing on running as fast as possible.

“Uncle Zhao, Uncle Zhao, let me down.”

Zhou He struggled, finally getting down from Deputy General Zhao’s back.

Deputy General Zhao finally noticed his actions, his desperate pace halting as he spoke in a hoarse, sorrowful voice. “Young Master, you can’t go back.”

Tears that Zhou He had managed to hold back now flowed freely.

Clinging to Deputy General Zhao’s back, Zhou He gritted his teeth. “Uncle Zhao, I’m not going back. Let me down. I’ll run on my own.”

Deputy General Zhao was silent for a moment.

In that moment, Zhou He didn’t know what he was thinking. After a brief pause, Deputy General Zhao set him down.

Standing on the ground, Zhou He saw that not only was Deputy General Zhao’s back injured, but his entire body was covered in wounds.

“Uncle Zhao, if we continue like this, you’ll collapse. If those people come after us, they’ll follow the blood trail.”

Deputy General Zhao’s cracked lips twisted in a grim smile.

“When we reach the front, we’ll split up. You follow—”

Zhou He immediately cut him off.

He knew all too well what splitting up meant.

His family, his only remaining family, was Deputy General Zhao.

“No, I won’t leave you!”

“Young Master, listen.”

“No!”

Zhou He’s eyes reddened, filled with a wild determination.

“Absolutely not!”

Ignoring Deputy General Zhao, he turned and walked into the bushes.

“Young Master, what are you doing!”

Zhou He threw back, “Wait here. I’m going to find some herbs to stop the bleeding!”

In the dense forest outside the capital, it wasn’t hard to find herbs to stop bleeding.

Zhou He chewed the herbs into a paste and applied