The Command to Pamper the Husband - Chapter 231

Zhou He was still very young.

When he heard the news, he burst into tears.

“My father is gone.”

The Venerable Master was taken aback, then slowly closed his eyes, tears streaming down his face.

Han Bo had already told him.

He had hoped that since Zhou Qisheng was a general, he might escape the calamity.

As long as Zhou Qisheng was alive, the Empress’s revenge could be exacted. But now…

Zhou Qisheng was gone.

“And your mother?”

“My mother is gone too.”

Madam Qiao was also… gone.

The Venerable Master felt a dull pain in his chest, as if a massive stone had been slammed into it.

He slowly opened his eyes and gently patted Zhou He’s head. “How did you get out?”

“With Uncle Zhao.”

Following Zhou He’s gaze, the Venerable Master saw a figure at the edge of the forest, tattered and blood-stained.

Last night at the Zhou residence must have been a bloodbath comparable to the battlefield.

Madam Qiao had followed the Empress into battle for years, fearless. Did she fear anything last night?

Thinking of Madam Qiao, the last time she called him father was three years ago, the Venerable Master felt an intense pain in his heart.

Taking a deep breath, the Venerable Master patted Zhou He’s head. “Go get Deputy General Zhao. I’ll take you to the temple.”

Zhou He, his face full of tears, nodded at the Venerable Master.

He and Deputy General Zhao were placed in the Venerable Master’s sedan chair.

Not long after they settled in, two middle-aged men rushed over.

Like they were about to obtain some priceless treasure, they headed straight for the Venerable Master.

Peeking through the gap in the sedan chair’s curtain, Zhou He saw the two men standing with their backs to him. He couldn’t see their faces, but he saw one of them take a basket from the Venerable Master. After speaking in hushed tones, the Venerable Master handed him a plain money pouch.

The man accepted it, bowed, and then mounted his horse, taking the basket with him as they rode away swiftly, much like how Uncle Zhao had carried him out of the Zhou residence in the night.

Could it be that in the capital, other families had suffered the same fate as his?

Thinking of home, Zhou He started to cry again.

The bloody scenes filled him with sorrow and fear, and his whole body trembled.

The Venerable Master waited until the two men disappeared before returning to the sedan chair.

The sedan chair set off, heading straight for the temple.

Upon arrival, the Venerable Master didn’t take them into the temple but followed a small path that wound its way to a small hut in the mountains.

“There are too many eyes and ears in the temple. I can’t keep you there. No one knows about this place, so stay here for now.”

Glancing at Deputy General Zhao’s wounds, the Venerable Master sighed. “Let’s get your wounds treated first. I’ll fetch a physician.”

Zhou He spoke up, “The Rejuvenation Medicine Hall in Ten Mile Village is run by my mother’s old war comrade. She used to be a military physician. Please call her.”

The Venerable Master hesitated, “You mean Zhao Su?”

Zhou He nodded, “Can you?”

He looked at the Venerable Master anxiously.

The Venerable Master smiled. “Of course, she’s the best choice. I was just in such a hurry that I forgot about her. You two wait here and eat something. I’ll send for her immediately.”

The hut was clearly a place the Venerable Master often tended to.

It was clean and stocked with rice, flour, and vegetables.

Zhao Su arrived quickly, almost as soon as Zhou He and Deputy General Zhao had put down their bowls and chopsticks.

Seeing Deputy General Zhao’s injuries, Zhao Su’s eyes reddened. “What happened?”

Deputy General Zhao, who had been holding it together all this time, broke down at her words.

The man in his forties burst into tears.

“The Zhou residence was wiped out! I managed to escape with the young master.”

Zhao Su felt faint and nearly collapsed, but the Venerable Master caught her.

Staring at Deputy General Zhao in shock, her gaze fell on Zhou He, her tears blurring her vision.

“What happened? How did it come to this?”

Deputy General Zhao shook his head. “We don’t know who did it. Black-clad assassins attacked suddenly in the night. It might be connected to a high-ranking official in the court. The capital guards never showed up.”

Zhao Su felt all her strength drain away.

“Everyone…”

Deputy General Zhao nodded, “Only the young master survived.”

The Venerable Master stood by, looking grief-stricken, clutching his prayer beads so tightly that the veins on his hands bulged.

“It was the Thirteenth Prince,” the Venerable Master suddenly said, startling everyone. They turned to him, eyes wide with shock.

The Venerable Master sat slowly and began recounting what Han Bo had told him.

“The Empress was poisoned with the Thousan Mechanism Poison, and it hadn’t been fully purged. The Thirteenth Prince had someone manipulate the poison. On the day she gave birth, the poison activated, and the Empress’s spiritual energy was rendered useless. The Thirteenth Prince then stormed the palace with his private soldiers and killed the Emperor.”

“General Zhou was the Empress’s most trusted person. The moment something happened to the Empress, the Zhou residence was attacked. It was likely the Thirteenth Prince’s doing.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou He’s eyes filled with rage.

“I will kill him!”

The Venerable Master sighed. “Killing him won’t be easy. As the Emperor’s brother, he is about to ascend the throne.”

Deputy General Zhao, his wounded hand smashing the ground, declared, “We can’t let this go! The Empress’s revenge, the massacre of the Zhou family—I, Zhao Jian, will not let him go as long as I draw breath.”

Zhao Su, who had been paralyzed with grief, was now filled with determination.

“Yes, we won’t let him go.”

With the situation clarified, Zhao Su began treating Deputy General Zhao’s wounds.

Though the injuries from swords and knives looked severe, they were not a major issue for those accustomed to battlefield injuries.

After bandaging the wounds, they sat in the hut, discussing their next steps.

“Who were the two men you saw outside the forest near Ten Mile Village? They must be involved in this as well,” Zhao Jian asked.

The Venerable Master explained, “They were the Empress’s people. They escaped during the chaos last night and are heading south to gather strength for revenge.”

Zhou He clenched his fists.

“We should join them.”

The Venerable Master shook his head. “That’s not possible. They are going south to gather resources. With the Thirteenth Prince now on the throne, avenging the Empress and the Zhou family will not be an easy or quick task.”

He paused before continuing, “I didn’t expect the Zhou family to fall so quickly. I thought they could gather strength in the south and then cooperate with General Zhou, but…”

The Thirteenth Prince had struck so ruthlessly.

He had wiped out the entire Zhou family.

“To thoroughly avenge them, we need to completely destroy the Thirteenth Prince’s power. We need someone in the capital to monitor everything.”

From the moment Han Bo had told him about the palace incident, the Venerable Master had been formulating a plan.

Since the Empress’s bloodline survived, they needed to bide their time, wait for the Empress’s descendant to grow up, and then strike down the Thirteenth Prince.

The throne should rightfully belong to the Empress’s and Emperor’s offspring.

As for Zhou He…

He had been betrothed to the Princess since they were children. This betrothal might become a bond that would aid them as they grew.

For now, it was best not to mention it.

If they were fated to be together, they would meet again. If not, there was no need to force it.

He had already discussed this with Han Bo.

Han Bo and Song Dingzhong agreed to raise the Princess as a boy.

They would plan the revenge but keep the Princess out of it.

Though the Venerable Master didn’t agree with this arrangement, there was no better option at the moment.

Leaving the Princess in Song Dingzhong’s and Han Bo’s care was the best choice.

As they continued their discussion, Deputy General Zhao suddenly remembered something.

“I recall the Thirteenth Prince’s eldest son is being raised at the estate in Fengtai.”

His sudden mention of this caught everyone’s attention.

“That child, because his mother is unknown, was resented and ignored by the Thirteenth Prince. He has been raised at the estate since birth, and the Thirteenth Prince has never visited. He probably doesn’t even know what the child looks like.”

He looked at Zhou He.

“The child is about the same age as the Young Master.”

The implication was clear.

Zhao Su immediately objected, “No! Madam Qiao only had one son left. He can’t be put in danger.”

But the small Zhou He stood up, clenching his fists.

“What do you mean by danger? My father, my mother, my whole family was killed, and you tell me I can’t risk it? To avenge them, I’ll take any risk!”

“But—”

“No buts! I will avenge my parents! Avenge my whole family! Avenge the wounded soldiers who were cared for by the Zhou family.”

At the mention of the wounded soldiers, Zhao Su choked up again.

The Venerable Master sighed deeply.

“If Zhou He could replace the eldest son, it might work. Once he’s successfully replaced, I’ll find a way to get him into the palace. This way, Zhou He will be placed close to the Thirteenth Prince.”

“But the Thirteenth Prince doesn’t like his eldest son at all. If Zhou He goes back, it will be a death sentence. Haven’t enough people died already?” Zhao Su cried out, breaking down.

The Venerable Master replied, “Just because he didn’t like him before doesn’t mean he won’t change his mind. The Thirteenth Prince believes in some mystical things. I can make him rebuild a connection with his eldest son, but…”

The Venerable Master looked at Zhou He.

“Living in the palace requires more than just the Emperor’s favor. Sometimes, the Emperor’s favor can be a huge danger. It means more people will be jealous and want to eliminate you. You must survive in such a perilous environment.”

Zhou He looked determined. “I’m not afraid.”

This time, not only Zhao Su but also Deputy General Zhao wavered.

Deputy General Zhao bit his lip and said, “Why don’t we think of another way?”

“There are other ways, but to seek revenge, Zhou He would have to grow up, pass the imperial exams, and gradually enter the center of power. Otherwise, the only way for us to get revenge is to prepare an assassination, kill the Thirteenth Prince, but then what? The country would fall into chaos, and enemy nations would take advantage of the situation and invade Great Yan Dynasty.”

Both Zhao Su and Deputy General Zhao were soldiers.

The thing they hated most was war.

The suffering of war was something only soldiers could deeply understand.