The Command to Pamper the Husband - Chapter 77

“Not only did the commoners follow, but many gangs from the martial world also joined in, making it difficult to take action.”

Duke felt like his head was about to explode. Martial world gangs? Are these people crazy?!

Duchess An rolled her eyes. “The Zhao Jide you’re talking about, is he the same Zhao Jide who became a scholar by slaughtering pigs?”

Duked the steward both looked at the duchess in confusion. The duchess stared intently at the steward, waiting for his answer. The steward’s eye twitched, and he said, “Yes, it’s him.”

Duchess An suddenly felt a surge of panic. Oh no! She had her eye on Zhao Jide’s son, Zhao Ke, as a potential husband for her third daughter. Now, Zhao Jide was coming to trouble her family. How could the two families get along in the future?

But giving up on Zhao Ke… She had looked through so many portraits, and none were as promising as Zhao Ke. In her mind, Zhao Ke was her future son-in-law! The shock was too much for Duchess An, and she leaned back against her chair, struggling to process it all.

Seeing his wife like this, Duke had no idea what she was thinking. He only asked, “Did the people we sent to Yuzhou send back any news?”

The steward shook his head. “They must have encountered trouble. They probably never even saw Zhao Jide.”

Duke said, “You need to leave immediately and intercept Zhao Jide. Try to resolve this matter privately. Whatever he wants, I’ll give it to him!”

Duchess An quickly added, “Yes, even if his son wants to marry our third young miss, it’s fine!”

Duke was taken aback. “His son? How do you know he has a son?”

Duchess An shrugged. “Is it rare to have a son? Most people… have sons.”

Duke’s thoughts wandered. If Lord Wang next door heard this… Lord Wang had nineteen children, all daughters! Even the family dog couldn’t sire male puppies! Ignoring Duke’s wandering thoughts, Duchess An urged the steward, “Hurry up and go.”

The steward hesitated, but before he could leave, Duke called him back. “Wait.”

The steward immediately looked at him for instructions. Duke said, “No need to go. You can continue with your tasks. Zhao Jide and I have an old grudge. It would be pointless for you to go.”

This scholar by slaughtering pigs was very stubborn. Back then, when Zhao Jide became the top scholar, Duke had tried to win him over. However, Zhao Jide first expressed willingness to join him, then openly opposed him the next day, confronting him in front of everyone. Young and reckless, Duke used his connections to send Zhao Jide, who could have stayed in the capital, to Yuzhou. For sixteen years, he never gave Zhao Jide a promotion. Now, there was no way Zhao Jide would cooperate with him. Going there would only confirm Zhao Jide’s accusations. He couldn’t give Zhao Jide more ammunition against him. Anyway, the miners didn’t know who owned the gold mine, and those who did, like Qian Lai, were already dead. Dead men tell no tales, and no one could link the gold mine to him.

Understanding Duke’s plan, the steward said, “But, Your Grace, both the heir and Eunuch Zhao Fuhai are still missing. Could he know their whereabouts?”

Duke clenched his fist. “Even if he knows, we can’t ask. Lin’er’s trip to Yuzhou was secret. No one must know.”

The steward bowed and left.

Once he was gone, Duchess An frowned. On one hand, there was her own son, and on the other, her future son-in-law… Forget it, her son was more important. “Why not capture Zhao Jide’s family?” she suggested coldly.

Duke turned to look at her. A vicious smile spread across his face. “My wife is truly wise.” With that, Duke gave the order. When Zhao Jide arrived in the capital, the matter of the gold mine would be pinned entirely on Qian Lai. This case could be concluded in a few hours. Once it was done, he would arrange a meeting with Zhao Jide. If Zhao Jide didn’t know Lin’er’s whereabouts, fine. But if he knew and refused to tell…

—

While Duked his wife were talking, in the palace, the Empress Dowager’s chamber…

Eunuch Zhao Fuhai had been missing for several days. In the search for him, the Empress Dowager had even ordered all the wells in the palace to be dredged. Countless bodies were found, but none were Zhao Fuhai. A healthy eunuch vanished without a trace? The Empress Dowager sat with a dark expression. The palace maids dared not breathe too loudly. No one understood why the Empress Dowager was so furious over a missing eunuch. But the Emperor knew. Zhao Fuhai had served the late Empress. When the late Emperor and Empress died suddenly, the Empress Dowager, the late Emperor’s stepmother, was devastated. Bandits had stormed the palace, killing over a hundred people in the Empress’s quarters. Zhao Fuhai was the only survivor. That day, he was sick and absent. With no heirs, the current Emperor, the late Emperor’s brother, ascended the throne. The Empress Dowager kept Zhao Fuhai by her side. He often spoke of the past, reminiscing about her late son and daughter-in-law. Now that her only companion from those days was missing, how could she not be angry?

The Emperor, sitting nearby, gently comforted her. “Mother, I have ordered a nationwide search. As soon as we have news of Eunuch Zhao, we will inform you. Also, the Heavenly Hound is back in the palace. I have ordered it to search the palace again. We should find some clues.”

Mentioning the Heavenly Hound brought a hint of warmth to the Empress Dowager’s face. The Heavenly Hound, a divine beast, protected each Emperor and Empress. When her eldest son was Emperor, that Heavenly Hound was incredibly perceptive.

Thinking of this, the Empress Dowager sighed. “The Heavenly Hound you have now seems lazy. It always appears sluggish.”

The Emperor smiled. “Mother, you might not know, but the Heavenly Hound hadn’t awakened its senses until today. It suddenly became affectionate with me and even asked to help with the investigation.”

Thinking of what happened in the Imperial Study, the Emperor felt his blood boil with excitement. Sixteen years! For sixteen long years! He had finally been acknowledged by the Heavenly Hound! Now, he was the rightful Emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty!

The Empress Dowager had heard about the Heavenly Hound injuring Eunuch Liu. “You mean, it suddenly became perceptive?”

The Emperor nodded. “Indeed.”

“How did it suddenly become perceptive?” The Empress Dowager was curious. Her curiosity eased her anxiety and anger. “Since it has awakened, let it search for Zhao Fuhai.”

The Emperor smiled. “The Heavenly Hound found a body in Duke’s Estate last night. It stole the body over the wall, and it turned out the person wasn’t completely dead. He was saved.” As he spoke, a shadow of coldness flashed in the Emperor’s eyes. The Empress Dowager, fiddling with her bracelet, didn’t notice. The Emperor quickly regained his usual expression. “Fourth Prince is investigating Duke’s case. The Heavenly Hound insisted on helping, so they went together.”

The Empress Dowager was extremely curious. “It wants to investigate?”

The Emperor smiled. “I found it strange too! But given its perceptiveness, it makes sense for it to help.” He clenched his hand on his knee and then quickly released it. “I remember when my Brother was Emperor, his Heavenly Hound even accompanied General Wei Wu to battle. It became quite a tale.”