Chapter 155

Chapter 155: Unfilial Only then did Cui Zeyu breathe a sigh of relief and ask what had happened. The moment Song Mingjin looked up, Lu Weijie pushed him aside and tried to run, but Cui Zeyu grabbed him by the collar. Facing Cui Zeyu, his nominal elder brother, Lu Weijie was somewhat afraid and no longer spoke so arrogantly. "Let go of me!" "First, explain what happened," Cui Zeyu said. Lu Weijie clamped his mouth shut and refused to say anything. Song Mingjin immediately puffed up with anger and said, "He bumped into me first! I asked him to apologize, and he wouldn't! Uncle, look here—this is where he grabbed me!" He pointed at the red mark on his neck, though by now only a faint trace remained, barely visible. "Is that how it happened?" Cui Zeyu looked at the person in his grip. In truth, he bore no ill will toward Lu Weijie. His own suffering and his mother's had nothing to do with Lu Weijie; Lu Weijie was merely a tool of Madam Qin. He could ignore a tool, but a tool couldn't come looking for trouble. Seeing Lu Weijie with his head lowered, saying nothing, and comparing the injuries on both boys, he confirmed that Jin-ge hadn't come out on the losing end. He couldn't be bothered to discipline Lu Weijie. The moment Cui Zeyu released his grip, Lu Weijie bolted away. Song Mingjin was still angry. He said, "Why does the Duke of Guo insist on having him train with us? He's insufferable!" "Who knows? Ask him yourself next time." "Fine, I will." Ask away—Song Mingjin wasn't afraid. Meanwhile, after Lu Weijie ran off, the bruises on his face couldn't be hidden, and soon the servants who attended to him reported it to Madam Qin. Madam Qin's face darkened as she spoke, and Lu Weijie lowered his head, his heart trembling. "It was... it was a fight with Song Mingjin." "And you lost?" Madam Qin demanded harshly. Seeing Lu Weijie's reddened eyes and silence, Madam Qin roared, "Kneel down, now!" Lu Weijie's knees instinctively went weak and he dropped to the ground. "Mother, I..." "Don't call me mother! I don't have such a useless son!" Madam Qin was furious, and looking at Lu Weijie only made her angrier. "When I picked you back then, I thought you might be of some use. And now you can't even measure up to that bastard, let alone that little beast Song Mingjin. Lu Weijie, can you put in some effort? Even if you're better at your studies than him, the Duke of Dingguo's household is built on martial prowess—you need to be stronger in martial arts, do you understand?" Lu Weijie held back his tears, his thin shoulders trembling. He tried to speak, but the tears fell first. "Cry, cry, cry—you still have the nerve to cry?" Madam Qin found it irritating and kicked him. "Get back to your room and cry there. If you lose to Song Mingjin again next time, don't come see me. I don't need a son who's useless at everything!" Madam Qin turned and stormed off. Nanny Liu watched her mistress's retreating figure, then went to help the young master up. "San-ge'er, don't be sad. Madam only wants you to amount to something. She has a sharp tongue but a soft heart—it's all for your own good. Go back and apply some medicine properly. Try harder next time. If you can beat Song Mingjin, it'll show you've improved, and Madam will be pleased. Do you understand?" "Mm." Lu Weijie said he would go back and practice right away. Nanny Liu watched San-ge'er's retreating figure and sighed silently. Returning to her mistress's side, Nanny Liu said, "Don't be so angry, Madam. A child isn't shaped in a day. San-ge'er has only just come to your side; there are many things he hasn't figured out yet." "What I regret is picking the wrong person. How did I choose someone with such poor aptitude?" Madam Qin was vexed. Why hadn't she made several candidates compete first? "If he's not capable enough, how can I use him to contend for anything?" The Duke of Dingguo guarded against her tightly. She couldn't get a hand in any aspect of Cui Zeyu's food, clothing, lodging, or travel. She had thought that once he was right under her nose, he'd be easier to deal with. But now, all that had come of it was rumors of discord between mother and son. Otherwise, she would have poisoned Cui Zeyu long ago—even if it meant going down together. Nanny Liu worried about this too. Her mistress's entire life's ambition rested on this. If San-ge'er proved useless, they would all be sick with frustration. "A strict teacher produces outstanding students. Being stern with San-ge'er is a good thing—it will force him to become something." Nanny Liu consoled her. "Let's take it slowly, no need to rush. That bastard barely read a few days of books in his life. The Duke of Guo forced him into the Ministry of Personnel—he'll have a bitter time of it there!" Speaking of that, Madam Qin had already made special arrangements with people in the Ministry of Personnel to make sure Cui Zeyu wouldn't have an easy time. She took a deep breath. "And when all is said and done, Elder Yuan Shi is no good either. My son had barely been gone when she was already talking about a good marriage match. If she hadn't left, even if the Emperor came, Cui Zeyu would never have set foot through the gates of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion!" Although Cui Zeyu had changed his surname, Madam Qin still called him Cui Zeyu. She refused to acknowledge him as a member of the Lu family. "Indeed. Elder Yuan Shi was married to our eldest young master for so many years, yet she showed not a trace of reluctance." Speaking of this, Nanny Liu also felt disheartened. "Let's not talk about that. Now many people know that since that bastard came to the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, he has never once come to pay his respects to you. Once word of his unfilial conduct spreads, let's see how he manages in officialdom!" Of all virtues, filial piety comes first. If parents brought a suit against their children for unfilial conduct, the children would be convicted and exiled—and in more severe cases, beheaded. Of course, Madam Qin wouldn't dare formally accuse Cui Zeyu of being unfilial, but she could give him a reputation for it. From that perspective, Cui Zeyu's advancement would become very difficult. Taking a deep breath, Madam Qin felt somewhat comforted. And Cui Zeyu's reputation for being unfilial quickly spread to the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion. Some were pleased, while others were puzzled and anxious. And the one who was anxious turned out to be Song Shulan. Previously, Song Shulan had been furious that Cui Zeyu had stumbled into luck by being adopted into the Duke of Dingguo's household. But once he thought it through, as long as Cui Lingrong remained his wife, Cui Zeyu would have no choice but to support the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion. After all, when one rises, all rise; when one falls, all fall. No matter how much he disliked Cui Zeyu, he wanted Cui Zeyu to be useful and, by extension, give him a leg up. Song Shulan's attitude changed overnight once he realized there could be benefit to himself. When he arrived at Qiushuang Zhai, he asked Cui Lingrong angrily, "What's wrong with your younger brother? He finally got into the Duke of Dingguo's household, and yet he shows no respect for the Duchess of Dingguo?" Cui Lingrong frowned at his words. "I'm doing this for his own good. If he thrives in the Duke of Dingguo's household, he can also help us out. And I'm not just thinking of myself—if I rise higher, wouldn't Yu-jie's marriage prospects and Xuan-ge's official career all improve along with it?" Song Shulan snorted twice, declaring with great righteousness that he was doing it all for the children's sake.