Chapter 137: Another Wave

Chapter 137: Storm Brews Again

"Shut up!"

The man on the bed roared, his eyes filled with murderous rage.

Zhao Wan was startled, and once she regained her composure, she flew into a rage.

"Wei Cong, how dare you yell at me! What right do you have? You good-for-nothing, neither loved by your father nor your mother, can't even hold onto a concubine! Am I wrong? Third Brother looks down on you—that’s why he plotted against you!"

Every word hit every one of Wei Cong's raw nerves. The man clenched his fists, veins popping on his forehead.

"Bang!"

"I told you to shut up!"

Wei Cong’s fist smashed heavily onto Zhao Wan’s head, and blood immediately spurted from her wound.

"Ah! Madam!"

The maids and servants, who had been waiting outside, rushed in upon hearing the commotion. Seeing Zhao Wan collapsed on the floor, blood pooling around her head, they shrieked in horror.

"Get the doctor, now!"

Wei Cong sat on the bed, head lowered, fists clenched at his sides, his hands stained with blood. The servants stole glances at him, feeling as though the Second Master looked like a demon straight from hell.

"Shut up... I told you to shut up... You didn’t listen... So... You deserve it! You deserve it!"

The servants hurriedly carried Zhao Wan away, while Wei Cong stared at the blood on the floor, slipping into madness.

Naturally, the incident in the second branch couldn’t be hidden from Marquis Wei. Upon hearing that Wei Cong had beaten Zhao Wan unconscious, the Marquis’ face turned black with anger.

"Bastard! That disgraceful son!"

The Wei family had never had a man who struck his wife—Wei Cong was completely depraved.

Seething, the Marquis stormed into the second branch. Zhao Wan had already regained consciousness, her forehead wrapped in bandages as she sat in the main hall, while Wei Cong sat hunched in his chair beside her.

When Marquis Wei entered, Zhao Wan covered her face with a handkerchief and sobbed. "Father, you must stand up for your daughter-in-law!"

Her tears were half-sincere, half-acted. That punch from Wei Cong had nearly killed her. Never before had she imagined he would raise a hand against her. Now, anger outweighed fear—she was determined to get something out of this.

Wei Cong sat hunched in his chair, head bowed, as if deaf to her cries, his gaze empty and dark.

"Second Son, have you nothing to say for yourself?"

Marquis Wei’s voice was grave. Wei Cong remained silent for a long moment before finally shaking his head twice.

"If Father wants my life, just take it."

After all, in Marquis Wei’s eyes, he was just a worthless failure.

Wei Cong’s defeatist attitude made the Marquis see red, fueling his rage further.

"Second Daughter-in-law, speak. What do you want done about this? Should I beat him, or should the two of you divorce?"

The Second Son’s shameful conduct was no recent development. Since his return months ago, the second branch had seen one drama after another—and now it had come to blows.

If things had escalated this far, maybe divorce was the only way out.

Marquis Wei's blunt and ruthless approach left Zhao Wan stunned.

She had only intended to control Wei Cong and gain something from the beating, never to divorce him.

After all, though useless, Wei Cong still had the Houfu behind him. The Zhao family was merely a seventh-rank official’s household; if she divorced, her only options would be old widowers or becoming someone’s concubine—nowhere near as comfortable as her current life.

Zhao Wan forced a smile. "My husband is frail, and only I know how to care for him. I don’t mind divorcing, but without someone to look after him, he may suffer. This time, Father need only punish him as a warning."

"Hmph!"

Wei Cong sneered at her words.

Marquis Wei also found it ridiculous—the second son and his wife were truly a pair well-matched in misery, one willing to strike and the other willing to endure.

Fine, let them fight it out!

"Second Son, you are to kneel in the ancestral hall for three days and copy the Diamond Sutra ten times daily to discipline your mind. That’s all. If the two of you cause any more trouble in the future, both will be cast out of the estate!"

With that, Marquis Wei strode out with his hands behind his back.

Relieved that divorce had been avoided, Zhao Wan sank into her chair.

Wei Cong’s body had long been weakened by indulgence—kneeling in the ancestral hall and copying scriptures would nearly kill him.

Yet seeing the woman’s lingering fear, he still felt grim satisfaction.

"If you don’t want a divorce, then serve me well. Once I leave the ancestral hall, every woman gone from the rear courtyard must be replaced. Otherwise..."

He left the rest unsaid, but Zhao Wan understood.

He was certain she would obey.

Zhao Wan gave a low laugh. "Fine, I’ll give you your fill."

Women? She’d make sure he got exactly what he wanted.

Before leaving, Wei Cong turned again to glance at his wife. Her reaction was too calm. Normally, she would have already started an argument with him.

Was she afraid now?

Zhao Wan knew his doubts. Did Wei Cong really think divorce alone could control her? Hah!

If he wouldn't let her live peacefully, then they would torment each other.

Once Wei Cong left the main hall, Zhao Wan pressed a hand to her swollen forehead and ordered the maids, "Go buy all the aging courtesans from the brothels. Since the Second Lord wants women, let them keep him company!"

"Yes."

The couple of the second branch completely dropped all pretenses, and decades of bitter conflict began. But none of this concerned Wei Xun.

With the second branch cast aside, the estate settled into quiet.

Madam Wei withdrew into Buddhist devotion, while Marquis Wei formally passed the title to Wei Xun. From then on, the Marquisate of Peace was his to govern.

"Lord Wei, congratulations!"

"From now on, we won’t call you Crown Prince Wei, but Marquis Wei the Younger."

After court, fellow officials showered Wei Xun with congratulations.

Wei Xun returned the courtesy with calm composure.

This unshakable poise only further elevated his standing in the eyes of his colleagues.

With Prince Jing guarding the imperial mausoleum, the Crown Prince reigned supreme in influence within the capital, and many in court had already openly picked sides.

Though Wei Xun’s health had not yet fully recovered, he no longer looked like he’d die young. Emperor Chengyuan had gradually begun entrusting him with state affairs, and oversight of the Ministry of Justice was the Crown Prince’s top priority.

“His Majesty has already drafted the appointment edict—the position of Chief Minister of the Grand Court of Justice is as good as yours,” the Crown Prince said with a smile, sitting across from Wei Xun.

Wei Xun’s expression remained unchanged. To him, there was little difference between serving as Chief Minister of the Grand Court of Justice or Vice Governor of the Capital Prefecture—both roles were about upholding the law for the people.

The Crown Prince especially valued this very calmness. If Wei Xun were a scheming climber, he wouldn’t have dared to rely on him.

“Chen’er and A Man get along extremely well. His loss of appetite has even been corrected by A Man. In my view, we might just end up as future in-laws.”

The Crown Prince sipped his tea with an amused smile. For the first time, Wei Xun’s composed expression cracked.

“Your Highness speaks too soon. Children’s relationships are not something to be taken seriously. It would be better to wait until they grow older.”

He and A Yuan shared the same view—though Zhou Chen was a fine boy, he was an imperial descendant, and might one day ascend the throne. The Peaceful Marquisate had no need for royal ties, and Wei Xun could not bear the thought of his daughter fighting for scraps in the palace.

Sensing the refusal, the Crown Prince laughed it off and steered the conversation away.

“Hengzhi is right. Let them figure it out for themselves—we can just watch and see.

By the way, Zhou Yan is coming to the capital to report on his duties. He should arrive next month. This time, he successfully contained the plague in Junzhou, saving the entire city’s people—a true game-changer. Most likely, His Majesty will keep him in the capital.”