Chapter 115: Huo Ling’s Incognito Travels: …

Chapter 115: *Huo Ling's Incognito Travels*: The Zhu Family

The story of the Zhu family is somewhat commonplace.

Jinfeng Trading House was not originally called by this name—it was once known as "Zhu's Trading House."

It was founded by Zhu Wan’s maternal grandfather, Old Master Zhu, who built it up over time until, in his later years, Zhu’s Trading House had become one of the most prominent businesses in Cangzhou, securing a respected position within the trade guild.

Old Master Zhu had spent many years in commerce and was known for his forthright and generous nature, with friends everywhere across the land.

He and his wife shared a lifetime of mutual devotion, treating each other with the utmost respect.

If there was any regret in his life, it was that, in his twilight years, Old Master Zhu had only one child—a daughter, Zhu Wan’s mother, Lady Zhu.

Back then, it wasn’t just well-to-do families that longed to have a son to carry on the family line; even the poorest households, living hand-to-mouth, desired a male heir.

And in Cangzhou, the expectation was even stronger than elsewhere.

Families that bore only daughters and no sons were often regarded by neighbors and relatives as being left without an heir.

Many muttered privately that Old Master Zhu had no heir, and that the seemingly thriving Zhu’s Trading House would likely decline after his passing.

Within the Zhu clan, some elders stepped forward to persuade Old Master Zhu to adopt a boy from the family to continue the lineage.

Having a son would not only ensure the inheritance of Zhu’s Trading House but also mean that if Madam Zhu were ever mistreated in her marital home, she would have a younger brother to stand up for her.

But in the end, Old Master Zhu did not heed the clan’s advice. Instead, he dug in his heels and made his choice—

Seeking a husband for Miss Zhu.

...

Huo Ling's eyebrows lifted slightly, and she couldn't help admiring the late Elder Zhu.

He withstood pressure to keep his daughter at home and find her a husband.

No wonder he managed to single-handedly expand the Zhu Trading Company. Elder Zhu's approach to people and business was indeed quite unique.

Huo Ling did not hide her approval: "That your grandfather managed this much is already quite remarkable."

Zhu Wan smiled bitterly and shook her head: "It was remarkable, but Grandfather still underestimated the situation."

Zhu Niangzi was Elder Zhu's late-born daughter, frail and sickly since childhood. He partly feared she would be mistreated by her in-laws, which was why he was reluctant to marry her off.

The husband Elder Zhu wanted was someone who could assist Zhu Niangzi in managing the family business. So instead of looking outside, he searched within his own company for someone familiar with the operations and willing to become the live-in son-in-law.

This search led him to Zou Tianyi.

Zou Tianyi's father had previously worked at the Zhu Trading Company.

Later, Zou's father fell ill and passed away, and the family's savings were nearly exhausted from his medical treatment, leaving only Zou Tianyi and his younger brother to rely on each other in poverty.

Elder Zhu, pitying the two young boys, took Zou Tianyi in as an apprentice at the trading company.

Zou Tianyi stayed at the Zhu Trading Company for seven or eight years, rising from apprentice to accountant. He became well-versed in the company's operations and was also handsome—checking all of Elder Zhu's boxes.

In the first few years after becoming the live-in son-in-law, Zou Tianyi proved himself.

Outside, he devoted himself wholeheartedly and diligently to every task assigned by the Zhu Clan Chief.

At home, he was gentle and considerate toward Zhu Wan, and filial and respectful to the Zhu Clan Chief and his wife.

Over time, the Zhu Clan Chief grew increasingly reliant on Zou Tianyi.

...

"I was born the year my grandfather fell seriously ill.

"As a merchant of many years, he was well-traveled and knowledgeable, knowing better than to trust others blindly.

"Though he appointed my father as the manager of the business, the two most crucial trade channels remained in my mother's hands. Key positions in the business were also entrusted to trustworthy individuals.

"On his deathbed, he donated a hundred acres of fertile land to the clan, hoping our clansmen would protect my mother and me out of familial duty.

"But for all his foresight, my grandfather never anticipated that after his death, Zhu Clan Chief would join forces with my father to covet the Zhu family business."

The Zhu Clan Chief had misread not just Zou Tianyi, but even his own kin.

Zhu Clan Chief had four grandsons of his own.

Earlier, when certain Zhu family elders urged Zhu Clan Chief to adopt an heir from the clan, this had all been Zhu Clan Chief's doing.

His scheme was cunning: if Zhu Clan Chief agreed to adopt an heir, he would offer his youngest grandson, thereby seizing control of the entire Zhu family business.

But he never expected the old clan chief to be so resolute—choosing instead to have his daughter take a live-in husband rather than adopt an heir.

Tall trees catch much wind. The Zhu family business was like a juicy bone; once the old clan chief was gone, everyone would rush to tear off a large piece for themselves.

To seize complete control of the Zhu family business, Zou Tianyi secretly approached Zhu Clan Chief, and together, they crushed and isolated Zhu Wan's supporters.

By the time Zhu Wan realized something was wrong, the Zhu family business was no longer under her control.

She'd never been in strong health, and upon learning this news, she immediately fell ill.

As if her suffering wasn't enough, while Zhu Wan lay bedridden, Zou Tianyi renamed the Zhu family business to Jinfeng Trading House and brought his concubine and a boy less than two years Zhu Wan's junior into the household.

...

Those who knew Song Xu’s background, such as Huo Ling and Ding Jinghuan, couldn’t resist looking his way.

Sure enough, Song Xu’s usually calm expression clouded over.

He said with emotion, "Sometimes, harm from your own kin is worse than betrayal from outsiders."

Zhu Wan gave a bitter smile. "It seems you too have known some unfortunate events."

Ji Xianshan studied Song Xu curiously.

Song Xu didn’t shy away from his past.

When he was three, his father met an untimely death, leaving only him and his mother to rely on each other.

With his father’s estate and his mother’s dowry, they could've lived comfortably in seclusion.

But the Song clan relatives hounded them mercilessly. Unable to endure the harassment, his mother fled their ancestral home. However, while they could leave, his father’s estate remained behind. In the end, his mother only took some of his father’s belongings and her own dowry.

In those years of mutual dependence, Song Xu’s mother supported them both with her dowry and needlework wages.

Zhu Wan expressed sympathy for Song Xu's experience, though a thoughtful expression crossed her face.

—See? Even if a family has a son, if he’s still young and not yet independent, a widow and her young son alone still couldn’t safeguard the family estate.

"You mentioned earlier all stem from the feuds of the past generation."

While Zhu Wan was lost in thought, Huo Ling spoke slowly: "Now, I want to hear about you and your father."

Liu Shi only resorted to suing her husband at the magistrate’s office when she was driven into a corner with no way out.

Then what could have driven Zhu Wan, as a daughter, to choose two years in jail over withdrawing her accusation against her own father?

***

Before Madam Zhu fell ill, before Zhu Wan even knew she had a half-brother, she had always believed she was the happiest child in the world.

Her biggest grievance was likely that her mother allowed her only one piece of pastry a day.

But whenever she craved sweets, she would run to her father and playfully beg. He would then sneak her out to buy a candied hawthorn skewer or a small packet of preserved fruits behind her mother’s back.

"After eating snacks, I'd lose my appetite for meals, so my mother quickly found out about my sneaking treats. She gave my father an earful, and he promised her he’d never do it again—but still snuck me out for sweets now and then."

Recalling this, Zhu Wan’s lips quirked into a faint smile, but in an instant, it dissolved into icy mockery.

The year her mother fell ill, she had just turned six—old enough to remember but too young to understand.

It seemed like overnight that her mother became bedridden, her father moved out of the main courtyard, and the once loving couple turned to bitter enmity.

Until her mother passed away, her father never once visited her in the main courtyard.

She cried herself unconscious before her mother’s spirit tablet, but her father merely offered a cold “Noted.”

He would never again drop everything at the slightest hint of her discomfort, rush to her side, or cajole her into drinking bitter medicine.

"When people endure immense pain, they can't help but seek comfort from their loved ones. At the time, I was feverish and incoherent, remembering nothing. But after I woke up, my wet nurse told me I had kept calling for my father in my delirium.

"He didn’t outright abandon me to die, but he never came to see me either.

"When I finally recovered enough to get out of bed, I sneaked out to find my father—just in time to see my half-brother fall to the ground, and my father gather him into his lap, soothing him gently."

Zhu Wan would never forget that scene, nor the glance her father cast her way when she accidentally made a noise.

She didn’t know whether, in that moment, the coldness in his eyes was directed at his own flesh and blood—or at the walking proof of his past shame, the living reminder of his days as a low-status son-in-law.

It took her a very, very long time to finally accept one truth:

"Even though I am my father’s own child, he doesn’t love me.

"In his heart, I bear the Zhu surname. I am a Zhu, not a Zou.

"My existence is both an obstacle to his further control of the business and a constant reminder of his status as a low-status son-in-law."

Wu Feng rubbed his chin and interjected, "Miss Zhu, I mean no offense, but I’m curious—did your father never consider making you change your surname?"

Zhu Wan replied, "Of course he thought about it. But the Zhus would never allow it. Zhu Shi Trading had already been renamed Jinfeng Shop. If I were to take the Zou surname too, wouldn’t the Zhus’ years of scheming end up benefiting him for nothing?"

Ding Jinghuan sneered, "Poetic justice indeed. The same clan that once helped an outsider persecute you has now switched sides to back you."

Song Xu, recalling how the Song family had sent overtures to mend ties after he gained prominence, remarked with cool clarity, "All the hustle and bustle under heaven is for profit; all the coming and going is for gain. In the end, kinship buckles under the weight of profit."

Zhu Wan continued, "A daughter must obey her father while at home—this is the moral principle upheld for millennia.

"As his daughter, I shouldn’t resent his neglect or be bitter over his favoritism, because although he neglected me, ignored me, and turned a blind eye to me, although he favored that half-brother of mine, he never left me wanting for basic necessities.

"But this line of thinking is nothing but self-deception.

"He provided for me only because I am a Zhu, because the protection of my grandparents and mother still shielded me.

"And since I bear the name Zhu, since I benefit from their legacy, how could I not fight for them?"

Zhu Wan took a deep breath. "On her deathbed, my mother had two regrets: one, that she couldn’t raise me herself, and two, that she lost my grandfather’s lifework, fearing she would have no face to meet my grandparents in the afterlife.

"Morality shouldn't override justice, nor should it obscure right and wrong.

"I want to seek justice for my grandfather and mother. I want to restore the original name of Jinfeng Trading Company. I want my grandparents and mother to find peace beyond the grave."

She was too powerless.

On her own, achieving this goal would be nearly impossible.

That was why she chose to step forward and accuse her own father.

She was determined to challenge that insurmountable mountain of moral codes, even if it meant getting battered and bruised.

Huo Ling listened quietly until now, then asked, "Over the years, have you made any efforts or attempts?"

Talk is cheap.

If Zhu Wan had only determination but no real actions behind her words, Huo Ling would have been somewhat disappointed.

After all, her undercover visit was an accident, and Zhu Wan’s encounter with her was merely a coincidence.

What had Zhu Wan done before meeting her?

Huo Ling wanted to know.

Zhu Wan said, "Actually, before seeking an audience with Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, I once sought another person."

Her eyes sparkled with amusement. "Who?"

Zhu Wan: "Three years ago, Censor Chen accompanied his wife back to her ancestral home to pay respects. I managed to crash a banquet and privately sought an audience with him, spilling the whole story about the Zhu family."

Ding Jinghuan asked, "The Censor Chen you mentioned—is he Left Chief Censor Chen Haoyan? I recall his wife is from the Zhou family of Cangzhou City."

Ding Jinghuan had spent a few years in the Censorate and was quite familiar with Chen Haoyan’s family circumstances.

Zhu Wan nodded. "I had heard of Censor Chen’s reputation—his integrity and his high position in court. If he had been willing to lend a hand, perhaps I truly could have sought justice for my grandfather and mother."

Huo Ling said, "But you still came to me. It seems Chen Haoyan couldn’t help you."

Zhu Wan replied, "Censor Chen told me he pitied my situation, but the Penal Code has no provision that could hold my father accountable."

Huo Ling looked at Ding Jinghuan—he was the most familiar with the Penal Code here.

After careful consideration, Ding Jinghuan said cautiously, "Censor Chen spoke the truth. Miss Zhu, as you know, anyone who accuses a senior relative of a crime faces two years of hard labor. That’s why ordinary people, when faced with such family disputes, often seek their kin or village elders for mediation rather than suing in court. By today’s laws, it truly is difficult to seek justice for your grandparents and mother."

Only then did Huo Ling turn back to Zhu Wan. "You came to me because you disagreed with Censor Chen’s judgment?"

"Not exactly."

Zhu Wan raised her head slightly, a touch of defiant pride flashing across her delicate face.

"I refuse to accept this."

Her voice suddenly rose, growing more urgent.

"I know Imperial Censor Chen had no reason to deceive me. After returning home, I managed to obtain a copy of the *Penal Code*.

"I scoured the *Penal Code* repeatedly and still couldn’t find a single law that could protect the property left behind by my grandfather and mother.

"But I still won’t accept it."

Huo Ling’s eyes sparkled with even greater amusement. "What exactly do you refuse to accept?"

Zhu Wan’s heart felt like it was being crushed under boulders—or as if a fire were burning inside her.

The boulders pressed her deeper into despair.

The fire burned so fiercely it felt like it would consume her whole.

She had too much pent-up resentment to hold back.

"Everyone claims my grandfather was fated to die without an heir. Even the clan leader eyed my grandfather's wealth greedily. Because my grandfather wouldn’t adopt a clan heir, the leader held a grudge and conspired with outsiders to seize his estate.

"But my grandparents had their own child.

"When parents love their child, they secure their future. Was it wrong for them to want to leave their legacy to their own daughter?

"I’m the true descendant of the Zhu family, yet my father has already secretly arranged my marriage, planning to marry me off and hand the whole business to my half-brother.

"By rights, I am the most qualified to inherit the business—whether it’s called Zhu’s Trading House or renamed Jinfeng Shop."

Huo Ling studied Zhu Wan intently.

Zhu Wan didn’t want to cry.

But for some reason, when she met Huo Ling’s gaze, she broke into sobs.

"The Qingyu River’s waters are crystal clear—yet how many baby girls’ bones are buried beneath them?

"My grandfather and mother did nothing wrong, yet their life’s work was stolen by outsiders.

"Liu Shi did nothing wrong in her entire life. She finally found the courage to fight for survival—for herself and her two daughters—yet her first brave stand led her straight to her death.

"I’m not afraid of serving two years in prison. I’d even beat the grievance drum and file a lawsuit against my father. But I’m terrified that even sacrificing everything, I still won’t be able to reclaim justice for my grandfather and mother.

"I demand justice for my grandfather and mother. I’ve done nothing wrong. If I’m blameless, yet the law won’t punish my father—"

Zhu Wan suddenly dropped to her knees. This time, Wu Feng wasn’t fast enough to catch her like last time.

"—then the law is the one that’s wrong."

Ding Jinghuan gaped.

Song Xu’s jaw dropped.

Those words were beyond bold—they were outright defiance.

The room went dead silent.

Only Zhu Wan's voice pierced the silence like thunder.

After a long pause, Huo Ling raised her hand and gave a soft clap, shattering the hall’s silence. "You are the first to dare question the law in front of me—say that it is wrong."

Zhu Wan pressed her forehead to the ground, speaking words that couldn't be more brazen, yet maintaining a posture of humility and respect.

Now there's a sharp one.

"Raise your head."

Huo Ling curved her lips into a smile, tilting her head as she studied Zhu Wan.

Zhu Wan obeyed and lifted her head.

When she had spoken those words, she hadn’t felt nervous or flustered—only an unprecedented calm.

But when her eyes met Huo Ling’s, the air caught in her throat, and a wave of dread washed over her.

"Stand up."

Zhu Wan stood.

"Sit down."

Zhu Wan sat at a lower position than Song Xu.

"You've got quite a silver tongue," Huo Ling remarked. "But eloquence alone won't do. You claim the law is wrong—so tell me where exactly it fails. If you can give me solid reasons, I'll let your boldness slide—and maybe even see about getting justice for your grandfather and mother."

Zhu Wan’s eyes lit up, her thoughts spinning.

Earlier, she had said the law was wrong because it didn't give them justice—her grandfather and mother.

But that was too vague.

What Her Majesty was after was something concrete—solid grounds to hold her father accountable.

Yet whether from nerves or something else, Zhu Wan’s mind went blank.

Though Huo Ling didn’t press her or show any impatience, Zhu Wan grew anxious enough to break into a sheen of sweat.

Finally, she steeled herself.

"If a family has only daughters, and to keep the family name and fortune they adopt a son from the clan, does that really solve anything?

"If they run into a snake like the Zhu Clan Chief, their wealth will still be lost.

"And if they keep a daughter at home to bring in a husband, they might still end up betrayed by someone as heartless as my father.

"And this gentleman here—"

Zhu Wan pointed at Song Xu. "—had a son, but when the breadwinner fell ill and died, leaving behind a widow and orphan, they still couldn’t protect what their father left behind."

Zhu Wan let loose the questions buried in her heart for years—questions she’d never found answers to.

"I'm no scholar. I’m not as polished as those book-learned girls, and I can’t quote grand principles. But I know this isn’t right.

"Why won’t the law protect my mother? Why won’t it protect me? Why won’t it protect this man’s widowed mother?

"Why can't women take over the family legacy in this world, instead of only men?"