Chapter 92

Chapter 92

Over on one side, Han Zhang and his husband were discussing old affairs of the Dingbei Marquis's household.

Meanwhile, back at the marquis's residence.

Kang Zhanxun returned after classes, only to be met with his father's thunderous questioning again.

"Bang—"

The moment he stepped into the main hall, a teacup shattered violently at his feet, sending porcelain shards flying in every direction.

"You worthless brat! You still have the nerve to show your face!"

The Dingbei Marquis's gaze scraped across his son's face like a dull blade as he roared:

"Today, someone from the Imperial Academy came by and said you were fighting again at the academy? And you nearly injured Shen Huaizhi?"

"Good-for-nothing! Didn't I make it clear the other day? Shen Huaizhi's father has just been promoted to Assistant Commissioner of the Office of Transmission—only a Fifth Rank official, but he's already a man with the Emperor's ear."

"Every single memorial from all the civil and military officials has to pass through the Office of Transmission before it can reach the Emperor. Our marquis's household may have deep roots, but if Lord Shen were to scheme against us in the shadows, do you think we'd get off easy?"

"Your petty quarrels with Shen Huaizhi were bad enough, but now you dare to harm someone in public—are you determined to destroy the hundred-year legacy of the Dingbei Marquis's household before you're satisfied?"

The Dingbei Marquis's voice rumbled like muffled thunder, every word carrying the oppressive weight of a father who was deeply disappointed in his son.

He stood before the hall, the very picture of a stern patriarch who had worn himself out over a wayward son.

But Kang Zhanxun just found it all hypocritical. He didn't feel a shred of guilt. Instead, he raised an eyebrow, kicked the shattered porcelain aside with a clatter, and sauntered over to a grand armchair, flopping down and crossing his legs in a cocky sprawl, sneering:

"Yeah, so what if I want to destroy this family's hundred-year legacy? What are you gonna do about it? It's not like I'm the one inheriting this big estate anyway—if it goes to hell, it goes to hell. It won't hurt me."

The Dingbei Marquis's face turned livid at his son's shameless attitude. He slammed his palm down hard on the table:

"Unfilial brat! How dare you talk such nonsense! If this household isn't passed down to you, then who's it gonna go to? If I weren't protecting your position as heir, given everything you've done, I'd have sent up a memorial long ago to have your name stripped!"

Kang Zhanxun laughed like he'd just heard the funniest joke: "You're not trying to strip me of my position as heir—you're afraid of the rumors, afraid everyone will confirm the dirty business between you and that slut."

"Don't make it sound so noble. If you've got the guts, hand me the title of marquis right now, pack up, and go back to your hometown to wait to die. Stop going behind my back to groom that little bastard of yours..."

Before he could finish his sentence.

Another teacup came flying straight at his face.

"You damned animal! All your loyalty, filial piety, and decency have been fed to the dogs! She's your aunt-in-law, and that child is your own flesh and blood! How dare you spew such filth and ruin her reputation—"

"Xu'er looks exactly like you! If he's not your kid, then whose is he?! Ruorui is a proper daughter of the Yu family—do you want to hound her to death with your slander? Do you want every son and daughter of the Yu family to be ruined along with her?!"

"Why don't I groom you? You know why yourself! With your volatile, violent temper, if I don't groom Xu'er to have your back, am I supposed to let you lead this whole household to ruin?"

The Dingbei Marquis shot to his feet, shaking with rage, arm raised to strike.

But did Kang Zhanxun let him?

Not only did he not let him, he got even more brazen—kicking over a nearby table and chair in defiance, roaring back:

"Old man, who do you think you are to lecture me with all this? Do you think I'm a fool?!"

"Back then I was kept in the dark, thinking Du Ruorui was just some scheming slut trying to climb the ladder by seducing me. But all these years, the flirtatious glances and secret rendezvous between her and Kang Zhanhong—if I still can't see it, I must be blind!"

"Why does that little bastard look like me? Because he's Kang Zhanhong's kid! We both carry the Kang blood—how could he not look like me?"

Outsiders thought he was a man who doted on his concubine and abused his wife, but they didn't know he'd been tricked into that marriage from the very start. His wife had been carrying on with another man, making him raise a bastard that wasn't even his.

The problem was that those adulterous wretches covered their tracks flawlessly, wiping away every piece of evidence. His father was biased in their favor, and his grandmother just wanted peace in the household.

So back then, he couldn't defend himself no matter what he said. Worse, they turned around and dragged him to court, branding him with the shameful title of a man who favored his concubine and abused his wife—ruining his reputation for good!

Those people had better pray he never got his hands on proof. If he ever found evidence, he'd make sure they died a thousand deaths to avenge the wrongs and hatred he and his mother had suffered.

"Pah! A murderous old bastard like you who killed his brother and wife wants to control me? Dream on..."

Kang Zhanxun sneered, spat on the ground, and stalked off with an arrogant swagger.

The Dingbei Marquis watched his son's stubborn retreat, his fury slowly fading into a face of utter dejection.

He collapsed into his chair, eyes shut, voice choked: "This child..."

The maids and servants attending him felt a pang of sympathy.

The eldest young master's temper was truly beyond saving.

Whether the old master and the second madam, or the young madam and the second young master, had anything going on—they, who watched everything day in and day out, knew the truth well enough.

But the eldest young master was determined to dig his heels in, convinced that everyone in the household was out to get him. And to clash with his own father like this—it was truly disrespectful.

The servants lowered their heads, sighing to themselves.

And so, none of them noticed the faint, cold smile curling at the corner of the Dingbei Marquis's lips.

...

Meanwhile, on the other side.

After cursing out his father, Kang Zhanxun returned to the inner quarters and went straight to his concubine Xiang Lian's courtyard.

As for Du Ruorui and her son—one was a woman who had schemed against him, the other another man's bastard. He only hated that he couldn't drive them out; why would he go visit them?

And his grandmother—whatever feelings he'd had for her had vanished completely back when she'd made him accept Du Ruorui and her child just to keep the peace.

In all the vast Dingbei Marquis household, only Xiang Lian and her son were his true family.

"Xiang Lian, Yi'er..."

Unlike his arrogant defiance before the Dingbei Marquis, the moment he stepped through the threshold of the side courtyard, the gloom and tyranny in Kang Zhanxun's brow receded like the tide, replaced by a soft, loving expression.

"Young master is back."

The beautiful woman who had been practicing calligraphy with their young son looked up at the sound, joy lighting her eyes as she hurried over, offering tea while asking with gentle concern: "Did everything go well at the Imperial Academy today, young master?"

This was Kang Zhanxun's beloved concubine, Xiang Lian. She had brows like distant mountain ridges, eyes like autumn pools, delicate features, and a voice as soft as water—a beauty of gentle grace.

And the handsome young boy beside her was their son, Kang Chenyi.

Seeing his father return,

Kang Chenyi quickly set down his brush and bounded over like a joyful little beast, wrapping his arms around his father's leg. He tilted up his ink-smudged little face, eyes shining with bright adoration:

"Daddy! Yi'er missed you so much! Today I wrote three pages of big characters—come see if I did well!"

"Good, it must be good. My son is naturally gifted—how could his writing be anything less?"

Kang Zhanxun laughed heartily and scooped his son up in his arms, praising him before even looking at the calligraphy—a testament to how thick a dad's rose-colored glasses can be.

Kang Chenyi, basking in his father's unwavering approval, grinned so wide his missing tooth showed, and seized the moment to tug at his father's sleeve and wheedle: "Then Daddy has to give me a reward! On your next day off, will you take Yi'er horseback riding?"

"Alright, alright, alright." Kang Zhanxun affectionately ruffled his son's hair and smiled, "The stables just got a few new ponies—shiny coats and gentle temperaments. When the time comes, I'll let you pick one you like, and I'll personally teach you archery and riding..."

Father and son chatted and laughed together, their closeness plain to see.

"My lord, please stop spoiling Yi'er so much. You're going to ruin that boy."

Xiang Lian watched the two interact from the side, her smile growing warmer. She instructed the maids and servants to prepare hot water and simple clothes, then stepped forward to fan the father and son.

Kang Zhanxun looked at the gentle, considerate Xiang Lian and smiled: "Yi'er is clever, and you've raised him to be sensible. A little indulgence won't do any harm... But you—you still won't change what you call me. I've told you so many times, you ought to call me 'husband.'"

Xiang Lian shook her head, a faint shadow dimming her eyes: "I am, after all, just a concubine. If others heard me call you 'husband,' it might stir up gossip and tarnish your reputation. I understand the feelings you hold for me, my lord. These empty titles... I don't care about them at all."

The young lord had already sacrificed enough for her sake; she didn't want to drag him down further.

Hearing this, Kang Zhanxun thought of the situation in the household and felt frustrated and self-reproachful. He hated himself for being useless, for failing to find evidence against those people, making his wife and child suffer such grievances alongside him.

He clenched his fist, his throat tightening: "It's my incompetence... I still haven't found a way to deal with them, and it's made you and Yi'er suffer such wrongs."

His voice was heavy with restrained self-blame and bitter resentment.

Xiang Lian quickly reached out, gently covering the back of his hand, and shook her head, speaking softly:

"My lord, you mustn't think that way. Had you not rescued me back then, I don't know where I'd have ended up. How could I have this comfortable life and your loving care today?"

Xiang Lian's childhood had been difficult. She came from an ordinary farming family, impoverished to begin with, and her parents had treated her with complete disdain simply for being a daughter. Later, to make some money, they even tried to sell her into a brothel.

Fortunately, Kang Zhanxun had been passing by at the time. Taking pity on her, he bought her on the spot and brought her back to the mansion as his personal maid, saving her from a life of ruin.

She was truly content with the life she had now.

Beside them, Kang Chenyi, leaning against his father, looked up with bright, sparkling eyes and said in a crisp voice: "Daddy is the best! As mighty as a champion! I love Daddy the most!"

Mother and son alike trusted and relied on their husband and father completely.

It warmed Kang Zhanxun's heart—a man who had rarely known sincerity.

Kang Zhanxun finally smiled again, gently stroking his son's hair and praising him in a warm tone:

"Daddy loves our Yi'er best too. Yi'er is quick-witted, skilled in both letters and martial arts, and blessed with such handsome features—truly Daddy's pride."

"Yi'er is Daddy and Mommy's child!" Kang Chenyi's little mouth was sweet as honey as he puffed out his small chest proudly, "Daddy and Mommy are both smart and beautiful, so of course Yi'er is smart and beautiful too!"

Such innocent childish chatter made Kang Zhanxun, the doting father, grin from ear to ear.

"Your mother is the one with the good looks," he said, gazing at his son with eyes full of mirth and a voice dripping with affection. "How could Daddy compare to our boy's handsomeness? I bet you couldn't find another young lad as handsome as our Yi'er in the whole capital. Look at these eyebrows, this face..."

Kang Zhanxun's praise suddenly stopped.

His gaze froze on his son's face, and the warmth in his eyes gradually turned to shock and suspicion.

Wait—why did his son seem to look a bit like that poor scholar he'd encountered today?

He snapped his head around, staring at his beloved concubine Xiang Lian beside him.

His heart suddenly tightened.

Xiang Lian and that poor scholar... they... they actually seemed to look a bit alike as well.